I’m excited about this series. I’ve been looking forward to this Sunday because we’re going to do something we have never done before. We’re gonna to look back and we’re going to give you a gift that I think is gonna bless you. But we’re going to enter into a series called iLife. And we’re gonna think and talk and discover about some questions that all of us ought to be asking ourselves from time to time. Questions like, why am I here? What does God have in mind for me? What is the life that God intended me to live? What’s my purpose? What’s my reason? You know, questions that will make us think about are we on target in our life. Are we living the way we should live to be a blessing? Are we living about mission? Are we living in a way that will complete our assignment because I believe with all of my heart that the Bible tells us clearly that each one of us has an assignment from the Lord. And it’s about the purposes of God. So we’re gonna look at that as individuals.
This morning we’re gonna kind of look at it corporately, as a church, as a community of fatih. Why does God have us here? So we’re excited. We’re gonna show you a year end video. Some things that took place this past year that will tell you a little about our heart to reach people. Because in 2005 we reach more people than we’ve ever reached. We are gonna talk about our heart to serve people. Because in 2005 through your heart and your faithfulness we were able to serve more people than we’ve ever served. We are gonna look at our heart to give. You know this is a giving church. 2005 we gave more than we’ve ever given for the cause of Christ. And then lastly, what we’re gonna talk about, and really what this whole series is about, is you and I coming together to build the kingdom of God in our own life, in our own relationships, in our families. Because in 2005 you and I were able to build into the kingdom of God all around the world. Won’t you sit back and enjoy this year end video.
(video shown) Hey, Healing Place Church, this is Pastor Dino. I’m so excited to take some time with you just to relive all that God has done through us as a church body in 2005. You know, 13 years God called us to be a healing place for a hurting world. That’s been our mission; that’s really been our purpose for existing. Our mission is to represent the heart of Christ through some core values. And there are 4 of them. It’s reaching, it’s giving, it’s serving, and then it’s building into people’s lives. What we’re about to see right now is basically just a report of what God is doing at Healing Place Church, all around our region, our state, even around the world. We’re gonna honor the past and we’re gonna look forward to the future. Now let’s take a look back at some top moments in 2005 at what God has done in our lives.
I just love how God has opened up new ways for Healing Place Church to reach more people. You know, multi-site church -- this is taking the message of salvation and bringing it to strategic places all around the world. See by responding to the heart of God, we’ve launched 4 new campuses in 2005. By launching a Spanish campus in Gonzales, LA we’ve been able to reach out every week to a large Hispanic community right here in Louisiana. We’ve been providing worship and a message of hope in their own language. It’s very relevant to their culture.
Our campus in Manaus, Brazil -- was that amazing -- Manaus, Brazil? It was launched in April -- it’s great to know that we’re a church and we’re reaching hurting people deep within the nation of Brazil.
Later on in the year we have been able to reach out to St. Francisville. It’s a great area. We’ve been extending our heartbeat for a healing place into that community. It’s been exciting.
Now towards the end of 2005, Healing Place Church, Danville, CA. Now that’s cool. Through the use of media we’ve been able to share the love of Christ with that region. Through these 6 additional campuses, over 1,000 people that may have otherwise not attended church, are being reached every week. I just love that. See, through their own unique expression, these campuses are growing and the kingdom is growing with them. These are exciting times to be a part of the church. One of the great truths you discover is that God has planned you and I to be in relationship. Healing Place Church has always valued relationship with other great churches around the city and the state, and also ministries around the world. I believe one of the great honors for Healing Place Church in 2005 was to be connected with some of these awesome ministries. Just sharing in our services, sharing what God is doing in their life. You know, ranging from just powerful worship to challenging and engaging teaching. These guests have helped elevate the overall spiritual climate at Healing Place Church. Now let’s take a look together at some of the ministries, some of the relationships that we’ve been able to be a part of this past year. (video being shown)
You know I think about all the different highlights of this past year. One of those highlights has to be Easter. What an amazing time in our weekend services. We were able to reach over 6,000 people through the different campuses. You know, there were tens of thousands of people that were reached through media. Easter was a time we were blessed with an amazing organism ?), as the church was able to reach out to many first time visitors from our own community. Also this past year, Healing Place Women has flourished as Chic Nights became a way for Healing Place to reach the women of our community. Thousands of them have been impacted. I know that DeLynn and her team have a full schedule for the chicks of Healing Place Church in 2006. We’ve also seen a tremendous growth in our Wednesday night services with the introduction of Life University and existing student ministries. These midweek services provide a time for the whole family to be impacted with the Word of God. Here’s what I know...that every church organization is just one generation away from extinction. That’s why it’s so important that we invest tremendous time, energy and finances into the area of student ministries. Through all of our campuses, God is setting on fire the hearts of the youth to reach this generation.
