LIFEsync

OTHERS: The Series is almost over, but the movement is just beginning.

This weekend we will wrap up the "Other's" message series!  Even though the series is almost over, I believe the movement in the heart of ALC toward "others" is just beginning!  This weekend will be a very special time of ministry at ALC!  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday at 9:30 and 11:15 AM!

 

 

SERIES FINALE' - THIS SUNDAY!

9:30 and 11:15 AM

 

Are you normal?

Recently, I was doing my “normal” bedtime routine that includes story time, prayers, back scratching, and as many hugs as I can get.  Upon entering my daughter’s room, I noticed she was taking a quiz from one of her books.  The quiz involved a series of questions that provide you with an answer to an even larger question…”Are you normal?”  I quickly assured my dear daughter that she was not normal, needed to forget that crazy quiz, and go to bed!  Of course, my “go to bed” decree was after I took a moment and expounded on the great advantages of being “abnormal”!  I hope she didn't listen. 

 As I descended the stairs on my way to bed, I had a moment of clarity.  These moments are rare, so I had to sit down and capture this glorious event.  Just exactly…what is normal? Am I normal?  So, I did what every good father should do to protect the integrity of his child’s future.  I promptly extracted this heretical book of quizzes from Eva’s room and assessed myself.  I pondered deep philosophical questions like…Do I sing in the shower?  Do I eat pizza by starting with the crust or pointy end?  Do I have any siblings?  According to my answers, I discovered something that certainly will surprise even my closest friends.  I am not normal. 

I have often heard people say, “I just want a normal life.”  Those words have never, ever come out of my mouth.  However, the older I get, I do find it easier to be drawn back into the yucky mire of the middle ground. 

For a movie stuntman, “normal” includes leaping from tall buildings, jumping out of speeding cars, or an array of other interesting activities that would certainly not be “normal” for me.  The individual who has grown familiar with a certain lifestyle actually defines the rules, standards, and “norms”.  So, what is normal for one person is not necessarily normal for another. 

A rather unusual spirit of conviction arrested my heart as I pondered this quiz and its results.  Have we become so comfortable with the definition of “normal” in the American church that is not necessarily the “normal” that the Apostles in the book of Acts would have found familiar?  What would happen if we would return to a more vintage faith?  What kind of power would the church operate with if we redefined “normal” based on the right foundation?  Can you imagine a church that defined “normal” as the book of Acts? Think of the kingdom impact of a person who defined “normal” as principles outlined in Matthew 25.  Do you realize how that combination could shake the very gates of hell?

It appears to me that we need to redefine “normal” in the church?  So, if we must redefine “normal”, just exactly where should we start?  Every generation must resolve its position on gospel mission and Biblical doctrine.  I am working hard to lead and live my life in a way that is more reflective of the life of Jesus in the Gospels, the operation of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts, and the instruction received through the Epistles and rest of the New Testament. 

 

I want to be “normal” in a new way!  I know… I know…  This seems way too simplistic of an approach.  Trust me, this is not an easy position to maintain.  I am tempted every day to relapse.  I often “slide back” into a much more “pharisaical version” of a Christ – follower. 

 

It is much easier to live and lead by a normative system that operates without the hard challenges of Bible passages like we find in Matthew 25 and Acts 2.  No doubt you’ve read these scriptures before, but let’s review for the sake of clarity.

 

In Matthew 25:34-40, Jesus proclaims that how you treat the hungry, the thirsty, the sick and other "least of these," is how you treat Jesus himself.

           

 ³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

 

This is a passage of scripture that I really wish was not in the Bible.  I certainly wish that Jesus had not been the one to speak these words.  The implications of Matthew 25 are huge!  Imagine the audacity of Jesus asking me to actually live differently than others.  How could he expect me to challenge people in the North Dallas culture to “be the church” 24/7/365?

 

The book of Acts records the actions of the Apostles and the launching of the New Testament church!  Today, hundreds churches in the world, including the one I lead, are full of people who have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit and “tongues of fire”. 

Acts 2:39 - 40

³⁹The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." ⁴⁰With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." ⁴¹Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

This passage messes me up!  He “pleaded” with them.  His “plea” produced a harvest of souls that started a soul revolution that has never ended.  We are a generation seeking to return to a “vintage faith” that precedes religious dilution.  I desire to be aligned with Bible.  Check out one of the powder-keg passages in the Bible. 

            Acts 2: 36 - 38

³⁶"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." ³⁷When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

The Gospel was preached.  Their hearts were pricked.  They asked a simple question.  Peter gave a simple answer.

