Small Groups - Spring 2011 Part Four

Hey ACC,

I am taking the next few Thursdays and blogging about our individual Small Groups that we are offering in the Spring Semester at ACC. Each week I am highlighting an individual group that you can sign-up for to give you a little more information on what each one will be about and who is facilitating them.

Of course you can find all of the details over at ameliasmallgroups.com before the next semester begins.

Appalachia Missions Trip

Each member will need to raise $ 350.00 for the Mission Trip expenses.

Details: Wednesdays / 6:30pm – 8:30pm / ACC

This group will study and prep to go on a Missions trip to Appalachia in the Summer of 2011

Facilitator - Jason Taggart, (jason@jasonandcindy.com)

Family - Wonderful wife Cindy, and two great (and ornery) sons Ethan and Eli

When did you meet Jesus? - I have always had an affinity to go to church. I would even ride my bike to church a couple miles away when no one would take me. I was baptized into Christ at 16, but didn’t fully understand what completely giving my life up for Jesus meant until right after college. Once that happened I became a youth minister for about 10 years, and have recently moved back to Ohio from Missouri.

What is unique about you? - The most unique thing about me is that I love to learn continuously. I have this weird trait that I will sit and study something even if it has no specific relevance to my life. For example, I recently got my HAM license. I studied 10 hours for it, passed it, and don’t even have a HAM radio. I think it is more of craziness than uniqueness.

Why should a member attend your group? - If you have an inkling of passion to serve Christ in our community and beyond, this class will continue our journey to begin more mission oriented projects and trips to serve Him. This is the second semester of classes if you would like to go on a mission trip this summer.

Merry Christmas

Cara & Josh and I are taking some time off until the new year, so from all of us to all of you,

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR !

We'll see you all in 2011!

Christmas Eve Service

This Friday night is our Annual Christmas Eve Service and I cannot wait to share with you how awesome this service is going to be.

I have had so many people over the last few years tell me that this is their favorite service of the year at ACC.

This year we are tackling the theme of peace and how we all need God to bring the Prince of Peace into our lives. It will be a very brief service at only 45 minutes long and it will be very intimate, with candlelight and soft music. We will also have a story for children, so bring them along as well.

We invite you to come on out and join us. Brave the weather - there won't be that much snow and you've gotten out in worse. Come and celebrate Christmas with your church family.

Doors open at 8:40 pm and the service will begin at 9:00 pm.

Small Groups - Spring 2011 Part Three

Hey ACC,

I am taking the next few Thursdays and blogging about our individual Small Groups that we are offering in the Spring Semester at ACC. Each week I am highlighting an individual group that you can sign-up for to give you a little more information on what each one will be about and who is facilitating them.

Of course you can find all of the details over at ameliasmallgroups.com before the next semester begins.

Sun Stand Still

Each member will need to purchase a book. ($12.00)

Details: Wednesdays / 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm / Carol & Tim Sexton’s House

241 Apples Way, Batavia, OH 45103

This group will explore the book “Sun Stand Still” by Steven Furtick. You will be challenged to have audacious faith to ask for the impossible.

Facilitator – Carol Sexton, (nannycj4@gmail.com)

Family – Tim (married for 22 years), 2 children and 4 grandchildren

When did you meet Jesus? - It took me a long time, but I finally gave my life to Jesus on May 25, 2008 at ACC.

What's unique about you? - I love people, young and old. I love the mountains and the ocean. I am retired after working for 32 years with special needs children.

Why should a member attend your group? – To know we can have the same faith that caused a man to pray and see the sun stand still in the sky for 24 hours. Do you have that same faith? If not, then come take this journey with me to begin living the life of audacity God has created and saved for us.

Albums of the Decade: 2000 - 2010

Okay, here's the list you've been waiting for. There are so many great albums to choose from in this past decade that I had a difficult time selecting certain ones. A couple of these races were very close and I'm still disappointed that I couldn't fit Starfield in here somewhere, but there was just too much good stuff.For the curious, I have broken these races down into eleven different categories of music classification. So, without further ado, here's a trip down memory lane:

Albums of the Decade 2000-2010

Categories:

Mainstream Rock

1. Live – “Birds of Pray”
2. Daughtry – “Daughtry”
3. Alter Bridge – “Blackbird"

Christian Rock

1. Switchfoot – “The Beautiful Letdown”
2. Fireflight – “Unbreakable”
3. Flyleaf – “Flyleaf”

Alternative / Crunk Rock

1. Tobymac – “Welcome to Diverse City”
2. Family Force 5 – “Business Up Front, Party in the Back”
3. Group 1 Crew – “Ordinary Dreamers”