Our junior high youth ministries, Pathfinders, is filled with about 170 passion filled Jesus lovers each week. In 2005, 50 students were baptized at Pathfinders. Another 20 completed an intensive summer leadership program, and then they were able to go to Mexico on a missions trip. Pathfinders are busy about making a mark on their generation.
Real, relaxed and relevant is the heartbeat of our high school ministry here at Healing Place. Refuge has exploded over 200 students meeting each week. 30 students made a first-time decision to follow Christ, and then 20 of them went on to be baptized. This intense passion environment created a refuge and is equipping students to live the life that God intended for them to live. Ride through there on a Wednesday night a little bit late and you’re gonna see something incredible. As you walk in our sanctuary, you are going to see over 500 college students raising their up hands in worship as they seek the face of God. This is Late Night. This past year, 57 people accepted Christ for the first time in Late Night. They have a passion for the poor. That’s what Late Night is all about. It’s about taking the message of Jesus outside the church and reaching the generation of college students and career minded people all over this community. You know this past year we were able to reach out to LSU, right there on the campus with an event called "Late Night at LSU." Our heart was to reach people who are unchurched and take the dynamic atmosphere of worship and teaching, created right here on Highland Road, to the campus of LSU. With over 24,000 people that have been served around the campus in 2005, Late Night has an influence on the campus, and its continuing to grow so that we can reach people for Jesus. And there’s one thing you know about Healing Place Church, it’s about serving and carrying the message of Jesus Christ to a hurting world. At Healing Place, we now have a 9 month internship program called Elevate. Places a huge emphasis on serving. See, the students take classes on Christian Apologetics, Servant Leadership, maybe the Life of Christ, Christian Theology, and all kinds of things. And it’s helping us at all of our campuses, because each of those students are being able to understand how God’s called us to elevate in our life concerning serving. They’re gonna go the second mile, I just know that they are, in their life for the cause of Christ.
If you go back 13 years, you’ll find out that the vision of Children’s Ministry has always been to be a healing place for kids. One highlight of DeLynn and I serving at Healing Place Church was to see our own children come to Christ through the Children’s Ministry. The heart of Mrs. Sherry is to see every child come to know Christ in a relevant and exciting way. There were 400 kids in attendance just in our Kid’s Camp. It was a great time. They focused on putting God first in every area of their life. In July, our campuses were filled with energy and excitement as we served this community with Vacation Bible School. 4 different locations. 1,500 kids attended this week long, twice-a-day project. It was incredible.
This also set the stage for our first missions trip to Swaziland, Africa. We were there to reach countless kids with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are dedicated to keep continuing to help kids to find their place in the kingdom, and then to grow to become the next generation of church. Not only here in our community but throughout the whole world. You know, over the last 13 years, Healing Place Church has been able to make a major impact on the world through missions -- it’s been God’s grace. You know, reaching the nations with the gospel is one of our highest priorities. In spite all of the tragedy that went on in our own state in 2005, with God’s help we were able to maintain our financial commitment to all the missionaries and all the ministries in over 20 countries.
This past summer, my son Dylan, was able to accompany me on a great trip to Africa. It was my third trip there. This was a major awakening for me, to see the impact that you have on Africa through Children’s Cup and Lighthouse Church. You just can’t ignore God’s Word when He says to go into all the world. During my time in Africa God really dropped in my heart to write a book. Towards the end of 2005 we released our first book, Turning Points. The people in our own community and our entire state encountered some dramatic and tragic times during 2005. It’s been our prayer that God would use this book as an outreach tool to minister hope to those who are hurting and to bring them to a turning point in their own lives.
Reaching the lost and hurting is not just something we do all over the world, but we do within our own nation and community as well. We love to look for simple, practical ways to serve. This is done with no strings attached, and it all stems from our core values: to reach, to serve, to give, and to build. That’s happened with our Cooking for Christ team. They’ve served over 111,000 meals this year at over 165 different locations and events with the holidays being the most important times of the year to reach out to hurting people. In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, we handed out turkeys and food to people whom Christ loves and died for in this community.
