Together, We Can See, Belong, Grow & Sow!

By Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman

This last year has been filled with challenges, but even more so, bountiful blessings and fresh, new beginnings. Our ministry not only survived 2009, but I've seen our congregation - and that includes YOU and me - rededicating ourselves to the call of Christ for our church and for our lives.

Here are some of the highlights of what we accomplished together in 2009: As the new Directing Leader of two lead teams (Crystal Cathedral Congregation and Crystal Cathedral Ministries), I am now providing leadership to the rebuilding of Robert Harold Schuller's vision for this ministry through a healthy, high-functioning network of teams. A team of staff and members of our congregation spent many hours in thoughtful discussion and prayer to articulate the Vision Statement for our work here:

"To inspire and motivate people through possibility thinking to grow in a loving relationship with Jesus Christ so that they can become the persons God desires, dreams and designed them to be."

We also identified our Focused Goal, which is to continue to be a ministry, through the saving grace of Jesus Christ, that is:

"Saving lives through a message of hope."

We have begun to accomplish this goal through a newly created Ministry Process that clarifies our priority to bring others to:

1. "Come and See" (invitational Ministries) 2. "Come and Belong" (Relational Ministries) 3. "Come and Grow" (Spiritual Formation Ministries) 4. "Go and Sow" (Transformational Ministries)

Supporting the new vision, goal, and ministry process is the burgeoning network of teams made up of staff and congregation members. We based our new Team Leadership Model (organism chart vs. organizational chart) on recent successes in ministries and businesses that have adopted it.

The next few pages will reflect these exciting changes, and help you to see where you can get involved - growing through possibility thinking, a message of hope, and a loving relationship with Jesus Christ - as we come and see, come and belong, come and grow, and go and sow together!

"You Saved My Life"

By Dr. Robert H. Schuller, Founding Pastor

What is a hero? A hero is someone who personally sacrifices his or her life to save the life of another. My brother Henry, a litter bearer with the Red Cross during WWII, was such a sacrificial hero. Not many of us have the opportunity to be that kind of hero - rushing into a scene of destruction, picking up a bleeding body to save it from dying. However, we do have the opportunity to help resituate and save persons' wounded souls. People from around the world have repeatedly told me, "You saved my life!" Although these words never fail to bring a tear to my eye, I know that I was not the one who did the saving.

First and foremost, the "you" in their statement is Jesus Christ. During church services on Sunday, or through the New Hope help line, or a Sunday morning fellowship group, these people have felt the life-saving power of renewed hope that only Christ can bring.

The "you" is also YOU! YOU are a true, God-ordained hero! The gifts of your tithes, your offerings, your talents and your time make it possible for us to offer our message of hope, love and encouragement, resulting in enthusiasm replacing depression, and hope replacing hopelessness. YOU make this ministry happen. Today, in the midst of a national and international recession, our message has never been needed more. Unfortunately, our church has likewise been affected by this year's economy, with our revenues down over 30% since January 1, 2009. As a result, we trimmed every single line in our budget to weather the current economic storm. Every one of our staff has taken a 10% pay cut this year.

But I know the Lord has a powerfully positive plan for our ministry. Indeed, our best days are yet to come! God still wants to save millions of lives through our message of hope. To do so, we need your heroic faith - personally sacrificing through an ongoing commitment to this congregation and the bright future of this ministry!

Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for believing in our ministry. Thank you for believing in God's life-saving message. YOU are my hero!

An Attitude of Gratitude - Part I: The Blessing of Gratefulness

By Dr. Bill Bennett

GRATITUDE IS TO BE EXPRESSED. Now, that is excellent advice because a grateful person is a happier, healthier, and holier person. But more than just good advice, this is a command from our all-knowing and loving God. Gratitude is not an option; it's an obligation. God knows what happens to the ungrateful, and that's not what he wants for you or me.

"For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened" (Romans 1:21). "But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy..." (2 Timothy 3:1-2). "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) .