³⁸Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

⁴¹Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

This Gospel was preached.  Their hearts were pricked.  They asked a simple question.  Peter gave a simple answer.  They were glad to hear it.  They baptized a lot of people that day who simply responded with faith in the Apostle’s message. 

It is my prayer that a vintage faith returns and we redefine what “normal” church looks and feels like.  This Book of Acts experience messed up the lives of these people in a ridiculously good way!  Have you read this lately? 

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. ⁴³Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

This was “normal” for the Book of Acts church!  This lifestyle sounds completely antiquated, foreign, and primitive to the modern church.  These early believers were radically revolutionized by the power of God’s Spirit. What did the vintage church do?  They were awe struck, stuck together, took care of each others' needs, had Worship Experiences every day, and and shared meals with each other.  They were a powerful expression of God's heart and passion.  The mandate, mission, and message of my life is seeing God create a “normal” church in North Dallas that looks astonishingly familiar to the Book of Acts. 

I cut my teeth on church pews, took naps under those same pews, and even went to my first church conference when I was 4 months old.  I love and believe in the church.  I am excited about the future of His church.  God is calling a generation beyond the limitations of religious experience and walls of division. There are men and women of all ages that are hearing the call of God and are ready to move into an Acts 2:47 “normal” that includes people being added to the church every day!  This kind of normal church can impact an entire city, state, and world! 

 

These are exciting times for the church around the world.  The local church that I am honored to Pastor is full of people that have a heart for God and a passion for others.  This next season will include supernatural moves of God that we have previously thought to be “abnormal”!  A church that is filled with a Matthew 25 heart and Acts 2 Spirit will radically reshape the spiritual landscape of a city.

 

ALC will continue to pursue its destiny as a refuge and lighthouse to the city of Plano, Texas and beyond.  We insist on being a normal Acts 2 church!  I think the next time Eva and I talk, I need to challenge her to simply be a new kind of normal. 

 

Let’s be normal!

Two Father's, Two Preacher's, One Legacy

    Father's Day is the most difficult day of the year for many who mourn.  This is my first Father's Day without my giant-killer, man-who-can-do-anything "Dad'!  And now, we are planning the homegoing celebration of our "Papa".  The season of April 10 to June 17 will never be lived the same way again.  Two months, two fathers, and our lives are changed forever. 

    Today, I honor the memory of my father and "Papa"!  Strangely, my father was named "Gerald" by his parents in honor of "Papa".  They were both preachers of the Gospel.  They both have left a hole in our world that can never be filled.  There could be volumes of books written to honor their contribution to the Kingdom of God around the world.  However, the legacy of the gospel they planted in the souls of our family is perhaps the greatest accomplishment of their 154 cumulative years.

    I have fewer earthly fathers today, but I was blessed to have men in my life for 38 years that laid a foundation for eternity.  The Apostle Paul said...Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.  (1 Corinthians 4:14-16) 

    The legacy that my father and our Papa left points us to the example of the Gospel.  I will live my life to grow in the Apostle's Doctrine that was taught to me.  We will build a book of Acts church in DFW Metroplex!  The precepts of prayer and passionate evangelism are a priority in my life and will be for the people that I lead.  This has been a difficult season for Miquell and me but we are not deterred from our destiny, we are more determined!  On Father's Day 2004, I preached for the very first time behind the sacred desk of ALC.  That message was "Revival, By Force"!  Six years later, that is still our message and mission! 

   

Our Papa G.A. Mangun - a shepherd to thousands in Central Louisiana!

This is the editorial article that was written in addition to the headline honoring our Papa.  I wanted to share it with you as well...

Thousands of people throughout Central Louisiana are remembering today -- thinking of a 50-year Jubilee in 2000, of the dedication of a beautiful church in 1969, and, among the more senior seniors, of a time all the way back in 1950 and to this:

"They swept into town in their own inimitable way. Tall, erect, dignified. He with the black hair whipping in back for emphasis. She with the sweet smile, the accordion and the bassinet, and the indomitable spirit. It seemed as if a fresh, cool breeze just lifted the heat right out of the hot, Louisiana, July summer. They unloaded, unpacked, changed The Baby's diaper, got a few hours of sleep, and the rest is legend."

Those who are old enough are remembering the day in 1950 when 38 congregants woke up, physically and spiritually, to find themselves responding to stirring leadership. They found that Gerald A. Mangun had arrived in Alexandria to lead, inspire and win souls.

That image of Mangun and his young family is portrayed in the program for the Jubilee celebrated in 2000 by The Pentecostals of Alexandria.

The image is being recalled today, the day after the man who built the church died.

