Rob Ketterling

EVERYONE IN CHURCH SHOULD READ THIS ARTICLE!

Seriously, I'm not sure how much stronger I can say it but everyone, and I mean everyone that is part of a local church should read this article. If you are a pastor, read this article and teach about it. Use it to ask your team, "What do we do that makes people uncomfortable? What can we do to make our worship experience more user friendly?" And any other teachable moment question you can think up. If you're a lay leader, read this and realize that when you ask someone to do something last minute, you might be making a visitor step way outside their comfort zone. I'm just glad that this experience ended so well!

OK, this has me thinking now, what teachable moments are there in this article? How could our church benefit from reading this article? Your thoughts? I loved this and will be using it for sure so give me some ammo for my staff meeting!

SOAP 2009

I'm just enjoying a few days of vacation at the end of the year and as I sit here this morning I realize that our SOAP for 2009 is coming to a close. Man has it been a great thing for our church to do this together! I've heard so many positive things and observed so much growth that I'm thrilled to announce that we will have a SOAP plan for 2010! It's a new plan with a chapter a day and we are spending a little less time in the Old Testament and reading the entire New Testament as well as all of Proverbs and a good chunk of Psalms. So if you've already done SOAP, this is a new plan and if you would like to join in I would love for you to read, observe, apply and pray with us! (Here's the link to the plan for 2010)

One last thing, I'd love to hear any other good reports from SOAP so if you have one, send me a comment! See you Sunday at the Apple Valley Campus (Joe will be at FBO) as we see all of the outtakes of 2009 and we preach the sermon, Oops!

YEAR END GIVING

OK, I need to do this blog because every year I get asked about it so here goes! If you want to give to the church before this calendar year is over so it will count on your 2009 taxes, you need to get the giving in before midnight Dec. 31st. You can deliver it to the church, mail it and have it postmarked by the 31st or go on-line and do your giving before the end of the 31st. If you have any questions about this, please talk to our administrator Jim Garvey, he is very knowledgeable on these matters and can answer your questions.

To all of you that gave to RVC in 2009, thank you! Your giving has made a difference and is reaching people with the good news of Jesus. I'm praying that we finish the year strong and have an even better 2010!

4 SERVICES AND A BABY DEDICATION

We had four services at our Apple Valley campus and this doesn't happen often but, they were very different from each other. Usually there's about 5-10% difference between he services but they're pretty much the same service but this past weekend, they were very different from each other. The Saturday service seemed to have a Christmas Effect going and it felt even more so in no man's land between Christmas and regular church. I'm not sure how we could fix that but it won't happen next year because we're canceling Saturday night service Dec 25th in 2010.

The three Sunday services were really different although the 9:30 and 12:00 services were pretty close. I used the 9:30 service for the on-line sermon and the only real difference was that at the 12:00 service I was a little drained. I had done 11 services in 8 days leading up to this one and I was tired! I fought through it and it went good, I was just tired. (Have I said tired enough?)

Now the 10:30 service had the most emotion in it, the biggest attendance (Almost triple of the other services.) and it also had a baby dedication in it. It wasn't a normal dedication, this was an emotional one that was full of teachable moments for the church and I'm not sure there was a dry eye in the place. The young boy (Gavin) that we dedicated has a mitochondrial disorder and his cells are not able to convert the energy of food molecules into the ATP that powers most cell functions. He's the only baby in America right now that has this disorder and he's already lived a month longer than the doctor's have hoped for so his parents were so glad they were able to dedicate him to the Lord. We've asked God for a miracle and it hasn't happened but I shared on Sunday that God promises someday to right every wrong, heal every hurt and wipe away every tear from the pain of this earth. We just need to stick with God through our pain and suffering until "that day", the day He fixes everything.

I don't understand why some people are healed, but I trust in a God that will right every wrong and gives us the strength we need to make it through whatever we may face. It was a beautiful dedication and if there's any way we can share it with you, I will try. God was honored, Gavin was dedicated, his parents were given peace and strength and the church, well, the church grew up and was the church on Sunday.

PS3 UPDATE

OK, got the receipt from the guy on Ebay, contacted Sony and now they're sending us a box to send it in to get it fixed. It has a 1 year warranty so we're good! The only bummer is that the kids have to wait about a month for the fix, but that beats not having it covered. Thanks for all your help.

MERRY CHRISTMAS - EBAY HELP NEEDED

First of all, Merry Christmas! Secondly, Help! The major purchase for Connor and Logan was done on Ebay and doesn't work. We bought them a PS3 and got it from a seller with 100's of transactions, a 100% rating and it appeared to be new in the box. We used Paypal and sent the seller an email already trying to resolve the problem so we're off to a good start on our own. The problem is that the PS3 doesn't work. It doesn't read a disc, and after updating the software, nothing, nada, zilch. I've since gone on line and noticed a slew of complaints about PS3's not working and not noticing the disc at all. From what I've seen, it seems to be a common problem and costs about $150 to fix. (Half the price of the unit!)

