The Amadeo Church - Queen Creek Church

Feel uncomfortable going to church?

2012-03-06T07:15:00.001-08:00

Artist I like: Ben Wills

2012-02-28T19:21:00.001-08:00

Home, Work, Church, Community

2012-02-28T06:09:00.002-08:00

In the fine art of doing Christian community we often prioritize, compartmentalize, suggest that certain areas of our life are imposing upon other areas of our life. But, we should not look at things that way. Your work is not meant to be the enemy of your familial life, and your home life does not necessitate the neglect of your church life or your community life. Rather, each area of your life is a complement to the others when you are led by the Spirit.

Your work life is meant to be a blessing to you home life. You work to live, you don't live to work. Your work life is also where you engage your community with the words and works of Jesus Christ. And of course your work is there to also provide money for God's kingdom work - 10% to be used for work in the Church - for the finances of those who labor on your behalf and for the outreach funding that requires finances.

Your Home is meant to be a safe place for recharging, encountering the living God, for enjoyment of the fruit of rest that God has given you. But it is also a place where the community is invited in - where the church is also invited in and blessed and where the kingdom of God is manifest in natural ways. It is a place for training of your kids, but also for training of people in the church -and modeling the kingdom to those in your community who do not know God yet.

Your church as well is a place that invited people in - and sends people out - into the community, into the workplaces, into the homes of people who visit the church community. The church is not meant as a stand alone island - but as a sending locale - to go make a difference in the community in which is exists, in the homes in which it exists.

The community too brings special things to our home, to our church, to our workplace. The community affects us probably more than we affect them. So, we must find ways to engage in our community - not hide out from. We are in it - and we should not try to make one sacred and one secular - but instead find where God is moving in each space - and how they can complement and bless each other.

For indeed, this is the end of it all. We are blessed to be a blessing. We are blessed with a job to bless our home, community, and church. We are blessed with our home to bless our community, church, and workplace - for a workplace needs rested workers who have healthy safe places to live. Our community is blessed to be a blessing as well - to provide goods and services that are helpful and entertaining. And of course - the church - the city on a hill - is also meant to be blessed to be a blessing to all the other areas as well.

Let us not pit on against the other - but see how they are all meant to complement one another.

Chinese Potluck this Sat at 4pm with our neighbors.

2012-02-23T05:19:00.000-08:00

Meet your neighbors in Queen Creek at the Town Center Apartments. Saturday the 25th at 4pm.

Disciple-ing means gathering and scattering.

2012-02-17T21:30:00.001-08:00

This is Discipling from The Foursquare Church on Vimeo.

God is love video. "God is not a white man."

2012-02-17T21:14:00.001-08:00

A good sermon on giving.

2012-02-16T16:34:00.001-08:00

Giving from fresh life church on Vimeo.

AMADEO Artist in house: Barb Gomez.

2012-02-16T09:38:00.000-08:00

Barb is a teacher at Higley High School and in charge or arts in worship ministry at AMADEO church. She helps paint during worship and getting others to get involved with arts. She and a team are working at getting a Queen Creek downtown arts festival going. She is a blessing and gift from God to all of us here.

Check out her work here.

Be fruitful (and the sin of not doing so.)

2012-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth

Have you thought about adopting?

2012-01-23T06:01:00.000-08:00

Maybe this is the time to go learn more about it.

Arizona Wait No More Promo Video from Focus on the Family on Vimeo.

Grace from Les Mis. Luke 6:29

2012-01-22T14:54:00.000-08:00

To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.

So you want to be a servant leader?

2012-01-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

The "Resurgence," site gives you four things to think about when choosing future servant leaders:

1. Are they connected to Jesus
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Are they connected to Jesus. Nothings is more important then this. When you look at their lives do you see Jesus? Kindness. Patience? Love? Humility? Joy? Passion?

2. Are they connected to You as the Leader
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Do they believe in your commitment to Jesus, encourage you, enjoy working with you? Or, are they always not quite pleased with you as a leader? Are they able to disagree with you and still strongly support you - then you know you have a great servant leader who will speak the truth and still stand by you -trusting in God to grow you.

3. Are they connected to the Vision
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Do they believe in your top five visions - and are they "foot-to-the-floor," committed to the things your church (Jesus' gospel and mission) is committed to? For us, at AMADEO, that is:

a. developing an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ
b. loving others as Jesus loved us
c. making new disciples
d. making mature disciples
e equipping and sending out leaders

4. Are they connected to Others
====================

Do they connect with others like Jesus did? If they do not feel connected, appreciated or loved - this could mean they are waiting to be served rather than busy serving others. Do people just want to hang out with them? Are they making the most of every opportunity to be connected to others?

Read more: Click Here

So you want to be a pastor one day?

2012-01-21T09:05:00.000-08:00

What are the things you should be doing, or the person you need to become now to prepare yourself for moving into ministry full time?

1. Are you shepherding people at different levels:

a. Do you meet with people who can bring you nothing right now - you are just believing in the value of caring for people. We are called to love people - period. Not, love people if they can give you something of benefit. Not, love people who are able to make up some deficit of your own.

b. Do you have puppies. Are there people inside and outside of the church that are seeking out your leadership? Have you raised some people up to serve under your ministry so that they stand in the gap for you when you are not able to be around?

c. Do you meet with people who are qualified and effective in their ministry post - and are they willing to follow you?

d. Do you make yourself available to people in authority in your local church?

2. Are you a servant-leader? Do you get offended easily?

a. Have you sat at the lowest seat at the table long enough without trying to move your seat up towards the head of the table yourself. If you are trying to advance yourself you are already setback. If you are able to humbly say "show me how to serve," and if you do not get your "briefs" in a bunch when people pass you over - you are probably nearer your goal then it might appear. In our church the humble are always advanced - while the clamoring individual seem to find themselves held back. One can be humble and passionate in offering one's body and energies to service - but pride is seen in the one that is easily offended or hurt. This is a sign that more training is to come.

b. Has your leader offended your sense of personal worth? If so, you may not be ready to serve.

c. Are you available to serve in all the small areas? If you take care of the big things and the small things - it is a sign that you see the things a pastor needs to see.

d. Even if you are not recognized by leadership - do you find a way to humbly lead others in the church?

3. How's your shepherding resume look so far?

a. Have you done family & is your life in order as a whole. Do you have a wife and kids? If you have a family and can prove that they are developing into healthy people who can relax, discuss kingdom concepts intelligently and with joy - and are not starving emotionally, intellectually, socially or financially - then you will have a better chance of succeeding. Nothing causes you to grow like long term two way relationships. If you have been through the fire of marriage and family and are thriving - there is a good chance you may be able to pastor others.

b. Have you been faithful to pastor/shepherd/mentor people.

---Do you do it regularly?
---Do you have a strategy that moves people to fall deeper in love with Jesus?
---Do the people you meet with start meeting with others?

c. Do you have an intimate relationship with Jesus

---Are you joy filled - and people see it
---Are you spending regular time with Jesus - in His Word, praying, with His people
---Do you go out and tell people about Jesus - if you are with Jesus you will be talking to people in the streets as he did.

4. How is your demeanor?

a. Do people trust you?

b. Do godly people look up to you?

c. Do you appreciate and praise those in leadership over you?

d. Do you have a problem with the pastor regularly?

e. Have you ever gotten to the point of disillusionment in the church - but still humbly cared for and praised it anyways? Diestriech Bonhoeffer, in the book "Life Together," reminds us that true Christian community doesn't begin until you reach the point of disillusionment in achieving your own hopes and dreams, and disillusionment with your local community as a whole. Not until a person reaches that points - and THEN still chooses to love the community is there any chance for authentic Christian community.

f. Do you talk bad about leadership and people in the church behind their backs.

g. Are you generally optimistic about Jesus' work in your local community? Do you trust him to make up for any deficiencies a church might have? And are you willing to stand in the gap for the areas where there is a deficiency, or trust God to work the community through these limitations?

1st World Problems for Christians vs 3rd World Problems for Christians.

2012-01-14T21:14:00.001-08:00

Why your kids may be disrespecting you:

2012-01-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

1. You have tried to be their friend more than be their spiritual leaders

2. They are following how they have seen you treat others and talk about them

3. They have not seen you respect people in authority yourself

4. You don't know how to tell them no regularly

5. You don't spend enough time with them one on one

6. You haven't taught them to consider other's needs over your own.

7. They have not seen you love on your spouse

8. You need to pray more for your kids

9. You are no fun

10. They Need Jesus

How do you know when the tent is ready to expand?

2012-01-08T20:41:00.001-08:00

1. Humble people are added to your number
2. Volunteers are birthed from prayers rather than expectations
3. What would normally seem like work - feels like an adventure.
4. Those not previously interested in the kingdom stuff - are suddenly fascinated.
5. The proud are humbled
6. God does pruning - see Gideon
7. People have more fun
8. God's provision comes in - in ridiculous ways
9. People write new songs, create beautiful things
10. Jesus is the only big idea in people's minds

Movie Review: Another Earth

2012-01-06T21:11:00.001-08:00

Another Earth

I have always believed that the best movies are ones you discover when you weren’t looking for them. Another Earth, the movie, was one of those surprisingly quirky, thoughtful, and heart moving tales of people finding themselves in difficult situations. It is packed mildly in science fiction genre packaging – but it is a tale of young idealistic hope and promise that is immediately slapped down with the existential reality of life and tragedy. All of that happens within the first 10 minutes – and the rest of the movie is a tale of redemption, self -discovery, forgiveness, reconciliation, hope, starting over and sacrificial living.