Hard Rock / Metal

1. RED – “End of Silence”
2. POD – “Satellite”
3. Disciple – “Disciple”

Mainstream Contemporary / Pop

1. Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
2. The Fray – “The Fray”
3. John Mayer – “Continuum”

Christian Contemporary / Pop

1. Chris Tomlin – “And If Our God is For Us”
2. Newsboys – “Thrive”
3. Nicole Nordeman – “Woven & Spun”

Worship

1. Hillsong United – “Across the Earth: Tear Down the Walls”
2. David Crowder*Band – “A Collision”
3. Fee – “Hope Rising”

Rap / R&B

1. Pettidee – “Thug Love”
2. Soul P – “The Premiere”
3. KJ-52 – “It’s Pronounced Five-Two”

Country

1. I don’t listen to Country Music and you all know it.

Soundtrack / Instrumental

1. Daft Punk – “TRON Legacy Soundtrack”
2. Michael W. Smith – “Freedom”
3. Howard Shore – “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Soundtrack”

Electronic / Techno / Dance

1. Muse – “The Resistance”
2. Mute Math – “Mute Math”
3. Falling Up – “Captiva”

Well, what do you think? Agree or disagree? Let me know.

Ghosts - Ghost of Christmas Future

ACC,

Our Ghosts series has been amazing! Are you ready for God to meet you where you're at in your present and show you a glimpse of what He has in store for your future?

If so, don't miss the final installment of our Ghosts series at ACC, this Sunday morning at 11:00 AM.

Small Groups - Spring 2011 Part Two

Hey ACC,

I am taking the next few Thursdays and blogging about our individual Small Groups that we are offering in the Spring Semester at ACC. Each week I am highlighting an individual group that you can sign-up for to give you a little more information on what each one will be about and who is facilitating them.

Of course you can find all of the details over at ameliasmallgroups.com before the next semester begins.

Jesus The One and Only: A Beth Moore Study (Women Only)

Each member will need to purchase a workbook ($20.00) and help offset the overall video curriculum

Details: Sundays / 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm / ACC

A women’s study based on the Book of Luke. There is a workbook and videos that go with each lesson and it is an eleven week study.

Facilitator – Janis Moore, (janism2007@yahoo.com)

Family – Husband – Mike, Daughters – Mirand and Melissa. I was raised in a family of 6 siblings.

When did you meet Jesus? - I have known Jesus my whole life; growing up in the Catholic church. My personal relationship with Jesus didn’t start until I came to ACC twelve years ago.

What's unique about you? - My God given artistic talent. When I can use it the way God intended it can be a very strong praise to our Lord and Savior.

Why should a member attend your group? – This study is for women in all stages of their walk with Jesus. It is a good beginning place for the ladies who are just finding their way and it is a good refresher to take mature Christians back to look at the basic teachings of Jesus. Beth Moore has the ability to get ladies inspired and hungry to learn how Jesus can work in their spiritual lives.

Another Year...

And since today is the 12th anniversary of my 21st Birthday, I thought I would take a blogging break and give you a thought on exactly how I feel today:

Postures Of Praise

I am currently reading a book by Rory Noland entitled "The Worshiping Artist" in which he explores certain aspects of worship that we all take for granted on a daily basis.

As a Worship Leader for ACC, I often get asked the question - "which ways are appropriate ways to express our worship to God during the service?" My answer is usually something like this: "Whatever you feel the Holy Spirit leading you to do is great." However, sometimes that answer can be misinterpreted.

For example, the Holy Spirit is not going to lead you to do gymnastics and cheerleading chants during a prayer.

In "The Worshiping Artist", Rory Noland explores some of these "Postures of Praise" as he calls them and gives solid Biblical Evidence for them.

1 Corinthians 6:20 implores us to "honor God with our body". So how should you do that in worship? Like this:

STANDING

When the children of Israel saw the pillar of cloud representing God's presence, "they all stood and worshiped." (Exodus 33:10)

RAISING HANDS

David exclaimed, "I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands" (Psalm 63:4)

"Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord." (Psalm 134:2)

"Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place." (Psalm 28:2)

KNEELING

"At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth" (Philippians 2:10)

"Come let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our maker." (Psalm 95:6)

FACEDOWN

"Then Abram fell on his face" (Genesis 17:3a)

"Then David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth fell facedown." (1 Chronicles 21:16)

"When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified." (Matthew 17:6)

The next time you're worshiping with us in a service, try one of these postures that's out of your comfort zone. See how much God can grow you as you worship him.

