Don't Miss September 9th!

September 9th is a day you do not want to miss at Life Church!!  We are kicking the day off in the Convention Center where Ashlin will be back in action and the Life Church Band will lead us in some rockin' music.  We will start a new teaching series called "The New Normal: When One Thing Changes Everything" - we will explore how Jesus can change everything and set our lives up with a "new normal." We will also launch a new video telling one story of life transformation in our Life Church community.  After our gathering we will then move the party to Lancaster County Park where we will host our 3rd Annual Pig Roast!  For those interested we are inviting you to bring a dessert or drink to share but everything else will be provided!  The Pig Roast is free to everyone who wants to come - So invite your friends and family!  Our hospitality team will be out in force that day making everyone feel welcome and there will be some fun backyard games and sports to play.  This is a great day to connect friends and family who do not know Jesus to our Life Church community and hopefully help them find Jesus for Life.

Groups Starting in Late September!!

Jesus offers us full life and life lived alone is not full. That’s why this fall Life Church will launch a handful of small groups designed to help people grow in their faith and to connect more fully to Jesus, his people and his mission. These groups will focus on specific teaching topic, will last for about 10 weeks and will be led by fellow Life Church folks. Groups will be around 8-14 people who gather together on a weekly basis. Joining a group is a great way to grow in your faith, to find new friendships and to be a part of making a difference. Our current listing of groups is as follows:

Financial Peace University led by Jeremey & Lydia Walter and Corey & Jaime Shank.
Vintage Jesus led by Dave & Kristen May & Frank & Kelly Carr
What’s Next led by Matt Miller and Margie Faler
Life Church Newcomers led by Jason & Mindy Wolfe

Feel free to talk to any of these leaders about their group! More info about the subjects, times, dates, cost, locations and sign ups will be coming very soon!

Matt's Thoughts On MMA

I’m not really into MMA but I am into lost people finding Jesus. I was blown away by how many non-churched people showed up to this event. I was excited to see people taking smoke breaks and swearing. Why? Because that means we are connecting people who often don't connect with church or Jesus. We are not interested in hosting an event that is consumed by ‘put together’ church people. If we don’t feel slightly uncomfortable about something that's going down at an event like this, we’re not doing it right! I’m excited to see how God is going to use the upcoming fights to reach more people who would never step foot in church. If this event sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, contact Drew Landis via email drewlandis1@gmail.com

Kid City's: Drama-Rama

We want our kids to feel comfortable inviting their friends to church… so, we designed two events that would make it easier. Earlier this month we hosted “Music-pa-looza”— a fun, out-of-the ordinary musical experience (check out photos and a short video on Facebook at Kid City at Life Church) and next month we’ll be hosting “Drama-rama”—a high-energy drama workshop led by a theatre professional. These workshops are FREE and open to kids age 2 -5th grade. Empower and encourage your kids to invite their friends to church—where they will have fun, have a meaningful experience without intimidation… but most importantly hear about Jesus.

It Will Rock Your Socks Off!

Our final shout out about our first ever Ladies Retreat is coming from our Kid City Director, Kristen May -

"I’m stoked for the Women's Retreat. Here’s why-- first, I’m looking forward to some pool-side sunshine and sentimental campfires, but second, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the ladies of Life Church on a deeper level. God, in his infinite wisdom, created us with a need for community. I feel that need… I’m sure most women feel it. This retreat is a great opportunity to invest in relationships and meet that need. We’re all so very different, but the bottom line is this: we all love to have fun, we all found ourselves somehow connected to Life Church, and we all are seeking Jesus in some way--- these commonalities are not coincidental. My suggestion is this: if you haven’t already signed up to attend, please do! You will only regret not coming. (It will rock your socks off—it may even change your life!).

Come Away And Connect

We asked Barbara Perry what she was hoping to come away from the retreat with. Like many of us, deeper friendships was at the top of the list. Thanks Barbara for sharing your heart with us!