It is artfully done - slower and thoughtful, philisophical. If you want action - this is not the movie for you. If you want a kind hearted movie that is also realistically painful and full of redemption and hope - then you will like this movie.

There is no nudity or foul language but some suggestively intimate moments - and an attempted suicide.

If you don’t want any more spoilers stop reading now.

Click Here for whole review.

People who watch God's house and stay awake in anticipation of the move of God look like this.

2012-01-01T00:12:00.001-08:00

Real Men:

2011-12-27T20:34:00.000-08:00

1. Pray for their wives and kids ceaselessly

2. Encourage their wives and kids with words (not waiting for their wives to praise them first, say "I love you," first, or apologize first)

3. Speak the truths that might send their wives over the edge for the moment, because they love them enough to speak the truth no matter what the consequences

4. Always speak the truth in love

5. Never abandon their wives to go find themselves

6. Make sure they manage their money (better than I do), save, and give generously.

7. Put in a full day at work, serve at their church, and take their kids on dates - even if it is to the library.

8. Know how to cook a few cuts of meat

9. Disciple their kids with a few good cathechisms

10. Praise their kids publicly

11. Forgive quickly

12. Don't do porn

More wallpapers for your computer.

2011-12-26T13:30:00.001-08:00

More Logos - Click Here.

Wallpaper for your computer from AMADEO church in Queen Creek & Gilbert Arizona

2011-12-25T21:21:00.001-08:00

Click Here for Large Image

Special Service times

2011-12-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

New Services at AMADEO coming up!

2011-12-22T17:26:00.001-08:00

Arts & Ed Cooperative at Vineyard Center.

2011-12-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

AMADEO partners with RE:STORE.

2011-12-22T17:23:00.000-08:00

A week in the Life of AMADEO. Pics.

2011-12-22T17:21:00.001-08:00

A History and a future!

2011-12-20T07:34:00.001-08:00

EVENTS on Prezi

The First Nativity

2011-12-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

Have you heard the origin of the first nativity?

In 1223 there was a monk named Saint Francis of Assisi. He was a man who had renounced his previous life as a warrior and the son of a well to do merchant. He had decided to give his whole life to the Lord after a period of great discontent and after receiving several signs and hearing a divine call to “rebuild my church.” He gave everything away he owned, and even was rejected by his dad, in order to proclaim the love of Jesus to all who would hear. He would beg for his food and live the most simple life so that others would know Jesus.

Saint Francis would take pilgrimages and he had been specifically inspired by a recent trip to the Holy Land. Seeing things first hand greatly moved him. So, as Christmas approached a great idea came to him. What if the people could see in person what it was like, not just in a picture painted, but in real life – what God had done on the birth day of Jesus? What if they could see baby Jesus lying in a manger next to the sheep and cattle with his mother and father watching over them? He wondered might they be moved by such a scene as this: God with us in the form of a little baby wrapped in a manger? Might this be a better way for them to focus on the person who really mattered rather than the distraction of the holiday season that was present even in those days? Saint Francis said, according to the first biographer Thomas of Celano in 1255, “I want to do something that will recall the memory of that child who was born in Bethlehem, to see with bodily eyes the inconveniences of his infancy, how he lay in the manger, and how the ox and ass stood by."

So in a cave near Grecco, Italy, on Christmas Eve, – Saint Francis gathered human actors and animals to do something that had never been done before: display first hand what it was like when God came with us. He kept his plans a secret to the whole town, and when evening came he lit the torches around the edge of the cave and gathered all the people in town and said he had a surprise for them. He was going to lead them to see something very special. As he beheld the special gift he had created for his parishioners he was, according to St. Bonaventure, another early biographer, bathed with tears and overflowing with joy. Then he went and gathered the towns people for Christmas eve service and led them out of the church and town to the cave he had prepared.

Can you imagine the joy that must have been present in the people as they turned the corner and beheld in the shadows Mary and Joseph standing above a swaddled baby. As the people beheld the very first live nativity scene, St. Francis held the church service there where there were many sighs of amazement, the grounds reverberated with the singing and rejoicing. In the night there were echoes of jubilation and such marvelous joy for many had forgotten or perhaps never visualized the reality of this child, who was God, who had really been on the earth. And now, through the small act of grace – God had used Saint Francis to awaken hearts. When the mass was ended they all returned home with great joy and wonder.

The legend tells, from both biographers, that the hay from that manger was given to sick animals and they got well. People too were healed and found health upon visiting this cave. After a while a temple of the Lord was dedicated there.

Vineyard Leadership Info!

2011-12-15T20:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas Greetings from Vineyard USA from Vineyard USA on Vimeo.

Marriage & Ministry - another way to look at it.

2011-12-13T18:03:00.001-08:00

Have We Over-Elevated the Family? from Desiring God on Vimeo.

The Histories - pt 2

2011-12-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

The Stories of our lives intersect and twine together – occasionally, one branch snaps off and moves on in the mouth of a bird to intersect with other branches in a new nest providing life, safety and warmth for others.

AMADEO found itself being formed together early on by a set of people brought together in the context of a college and career ministry. And that college and career ministry had been formed partially out of some ministry work that had happened at McClintock High School in a Christian Club called “Club Genesis.” Club Genesis was being sponsored by an African American Lady named Zetta Browning who taught Special Education. As a second year teacher, I wanted to go see what a “Christian Club,” on a high school campus looked like. Within a few weeks, Zetta was anxious to hand the club off to me. There had been up to 30 kids a week who would meet for lunch for ½ hour to eat, pray, and do fellowship. Within four years we had 75 high school-ers meeting, in ever-larger classrooms while the kids and guest pastors from each of their churches would take turns being guest speakers. The kids would have whole speaker systems set up and sing worship songs to God. For about four years we developed relationships that would in turn be the feeder for the college & career group at the church that would send AMADEO.

The College & Career group at Vineyard Gilbert had maybe 3 people in it when we started. I remember thinking there were not many college and career looking people in our church. The few that were there had been running the group before me and would not stick around long enough to help for they had done their stint. So, I remember thinking my only strategy was to “pray,” and hope people would show up out of the woodwork. And, somehow they did. Within a year or two we had a fairly vibrant group (25-35) of young men and women, and a few married couples attending and helping. Paul and Erin Beauleau and Kim and Ian Aston. From that group, people starting getting connected and married: Robert and Angela, Susie and Jordan, Obie and Jen. In the case of Obie, he had gone off to a bigger church to fellowship more and meet other people – and had found his love. Within, a short while – the joy of doing community and ministry began to stir in many their God given giftings. We saw many people trained and equipped to teach for the first time. The values of the vineyard which included the idea “that everyone gets to play,” went well with a prophetic utterance that had jokingly come my way in high school. I had been voted most likely to become a priest.

In high school, during my freshman and sophomore years, I had been treating girls like entertainment – dating them for a while, enjoying the benefits (which for a Christian boy, in my mind, was making out and inappropriate intimacy, but not too much – whatever that meant), and then breaking up. Thankfully, at summer camp after leaving my sophomore year at high school, God convicted me, telling me women were not entertainment and I shouldn’t date until I could get married. So, that next fall, as a junior, I stopped dating, began leading a bible study – and by my Senior Year I was voted most likely to become a pries: a joking ribbing from my friends based on my leading a bible study and not dating. When I got to college, I read the verse that God has called us a nation of priests – and I saw what they had meant for mild teasing harm – God has meant for good. I was going to be a priest – and for that matter – all of us who were Christians were meant to be priests.

So, AMADEO was founded and rooted in a habit of empowering regular Joes to do kingdom things in whatever context they found themselves in. The youth at Club Genesis would teach, their youth pastors would teach, and the college and career participants would teach. Back in those days, the verse that many of us should not presume to be teachers – was not of high importance (though it might should have been) – because we were all trying to do our best to learn, teach and work together.

In the early days, as it is now, we would let women teach. My main mentors throughout my life have been women. We all recognize the important role a mother plays – but my English Chair for my bachelor’s program and my English chair for my master’s program had both been very influential women in my life. They were empathetic, caring, and strong organized leaders. Their influence in my life would be followed by the influence of Mother Theresa’s organizational skills during my summer spent in Calcultta working for the dying and destitute. And the opportunity to go serve in Calcutta in global missions was spurned on by an Inter Varsity Leader named Shelly Trebesch who had mentored me spiritually at college. I’m not sure where all the men were that should have been mentoring and disciple-ing me one on one, but there were not there. Even today, we see many of the ministries in our church, especially the administrative ones, filled by women. Yes, our book-keeper is a man – but our organizational systems leader is a woman, our food pantry and mercy and helps ministry is led by a male and female team – but Shelly Vance Kohler is clearly an effective woman leader in our community. Our community engagement leader stood up, her name is Rose, and volunteered when nobody else was ready to stand in the gap – and her after only attending our church for a month or two.

We have had, thankfully, many strong men leaders as well. All of our current elders are men, we have a number of effective teachers who are men – and most of our current home groups are lead by men. It is important to recognize that the ministry that happens at church has been done by a diverse group of people – and from early on we have had new Christians and mature Christians filling the important roles in the church.

When AMADEO left, five years ago – it was with many of the influences of the work done in the high school ministry, in the college and career ministry and in the church at large. Sixty people left with us on the church plant, 10% of the church, with ten going back within a few weeks. We started meeting on Mondays in a school club house until we reached 80, and then we moved to Power Ranch School where we grew to 120 with a few months, and since then we have peaked at around 180 two or three times.

