We seek to bless the greater Carlisle area.

//Engage 6 month financial update…good stuff

Hey Engage Community,

Every quarter the Engage Leadership Team has been updating you on the financial status of Engage Church.  Engage has been blessed. From the beginning we have been on a three-year plan of receiving subsidy from our Brethren in Christ family of churches.  Year one we received $50,000 dollars and this year (year two) we will receive $25,000 dollars.  Year three, 2011, we will receive $10,000 dollars.  For better or for worse we knew from the beginning that we were on a three-year plan to become financially self-sustaining as a church.  Right now we are exactly in the middle of that time line. So let’s celebrate a bit.

Celebrating the present
One year ago, in August of 2009, our weekly budgeted need was $1,260.  As we looked ahead last year, we saw that our weekly needs would increase in 2010 to $2,067; that was a 39% increase starting January 1, 2010.  From January to June we sustained that 39% increase in giving, averaging $2,053.

Money, however, simply enables us to fulfill the mission and vision of Engage.  Here are some noteworthy highlights of God’s activity from the last six months.

1. Of those who filled out a connect card, Engage has hosted over 110 unique first time visitors on Sundays since January 1, 2010. That’s over 100  people who have engaged with the message of Christ in safety without fear of judgment.

2. Of those 100 people, 28 (including children) now consider Engage their Christian community.  A 25% retention rate is considered a B+ for church plants our size.

3. Due to the leadership of Kelly and John Chripczuk and Kevin Barr we saw 13 people graduate from Story Core after interacting with God’s story in the Bible and exploring faith in Jesus for eight weeks together.

4. We hired Kelly Chripczuk as part-time Associate of Spiritual Life. Kelly’s impact has already been significant on many levels at Engage.

5. Engage gave $5,500 to invest in church planting and compassion ministries through our BIC family of churches.

6. Engage raised over $2,200 for Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.

7. We baptized nine people as a public expression of faith in Jesus over the last six months.

8.  Our church helped a young, pregnant mother in need by providing friendship, love, housing, transportation to work, emotional support, and financial help over the last four months.  We hope and pray for more opportunities like this!!

9.   We are a young church in age. The average age of attendance is 30 years old. Last fall we began praying that God would bring older, mature followers of Jesus as “missionaries” to Engage to use their gifts and passions here.  In the last six months, we have seen God begin to answer this specific prayer.

10.   Increased attendance. We celebrate this last because it’s simply one of many indicators that people are finding life with Jesus at Engage.  In our first year, our highest attended Sunday morning was 137 people in April of 2009.  In the first seven months of 2010 we hit attendance of 125-133 people four times, 134-142 people five times and 143-145 people two time.  Overall, this trend indicates consistent attendance growth at Engage.

Envisioning the future
We have much to be thankful for. Today we stand in the same place we did one year ago.  On January 1, 2011 our giving need will increase 40% over 2010.  This is due to two factors.  First, Engage is growing up.  Part of growing up means you get off mom and dad’s dime and start supporting yourself.  The same is true for Engage. We have been heavily subsidized by our family of churches to the tune of $75,000 for the first two years.  Starting in 2011, we will be losing $15,000 in subsidy.  The challenge of 2011 means we will be taking on the responsibility to be a church who will stand on our own.  However, the goal is never simply to stand, it’s to walk and run in the direction God is calling Engage.  We believe God is calling Engage to grow deep roots in Christ and grow outward in our focus.

When we first started Engage we said we don’t want to just be busy Christians who go to a church event on Sundays.  Instead, we looked into the future and saw a community of people with gospel-shaped hearts. We saw a community of people relationally connected with Christ and deeply connected with each other.  We saw people from Engage inviting unchurched neighbors and coworkers over for back yard barbecues showing we value them as people before inviting them to church.  We looked into the future and saw democrats and republicans, believers and skeptics, gay and straight, and rich and poor sitting across the table from each other having conversations about faith in Jesus.  We can see a church full of men mentoring young boys in our community.  We can see a church full of women helping pregnant single moms find their way and support their child.  We envision a church full of gospel-shaped relational missionaries sent out to embody the message of Jesus to those who are far from God and outside of faith in Jesus.

Not equal giving, equal sacrifice
In 2011, our weekly needs will be $2,926 per week or +40% above current giving levels.
Year three, 2011, will be our greatest financial challenge yet!!  We are already half-way to financially standing on our own two feet as a church.  Over the next five months we must increase our giving up to $859 per week to meet our approximate weekly need of $2,926 in 2011.  Currently, Engage has giving partners whose  giving varies from $1,350 to $25 per month.

