I am new to being a Lead Pastor... new positions bring new experiences which creates new perspectives.

When we launched the Chapel at Elmwood I was in the same boat... everything was new... a new adventure... new learning curves that I needed to get my arms around...

That has been the story of my life looking back - maybe it's your story also - you may say oh BC I am still living in the same house and or neighborhood I grew up in... there is nothing new in my life. 

Are you sure?

As we continue to rethink why we are here and what we are to be doing as it regards to the MISSION of God...going out trying to reach every man woman and child in our circle of influence/accountability... today is a NEW day... the next time you see the "same ole person" remember it's the first time you have seen or talked with them TODAY. 

Same gas station... but a new - first-time-today encounter with that person behind the counter!

Are we realizing the gift of a NEW DAY... His mercies are new everyday and He provides grace for us a new today! 

I just walked outside the office. As I walked around looking at what we look like with NO fence in front! I had two different ladies talk with me ... hey pastor they yell out to me ... one lives on Hertel the other on Povonia. For those who don't know those two streets border the north and west side of our property.

It hit me as I was walking back inside... I have never experienced pastoring a Parish style Community of Faith. Where you are surrounded by houses filled with families that walk to "church." 

I like it... no I love it!

Thanks Father for a new day, a new experience, a new perspective!

"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?"  Isa 43:19

Wow... it was a hot Saturday! I loved every extra degree past 50... I think it actually got close to 80!

I can't wait for Thad's concert tomorrow but before that hits I got to just stop and pause to reflect and give God some strong thanks for His apparent favor and activity of Renovation.

We had a ton of meetings with a lot of different people, churches, city officials, ministries... one of the benefits for me personally when I am not having to wrestle a message to the ground (for Sunday) is I can focus on other things during the week at a greater level than usual.

Got to meet with city specialist Professor Chuck Massey from Houghton College which was great! 

Got to get the download from Diann about the summer happenings at Peace of the City... they are going to have a theater camp and do a positive version of Romeo and Juliet... we will be hosting that!

Last Sunday we announced that we would be partnering (anybody that wanted to) with the West Hertel Business Association to help do a walking assessment of the immediate neighborhoods surrounding Renovation. So Margret the president of the St Florian Block Club did a great job of organizing this project... there were 20 - 30 people that showed up to help. It is interesting to see the participation in these kinds of events from not only residents but city officials. So Councilman Joe Gulombek was there, Senator Antoine Thompson, Mayor Byron Brown, Councilman Mick Kearns of course our good friend Bill Buyers was there to help... this is what I call favor... not just ordinary but God ordained favor and His activity. 

Every time any "city official" shows up on our campus it is an opportunity to brag! Not on ourselves but what God has and is doing! We are not smart enough, wealthy enough, creative enough to make these kind of things happen... God is orchestrating His Church to  play the awesome music of His Kingdom and we are just a part of the orchestra. 

The thing that really excited me today was meeting some of the neighbors that live on the North side of Hertel for the first time which was great. I got to learn more about the history of our community... we got to share with them what God is doing and what we hope to do by His grace and power in the days to come.

We did have a real reminder of the reality of our neighborhood and for the people who call NW Buffalo home... 4 gun shots went off over in Jasper Parish... Police were all over the place! 

There is Grace to be received and grace to be extended in our neighborhoods all over WNY!

See you in the morning Renovation!

Well I meant to post something about the very cool visit with the Mayor last night but after watching AI last night with Carlee... i turned it to the Cavs-Pistons game to watch while I posted ... next thing i knew it was the middle of the Lakers game! yikes... so I stumbled upstairs and went to bed. 

So it's Wed morning and I am feeling good after getting a cup of coffee down here in the village at Spot!

Yesterday Mayor Byron Brown stopped by Renovation and we were able to take him on a tour of the campus.

He had two great guys on his staff with him and so we started at the Renovation House/Office. Then we went over to Renovation Center starting at Renovation Station. 

I love taking people through and telling the story of Renovation. Sharing the story of how hundreds of ordinary people came together in a very short amount of time and by God's grace did something extraordinary! 

So Earl the man with the plan for Renovation Station got to show the Mayor around and share with him why and how we partner with parents and bless and love on Kids every week! Of course he seemed to be blown away! 

To everybody who lent a hand to make RS all that it is... THANK YOU!

Then we took him upstairs to see Peace of the CIty in action!

I could write a lot about this but a few quick thoughts:

• He got to hear 50 kids/volunteers/staff singing God of This City! 
  
