Need your help for Romania!

March 5, 2009

I posted here that I am returning to Romania this summer on another mission trip! The trip I took in October 2007 was amazing. The total cost for the trip will be somewhere around $2500. I am raising all the support I can!

If you would like to help in this ministry, you can give securely online by clicking here or below:

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If you prefer to pay by check, you may mail payments to:

Chris Lewis c/o Washington Avenue Church
Dept: Romania Trip
200 N Washington Avenue
Greenville, SC 29611


Headed back to Romania!

February 17, 2009

Just a quick post to share with the blog audience that I will be headed back to Romania this July for a couple of weeks of missions. Washington Avenue has a strong relationship and an awesome history of ministry with Romania. Chuck has a massive heart for missions and Romania. We are pumped about going back!  God did some incredible things while we were there and 49 young people gave their lives to Jesus!

Tabitha and I first visited Romania in October 2007 just as I was coming on staff at WAC.  I did several posts and video updates while we were in Romania.

I thought some of you might enjoy seeing the posts (mostly video) we shared from our last time in Romania.  If so, click on the link below…the older posts are at the bottom with the newer at the top.

Previous Romania Posts


WOOOOHOOOO!!!

February 3, 2009

treble-clef-music-notes-illustration-thumb534438“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.
He has given me a
new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many
will see what he has done and be amazed.
They will put their
trust in the Lord.”

- Psalm 40:1-3

This is the miracle of salvation! I don’t deserve it…but He reached in and picked me up!  He rescued me!

That’s the reason for the new song!

I can hear the music because of my experience with Him.

Everyone can’t hear the music because they have no experience with Him.

But many will…and they will put their trust in the Lord!

Then they can hear the music too!

But not until then.


Big announcement coming soon…

October 24, 2008

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I know it sometimes can be said that I hype things a little bit.  I promise this is IMPORTANT!

I am going to be sharing some big news very soon on the blog. I have to wait until we get past this weekend, but after that, I have some AWESOME stuff to share!

I KNOW…It’s a litle bit lame to throw a teaser like this out there on Friday, but I had to leak a little something.  It has been killing me not to be able to talk about it.

Monday…I promise…OK…maybe Sunday – it depends on how tired I am after church!


Unexpected expectations…

October 7, 2008

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I had an experience with my cell phone provider (who happens to be Sprint) a couple of months ago that completely blew me away.  I want to make an application to church culture, but first let me give you the basics.

I called customer service with an issue on Tabitha‘s phone.  We have a very old plan that did not include many texting minutes.  We received a bill that has an egregious amount of charges for texting Tabitha had incurred.  We owed like $200 over our normal bill!  I called Sprint to see what we could work out.

To begin with, it was a fairly painless process.  I was prepared to be on hold and on the phone for about an hour to get this worked out. That was not what happened!

I had a live voice within 45 seconds and she promptly took my information.  She asked if she could put me on hold and I agreed while I held my breath and figured this was where the run around would start.  After all, we did go WAY over on text messaged and my phone company did nothing that would show they were at fault.  They gave us the text messages that were included in our plan and then, rightly, charged us for the messages we went over.

The young lady returned from hold after about 2 minutes and what she did blew me away.  I was expecting several possible outcomes, but not the one I got.  I thought I had a pretty good idea of the words I would hear her say.  I was not prepared to hear her say:

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lewis!”

“You’re what?”, I asked.

“I am so sorry we have not called you before now.”

“Uh…ok. Why?”

“You sir, are one of our most valued customers. As a token of our appreciation for your loyalty, we would like to give you free unlimited texting on all three of your lines!”

I said, “You would?”

She said, “Absolutely!  And please excuse us for not proactively calling you and offering this to you sooner.”

“Well…just don’t let it happen again.” – Nah! I really didn’t say that!

I was blown away by this.  I was ready and expecting all sorts of things that she could have said, but I was not prepared for her to go out of her way to accomodate me.  It was not something she had to do.  I was not going to leave Sprint if I didn’t get it handled.  But because of what they did, I may be with them forever!  I can tell you this…

It will be very difficult for someone else to convince me to leave by telling me how much they care about me when these guys have demonstrated how much they care about me.

This is the application for the church:

People are not interested in what we say we believe about the gospel.  They only (care/feel/absorb) that part of the gospel that we demonstrate.  Telling the world Jesus loves them is good.  Showing the world Jesus loves them is imperative!

Most people expect hypocrisy in the church.  Most people expect our actions to betray our words.

When our acions positively confound expectations, it opens the door for the Holy Spirit of God to do things that are beyond comprehension and in defiance of expectations.