It’s been a while…If your reading this, no I did not fall off our stage and die, or forget how to use a computer (although that might not be a bad idea) I took a break from blogging and turned my energy to our staff, upcoming fall series and helping our teams succeed.  It was a good summer break but now I’m excited to get back in the saddle. So -expect anywhere from 2-3 posts a week and perhaps a guest blogger or two.

A pastor friend of mine  were debriefing from the weekend and he asked me “why I was so excited” – he could obviously hear it in my voice – so here’s how I bragged on what God did.

* Last Sunday God showed up and we had a record (non-Easter) attendance...over 825 people packed our services out!

* Our Teams really stepped up their game, walking people to different ministry areas serving coffee, helping people get a seat, creating videos and rebuilding our entire stage – they say success or failure starts with TEAM….It’s true!

* We launched Sat night service and nearly had standing room only!  I think Sat is going to become one of favorite services – sorry 9:30 /11:00 – the Sat. energy was unreal

* Angry Bird was running wild at our Fall Fun Fest and it was awesome- I loved watching families spend time together and build memories in the church – we officially ran out of snow cone ice on Sat night…to all those that missed out. I sincerely apologize

It’s pretty clear to our team and myself that God is up to something. If you want to be apart and join in…here are three clear steps that will get you there…

1. Start Praying for OUR church! Prayer protects, empowers and changes things…if we do it – we will all know it

2. Invite your friends! Now we have 3 different times to choose from…Sat 6:00 / Sun. 9:30 and 11:00 – so we are actually making it easier to fit into peoples schedules. There is nothing more real and meaningful than a friend wanting to share something valuable with another friend!

3.  Get Involved! You could be a huge part of what God is doing in our church! Why sit on the sidelines? click here to join a team and start making an impact!

See you this Saturday – Tom

Every 365 days we feel like life is  giving us a “do over”, an opportunity to improve on our last years success and learn for our previous mistakes. God created and  loves this concept of NEW…
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a NEW PERSON by changing the way you think. Romans 12:2

In Romans we  Paul challenges  to let God transform our thoughts and through that our life -until we become a “NEW PERSON”, I am excited and challenged by what that means for me in 2011.  But before I close the door on 2010 – here are some of my favorite moments / thrive memories from the past year.

1) “I STILL DO” renewing of vows Ceremony during our “I want a new marriage” series. What a privilege to stand with all couples as they renewed their love and their commitment to their marriage. Easily one of the highlights of my year.

2) Baptizing almost 40 people in a horse trough this year. This blows me away…I pray many more to come in 2011

3) Finding out that 225 people have committed or re-committed their life to Christ at our church this year. This is why we started Thrive…to make it easy for people to find and follow God.  Thankful and excited that he is using us to spread his love.

4) Leading our Stogies and Scripture group for guys that are wanting friendship and a deeper connection with God. I have truly enjoyed the bond of friendship that have  been built with so many of the guys…

5) Watching my buddy Tony Crank step ramp up to launch a life-giving church in Oregon. I remember what it was like 2 years ago when we launched..we are looking forward to partnering with Him. Every new church starts with a person that prays “God if your up to something I want to be apart of it” -  This prayer is the launching pad for God to do BIG THINGS people’s lives.

the best is yet to come…

PS – here is one of my favorite 2010 pictures of Cole…as you can see he is preparing to do something big.

Tom

WOW – what a day at Thrive Church….So in awe about what God is doing! Here are a couple thoughts….

* Sunday we kicked off our new series “Faith, Hope and Luck”….I feel like we are headed into a “right now” series for our church.  I am pumped for this Sunday.
* Just became Jesus can or we think he should does not mean that he will – not our job to put our expectations on God but to learn how to follow Him fully.
* We learned together that circumstantial faith is fragile and can be easily derailed by life’s pressures and pleasures.
* Jez Barbacy, Jessica Caldwell our band did a great job leading everyone into worship – Let me say it – our band ROCKS!
* Brought the winner of the Kidz costume contest on stage for the closing of the 11 am service. She was Dorthy from the Wizard of OZ..love it!
* Our Road Crew Team reported that they set up our entire facility in 53 minutes flat!
* Had dozens of people ask me “what happened to my head” – all I can say is that I am learning the price tag of laying on the beach without sunscreen – lesson learned (hopefully)
* Our ONE youth team had it’s first annual “Pumpkin Smash” night.  Imagine….100′s of Pumpkins – baseball bats , food and teenagers – It was a Big messy WIN for everyone.