Small Groups - Spring 2011 Part One

Hey ACC,

I am going to take the next few Thursdays and blog about our individual Small Groups that we are offering in the Spring Semester at ACC. Each week I will highlight an individual group that you can sign-up for to give you a little more information on what each one will be about and who is facilitating them.

Of course you can find all of the details over at ameliasmallgroups.com before the next semester begins.

The Case For Christ

Each member will need to purchase a book. ($6.00)

Details: Tuesdays / 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm / The Prather’s House

2 Sparrow Ln, Amelia, Oh 45102

Skeptics dismiss the Jesus of the gospels by claiming there is no evidence. In the Case for Christ, Lee Strobel, legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and a former atheist, set out to prove whether or not Jesus Christ is the resurrected Son of God. The results from this investigative report had a profound change on his life.

Facilitators – Phil & Heather Prather (philprathermusic@gmail.com)

Family – Phil, Heather, Nicholas (6), and Madelynne (3)

When did you meet Jesus? - I met Jesus in high school, but quickly drifted away for a number of years. I was baptized in October of 2007 at ACC

What's unique about you? - Drummer for local cover bands for years. Now I drum for Jesus.

Why should a member attend your group? – Jesus is who we worship. He’s who we try to model for daily living. We pray to him for answers, comfort, and for loved ones. Christians asked tough questions about Jesus and faith. Who is He? Did He really exist? Did He actually rise from the dead? Every Christian should be able to answer questions like this with factual information. If Jesus is this important to us, we should learn all we can about him.

Album Review - Chris Tomlin "And If Our God is For Us"

Chris Tomlin has returned with his latest offering - "And If Our God is For Us" and it is my opinion that this is his best Worship Album yet.

The album has quite a few tracks that will appeal to everyone and has the upbeat energetic worship songs, the somber lyrics that draw you in to reflect, and a couple of anthems that draw you towards the throne in praise and adoration.

My favorites on this album include "Our God" - an anthem declaring God to be higher than everything else as Creator; the upbeat energy driven "No Chains On Me" which speaks to the heart of freedom that Jesus has given us; and "Freedom" which is a duet that Tomlin sings with Christy Nockels of Watermark.

However, the best song on the album has to be the anthemic "All To Us" which speaks of Jesus being the pinnacle of everything in our lives as he should be. The moments when the crowds join in one voice to sing "You're all to us" over and over, are bone chilling.

All in all, the best worship album from Tomlin yet, (there's not one song on this album that I wouldn't lead at ACC), and one of the most solid offerings of worship music this year.

Go pick up your copy of this one!

Rating -

Ten Personal Growth Questions

Perry Noble is the Pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, South Carolina. Every year, our leadership takes three days to go to a conference that New Spring produces, entitled Unleash.

As a part of that conference, we get training and tools to use in the ministry field and one of those tools last year was a list of questions that I have hanging above my desk.

As a matter of fact, Perry blogged about them here in this post, and I think that they're not only applicable to ministry leaders, but to everyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus Christ.

How are you doing with the following personal growth questions?

#1 – Am I reading my Bible for information or transformation? (James 1:22-25)

#2 – Am I allowing people or circumstances to steal the joy that Jesus promised to me? (John 10:10)

#3 – Is there anything in my life that God is consistently dealing with that I am trying to ignore? (Ezekiel 14:1-5)

#4 – Who are the people in my life that God has placed around me for the purpose of me sharing Christ with them and/or inviting them to church? (II Corinthians 5:16-21)

#5 – Is there anyone I need to apologize to? (Ephesians 4:25:27)

#6 – Is there anyone I need to forgive? (Ephesians 4:32)

#7 – Is there a sin I need to confess to others and ask for help? (James 5:16)

#8 – Am I fully utilizing the gifts and abilities that God has blessed me with…or am I simply choosing to waste my life? (I Peter 4:10)

#9 – Do I know more lines from the movies that I love than verse from the Bible that I read? (Psalm 119:11)

#10 – Is there anything going on in my life privately that, if it became public, would cause me and/or the body of Christ to be embarrassed? (I John 1:9, James 5:16)

Small Groups - Spring 2011

Hey ACC,

Just a quick heads-up. In January you will be able to begin signing up for our Spring Semester of Small Groups which will begin in February and continue through April. We have worked really hard to bring you some really exciting topics for this semester and ones that will not only Grow your relationship with God, but Grow your relationship with others at the same time.