GRATITUDE IS TO BE EXPANSIVE. We are told to give God thanks in "everything." Not just in "most things." Not just for "good things." But in "everything." Now a caution here is in order. Nowhere in the word of God are we commanded to FEEL grateful. Feelings come and go, and can be affected by the weather, your health, how rested you are, etc. The thanksgiving God commands of us has nothing to do with feelings. Whether things are good or bad, we are to be grateful.

Now lest you think, "Well, that may be easy for Paul to say," let me tell you that it was not easy for Paul, the inspired writer of these words, to say. He had been run out of Thessalonica at the threat of losing his life. He had been beaten, whipped, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned, and left for dead. Yet he wrote (in 1 Thessalonians 5:18), "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ."

In Acts 16, we are told that Paul and his partner in ministry, Silas, were beaten with rods, whipped and scourged, and thrown into prison in Philippi. But rather than sighing, they began singing. I don't know what they sang, but the lyrics may have been something like this: "Thank you Lord for saving my soul. Thank you Lord for making me whole. Thank you Lord for giving to me thy great salvation so rich and free."

GRATITUDE IS A BLESSING. Because of their thanksgiving, Paul and Silas were enabled by God to rise physically, psychologically, and spiritually above their circumstances. Gratefulness is a priceless gift from a loving God who desires only the best for us all.

Dr. Bill Bennett is an ordained RCA Minister serving the Crystal Cathedral as the Lead Pastor for the Evening Service. This devotion is based on a message Dr. Bennett delivered during the Evening Service on August 15, 2009. (Additional scripture references: Philippians 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Luke 17:11-19.) "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ."

Renewed & Energized through Prayer Power!

Crystal Cathedral Ministry Staff on Retreat...

Is there anything more powerful than prayer? The Crystal Cathedral Leadership Team doesn't think so, and they made it a priority this fall when they "closed" the ministry for three days and whisked away the entire church and Hour of Power staff to Rancho Capistrano (Crystal Cathedral's retreat center in San Juan Capistrano) for a daytime staff retreat.

Prayer was at the heart of the retreat. Under the thoughtful direction of Dr. Sheila Schuller Coleman and Dr. Bill Gaultiere, staff members were given time and space to be alone with God each day midst the beauty of a sparkling lake, grassy hills, warming sun, and singing birds.

These times of "solitude and silence" were carefully prefaced with an encouraging message designed to help staff members personalize the ministry's new Mission Statement, focusing on what God was saying to them about:

• The possibilities in their lives.

• Their relationship with Jesus Christ.

• Becoming the person God dreams, desires, and designed them to be.

When asked what the highlight of the retreat was, many staff members shared how much closer they felt to fellow ministry team members after sharing what God had revealed during their alone times with him.

Underscoring the entire staff retreat was the belief (prayerfully supported by Robert H. and Arvella Schuller) that a staff that prays and plays together is better prepared to serve the needs of its community members - YOU! We're renewed. We're reenergized. We're here to serve YOU!

Jaw Dropping Surprises

By Jim Penner, Director of Business Operations, Crystal Cathedral Ministries

I went for my daily run a few days ago around sunset. At the crest of a small hill, I rounded a stand of trees to reveal that perfect elevated angle where the valley is below, the sky above, and it seems that you can see for miles. What lay before my eyes was a sky seemingly hand painted by God from light to dark blue with orange and varying shades of purple clouds. This sunset was no ordinary sunset. This was something completely unexpected-a surprise-a surprise for my eyes. The scene was so breathtaking that I began to think about the surprises in our lives. Good surprises and bad surprises. Life is filled with all kinds of surprises, but the ones we really remember are what I call "jaw dropping surprises," those times when what you just saw, or heard, or was done to you came completely out of left field-for good or bad. They are the times when something or someone literally rocks your world.

Maybe it's a doctors report-for good or bad. The cancer has come or the cancer has gone. Maybe you just found out that a baby grandchild is on the way when you daughter had previously been told she could never have children. Or it's tragic news that your grandchild was just killed in a car accident.

