City on a Hill December Update

What an incredible fall for LifePoint Church! The Lord continues to bless and move among his people in mighty ways. Fall 2008 will be known as a strategic marker in vision and development of LifePoint Church. I don’t know that I have ever personally worked longer, harder, or more comprehensively for a season in the church. While preparations were made before 2008, our labor began in the spring to prepare for our City on a Hill campaign. This has been a defining season in uniting our people around vision, praying unto the Lord and seeking his will, trusting in the Lord as he leads, and following the Lord in his plan.

The initial steps toward the re-location of LifePoint is underway. In November, we interviewed and selected a general contractor to lead the project. Larry Snyder Construction Company was chosen to lead the project, and they will work alongside Bob Stockdale and his team at Creative Ink Architects to design a building that maximizes our facility based on budget and ministry requirements. This work will take the remainder of this year and into early 2009. Once the “footprint” of the building is established, plans can be finalized and dirt work to prepare the site can begin. Due to the nature of our land, this could be a large project. It has been speculated that there may be rock on our land. <insert pastoral sarcastic tone /> The first clue was the big rock sticking out of the front.

Once excavation is complete, construction can begin. Construction is projected to begin mid-February. The projected timeline for construction is about nine months. This means that we could be moving into our new facility by December 2009. WOW! What has seemed like forever away now seems to be incredibly close! Obviously there are many unknown variables that can influence this timeline.

We will continue to do periodic updates as new information becomes available. Stay connected to www.lifepointozark.com for more info. In the meantime, prayer for these projects points:

• General Contractor: Pray for favor on their behalf as they coordinate the project among hundreds of people.
• Architects: Pray for the plans as they continue to draw a building that maximizes space for mission.
• Weather: Winter in Missouri. Need I say more?
• Budget and Finances: Pray that in this process LifePoint is able to get a premium facility for ministry and mission that represents faithful stewardship unto the glory of God!

For today, let us continue to pray and seek the Lord in all ways. Let us labor for the gospel as the Lord gives us favor with people and influence for his kingdom purpose. Love your neighbor and share the love of Christ with them. Pray that God will continue to pour out his blessings on LifePoint in the days to come. This is certainly not the most stable of times to be engaging in a project of this nature. But among the circumstances of uncertainty God is orchestrating the plan of his will for his glory. Nothing could be more solid. Encourage one another with the grace and love of Jesus!

How to Avoid Being a Grinch

by Heather Myer

Plastic pine trees hit Sears early in August. Borders promoted the new Josh Groban holiday CD in September. Wal-Mart sold ornaments and holiday lights in October. Halloween had not fully been displayed before tree toppers made their grand appearance. Can Christmas really be considered seasonal when merchandising is promoted for 1/3 of the year? Does the hustle and bustle preceding December take away from the special feelings and fond memories tied to the 25th? The early sales of wreaths and jingle bells have made Scrooges out of many of us.

End of the year shopping can be a rather unpleasant experience. Cart fights, deep sighs, and angry glares are often arise from weary shoppers even before they enter Price-Cutter. Virtues such as patience and kindness are forgotten after lengthy quests for a parking spot at the Battlefield Mall. Does avoiding tackling wish lists until the day after Thanksgiving increase your enjoyment of Target? Do long lines while listening to endless renditions of Hanson, Chipmunks, and Mariah Carey singing carols sprinkle extra magic on sprees at Toys-R-Us?

Allow yourself to slow down and rest for a moment. Consider all that you are busily preparing. Santa is irrelevant. Iridescent plastic trees that change colors are needless. For now, stockings, bows, bells, mistletoe, and holly can remain unhung. Cider, cocoa, and eggnog are best unsipped. Leave the feasts unplanned. Let the toys and clothing remain unwrapped. For this moment, do not be concerned over things, sights, sounds, smells, or tastes. These are meaningless. Sweep all of these distractions under the tree skirt. They are unimportant. Instead, focus your mind on the birth of Christ. Christmas is in remembrance of our Lord, our Promise, our Redeemer, our King. Allow your heart to be renewed and your spirit refreshed in the freedom that we have as believers. We have the promise of eternal life through our Savior. It is in remembrance of his birth that we are preparing to rejoice with family and dear friends. In celebration of God’s greatest gift, perhaps we can be a bit kinder to strangers and show love for one another. Park at the back of the lot to allow the elderly a more convenient parking spot. Make eye contact with the Salvation Army bell ringer. Smile at a stranger and let them pass you in the aisle. Allow an anxious businessman to go before you in the checkout line. Hold a door open for a mother struggling with a cart full of children and bags. While decorations and holiday cards can wait, good will to others is something that should not be confined to the 31 days of December.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on the earth peace, good will toward men!” —Luke 2:13–14