"What’s the quickest way to get to know someone really fast? I find that spending time in an environment where you are doing everything together usually does the trick. This is how I see it. Ladies that sleep, eat and climb into the trees and pray and study God’s word together grow very close. And it doesn’t take long. The ladies of Life Church are about to venture out on their very first Ladies Retreat and our mission and hope is to be able to come to know each other in a deeper and more interconnected way. We will only be on the retreat for two nights. But, oh, what can happen in two nights, when twenty-some ladies come with expectant hearts before God!

I want to thank the men of Life Church for giving the ladies this opportunity to take time out to be together and spend quality time to touch each other’s lives and see each other in a whole new and different atmosphere. I don’t know about you, but do you get to the heart of who someone is all about; their passions, their pain, their joys, their sorrows, in 90 minutes or so on a Sunday morning?

Church is about community. We come to commune with one another and with our God, opening ourselves up to each other and being vulnerable and allowing our brothers and sisters in the family of God to share our joys and our sorrows; our needs and our blessings. That’s what the community of Jesus is all about. In Acts 4:32, is says “….. the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” - Barbara

If you haven't signed up yet for Life Church's first Ladies Retreat it is NOT too late!!! Head on over to our website, www.lifechurchlancaster.org, click the ladies retreat tab at the top of the page and sign up! If you have a friend who doesn't go to Life Church or even any church at all, but you know she could really use a rest and some good time with other women - invite her! We are counting down and hope to see you there.- Mindy

Shiny Christians

Many people think that being a follower of Jesus is all about how shiny you can polish your life to be. Have I gotten rid of this sin, and that sin? Have I mastered a spiritual things like prayer or reading my bible? Do I only hang out with people who agree with me about God and Church? We get so focused on polishing our lives that we become arrogant toward people who aren't working as hard as we are and we judge people whose lives are “messy.” Additionally, we have little love for the hurting, the broken and the outcast.

But when Jesus walked this earth he roamed the streets and invited people to “follow me.” He didn’t have a list of prerequisites that you had to meet first. He didn’t look for people who had it all together. He didn’t make them promise to never swear again, to quit smoking, to tuck in their shirt and to never watch football on Sunday again. He simply said, “Follow Me.” Being a follower of Jesus is not about figuring out where you land on the “morality-achievement scale.” Its about a consistent focus on Jesus.

Some of us grew up in homes where Jesus was prayed to, talked about and the bible was read regularly. Others grew up in homes where Jesus was rejected and not welcome. While others come from lives of broken families, violence, abuse, and a thousand other hardships. Some of us have made terrible decisions and now are reaping the consequences. Still others have received wisdom from parents and teachers and they are enjoying full life.

Everyone’s starting point is different but if we have a consistent focus on Jesus we are all heading in the same direction. So what matters for each of us is - Are you learning what it means to walk with Jesus today? He says to you, “Follow Me.”

New Shirts

New shirts coming this summer!

What do you think of our brand new t-shirt designs? Everything from color to design has been strategically chosen and will make our volunteers instantly recognized by guests.

We’ve been wanting to make shirts for Kid City and the Greeting Team for some time now. Thanks to Mike Potemra’s connection at Thaddeus Stevens College, we will be able to use their equipment to make shirts at cost.

To get your very own t-shirt, talk to your team leader.

Know Jesus Through Your Bible

At our Ladies Retreat this year we are going to be learning about our Bible. What's in it? What do we do with it? How do we get something out of it or understand it? So we asked Sarah Schrott to share some of her thoughts about how she looks at her Bible now and how that has changed over the years.


Growing up in church every Sunday, youth group on Wednesdays, Christian school every day of my life I was immersed in the Bible whether I wanted to be or not. (Im pretty sure the Bible was was seeping through the walls of my mother’s womb while i was in-utero.) Much of my life the Bible was more of a textbook. The incentive to read it and memorize it in church was a sweet treat, memorization patches/pins for your Awana vest, or just simply the competitive nature to see who could memorize the most by the end of the month. In school the incentive to read and learn my Bible was the glory of getting an A in Bible class. I didn’t know throughout my K-12 days submerged in Christian School that the Bible was more than a means to get a good grade or an affirming accolade, even though I had heard otherwise.

