By PastorBowman on 11/17/2008 12:13 PM

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/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} The first year of every new pastor appointed to the church focuses on growing the church. But then after the end of the first year, the pastor may say, “Okay, Lord. What do you want me to do?” And the Lord says, “I want you to grow people.” The Plaza Church strategy is not a church growth strategy. It is a spiritual maturity strategy. It’s bringing people closer and closer to Christ. First,...

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By PastorBowman on 10/9/2008 9:24 PM

Stewardship is based on God’s ownership by right of creation and redemption and that God seeks man’s willing acknowledgement of His right. The words steward and stewardship do not occur often in the scriptures, but some of the passages in which they are found help us understand their meaning. Let us look at a few scriptures the Apostle Paul gives us and one in 1Peter 4:10, then we will tackle the elephant in the room about tithing and offerings.

 

Paul exhorted the Corinthians: Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:1-2; the NIV uses “those entrusted”).

 

Peter likewise commanded: As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God (1 Peter 4:10).

 

Paul again wrote of his stewardship: For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship...

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By PastorBowman on 9/3/2008 10:11 PM

I do not stand alone when I talk to my fellow clergy about serving and blessing and winning those outside the church walls. But it is difficult at times going from speaking to doing. And, of course, controversy breaks out among some of the parishioners. It’s when my program, my office, my title, my privilege, my influence, and my comfort takes precedence over others needs. Then we become barriers and not gateways. The Plaza Church is so privileged to have over fifteen surrounding communities in a maximum ten to fifteen minutes drive to the house of worship at 10:00am every Sunday and 7:00pm every Wednesday night.

Please allow me to share with the Plaza Church, the communities, and to my colleagues in ministry these barriers that keep us from building the church without buildings. It is when we are so concerned and care more about keeping things intact than about restoring lives that are shattered in our communities. When we get upset over things broken in church rather than excited when the broken are...

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By PastorBowman on 7/16/2008 8:45 AM

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/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today, (Genesis 50:20 NRSV)             Plaza we are really having a blast discussing the stories of the bible on Wednesday nights. The bible is not a history book but a book that is prevalent today as yesterday and tomorrow. The stories give an extra eye into the mysteries of God that...

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By PastorBowman on 6/3/2008 9:32 PM

Are you someone who feels that you don’t know anything about the Bible at all? You come to church and you enjoy being a part of our family of faith. But you feel as if you’re carrying around a little secret that you don’t want anyone to know. In reality, you don’t know much about the Bible at all. Let me give you a chance to get acquainted with the Bible. I will list for you key stories in the Bible from the Old Testament and New Testaments that will acquaint you with the basics of the great Biblical drama out of which our faith comes. You can set aside a few moments at the beginning or end of the day to read one of these stories and in a couple of months from now, you will have a pretty good feel for what the Bible is all about.

 We are the people of The Book. There’s no way we can go forward in our faith, much less plumb the depths of what our faith is all about, without knowing the basic stories that have formed us as a people across the centuries, and out of which our faith has come. Once you begin...

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By PastorBowman on 5/1/2008 11:18 PM

One of my favorite regular devotional readings is “Living the Message – Daily Help for the God-Centered Life”, written by Eugene H. Peterson. In his July 5th writing entry he titles it, Good News About Ourselves, He says, “The personal dimension of the gospel is good news about ourselves. The reality of what is within us is every bit as important as the news from political, industrial and scientific centers of the world. Even if world peace were an accomplished fact and the domestic economy stabilized to everyone’s satisfaction, we still must deal with ourselves.”

            It was refreshing to read an article in the Charlotte Observer (Tuesday, April 29, 2008) in the Health and Family section. The title of the article was “Meet the woman who shaped the star.” The Plaza Church is proud to be a host site for Athletes United for Youth whose mission is to provide youth services throughout Charlotte-Mecklenburg communities resulting in positive attitudes in our children. Their goal is to assist youth ages...

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By PastorBowman on 4/5/2008 2:23 PM

            It is hard to believe in less than three months, I would have served a year as your pastor. The majority of the Plaza congregation sees me only during Sunday morning worship. Since arriving an enormous amount of my time was spent in church meetings, discussing church concerns (which I see as opportunities), shortfalls of the budget, and expectations of the Plaza Church during these transitioning years ahead. These may be important, but they are not as important as our most valuable asset, which are people.       

            Many of you attended the meeting when we unveiled our five year vision plan. One of the most misunderstood tasks of the church today is that vision and mission are related but distinct. Mission is a general statement of ministry objectives; it is philosophic. Vision is a specific, detailed statement of direction and uniqueness; it is strategic. I have come to believe that an effective and compelling vision in the twenty-first century is probably good for about five years....

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By PastorBowman on 3/4/2008 1:07 PM

In the next weeks there are many roads we chose to travel. The road of possibly the uncertainty of America’s future, the road to the White House, and eventually the road to the Final Four of the NCAA. But! This is the season in Christianity of a road sometimes less traveled. Each of the gospel writers (Matthew 16:24, Mark 8:34, and Luke 9:23) gives us three instructions, first to deny yourself, secondly, to take up your cross, and thirdly, to follow Me. Many find this to be a hard saying of Jesus but it is much harder to hear “depart from me…”

 

Why is this important? There are many that love the Jesus Kingdom in Heaven stories, Jesus has many who desire comfort, but few who desire suffering. Jesus find many share in His feast, but few His fasting. Jesus has many share in the Breaking of Bread but few to the drinking of the Cup of His Passion. Jesus has many that enjoy his miracles but few follow His humiliation to the cross.

 

I truly hope we all understand during this season of Lent leading up to Palm Sunday and finally Resurrection Sunday, which is Easter that we take the road less traveled. I hope that we meet those that may see our light so shine among humanity that it will glorify our God, which is in heaven. Finally, I do believe if there was a better way, more profitable to the salvation of humanity than suffering, then Christ would have revealed it in His word and life. But He clearly urges both His own disciples and all who wish to follow Him to deny himself, take up his or her cross, and follow Him! 

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