Letter to the Church

Hey Capstone Peoples -

Just wanted to brag on you a bit.  This past weekend brought your faithfulness to it summit.  Great day on Saturday with the Easter Egg Hunt.  I know Eggs and Bunnies have nothing to do with the Resurrection of Jesus, but it is still a community event that helps us connect with people on the edges.

Ashleigh did a fantabulous job with the event.  We had a good crowd from the neighborhood (some even came back Sunday!!!)  Eggs were hidden and found, food was eaten, candy was hoarded and the gospel message was share.  God is good.

Also, you guys brought so many people to church Sunday.  It was amazing.  The whole space was full, parking was full, seats were packed, there was a happy buzz in the air.  We got to baptize out friends and tell hundreds of others about Jesus, the Christ.  The new look worship space was awesome (thanks decor team) and the music connected the entire experience.  I believe that Sunday was our highest attendance ever!  Continue to invite your friends, enemies, neighbors, family, coworkers.  They will fit right in at Capstone.  You did...I did and we are pretty weird!

We begin a new teaching series this Sunday  - Its called "A Convenient Faith:  24/7"  I hope you are going to be here. We will jump into what Faith really is, how it impacts our lives and how it turns everything upside down, but at the same time gives us guidance in the journey of our lives.

Also - A big shout out of thanks to our super volunteers:  Cafe was awesome, the greeters took care of business, all the a/v folks were spot on, the musicians lead worshpfully (is that a word?) and our Imagination Station crew took extraordinary care of our Preschoolers.  You guys make this place family.  Thanks.

The Velocity crew will be back in session this week with a special emphasis for the kids.  The team tells me that now is the perfect opportunity to jump in if you have thought about working with our kiddos.  We are about to hit summer and you test drive serving, teaching, loving, listening and leading.

A bit of cool news - this week I got to sit down with some national media types (Warren Bird and Jim Tomberlin from Leadership Network) and talk about the God story of Capstone Church.  I love to boast of what God has done and to talk about how lives are being changed and impacted in the community that we call home.  I love you guys!

Love Give Serve.

David

Story Time with David

Just sitting down and scrolling through pictures on my phone from the week.  It is a practice that I try to follow each week to remember what has happen.  Those pictures trigger other memories too - like who I am praying for, who I have had conversations with, ideas, dreams, accomplishments, failures, exciting things to celebrate, things that need to be tweaked and so forth.

first off - Sunday at Capstone was pretty awesome.  Scott Canup baptised his daughters and did so with such grace and beauty that I was moved.  Our worship music sets were rockin (thx @bekkydavis and joni). I really thought the doorway we talked about gave many people a picture to work into their experience as we talk about Jesus being in our lives.  Communion was sweet as we served one another.

I love what God is doing in our church and the part God has given us to play in making a dent in the darkness in Anderson and the world.  If you are reading this - pray for us, pray for me, pray for Capstone Church, pray for yourself and wherever you are.


Notes from the week:

Got to help out at Midway Elementary School with their field day.  Have really enjoyed the past 5 years getting to know the faculty and volunteering when I can.  They always ask me to help with disc golf (I wonder why?)

Friday night we had an egg stuffing party at Capstone Community Church to prepare for our 4 egg hunts on 4.23.11  There were kids everywhere and Ashleigh Hart did a great job of organizing the event.  We began with silly band filled eggs with images that told the story of Jesus and God's love for each of us.  Next we saw 3 age-appropriate egg hunts followed by hot dogs a-plenty.

the 4th hunt was for late arrivers (there are always some) as well as those that just had to have another egg or 12.  Lots of fun, great conversations, plenty of eggs (although when I was a kid I remember a good hunt was like 6 eggs - these kids are walking away with like 87 eggs each).

All this to say - God is great.  Jesus is alive.  God loves you and often God loves through you.

I hope you are coming to Easter celebrations wherever you are (if in the Anderson Metro area you are welcome to come to Capstone Church) and bringing car loads of friends and family with you.

May you experience the power of the resurection everyday!

Love, David

Preparing to Dance, Serve, Worship

 

I was with Anna yesterday as her class from Anderson School of Dance took pictures in their recital costumes.  The recital is more than a month away, dress rehearsal happens just before recital., but today the costumes were checked and the poses were checked and the smiles were checked and the pictures were snapped.

These girls are getting ready for their big day.  Putting all the practice together with their "look" and timing and so many other intangibles.

I thought today as they were taking pictures - one - how grown up my little girls is and two - preparing now for what will happen during the recital.

that second thought got me thinking about how we as Christ-followers are to "practice" our faith.  Living it out daily with the expectation of an encounter, with the hope of things to come, being prepared and living towards a life filled with love for others and love for God.  Are you prepared?  Got your costume ready?  Got your game face on?  Got your bible time in today?  Spent time today telling God (praying) and listening to God (praying)?