Certainly, not everyone at Engage makes the same income. Therefore, we are calling you not to equal giving but equal sacrifice in your giving. We invite you to begin praying and asking God how you can increase your giving as we approach 2011.  Do the math? What would your budget look like if you increased your giving by 5% in 2011?

Generosity always involves sacrifice and our Creator has never been afraid to call his people to sacrifice for His purposes in the world.

Proverbs 11:29 says, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” Using the analogy of planting seeds Paul says, “Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”

In the Bible, generosity is always first based on a God who gives himself generously to us in Jesus.  God holds nothing back from what He knows we need the most.  The invitation to generosity, then, is an invitation to trust God.  For many of us, money is the very thing that gives us a sense of freedom or security.  The call to generosity is the call to replace our trust in money with a trust in a loving God whose generosity and provision can never be depleted.

How do we get there from here?
We must step out in faith if we are to move in the direction God is calling us.  We trust God to provide the resources we need to live the vision He has given to this church.  If everyone gave, we would only need an additional $14 per “giving partner” per week or $56 per month to meet our goal. In other words, for the same price as dinner and a movie for two we can continue to turn this vision into a reality.

Thank you for your presence and partnership at Engage. You are a gift to this community of Christ.  Thank you for investing the time to read this update.  Please pray for the spiritual depth and financial growth of Engage.

Consider setting a goal to increase your trust in Christ by inviting Him to grow your generosity at Engage.  Imagine setting a goal to increase your giving.  What would that look like for you?

Sincerely,

The Leadership Team at Engage
info@engagecommunitychurch.com

Posted on August 17, 2010 – 11:42 am
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//Spiritual Life at Engage - Celebrating and Praying

It’s been 3 months since I started in the position of Associate Pastor of Spiritual Life at Engage and I continue to be thankful for and challenged by this new role.  I wanted to invite you to take a few minutes to celebrate and pray with me as we grow together as a church.  Below you’ll find some snapshots from the past 3 months, as well as a glimpse of plans for the months ahead. 

 

Looking Back: Celebrating

 

Story Core: Story Core began long before my actual position did, and continues to be a big part of my ministry at Engage.  This spring, with Kevin Barr’s help, we led two Story Core Groups.  About 10 people completed the 8 week experience.  The participants brought amazing questions and really engaged with the content.  One participant said, “The bible finally makes sense to me, I get it now.”  For two participants, Story Core represented the first time they’d ever felt part of a welcoming community and, for one, this experience was so moving that he decided to be baptized in June, as a way of affirming his need for and commitment to the Christian community at Engage.  

 

Women’s Retreat: One of my passions is to see people go deeper and grow in faith.  This spring I was joined by seven women to plan our first women’s retreat.  Eleven women attended the half day retreat which was themed around “Identity.”  It was a great mix of new and old faces and even included a first time visitor (she was so excited to be part of community at Engage that she dove right in!).  One attendee said that she was amazed and impressed by the level of depth shared in just a few short hours.  She expressed gratitude that the retreat spoke to issues beyond “role” to address how faith in God impacts our vision of ourselves and others.

 

Digging Deeper: Our first Digging Deeper Event, Experiencing God through Scripture, was held in June.  This event provided an opportunity to invest in those actively serving at Engage.  During planning we decided that if 8-10 people came we would consider it a success.  Boy were we surprised when 26 people showed up!  I’m so thankful for Terry and Deb Brensinger’s involvement in this ministry over the summer.  It was exciting to see the mix of people who came and I really enjoyed listening to us all working together, laughing and looking for significance in God’s word.  We were inspired and challenged by the relevance of God’s word for today – one person commented that understanding how God works in the story we studied “gives me insight into how I can make better use of my power as a parent.”

 

Healing Hurts: In case you hadn’t noticed – I’m not a man.  This has proven to be an asset to ministry at Engage as I’ve had the opportunity to have some great conversations with women who’re struggling with faith and other issues.  One woman said, “Wow, having a woman pastor has its perks – I can’t imagine talking to Jon like this, I’d start crying and he’d get all weirded out, but I can talk to another woman.”  This is one of my favorite parts of my job and I look forward to seeing it grow. 

 

Looking Ahead: Praying

 

So what’s next, you ask?  Three things come to mind . . .