To that end, we have selected the following five topics for you to choose from:

• The Case For Christ - A study on the book by Lee Strobel
• Sun Stand Still: Asking God to Do the Impossible - A study on the book by Steven Furtick
• Appalachia Missions Trip - A study gearing our people to take a missions trip to Appalachia in Summer 2011.
• Jesus, The One and Only - A study on the series by Beth Moore
• Unlocking the Future: Revelation and End Times - A Study on the book of Revelation

As I said before, sign-ups will begin in January and continue through the end of the month, with groups set to start in February. Please sign-up early so that you don't miss out on the group that you want to attend. Slots will fill up fast and our groups max out at 20 people, so sign-up early.

Also, starting in mid-December, we will have more information available on our Small Groups website: www.ameliasmallgroups.com so that you can browse our topics and their facilitators at a little more depth.

We're looking forward to an exciting semester and can't wait to see what God will do through this round of Small Groups!

Funny Verses

Okay, some people say there's no such thing as humor in the Bible. Obviously, they've never read one of my favorite verses in all of Scripture as it describes a young teenage driver:

2 Kings 9:20b - The driving is like that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac.” (NIV, 2010)

See, parents had problems with teen drivers even in the Old Testament.

How about these verse for a little extra laugh in your day:

Proverbs 21:19 - Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife. (NIV, 2010)

Ezra 10:9b - all the people were sitting in the square before the Temple of God. They were trembling both because of the seriousness of the matter and because it was raining. (NLT)

Zechariah 5:1 - Then I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a flying roll. (KJV)

Top Ten Albums of 2010

Okay, so 2010's not over with yet, but as we're getting close to Christmas, you might be looking for new music to enjoy and I thought I would give you some suggestions for that "hard to buy for" person on your Christmas shopping list.

In January of each year, I predict what albums I feel are going to be the biggest for me personally at the end of each year, and every year there are some surprises that make it onto the final list. If you would like to read the albums that I predicted, you can check out this post here. Then, at the end (or nearly to the end) of each year, I select the ten albums that have impacted me most over the course of the year. These are the albums that do not leave my iPod ever. And the following list is comprised of the albums that made the cut for me this past year.

TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2010

Honorable Mentions: Silverline "Voices in the Night", Tenth Avenue North "The Light Meets the Dark", The Afters "Light Up The Sky"

#10 - Ed Kowalczyk - "Alive"

This singer used to be the frontman for the band "Live" which I was a huge fan of in the 90's and early 2000's. This past year, he embarked upon his solo career after leaving the band and had a wildly successful first album. Most of his music has the same feel as "Live" but his lyrics are skewed towards the positive now, vs the negative. This is a very solid album and has a lot of great tracks for you to listen to.

My Favorites include: "Drink (Everlasting Love)", "Stand", "In Your Light"

#9 - Tobymac - "Tonight"

Tobymac is a juggernaut. Finding his early days in dc Talk, this master of the microphone has established himself well into his solo career, releasing his fourth album this past year, "Tonight." This album has something on it

for everyone and something on it that not everyone will like. The old addage is true - "If you try to please everyone, you'll end up pleasing no

one," and that feels like what Tobymac has done with this album. I like most of the tracks on it and it earned a spot in my Top Ten, but it could

have been so much higher on my chart if he would have re-edited a couple of the songs. Easily it is my least favorite album by him, but it tells you what a musician he is if he can put an album like this out and still notch a spot on my list.

My Favorites include: "Funky Jesus Music", "Showstopper", "Changed Forever"

#8 - Alter Bridge - "AB III"

Creed who? Exactly. Mark Tremonti and

company once again team up with lead singer Myles Kennedy for some gut-bustin' grunge rock. This album is thunderous and you need a good subwoofer to be able to compliment it accurately. Leaving Creed and Scott Stapp behind once again, the band soars to new heights with their darkest lyrical offering yet and much better

guitar riffs than Tremonti brought to the latest Creed album. All in all, this band always delivers and AB III is no disappointment.

My Favorites include: "Isolation", "Ghosts of Days Gone By", "Wonderful Life"

#7 - The Letter Black - "Hanging On By a Thread"

Yeah for new bands!!!!! Every year, I find one or two new bands that no one has heard of and they always seem to put an album out that is top-

notch. This year's rookies are the female vocally driven "The Letter

Black". With their debut album, they have single handedly toppled the Christian Rock Charts this past year. Four of their tracks have hit number one and their music has been featured on Sportscenter and the NFL today. Lyrically, very dark, they have targeted today's modern teens and

the issues in society and emotions that they deal with on a consistent basis. Pick this up for any fans of Paramore or Evanescence.

