WoW! What an incredible weekend we had at Renovation!

We had Stuart Hall come in for this weekend to help us in three different environments.

The first was our reTHINK-Tank that we had at the Renovation House Saturday morning. We had True Remanent and Victory Assembly's youth worker's along with our crew and a church from Dunkirk spend the whole morning rethinking...re-visioning... what - how - to have a greater impact in the lives of students so that they become passionate Christ followers! 

Stuart gave us some great things to think about and to consider... I will be sharing some of those thoughts this Sunday.

We then got ready for the WALK... we had no idea what to expect... we were blown away!

We set up everything on the front lawn and kids just started showing up. 

We had at our peak around 250... we had games, food, music, great hip hop dancers, and great volunteers!

We moved everybody inside and still had about 175 come in for the main event!

Stuart brought a great message... some 10 kids/students got up from their seats and went and talked/prayed with a counselor to receive Christ!

It was so cool to see and to partner with Danny Nieves and his kids... they did a great music-mime with their dance team... we had such a diverse group of kids... it looked just like the neighborhood!

Karen from Victory had to make 3 trips to get all of the kids to the event.

We had some 20 kids/adults from Dunkirk!

Prince of Peace had kids come up from the West Side... they had two girls do a great dance for us!

Kulu and D-Will were also a part of the evening!

Did I say how proud I was of our volunteers? You guys are incredible! THANK YOU!

Then we had CHURCH this morning at renovation! 

We got things started by having our first baptisms in our new portable baptistry! That was such a special time... we baptized 2 at each gathering...loved each of their stories!

We then had some of the best worship I have experienced ever! 

Stuart told me it was one of the most amazing worship experiences he had ever participated in... he goes all over the country speaking so...

We had Renee, Toni, Julius, and for the first time Shanon Carter worship with us... oh my goodness when they got it going during Never Would Have Made it... I bout didn't make it! The band was smokin hot! WOW... I was so glad we had two gatherings!

We had people sitting in the balcony today for the first time at 9.19!

So thankful to God for what HE IS DOING... so blown away to be able to get a front row seat!

Hey Renovation did you know that...

ONE day will be like no other... one hour be like no other... one moment will be like no other...

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever... Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief. For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.  Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk.  But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.  Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

This is part of the letter that Paul wrote to the Church at Thessalonica concerning a very important event that will take place and as believers we need to be aware and looking for this event to happen... what is it? Christ Return for His bride the Church... The Rapture! 

In a nut shell the events will be...

1 Christ return with a commanding shout!

2. AN unmistakable call from and angel?

3. Believers in Christ who are dead will rise from their graves.

4. Believers who are alive will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord

5.The rapture is imminent; it could take place at any moment

Sometimes we forget... TODAY may be that day are you ready?

I Thessalonians 4:15-18,5:1-9 NLT

Wow I did not mean to go a week without posting, it's just that I typically post my comments at night and the last week has been extremely full so there you go. 

Had a lot of cool things happen over the last week or so... Part of the reason I started and continue to blog is to keep a running account of this journey so I hate to go to long without posting my thoughts or the things that happen!

I have really enjoyed going trough the series The Best Question Ever. Andy Stanley wrote a book with the same title after he preached the series at NP several years ago. I have said this before... that it has been one of the most helpful truths that I have been exposed to for every arena of my life... my marriage, my time, my parenting, my leading... 

This past Sunday was tough I know for many of us because of the arena of morality and how the scripture commands us to live... as wise! Living as WISE men and women sounds good it's just not we want to do a lot of the time... right?

Last week I was walking out to the parking lot and I saw someone kicking a soccer ball in our little yard on the St Florian side... I went over to check it out and I saw an entire family all playing together... laying under one of the trees... laughing just totally enjoying the moment and the beautiful day! Only problem was that they are a refugee family (Asian) and NOT a one of them could (or would) speak English. So I tried to let them know through hand gestures and facial expressions that we are happy to have them enjoying the churches property and to use it any time... not sure they understood but we all smiled at each other a lot!

I hope everybody had a great Memorial Day... it was picture perfect weather! We had the Renovation Staff (families) along with some other friends and my parents... we had a great time eating, laughing, eating, playing some "Can Jam" (a great frisbee game) eating some great home-made ice cream! I love hanging with the team at Renovation... we work hard and play hard!

Speaking of working hard... this week is slammed... The Walk is this Saturday night! This is our first environment that we have created specifically to reach Middle and High School students! Pre-Event starts at 5:30 with food, blow-up games, DJ mixing, Dance Off... the the Main event goes from 7:00 - 9:00 jammed full of music, videos, the Truth spoken and sung! 