Preaching: I’ll be preaching three times over the summer.  I really enjoy sermon preparation (ok, ok, except for the actual writing part).  Pray for me that I’ll be able to enjoy it.  Pray for Jon Hand and his family that they would be refreshed during their vacation. 

 

Community Groups: In August I’ll begin helping community groups plan for the fall.  We’re hoping to start at least one new community group and also run Story Core again in the fall.  Please pray for God to provide leaders and co-leaders for these groups.

 

Life2Life: This summer I’m beginning work on a Life2Life partnering program that will pair those starting out on their faith journey one-on-one with more mature Christians.  This process will be a follow-up to Story Core.  Please pray for wisdom and insight for me as I create this pathway and for people to hear and respond to God’s call to “make disciples.” From the beginning of Engage we’ve had the vision of equipping people to spread the gospel.  These Life2Life partnerships are foundational to our long-term vision of multiplication. 

 

 

If you read all of this, then you’re invested.  I want to thank you for your dedication to Engage and hope that you’re encouraged with the ways God is using your financial and personal investment to impact Carlisle.  As you pray for me real needs are being met in people’s lives.  One person put it well in a recent Facebook post when she said, “Engage changed me.”  God is always at work restoring and renewing people and places in his world.  Thank you for allowing me to play a small but significant role in this ongoing work of Christ.

 

Contact me:  I work most Mondays and Wednesdays and other days by appointment.  Please feel free to contact me by phone (243-2286) or email kchripczuk@yahoo.com. 

Posted on July 7, 2010 – 1:31 pm
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//The small things make all the difference…you never know!

Hey Engage leaders and volunteers,

Wow, on June 6th we had our highest attendance ever.  It was a crazy day for our leaders and volunteers.  For whatever reason the kids were crazy, the workers downstairs were frazzled, and the worship gathering went longer than normal due to a baptism.  But I want to encourage you.  I had a friend of mine named Jake visit Engage that day. I asked him for some reflections on his experience since he has little kids.  Here is what he said.

1. Hospitality / Greeters:
He said Paul met him at his car and walked with him to the front doors. He said Paul did a great job of taking an interest in Jake and his family without being too invasive. He said Paul did a great job of “setting the stage” by talking with excitement about  Engage and how friendly people are.  He said you could sense Paul’s real love for his church without getting the vibe the Paul was trying to “sell” or push Engage on him.

He said he was promptly greeted at the top of the stairs and invited to grab some coffee before finding a place to sit. This is good since most people need to be guided once they get to the top of the stairs.  We’ve had people tell us that it’s a little intimating walking into this huge room.  Jake said people with name tags were very intentional and extremely relational.  Way to go Kristin Tuckey and her team!! Way to go Paul Grothe!!!

1a. One item of constructive criticism:  Jake said there was only one open table for them to sit at and it was all the way across the room.  He realized we were full that day but it was a little awkward for them to walk in front of people all the way across the room to find a seat.  Our regulars need to move all the way in and keep room for newer people on the side closest the entrance.

2. Childcare:
Jake and his wife loved the childcare and felt very comfortable with the workers. He said it was easy to find Engage Kids and the check in process made them feel comfortable and at ease.   Jake said John Chripczuk greeted him and spoke to his daughter asking her questions to help her feel comfortable.  John then began asking Jake about his daughter’s needs.  Jake had a little one who was crying so John said, “I’m alright with her crying if you feel comfortable to leave.” John then further impressed Jake by asking how long Jake wanted his daughter to cry before someone came up to get him or his wife.  Jake felt like the follow through was great and believed his kids were safe and going to be taken care of by people who care and know what they are doing.  Way to go Mimi and her volunteers!!! Way to go John Chripczuk.

Thanks for all you do each week as you lead and volunteer at Engage.  You are making it possible for many people to begin a conversation about Christ and start the journey of knowing a relational God who wants to change them from the inside out!!!

We are blessed and Christ is honored with your excellence service to others.
Love ya,
Jon Hand

Posted on July 6, 2010 – 3:20 pm
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//Why do I need Jesus?? Remind me again!!

“So, Jon, I’ve been coming to Engage Church now for a couple months, and I don’t necessarily disbelieve. I’m just struggling with ‘why.’ Why do I need Jesus?”

This question came from a good friend of mine who has been attending our church for the last nine months or so. Historically, America has been a predominately Christianesque nation.

In the past, most people went to church, even if it was somewhat obligatory. And most of the people I meet had some Sunday school experience in their early years — some good and some not so good. It’s just what you did growing up. But those days are fading.

For many, especially those under the age of 50, faith and organized religion is increasingly becoming like a distant childhood memory.