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We were privileged at Capstone Community Church to host Peter Blitshteyn with Jews for Jesus for a presentation of Christ in the Passover.  Tremendous message, thoroughly enjoyed understanding the passover and how it points to Jesus Christ - The Messiah.  If you have the chance support Jews for Jesus and their missionary message.

Sunday was an amazing day - full house, great worship experience, beautiful baptism by a father (Scott) with his two girls (Grace and Faith), communion - family style, VBS meeting (great job Ashleigh).  All things pointing to Jesus.  Easter is coming - Egg stuffing party Friday night, Egg Hunt at 11 Saturday.  More Baptisms on Sunday  - can't wait to see you all again and be apart of what God is doing through this fellowship of Faith.

If you are in the greater Anderson metro area this weekend, I hope you will join us to celebrate the risen Christ - He is alive!

April 15

Not the tax day!  usually this a day of exhaustion and celebration as tax people all over get the deal done with taxes.  not this year  - April 18 is the finish line because of a special holiday in Washington DC.


That being said - I can't wait until next Tuesday.  Many of you know that Caroline (my wife) is a Financial Planner (CFP) and a tax accountant.  I keep saying next week Caroline gets her life back and I get my wife back.

Anyway - pray for us!  Lost to accomplish in a few days.

Today I was reading my bible and a devotion and a phrase hit me that I wanted to share.

Psalm 119:42 - I trust in your word.

The strength of our faith is in direct proportion to our level of belief that God will do exactly what He has promised.  Faith has nothing to do with feelings, impressions, outward appearances, nor the probability or improbability of an event.  If we try to couple these things with faith, we are no longer resting on the Word of God, because our faith is not dependent on them.  Faith rests on the Word (JESUS!!!!) of God alone.  And when we take Him at His Word, our hearts are at peace.

Are you at peace?  Trust in His Word!!!

Clouds

I looked up this past week on a drive to the grocery store and saw this amazing cloud formation.  You can see the light and the dark, you can see the affected and hidden.  It was beautiful and meaningful.


God gives us pictures all the time.  Images, examples, stories, individuals that show His work, the progress made and the effort needed to complete the job.


The past several weeks I have been collecting stories from you.  What the gospel, the Good News, the Resurrection of the Christ has done for you and therefore how you tell that story to make a difference to others.


I love stories.  The lost and found, the heart-broken and love filled, the struggling quest and final destination, the bloody battles and the victorious triumphs.  These all sound idyllic, but in reality they play out everyday in our lives.


Hope springs eternal, clouds do have silver (in the picture is is more gold) linings.  As we approach Resurrection Day (Easter) - I am filled with excitement and HOPE.  Because I know that God will save the day.  Jesus overcame so that we could overcome.  I am saved by the grace of God and stand in joyous, jubilant victory.  Do you?  Ask Jesus to save you today!


Capstoners and people in the Anderson Metro Area - 

Don't forget Saturday night - Jews for Jesus is presenting Christ in the Passover - be at Capstone at 6:30.  It will be a great teaching and explanation of the significance of Passover.

CityPrayer

I can't tell you how meaningful CityPrayer is for me.  It is a purposeful 30 minute prayer focus on Thursdays @CapstoneChurch at 12:15

Each week a handful of people come to pray for the city.  Some Capstone Staff and members, a few community members, local pastors and people that roam in.  I am reminded each week that where 2 or 3 are gathered  - God is there listening, acting, involving Himself...I think that is awesome.

So if you can shake loose and you are in Anderson, drop by for CityPrayer next week.  if you are not local- just stop a second next Thursday and pray at 12:15

***Sunday we are talking about Who Has Hope - our text for Sunday is Matthew 11:28-30 - read ahead and give me your insights.

I am praying for YOU today!  Pray for me too.

Love, David

follow be at twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/dbruwithme

WORMS

^{Isaiah 41:13} For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. ¹⁴ Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear, for I myself will help you,” declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. ¹⁵ “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth.  You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. 

We are Reminded that God is personal – He’s gonna walk you through.  He’s going to help.  No need to fear.

We are reminded of our place, our circumstance.  We are worms.  Who needs help more that the weakest?  The most vulnerable, the softest, the one with no defense?  You cannot help yourself…God himself will.  He says it.

God is the redeemer.  God is the Holy One.

What does it mean that God is the redeemer?

It means that God sees value in you and wants you on His team, in His family, at His table, in His business.

God transforms you from the slimy one into the one that will mow down obstacles.  Changes you from the lowliest, dirtiest to the newest and sharpest.

God promises that when you are in his hands the biggest barriers are no match.  He will use you to crush the difficulty.

Notes from "Worms Have Hope"  - 4.3.11 @ Capstone Church