When I was 19 I became a Christian. Hard to believe that after my 9 months + 18 years of being saturated in the Bible that I wasn’t actually a Christian. For the first time I began to understand the Bible outside of being a textbook. The Bible became a means to KNOW GOD rather than an incentive for any other silly secondary reason. I was reading the Bible with groups of people, listening to podcasts, and being taught from the Bible at Bible studies. I didn’t understand why I had so many questions after all of my years in church and school. Luckily I had the gift of being taught by a campus minister who answered all my questions about the Bible with the Bible. He taught me that Christians are meant to have questions and seek answers! Questions are GREAT! That’s what makes the beauty of our relationship with the Lord so wonderful. I believe to be loved to is to be known and to be known is to be loved. In order to get to know God: what he’s like, what he delights in, what makes him smile, what makes him sad, what frustrates him, what angers him ect. we must not be afraid to ask questions. Asking question enables our hearts to find answers about who God is! The greatest incentive of all in reading straight from God’s word is being able to know God’s heart and character. ~ Sarah Shcrott

Ladies Retreat

Come Away...to a weekend of rest and relaxation; away from the "to do" lists and the hustle and bustle of life. As women, we tend to invest much of our time and energy into caring for others. We do however, need to stop and refuel from time to time. The men of Life Church have graciously blessed us with a prepaid retreat as a way to show love and care to the women of Life Church. Please consider 'coming away' to embrace the encouragement of other women and to be still with an open heart and mind in order to receive the renewal that Christ desires for you. Jesus says in Matt. 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

~Shelby Wagner

As Life Church's first ever Ladies Retreat approaches several women will be weighing in and sharing some of their thoughts about the retreat, life, some of their personal experiences, friendships and what they are hoping to get from the retreat. This is a way for you to begin to get to know some of the women who call Life Church their home and for you to know that we all want as many women to join us as possible! And remember you can sign up to attend on our website and join our facebook page for more updates- Life Church Ladies Retreat. - Mindy Wolfe

Community At Life Church

No one can know Jesus fully, change deeply or reach the world without being in positive, healthy Christian community. WOW. That’s a BIG Statement! Yet, test it out - if God himself exists in community as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit why do so many of us live isolated, independent lives. What gives?

The reality is we all need people who will encourage us when we’re down and who we can encourage when they are down. We need people to help us in our times of need and we need to help others when they are in need. And the greatest proof that Jesus is alive is when his followers love each other.

Because healthy community is such a high value at Life Church we are strategically planning to launch some small group options for the fall. We are currently running a training group of around 15 people to lead these small groups. Each group will provide a great way for you to connect with other followers of Jesus on mission.

But until we have organized groups - take some initiative and get to know some new friends at Life Church. Have a backyard barbecue this summer. Throw a dinner party, go see a movie, go bowling or golfing with some new friends, get together downtown on a first Friday - and while you’re together spend some time talking about what Jesus is doing in your life. He is what we all have in common.

Come Away!

The men of Life Church are awesome! I am so excited to be writing today about what they did for us women. The men of Life Church got together and decided to raise the funds to pay for ALL the women of Life Church to get away for a weekend!!! They told us they think part of being a good man is caring for the women in their lives and that includes all the women in our church body. So, they raised the funds to provide us with a sweet location, all our meals provided and a speaker to refresh our hearts. Because they are super thoughtful they didn’t want to necessarily plan our whole retreat and end up with it being not quite what we women would like. So, they set out to enable us and help us create a weekend that meets our needs as women. Seriously, that’s awesome!