It’s like that time when you were 12 years old and your family went on the 15-day road trip out west to visit the Grand Canyon. You remember where you went, probably had a good time, but everything else is kind of a blurry.

Maybe your parents still recall the story of how you ran off — like some “Brady Bunch” episode, they couldn’t find you and thought that windstorm blew you off the edge of the canyon, or something like that.

All of the details are just kind of faintly lodged away in the distant past. If you were to go back today, you would be overwhelmed with the textures, the shades of the subtle earthy colors, the depth and feeling so small compared to the grandeur and transcendence of this natural gift.

Most of the people who aren’t “into church” have faint echoes of Jesus in their past somewhere. But that was then, and this is now.

Back to my friend’s question — when he came to Engage, he said, “I feel like I’m losing my faith. I mean, life is good. My marriage is good. I have healthy kids and a great job that I love most days. I have friends. I’ve been making more money each year the last few years. So I’m not an atheist. I just don’t see why this God and Jesus business is such a big deal!”

For the American middle class, this phenomenon has been building over the last three decades. I’m 33 years old. My grandfather came back from the war and worked swing shift for the next 40 years to make a better life for his children. The Builder Generation laid the rails for the U.S. prosperity machine to run on for the last 50 years.

Skip to the next generation. If you have a college degree and worked really hard, it has been quite possible to settle into nice, comfortable lives on a quiet .33 acre of land in the suburbs and there live out the American dream.

“Why do I need Jesus? Life is working for me.” We simply don’t see our need for deep connection with a transcendent personal being whose wise interaction with us bleeds into every sphere of our lives.

I want to propose an alternative. My pastor friend Brian told me a story about his friend Chris. Chris is a good family man. He’s not in therapy. He’s got a good marriage. He’s an involved dad. He did well in his career and retired at age 45.

Since he retired early, he coaches soccer, and when he’s not spending time with his family, he buys and renovates apartments buildings. He will fix leaky faucets, rip out old carpet, slap on fresh paint and then raise the rent, enjoying a nice return on his investment.

Chris has a friend name Rob who is a person of faith in Jesus. Rob runs a homeless advocacy group in his town. As Chris was fixing up apartments, he began doubling the rent, and one by one people were being evicted because they could not afford the new rent.

Rob has been hoping that Chris, too, would come to faith in Jesus. Not because Chris is a bad guy and his life is in shambles — it’s quite the opposite. Rob prays Chris would come to faith because personally knowing Jesus tends to reorient the very core of what life is about.

Jesus not only brings out the better sides of ourselves but also reinterprets all aspects of our life through the lenses of love. The possibilities of this kind of goodness are inexhaustible.

Rob came pleading to Chris because his friends were being put out on the street. Rob asked Chris if he could go easy on these people, who would otherwise be evicted. Chris said, “Sorry, man. This is just business, end of story.”

What if Chris was motivated by a different story? A story of a personal God who comes to us in Jesus and is rejected by us because we “don’t need” his love? This God dies for us and resurrects to prove his love for us is greater than our self-indulgence and rejection.

As we get to know Jesus, things begin to change. We begin to notice the significance of our lives in this world. We begin to see that maybe we fall short in ways that we’d never considered, ways that have more impact on others than we could possible know.

We all want the world to be a better place. Most of us want to be better people. How are we going to live extraordinary lives of love if we don’t see how much God’s love changes everything?

Calling all hardworking, comfortable, middle-class, educated, family-loving suburbanites! What kind of significance could you have in this world if every sphere of your existence was motivated by over-the-top, extraordinary, out-of-this-world kind of love? The alternative is “just business as usual.”

Posted on July 5, 2010 – 5:27 pm
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//Prayer for Daniel and Anna Jane

Hey everyone,

First of all, thanks for praying for Anna Jane and asking about how
things are going.  I heard that Jon thanked me for sharing last week,
but being open hasn’t really been a hard thing for me; i think it’s
the most reasonable thing we can do.  I guess i feel that if we aren’t
honest about where we are (with others and first with ourselves), then
we can’t move or change.  I think that’s why Engage is such a great
place for facilitating open dialog.

If you don’t know, Anna Jane has a bulging disc in her lower back (L5
if your into the anatomical part).  When a disc is herniated (or
bulging), it’s moving out from between the vertebrae.  This alone
isn’t a big deal, but it usually bulges out the back where the spinal
chord and/or nerves are.  The pain, and pretty much all of the
problem, comes when the disc presses up against and pinches the
nerves.

