There's a free biker breakfast this Sunday at Adventure Harley-Davidson. Here's the skinny:
See you Sunday!
The 2008 NewPointe summer motorcycle ride schedule is out. Click here to download it:
2008 Ride Schedule
We've got some sweet rides planned...the first one is May 18. We're doing one per month through September. Here are some of the highlights:
Yes, all of our rides involve eating...a lot! Each ride leaves after 2nd service, usually around 12:30. Most of the time we're home between 5 and 6 p.m. It's a ton of fun and, yes, I plan on going on most (if not all) of the rides. All riders (and bikes) are welcome. We have Harleys, Hondas, sport bikes, dual sports, couples, trikes, you name it...So if you have a bike...get your motor runnin'!
A question I sometimes get asked by my biker friends is, "Why doesn't NewPointe have a biker Sunday?"
Biker Sundays have become all the rage...all over the country. Typically, a church will decide to do one as an outreach event, inviting all the bikers to ride their motorcycles to church for a special service, usually followed by free lunch and a big ride or parade. They're very fun. Very cool. My good friend Steve Combs is one of the biker Sunday pioneers. He's been doing biker Sundays for about 10 years.
I think they're fun, and there's no denying that many bikers have been impacted and forever changed through biker Sunday events. Shoot, we've even ridden from NewPointe to a couple Biker Sundays recently.
So why don't we do biker Sunday at NewPointe? Well, it's because we believe every Sunday is Biker Sunday at NewPointe. Really. See, we've worked extremely hard to create an environment where all people, including bikers, can come to church and not be weirded-out. My biggest hang-up with many biker Sunday events at churches is that for one Sunday (Biker Sunday) the church decides they're going to try and be relevant and connect with real people...bikers. So they do rock and roll music, they wear jeans and t-shirts, they bring a special speaker who can "relate" to the bikers...they basically roll out the red carpet one day a year for bikers.
My question is: why just one day a year? Because here's the reality: even if Biker Sunday is great...and even if a biker really connects with it...even if a biker "gets saved," then what? He's going to come back next week and experience church music, church people, in some cases a choir (wearing choir robes) and usually it's just nothing like the biker Sunday he experienced a week ago.
So what we try to do at NewPointe is create an environment that's going to connect with a biker (or a banker, or a baker, or a broker) every Sunday. We want to be relevant and real next Sunday to. So that's what we do. We want you to be comfortable inviting your biker friends this Sunday, or the next Sunday, or any Sunday. And we're confident that they're going to have a good (and unusual) church experience.
My opinion is that most bikers have negative preconceptions about church. So we get them to come to a Biker Sunday, we do things differently, and then the next week we confirm those negative preconceptions. If a church wants to reach bikers, then why not do those "different" things every week? See, that's what we're all about.
At NewPointe, we love bikers. We love them so much that we've just gone ahead and made every Sunday "Biker Sunday." Wanna invite your biker friend? This Sunday works. Or...how 'bout September 23? We've got a great ride planned for after the second service on that day.
We had another great ride on Sunday. This time we visited Dresden, Ohio to have lunch at Popeye's (a 50's diner). It was great fun...and a great route.
We had 16 bikes in all (pretty good considering it was Father's Day). My kids had been trying to make Father's Day plans for me prior to the ride and then they decided that what they'd really like to do is have Mommy follow the bikes in the minivan while each of the girls took turns riding with me on the back of my bike.
Naomi LOVED her portion of the trip. Natalie would probably tell you that her portion lasted 
about a half-hour too long. But she says she still had fun and wants to do it again. It was a great day with my biker friends and my family. What more could a guy want for Father's Day?
The next ride is Sunday, July 22 @ 12:30 p.m. Hope you can make it! (If you don't have a bike, hurry and go buy one before the next ride).
Here's my report on the first ride of the year: It was a GREAT ride. 30 bikes! Here's a pic of the gang after gorging ourselves at Quinet's in New Martinsville, WV
Yesterday evening my main man "The Big O" (Owen Lehman of Lehman's Cycle) came to the house and installed a new battery in my bike. It's runnin' good and I'm ready to go.
I received an email yesterday that pretty much rocked my world. As a pastor, it's so valuable to get positive, heartfelt feedback that just kinda lets you know that you're hitting the target--that you're connecting with people and that life-change is happening. I never get tired of hearing that. And I'm always humbled by it. When I receive feedback (postive or negative), I try to treat it like our lead pastor, Dwight told me to treat it: like bubble gum, chew on it away but don't swallow it. If you swallow the postive feeback all the time, your head will enlarge, if you swallow the negative, you'll get discouraged. I think that's pretty good advice.
