LIFEsync

re: think church

Only a few days until we launch this new series!  Be here this Sunday, September 6!

Did you know that most people have 2-3,000 "thoughts" every day? Here is something to "think" about...

The 2008 Religious Landscape Survey conducted and published by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life discovered that the fastest-growing segment of religious affiliation in the country is the non-affiliated (16.1 percent of adults age eighteen and older).

Furthermore, those moving into the unaffiliated category outnumber those moving out by greater than a three to one margin. Throughout the previous two decades, this percentage of unaffiliated Americans had held between five and eight percent, meaning that the unaffiliated group has more than doubled in the past ten years. This is a disturbing trend!  Some researchers are predicting that if current trends continue, sixty percent of existing churches in America will disappear before the year 2050.

We must "BE" a church that the unattached, unaffiliated, unchurched, dechurched, can find JESUS. It is an ambitious quest and calling! I believe that God desires us to be a powerful, life-giving, grace-giving church where people can “inquire and then experience” the power of His Spirit working in their lives!

In this series, I will issue the challenge for us to rethink where the "church" fits into our daily lives. 

I will also challenge our city to once again “rethink church”! It is our goal to guarantee that they experience unparalleled passion, grand grace, and find that missing morsel of mercy they have been looking for!

re: think church. Sundays in September @ ALC! Be there!

My name is Jeff and I am a blind leader.

God has been stirring in my spirit in an unusual manner the last few weeks.  I have been praying for a definitive word from God.  This past Wednesday night, I was teaching through Acts 9 and it happened.... 

Here is the passage...

Acts 9 (New International Version)

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest  and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"

      "Yes, Lord," he answered.

The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.  I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."  Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.


Let me share with you a few of the key points that were revealed by the Spirit of God in this teaching....

• God created the Apostle Paul with a unique understanding of Roman politics, Greek culture, and Jewish religion. He would be instrumental in the Gospel being preached to new cultures.
• Saul (Paul) had a personal vision to deal with these followers of Jesus and imprison them.  He wanted to save the city from Jesus. 
• God had a long-term vision for Paul (Saul) to save the city through the hands of Paul.
• God had to "blind him" temporarily so he could "see" God's vision for his life.
• Saul had to have a season of "blindly following Jesus".
• Saul was called to a season of prayer and fasting. God is calling this church to a unique season of prayer and fasting. 
• Saul launched his ministry from a position of prayer, fasting, and waiting on God's vision for His life.
• Saul had to wait until Ananias placed his hands on him.
• Ananias is a powerful name.  The name is simply the Greek version of the Hebrew name Hananyah, meaning Jehovah (or The Lord) has been gracious!  It also means "cloud of the Lord!"
• God's plan of action for ALC rotates around this cause of prayer, fasting, and waiting on God's vision to be revealed "one step at a time".  We stay here until "the cloud of the Lord" moves us beyond this step.
• If we "get it right" in the "house of prayer", we'll have the strength and anointing of God to save an entire city, state, and nation.
• God will not allow me to be pre-occupied with "what's next"!  He is challenging me to do "what is now"! 
• God has chosen us as an instrument to carry His Name, His Spirit, and His Gifts, to a culture of people who have never received His full power. 
• I am okay with being clueless beyond the "now Word" from God.

The time has come to go to another level.  We will not move further UNTIL there is a cloud of "Grace, Glory and His Presence" moving us to another level.  It will happen!  God is about to move mightily in this church and city. 

As a Pastor of a blessed and growing church, I am barraged with questions about "long term vision".  It is certainly a legitimate question from an earth-view perspective.  Truthfully, I am never at a loss for "vision".  I "see" the future of the church and its operation as a power-filled house of worship 24/7/365.  Every mentor and leader in my life has always challenged me to have a "vision".  I was a visionary leader. I have never  been challenged to be a "blind leader".  The greatest challenge of this phase of my life will be finding comfort in blindness.

I am blindly following Him.  I am clueless.  I have had to "re: think" vision.  

Saviour City launches this Sunday!

Saviour City............the light shines in dark places. It finds one simple man named Jim Goodworth as he struggles to survive in the sin riddled city of Paradox.

A power unknown to most everyone, but seeking them all, Saviour finds Jim and opens his eyes.



I am absolutely thrilled about this new series!  The Creative Team has knocked it out of the park with this concept!  You will have to experience it to believe it!  Each week will feature an original sermon opening cartoon creation that presents a modern version of Old Testament characters. This will be five weeks that will minister to every age! 

This is the perfect series for your friends and family to experience "ALC" for the first time!  I'll see you...and your guest Sunday at 9 AM or 11 AM!

Jeff

Get Polarized!

In this new series, I will identify the various lenses that blur our life vision.  Clearly, we need to see the truth about the issues that affect our eternal decisions. 

We make decisions every day that have eternal consequences.  There are a few glaring questions we should ask ourselves...   Where will we spend eternity?  Heaven or Hell?  Am I saved?  Am I lost?  Has culture clouded my personal convictions and diluted my doctrine?

This two week series will be polarizing to your faith!

Join us on July 19th and 26th!  9 AM or 11 AM

Abundant Life Church
2301 Premier
Plano, Texas 75075

re: moments

I am sitting in the dark.  I am crying.  I am happy.  I am in a strange city.  This is a good thing.

A moment ago, I found myself sitting quietly in my Florida hotel room.  I was reflecting on life while observing my family sleep.  To be honest, I was actually growing resentful of their deep slumber so I decided to write.  Writing is "mind therapy" for me.  Now I am cleverly and stealthily typing in the darkness so I do not wake the Hennigan crew. 