Anna Jane started having some back pain last fall which, so we saw a
chiropractor for a few weeks.  He adjusted her, but the pain
continued, so we got an x-ray (which didn’t show any problems) and
went to a physical therapist for a while until her condition was too
complicated for them to help, so they referred her to an orthopedic,
who had her get an MRI which revealed the herniated disc.  He then
referred her to an orthopedic surgeon who could give us options.  That
appointment was yesterday.

The pain started in the fall as knots in her lower back and general
stiffness that didn’t affect movement much.  After the chiropractic
visits, the pain migrated to her hip.  This was enough to slow her
down and start inhibiting what she could do.  The pain continued to
get worse.  By sometime around March, she couldn’t go for a walk
without narcotic pain-killers.  Eventually the pain didn’t seem to
directly correlate to movement but would erratically flare up.  Much
of the time, it would prevent Anna Jane from sleeping well if it all.
In the meantime, doctors are pushing us from one place to another,
telling us information that we already knew, referring us to people
who “specialize in this kind of thing.”  Throughout last week, while
waiting to see the surgeon Anna Jane was feeling nauseous, dizzy, and
weak.  We were checking her diet and water in-take, but by Sunday
morning she came in to church and felt like she would pass out.

At the ER last Sunday, they took another MRI and gave her some
steroids to take the inflammation down, which is the only thing that’s
worked so far.  She’s mostly out of pain and has been able to go to
the pool to get some exercise.  Yesterday, the surgeon prescribed a
decreasing dose of steroids.  The disc may adjust itself (which most
of them do), and if it doesn’t, we’ll look at injections to do the
same thing as the steroids.  If that isn’t effective, we’ll look into
surgery.

Thanks again for praying for us.  It’s been hard to have hope and
trust, but it’s helped us grow.

Daniel

Posted on July 1, 2010 – 5:38 pm
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//Creation Care: Why Are Churches Talking About the Oil Spill?

This past Sunday Christi Hadden, a local teacher, shared the following slideshow during the morning service at Engage Community Church.  Christi shared her passionate care for creation which is rooted in her faith.  The following slides present a compelling argument that reminds us that events like the BP oil spill matter to God and his people.

Listen here to Christi’s talk and follow along with the power point slides below. oil-spill-update_christiehadden

The following slide shows the size of the spill, as of Sunday June 13, and allows you to move the spill to compare its size to well known landmarks like the state of PA.  To create your own comparison go to Ifitwasmyhome.com.

The health of the world’s oceans is intrinsically connected to the health of the planet.  For example, 70% of the world’s oxygen comes from the ocean.

The health of the ocean effects not only the planet, but also its inhabitants.  The effects of the BP oil spill have already impacted the livelihoods of thousands of families.  

The Bible speaks again and again of the goodness of God’s creation and its reflection of God’s grandeur and glory.  The first chapters of Genesis paint a picture where humans live in interdependent relationship with the created world.  Serving God is connected, in the prophets and psalms, with caring for and tending the world around us.  In short, we should care because God does.

What can you do?  While the effects of the oil spill are overwhelming, this is not a time for finger pointing and fear mongering.  Please join Engage Community Church as we seek God’s face in the midst of this disaster and ask for healing.  The people of Engage are passionate about helping to connect people to local opportunities to promote environmental sustainability - check out our annual event, Carlisle Green Festival, which will be held on October 16, 2010.

Posted on June 15, 2010 – 7:10 am
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//Baptisms @ Engage

LISTEN to Zach’s powerful story!!!

Cuyler Paine

Zach Brigante

This past Sunday June 6th was a beautiful day at Engage.  We ended our time together with a celebration of baptism.  Cuyler Paine and Zach Brigante both followed Jesus in Baptism as a statement of their faith and trust in Jesus.  This was our second baptism service at Engage.  The first one was on Jan. 10th. You can scroll down to watch video and view pictures from our celebration in January.  As we baptized Cuyler and Zach I once again watched many of you.  You were moved to tears and some of you tough guys even choked up a bit (I saw you :).  I was reflecting on this again this past week. Why is baptism such a powerful symbol? Why does this symbol evoke such strong emotions deep within?  I think it’s because baptism is such an intimate and vulnerable expression.  Each person we baptize read their story of how Christ has been at work in their lives healing and shaping and freeing them in some way.  Each time these stories are laced raw honesty, meaning, and hope.  On Sunday Cuyler showed us pictures of him praying with his counselor at Summer camp as this young guy of 9 yrs. old told his creator that he trusts Jesus as his friend and savior.  The child-like faith of Cuyler Paine is a reminder to all of us of our need to approach God as a loving Father with innocence and vulnerability.