Three more things…

* THANK YOU for the kindness that you guys showed me and my family for pastors appreciation month.  It is an honor to serve here as the pastor of this church…and I am anticipating 2011 to be most EXCITING year of ministry we’ve ever had.  I love this church…and I believe God has called us NOT to just do church…but to IMPACT and CHANGE the world that we live in by lifting up JESUS in a way that people can understand.

* THANK YOU for your generosity and sacrificial giving to God. It’s because of you trusting and following God with your resources that we can MOVE FORWARD and HELP OUR COMMUNITY FIND AND FOLLOW GOD!  I know as we continue to trust Him we will see more and more families and our friends connected to God’s LOVE.

* THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for my trip this past week to North Central University in Mpls…it literally and amazing week of ministry.  God is using our church all over the place…I wish each of you could see the faces of the college students hearts as I had the privilege of sharing stories from our church community.  For all of this I say…to God be the glory…and I so look forward to the future l opportunities He is going to place in front of us for ministry.

PS – Mark your calender Now / Sunday, November 21 – It’s our big BIG THANKSGIVING DAY PARTY at the Villagio mall pavilion in Katy.

the best is yet to come!

Tom

Just came across this blog and thought you would enjoy it. By the way – all the reasons are 100% true….
Tom

Here are seven reasons your church plant won’t make it.

1. You imported your vision, mission and strategy from another church because you really don’t have a vision, mission or strategy.

2. You’re drunk with vision but haven’t developed healthy systems.

3. You sacrifice your family in the name of ministry.

4. You don’t talk about money.

5. You’re a cheap church planter who won’t spend money on leadership development for you or your staff.

6. You download all your sermons from the Internet because you don’t study, pray or read your Bible.

7. You started a church because, deep down, you have a problem with authority and don’t want a boss.

Michael Lukaszewski is the lead planter of Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, Georgia.

I thought I would give you a recap of some of the beset moments of my week.

1.      Last Sunday and our worship night at Thrive Church – Baptizing the 12 people that said “YES -I’m going public for Christ”….amazing stuff!

2.      Slipping out mid day to see the movie ” Secretariat” with my wife…the movie was good – spending time with my wife was better!

3       Sitting in our Parenting 101 Growth group and learning that real parenting should happen between the conflicts – not during them.

4.      Talking to my Mom on the phone about her coming down as soon as she gets her new “wheel chair friendly” van – so excited, love her so much.

5.      Having the privilege of praying with Tina Martin as she continues to battle with cancer on the brain.  You never know how much faith you have until you need it…she has TONS!

6.      Seeing my in-laws arrive on Wednesday. It’s a gift to have family in our house (and help with the kids)

7.      Thinking about our vacation that starts this Sunday after church, come this Sunday it could be the shortest message yet – Going to be on a boat in the ocean….ready to relax and refresh.

Smiling right now

Tom

Hey everyone

I wanted to let you know that this is a “Can’t Miss” Sunday!   We are kicking off our new series called the Ultimate Giveaway.  What really gets me excited about this series isn’t the fact that we are giving away over $250,000 in prizes….Yes, we are going to giveaway iPads – Flat Screen TV’s – Kids Bikes – Blue Ray DVD players and even a Cruise for two to the Caribbean.

What it’s really about is PEOPLE!  We believe that people matter to God!  The goal of this series is to make it easy to invite your un-churched friends to church. When they come our prayer is that God will open their heart to receive the greatest prize- his incredible – life changing LOVE!   That’s truly the Ultimate Giveaway – that’s what going to change families, help people overcome their past and give them real hope for the future!

Here are TEN things about the U.G.  I thought you should know….

1.      The Success of this series will not be about prizes, but more importantly about prayer!  Please take a couple minutes each day to ask God to work in the lives of every person that comes through the door!

2.      We have already had countless people “Go ALL IN” to make this series happen. From helping at the garage sale, to donating  TVs or bikes , handing out invites..Even to putting a sign in their front yard.  There are already some serious “heroes” that are making a difference – I am humbled to be a part of a church that really genuinely cares for people that are not connected to Christ.

3.      Our services will be 100% THRIVE.  Other than being about 8 minutes shorter – they will be the exact same thing we experience every week. We want our visitors to get an authentic picture of our church!

4.      The prize giveaways will always be the last few minutes of each service.

5.      Each service we will collect connect cards – we will draw from those cards for each prize – you must be present to win!

6.      Week 1 (this Sunday) we will be giving away a majority of the electronic prizes. TV’s, iPads, Blue Ray DVD players and more….