Since we are a very diverse church and value diversity it has been hard finding a unique identity to gather around. Are we more of a bible church than most vineyards? Are we a vineyard in a charismatic and Pentecostal sence? Are we a missional community – that is community oriented and seeker sensitive or are we a church that really values theology and right orthodoxy? Are we reaching out to to just the poor – or do we also value the rich and the business leaders? Are we going to allow cultural diversity that defines different ethnicities to change how we do business? Since the answer to all these questions has been yes – we have found that we are a strange pill to swallow for many people. Though we have not ever tried to be all things to all people – we have tried to be a place where all people can bring their gifts and enrich the community. What that has meant for many is that we aren’t enough of “who they are.” This is sometimes difficult for people to take. People sometimes get “missional” fatigue at AMADEO. People of different ethnicities see because of our relationships in the real world that we value diversity – but when they attend for a few months – they feel like a fish out of water – and find waiting for that day in which the true diversity will be more present a little hard to handle. We have chosen to incorporate that diversity into our services – and that has sometimes been met with resistance. The cognitive dissonance a person feels who grew up in an old religion and we integrate more liturgical devices is difficult. Some people find verse by verse teaching to rigid – while others find the “wait on the Lord,” part of our serious too subjective and “charismatic-y”

Mark Driscoll once said that a church does not find their identity till around the 7th year – because the pastor often doesn’t even know who he is. Well, if that is the case – then we as a church are coming into our best years. We know who we are. We are a people who value diversity. Who hunger for intimacy with Christ. We value good theology and orthodoxy – but we want to be loving in all of our actions with believers and non-believers alike. We place a high value on outreach, evangelism and making new disciples – but we also want to help train and equip people to make mature disciples. We want to see people trained, empowered, leading and on mission – we want to see churches planted.

We are greedy for the fullness of what God has offered us to do – and commanded us to do. And…. We are foolish enough to think that he will actually use us for his purposes. The poor will be cared for. The children will fall in love with Jesus. Various ethnicities will learn to worship the only true God together. This is how God is making us AMADEO: the love of God.

And most of all - we know this is all about Jesus - not our differences. It is about the glory of God.

more JESUS please.

2011-12-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

Come join us as we make Jesus famous at AMADEO VINEYARD CHURCH in Queen Creek, near GIlbert, at the NE corner of Ocotillo and Ellsworth.

The Histories - pt 1

2011-12-08T06:40:00.000-08:00

As in every work of God there are moments when women and men must put pen to paper or must stop and turn on the web cam to make testimony of the good works of the King. So too I, after reading the intro to the Hobbit, felt it was time to tell some stories. I have no long hobbit-like pipe to light as I tell you the stories - but as I sit in a local Queen Creek indie cafe (called EggsTC), I see my coffee vapors rising along with the sun through the window and the adventures behind me are stirring to be told. Teresa, the owner/waitress feels bad I am being blinded by the rising sun through the window - I tell her I like it - it is that brief moment where a person is made aware that nights never end, and that coldness has an enemy that can beat it back. It has been a good morning because Ed, who God led me to buy breakfast last week as he was sitting next to me, has just walked in with his wife. He remembers my name and perhaps my small act of love last week has earned me a new friend in the community. The story here, from the beginning, has been a story of Community and Growth. It has been a story of adventures, overcoming obstacles, losing a few friends along the way and gaining far more. Enough though of stories about the bacon, egg and biscuit I just had, the sun rising, & the wonderful cook Jaime - this story begins farther back in the lives of so many people who God was stirring when they were just being knit in their mother's womb. They too, I pray, will tell their stories - but God will lead them to that day when romantic stirrings lead them there.

The story of our community, AMADEO church, at least began for me when I was birthed into the lives of two Southern Baptist parents from Texas. For others in our community it began in the lives of Catholic families in small towns, Assembly of God churches, Nazarene churches, and others grew up without a church at all. I am sure if I were to name all the churches in our community nearly all would be included - and many other churches that don't qualify as orthodox or Christian. The vineyard, only 30 years old, was knit together with people from all denominations - for it was a movement of God that happened in the 70's - in California - by a bunch of hippies, musicians, surfers, druggies - but also church-doobies who had lost themselves, and sometimes Jesus, in the legalism of older main-line churches (Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopal, Baptsist, etc) & hyper-pentecostal/charismatic churches churches. There was a need for something more real in those days - results of the love revolution and moral devolution of the late 1960's. As is now, there was a need for a fresh expression of the un-changing God we serve. So, it was into this age that I was born into a fairly conservative Southern Baptist family - my dad an engineer, my mom trained as a teacher but committed to being a mom.

I am convinced, the healthiest place for a child to grow, and person to grow, is in a community of people who have their eyes on Jesus - and who aren't too proud to be in a community of believers - no matter how screwed up they are. For me, my family and my church was that place. My earliest memories of church was that we went every Sunday for three services. We had Sunday school in the morning, big church after that, (In those days adults "Sat and Served" in church) and Sunday evening service that was, if we were lucky, followed by ice cream at Dairy Queen with a few other families. In between was family lunch, football games, & naps that were occasionally broken up by church potlucks. I have no fonder memory than Mrs. Kelly's home-made chocolate and chocolate chip ice cream. When we do church potlucks even today I remember what it was like to be a kid piling my plate full looking down at my knit 1970's tie, button down shirt and slacks. During the week I would go with my parents on visitations to the houses of the people who visited on Sunday morning - it was then, as is a big deal now, to communicate with people early and quickly that you appreciate them being brave enough to enter into a new community. In an age of ever decreasing privacy there is quite a need to find a safe place to hide out and brave the craziness which is the post-modern age. Sometimes, we have decided, unfortunately to not come out - and our ability to do community, our skills to do authentic deep-level community, has decreased into a series of shallow events, trite hellos, and inauthentic pre-tendings. But in the 1970's we still were messy in each other's lives. Home groups happened every week, missions around the world were a big deal, home visitations were regular, and potlucks happened all the time.

What also happened then, in church, was adultery and un-Christian violence. The head pastor of our church left his wife for the worship leader's pastor. The disgruntled parishioner brought a gun to the elders meeting to let people know he meant business. Kids accidentally killed themselves playing with their father's guns and daughters got pregnant. Apparently, sin then looked a lot like sin today, which actually helps explain the phrase bantered about today in churches: "come as you are, but please don't stay that way." I guess part of the "world," had creeped into the church - which of course is the goal of effective churches - to bring in the lost. But usually you don't want the lost to be the shepherds and leadership - but I have come to know well enough - that leaders fall as easily as non-leaders: see David, Joseph, Peter, Saul, etc.

I remember listening to hymns, that now I know are so much richer in theological depth and insight than our current praise songs, while laying my head in my mother's lap. She would scratch my back, I would fade in and out of listening to the pastor, while I napped, jerked awake, doodled on paper, made inappropriate gestures to my friends, got rebuked by my mom. I remember my dad teasing my mom after one service, in the middle of the church aisle that she had a spider on her leg and then he shot her with a rubber band in his hand. Church was family, joking, singing, listening, dressing up, eating, gathering, dispersing and praying.

Then one Sunday a hymn, by the power of the Holy Spirit, woke my soul up. The verses said stuff like,

"How do you tell a hungry man about the bread of life.
How do you tell the sick man that he can be healed.
How do you tell a lonely man that he can have a home."

and then the chorus said,'

"People who know,
Go to people who need to know Jesus.
People who love,
go to people who need to know the love of Jesus.
And this is people to people, yes
People to people,
sharing together God's love."

And then God spoke to my heart: "this is you." God made it ridiculously clear to a little nine year old kid - that he loved me - and that he wanted me to show this love of God to others. I broke down in tears, my mom saw it happening and called it out. (Now, I look back, and see this is when the tears began. And still to this day, people in church will tell you, I break down when it comes to the love of God coming to the lost, to a family, or to a child.) Within a few weeks, I was baptized - and God had set in motion his plans to create a place where people who were moved by the love of God, would be the love of God to others. That, as you know, is the name of the church AMADEO. I have met several people who are named Amadeo - since we began a church - and they, and the books will tell you it means either "Loved by God," or "The Love of God." It is a great name in the kingdom, because names do matter, but a horrible name for people who drive by it on the road. People have no idea what it means, whether it is a spanish church or not, and they most usually pronounce it funny or make jokes by saying "Rock me AMADEO!" But, the name AMADEO, was given to us by God, and as child-hood names go - you have no choice in the matter. Parents give you your name - and God gave us ours - and we will tell more of this story as we move forward.

Vineyard Center Services are in plan for 2012

2011-12-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

AMADEO is once again partnering with RE:STORE - and RE:STORE is open again Tuesday at 6pm.

2011-12-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

First night we had over 33 people served.

5 Goals

2011-11-29T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Most Important Local Marriage Conference to come to Phoenix

2011-11-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

Please save the date:

February 17, 2012 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
February 18, 2012 9:00 a.m. – Noon

Conference will be at Mission Church on Elliot between Power and Recker.

Free Childcare will be at Vineyard Center in Downtown Queen Creek 1/2 hour before and after.

AMADEO Church Location in Queen Creek - Just East of Gilbert - 21805 S Ellsworth, Queen Creek, 85142

2011-11-17T14:53:00.001-08:00

Luke 9:23 - Difficult Texts

2011-11-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me."