When Zach Brigante read his story many us welled with tears as we heard this story of hurt and loss, pain and emptiness.  But his story didn’t end there.  Zach’s story moved from void or loss or regret–to hope.   Hope that something better and fuller has been found through knowing and trusting the Creator who came to be with us in Jesus. I watched you grimace as you identified with the emptiness or darker sides of this story.  I was moved as you teared up or broke a smile when Zach spoke of redemption breaking through layers of doubt and skepticism or hurt and loss.  Why is this?  Many of you didn’t even personally know Zach.  The reason is simple. We want reasons to hope. When we find corners of this world where hope wins over our cynicism it moves us in deep ways.  My hope is that Engage is a community where hope is always winning.  Not fake, syrupy, conjured sentimentalism living in refusal to see reality.  No–more like the refusal to give in to the cynical impulses that so quickly leap, squelching our imaginations of faith.  There is a reason why Jesus was always pointing to little children when teaching about trust and faith.  Children aren’t cynics. They believed God could work in ways that are befitting of, um, God.  They have the faith to dream of God-shaped possibilities in this world.  May hope increase and fear be extinguished as we continue to get to know the ultimate source of hope–Jesus Christ.

Listen to Zach’s story in his own words zach-story_baptism

I leave you with Zach’s powerful story. In his own words:

I was asked to answer two questions, “Why do you want to be baptized” and “What does it mean to you?” Why I want to get baptized has more to do with not wanting to be baptized really. I was raised in the church, a mega church in Southern California where my mother attended since I was very young. She taught kindergarten there and we would often attend more than once a week. She would read me the Bible before bed, and she would have me pray.

The honest truth is that I don’t remember much of anything from what she read me and I spent most of my time at church avoiding actually going to a service. I would often fall asleep as my mother read to me, and I never really understood why we went to church or why we believed in God. I did believe in God though, regardless of lack of reason to. I would be afraid of dark rooms and posters with eyes, and I would pray to God for protection and I honestly believed it.

When I was around 7 years old I began to question what we were doing every week going to this place and why we were praying and what it all really meant. My mother attempted to assuage my questions, but the people she asked rarely had satisfactory answers, or if they did I would find more questions in the answers I was given. I fought her for many years about going to church, and I finally stopped going around 13.

I felt that it didn’t affect my life much, not being a Christian. Nothing really seemed to change other than I didn’t go to church any more. It was easy at that point because we had just moved away from Southern California to Baltimore, Maryland and we did not have a church yet. I developed an interesting habit of visiting churches with my mother and talking to the pastor afterward, asking him the questions that had led me from God. They rarely had answers that satisfied.

And so began my little crusade, to poke holes in the Christian faith with the use of logic and the understanding that most believers did not know why they believed, and they didn’t care. I would ask the right questions to people who had never really thought about it before, and soon they would be drowning in doubt. I questioned students in college, high-school, pastors, and teachers. For seven years I wandered the spiritual wilderness searching for the one thing I desired over all else, control and power.

In those seven years, I became Pagan searching for the power that the supernatural supposedly holds. I studied witchcraft understanding that the Bible talks of abilities held by humans who did not believe in God, abilities that I desired. I soon found witchcraft to be full of self delusion, just as I thought Christianity was. I became Agnostic, understanding that I believed that there was a force in the world, something beyond and above us and with us that guided and protected us, but acknowledging that I did not know what that was. I continued to ask questions, and I continued to find no answers.

When I was 19 I started dating a girl who  had a nice grudge toward Christians as arrogant and judgmental people. She owned a set of books called the “Left Behind Series” which I had heard about before and was curious about. I loved to read and devoured many books in those days. In these books, God gives his believers abilities, persuasion, discernment, and protection.

My lust for power led me to be curious about the Bible, to see if these abilities were really given to God’s followers and how valid they were. I began meeting with a friend in College, asking him the questions that came up to me when I began reading Genesis for what to me felt to be the first time. He didn’t have answers either, but he encouraged me to keep reading, and affirmed me that my questions were valid ones and some day they would be answered. He gave me a book called, “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel, and a few weeks later I failed out of college.

I finished “The Case for Christ” just before I was forced to move out of my dorm, and on a cold night of December 19th, 2006 I gave up. I admitted defeat. I decided that I was tired from running from something and pretending that something didn’t exist when I know in my heart that it did.