Another way we reach out is by using a unique evangelistic tool -- the use of sports to minister to kids, adults and all of their families. Upward sports reached out to over 1,000 kids and 400 adults in various sports in 2005. Hundreds of kids and their families were presented with the gospel and Upward is truly making a difference for the kingdom.
2006 gives us yet another opportunity to reach more lives. I encourage you to get involved and it’s up to you and I to see more lives reached for Jesus.
When you think about Healing Place Church, you gotta think about worship. It’s one of our passion -- one of the things we love to do around here because we believe that the sound that God gives us here is going to touch this community. Wonder of the World is the latest worship project from Healing Place music. Inspired by a heart of worship, all of our campuses came together for 2 amazing nights of reaching out to God. There wee 1800 people there for both nights. We came together, we joined with one voice to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the Wonder of the World. God gave us a message and we know that we will transcend race, age, culture and it’s going to impact the nations.
Later on in 2005, during our preparations for Wonder of the World, Hurricane Katrina interrupted so many lives here in Louisiana. (song) After Hurricane Katrina, we as a church immediately began serving meals, accepting donations, mobilizing volunteers and then supplying to the shelters. We were given access to the New Orleans International Airport, which was transformed into a makeshift hospital. PRC Compassion was founded. This is a network of churches and pastors who address community needs and distribute relief aid to hurting people. Here at Healing Place Church a parking lot became an open shelter, a feeding station and a supply warehouse. Our campus became a haven for displaced people. The Donaldsonville campus became a shelter and it opened its doors to hundreds of evacuees. Our Spanish campus housed over 300 evacuees during several weeks. Our heart as a church was strengthened and as we longed to help people, I believe God has helped us to be a healing place for a hurting world, and we are going to continue to do whatever it takes.
As a faith community we would have never been able to reach out in so many areas if it were not for the finances that you’ve given. The stewardship of these finances is of our highest concern at Healing Place. It is important that you know and understand that every dollar spent is done with much prayer, and I believe with wise counsel.
Chapter 2 made a huge impact in 2005. One of the highlights was the ground breaking of our new worship space. Thousands came out for a night of vision as we all wait in expectation of what’s about to come. The outreach building is here; basketball courts; 3 ball fields; an outdoor playground -- all of that now complete. New parking lots have been laid. We’ve introduced Healing Place Parkway. That was a lot of fun. We’ve placed over $8 million dollars so far, and during our miracle offering $190,000 was given. The footprint of the Healing Place Arena is in clear sight now. God has truly reserved this land for generations to come. I want to thank your for your faithfulness and how you’ve been so fully committed to the cause of Christ.
I believe in 2006 many more are going to reach a turning point, and be introduced into the kingdom of God. I’m so excited that you and I get to be a part of that. It’s our calling and we’re going to continue to reach, give, serve and build in order to make a difference in our world. DeLynn and I want to thank you so much for a great 2005, and we look forward together into 2006 and the promises that God has in store for all of us. Thank you so much, it’s going to be an incredible year.
That’s great. You know, one of the reasons why we wanted to show you that and take time to do that is because a lot of the time you are just here on Highland Road and you don’t see all the other things that are going on every single week in different locations. Other things happen, you work during the week, you’ve got other things going on and some may think I can’t be a part of that, I can’t be a part of that. Everything you’ve seen today on our year-end review video is what you’re a part of. You are a part of this community of faith and everything is intertwined, everything is linked together for the glory of Christ.
And as you’ve watched this I know that you can see that our mission has always been people -- it’s reaching people, making a difference. And I believe that our future is going to be the same way of reaching people. And I believe that 2006 is going to be our finest year.
