Wait, Did Dave Say He Ministered in a Tavern???

Yes, yes, I did. I ministered at the Liberty Raymond Tavern over the weekend. I know what you might be thinking so I better explain myself. This is no longer a working bar, though for the record I would minister in a bar if God gave the opportunity. If it was good enough for Billy Sunday, it’s good enough for me, but I digress. The Liberty Raymond Tavern is a great place.

It’s a bed and breakfast, owned and run by my friends Bill and Brenda Weiss (no relation, except for the best kind brother and sister in Christ). It’s a beautiful, peaceful, historic place. It was build in the 1800s as a stagecoach stop and many of the marks of it’s history are still there. It was also a stop on the Underground railroad. In one of the closets there is a small hidden panel in the back wall that opens to a small room under the stairs and a hatch into the basement where runaway slaves could hide as they rested, on their way to freedom. It still feels like a place of refuge, rest and peace.

Aside from their wonderful hospitality, they also have these intimate, Spirit filled worship gatherings in the barn. I was privileged to speak and paint at these for several nights. You can really feel the presence of God in this place.

So yes I ministered in a tavern, (no alcohol flowed but God did) and I hope to do it again, soon.

Sunday Funnies

Every once in a while I just want to laugh and this one is a classic.
Have a good laugh, go to worship and spend some time relaxing with the family. Remember, it’s no sin to take a break but it might be a sin not to.

If you’re in East PA in or near the Poconos, come see me at Pocono Mountain Bible Conference at 6:30. I’ll be painting and speaking with my new presentation, FORGIVEN.

Where Two or Three Are Gathered…

This past weekend, I did my first attempt at the Creative Church Workshop I am developing. It went quite well and I am chomping at the bit to do it again. There were only three people there besides me. Many would have been discouraged with that turnout but while I will admit to wishing we had a few more people, I was happy with the way things went and it was a good day.

I think this is something we need to guard against. It’s easy to be disappointed by a small turnout. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers and while some people will chastise you for that, numbers are people and people are important. I was even given the option of postponing my workshop for another day but I decided to go ahead with it. To me it wasn’t really even a decision. God gave me three people and so I did my best to sow into three people. Rather than trying to do the polished presentation I worked for weeks on, I adapted and went with a more intimate discussion format. I still went into most of the points I intended to cover, because I felt like those were things I needed to share, but we went a lot more personalized than a large group can do. It didn’t go exactly as planned but people were inspired to go back to their home churches and try something new, I made some new friends and God was at work.

There were a few things I could have done better leading up to the workshop. I only promoted to the churches in my district and on my social media. This was a deliberate decision, because in a workshop like this one, there are a lot of variables and I wanted to make sure they all worked before doing a bigger event. In retrospect I could have promoted more, but again a small group allowed me to iron things out and really personalize things.

Jesus said “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” I believe this to be true. We are also reminded not to despise wall beginnings and we need to keep these things in mind. Sometimes what we see as small things can do huge things for the Kingdom. Don’t give in to disappointment when things don’t turn out quite the way you imagined. Instead make the most of every opportunity, trusting God to turn a little into a lot.

He’s done it before…

Creative Retreat Opportunity in the Poconos

I’ve wanted to do this for years and I finally have the opportunity. Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21 AMOKArts will be hosting Poconos Create: An Artist and Writers Ministry Retreat.
The cost is $150 and includes a nights’ lodging at the camp and dinner Friday, breakfast and lunch Saturday.
For more details go to the Poconos Create page.

I need a minimum of 15 people to do this event, so please sign up ASAP.

Overview
Poconos Create is an opportunity to explore and develop your creativity and how you can use what you have given to serve the Lord. It’s also an opportunity to network and fellowship with other creatives in a fun and relaxed camp setting. During our time together we will have several creative challenges to help you learn to create “on the fly”, collaborate, etc. Friday evening will culminate in a time of creative worship where participants have the opportunity to create in a worship setting. In our last scheduled activity Friday night we will select our topic of focus for Saturday’s activities followed by Free Create/fellowship time where you can connect with others in a creative setting.

Saturday begins bright and early with an optional hike to the lookout. If weather conditions permit, this site provides an amazing panorama of the beautiful Pocono Mountains. From there we will return, have breakfast and start creating. We’ll take the topic we selected Friday evening and develop ways to creatively express the topic in your context. You can work alone or in groups. We’ll finish our time together sharing what we created and a commissioning service.

Join us as we work together to develop and use our gifts to the glory of God.

Join us to CREATE!