In my mind, I can never recall ever being baptized, and I have always understood it as something those other people do to get a Godly experience. Why would I need that, when I have God inside of me at all times. I would justify not doing it, by saying that it wasn’t necessary. However, I would continue to feel that I should, because the Bible says you should, but I didn’t understand that until I went back to college and learned about what the Bible really says. It has taken me almost 4 years to get the courage to give up control of my life to Him, and to you, the people in my life that know Him. To trust, that somehow I cannot be the one to guide my life.

Baptism, to me, is surrendering again. Giving God control, and admitting to Him, to myself, and to all of you that I love you. I love you all, all humans and all people. I want to be your friend, I want to trust you, I want to give my heart to you. But I am afraid, afraid of failure and rejection, and of being alone. Baptism is facing my fear. I want to be baptized because I am tired of being afraid of community and friendship and love. I want God to wash the fear from me. I can do this.
–Zach Brigante

Baptism from January 2010

Mike Greene Baptism @ Engage from Engage Community Church on Vimeo.

Amy Greene Baptism @ Engage from Engage Community Church on Vimeo.

Mitchell Greene Baptism @ Engage from Engage Community Church on Vimeo.

Evelyn Cruzat Baptism @ Engage from Engage Community Church on Vimeo.

Elijah Hyndman Baptism @ Engage from Engage Community Church on Vimeo.

Desirae Moyer Baptism @ Engage from Engage Community Church on Vimeo.

Anna Jane Friess Baptism @ Engage from Engage Community Church on Vimeo.

Posted on June 10, 2010 – 10:00 am
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//Imagine if we shared a deep committment to help each other be better men, better friends, better husbands, and better fathers!!!

Hey guys of Engage and beyond,

Engage is a community of people who want more out of life than the status quo.  Look, if we were completely honest we would each admit that we want to be men who get the most out of life.  We know there is more to life than just our careers.  We know that there’s more to life than working full days and coming home exhausted, only to plop down on the couch and watch T.V. for two hours before trudging off to bed after falling asleep on the couch.

Deep down we want more. We want our lives to have deep significance.  We know there’s more than just following the script.  But how do we find the motivation to be the kind of men we want to be in all areas of our lives–not just in career or just with our kids?  I mean, imagine if we had a commitment to helping each other be better husbands, fathers, friends, and just be better men. Men who embrace the sacrifice and motivation it takes for us to courageously lay down our lives for those who are close to us.   What if we had the courage it takes to deny ourselves and what’s easy to risk the honor it takes for us to live out courage and power we find in Jesus?  On April 30th - May 1st Engage is hosting our first annual Man Night Out.  I get it, we are all busy and have lot’s going on.  But what if we took one night to hang out, have some fun with each other, and have some honest conversation about the realities of manhood in our culture?

Join us at Camp Thompson on Friday Night April 30th and invest a few hours.  I promise you will walk away more inspired and energized to be the kind of man we all long to be deep down.

For more info please download the flyer or email info@engagecommunitychurch.com

Hope you can make it. Make the time to do this.

mensretreat-rev1

Posted on April 15, 2010 – 12:35 pm
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//Engagers Beware

Hey Engage Peeps,

So we are Engage. We are different. We are edgy. We aren’t traditional. We are different. We engage culture.  Engage is quickly becoming a tribe–in a good way.  Every church is a tribe of sorts.  And every tribe has its own culture or fishbowl of sorts.  It’s easy for us to be proud of our differences in our tribe from other tribes.  That’s ok to a point.  But we have to be careful we don’t become tribal.  Tribal is when we think our tribe is better than some other tribe because of our differences.  I was reading this article from Christianity Today about the movie Avatar.  Many of you have seen it.  I loved the warning this article gives us.  In fact, the article even refers to tribes like ours as “engagers” :)

Many of us grew up in church tribes that were backwards, separatistic, harsh, or judgmental.  So we go the other way and become open, accepting, and non-judgmental.  We engage culture, not run from it.  So Engage shows movie clips and plays “secular” songs at times because we want to take what is familiar (pop culture) and use it to point to the unfamiliar–a personal God we know in Jesus.  This is a good thing. But on a bad day all good things have dark sides that peek out.