We’ve got one other thing that we want to do just for you as family of our church, if you’re a first time guest, we have a gift for you. We want to give you a resource that I believe is a chapter just in the book of the story that God is doing right here. Now if you’ll begin to distribute those. We’ve got men and women all over our church that are gonna to be distributing all these things. I don’t see anybody moving in the balcony, so we need to make sure we take care of that. Oh, you already have them? God, ya’ll beat us to the punch -- what’s up with that? I’ll tell you what...man, ya’ll were cued a little early. We want you to have that -- this is basically an annual report that we’ve put together. We’ve never done anything like that in our church but we wanted you to have it. We always make our financial statement available, always let you know what’s going on. You can pick up those but I felt way back, probably in August, I felt in my heart that I wanted to take a weekend and let you know about what’s going on. I wanted you informed, I wanted you to find out what’s happening in the life of your church, in the life of what God has done in bringing us together. This is a community of faith and we’ve been called to love together and to express God’s love, to care for one another and to care for those that are hurting. To give, to reach people...all these things and so we’re handing these out to you. I believe that it’s going to help you to know what’s going on. I believe that it’s very important that you take time so that you can see what God has done and what God is going to do. I think it’s an incredible piece that our creative group...our creative team has put together and they worked real hard and you’re going to be thrilled to see the different races, the different ages and the different expressions, the generations -- all the different locations and environments that come together to love each other. And I’ll just call a couple of things out to you that as I was looking through it this past week. I know page 4 & 5 will give you our core values. During this iLife Series we’re gonna talk a little about the core values that God wants each of us to have that are found in His Word. And so we’re going to look ... there you can find out why we do the things we do. Why do we make these decisions as a church? Why do we head in this direction? We want to be able to answer that for you and you can find that on page 4 & 5 because those are our core values and they define why we do what we do as a faith community. You can also find out things about our multiple sites; all the different outreach that went on this year; missions because we believe that we’re not just a church that does missions, we believe that we are on a mission and that mission drives everything that we do here. On page 23 you can look and see all the different responses...23 and 24, 25 the response of the people who were affected by the hurricane. You get detailed instructions about all the partnerships; all the people that came together to reach our state. On page 30 you can see our heart for the next generation. We believe that that’s very important. Then on page 48 you get an update and kind of a look at our future in Chapter 2 our new worship space and other things that we are developing because I believe that God has given us this piece of property. And then on page 45 & 46 is a snapshot of our finances and how God blessed us this year. There’s a page about all that was given to Healing Place Church. Do you know that in 2005 over $12 million was given to our church? And it was given to the vision, given to the dream that God has put on our...let’s clap our hands because I think that’s just amazing. Really, it was given through the church to reach people. And then on the page right after you can see just a small snapshot of how we allocated those funds based on our core values; how we spent the finances God gave us. I can just tell you this, 365 days thousands of hours reaching people, a whole lot of finances being disbursed around our community and the world, how many knows it’s hard to tell the whole story in 46 pages? But we’ve done our best. Our heart is that you know what’s going on and that you’re well informed. I’ve always had an open heart for things like this. I believe when you read through this you are going to celebrate about all the people that have been reached. I’ll tell you this, that’ll probably be the greatest thing that took place over the last 12 months and even into January is that well over 1,000 people received Christ and that decisions that wrote out...that’s what it’s all about, it’s reaching people. Now here’s the thing, when you hear that word 1,000 people...it just seems so much of a number.
But you know we had a baptisimal service here last night -- we baptized 15 people and every one of them was special. It was a unique night last night. But there was a mother and a daughter that we baptized that really tells you why. It’s the reason why we do our year end review video; it’s the reason why we give you our annual report -- this really all culminates in this type of story -- in this daughter and mother situation. I want you to sit back and turn your eyes toward the screen and I want you to see this testimony of how God is using your heart in this community. Let’s watch this screen together. (baptizing Lynn, Terry Melancon’s fiancée). Lynn, it is such an honor to baptize you. I know that God’s done a lot in your life; I’ve watched God do a lot in your life. Many of you don’t know this but Lynn was the fiancée of Terry Melancon who was one of our police officers who went to be with Jesus for taking our streets. And God has done so much in her life. I’ve just watched her... Amen, let’s clap our hands for you. We love you, DeLynn and I do. Do you know church, here’s the amazing thing, a lot of times when someone goes through a tragedy and a loss like that, if they’re not careful they can use that to walk away from God. Something will happen bad and they will say, well, God doesn’t make any sense. How can God do this? You know, I’ve watched this Melancon family not do that. I watched them have peace in God and realize that God’s going to get His glory. And if you know how many thousands of people have been reached through that young man’s life. And so, I think Terry is thrilled, because he’s alive, he’s in heaven. I think he’s thrilled this evening that I get to baptize you, and you’re getting baptized in a church that he loved. That he brought you to. Oh, my goodness. Isn’t the purposes of God amazing? Let’s all pray...Father I just pray right now for Lynn, I pray Your blessing on her life. Lord, I thank you Father that what the enemy tried to used for destruction, You have turned around as a testimony. God, I thank you that all of us will remember this night. We will remember all of these moments, everyone of these people being baptized. We’ll never forget it. In Jesus name, Amen.
(Pastor proceeds to baptize everyone else).