The true marks of a Christian are found in this difficult saying of Jesus. Just moments before Jesus makes this statement he tells them that he must suffer many things, be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes, and be killed. He declares this will happen to him and then goes on to explain to them that they must take up their cross and follow him. Jesus is not JUST telling them that he will die - but how he will die. And now, he invites them to follow him.

Do you know, sinners, that you are called to give up your comfort for a death that involves suffering and pain. Jesus makes it plain that each one of them, who follow Jesus, would endure pain and affliction for going after the kingdom. Those who might declare some prosperity of property, milk and honey in this present life for those who follow Christ need to be made aware that Jesus declared "In the world you will have trouble, but be courageous-I have overcome the world!" (John 16:23). God promises you, saints, that there is a royal crown waiting for us, but we see that the path to that crown requires donning a crown of thorns first.

Jesus leaves little room for disguising this verse in metaphorical possibilities but gives away the meaning in the middle of the verse where he says, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself." It is the denial of self that is being required of those who follow Jesus.

Jesus wants people to know that the path of righteousness, the path to the kingdom, the narrow path is one of obedience to Christ despite what our flesh might cry out for. And he lets us know that the path of denial - is like a cross. Jesus even prayed for himself that if the cross could be taken away it would be - his desire was to avoid it; however, his obedience to the father was to endure it sin-lessly.

Are you ready and willing to do just such a thing? Will you follow Jesus and take up your cross if your family rejects you? Will you follow Jesus and take up your cross if the road gets difficult or will you curse God and choose to die as Job's wife suggested? Will you praise God only in the good seasons, or will you also praise him in the difficult seasons. The life of a cross carrier is not just garden nights sweating blood alone while friends abandon you. The life of the cross is not just painful insults, taunts and beatings and suffocating circumstances. The life of the cross is also moments of encouragement and redemption to those who are hung right next to you. The life of the cross terminates in a moment of deliverance and reunion with God in paradise. There is a hope in the glory to be revealed - but we must not languish too long on the glory of this earth which is only a fleeting shadow of the coming kingdom.

The mature person who walks in the kingdom learns to rejoice in all circumstances while longing always for something even more glorious. We are people of hope - Jesus is not trying to discourage people - he is not just a man of many sorrows. But, he is a loving enough father to prepare us for seasons of denial, and seasons of crosses. A good father tells you not only what is, but what will be. A good father describes a wonderful promise of a future heaven, a description of the provision in between (consider the lilies and the birds), how one may have abundant life now (John 10:10), and how one must also endure the unlovely - especially when following a King who lays his life down for others. Indeed his last command was a new one, "Love others as I have loved you." That includes a cross and self denial.

George Whitefield does a better job than me here: for more reading click.

Luke 9:62 - Difficult Texts

2011-11-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

Jesus speaks many difficult things into our lives and this is one of the more difficult ones.

What this cannot mean:

1. What this cannot mean is that people who sometimes doubt or back slide should just give up as far as the kingdom goes. In the story of the prodigal son - a kid does take his hand off of the plow and decides to follow his own path and we see that the father takes him back after not only looking away from the plow but leaving and squandering the grace of his father.

2. What this also cannot mean is that a worker should sit at the plow endlessly working and not get a break when he is tired and worn out. Jesus went to a hill to pray, went to a quiet place to get away from people. There is indeed time for healthy respite and breaks - to be still and know he is God.

3. This cannot mean that we can lose our salvation. God's word tells us the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable. We know that God goes after he one lost sheep. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus - not heights not depth, nor anything. We know that He who began a good work in us with be faithful to complete it - and that since God chose us (not the reverse) he will not "un-choose" us. Our God does not change.

What this has to mean then is this.

1. We each have a calling, a set of works, prepared in advance for us to do for those who are indeed called. When God makes that clear we are to pursue it with a passion. We are not to halt when minor life challenges come our way. God has not called us to our particular plowing only when the sun shines. Yes, other people may get to go play on certain days in which we must plow - but we must be faithful to that calling that God has put upon us - and our community. Are you the man who manages the farm that provides for your family? Then you must not hide away on some couch even if you are depressed when the seeds must be planted. You are not called to love and serve your wife if she will bless you back - but to love and serve you when for months she has neglected you. In the kingdom, your calling is your life. You may turn away from your calling but the sickness of your heart will tell you that you should be back plowing where God has placed you.

2. In the Kingdom we may not shirk our duties without a consequence to our soul. Yes, we may choose to be lazy on a day - but our soul - if it is one captured by the kingdom - will be ill beset if we are not doing what we are called to do. A Kingdom person will continually be called back to their post that was given to them by faith and the word of God. Annais and Saphira turned back from the kingdom and their consequence was physical death when they lied about their financial situation - though if they were believers, which we have no reason to doubt, they would surely rise again by the grace of God. God disciplines those he loves as examples to all of us - to keep our hand on the plow. Yes, he shows more mercy than he does justice allowing many to lazily sit at the plow - but he reminds us that is not the calling or lifestyle of a kingdom believer. No, Jesus exhorts us to rise to our mighty calling.

People with good purposes, even pastors, will sometimes seek to call you out of the field God has given you - and you must not
neglect your field. Good hearted parishioners may seek to discourage the pastor rather than help him when the harvest is ripe. They may call him to come in from the fields because they feel guilt for merely watching him work - the pastor must not ignore the heads of grain calling out for their elected day. Indeed, we must never think we have only one field that is ours to care for - for there are men with oxen stuck in mud - and God has called us to help them out. We certainly have our field, which is our local family - but we have global fields that demand our attention. We have fields in our workplace & local community; and we have fields around the world. For us to neglect one for the other would deem us unfit for the Kingdom of God.

God has not called us to an easy life, but a life of labor six days a week. The American citizen believes it has a right to two days of rest and still utilizes neither one for real spirit rest. God does not let us off easy - but gives us statements like this - that we may not ever accept the easy and wide path that leads to death. He loves us too much.

Great Article on community center stuff.

2011-11-03T15:09:00.001-07:00

Click Here

Listen to my friend Barry's story of mentoring and redemption.

2011-10-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

What place are you?

2011-10-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

1st Place is God. (Seek first the kingdom of heaven)
2nd Place is others. (Consider others better than yourself)
3rd Place is for us.

Also, 3rd place is a gathering place for people. The first place is the home, the second is your work, and the third place is the community.

FInally - we have the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is in the third place. We hope this is a place where the Holy Spirit can flow.

Small things done in love.

2011-10-20T17:48:00.000-07:00

We look forward to giving free coffee for a month or so - as we get the supplies for a fully operating coffee shop. We are committed to building relationships, and loving our neighbors - this is one more endeavor in that direction.

A new season - A New Location

2011-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

God is allowing us to move from our beloved Power Ranch Elementary School to our new location at Ellsworth and Ocotillo. We are keeping our eyes on Jesus - this is the one thing we are about: Jesus. We have resolved to know nothing except Christ. It is knowing Him that we are moved to love others - and to serve our community.

We look forward to the challenge of serving our community with a larger space. We have been faithful in using the small spaces God has given us - first the clubhouse, then the elementary school - and now a retail space. We are looking forward to trying to serve people through a coffee shop, through the food pantry, through a new arts and education cooperative. We have always been good at serving the poor - but now we are looking forward to serving business leaders in our community. This is an exciting new project.

Our love has no bounds - and we believe God will continue to use us to see His kingdom come in new ways in this new building. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, and serve others in his name - we believe God will do a new thing that will be beautiful and regenerative.

When I was out and about...

2011-09-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

when I went to bed among
the repeating choruses of thunder and rain,
when I felt the soft wind blowing through
the cracks in my window,
when I left this earth for
heavenly wonderings and joy
I started to hear the whole earth
humming of the goodness of our King.

Have you seen the joy in the eyes of
the woman that you opened the door for?
Have you seen the relief that comes
when you tell that guy that he is beautiful
despite his brokenness?
Have you seen the painful appreciation that comes
when you visit a sick friend?
Are you humbled by our awkward
and brittle bodies, cracked dry bones?

In the Kingdom of our King -
there is endless selfish joy
for the King lavishes us in all that he has,
and feeds us with bread that nourishes the soul,
the King pours cups of new wine -
the wine that makes glad the hearts of men,
the drink that causes the nervous ladies to relax, sway a little,
and to give themselves freedom to breathe.

There are princes that plan and scheme,
and He holds them back, or lets them go forth-
and His plan moves forth like a rushing wave,
this flood that washes boulders down like a child's ball-
and in the Kingdom of the King-
women and children lead us with
trust, forgiveness, ridiculous peace-
easily forgetting and righting the
isotopic wrongs done in the dark night.

The earth is His,
and he is never surprised,
though he grieves at the disobedience-
because how could a just king doing anything other
than have a jilted heart from the love of his life
the queen of His kingdom - but His Hosea-ic love returns
like a merry-go-round of grace -
He is just, but his mercy trumpets triumph once again-
the lilies singing His praise-
The King is good - the King is great.

In this Kingdom of the King -
calamity comes,
the works of the Lord behold
devastation and redemption-
tensions of grace and pain,
space and time,
I am closer now to him then ever before,
because His kingdom is within me,
His kingdom is at hand,
His kingdom is near,
His kingdom is as real as anything
we have ever known.

Have you heard angels sing before,
Have you heard the blood of the saints,
Have you heard any of the prophets,
Have you heard anything real at all -
That the King is Near,
The King is Real,
The King is ruling and reigning-
We are in the realm of the unknown,
and it unfolding faster than our eyes can see.

