LIFE Group Teaser

Here is a little look inside our Vintage Church LIFE Groups. This is what they are all about:

Learning God's Word - Bible
Interaction with God - Prayer
Fellowship with Each Other
Evangelism in the Community

We launched three LIFE Groups in Uptown this summer and we have had a blast. It is our prayer to launch 10-15 LIFE Groups all over New Orleans this fall. These groups will serve as the core focus of our discipleship strategy at Vintage. Here is our basic format for each night:

7:00-7:30 Food and Fellowship
7:30-8-15 Bible Study
8:15-8:30 Prayer and Announcements

Enjoy the video and if you are in New Orleans this fall come and get plugged in with our LIFE groups.

Good Deeds To-Go

The picture to the left was taken a couple of weeks ago by the local New Orleans paper. The picture shows our church friends passing out free cold waters to people at an Uptown intersection. The paper posted this picture with the title "Good Deeds To-Go". There was no article but the caption below the picture says, "Members of Vintage Church have a pleasant surprise for thirsty motorists passing through the intersection of Magazine St. and Louisiana Ave. on Wednesday afternoon. (Names of people) hand out free bottles of water while (another name) holds a sign telling drivers the good news".

One great thing about the picture is that many people came to our church because they saw this in the paper. Another cool thing is that the people highlighted in the picture aren't even members of our church. These are some friends from a church in Florida who came to New Orleans to help out our church. Chaz Churchwell has led mission teams all summer long as they have filled the streets of Uptown passing out waters, picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms, conducting surveys, and sharing the Gospel. I would like to thank Chaz for all of his hard work and I would also like to thank all the churches that came this summer. All of my friends in Uptown now recognize that our church is the one that loves and serves the community. People are hearing the Good News through the hands and feet of the Body of Christ.

Fit Check (8/17)

Here is my accountability.

Week 1 (8/17/08) lost 4lbs. I am down to 206. Not too shabby.

Bolt (1mon) Video with Daddy

I am trying a new thing on my blog, "Video Blogging". Here is a video of me and Bolt hanging out at our favorite place, my "Father's Day" chair. Dude has a big sneeze right in the middle of it. His mama and I love this little man!



You can find our videos at www.youtube.com/IMNEWORLEANS

Tips for Getting in Shape (Part 2)

I came across another blog that is tackling this issue of staying in shape as an act of worship. My wife graduated from Anderson College in Anderson, SC. While she was there a guy named Perry Noble started a new church on the campus with a team of people. The name of the church is Newspring. 8 or 9 years later, the church has grown to around 9-10,000 people with two campuses (and this is in a little SC town). People are saved by the Gospel every week.

I got to spend some time with Perry this past fall. He is a very passionate, in your face, kind of communicator on stage and in person. Take some time to listen to his messages and read his blog. It will bless your life.

In one of his blogs he writes about his struggle to stay in shape and offers some advice. Check it out by clicking below.

http://www.perrynoble.com/2008/08/05/wrestling-with-weight-issues-part-two/

Tips for Getting in Shape

I came across this article online at relevantmagazine.com.

RESTORING THE TEMPLE: 6 Keys to Getting in Shape

So where should you begin when you finally desire to take better care of your body? Try these tips.

1. Pray for self-control in the area of eating and drinking. You can pray with confidence because God desires to give you self-control (Gal. 5:22-23).

2. Confess your failure to God when you overindulge, just as you would any other sin-with humbleness, repentance, and with the knowledge that God will forgive (Ps. 86:5).

3. Realize that our culture's concept of the "ideal body" (i.e., unnaturally trim models and actors) is often detached from reality. God made our bodies all different shapes and sizes, and it pleases Him! Starving our bodies isn't any better than gorging them. The goal should be maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle.

4. Exercise for 30 minutes at least four times per week. (Experts advise seeing a doctor before starting any diet or exercise program.) Find a friend who is willing to work out with you and keep you accountable. To keep it interesting, try a mixture of walking, jogging, swimming, aerobics, and weight lifting.

5. Eat a balanced diet: Stick to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, grilled or baked meat, and low-fat dairy products. Visit a dietician or ask a health-conscious friend for advice if you need help getting started. (One easy rule: Make sure that everything on your plate isn't the same color).

6. Remember that your body is God's temple (1 Cor. 6:19), and "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31).

—Jenny Solomon

Get Healthy and Get in Shape!

Enough is Enough.

With the new life in uptown, new baby, new church plant, camp pastor for MLab again, and taking summer classes...it has certainly been a far from normal summer. One of the main areas of my life that has slipped is my personal fitness. I have always been a pretty disciplined dude in this area of my life. Throughout high school and college I played competitive basketball, so that always kept me in shape. Since then, I feel like I have done a pretty good job staying in the gym...but then came this summer.

Stats tell us that 2 out of 3 adults in America are out of shape. When you take a look at most congregations and pulpits, you will confirm that the church is possibly even worse. I have always been aggravated by the majority of Christ-followers in our country (especially pastors) who take a stand against drinking, partying, and drugs but look like a beach whale. This is completely hypocritical. The sin of gluttony is as serious as the rest of sins we love to highlight. If you don't think this is serious, read Proverbs 23:2: "Put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony". I believe God desires for us to engage in two activities. #1 Repent, #2 Eat & Get Healthy.


I just returned from the gym above. This is Temple Gym on Magazine St. The owner, Gus, has blessed Andrew and I with permission to work out here. Our church meets above his gym for worship. In the middle of my workout today I took a bathroom break. In the bathroom was a scale. Here is what I found out:


Right now I am 210lbs. I am not a freakin whale, but for me this is not good. In college I was a solid 185. This summer I have not taken care of my body and I repent for my irresponsibility with the body that Christ has given me. I refuse to be another fat husband/pastor/friend. Anytime that I have gotten serious about my physical health it has had a great impact upon my spiritual health. That is motivation enough. Now it is time to get healthy and get in shape.

Below is my plan until 2009. If you feel convicted about your health, I want to invite you and challenge you to take this journey with me. Don't worry about following my plan, find something that works for you. The main point is to get healthy and get in shape. My goal weight is to return to my college b-ball playing weight of 185lbs. That is 25lbs. I am going to post my weight each Sunday for accountability.

Strategy:

Get Healthy: 6 smaller, healthier meals a day for 6 days. (meal times: 7:30-8, 10-10:30, 12:30-1, 2:30-3, 4:30-5, 7-7:30) 1 free day (eat what I want) each week. (go to Body for Life for tips)
Work Out: 3 days of weightlifting with 15 minutes of cardio. 3 days of cardio (45-60 minutes). options: running, biking, crosstrainer, bball, tennis, rollerblading, etc. 1 day off.

There it is. Enough is enough. I would love for some of you to join me in this journey. Let me know how I can pray for you and encourage you to get in shape.