Bishop Mangun has "completed his journey," thousands of congregants are saying as they prepare a "homegoing service" for the man who for more than 60 years changed lives with words from the pulpit and service from the heart.

Asked about his work a decade ago, Mangun recalled the early days: "We didn't change anything. We just added to the foundation laid by the 38 members and initiated new programs."

The congregation, well into the thousands today, would call that an understatement.

The programs touch all aspects of the lives of Christians who find comfort in the teachings of the United Pentecostal Church, a church founded on the belief that the Bible is the infallible word of God.

Bishop Mangun preached the word as few others can. Congregants and many other friends of the church, his church, have story after powerful story to tell about that.

They will be telling those stories for a long time to come.

But first they will mourn and rejoice, grieve and celebrate as they say goodbye, just for now, to the man who truly inspired them, Gerald A. Mangun.

Link to original article from Alexandria Daily Town Talk

Link to Alexandria Daily Town Talk Front Page Story on Papa GA

Something big just happened...

May 5, 2010 will be remembered as the beginning of a revolution in our church family.  As one ALC Lifer said to me after the service..."it felt like something big just happened"! 

The "Shot heard 'round the world" is a phrase that has come to represent several historical incidents. The line is originally from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn" (1837), and referred to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War.

Perhaps, Pastor Dino Rizzo's message about "Others, others...others." will be the "shot heard 'round the world" for our church family and the countless lives that are to be impacted by our passionate response to this message.  It was a only a few months ago that I challenged our church to be "distributors of the gospel"!  God is definitely speaking loudly to us! 

Please pick up a copy of Dino's book, Servolution, and read it...immediately!  In the next few weeks, we are going to strategically plan for the content of this book to become infused into the culture of ALC. Please prayerfully consider the content and how you can join with us in impacting our world. 

Think about this...we are to be "missionaries" to the world we live in.

Just think...we are sent by God to restore all things to himself!

Jesus came to Earth to take on human form and live within the culture. He worked, ate and interacted among the people; living in such a way that those around him could see and experience what God was truly like. Jesus came so that all people, places and things could be restored to a right relationship with God. In the same way, I believe we are missionaries sent into our culture to restore all things to God through Jesus. We live this out as part of a community "on mission" for God.  (Study the following: John 1:14; 20:21; Colossians 1:19; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

What would happen if every ALC Lifer invested eternally by serving "others"!  What would happen if every Life Group and ministry team at ALC adopted the idea of being a "missionary"? Think about that...

God is up to something big in our lives.  Let's increase our capacity through serving!

I love each of you and look forward to what God is creating in our church culture.  We will see God do amazing things!  If you have a passion to lead and serve, in this revolution, please email me @jhennigan@alcplano.org! 

I love each of you!  Let's start a revolution of revival! 

Jeff Hennigan

(Click the pic to the left for more resources on this revolution!)

 

Be a catalyst for God in your neighborhood!

Expand Your Expectations - Increase Your Capacity

A life group is not JUST a small group, Bible study, support group, social activist group, or a weekly meeting. It can involve these sorts of things, but it doesn't stop there. 

Our vision for life "together" in smaller groups is much broader and continues to expand!  Creating "community" is critical to gospel mission. We believe one of the catalysts God uses to bring people closer to him is other people.  Our Life Groups worship God, live in community, get trained for ministry, and make disciples together... over time. Being involved in community is critical to being the church rather than simply attending church.  In coming months, our vision for impacting our community through serving will beunveiled.  Pray about connecting or reconnecting to a Life Group now. 

Find a Group

Whether you consider yourself part of The ALC family – or maybe you are just checking out what it looks like to live as Jesus lived – we invite you to be an active part of a life group. We'll try and connect you immediately.  Contact us at LifeGroups@alcplano.org.

Start Your Own

If you've got a specific part of town or group of people in mind, and can't find an existing Life Group that applies, we'll help you start your own.  Our Life Groups Director, Josh Lewis, can instruct you on the next steps you would need to take to be a leader.  Email Josh at LifeGroups@alcplano.org.

Looking for More?

If you've got additional questions about life groups, please email us at LifeGroups@alcplano.org or browse the website.  www.alcplano.org

The most valuable sapphire in my world!

    The record price for a sapphire was set in April 2007 at Christie's Auction House in New York when an unnamed 22.66 c blue Kashmir sapphire sold for $3,064,000, or about $135,216 a carat. It broke the record previously held by the Rockefeller Sapphire, a 66 carat blue Burmese Stone.  Sapphires may be treated by several methods, including heat, to enhance and improve their clarity and color.  Through history, sapphire symbolizes truth, sincerity, and faithfulness in relationships, and to bring peace, joy and wisdom to the wearer and owner.