I am not

2011-09-10T01:45:00.001-07:00

Known by God

2011-09-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Highways & Byways of our Community

2011-09-05T19:40:00.000-07:00

Short Film on Transforming Your Mind

2011-09-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

A Movie about Prayer and the Word of God - and transforming your mind.

This is how we define church. | The Mars Hill Blog

2011-07-23T22:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a good description of what church is?

This is how we define church. | The Mars Hill Blog

Are you stuck in a moment and you can't get out of it? Be faithful. It will pass.

2011-07-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Amadeo Church Vision 2020

2011-07-19T17:36:00.001-07:00

The Vision of AMADEO Church & Treebeard's Story.

2011-07-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

I want to share with you some lines from the book The Two Towers by JRR Tolkien specifically regarding a section of chapter 4 that deals with Tree beard. In this part of the story Merry and Pippin have escaped a few rotten orcs into a forest and stumbled upon an Ent (a very old tree that walks and talks) that people call Treebeard.

Thought 1: Merry and Pippin quickly give their name to Treebeard and identify themselves as Hobbits –those who live underground. Treebeard responds like this:

“Hm, you are hasty folk…I’ll call you Merry and Pippin if you please – nice names. I am not going to tell you my name, not yet at any rate – for one thing it would take a long time because my name is growing all the time, I have lived a very long time and my name is like a story. Real names tell you the story of the things they belong to… It takes a very long time to tell anything in our language, because we do not say anything unless it worth taking a long time to say and to listen to.”

Here is the matter – if a thing is worth saying it is worth saying to food. And if a person is worth anything at all, and in God we know this is true of all people, then it is worth listening to their story from beginning to end. If you have been to my house – you know telling stories is a requirement. So what is the story of AMADEO? Who are we? How has God made us. What do we value?

AMADEO. A Vineyard Community Church. What does this mean?

AMADEO. We are the love of God. We are born from the Love of God. We are trying to be the Love of God to others. We believe that God’s love controls us – it is the first and last thing in our mind as it regards all the things we believe, do, or say. It is the greatest two commandment (Matthew 22), it is the last commandment we are given (John 13:34-35) – to love others as Christ has loved us.

Vineyard. What does it mean?

In the vineyard we have several phrases that are key to helping understanding who we are. We want to “do the stuff,” of the kingdom – this means preach, teach, love the poor and marginalized, reach the lost, hand out with the sick and lost, pray for healing – do everything that Jesus and his disciples did in the gospel. “Everybody gets to play,” is also a key phrase in the vineyard. We all get to pray for people, minister to people, serve, lay are lives down for one another. “Faith is spelled R-I-S-K,” is another one of our key phrases. Whether we are going on the streets, praying for the sick, speaking a word of knowledge, becoming a fool for Christ (another key phrase) caring for the ones nobody else cares for – we realize it requires risk. Risk of being rejected, wrong, making mistakes – we embrace taking risks. We long for it. John Wimber, the founder of the vineyard, said “the meat is on the street.” What he meant was this, we need to get out in the world doing the stuff of the kingdom of God. To be a part of our church means to go into the world doing the stuff. In the vineyard we value:

1. worship
2. intimacy with Christ
3. caring for the poor
4. preaching and teaching
5. making disciples
6. going into all nations
7. be-friending all churches
8. Church planting

A Community Church. What does it mean?

We are created for building community. We are purposely seeking after:

1. Strong community in family
2. Strong community in our church – via all means possible: home groups
3. Strong community in our community and workplaces.

So names matter to our vision and goals – and the calling God has put on our life. The word of God says that the gift and calling of God are irrevocable. We are not able to walk away from who God has made us as a community. As long as we live as a community we must return to who God has made us. Treebeard’s name was long and unspeakable – our name is long and unspeakable:

AMADEO – the love of God community, made by God’s love to be love of God, committed to the meat on the street, the risk takers, the fools for Christ, the place where we do the stuff – and everybody gets to play. AMADEO, the goofy small puberty church that is becoming the mature strong loving church.

Thought 2: After Merry and Pippin learn about Treebeard some they ask a question of him.
“Would you think it rude if we asked what you are going to do with and which side you are.” Treebeard responds by saying, “I am not going to do anything with you, if you mean by that, to do something to you, without your leave. We might do some things together. I don’t know about sides. I go my way and your way may go my way for a while”

It is right and natural for us to come together and ask especially at the beginning of a relationship, but also throughout a relationship a couple of questions about “what is going to happen to us together in this journey we are on.” AMADEO will do nothing with anybody without their leave – but we do believe that the joining of our journeys together has a specific purpose that God intends for us together. All of these visions, values, and practices are born out of who God has made us individually, but also what God is making us together.

Our highest calling is to be “Moved by the Love of God,” to love God and to love others. And of course the question that next must be asked is this? How will we love God and each other? The Greatest commandment then comes to mind – “to go make new disciples,” and then to make “mature disciples.” So the things we are going to do together must be focused on these few values that spring from the vision and name God has given us:

1. Love others as Christ has loved us
--a. He sought us out – we seek others out
--b. He goes after the sick and lost – we do the same
--c. He calls us to follow him – we call others to follow us and to follow Christ – Paul said “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”
--d. We are to teach and train
--e. We are to equip and send out
--f. We are to model service and love
--g. We are to meet people in their culture and location

2. Make New Disciples – Matthew 28:19

--a. Church – surprisingly powerful here – and actually less powerful for making mature disciples – though it is useful first place for serving
--b. Outreach
--c. Servant Evangelism
--d. Power Evangelism
--e. KIDS are a great part of this

3. Make Mature Disciples – Ephesians 4
--a. One on one
--b. Home groups
--c. Sunday services

4. Become people of The Presence of God
--a. Holy Spirit
--b. Waiting on the Lord
--c. Prayer
--d. Worship

Thought 3: Treebeard goes on to further explain whose side he is on. He says,

“I am not altogether on anybody’s side; if you understand me. Still I take more kindly to the elves than to others because it was the elves that cured us of our dumbness long ago. It is a great gift that cannot be forgotten. And there are some things I am altogether not on the side of; Or I am against them all together. The orcs and their master.”

We do have things we stand for, and things we stand against. And then we have things we just don’t worry about as a community. We stand for loving God first, loving our neighbors, yes even loving our enemies. We stand for helping others get to know God as revealed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Our spiritual enemies are “loneliness, sin, depression, oppression.” The enemies that we love our those who would persecute us, those that hate us for our beliefs – but these enemies we love. And then the real enemies of our souls – are the princes and principalities (demons) in this present darkness that would seek to lead us astray.

We are against wolves in the church, predators, men hunting and preying on women –and the proud. We value the humble and honor that – and gently try to speak against the prideful.

Thought 4: Treebeard goes on to explain the role of Ents (shepherds) and the trees (the sheep). He says,

“still we do what we can. We keep off..the fool hardy: and we train and teach, we walk and we weed. We are tree-heards, we old Ents. It is said that sheep get like shepherds, and shepherds get like sheep; but slowly , and neither have long in this world… Some of my kin look just like trees now, and need something great to rouse them; and they speak up only in whispers.”

At AMADEO we are either sheep or shepherds – and because we believe that all people get to “do the stuff,” we expect all people to become people who train, teach, walk and weed. Sheep get like shepherds it is said and shepherds get like sheep. We want the people we care for to become care-takers. It is how we love others, love God and make disciples. It is a slow process – and our time in this world is not long.

We are longing to be people who go deep into the things of God. We want to sail deep into his waters – and to see him rescue us from all our foes and adversities. We want to be faithful sailors to God and his call.

Psalm 107
New International Version (NIV)
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story—   those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,  3 those he gathered from the lands,   from east and west, from north and south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle.  5 They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away.  6 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.  7 He led them by a straight way  to a city where they could settle.  8 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind,  9 for he satisfies the thirsty   and fills the hungry with good things.
10 Some sat in darkness, in utter darkness,  prisoners suffering in iron chains,  11 because they rebelled against God’s commands and despised the plans of the Most High.  12 So he subjected them to bitter labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.  13 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,  and he saved them from their distress.  14 He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.  15 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love  and his wonderful deeds for mankind,  16 for he breaks down gates of bronze  and cuts through bars of iron.
17 Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.  18 They loathed all food  and drew near the gates of death.  19 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.  20 He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.  21 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.  22 Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.
23 Some went out on the sea in ships; they were merchants on the mighty waters.  24 They saw the works of the LORD, his wonderful deeds in the deep.  25 For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves.  26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;  in their peril their courage melted away.  27 They reeled and staggered like drunkards;  they were at their wits’ end.  28 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress.  29 He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.  30 They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.  31 Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.  32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.
33 He turned rivers into a desert, flowing springs into thirsty ground,  34 and fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who lived there.  35 He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs;  36 there he brought the hungry to live, and they founded a city where they could settle.  37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;  38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased, and he did not let their herds diminish.
39 Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled by oppression, calamity and sorrow;  40 he who pours contempt on nobles made them wander in a trackless waste.  41 But he lifted the needy out of their affliction  and increased their families like flocks.  42 The upright see and rejoice, but all the wicked shut their mouths.
43 Let the one who is wise heed these things  and ponder the loving deeds of the LORD.

A prayer from the 600s

2011-07-12T09:35:00.001-07:00

This is a version of the Golden Sequence that is prayed before the proclamation of the Gospel on Pentecost Sunday.

Come, Holy Spirit,
send forth the heavenly
radiance of your light.

Come, father of the poor,
come giver of gifts,
come, light of the heart.