7.      Week 2 (Sept 19) will be the KIDZ ultimate Giveaway!  Imagine – free bikes – Nintendo DS’s  and yes SILLY STRING WARS!   (My daughter is already praying about who she can bring to this day)

8.      Week 3 (Sept 26) we will be giving away the grand prizes – Honda motorcycle and a Cruise for two to the Caribbean!

9.      Each family will receive when they come a Gift bag with over $200 in freebies to local businesses.

10.     It’s going to BE FUN!!

The best things in life are free…..
Tom

Over the last few weeks people have asked me, “Why are you having the Haggards come to Thrive?”

At first, my answer was their story fits the DNA of our church. Over the last few weeks as I have read Gayle’s book and watched the documentaries on their life, and it’s become much clearer. Here are the reasons….

1. Thrive is a GRACE Driven culture – we are not a place that will judge you for your past but rather help you move forward in God’s incredible grace – which means you no longer have to HIDE your past – it’s a part of your God Story – embrace and grow from it!

2. We are not afraid of TOUGH ISSUES – some churches want to “play it safe” – you will consistently see us risk it all to reach people that would not normally enter the doors of a church. When we lean into the dark, uncomfortable areas – it is an opportunity for the light to chase away the darkness…..and that is the power of the gospel!

3. We are a church that TELLS OUR STORIES – everyone has them – no one is perfect – so why try and hide them. Again, what is hidden gains power over us – what is brought out into the light looses power over us! Telling our story is a big part of leaving the guilt, shame and pain of our past behind!

4. Life is Simpler – more meaningful when WE DON’T HAVE TO PRETEND! I hope by having Ted and Gayle this Sunday people will find the courage to be honest about their marriage – and discover the FREEDOM and JOY to be the person that God made you to be!

For by Grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8

Tom

As a Pastor one of my Big Deals is Prayer….my goal is for no one to beat me in the amount of time that our church gets talked about with God. I believe what the Bible says about prayer – it can make things happen – it can help us hear God’s heart and it can provide protection from the enemy’s attacks. Here are the 5 things that I am currently PRAYING for THRIVE!

1. WE TRUST MORE! - Call it faith, trust – whatever you want…..Our relationship with God is built on believing God at his word and then acting on those beliefs. My prayer is that we TAKE HUGE LEAPS OF TRUST in the coming year. What are the focus areas: our time, families, jobs, finances and being a connector to God!

2. COMMUNITY GROWS! – We were built for more than sitting in a seat on Sunday! The church was designed to “do life” and at the same time, be “life-giving”. I’m praying Thriver’s eat together, play together, have conversations about God, life and family. The book of Proverbs describes it as “iron sharpening iron” – let’s sharpen each other!

3. PROTECTION FROM THE ENEMY! – The truth is Satan hates us! He will distract, deploy, and put despair in our lives to hold us back from God’s blessings and power. I’m praying that our eyes are wide open to the enemy’s schemes and that we grab a hold of the spiritual weapons that God has given us! Go read II Corinthians 10:4

4. EXPERIENCE AUTHENTIC JOY – When we can smile beyond our circumstances, laugh in the middle of storms and be thankful when we experience blessings…that’s when we can say “I have Joy”. Joy is not circumstantial – it’s an inward peace that comes from our confidence in who GOD IS! I’m praying that Thrive is busting out the doors with people who are discovering the real deal!

5. WE IMPACT OTHERS LIVES – The Bible describes the Gospel as “good news”. Good news deserves to be shared and given out freely. I get excited when I think about our friends, family members and neighbors connecting to Christ in 2010. We can impact other’s lives when we are willing to share our story – love people and invite them to go on the journey with us. It’s incredible to think that we can help people discover God’s Purpose and plan for their lives!

Praying hard! Pray with me!

See you Sunday…..

Tom

“Continued our Ritual series this weekend. Talked about a 4000 year-old ritual called tithing that traces all the way back to Abraham. Honestly, I used to hate talking about money. Thought people would think it was a money grab so I was almost defensive about it. But the longer I tithe the more I love talking about it.

We need a paradigm shift. So many people perceive the tithe as an obligation. It’s an opportunity! Yes, Malachi 3 says you are “under a curse” if you are not giving a tenth. But what a promise! God wants to open the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing on you that you cannot contain.

Here are a few principles I shared this weekend:

1) God can do more with 90% than I can do with 100%
2) U cannot out give God
3) 2 be blessed beyond your ability u need to give beyond your ability
4) When u start tithing, your financial problems become God’s problem
5) The tithe keeps money from becoming your master
6) Tithing positions u 4 blessing
7) Tithing = Trusting

In my personal experience, tithing makes finances fun. It infuses me with economic optimism because I’m walking in obedience. I live in holy anticipation to see the way God is going to provide!”