One of the dark sides we need to be aware of in our tribe is lack of Christian discernment when it comes to the big stories our culture tells about God.  The article shows how even Avatar is based on a certain theology and understanding of God.  The article challenges our tribe to be vigilant to hone our ability to discern what is true and what is deceptively false in our understanding of God.  Be alert, be careful, that we aren’t going to another extreme in our attempts out run our backwards Christian past.  Engage is different, but not for the sake of being different.  We are different for the sake of mission and reaching those far from God.  With the help of the Spirit of God may we hone our ability to discern truth from deception and have the courage to call a spade a spade with confidence, love, and grace.

15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, - 1 Peter 3

Enjoy the article and pass on any thought you have. Might be fun to have some conversation.
http://www.ctlibrary.com/ct/2010/march/6.53.html

Posted on March 17, 2010 – 12:50 pm
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//Ready for Company

Being ready for company. . .

**ATTN: If you are a leader or regular part of Engage. Please carefully read this.
Hey Engage Leaders and those serving Christ as Engage,

What’s up my friends? Many of you were with us when we first started Engage.  This past Sunday  looked out over the full house we had and thanking God for the community of people he is drawing together and expanding outward.  I just want to say thanks to everyone for how you serve Jesus at Engage.  I believe with all my heart that God is using Engage in a unique way in our community.  The life God is shaping in us is making a difference in lives, even for people who don’t even go to Engage.  Just last week I had lunch with a local business man who doesn’t go to our church. In fact, he’s not even a “church” type at all.  But someone close to him hangs out with some of people at Engage and they are being loved and accepted for who they are in a way they doesn’t experience with most people.   This business man is so intrigued with what Engage is about that he is going to pay for us to have an ongoing add in the Sentinel.  Again, he’s not church guy!!!  Another friend of Engage paid for us to have a 30 second video “commercial” in the  City Cinema Theater in Camp Hill. We are working on producing this 30 second commercial that will run before every movie in every theater for a year.  City Cinema has 46,000 people who attend their movies during a month’s time.  WOW.  Each week we are seeing new people “check out” Engage to see if this is an authentic place with real people where they can explore faith.

Many of you were with us the day we launched on Jan. 11th, 2009.  Remember how we thought of every little detail? We noticed if the chairs needed straightening. We jumped to make sure people were greeted and made to feel comfortable. We sat in strategic places so we could meet new people. We were aware if things were out of place or if there was trash lying around. We wore little name tags so people could address us without feeling awkward. We parked at Weis and walked a half-mile to make sure our guests didn’t have to walk as far.  Why? Because we believe in the mission. We know that there’s way more to being the church than Sunday morning, yet we also know that if we wanted to get people OFF the Front Porch they needed to be relaxed and safe ON the Front Porch.   We are still doing some of these things every week!! But I want to invite us to reignite our level of intentionality as we come to Engage on Sundays.  Think of it as being ready for company.  Being alert and intentional to the needs of others is not just the “responsibility” of those greeting or making coffee or doing set up on any given week. Being ready for company is something we ALL can do each week.  Here are a few thoughts I had based on some helpful feedback from this past Sunday.  This past Sunday we had a very full house of 134 people at Engage. We hit our highest ever attendance for the second time.   98 of whom were in the worship gathering.      
               
                                      4 Things you can do to be ready for company.

1. Be attentive to people and to the environment.  If you see people come in that you don’t know. Go introduce yourself and ask how they heard about Engage.  Ya, but what if they already attend Engage? Great, then you just learned someone’s name. No harm, no foul. 

2. Go out of your way to greet people in the chairs. You know who sits in the chairs? The people are who most disconnected or new to Engage. 

3. If you have to sit in the chairs due to space issues, don’t sit in the back row! Why? This last week a line of guests came in late and had to walk all the way through the table section to the other chair section and they had to sit on the front row.  No one wants to sit on the front row on their first or second visit. 

4. You have  permission! If you think we need more chairs when people are still coming in late and the tables are full–get some people together and add another row of chairs.  Take the lead. Go for it. Engage is a place where you have permission to go for it and, um, engage :) pun intended :)

Our dream is to not be a church that  grows so big that everyone can anonymously come and go for years on end.  No, we want to grow, raise us Jesus-mission -shaped leaders, and send out people to go start Engage Communities in neighboring towns and cities…. Being intentional now only helps us be ready for the growth and training it will take to be a part of that bigger story.  Plus, these are small things we can do to show people that we aren’t into religion and just “attending” church.  The gospel of Jesus is like nothing else when it’s authentically lived out in small ways!

Living a better story together.  Love ya,
Jon
 

Posted on February 18, 2010 – 2:29 pm
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