Taking a Campus Tour

We were got an extra special blessing last weekend.  Wayne and Stephanie Deffinger and their two children came down for a visit.  Wayne and I served together at Main Street.  Wayne has served as the youth pastor for 10 years.  Stephanie is an amazing photographer and took these amazing shots of our tour of the campus.

Extreme Bathroom Makeover

The BEFORE

The AFTER

Everyone is very pleased!  A definite improvement.  We stepped out of the pastel 70′s and into the 21st century: clean and crisp, simple and functional.  We would like to thank Luke Lawler for his outstanding work and craftsmenship.  If you would like to contact Luke for work in your home, you can email him at lukelawler@hotmail.com.

Bowling Buddies

Isaac and I took a bowling trip to Phillips Lane’s over spring break.  This was Isaac’s first bowling experience.  He scored a 42.  I got a 156…with the bumpers.

Spring Break 2009

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Demolition Derby

Spring Break 2009.  We are not on the beach or on vacation in the mountains.  Instead, we are staying in the Ville…but without a toilet, shower or bathroom.  It’s like camping out at your own home.

Our bathroom had to be complete remodeled.  Our bathtub had been leaking for sometime.  We started smelling mold and decay, so we called in the heavy hitters to give us an estimate.  We decided to gut the whole thing and start from scratch.

Here is what the bathroom looked like when we bought the house.

Here is what the bathroom looked like this week.

The final product will be photographed soon.  Please Lord let it be soon!

What Doesn’t Fit?

Remember those children’s games where you had to decide which part of the picture didn’t fit.  Well nothing more could describe this photo.

Photo by Andre Tomas

Far left – Shane Claiborne - New York Times best selling author, nationally known speaker, community activist, socially liberal, communal living, makes his own clothes, dreadlocks, do-rag.  Way cool.

Middle – Charlie Hall - Multi-CD recording artist and songwriter, Passion worship leader, author of songs sung in churches all over the world, rock-n-roll flair, cool goat-tee, sweet hat.  Even cooler.

And then there is me.  Shane Garrison - Christian college prof, known best for Sunday school training and church administration, , conservative republican, dress shirt and slacks, buzz cut hair, no hat, no books, no CD’s, no national notoriety. 

Which part of the photo doesn’t fit?  This proves that God can use all types of people, for all kinds of work, in all areas of His kingdom.

Hometown Ministry

Spending a weekend doing ministry in your hometown can be difficult to say the least.  Your name (e.g., Garrison) has nothing to do with your profession or credentials, but whom you belong to.  Who is your daddy?  Who is your grandaddy?  Who’s your brother?

But it gets even more difficult when people remember you as a kid and have pictures of you doing stupid stuff as a teenager.  I have a terrible trail of misfortune photos lying around HC.

I spent the weekend in Hancock Co, more specifically Pellville, KY.  Over 100 teenagers and 20 youth leaders from 15 churches in Hancock and Breckinridge counties converged for an associational DiscipleNow weekend.  The event was a huge success.  Our Campbellsville team did an amazing job leading the students.  I preached and taught the youth leader workshops.

The whole experience finished up at Lewisport Baptist Church.  I preached there Sunday morning.  It was so sweet to see  many dear faces, people who have invested much into my life.  The reunion was extra special in that my whole family was there as well.   The sermon was basically my story is sermon form.  The message was entitled ”A Mother Church and a Motherless Child.”

Like Dorothy said, “There is no place like home.”

Mourning the Loss of a Brother Pastor

My heart breaks for the family of Pastor Fred Winters and the congregation of First Baptist Church, Maryville, IL.  The death of a beloved pastor is extremely difficult in all situations, but seeing your pastor murdered in the middle of a sermon is outrageous and horrific.  I can not even even begin to fathom the grief and dismay.

But we can claim with full assurance that God is good.  Heaven is real.  Persecution and evil are also very real.  Our brother is now seated in the heavens with the other saints who have been martyred.  He joins the likes of Stephen, Peter, James, and John the Baptist.  He stands as a hero of the faith.

Full Associate Press Story
First Baptist Website: http://www.fbmaryville.org/

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.   (Revelation 6:9-11)

Hancock County Bound

I am heading out this weekend to the Blackford Breckenridge Associational DiscipleNow Weekend.  130 teenagers from Hancock and Breckenridge County will coming to Schafer Baptist Camp in Pellville, KY.  I along with 6 talented, Jesus-lovin CU students will be leading various aspects of the weekend.  I will be preaching at the Friday and Saturday night worships services and training the youth leaders during breakout sessions.

The theme for the DNow is Wanted: Dead or Alive from Romans 6:11.  My message Friday is Wanted: Dead.  Saturday, Wanted: Alive.  Not too fancy or creative I know.

I will also be preaching at my home church, Lewisport Baptist Church, on Sunday morning.  They are celebrating their 150th anniversary and have asked all their preacher boys to come back and lead over the year.  I am thrilled to get to go home and encourage both students and my home church in God’s Word. 

It should be a great weekend.

Tyler Perry’s Madea

I’m not afraid to admit it, openly and honestly before the web public, Jennifer and I are serious Madea fan’s. 

Not everyone will agree with us.  These movies have foul language and drug use.  But we think they are absolutely hilarious.

We got to see Madea Goes to Jail last night.  Tyler Perry has this unique way of mixing issues of faith and Christianity with urban, innercity African-American culture.  I think his work is brilliant.

Perry has been outspoken about his faith and desire to include it in his films.  ”The thing about it is, I don’t know why [faith is] never talked about in film,” Perry told beliefnet.com. “There are people [making films] who believe, but I think they’re people who believe in the closet. They believe very quietly. There’s this huge separation of church and state. I’m not afraid to mix the two. I’m not afraid to have a character say, ‘I am a Christian,’ or, ‘I believe in God,’ because I think they represent real people on this earth.”

While this was not the best Madea film, in my humble opinion, it did feature many redeeming elements.  A committed pastor preaching in a women’s prison and walking the streets reaching out to prostitutes.  A man willing to do whatever it takes to help a friend in need.  A powerful message of forgiveness when we have been wronged by others.  Taking responsibility for your own actions and not playing the victim role.

Good stuff coming from Hollywood and from Tyler Perry.  I hope more Madea films are made.

To read the Plugged In Online review, click here.