The application deadline for Healing Place School of Ministry is this Tuesday, July 7.  If you or someone you know is interested go online today for the complete details and the application, or contact Michelle Gros at 408-3380 ext. 323 or michelle.gros@healingplacechurch.org.

HPSM is all about growing and stretching to experience all that God has for you while engaging in Jesus-style leadership training and serving the local church.  It is SERIOUS.  It is INTENSE.  It is a BLAST.  It WILL make an impact in your life forever.  You don’t want to miss out!!

I can’t stop thinking about our services this past weekend at HPC.  We were able to celebrate with over 60 people as they were baptized in the HPC Pool.  Just like Revelation 12:11, these have “overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.”  There is power in telling others what God has done, and that is what this weekend was all about.

It was a dream come true for me…I always wanted to wear my swim trunks to church!  I was broadcasting my pasty, white legs loud and proud.  We hung out by the pool and served families Frito Pies…HPC sure knows how to through a party!

I recently did a wedding, and at the altar I saw something a bit embarrassing yet refreshing…this couple was in love and they didn’t care who knew.  This was especially noticeable in the kiss…I think I turned red in the face.  But this is exactly how I see baptism, men and women going public with their faith…they want the world to know that they belong to HIM!

It is amazing to belong to the Savior…these are great days!

My thoughts and prayers go out to our El Paso Missions Team which is made up of 16 of our next generation students and leaders.  They have been serving their hearts out in Juarez, Mexico with our HPC Campus in El Paso, Texas.  The team will spend a week there with Pastors Buck and Esther Zengerle serving many families in need of the hope and love of our Savior.  Check out this update I received from Pastor Buck:

Thanks for praying for the mission’s trip to Juarez.  We have had a wonderful and fruitful trip so far.  We have been at an orphanage in Juarez doing work projects, vacation bible school, and community outreach.  Although so many things have been done, two stand out.  1) We have been able to really bond with the children.  Being able to be there for them, play, and cheer them on has been a blessing to them and for us.  So many beautiful children that just want love.  2) We had an outdoor church service tonight where we had incredible worship, really cool ballet and dramas, and a great word from my new friend Matt Bourgeois.  We feed about 350 people good ol’ American hotdogs and chips.  Many responded to the altar call and we prayed over dozens of people who needed prayer.

We finish at the orphanage tomorrow and then serve at our new HPC Campus in Downtown Juarez on Friday with another evangelistic church service for our brothers and sisters across the border.  Please continue to pray for us as we live out our mission, “to be a healing place for a hurting world”.

What a great weekend we had celebrating Father’s Day at HPC!  I love honoring dads and adding value to the men of the house.  We had great services at all of our campuses and we gave away a grill one deserving dad in every service!!  Dads were taken care of really well!!

On Father’s Day, I had two reflections.  One, I have been blessed with amazing kids!  What did I ever do to deserve them…God is so good to me!  In fact, to celebrate our Father’s Day we had a wild afternoon in TJ Maxx.  We almost got kicked out because we caused such a ruckus!!

Two, I have been blessed to have such great investment from spiritual Father’s that have spoken and invested into my life.  I would not be the man/husband/father I am today without their example.

I had the privilege of spending last weekend with some great friends of ours, Joel & Angel Dyke, pastors of Life Church West Monroe. They are some of the most authentic, real-deal, down-to-earth people you will ever meet. Missionaries at heart, they have taken an older, inward-focused, more traditional gathering & transitioned it into a passionate, progressive, outreach-driven church.

Filled with potential & fully committed to their mission, they are already bringing much needed life to north Louisiana. Their heartbeat matches HPC in so many different ways. I was excited to invest in their key leaders Saturday night & continue their One Prayer series “God Is…” on Sunday morning. We had a blast using the parable of the “Prodigal Son” & discovering how God is a loving Father.

God bless all the belt buckles & cowboy boots of Ouchita Parish! Thanks Joel & Angel-can’t wait to see you again!!