In light of their heart for us, our theme this year is going to be - Come Away. Come Away from the stressors of life, the regular routines and the constant responsibilities to a restful and fun place. Be ready to lie by the pool, have someone else cook all your meals for a few days, and have your heart encouraged. Also, be ready to Come Away from the weekend and return home with some new perspective, with deeper friendships and connections not only to other women but also to Jesus and His word. Our speaker, Anita Keagy, from http://joyshop.org/ will be talking to us about how to read our Bibles. She is going to actually walk us through a simple process that we can use by ourselves every day - this alone has the power to completely transform your life! If you are not reading your Bible on a daily basis and enjoying freedom and encouragement and refreshment for you soul you need to come this weekend! For a tid bit of her message hop on over to her website - she has an incredible story to share with us.

In the next few weeks several women from Life Church will be posting blogs all about the retreat. We are excited and we want as many women as possible to join in - Come Away with us (on the guys’ tab!) and let’s have a fabulous weekend together!

- Mindy

Be The Best You

This week I traveled to Charlotte, NC where I met up with a group of GHCN church planters. During a training session the presenter made this statement: “Most people over-value what they are not and under-value what they are.”

Is this statement true in your own life? Do you see someone elses gifts, talents, abilities or skills and wish you were more like them. It is so easy to get discouraged with ourselves as we compare ourselves to others.

But Jesus has something totally different for us in mind. Jesus made us to be a part of His ‘body’ (1 Cor. 12:12-26) and the bible says we are his ‘masterpiece’ (Eph. 2:10). There is no one else in this world with your mix of talents, abilities, personality, experience, and passions. And through Jesus, you can make an impact in a way that no one else can.

As we each follow Jesus, let each of us be the best “you” that we can be.

1 Year For Jesus

Sunday will mark the 1 year anniversary of Life Church! Its hard to believe that Life Church has already hammered out a full year for Jesus. 

When our small band of crazy young folks settled here in Lancaster almost 2 years ago - we were passionate about creating a church where Jesus and His grace were the focus and where there was an environment where people could come as they are to find life in Him - no matter how jacked-up they were.

Over these 12 months we have gone from 20 to 120 people and the stories of life transformation far surpass anything I had hoped for. We have seen over 30 people find life in Jesus for the very first time with many others finding encouragement, hope, community and new life breathed into their walk with Jesus. Every week I hear new details on how Jesus is changing lives through the community of Life Church.

I am so grateful to be on this mission with you all and I am stoked to see what Jesus will do through Life Church next year as we keep pointing everyone toward Him.

No Man Left Behind

Being a Vietnam movie with some Mel Gibson style gore, “We Were Soldiers” is a must see. Gibson plays the role of military commander Lieutenant Colonel Harold Moore. The Colonel gives his men a speech just before they are to leave for battle. He promises them “I will be the first man on the battlefield and I will be the last man off the battlefield. And I will leave no one behind, dead or alive.”

The words from the Colonel are a battle cry for the men at Life Church. The American male is under siege from political, social, scientific and religious critics. In many ways this criticism is justified - yet the result has been that men have lost their way. We have no unified vision for good manhood. Consequently, men have responded by becoming chauvinistic oppressors, immature idiots or selfish pansies distracted by the pleasures of life.

It is time we respond differently.

If you are a man who attends Life Church, we will not leave you behind. You can not hide in the back row, you can not disappear into the crowd. We will find you and challenge you to be a man for Jesus. Jesus’ calling on your life is profound and challenging. We are here to help you join the men who are on the battlefield of life fighting alongside Jesus for the gospel, our wives, our sons & daughters, our grandkids, our communities – you must join us. We will not leave you behind.

Pastor Jason

Its All About Jesus

If you have been attending Life Church for any amount of time I hope you have heard one consistent message from us: Jesus. Being a Christian means that I am someone who is learning to trust Jesus - nothing more, nothing less.

It’s not about moral achievment.

It’s not about religious rituals.

It’s not about working hard to be good.

It’s not about making promises and vows.

It’s not about getting gold stars on heaven’s chore chart.

It’s about Jesus.

