We can sometimes be defined by what we are, or what we believe.  Sometimes we can be defined by what we perceive as well.  At that time, I was far from having any sort of real maturity in my life or for that matter not much accumulated wisdom over my few years, but I did know this...I had a pretty good grasp on what God had in mind when he created me. My perception was good.   I wish everyone could feel that way, to know that the individual that they are is exactly who God had in mind.  Yeah, we do stupid things along the way and some things are harsher than others, but it still doesn't change the creation.  We may not care for certain surface characteristics in ourselves, but down deep in side at the very root of us all, we are made perfect in His sight.

Back to getting old.  

My perception was that of a young person.  As life has progressed and I now find myself looking slightly skyward into the deep brown eyes of my own 16 year old, the thought creeps back into my mind.  Am I getting old?  My perception doesn't feel that way, buy my ever increasing gray hair does.  My heart and passion for life doesn't feel that way, but my right knee sure does.

Age is a perception of the physical and the tangible, not the soul.  My soul is and forever will be as young as I allow it to feel.  My bank of memories has increased exponentially over the past few years with fulltime ministry and I find myself with a hunger for even more.  I don't feel older, I just feel more life.

Allow yourself to feel young!  Yeah, I know the body hurts and the struggles of life seem to just keep coming, but in all reality this short blip of an existence will be over before we know it and we shouldn't waste too much time feeling sorry for things we have no control over.  If you do have control over something that's not right at the moment in your life, don't wasted another second, make it right.

Be Young...Forgive...Repent...Have Grace...Give Grace...and live!

My name is Glen and I'm the Director of Worship and Arts for BridgeWay Community Church.  My family and I moved here to Indy last summer following God's calling on my life to lead a worship ministry.  

I grew up in Phoenix and had lived there all of my 38 years until last summer.  This last winter was really the first winter of my life.  About 2 hours north of Phoenix is Flagstaff, AZ.  Great skiing and sledding...all the snow you can ask for really, just 100+ miles away from home.  Apparently it's a whole other ballgame when you actually live in it.  There's the shoveling and apparently salt is not just for popcorn anymore.  All that being said, however, we have absolutely been amazed at the colors of fall and the amazing smells and sights of spring.  It's as if we have been reintroduced to God's creation from a different planet.  

I grew up in a very reserved quiet Nazarene church in Phoenix where my parents and my younger brother stayed for most of my young adult life. My wife and I were married there by our former youth pastor at the ages of 19 & 20.  We stuck around there until I was about 25 or so and then we moved too far away from town to keep up with the drive.  This is where my life changed forever.

We started attending a small church called Parkway Christian Church in Surprise, AZ. There I was introduced to the scripture that "there is no longer any condemnation for those who are found in Christ" Romans 8:1.  In my mind as a kid and young adult, I felt that I was going to hell no matter what I did, since there was really no way for me to be perfect.  A youth leader once actually told me (not the guy who married us) that you could actually live a sinless life if you tried hard enough. He was full of crap.  I'm human and not Jesus, so yeah, i'm gonna sin.  I'm not perfect, He is, and I need to recognize that I can do nothing without him.  Hey that sounds familiar (John 15:5)

Onward about 10 years.  I found myself, after leaving my corporate career, working for Parkway on full-time staff in mid 2006.  I used my construction background as well as a bizarre level of creativity, to wear multiple hats as the creative director and facility director.  I actually had a hardhat with a propeller mounted on the top given to me by our architect.  My favorite thing to do at Parkway was to sing on the worship team.  It was ironically the only thing I didn't get paid to do for them.  I was in charge of the creative side of things as I worked along side an incredibly talented staff of people all called to challenge and lead that ministry to a closer and stronger walk with God.  

In late 2008 I felt God's call on my life to possibly leave Parkway and venture off into the wild, that is not AZ, haha, and lead a worship ministry somewhere, anywhere that God lead us to.  We were ready.  We were contacted by a church in Ohio within about 2 weeks of making my heart known to our leadership and then things really got interesting.  We found ourselves in the middle of a bizarre spiritual battle that ultimately lead to God keeping us from that church and the lead pastor resigning his position to lead a church in Scottsdale, AZ.  My position at their church had been taken from me, but I had already replaced myself at Parkway by a dear friend.  We were stuck.  House sold, job gone and nothing in our immediate future but a faith that God knew what He was doing and it was going to all be okay.

And long came BridgeWay.

We moved here upon finding the job posting online and having multiple interviews and trips to meet everyone involved in BWay's search for this position.  After three months of reflection and rest we packed up everything we owned, less a few things that didn't fit in the truck, and moved 1800 miles from all we had ever known.  Yeah, it was scary.  

We have been blessed with a process here that you just can't buy at a school or read about in a book.  My direct involvement here with key people God had in mind for me to meet has made me a more well rounded church staff member, but a better pastor as well.  I'll admit, the changes have not been easy for our family, but the changes have also brought on positive and life changing experiences that we will remember forever.  

Well, back to work.  I have 2 videos to edit, processess to figure out, schedules to make, a pc to take out back and shoot, a dead mic to send off and a service to prepare for.  Life is good.  

G

I was wrong.

We have opportunities here at BridgeWay to be involved in the Worship Ministries that completely different than any other roll.  The Grip.

We have our services packed into just about an hours worth of music, message, info and who knows what else.  Having someone at the ready to watch for needs on stage as well as assigned duties like, mics, music stands, stools, and who knows what else in the area of props, is such a valuable part of our worship and arts ministry.  Right now we are in great need of more volunteers in the area of grip.  You will wear a headset and be in direct communication with the producer at all times.  With your help and the direction of the producer it is the goal of the worship ministry to eliminate and unnecessary distractions that may cause us to loose momentum or vibe during a service.  

Please contact me if you feel like this is something you would like to be a part of.  We'll team you up with one of our grips and give you an opportunity to try it out if you like. 

Email Glen McKinney at the church office and start serving soon!

Thanks!

Glen

ps

a gaffer is someone in charge of lighting on a movie set.  If our stage ever gets that big, we'll need to think things over a bit.  haha.

We've all seen the passing out of palm leaves and the mention of Easter in the air, but really, do we give this day the awe that it so deserves?  The Triumphal entry.  Jesus is on His way to Triumph over sin and death once and for all and as the crowds cheer him on. Unfortunately the religion, at the time (Pharisees), don't get it.  They whine and complain about the things they are shouting and the recognition being given to Christ for who He is.  I love Jesus's come back though.

"If they keep quiet, the rocks will cry out". 

Thus the birth place of rock music as we know it today. 

So remember this Palm Sunday to rock out for our King, or the rest of creation may very well beat us to it.

G

I had a friend, who was a Romanian preacher (underground at the time), tell me once that, as American's, our biggest hangup or handicap is just that, our freedom. We don't sometimes even realize what it means.  

Thank God we are free in Christ. With Him as our mediator and direct link to the Father, we can have ultimate freedom in Jesus. The problem is that this too, can be clouded by familiarity and comfort. If we are not careful, as followers of Christ, we can become so "used to" the Christian way of life that we become stifled even by the eternal life giving freedom that if affords. Tragic.  

Freedom is best recognized and visible when it is exercised. Yes you can have freedom in Christ. Use it to love someone. Yes you can have freedom from the wages of sin. Use it to forgive. Yes you can have freedom from the opinions of this world. Use it to be the true creation that you are. You.  

Find freedom in being you. That's where God loved you first and He never stopped.

For you created my inmost being; 
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
       your works are wonderful, 
       I know that full well.