• He personally walked around the room and introduced himself to every boy, girl, staff, and volunteer!
• He took the time to really listen to Mark and Diann talk about ALL that Peace is doing and wants to do!
• He said he was blown away... (this was his first real introduction to one of the most incredible ministries in the city)

Wow what a beautiful morning... sun is shinning right now at least and I will take it.

Sometimes I have to take a few days off of the "Connection Zone" you know... blogs...facebook...twitter... so I went silent for  a few days not that many notice but for the few who do... 

Sunday was a very cool day as I looked out and saw the "make-up" of Renovation and how God is gathering a diverse group of people. We have talked about it before but I was really feeling based on what our topic of conversation was going to be for Sunday... Justification! Not a very sexy sounding word but boy is it an important truth for us who call ourselves followers of Jesus Christ.

My pray was that I wouldn't screw it up! That the Holy Spirit would make clear what I could not. For those who missed our Sunday conversation we will have it on our podcast this week and we are making cd copies available for anybody who would like to have one.

We had another 28 first time guest with us! 

inVEST and inVITE... inVEST in people's lives and inVITE them into yours and they will see and find what they are looking for... hope, salvation through Jesus CHrist!

Yes that is right. The people God has placed around you will have a greater chance of discovering Jesus by watching, engaging in your life than they ever will of discovering Him in a building listening to someone (like myself) speak to them. 

So Renovation don't "come to church" ... let's be the church... and as we walk and talk, live, breath next to others through out our week... let's do it in a way that shows how we are being "renovated" from the inside out.

That means we can't wait for Sunday to get our "fix"

Everyday let's carve margin into our lives to hang out with the SOURCE of our Salvation and transformation!

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 (New Living Translation)

Reading in Proverbs 26 this morning from my Life Application Study Bible [large print:(] I love this Bible because it gives a lot of additional insight not only about what is written but the context it was written in and at times it gives thoughts on certain themes that come from Scripture. One of the themes in Proverbs is the Tongue. 

There are four types of tongues that are referenced in Proverbs. I will share what the application with you as it is written:

What we say probably affects more people than any other action we take. It is not surprising, then to find that Proverbs gives special attention to words and how they are used. Four common speech patterns are described in Proverbs. The first two should be copied; the last two should be avoided.

The Controlled Tongue Those with this speech pattern think before speaking, know when silence is best, and give wise advice.

Proverbs 10:19, 11:12,13, 12:16, 13:3, 15:1,4,28, 16:23, 17:14,27,28, 21:23, 24:26

The Caring Tongue Those with the speech pattern speak truthfully while seeking to encourage.

Proverbs 10:32, 12:18,25, 15:23, 16:24, 25:15, 27:9

The Conniving Tongue Those with the speech pattern are filled with wrong motives, gossip, slander, and a desire to twit truth.

Proverbs 6:12-14, 8:13,16-28, 18:8, 25:18, 26:20-28

The Careless Tongue Those with this speech pattern are filled with lies, curses, quick-tempered words - which can lead to rebellion and destruction.

Proverbs 10:18,32, 11:9, 12:16,18, 15:4, 17:9,14,19, 20:19, 25:23

Take the time to look at these... for yourself... what is my natural default for my tongue? For us parents grade your children... what is their natural "bent" and begin to help them make a course adjustment where and when needed... ask ourselves the tough question... are they learning from me both good and bad? 

They learn a lot from what they see us do!

I have lived all over the place... Kansas City, Chattanooga, Tampa, Manila, West Palm Beach, Dade City, Mobile, Cedarville, Lake Wales, there is no city that I have lived in that parties like Buffalo! What the heck is Dyngus Day? If there is a reason to party... Buffalo will find it!

That's one reason I love living in Buffalo... diversity. There are so many different cultures here that you learn something new all the time! 

Still blown away by the great day we had yesterday.

604 was our total!  

47 first time guest that we have cards on

Great job of inVITING your friends and family to hang with us Renovation!

LOVE being in a community... being ale to watch families walk out of their house into our Gathering and walk back home is very cool!

Let me encourage us this week to be who God has called us to be in our circle of influence... wherever and with whomever that is!

Can't wait already for Sunday... we are going to be talking about a very important issue that many people have different ideas about... Jesus mentioned it in His last conversation that He had before going Home... 

Have a great week.... spend time with your Father, talk with Him, hear from Him, think about Him... He is certainly thinking of you!

What a great first Easter at Renovation!!

We had so many family and friends visit with us today... it was awesome to see and meet so many!

The sun was shining bright though it was a bit nippy out... we had a ton of kids today and I must say they behaved quite well so way to go parents we survived having everybody together!

I want to say thanks to everybody that showed up yesterday to help us get ready for our first Easter... everything looked great!

I thought Matt did a great job leading worship along with Nick and Geanine and of course Earl knocked it out the park with his version of a "New Jersey Peter." 