Maybe it's family news. Your son or your daughter announces their engagement and your mouth literally opens in a jaw dropping surprise. Excitedly you say, "Did you see who my son is marrying?" Or filled with anxiety you say, "Did you see the head case my daughter is about to marry?"

Maybe your latest jaw dropping surprise was financial. You opened that envelope in the past year and found that your retirement account lost 30 or 40 or 50 percent. Or you found that your health insurance costs were going up or your benefits were dropping.

Take a moment and think back to the last time you had a jaw dropping surprise. If you've lived life on this earth you don't have to be here very long to receive one. They are a part of life – they are inevitable. They can be painful. Tear invoking. Faith challenging. Withdraw from society inducing. They push us toward relief such as alcohol or painkillers. They push us toward cynicism and skepticism. Jaw dropping surprises can literally tear us apart- or-they can make us stronger because of one simple fact. No matter what happens to you in life, no matter how far you are pushed to the breaking point-as sure as I'm sitting here there is one fact I am convinced of- Jesus Christ is still on the throne. Receive that great gift of contentment Paul talks about in Philippians 4 by giving your cares to Jesus!

Ask Sheila: Hiding My Light Under a Bushel

Dear Sheila,

I was not a Christian when I married my husband of 23 years. Ten years ago, I gave my life to Jesus. My life has changed somewhat, but frankly I am afraid to grow too deep in my spiritual walk for fear that it will drive a wedge between my husband and me. Whenever I talk about spiritual matters with him he sneers. So, I pray and read my Bible but keep my spiritual life private. Should I keep going this direction or be more forthright about my relationship with Christ?

- Hiding My Light under a Bushel

Dear Light under a Bushel,

Your signature pretty much says it all! You've answered your own question.

I would suggest that you grow and grow and grow in the Lord. You do that by reading God's word, spending time with fellow Christians, and by praying. As you do this, your light will grow bright and brighter. You don't have to talk to your husband about your deepening relationship with Jesus-you just have to walk it. And pray for him.

Jesus didn't just come to save us for heaven in eternity. He came to save us so we can experience a bit of heaven on earth. He said, "I have come that you might have life, and...have it more abundantly " (John 10:10). As your husband sees you living a truly abundant life, he will become hungry and thirsty for the same. That's good news! In Christ,

Sheila Schuller Coleman

Independence: Where Church and State Come Together

By Dr. Bill Bennett, Crystal Cathedral Pastor

For freedom did Christ set us free; stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage." - Galatians 5:1 (ASV).

The separation of church and state finds its scriptural basis in Mark 12:17 in the declaration of Jesus: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's". The point where our church and the state come together is our commitment to freedom.

The force that compelled our forefathers to come to America was not only their love for God, but their desire for freedom, as well. Just as freedom was one of the inalienable rights mentioned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, likewise, commitment to freedom is at the heart of biblical faith. In the Old Testament the command given to Pharaoh was to "let My people go," and, in the New Testament, Jesus pronounced freedom as the purpose of His life when He personified the Old Testament scripture, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom to the captives (Luke 4:18). Jesus further proclaimed freedom to be the focus of His ministry when He said, "For you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free"(John 8:32). And, the Apostle Paul stated that, "It was for freedom that Christ set us free." So, we see that the central element of Christian faith and the constitutional mandate of our government is to provide and guarantee freedom. It is at that point, in the support of personal and religious freedom, that church and state come together.

So today we thank God for the freedom that we have: to live in a democratic country, to have freedom of worship wherever and with whomever we wish, to have food on our table and a roof over our head, to have freedom of expression, and to have a government which is established to protect us and our loved ones. We must recognize our duty to support freedom for all people, especially the freedom to worship as they please, and, always remember that, "it was for freedom that Christ set us free."

Dr. Bennett is an ordained RCA minister, who serves as the Lead Pastor for the Crystal Cathedral Sunday Evening Service.