So pumped by the really good response by many of you to help with this event... it is going to be a great experience for all of our students!

Went to the Bisons game tonight... took Caleb... we had a good group of students and others from Renovation... the concert was good with Relevant Worship, Kulu and other Christ Record artist!

I am loving the NBA playoffs just in case anybody was wondering!

That's it for now!

The morning after Sunday always seems to be Monday... wouldn't it be cool to switch it up on occasion?!

Yesterday was a packed day from beginning to end... not always the way it is on Sunday's but it as yesterday.

Wow I have to give a big shout out to Nick. The wheels were falling off fast yesterday morning. Our drummer called in at 8:30 to say he couldn't come due to a sickness in the family... our other keyboard player didn't show up till 8:50... the band was covering It's My Life so all of the sudden big rock tune turns into a stripped down acoustic tune... the 9:19 gathering starts by me praying... as I am walking down from the stage Nick realizes that something has happened to his keyboard (which was just working fine 5 minutes ago) and it's not working... so the band is now made up of an acoustic guitar, bass, keys... BUT Nick and Genine and the three piece band adjusted on the fly and it ended up being fantastic! It's My Life was awesome, worship was great!

Love that Nick is so talented and so flexible to go with the flow... (a year and half of being portable makes you that way) and not melt down and still lead us in worship with no one knowing any better!

Our Family Man Earl was sporting some cool looking glasses... I love what he (and Sean) and the Renovation Team is doing every week... creating an environment that is a WOW for every boy and girl that walks through those doors... We have great volunteer leaders that really take serious the mission of helping kids take their next step in the relationship with God and with others.

Joshua had some great meetings this week at West Hertel... Joshua is our community liaison and is partnering with so many churches/organizations that it is pretty exciting to see how it all is going to have a positive impact on NW Buffalo. Also love how Joshua is beginning to reshape and order our student ministries at Renovation. Joshua will be providing leadership over grades 7th-12 and our first event together will be next week where we will go to the Bisons and then also THE WALK with Stuart Hall.  

Hey need a big shout out to Michelle Giambra and the First Impressions Team... yesterday was slamming! Great job as always. This team is so important for us to carry out our strategy every week. If you love how you are treated when you come to Renovation then I would encourage you to help make it possible for others to experience the same thing and join the First Impressions Team... MG does a great job of leading it!

If you have questions or are needing some specific help or direction please  contact Michelle Stockton at the office during the week (M-Th) she is the glue that keeps us all together...!

we have another Michelle (W) that is managing our summer community events that you will hear more about in the weeks to come!

We have a great staff at Renovation... without this team that God has assembled we would not be able to do or accomplish all that is happening... so thank them and get to know them and best of all pray for them... each one loves God and is following hard after Him and they love people! I thank God for each one of them and their families!

We are blessed Renovation!

Dog days are here... at least for the Cockrell clan. We now have a dog...Cocoa!

Should be interesting...

Had a couple of great meetings today. 

Of course we had a great time hosting the awesome staff from Crosspoint yesterday along with some local friends like Pastor Alberto Lanzot, Ron and Sue Thorington, Diann and some of the staff at Peace... Bill Buyers and the Mayors Impact Team. Renovation's story is the extended story of Crosspoint and we know that God has used the generous folks at CP to further The Mission at Renovation.

This morning I spent about an hour talking with Stuart Hall. Stuart has been a long time friend from my Mobile days. He played at ball at the University of Mobile where I later was an assistant coach. Stuart has been in student ministry and has co-authored two books with Andy Stanley. Stuart started DASH Student Ministries who we have partnered with but now has joined the reThink Group.

Stuart will be coming to Renovation the last weekend of May. We are partnering with two other churches in NW Buffalo... Victory Assembly and True Remnant Church to create an environment and experience for our MS/HS students called The Walk. The Walk is designed to help our students take the next best step in their walk with Christ and with others!

Stuart is one of the best communicators I have ever heard and will speak both to our students at The Walk but also at Renovation the next morning!

We are also asking Stuart to help us Saturday morning at our reTHINK Tank. This will be our first attempt to bring together as churches our adult leadership for student's. We are asking Stuart to help us strategize together how me might best come together and have maximum impact in the lives of students over the course of their MS and HS years.

Both of these events will be free. More info in the coming days!

We also met with Jeff Hacket from Score International. Jeff is helping us plan and strategize for our next missions trip to Costa Rica. More details to come!

Had our follow up meeting for the National Day of Prayer Committee this afternoon. We were all encouraged about what happened last week with the Prayer in the Square and the prayer initiative at UB! Already thinking and praying for next year's event and how we can raise a new standard for the Church at Buffalo as regarding our dependency and need for pray!