Greatest comforter,
sweet guest of the soul,
sweet consolation.

In labor, rest,
in heat, temperance,
in tears, solace.

O most blessed light,
fill the inmost heart
of your faithful.

Without your divine will,
there is nothing in man,
nothing is harmless.

Wash that which is unclean,
water that which is dry,
heal that which is wounded.

Bend that which is inflexible,
warm that which is chilled,
make right that which is wrong.

Give to your faithful,
who rely on you,
the sevenfold gifts.

Give reward to virtue,
give salvation at our passing on,
give eternal joy.

Amen. Alleluia.

Work in Northern Ireland

2011-06-27T00:53:00.000-07:00

Friday - We flew in.

Saturday

1. We made 400 "Tea Break Packs," to pass around down town to people working in the shops to show God's love in a practical way - no strings attached. Tea Break Packs had "Chips, Chocolate, and a Lollipop."

2. We did prayer on the streets. Got to pray for a number of people.

Sunday

1. I preached in church

2. The kids worked in the Sunday School Classes

3. We had a bar-b-q - the workers from AMADEO were mixing it up good meeting and sharing life and stories all afternoon

4. There was an impromptu soccer game that broke out at the tail end

5. The team split up into two groups and went over to people's houses and shared songs, food, and life together.

Monday

1. Heading out to see the North Coast today - a down day.

Tuesday (Tomorrow)

1. We will be working with some church members and community members on a new community project they call "The Allotments." This is a community garden they are developing to show people how to grow veggies and it allows for people in the community to come together. We will be making some garden boxes and clearing some land for more gardening. Hopes to develop one day into a place that has a farmers market, be a model of future living practices for community sustainability.

more to come....

AMADEO church featured in this months Outreach Magazine

2011-06-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

Small Churches that are making a difference one person at a time.

What my wife does: (today)

2011-06-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

1. Make me a father's day breakfast - for father's day week - which starts 6 days before Father's day.
2. Take the kids to swim practice at 5:30
3. Make me my favorite pasta salad for the evening
4. Make stuff for a friend's wedding - that takes hours
5. Make's father's day gifts for men at church
6. Helps train the kids to clean the WHOLE house
7. Invites over friends kids - because the parents are sick.

Women rule - and wives who love God and others are pretty amazing.

Ben

AMADEO Business Community

2011-06-12T22:53:00.001-07:00

More info to follow. But, the business men and women in our community are planning a regular gathering to hear war stories, to encourage one another and to pray for each other. Will keep you updated with information.

Gathering of business leaders in queen creek and gilbert.

Who is currently serving as Elders at AMADEO:

2011-06-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

Elder Board:

Ben Cloud
J Johnson
Ian Aston
Jeremy Giguerre

Additional Elders:

Vu Hoover
Bruce Sawyer

How one becomes an elder at AMADEO Church.

2011-06-11T11:20:00.000-07:00

How one becomes an elder at AMADEO CHURCH

1. They don’t promote themselves – God does

Most people who seek to promote themselves as elders – probably are not elders. If you knew the job responsibilities (dealing with church discipline, confronting people in sin, etc), the weight (time, costs, energy, love) of caring for the problems of the church (owning the flock as your own), you would not easily desire the office.

The word of God tells us it is a good thing to desire the office of elder. However, the Bible does not encourage promoting yourself to the office. We know from scripture that we are to take the humble posture of sitting at the lowest spot at the table when it comes to the Kingdom of God – so that we can rise up to the special place at the table when invited. Also, we hear on a number of occasions about how God delights in humbling the proud and exalting the humble.

The table spot of an elder is not something to be proud of, it is a humbling office for the meek, gentle, and wise. It is a place of serving people by washing feet and caring for the “yuck,” in the church. It is a place of great work in teaching, counseling and advising.

2. The current elders come to unanimous vote – after dialoging about possible nominations.

Elders at AMADEO are not elders because they are elected but because they are actually ELDING people: praying for them regularly, able to teach, actively mentoring and disciple-ing, giving financially and sacrificially, leading in their family, etc. Let me be clear – elders are elders because they serve and lead the church – owning the congregation as their own. They are recognized by God, first and foremost – and occasionally recognized by the church leadership, members, or attendees.

The minimal requirements for being an Elder are found in the books of Timothy and Titus. However, these are just guides – not legalistic requirements. These minimal requirements include things such as: house being in order, not a new believer, able to teach, self-controlled, not easily angered, show good judgment, care for the church as their own.

From the elders in the church, occasionally, one is chosen (from the current elders) to serve on a two-year term on the elder board. The elder board meets on a monthly basis to talk about how better to care for the church. This elder board will also be consulted for issues related to church discipline, hiring staff, church discipline, caring for families who are struggling in life, sin, or other issues that require immediate help.

The Elder Board will occasionally nominate names of people who they think fit the qualifications (from Timothy and Titus) of an elder. Then the Elder Board will discuss as a group whether the person has been acting as an elder as it regards “owning the church,” and whether their time management with family and work would allow for such responsibilities. The Elder board is not flawless or without fault and they take that into consideration. They do not expect others to be perfect. However, this board is never meant to be more than 4 people (at the current size of our church) – and it is not something we take lightly.

Elders are advisors to the church and to the financial board of the church. They are not the final arbiters of anything except the selection of new elders. They give wise counsel and the pastoral staff and financial board are responsible before God to listen to their advice and then make the best decision for the church. THE PRIMARY JOB OF THE ELDERS ARE TO CARE FOR THE CHURCH spiritually: mentorship, discipleship, prayer, discernment, teaching, advising, humility and love.

AMADEO is not an elder run church at the board level – but the elders are absolutely responsible for caring for the church as a whole through disciple-ship, teaching, service, involvement and participation, sacrificial living, love, prayers and financial giving. The pastor and the pastoral staff lead the church through meetings that happen at least once a month.

3. Elders meet the biblical qualifications and job description of Elders

• Not a new believer
• Pray for the church
• House in order
• Able to teach & Actually do Teach (regularly handle the word appropriately, one on one discipleship and small group teaching.)
• Self controlled and not easily angered
• Feed God’s flock
• Rule/direct the affairs of the church
• Oversee the flock
• Share the burden with the pastor/primary church leader
• Take heed to his own walk
• Be a good example
• Be watchful
• Safeguard good doctrine
• Lay on hands as part of the church’s presbytery
• Visit and pray for the sick
• Advise on major church finances
• Exercise hospitality
• Work hard at his duties, serving God and man

Examples of waiting on the Lord - from John Wimber - as told from Carl Tuttle

2011-06-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Wimber Years - A Profound Example of Spiritual Authority from Carl Tuttle on Vimeo.

Discipleship Encouragers: Jimbo and Michaela.

2011-06-05T22:04:00.001-07:00

Jimbo and Michaela will be getting married soon and helping AMADEO by encouraging, assisting, and training people up in doing discipleship. Please pray for them during this beautifully busy season that God is taking them into.

Gospel and Mission Small Group Champions!

2011-06-05T21:59:00.000-07:00

J and Jen johnson will be helping our small groups by recruiting, assisting, encouraging, training, blessing and helping the small group leaders, hosts, worship leaders, exhorter and counselors.

Be praying for them as they ramp up for serving our community!

My New Book - The Hope of the Kingdom

2011-06-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

When churches fail. (and succeed)

2011-06-02T22:57:00.000-07:00

Church's are a lot like people, imperfect. Sometimes, they make decisions that we think are not right, unjust. See this recent quote on facebook:

"This goes to a friend of mine whose wife cheated on him. The church abandoned him and he did nothing wrong. Something is seriously wrong with this picture. Maybe why I don't go to church anymore. Hey bud...the church won't support you anymore but guess what? I WILL! You'll be okay brother. Hang in there my friend!" - A Quote From a Friend

I find it hard to make judgements based on this post since we don't know the church's perspective. However, the friend posting seems to view the church as abandoning his friend when a wife cheated on him.

Here is what I know. Church's should hold cheating spouses responsible, calling them to account, to repent for their sins, gently and respectfully. Church's should not abandon people when their spouses go crazy. We CANNOT control what spouses will do. Spouses may leave faithful husbands and wives, spouses may cheat and become abusive: but, this does not mean we should abandon either the sinner or the one being sinned against. In fact, during these difficult times we need to go the extra mile to love, counsel, console and care for (perhaps rebuke) both parties - the one who has sinned, and the one who has been sinned against. Rarely, however, is there a cut and dry "wrong," person and a "right" person. As the cliche goes - it takes two to tango.

Churches must be willing to wade into the mess of relationships, loving both, helping both, and actually speaking up against unkindness wherever it lurks. The word tells us, for leaders, that if a person's house is not in order they cannot expect to lead the church - and there is great validity to the word of God.

The easy, but wrong thing to do, however, for a church is to say, "go work on your issues," and remove somebody from leadership and then leave them high and dry. No, a church must gather around a leader, care for them, protect them from working "too much," so that they actually do have time to work on their marriage. However, when one spouse is not willing to get help, because of their sin, we should not hinder the other spouse from serving the Lord.

We know well that God uses the broken quite effectively. David's house was clearly not in order, and he was disciplined for it (not allowed to build the temple), but he still did the Lord's work. Peter's house was not in perfect order - but the Lord used him. Abraham made many poor familial choices, and the Lord still continued to use him. There is no end to the imperfect families the Lord used. No, we choose leaders based on our best observations about a family being in order because we know the job is trying enough without problems. But, when trials come we do not immediately boot somebody out of ministry or community. We care for them, we carry their load, we weigh out the situation and we take every case individually. We do not cast away those who have been injured by unfaithful spouses - even if they haven't been blemish free themselves.