Like a rebellious teenager we thought we knew better and we snuck out of the house, went to the party, got drunk, and woke up in a jail cell with wet pants and smelled like vomit. Jesus came and found us, paid our bail, brought soap, a wash bucket and fresh clothes.

We don’t deserve what Jesus did. We don’t deserve His kindness & forgiveness. We never will. But he freely offers it to ALL who are willing to put their faith and hope in Him. This is good news.

This is why at Life Church - It’s always going to be about Jesus.

Gentlemen: An Offer For You

Hey guys, In talking about “moral margin,” one great way to keep yourself from really screwing up is to download a program called “Covenant Eyes”. This software program is not a filter. Rather, for $9 bucks a month it simply monitors your Internet activity and sends a report to your predetermined “accountability partner.” This always leads to exciting and helpful conversations. This software will help in your fight for masculine honor, purity and wholeness. I highly recommend it. I use this software along with many other leading guys at Life Church.

So here’s the offer: due to a generous gift from a Life Church dude who cares about men of Life Church, the first ten guys who respond to this we will give you ten bucks for trying it out. That covers your $9 fee with an extra buck to spare. Check out their website and then go here to see the details of how we are working this promotion. Fight the good fight - or it will kill you.

No More Margin

Our MARGIN teaching series is over but I hope a life with margin is just beginning for each of you. So many of you responded positively to this series. Many of you are working hard to make room in your life for the most important things and I am excited to see the results of your determined effort. So in order to be most helpful to you all, I wanted to pass on to you a few resources I have found which helped me learn about margin.

The best book I found on the topic as a whole is called “MARGIN: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives” by Richard A. Swenson, M.D. As a Christian medical doctor, Swenson brings a good perspective to this topic.

Time Margin
I highly recommend the small book “Choosing the Cheat: Who Wins When Family and Work Collide” by Andy Stanley. Andy says this is the most important book he has ever written. Andy’s chapter on “Watch Out For Falling Rocks” alone is worth the price of the book. Its a quick read but its message could change your life.

Financial Margin
The best resources I have found on gaining financial margin are Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace” material or his “Total Money Makeover” book. I am hoping in the future we will be able to host a Financial Peace University course at Life Church. Many of you have already been through this helpful course.

Spiritual & Emotional Margin
I recommend the book “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” by Peter Scazzero. I listened to a podcast of Pastor Scazzero from Denver Seminary and found his thoughts very helpful. His major premise is that we can not be ‘spiritually mature’ and still be ‘emotionally immature.’

These authors and resources have been helpful to me and I hope they will be to you too.

Financial Margin

Last Sunday we talked about the importance of gaining financial margin. I explained the first step in getting financial margin is finding contentment in your relationship with Jesus (Heb. 13:5). Here I will share with you some practical steps that will help lead you to a place of financial margin.

1. Learn Contentment.
This contentment can only come from Jesus. If you do not learn to be content with what you have - you will never have margin. Focus on Him. Think about what He has given you. Remember & believe that ‘He became poor so we could be come rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9)

2. Give Generously
This is counter-intuitive. Most of us think “once I have margin, then I will start to give generously.” The reverse is true. The more money people make, the less generous we become. Americans were much more generous during the great depression than we were in the booming economy of the 90’s. The more you make, the more you want, the less you give. Give generously now. Give sacrificially now. Then you will begin to experience the joys of generous giving. Additionally, as you give, the firm grip which ‘desire-for-more’ has on our hearts will slowly loosen its hold.

3. Distinguish Between Your NEEDS And Your WANTS
We have convinced ourselves that we need way more than we really do. You don’t need a brand new car, you don’t need 1800 square feet of living space, you don’t need a full data plan, you don’t need to pay $80 bucks for a pair of jeans, you don’t need to eat out, you don’t need to go to the theater, you don’t need to buy the jumbo value pack with a one gallon soda and drywall bucket of popcorn, you don’t need the full cable package... you don’t really need cable at all.