We had several people take the Next Steps booklet that we were giving out to those who asked for it... had one young lady that came forward after the 11:00 gathering said..."I think I am ready to make this relationship with Jesus personal." How cool is that?!

I saw several people who live either on St Florian, Pavonia and or Hertel hanging out with us today... gotta love that!

We did some counting this week... we have had (not counting today) over 400 first time guest walk through our doors at Renovation since we opened in December... that is incredible. Blows me away to see the activity of God in the lives of people.

I am sure that there were thousands of people who heard the incredible message of Jesus Christ today all over the city of Buffalo... lets pray that many received the gift that Jesus has offered each of us! 

We (cockrells5) went over to have a great lunch with my parents, watched a great final round at the Master's... enjoyed a great Easter day!

We were trying to remember last Easter... you know the drill... it was just two Easter's ago that we launched The Chapel at Elmwood... last Easter only God knew about Renovation... the place, the name, the people... a lot can happen in a year!

Can't wait to see what next Easter will look like!

Today is traditionally known as Good Friday... there would have been no "good" in this day without the Resurection on Sunday. We (fam) got to go over to Crosspoint for their Good Friday Gathering tonight... Pastor Jerry gave a great message on Forgiveness mixed with incredible songs that spoke clearly to the point that was being made... great night of learning, reflection, conviction, discovering. 

It is always good to go back to CP... we had not been able to go back as a family since last year's Good Friday... a lot can happen in a year! One thing I was struck with tonight as I looked over the people who make CP their church home was... gratefulness. Because of their heart and generosity we at Renovation have been able to accomplish and do some things that most new church plants aren't able to accomplish or experience. It has cost us more than we anticipated in the first 6 months at our new location and CP has been there to help us out. Pastor Jerry and the leadership at CP have exhibited an enormous amount of love and commitment to us at Renovation and we thank them not only with our words but also with our deeds. As we have been blessed...we need to bless, as we have received... we need to give back. 

Really excited about our first Easter as and at Renovation! 

We have planned a Gathering that will allow the whole family to engage and understand just what Jesus did for us on the Cross and what His Father did when HE raised Jesus from the dead. 

inVITE somebody to come with you... if there is one Sunday when most people will go with you it is Easter... so make the big ASK they may just be waiting for you to inVITE them!

We are going to be having our first clean-up day tomorrow morning from 10:00 - noon so come and help us get ready for Sunday if you can!

Well the Mayor had to reschedule his tour of Renovation... that's ok... at least everything is clean and lookin good for our Easter Gathering!

Yesterday I had the privilege of going to the third graduation of some of our men at Renovation who have spent a year going through the discipleship program at the Buffalo City Mission. We have had the joy of seeing 5 men now who have made a big commitment and then follow through with that commitment and have walked out of the Mission with their head held high and their hearts full of love for their Savior and Lord. Yesterday I got see Kevith and Curley receive their certificate of completion and I was proud of them and proud to know them. 

Got to see the activity of the KING... changing what most people thought couldn't be changed or redeemed... the heart of a man!

Never done this before but I am a little desperate... we have a pastor and his dear wife here in the city that have gone through some real heartache this winter... buried their 23 year old daughter days after Christmas. This godly couple have been serving the "least of these" for decades and so we have been trying to locate a warm place for them to go and rest for a few days. We thought we had the place all lined up but today we found out that the place was not going to be available for us to use. This pastor like many in the urban context is bi-vocational... teaches at a college and so can only get away during spring break which is NEXT week! If anybody has a place that is really nice...warm... affordable (free would be great) that we could send this faithful pastor and his wife next week please shoot me and email or give me a call at the office asap! Thanks for helping!

www.bcockrell@therenovationchurch.com

819-4100 ext 102

2 years ago this weekend we launched The Chapel at Elmwood! 

Today I along with my fam got to experience another launch... Restoration Church!

What a beautiful day to witness new life! Dan, Alex and Wes and the whole Restoration team did a great job. I could get used to going around and visiting new communities of Faith! I can't wait to see our friends over at NorthGate launch in August!

I can remember the feelings/emotions of launching Elmwood and most recently Renovation. With Renovation you knew people were going to show up because we had a year and half of history to stand on... with Elmwood I remember thinking is anybody going to show up... and then if they did would they come back?! 

There is no feeling like it... working like crazy as if it depends on you/team and praying and trusting/knowing that ultimately it depends totally on God!