And for the unrepentant sinning spouse - we pray for repentance, we call for it, and we love them enough to say "knock it off. Do what is right." Church's often fail, but every once in a while they get it right. May church's grow, as individuals do - in beauty and grace. I believe it is possible.

New Location for June and July

2011-06-02T16:27:00.001-07:00

3507 S Ranch House Pkwy
Gilbert, AZ 85297
(480) 279-8200
School Website
View map
Profile

Click Here for another map

Paradoxes of our Christian Faith

2011-06-01T12:51:00.000-07:00

We exist not only for ourselves - but we exist for others.

Some churches have the unspoken value of existing to build up one another in the faith. All of their money, time, and resources seem to suggest that the chief reason for existence is to care for the sheep within the fold. There may be a bone thrown here or there in regards to being missional, fulfilling the great commission, or caring for the needy, the poor and the lost - but it is clear that they exist for themselves.

Other churches make the claim that they exist, not for themselves, but for others. These churches, ostensibly, claim to have everything they do focused around caring for others. Home groups are created to do outreaches, Sunday services are geared to serve the new believer, and some "larger" percentage of the money is set aside to serve one's community through mission projects, benevolence, and to care for the poor.

The fact of the matter is this: we do exist to care for our own, and we do exist to serve those in our community, be it local and or global. We do not believe we have the perfect balance, or have figured out the appropriate tensions - but we are careful to try to both care for our own peeps, and to think about how to intentionally reach outside of ourselves. We do not believe the church institution is the enemy to being outward focused - and we do not think the world outside is a threat to our church inside.

We are the church gathered - but we are also the church scattered.

We love to gather as a church. Potlucks are fun. Worshipping together is a delight. Having a common vision is something that can produce great communal joy. When Christians from different countries join together to worship and learn there is an immediate connection around our common love for Jesus. The church gathered allows for all the gifts to come into play - the teacher, the evangelist who is an inviter, the prophet to give a word, those gifted in hospitality to create a warm family like environment. The administrator can help organize a gathering so it runs smoothly and is effective in the time constraints.

The church scattered, also, can produce great joy in a community. When the church, bolstered by a common gathered vision, goes out, each one, loving and serving in their community, inspired to lay down their life for a community - there can be a great change in a community. If one person can change a community (see Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King, Gandhi), how much more can 2000 people committed to serving, sharing the good news change their community.

We need to celebrate both the church gathered and scattered and not let the enemy make little of what great things God can do in each context. One should not be sacrificed for the other.

We must have our family in order - but our family is those who do the will of God

The great American idol - if there be one - is the worship of the family. We have no goddesses or gods that we worship (as a whole), but there are certainly things we place over God. We often determine whether we can serve God based on our time allotted for our family activities: school plays, extra-currciular sports, musical instrument lessons. Our generosity is determined by the amount of hours we work to raise money for our family to spend or the amount of money we we have left for the Lord's work after we have paid for our house and cars - to serve our family. We often take the verse about having our family in order first - to suggest that we need to spend more time with them rather than to do the Lord's work - presumably assuming that we can not spend time and train our kids up by actually doing the Lord's work.

We place our biological family over our spiritual family most of the time. Who, in your spiritual family, has ever heard somebody say, "family comes first," or "I will neglect the church before I neglect my family." It is almost a badge of honor to suggest that we should neglect others if our family is in need. The Word tells us "anybody who doesn't care for a family member is worse than an infidel." And while this is true, Jesus said on numerous occasions you must leave your family if you wish to follow him - and that those who do the will of God are his true family.

Perhaps, those who understand caring for their family is important, need to also find ways to consider others over themselves. Perhaps, those who neglect the family should be rebuked and told to care for their family as they should. It is obvious to most in church, who those are that worship their bio-family over their spiritual family. Family worshippers - let other people do all the work in church. Family worshippers go on the attack when they are corrected. Family worshippers keep most of God's money for themselves. They give what is left-over to God. They even justify their own cars and houses as a means of serving God, rather than others.

Family neglect-ors, are just as obvious. They look for excuses to get out of the house. They are workaholics. They don't know how to say no to anybody but their family. They don't disciple their kids and they don't take their spouses out on date nights.

All of these tensions

All of these tensions and paradoxes must be weighed with the fullness of scripture. Anything that is worth doing, requires Holy Spirit leading and communal input - from the full giftings found within Christian community. We are able to work through these issues - and it partly requires us being willing to understand the weight of our responsibility to both our family and to those sheep God has outside of our Christian community and within it. With man this would be impossible to figure out - but with God we can become an enlightened church community that both serves its own and those who God is calling into his glorious light.

Love of God Tour - Year 2 - Week Three

2011-06-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Love of God Tour this year has three parts. You can be a part of all three in some way or the other.

1. Week 1 - VBS - help serve kids each evening from 6-9pm - June 20-June 24th

2. Week 2 - a.) Travel and Serve in Northern Ireland or b.) Pray - for the team in Northern Ireland - Jun 23rd-July 3rd

3. Week 3 - July 5th-July 11th - Arizona Serve - 6 days of service, training, prayer, ministry and love... (See schedule below for this part)

Our Community’s Hopes: (…Regarding the kingdom of God)

2011-05-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Honor Christ the Lord as holy,
being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you
for a reason for the hope that is in you;
yet do it with gentleness and respect.
1 Peter 3:15-16

• The Love & Glory of God: We, as a community, are being moved (regenerated, born into the family of God, and transformed) by the love of God alone into God’s glorious kingdom rule and reign. The hope of being loved.

• The Presence of God: The Kingdom of God is a near and present help. The hope of help.

• A Future Home: The future day of His fully consummated Kingdom rule and reign is drawing near. The hope of glory.

• Healing: Healing (spiritual, emotional, physical, societal) comes through the proclamation of the good news of the gospel of the kingdom, prayer and the Holy Spirit. The hope of healing.

• Freedom: God’s kingdom power ushers in freedom from oppression. The hope of deliverance. The hope of freedom from oppression.

• Mercy & Compassion for all: In God’s kingdom the humble are honored and the marginalized are cared for. The hope of the meek.

• Unity in Diversity: In God’s kingdom unity in diversity happens (Spiritually, racially, globally, economically). The hope of unity.

• Empowered Living: In God’s kingdom we are empowered for repentance, righteousness, action and love. The hope of empowerment for all God calls us to do and be.

• Receiving Grace: The kingdom comes through God’s work, not ours. The hope of regeneration, justification and sanctification.

• Beauty for Ashes: His Kingdom rule still remains even in our suffering and grief. The hope of redemption.

• Kingdom Service: Serving others brings the Kingdom to others. The hope that service brings.

Do you want to hear the keynote presentations from the 2011 vineyard national conference? If so click below.

2011-05-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Click Here

Music that will make you worship if you are a believer in the idea that "all beauty comes from God and is for his glory."

2011-05-20T15:02:00.000-07:00

Sermon Notes for 5.22.11

2011-05-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

New Sermon Series: Expository Teaching.

2011-04-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

AMADEO Church - in Queen Creek and Gilbert

2011-04-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

Men's retreat coming up - April 29th-May 1st

2011-04-11T18:16:00.001-07:00

Cost is $100. Don't miss it!

Updated Pic

2011-04-11T18:15:00.001-07:00

Had a comment that my last pic was too yellow and goofy - so here is a new one! Don't let our faces scare you from visiting the church!

Ben and Mandy Cloud

2011-04-11T18:08:00.001-07:00

Prayers Cause Things to Happen

2011-03-06T21:02:00.001-08:00

Video Games Aren’t Sinful, They’re Just Stupid | The Mars Hill Blog

2011-03-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Video Games Aren’t Sinful, They’re Just Stupid | The Mars Hill Blog

Prayer throughout the Day - by John Piper.

2011-02-28T18:06:00.001-08:00

Anything worth doing..

2011-02-28T15:41:00.000-08:00

Anything worth doing requires lots of hard work.

There is a reason why it is called labor of love.

There is a reason why it is called carrying your cross.

There is a reason why it says "bear one another's burdens."

There is a reason why it says you must die to live.

There is a reason why Jesus requires us to leave behind family, home, and our riches on occasion

There is a reason why it says we should not look back when our hand is at the plow.

There is a reason why it says "through many tribulations must one enter the kingdom of heaven."

hope returns

2011-02-27T18:38:00.000-08:00

Amazing Modern Hymn - 2001

2011-02-26T22:02:00.001-08:00

When you love the truth - and think living the truth is the best way to love.

2011-02-26T21:27:00.000-08:00

This hymn/worship song is off the hook beautiful telling the gospel story of God's great love, our great need, and his great provision for us. Wow - just moved reading it and singing it in my head.

Most astonishing: this hymn was written in 2001. CLICK HERE

[v1]
In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

[v2]
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all in all
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

[v3]
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

[v4]
'Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

[v5]
There in the ground, His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up form the grave He rose again

[v6]
And as stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am his and he is mine
bought with the precious blood of Christ.

[v7]
No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands by destiny

[v8]
No power of hell, no scheme of man
can ever pluck me from his hand.
'til he returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand.