Enjoy,

Tom

]]> http://tomelmore.com/4000-year-old-ritual/feed/ 0 http://tomelmore.com/snapshots-from-the-week/ http://tomelmore.com/snapshots-from-the-week/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:05:59 +0000 tomelmore http://www.tomelmore.com/?p=261 Friday Night – We Threw a Party for our AMAZING THRIVE Volunteers

·         We had our first ever DREAM TEAM Dinner at our house and it was a PARTY!

·         Jackie and I were blown away that over 50 people showed up…I thought around 20 would come – so much for my faith and forgetting to do a RSVP.

·         Of course it was a TX BBQ (something I love and appreciate about this great state called TX) with brisket, ribs and pulled pork sandwiches – can I get a yee haaa!

·         The chief was none other than Thrives own Buddy Broussard. He cooked for 2 days strait and donated all the meat (sorry dude you just lost your reward in heaven -your giving is public).

·         Loved watching everyone that showed up late hope that there was meat when they walked in and saw the crowd. (There was just enough – kinda like the fishes and loaves story in the Bible)

·         People were laughing and having a good time, always a plus when people are hanging out at your place.

·         I’m missing some of my DVD’s as a result of the party – Rodrigo Vargas I would like them back

  Sunday AM

·         We launched week 1 our new series “Inked – marked to make a difference” – seems like everyone is pretty pumped about tattoos…I personally like to go with the “lick on ones”.

·         Today’s message was specifically for us to OPEN our eyes to the fact that God is a GIVER!

·         After Salvation, and His Spirit, God gives us spiritual gifts to help us discover His plan for our life.

·         My Gifts show my value as well as become the key to living a life that’s FUN and FULFILLING.

·         A Ton of Christians have “Gift Envy”. It can creep into our lives – We don’t need another Billy Graham – we need YOU to be YOU.

·         Dan Nieves stepped up and led worship for us – it was his first time leading at Thrive and probably not his last.

·         I mentioned in the message that my eyebrows are prominent but not that significant….I also mentioned that I think my eyebrows have a “thing for each other” – they keep trying to get hooked up….in case you are wondering, my wife says “never the two shall meet”.

·         Our youth did a drama during the service and they almost got a standing ovation – it was stinking awesome. Teenagers still rock my world!

·         We introduced some of the details for our first Christmas offering…we are calling it “Pay it forward”.  I challenged to seriously INVEST in the lives of children, teenagers and our community!  We are TRUSTING God for 175K. That’s a big number but – chump change for the creator of the universe.  Can you think of a better investment than children and youth in this economy – can you?

·         I know that People came to Jesus today! That always makes every service a HOME RUN!

Sunday PM

·         THRIVE 101 class went well. Had some great families find out what who we are and where God is taking us.

·         Laughed hard at the “ME church” video….if you haven’t seen it yet go You tube it – funny stuff!

·         Thankful and excited to see the all the Partnership sign ups – we have some people that are going “ALL IN” …still mind blowing.

·         ONE youth met in the gym while Thrive 101 was going on….over 60 teenagers and 6 teams are competing for a free cruise to the Caribbean.  I hope they ask me to chaperone!

·         Chris Palmer, our guest speaker at ONE reminded me how God often works “full circle” – he was one of my students in my Jr. High ministry -man I feel old!  Check out his site and don’t let the suit fool ya www.chrispalmerministries.com

·         Saw the movie “2012″ later that night – prognosis: not a great “end of the world flick” but still made me feel like praying on the way home.

Monday

·         Tried to relax – still found myself looking at used cars and answering church e-mails.

·         Loved talking about Prayer with my Growth Group that evening.

·         Felt God showed up as we prayed for some Big Needs in our group.

Tuesday

·         Met at Night with our ONE youth Leadership Team. Aarron and Tina Martin are incredible hearts and are serious about reaching young people.

·         Tried talking them into making me a chaperone on the Winners Cruise….we will know the verdict soon.

·         Felt Thankful that all the team leaders really know that ONE BIG PARTY is an outreach to help teenagers connect to JESUS.

That’s about it for now…except for a few challenges to EVERYONE who attends THRIVE…

·         If you will…PRAY for our service this Sunday everyday this week

·         PRAY and ask God what your part is  in our “PAY IT FORWARD campaign”  www.thrivechurch.cc

INVITE someone to church this week…seriously…step out of your comfort zone and do it!

Be generous to someone this week – pay for someone’s star bucks – leave a waiter a huge tip….JUST DO IT and watch what happens….

The best is yet to come…

Tom