What a journey it has been over the last 2 years. I have learned so much, I have seen so much, experienced so much... about God and how He has so faithfully and at times forcefully provided for..., connected with..., stopped..., started..., waited to...,expanded..., 

I love telling people about the journey that God has allowed us to take... especially when it is with those who are considering a similar path... I love to tell them that if God can do it with us (elmwood/renovation) He can and will come through for you... and move in you and through you!

This week is going to be a another great week of connecting...

Mayor Brown is coming to take a tour of Renovation this week! So cool to be able to share with him and his staff what God has and is doing in NW Buffalo through the Church/People!

We are meeting with Westside churches and ministries to continue to strategize together about how to impact our youth for good, for greatness!

We are meeting with NW churches and ministries to begin to strategize together about how to impact our community and how to reduce the "lostness" of our community and how to bring Up there Down here!

Getting ready for our first Easter as we present Easter Jam! 

We had a great time at the second go-round for our experience called NEXT. We had about 25 come and hang out with us today at both times... love to hear how people have found their way to Renovation. We helped them understand who we are and who we are not and how we roll... which is a little different then most people's "past church experience." We basically try to explain to everybody that if you want to call Renovation home then we need you to do for others what others have done for you... so take the NEXT Step and get inVOLVED at some level with your time, energy, passion, resources!

The short film we saw today is called MOST. It is the most powerful description of what God did for us that I think I have ever seen. I believe there were some of you today that received the GIFT of eternal life that your Father offered to you through His son Jesus! 

So proud to have a team at Renovation that is highly capable to execute a Gathering experience without me in the mix... I walked in at the back during the last part of the 11:00 gathering and just watched... I felt like a coach watching the team execute the "game plan." Great job TEAM!

Speaking of executing a game plan... wow did Michigan State run Coach Izzo's to perfection last night?! I loved watchin  them take it to U Conn... not real fond of U Conn. Love the passion and fire that Coach Izzo coaches with... 5 Final 4's in 11 years... might be the best coach in the land. I just hope it will be a good game tomorrow night... always a little sad to see it all come to and end... I always watch to they play One Shinning Moment! 

That's it for another Sunday rewind... thanks Father God for what You have done and are doing and will do for Your Honor, Your Fame and for our great benefit!

Well it was family night minus 1 (as Carlee was with friends) so we went and saw Monsters vs Aliens and I must say it was a good flick... lot of good laughs! 

Met yesterday with the National Day of Prayer committee for Buffalo... everybody is really excited about the apparent activity of God all over WNY and how so many pastors and churches are joining together not just for the sake of unity but for the Mission of God and out of that we are seeing unity happen!

We are believing that 5000 Christ Followers would join together for Prayer in the Square at noon on May 7! Renovation let's make it a priority if at all possible to be there!!

I am sure that many of you saw the front page article that we were in this past Monday... always interesting and cool to see how God at times gets His story told without us doing any orchestrating things. That article came out of the "blue."

I hope many of you that were at Renovation Sunday stopped by the GroupLife kiosk and picked up a GL booklet to see the different groups that we currently have to see one you might want to join or to give you and idea of a group you might want to start!

We are going to need those of you who like to get your hands dirty to help us with some new landscaping, planting, cleaning and just generally beautifying the campus of Renovation. We have an opportunity to bring beauty/cleanliness  for our neighbors and those who walk and drive by Renovation! You can sign up at the Resource table Sunday.

Stopped by R.12 tonight as I was going to pick up Carlee at the Underground.

Walked in and the House was full of HS students... tons of energy had 23! That is the most we have had since we launched in January!

I know Joshua and the Leaders were pumped to see new students and to continue to build relationships!

I picked up Carlee and she said they had a great night at the Underground... had 25 middle school kids and workers!

So we toped 50 counting kids/adult leaders for the first time! I love it!

Wednesday's are our days to pow-wow at Renovation. Things are happening so fast... new people, new opportunities, new challenges... keeps it fun, exciting and on our knees! 

Just a heads up about Sunday... we are going to be showing the short film MOST we showed this at Elmwood back in October of 07. This is a powerful illustration of what our Heavenly Father did for us by sending and sacrificing His son for all of humanity. It will be a great reminder for us as we begin to celebrate the Easter season. This will be a great day to bring guest!

Joshua had a great meeting with the Director of NW Community Center - Tony Williams this afternoon. We are so excited about discovering what other organizations are doing and NWCC is doing a TON! Joshua is our Community Liazon and he is doing a great job establishing relationships and sharing our heart at RC to partner with other churches/ministries and organizations. 

Might have some changes coming up for our next MarriedLife Live which has been planned for May 15... let you know more over the following few days.

We have our second  NEXT experience coming up this Sunday... we have no space for the 10:45 time slot but we have some space at the 12:20 so call the office (819-4100) this week to reserve a spot!