For whatever its worth, I decided to blog my ramblings of the night...

Memories.  A riptide of history just flooded my soul.  What a difference "time" makes!  Who could have imagined what God could do if definitive commitments are made to do the right thing even when its not easy?  God has performed the miraculous in my personal life, my family, and our church! 

Has it really settled into your spirit the incredible work that God has done in the last six months at ALC? We have witnessed a literal real-estate miracle with the acquisition of our new campus!  On top of all that, God continues to minister healing to my father.  He is amazing the doctors in his battle with cancer.  Tears of joy are easy to find in moments like these.

Of course, I can't resist the urge to dream about what God has up His eternal sleeve that He wants to reveal at Abundant Life Church.  Our dream is to build a church that reflects the "early church" in the Book of Acts.  There are thousands of people in the DFW Metro that need "that" kind of church.  I am praying that God would allow thousands to be saved and become devoted followers of Him! 

God has given me a vision and ALC the courage to impact DFW and the world!  With a repentant heart I confess this truth to you...most of my mental equity is spent constraining over "church".  However, for the next 7 days, my family will be my only focus.  Seriously, I need you to pray that I can simply rest in Him.  For a few days, saving the world will have to wait! (I think Jesus is capable of handling His Church without me for a few days.  Ha. Ha.)  Truthfully, the ridiculously amazing staff we have at ALC might could handle it even if God couldn't! They are that good...almost!

Here's what I plan to do to help my case: 

• I won't be wearing a watch.
• I won't be checking email.
• No cell phone.
• No alarm clock.
• I'm not taking any work with me.
• If there is an emergency, our parents and church staff know how to reach us.

Here is what I'm sayin'...

Miquell is the most courageous and passionate woman I know.  She loves deep and is truly an amazing woman.  She is my wife, my best friend and we love to laugh and have fun together.  We are committed to being everything God has in mind for us.  Our lives will be spent for the glory of God! 

Eva Mykayle is my gorgeous daughter.  She thrills me with her jokes, curiousity, and innocence.  I don't want my Eva to ever question if she was a priority in my life!

Gibson David is my only son in whom I am well pleased.  The amount of joy he brings to my life can't be measured in earthly values.  I will miss him this week, as he is doing the "Grandparent Tour" so we can spend quality time with our first-born. 

ALC...with joy, I typically give you the largest portion of my strength, time, and passion.  I love ALC, its people, and its mission in the earth!  I sincerely appreciate your understanding and loyal support of our family.  We are blessed to lead such fantastic and Godly people

This week, however, I will happily devote to my family.  If there are moments when Eva and Q are just tired and worn out from all that "focusing and connecting" with me, I'll do some reading.  If you're interested, here are my book choices for the week. (They are also listed in the right margin.)

I'll see you in a few days.  I'm off to create new moments!  

ALC 2.0 Premier Worship Experience...where amazing happened!

Amazing happened...at ALC today!  After the countless days and hours of hard work by so many incredible ALC Lifers, the premier Worship Experience at our new location is now history.  It was a day full of "wow" moments and the powerful presence of God.  Here are a few pics that chronicle the epic event.  If you are ever in the Dallas area, we'd love to have you worship with us. You can also watch a service LIVE at Abundant Life Church.

The Gospel...is about to be preached!

The Gospel - ALC Message Series
launches on May 17th and will feature the three final
messages at 2021 East Park Boulevard.

I am so excited about the next few weeks at Abundant Life Church.  ALC has been a feature in the North Dallas spiritual landscape since the 1960's.  This church began as a home group in "old Plano" and grew into a spiritual refuge that has impacted thousands of lives.  Through the years, our methods have radically changed, but our message has remained the same!  The Gospel is our foundation! 

For the next three weeks, we are going to preach the timeless truth of the Gospel.  This will be a "no holds barred" effort at communicating the life changing message of Jesus Christ.  No stunts, bells, or whistles...just the The Gospel!   This 2,000 year old message radically changed lives then and is still changing lives today.

On May 31st, we will celebrate the final weekend out this location with a Baptism Experience.  If you would like to water baptized, please email us at:  jmanning@alcplano.org.

The last Sunday at 2021 East Park will be full of action!  We will also host a reunion of all the friends and family who have ever attended ALC. Together, we will rejoice over what God has done at 2021 East Park and then celebrate our move to 2301 Premier Drive!

Our best days are ahead!  There will be a few surprises throughout this series.  You'll just have to be here every week so you don't miss anything! 

I am about to preach...the Gospel! 

Jeff

 

I am going to....The Prison!

The ALC Players are proud to present...

The Prison
May 1 and 2 at 7:30 pm
Abundant Life Church
Admission is free
Doors open at 7:00 pm

Recommended for ages 10+.

For more info,
email drama@alcplano.org
or call 972-424-4846

The Prison is a dramatic look at the lives of
three strangers cast into prison with no explanation
and seemingly no hope for release. The stage play
delves into the life of Wesley Cole (a man facing
the rest of his life behind bars) and the series of
events that led to his imprisonment. After years in
solitude, he meets two new prisoners who help him
rediscover what it means to have hope.

The ALC "money back" guarantee!

We launched this concept at ALC last weekend! 
I dare you...try it! 

Easter Series 2009 @ ALC

Here is the graphic for the new series I am starting April 5!  I can't tell you how excited I am about sharing this series of messages with our church!  God wants to release us from the destructive issues that capture our soul!