My Favorites include: "Hanging On By A Thread", "Invisible", "Believe"

#6 - Newsboys - "Born Again"

Wait a second....Is that a typo? Newsboys at number 6? How did they even make the cut? Well, let me tell you. When I heard that Peter Furler was leaving the Newsboys, I was disappointed. Their music has always been fun to listen to and Furler's lyrics have always been amazing, so i was bummed. Then, they announced that Michael Tait (formerly of dc Talk) was going to take over the reigns and I couldn't see how his vocal styles could possibly mesh with the Newsboys band. Boy was I wrong.

This album is marvelous and the best part is...Furler wrote

most of the songs, he's just not

touring with the band. I loved this album and even though it gets a bit Pop for me in certain places, it is still a very solid outing from the Newsboys and fans young and old will like this one.

My Favorites include: "Escape", "Miracles", "When the Boys Light Up"

#5 - Fireflight - "For Those Who Wait"

Back in 2008, this band nabbed the number one spot for the year with their album "Unbreakable", which will end up being in my top ten from this past decade, (that post will be out later in December). So, I was anxious to hear this one and see how they could follow up such a superb album. They really have some great songs on here, but it just didn't rise to the level of number one material for me, so that's why you're seeing Fireflight at number 5. Still, it's a phenomenal album. Dawn Richardson's

vocals are still as haunting as ever and the band can still shred the riffs. This is a solid pickup if

you're looking for some hard rock to go with your day.

My Favorites include: "Fire In My Eyes", "Desperate", "Core of My Addiction"

#4 - Daft Punk - "TRON Legacy Soundtrack"

Whoa, time out! A soundtrack made the top ten list? Yes, when it's a soundtrack to an awesome movie scored by a British techno group of DJ's! I was able to score an advance copy of this bad boy, (it doesn't hit stores

until December 7), and I can't stop listening to it. I loved the movie TRON growing up and I've been anxiously anticipating the sequel which comes out this December, but I did not expect Daft Punk to take the soundtrack genre to a whole new level. This collection of techno-electronic symphony would make Beethoven and Bach explode in applause from their graves. I had more fun listening to this album than any soundtrack in recent memory and it will not leave my iPod until several months into the new year and maybe not even then. If you're a fan of movie soundtracks at all, pick this up. You won't be disappointed.

My Favorites include: "

The Game Has Changed", "Derezzed", "Recognizer"

#3 - Sanctus Real - "Pieces of a Real Heart"

Top Three Time! Sanctus Real clocks in at number three with their most solid offering yet. This band has always put out great music and this time, they took it to another level with the honesty and transparency of their lyrics. It's rare in our culture today to find people who are willing to be so open and honest about what they're struggling with, which is why it's so refreshing to see this from a band. Sanctus' songs come straight from their hearts and are dialed in to cut all of us to the quick about the issues we face in our own lives.

My Favorites include: "Lead Me", "Take Over Me", "Forgiven"

#2 - Chris Tomlin - "And If Our God Is For Us"

The number 2 spot this year easily belongs to Chris Tomlin. As a worship pastor, I love to ascribe to the Psalms and "Sing a new song to the Lord". As such, I am always on the lookout for albums that can shape and mold a landscape of worship that brings us on a journey to the throne of God and that is exactly what this worship album from Chris Tomlin does. I resona

te with each song that Tomlin wrote for this album and each song sounds different form the others. There is not one song on this album that I would not consider using in a worship service at ACC and as a matter of fact, ACC, you may want to pick up a copy of this one because there are a couple of songs form this that you'll see in the new year. I'm probably going to get in a debate over this one, but I feel that this album is Tomlin's best that he has offered so far.

My Favorites include: "No Chains on Me", "All To Us", "Faithful"

And the Number One Spot this year goes to...

#1 - Starfield - "The Saving One"

Satrfield clocks in at number 1 this year. This album from the Canadian Worship Quartet is easily their best to date and is filled with declarations of praise to God, emotional moments of silence, heart-driven lyrics, and a massive corporate worship library that just got bigger. This album has really shaped a different view of worship for me personally and I enjoy worshipping along with this album in my quiet time. As with Tomlin's album, "The Saving One" is a journey to the Throne of God led by passionate worshipers who desire to see God glorified and not themselves. I loved this album from the first moment I heard it and if you pick it up, I promise you will love it.

My Favorites include: "Declaration of Dependence", "Overwhelm", "Glory is Rising"

So there's the list for 2010. Stay tuned for the top ten albums of the decade 2000-2010 which will post in December. Also, stay tuned for the Top Ten preview in January for 2011.