One of the Main Works of the HOLY SPIRIT: Regeneration (Re-birth, adoption, sanctification, justification, belief, faith)

2011-02-24T21:01:00.000-08:00

REGENERATION by the SPIRIT -- Titus 3:5 He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

SANCTIFICATION by the SPIRIT -- 1 Peter 1:2  We who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

BORN AGAIN by the SPIRIT -- Galatians 4:29  At that time the son born according to the flesh persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now.

SANCTIFIED and JUSTIFIED by the SPIRIT -- 1 Corinthians 6:11  And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Transformed by the SPIRIT -- 2 Corinthians 3:18  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

BORN AGAIN by the SPIRIT -- John 3:5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

CONFESSION OF FAITH by the SPIRIT -- 1 Corinthians 12:3 and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.

BELIEF by the HOLY SPIRIT -- Acts 10:44  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.

ADOPTION by the HOLY SPIRIT -- Romans 8:15  The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

LEADING by the HOLY SPIRIT -- Romans 8:14  For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

REVELATION by the HOLY SPIRIT -- Ephesians 3:5  Which was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.

WE LIVE IN HIM by the SPIRIT -- 1 John 4:13  This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.

a new hope! at home.

2011-02-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

now we are one.
smaller than when we were a straight line,
and larger than when we first began.

a new creation,
as vulnerable as the day of our birth,
as naked too before our Lord.

there is an innocent hope,
all the placenta thrown away,
a new bathing of the word,
a new beginning.

have you found your voice
among the crowd?
Are you lost-
and wanting a way out?

AMADEO is your home,
God is the King-
your family is more than
blood, your flesh, the will of man-
it is a commandment of God-
a calling to feed his sheep
in a particular pasture.

San Clemente Apartments - 4pm - dinner with friends

2011-02-21T20:53:00.000-08:00

Why don't you come hang out with your neighbors at 4pm San Clemente Apartments this Saturday at 4pm.

Bring a:

Stew,
Soup,
Chili,
Bread,
Salad

or, just yourself.

Ben

New Friends Meeting - 130pm this Sunday at Cloud House

2011-02-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

Come eat lunch with us at AMADEO if you have been coming for a little while - or if you never have come to a new friends meeting before. Call ben for more info - 408-242-4154.

Any one still hungry for social justice - standing up for what is right - and what is difficult?

2011-02-19T20:36:00.001-08:00

Heads up: I am not at all endorsing whoever made the video. I have no idea about their motives. MLK's speech though is powerful and riveting and wonder what it would be like if we fought for the kingdom of God with the same passion.

!!!Heads up: I am not at all endorsing whoever made the video. I have no idea about their motives. MLK's speech though is powerful and riveting and wonder what it would be like if we fought for the kingdom of God with the same passion.!!!

A Conference You Should Go To

2011-02-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

See more info HERE

If you're not... you gotta

2011-02-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

I've been told a few times this past week - you gotta just tell people straight up the truth. Not beg. Not beat around the bush. Give direction straight forward. So, here goes. (Hopefully the church won't shrink immediately - as the lack of ear tickling occurs.)

If you're not intentionally discipling your kids, you gotta - lazy spiritual parents are lousy "actual," parents...

If you're not constantly praising your spouse and serving them, you gotta - a strong "community," requires extra-ordinary work. Make your family a strong community.

If you're not serving in one service and sitting in another worshipping, you gotta - our mission will only be accomplished with people getting fed with a common and re-occuring communal and biblical vision and by serving one another. Words must be followed by actions.

If you're not in the Word near daily, you gotta - man does not live by bread alone but by ever word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

If you're not tithing, you gotta - ministry takes money, we are commanded to not muzzle the ox while he is working, and pastors are worth their wages...

If you're a Christian man and looking at porn, you gotta knock it off now, confess your sin, repent and get help - Just because Christians struggle with porn at the same rate as non-christians doesn't mean that you aren't different. Be holy, because He is holy.

If you are not disciple-ing people and getting discipled, you gotta - It is the great "freaking," commission - one of the last and most important messages Jesus preached after he lived a life modeling it.

If you are not abiding with the Holy Spirit, you gotta - there is no substitute for prayer, basking in his glory in worship, and being still and knowing He is God.

Come fellowship with Us. Prayer Services at 8:30am on Sundays! Regular services at 9:15 & 11am

2011-02-07T17:19:00.000-08:00

AMADEO Church in Queen Creek, Gilbert, Mesa and Chandler Events

2011-02-06T08:35:00.000-08:00

Women's Breakfast! Church Ministry!

2011-02-04T21:46:00.001-08:00

Come to the Cloud's House tomorrow for a women's breakfast! 9-11 am.

Queen Creek Churches Women's Ministry.

Help Wanted!!!

2011-02-03T17:22:00.000-08:00

Commitment To:

i. New Disciples - 1, 2, 3, 5 - b, c
ii Mature Disciples - 1, 2, 3, 5, - b, c
iii. Preach, Teach and Live out the Gospel of the Kingdom (pray, care for least of these, children) - 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 - a, b, c, d
iv. Love others as God has loved us - 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 - a,b,c,d

Areas of Concern: (AMADEO 1.1.10 - 1.1.12)

a. Prayer - SWIT Team, Sunday Intercession, Thursday Prayer, 24 hour prayer, prayer in home groups, ministry time
b. Discipleship - one one one, classes, Sundays, Home Groups, trainings
c. Outreach - Food Pantry, Low Income Apartments, Homeless, Simple Servant Evangelism, Home Groups
d. Children's/Youth Ministry - Service, Prayer, Ministry

Ministry Leads: (& Class leaders)

1. Men's Ministry Leader: somebody who would embrace the charge of discipling/mentoring men one on one (first and foremost) and then as a small group and then ultimately a large group. They'd be responsible for planning a men's gathering/movie night once every two months, and a weekend leadership retreat once a year. They's get men plugged into doing ministry, being servants on Sundays and throughout the week. They'd pray for men, be evangelistic to bring men in. They's speak to young men about growing into maturity. This person would work with the pastor and attend servant-leadership meetings.

2. Discipleship Coordinator: This person would personally disciple/mentor key new Christians and new leaders with the goal of helping them also become people who mentor or disciple. This person would work on biblical literacy, missional and evangelistic participation (being outward focused, serving in church and out of church), and do ministerial concern for the hearts and souls of people. They would lead the charge for getting all the people in church meeting with at least one person one on one in discipleship/mentoring. This person would work with the pastor and attend servant-leadership meetings.

-----2a. New Marriages Mentoring Lead

-----2b. Young Men's Lead

-----2c. Young Women's Lead

3. Small Groups Coordinator: This person would help facilitate small groups in the church. They'd at first attend all small groups to assess what is going on. They they's sporadically visit other small groups to be a blessing. This person would ideally first attend a small group, then host one, and finally lead one. This person would hold small group leader and host appreciation and envisioning meetings twice a year - and recruit new small group leaders. This person would remain in contact and be an encouragement and prayer support for all leaders through the use of social media (phone, text, facebook, etc). This person would work with the pastor and attend servant-leadership meetings.

4. Sunday Morning Lead: This person would be responsible for overall service flow. They'd integrate and work with facilities, sound, worship, overhead video, pastoral, communion, ushers, greeters and prayer team to make sure everyone has what they need, have an order of service, and they would work on issues that need addressing, such as aesthetics, sounds, music selection, miss-spelled words on overhead, book table, etc. They's also work on being an encouragement to the whole body - they would be in charge of helping to facilitate an atmosphere of joy, love, community, and openness to the Holy Spirit.

5. New Leader Development Lead - Assess potential new leaders - meet with them one on one. Get to know them. Help them assess their desires, spiritual gifting and skills - as well as areas of growth. Disciple/mentor them - help them be faithful in the small things to see them develop into the areas in which they would like to serve.

-----5a. New Believers Class - 101 Leader

-----5b. Gospel & Mission of Jesus Christ Class Leader

-----5c. Membership Class Leader

6. Spiritual Warfare Team Lead (SWAT Team) - Help recruit prayer warriors for Sunday services and Thursday Prayer group. Help lead people in the Sunday Spiritual warfare disciplines:

Step 1---Corporate Prayer 8:30
Step 2---Break-out prayer teams: (Parking Lot, Front Door, Greeting Table, Back of Sanctuary area)
Step 3---Killing em with kindness warfare: Greeting, pats, love, joy, smiles, encouragement, getting prayer requests
Step 4---Worship warfare - singing so as to knock the walls down
Step 5---Lead intercession team during first service teaching
Step 6---Ministry & prayer at the end of service

Washington - Enchantments - Canon 5D Mark II

2011-02-02T06:42:00.000-08:00

Check out some of God's beautiful creation here - and respond by giving him glory!

National Porn Sunday

2011-02-01T21:40:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE

Many of you have heard of what XXX Church does to help people struggling with porn. They love on people in the porn industry and reach out to them, and they also help the church get out porn as well. It is worth a read if you have not heard of the ministry they are doing before.

Elder Roles

2011-02-01T19:51:00.000-08:00

Summary of the Elder’s Ministry

• Feed God’s flock

• Rule/direct the affairs of the church

• Oversee the flock

• Share the burden with the pastor/primary church leader

• Take heed to his own walk

• Be a good example

• Be watchful

• Safeguard good doctrine

• Some (not all) preach and teach

• Be apt to teach

• Lay on hands as part of the church’s presbytery

• Visit and pray for the sick

• Manage major church finances

• Exercise hospitality

• Work hard at his duties, serving God and man

Reference

elder meeting tonight

2011-02-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

pray we would be faithfully caring for the body of Christ as we oversee His sheep.