    On June 4, 1965, G. David Hennigan and Myra Kay Rice were married.  Today is the forty-five year anniversary of that sacred union.   45 is traditionally viewed as the year to give sapphire as a gift.  I am blessed with parents that mined a beautiful and rare marriage gem.  They endured every fiery trial included in their journey through life and produced a relationship that clearly reflected truth, sincerity, faithfulness, peace, joy, wisdom, and strength. 

    Mom, I am sorry I can't be with you today.  The array of emotions you are experiencing today must be agonizing.  We are certainly wise enough to know that we were blessed to share life with Dad for so many years.  I was blessed to have him for almost thirty-eight years and you walked beside him for more than forty-five years.  However, that blessed knowledge doesn't lessen the grief we feel and the hole in our hearts. 

    Dad, I miss you.  You were a rock in our world!  You and Mom created a relational sapphire worth more than any auction house could ever estimate.  The hole you left behind can never be filled.  I am certain that Mom will visit your grave today and crave what only forty five years of marriage can deposit in a heart.  I am praying for God to give strength and peace that only He can give. 

    Since you've been gone, we've had to navigate a few "firsts" without you, including Mom's birthday, your birthday, my birthday, and a wedding anniversary.  As each day passes, your memory becomes clearer and the color more brilliant.  You were an amazing man.  You married a great lady.  Together, you created a union worth remembering for eternity. 

    Peace.  Wisdom.  Joy.  Truth.  Rest Dad, knowing you and Mom mined a marriage more valuable than any earthly stone.  I'll see you soon. 

June 4, 1965 - June 4, 2010

Dad, I miss you!

Dad, I'm really missing you.  Today is my birthday.  I am 38. 

Celebrating this birthday without you was never in my plan.  Obviously, God planned differently.

Just so you know...

 - I am more committed than ever to preaching the Gospel.  I know you'd be excited to know that the church is doing really well.  I still can't believe I get to be a "Pastor" like you. I longed for you to see the "Pentecost Sunday" Worship Experiences.  Wait...maybe you did.

 - You taught me so much during your 63 years on earth that I am certain I forgot a few.  However, the lessons you taught me in your death will never be forgotten.  I'll never be the same man again.

 - I love you.  Pray for me.  Talk to Jesus for me.  Please watch out for me and my family.

-I am trying to take care of Mom.  I'm eternally grateful that you and Mom raised me in a Godly home.

- Eva and Gibson are amazing.  Gibson still asks to "call DeDad" every night and Eva misses you so bad.  

I wish I could get a birthday hug.  I know that is impossible, but I'm remembering all the hugs from the previous 37 years and I feel comforted. 

Thanks, Dad...for all you did to make my life better than I deserve. 

In spite of the pain...To God be the glory.

Your only son, in whom you were well pleased...:)

Jeff

Invest and Invite..."The Office" starts this Sunday!

   

"The Office" starts May 30, 2010!   

Invest and Invite!  Click the pic above and use the "Share with a friend!" tool and invite someone you have invested in to the new series starting this Sunday!

This may be my most anticipated series ever!  When you walk in with your guests on Sunday, you will be amazed at the efforts that our teams have put into making sure this series launches ALC into the Summer of 2010 in a powerful way!  You do not want to miss this series!  The content that we will be sharing during this series will bring personal revelation to your life.  We believe that it is time for every believer to fill “the office” that Jesus died for you to occupy.  I am reminded of the scripture: 

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." - 1 Peter 2:9

We are going to challenge every believer to become what God has intended!  Our daily lives should “declare the praises of Jesus”! Our understanding of worship is going to be redefined! 

"To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.”  - Revelation 1:6

By the end of this series, it is my prayer that you will eternally confident of who you are in Christ!

Join us...your new office awaits! 

You are 64!

Happy Birthday, Dad! 

Today, you are 64!  The gaping hole in our world is impossible to fill! 

May 12, 1946...the day the world became a better place. 

Husband, Father, "DeDad", Pastor, Friend, Mentor, Teacher, Preacher, Carpenter, Master Plumber, Engineer, Hunter, Fisherman...

You were the strongest, yet gentlest man I have ever known.

Brilliant, Complicated, Evolving, Simple...

You lived a life worth following.

You often quoted I Corinthians 15...

⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—

⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
 

⁵⁵"Where, O death, is your victory?
      Where, O death, is your sting?"

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

⁵⁷But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Happy Birthday! 

We are giving ourselves fully to the work of the Lord.

The 63 years and 333 days that you walked with us on Earth was enough to eternally impact our soul.

Well done, good and faithful Father!

I love you Dad!