Today I was asked if people need a ticket to attend the Derby Rock Opera, which is Aviator Church’s 2011 version of a Christmas Eve family experience.  The Answer is yes and no.

Every year, we face this crazy Christmas Eve dilemma when we plan the worship experiences.  The age old questions are “How many people are coming?” and “When is the best time for families to attend?”  This year to be family friendly we are offering two nights so that those who are heading out of town can attend and those staying in town can invite their friends and family.  Since we are a young church, we expect a lot of people to go out of town but every year we are surprised by people and our attendance break downs.

We also like to know a count so that our greeters and hospitality teams can prepare for guests and have enough refreshments and gifts for visitors.  So knowing how many to prepare for helps.  That is where the online free ticket idea came in to save the day.

Do you NEED a ticket to attend?  No, it’s free and as long as there is space, we are happy for anyone to attend.  We want everyone to attend.  We opened up to the whole city and anyone and everyone is WELCOME!  But we also want the experience to be amazing and we want to make sure everyone is cared for and has enough to eat after the Rock Opera.

So we asked everyone to get free online tickets here, so we can plan ahead, let everyone know it is open to the public, and that this is a special event like nothing we have ever done before.

So the answer is “No. you don’t have to get tickets for the Rock Opera.” and “Yes. If you will get free tickets online, it will ensure you and your guests have a seat and really great treats after the Rock Opera.”

Oh, what is the graph above? This is the break down of attendance patterns so far.  We have a 60%/40% split on the nights and that is helpful to know that so many people are going out of town.  Glad we added the extra night.

Keep inviting your friends, it is going to be great!

Tonight, our home was visited by several families from our church who were taking their kids around town singing Christmas carols and it was really cool to see kids singing and having a blast.  I was so touched by the gesture and really loved the experience.

Michelle and I are excited to welcome everyone over to our home for an open house.  From 6-8pm we will have Christmas treats and time with friends.  Bonus that night?  Survivor finale!

Knock Knock.  Who’s there?  It’s Christmas!

Don’t forget to invite your friends and family to the Rock Opera.  Almost 600 tickets gone and we still have a week to go!

I want to personally invite you to Derby’s Christmas Rock Opera.  This is Aviator Church’s version of a modern musical about Jesus. It is based on the question, “What if Jesus was born today in small town Kansas?”  The story is an original narrative based on the birth of Jesus as told in the Bible.  The rock opera will feature local professional actors and singers and will be engaging and enjoyable to the whole family.  We welcome everyone to experience the Christmas story in a fresh new way this year.  Please click the button above to reserve your free tickets for you, your family, and your friends.  Tickets are going fast.  We have already reserved over 500 seats for this year’s Rock Opera.

I want to invite you to The Marriage Advance.  We are hosting this weekend experience for married couples that will help you gain new ground and take steps toward the marriage you have always wanted. Click here for the details.

Today we asked a simple question: What would you do if money was not a problem. I believe that many of us would say we would do more for charity, or go on a mission trip, or even serve God more through ministry. The problem we face is that we are overloaded with financial pressures and stress from past decisions that hinder our courage to say yes to God.

What do you think God would want to do through you if money was not a problem?

Tell me your story here.

I am blown away by God. We have been in a season of God moving in big ways.
Today at church I read a letter from a mom who took a huge step of obedience in tithing and trusting God with her finances. That letter reached a lady who has struggled to trust Jesus her whole life. Amazing.
I am moved greatly by the sacrificial service of those who set up in 30 degree weather and take the church signs out in the cold because they expect someone to come to church and hear about Jesus.
The leaders in our Aviator Kids ministry invest so much time and energy into reaching and connecting our kids to Christ. I am thankful for their hearts.
The Aviator Students team has been growing a launch team to start a new chapter in the lives of every student in our community.
Our Aviator Group leaders do such an amazing job investing in the lives of fellow believers each week and they make the difference.
Our musicians on Sundays have incredible stories in their personal lives and I wish everyone knew the story behind the music.
Today I was reminded how friendly our greeters and ushers are as they help people find their way in a portable church.
I am thankful that God allows us to live in a country where we are free to worship and invite our friends to know Jesus.
I will never be able to fully express my heart in thanking all those who trust Jesus and follow him each day as we continue to grow into being the church God desires us to be.

Wow, what a weekend!  I was glad to see that many people survived the Earthquake from last night!  Today I turned 37 and my two year old son told me happy birthday.  Incredible.

Aviator Church worship experiences were off the chain.  The stage looked like a locker room because Katie Brown and her crew are amazing!  Props to creative stage team.  The music was spot on and the special was really great.

We started with this video intro:

Three people gave their lives to Jesus this morning and one person surrendered to full time minitry.  Wow.

Hope to see you next week.  bring a friend.

Today was another incredible day at Aviator Church.  We had Parent Child Dedications in both Derby worship experiences and in the second worship experience, we almost couldn’t get everyone on the stage.  Wow.  We talk all the time about seeing our city transformed one life at a time.  Today was a great example of how that happens.  Parents dedicate themselves to teaching their kids to follow Jesus.  As a church we commit to being an example of Christ and partnering with parents to raise spiritual champions.  If we can help this youngest generation learn from our past and grow up knowing Christ, our cities will never be the same.

At the end of the second worship experience, we had two people give their lives to Christ today.  One was considering suicide and the other was facing life as a single mom.  God has huge plans for them both.  They both described themselves as prodigals and needed to come home.  The guy who thought about suicide had been invited for over a year to come to church.  Today was his first time and he is now part of God’s family.  The girl came for a few weeks and for the last couple of weeks wanted to raise her hand and wanted to take the step of faith but today, she finally did it.

What do all these babies, parents, and people who accepted Christ have in common?  We are all part of God’s family and together we can face anything.  No matter how tragic your circumstances may be, God has a plan for you and wants you to see the truth about your identity in Him.  God loves you so much He gave His only son to pay the price for our sins.  Those who accept this free gift are welcomed into God’s family.  If you aren’t sure where you stand with God, click here.

Hey parents, we are having a Parent & Child Dedication on October 23rd at both worship experiences this month.  So don’t miss it.  Be sure to sign up online HERE and register now because we are only two weeks out.  I am so pumped about the families that are going to be involved in this epic event! Sign up today!

Today, we started a brand new series called Raising Hellions – Raising Godly kids in a crazy world.  The majority of our kids in our community don’t know Jesus and we want to make sure parents are equipped to raise their kids to know Jesus!  This is the primary job of a parent.

We had a special performance to set up our first point that we think our kids are ours, but the are really God’s kids.  We are to be good leaders and help our kids grow in Christ.

Here is a video of the song. I am so proud to lead our church.  We have so much talent.

Oh, and we had 4 people accept Jesus and 4 people signed up for baptisms today in the Derby location.  God is good.