Christmas Eve Numbers

Here are the numbers for our very first Christmas Eve service at Church of the Suncoast.

153 - Attendance
3 - Received Christ
55,000 - Christmas Offering

God is good. Thank you to everyone that prayed, gave, volunteered, and attended!!! It was an amazing service.

Yard Signs

Since the beginning of Church of the Suncoast we have used cheap corrugated plastic yard signs to promote everything. We used them for our preview services, our grand opening, and now for our first Christmas Eve service. You can get them at almost any sign shop. Most of the time Realtors use them for open house deals. The more you get the cheaper they are. If you are getting over 100 check out this place www.fastsigndepot.com But, if you are only getting a small run of say 20 like we just did you can find them for about $5 - $7 a piece if you shop around. ALSO, don't expect them to last long. We had some that lasted about 3 hours and some that are still up as of today. That is why I always get enough to do 2 runs. I will replace the ones that were taken down on Friday.

About 1/2 of the people that come for the first time @ the Suncoast say this was how they found out about us!!!

Christmas Eve - Who Are You Inviting?

This past Sunday I challenged the people of Church of the Suncoast to invite 5 people. 5 people that needed to be with them eternally (See the posting below for the "Eternal Card"). 5 people that they can point to Christ this Christmas Eve. It sounds so spiritual... OK, so who am I inviting? Who are you inviting? As church planters and church leaders do we walk the walk or is it just all show and no go? Who are you inviting to your Christmas Eve services? My prayer has been this over the past few weeks and it is my prayer for you:

“Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ…” Colossians 4:2-3

It is amazing to see how God will answer that prayer if we are willing to take a few chances and be uncomfortable for Him. If we will stop long enough to see the doors He has opened. I am pretty sure my waitress from Outback last week is coming. Stay tuned...

Wow!!!

For the past few weeks a group of ladies that pray for our church on their own has been asking God to send some sort of major encouragement my way. If you are a church planter then you know why that is so important. We ride a roller coaster of emotions in the first year.

Well, last night my wife Cheryl and I had dinner with a couple. At the end of dinner they gave us a card and said don't open it until later. We got to the parking lot and inside was a check for:

$25,000

Wow!!! How cool is that. We have been asking God to supply enough cash for us to end the year debt free and this MORE than does that! We will be able to start 2007 in great shape. God is awesome and faithful.

Christmas Eve @ the Suncoast

Next Sunday at 7pm Church of the Suncoast will hold it's very first Christmas Eve service. The theme for the service is "Trees." Each year we go out and search for the perfect tree. We take it home. Decorate it with lights and a star. Then when Christmas is over we take it out and throw it away, or burn it. But, hidden beneath years of tree tradition is an amazingly powerful truth that might just change your life. So, what are you going to do with the tree?

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
7pm // Oakstead Elementary School
www.CanThisBeChurch.com