We tell ourselves we need these things (and many more) or we are convinced we deserve them. “I work hard” you say. That’s good. We should all work hard to earn a living - but no one deserves to live beyond their means. Remember Prov. 21:20? “the foolish man devours all he has.” Ouch!

Getting margin in any area of life means putting first things first. To gain financial margin follow this order - Find contentment in Jesus, Give generously, Save, Pay your bills (needs) - then with the remainder enjoy the good things God gives you (wants).

How Big Is Your Plate?

“I can’t schedule margin! I’m already not doing as much as my friend is.”

Many of us have this fear. We see others being productive. We see them accomplishing tasks and taking responsibilities. We are convinced we need to keep up with them. I need to do more because THEY are doing more.

Here is my advice: Stop comparing your self to others and figure out how big YOUR plate is. God has given each of us varying plate sizes - or capacity to get things done. Some people seem to juggle several major responsibilities and still have margin while others are overloaded with one or two things. Know how big YOUR plate is.

Based on your own core values, how much can you effectively handle and still have margin in your life? Once you know your limits (and we all have them), then you can prioritize what you do - making sure the most important things in life are on your plate.

Get Margin and Accomplish More

When we start talking about ‘margin,’ one thing we all worry about is if we intentionally place more margin in our schedules won’t we be less productive? But I believe the opposite is true.

Margin Empowers Productivity
When we are always pushing our lives to the limit - we live on the borderline of exhaustion. Our temper is short, sleep is scarce, we’re pissed off for no reason, and we’re usually stressed out. This state of life does not fuel productivity. It may work for a time, but not for the long haul.

Trust Jesus - Slow Down
When we learn to trust Jesus and force ourselves to slow down - we slowly become refreshed. It is during this ‘downtime’ that we often have our most significant thoughts and make life changing decisions.

The Apostle Paul was one of the most productive people in history - But somewhere around 6 years of his ministry life were lived from a prison cell. In prison he wrote 5 books of the bible (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon & 2 Timothy.) The Apostle John wrote the book of Revelation while exiled alone on an island. John Bunyan wrote much of “Pilgrim's Progress” while in prison. I have also heard many modern stories of lives being radically transformed by Jesus in the context of a prison.

What is it about a prison that helps some produce their greatest contribution to society? Maybe its all the time they have to think, pray and talk with Jesus.

Don’t make Jesus throw you in the slammer to get you to slow down. Trust Jesus. Slow down. Then watch how productive He will make you.

Changed For Eternity

Jesus is transforming lives at Life Church. Every week we have first time guests in attendance at church. Every week someone has come to Life Church who has not been to church before - or at least for a very long time. Every week each of you are scattered all over Lancaster learning what it means to be “sent by Jesus.” Every day good deeds are being done and conversations are taking place that help lead people to Jesus for life.

Every day there are many many good ways we can invest the 24 hours God has given to us. But when we invest our time and our energy in the mission of Jesus, the lives of people are changed for eternity. I am excited and humbled to share in this mission with you all.

Fig Leaves or Freedom

When was the last time you royally screwed up? You knew it was wrong but you went and did it anyway. I assure you every single one of us has been there. But then what do we do? Normally our first response is to hide, cover up and hope no one finds out. That’s what Adam and Eve did when they screwed up. They took fig leaves and covered up - they felt guilt and were ashamed. Too many of us live with this same guilt and shame.

Jesus came to bring us freedom (Gal. 5:1, Jn. 8:32). We can enjoy this freedom when we boldly admit to Jesus and to trusted Christian friends (Jms 5:16) that we have screwed up. Jesus said he did not come to judge the world, but to save it (Jn. 3:17). When we bring our screw ups into the Jesus - we are not judged but rather we find grace & freedom and they begin to loose their power over us.

The longer you use the fig leaf to hide your sin, the more power it will exert over you. If you want freedom and growth - step one is to confess it - To Jesus first (He already knows anyway - so be honest) and with a trusted Christian friend or mentor who will support you and pray for you.

Come out of the dark and find life in the Light.