So here's where you can help, can you advise me on any tips to resolve this problem?  Any Ebay, Paypal tips and as a second option if the whole Ebay deal doesn't work out (Oh, I dread that thought...) any help on where to get a PS3 fixed.....Merry Christmas, I have to remind myself, it's not about the gifts, it's about the giver of the gifts. Any help would be appreciated!

SERVICES ARE ON!

One thing I'm really thankful for today is my snowblower!  I'm also glad that my neighbor has one and that he came over to help me as well. I only have a 20 inch Toro and he has a 36 inch Toro, some serious clearing power. (I had to repent of snowblower envy!) I bought mine 20 years ago from my grandfather for $500 and at the time, I had to make payments to him for $25 a month! It was one of the best purchases I've ever made and he told me after I paid for it, that he was glad I never missed a payment. (Not sure if he had his doubts about me or if he was trying to compliment me. I'm going to go with the compliment thought.)
(By the way, this is not my snowblower or my neighbors, this is a V-8 engine on a snowblower, the mother of all snowblowers!) 

Just in case you're wondering, the Christmas Eve services are on! The parking lot is plowed and the church is warm so come on over to church. It looks like our service times are right in the "Eye of the Hurricane" so yes, we're having services! 3, 4:30, & 6PM are the times at Apple Valley and it looks like the snow won't start again until 6PM or so with the worst of it coming around 9PM. By then, you'll be home, enjoying the fire, some good food and ready for Christmas morning! So I'll plan on seeing you here.

MERRY CHRISTMAS - SEE YOU IN CHURCH!

The snow storm of the century (At least that's what it's being billed as.) has started and for those of you wondering, yes, we're having church. Tonight starts the services for Christmas with the empty chair service at 7:00PM and then tomorrow we will have services at 3, 4:30 and 6PM. I know you're tempted to skip because of the snow storm and I'd never want you to risk your life if it was dangerous but, the way I figure it, if Mary could walk 90 miles to give birth to the Saviour, we can drive in the snow to come worship. (If we change anything concerning the services we'll post them on the website.)

My family and I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas, safe travels and may you not only celebrate Christmas this year, may you experience Christmas!

(Here's the photo we did on our personal Christmas card, we didn't do one for the church this year but plan to do one next year. Merry Christmas!)

SPENDING TIME WITH DEACONS

In the past few weeks I've spent a lot of time with one of our Deacons, Eric Mellenthin and we've had some really great times. We've gone to Israel together (Along with our wives and also others from the church.) did a road trip to Lambeau Field for Monday Night Football and now last night, went to the MN Wild game. It's been a lot fun doing life together and telling stories, talking church, talking family, dreaming about the future and thanking God for the past. We've learned a lot about each other and it's really all because Eric was intentional about spending time together.

A lot of times, people think their pastors and leaders are too busy so they don't make the effort to try and spend time together with them, missing out on opportunities for discipleship, friendship and just doing life. That's too bad because I believe that most pastors want to spend time with their leaders. The way I look at it is, these people are changing the world with me, I want to spend time with them and invest my life with them. It's true, lots of people want the pastors time, some even have hidden agendas, but, pastors want to spend time with people "on mission" with them and make an impact.

I have kind of a filter of how I prioritize my time with others and first of all, fellow pastors are a priority, my pastoral staff is as well and the Elders and Deacons from RVC round out the top of the list. Following that group, are key leaders in the church that volunteer and give to the vision of the church and also those that don't know Jesus. I want to spend time with all of them and I love every minute of it!

Just in case you're wondering where my family is on this list, they're a separate category all together. We spend time as a family, Becca and I have our date nights and we're very involved in our boys' lives. In addition to this, lots of the time we spend with leaders, pastors and those that don't know Jesus is time that my family is right there with me. They're also spending time with these people and ministering with me, as we do life together. I guess you could say it's kind of like a family business!

So as I close, if you want to spend time with your pastor (Not just me, but other pastors at RVC as well or your pastor if you don't attend RVC.) just be on mission with them. Volunteer, fuel the vision and be proactive. Good pastors love to spend time with people that want to change the world with them. My only trouble with all of this, there's only one of me! I wish I could do 10 times the amount of stuff I'm doing and also not have to sleep! It's a big world and I really want to make a difference in people's lives for eternity so onward I go, filling my calendar with moments with people that want to change the world!  

CHURCH AND HEALTH CARE CHRISTMAS EVE

On Christmas Eve, two things will happen that will change your life. One is the Christmas Eve services at River Valley Church (and churches all over the world) while the other is the late hour, rushed, secretive health care vote while everyone's worshiping. The first will bring you joy, lift your spirits, cost you nothing and be over in an hour or so. (Although it could change your life for eternity.) The second, event will do none of that and if the experts opposed to this bill are right, it will cost all of us more than we could imagine and quite possibly ruin health care in America.

Just curious, has their ever been a Christmas Eve vote in the Senate in our nations history? I'm unaware of it, but let me encourage you not to miss out on the services watching the vote on C-SPAN. See you in church Christmas Eve, I'll go out on a limb, I'll guarantee you that it will be better than watching the health care vote on C-SPAN!