And then every once in a while I'll get an email like the one I'm about to share with you, my blog readers. When I read it, at first I smiled, then my heart was warmed, and finally, I started sobbing while sitting here at my computer. I was just flat out humbled. Read it and maybe you're understand why (I've changed it slightly to keep it anonymous):
John,
I just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how much I have been enjoying your messages. My family and I have been attending regularly the past couple of months. I truly have gotten alot out of your messages. I have not been this enthused about God since I was a kid. This church as a whole has renewed my faith in many ways--in God, in my family & my mariage. My wife and I split up(recently). Since that time the things we were going through were huge. Since (a couple of months ago) I have been back home. (Several other people who attend NewPointe) were very instumental in restoring our marriage. My wife's started with one of Dwight's sermons. CHANGE is what I call it. Change your marriage! (The folks who helped us)did not pass judgment but threw alot of encouragement our way.
(Change is) what she wanted to do! (It took me) a little longer. I had to go (to NewPointe) myself to hear what changed her outlook on our marriage. It really helped me as well. Our kids also helped me to look for a renewed relationship with God. They love church now period. They are mad if they miss one Sunday! Sunday (after) the (little league) coaches meeting when you were talking about motorcycle riding and (I saw) how passionate your were about (it) and how you have just been riding for a year & how much you love it! Then (at First Wednesday) you talked about how much you Love God!!! WOW! Passionate does not even cover how much you love him. Thats what I want! Thats the kind of relationship with God I want! I hope I didn't ramble a whole lot. Thanks again!
I just got back from the going my the longest ride of my short motorcycle career. I rode with Bill and Kathy Whitmire and a few of their friends to Syracuse, Ohio (waaaay down on the Ohio River) for their Biker Sunday. The ride was about 300 miles round trip. I froze on the way down but we had absolutely perfect weather for the ride back (because I'm a newbie, I don't yet own the proper and appropriate "riding gear." That means a sweatshirt, jeans, and a Buckeyes jacket while everyone else was wearing leather chaps, H-D boots, and expensive leather jackets...oh well, I'll catch up with those guys some day).
Back to the trip. It was a lot of fun. I was able to catch up with my good friend, Steve Combs. Steve mentored me while I was at Grove City Church of the Nazarene. He was the guest speaker today (did a great job, as usual). 8 or 9 people came forward to receive Christ in this little bitty church right on the banks of the Ohio. I think there were well over 100 bikes there today. The sanctuary was packed. I had to side in a folding chair way off to the side. The food was phenominal. Good old-fashioned home-cookin' (including soup beans made right there over an open fire along with juicy and tender pulled-pork sandwiches).
My buddy Steve has this incredible ministry called Leave a Mark. His Biker Sunday in Grove City had to move to Crew Stadium in order to accomodate the 8,000+ people who attended it this year. Very cool.
It was great hanging with Bill & Kathy and the gang. Bill & Kathy are going to be giving leadership to NewPointe's biker ministry next year. I'm very excited about that. Anyway, that's why we went. I wanted them to hook up with Steve. Mission accomplished.
Mike Dennis is the senior pastor at Canton First Church of the Nazarene. He's also a very good friend of mine. In fact, he married Jenny and I in 1990. He's also a biker. And his church is down with the whole biker scene.
On September 24, they'll be having their annual "Biker Sunday." It'll be great. I'm organizing a ride...and everyone (who has a motorcycle) is invited. Here's the plan: We'll meet at Adventure Harley Davidson in Dover at 8:30 a.m. and ride to Canton together. I'm hoping we can get 50 bikes. Won't that be cool?
Registration starts at 9:30. We'll attend the service and then anyone who wants to stick around can participate in the special ride being organized by Mike and his team. Just plan on making a day of it.
Email me if you have questions.
Yeah, those of you who know me know that I've recently learned how to ride a motorcycle (and I bought one this Spring). In Ohio, you are permitted to ride once you pass your written test--you just can't have passengers or ride at night. Part two is a skills test (cone weave, u-turns, quick-stops, etc.). I called the testing agency this week to ask if there's any way to practice before I take the test. The guy says, "Not really." So I told him that I've been riding all summer and based on that, I asked him if he thought I could pass the test. He tells me that the cone weave will be the toughest part. He gave me the measurements and cone locations and suggested I practice it. So I did. It's not easy. And part of the reason is because my bike's not real small. I'd say right now I have about a 50/50 chance of nailing the cone weave. I'm pretty confident about everything else but honesty, the cone weave has me spooked a little. I'll post the results of my test next week.