SO we jumped in feet first and discovered what the "Best Question Ever" is on Sunday.

For those who missed it we started a 4 week series called The Best Question Ever and it is taken from the letter that Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus a few years ago...

Eph 5:15-17

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

We live in a culture that is Un-WISE right?! SO Paul gives us a new standard by which to live out our new life and identity with Jesus Christ. 

He says to stop living at the lowest level... is it right...is it wrong... is it permissible... how far is to far?... but begin asking ourselves with every opportunity, every invitation, every relationship that comes our way... what is the WISE thing to do!

Then we broke that question down into 3 parts...

In light of my past experiences... what is the wise thing to do?

In light of my current realities... what is the wise thing to do?

In light of my future hopes and dreams ... what is the wise thing to do?

We gave out a memory card to everybody... (I forgot to mention at the 11:00) which we want everybody to learn this month. This is the verse we want to learn for all of our environments this month... kids, students, adults

He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.   Proverbs 28:26

So parents, uncle's, aunt's, brother's, sister's... let's learn this verse this month together in light of asking the Best Question Ever!

A beautiful/sunny/warm Friday morning... what a gift!

Several years ago I read a book that Andy Stanley wrote called "The Best Question Ever." It had such a profound impact on me. It has help guide me through so many circumstances, so many relational issues, so many "gray areas" in my life that I can't imagine living life without this question to filter most of everything I do or say.

It has helped me in my marriage, my parenting, my purchasing, my leading, my friendships...

It helped to guide me through the process of where we should go in regards to the warehouse or St Florian.

We are getting ready to launch this series - The Best Question Ever at Renovation this Sunday.

For the next 4 weeks we are going to jump into the scripture and discover a new standard of living and thinking that has the potential to transform marriages, relationships, students lives, college students, dads, moms, singles... you name it this question has the potential to change not only your present but your future in a way few other things will or can.

So I would encourage you to get on the phone, text, twitter, facebook ... invite your friends and your enemies! 

It is going to be a great series that God is going to walk us through as we discover a new way to live by learning and asking ourselves The Best Question Ever!

Well today is the National Day of Prayer.

It is an opportunity as a Pastor Matt Brown said recently "to bring the experience of the church... 365 days a year to an event called National Day of Prayer."

Noway should we be only praying today... we know that...right?

Of course but today is a chance to let the light of Jesus Christ shine brightly.

You know what happens when you turn on a light in a dark room.

The room or place is exposed.

Sometimes things scatter for the four dark corners.

If you can go to the designated place for your city... GO. 

If you can't maybe you can take this lunch hour and pray where you are.

Call somebody to pray with.

Pray for  

Government... local - regional - national / Family / Military / Media / Business / Education / Church 

the MISSION of God for humanity all over our city, state, country, world!

Let's not scatter to secret places 

today let us expose the world to the Light/Hope of Jesus CHrist and to the God that loves every man woman and child!

It has been a FULL day but a great day!

I must say that I so  appreciate everybody who showed yesterday to help clean up/plant/transplant around the campus. We had a strong turnout of hard working folks of all ages!

The campus looked great this morning... love having the front all opened up without the fence and some of the ugly pine trees!

I gotta give a shout out to the band today... Tony was cooking with gas! That first song is a new Lincoln Brewster tune...Let Your Glory Shine and the guys nailed it!

We had another great day of experiencing a bunch of first time guest! So thankful that we so many bringin family, friends, co-workers. 

I must confess that those of you who attended the 9:19 gathering... sorry. After I got threw communicating I looked through my notes and I realized I missed a couple of important points. I hate it when that happens! So at 11 I actually communicated what I was intending to say all along. We record each message... I will make sure we put the 11:00 one on the podcast this week... If you are interested you can go online and hear all that I meant to say!

We had a great time meeting some new people at NEXT. We have NEXT the first Sunday of the month... this is a 30 minute experience that allows you to meet the staff and hear how we roll at Renovation and how you can take the next step at Renovation and what our hope is for you.

Just a big reminder that this week is Prayer in the Square... the National Day of Prayer. Friday at noon. I would challenge anybody who can to join us down there to show our city that the Church at Buffalo Loves God and loves this city!

Can't wait to have our "dunking party" or Baptism experience at Renovation... May 31 - make sure you sign up and be a part of this special gathering! 

We start a new series this Sunday which I am really excited about. This is going to be an ORANGE Series called the Best Question Ever! I will explain what  i mean later this week.

Had a great time hanging out with some new friends... love hearing the stories of how God connects people and how they get to Renovation and more importantly how they get to Christ!