Mark Nipper

Learn from Everyone and Everywhere

2010-08-26T15:48:00.001-05:00

Preparation
The journey for us (April and I) to move to Michigan and plant Lakepointe began nearly two years before we actually moved. For Scott that journey began nearly five years before his family moved. We spent those two years reading and preparing for the exciting adventure God had planned for us. Here are just a few of the things we did to prepare for church planting. We were consumed with learning as much as we could about the subject. Our goal was to be "experts" which we are still striving for.

Books
Once we knew that God had called us to plant a church in Michigan we immediately began to read all things dealing with church planting including the Bible beginning with Acts. The first book we read was Launch by Nelson Searcy. I followed that by reading Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer, Community of Kindness by Steve Sjogren and Robert Lewin, Innovate Church by Jonathan Falwell, plus many others but these were some of the first that we read.

Blogs and Websites
We also began reading blogs from other church planters. Some of the blogs we read were Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, Life Church, Access Elevation, Tony Morgan, Inside North Point, Tim Stevens, Wired Churches as well as many others. We wanted to immerse ourselves in all things dealing with church planting and leadership. Of course this is not an exhaustive list but these are some of the best places for a person to learn about church planting and leadership.

Conferences
Each person on our team attended at least one conference. Here is a list of the conferences we attended: Innovate, Three, Unleash, Exponential, C3 Conference, and others. We knew that hearing from the speakers and leaders at these conferences plus others would prepare us and motivate us for the job of planting a church.

Coaching Networks
Scott and I each joined a coaching network which we believed would help us to grow especially in the area of leadership. Scott joined Ritchie Miller who is the pastor of Avalon Church in Georgia and I joined Tim Stevens who is the Executive Pastor of Granger Community Church in Indiana. We both learned from these two men as well as the other leaders who were in the groups and we were extremely thankful for the opportunity to join these groups.

Prayer
During all of this our team met regularly to pray and plan. Individually we spent hours praying and asking God to give us discernment, wisdom, and strength for the days ahead. God has been faithful and will continue to be faithful. We are so grateful that we have been able to take this journey. Please continue to pray for us as we continue on this journey.

Vital Signs

2010-08-24T21:45:00.000-05:00

Although the final chapter for Lakepointe and our story is still far away from being written I wanted to focus on some of the big wins we have had in the past year. Our first service for Lakepointe on October 18, 2009 we had 84 in attendance. We had no idea what to expect since the only thing we had done was pass out some invite cards and do some other grass roots work which I will share later. 84 surprised us and we began to prepare for our next monthly service. We had determined that we would do 6 monthly services before we launched on March 21, 2010. For our second monthly service we had 94 in attendance. We celebrated once again and praised God for the results that we had seen so far.

During the monthly services Scott spoke on the vision and values of Lakepointe with a series called Unstoppable. We wanted those who attended Lakepointe for the preview services to get a taste of what Lakepointe would look like in the future. Our desire was for them to catch the vision and heart that we had for Macomb County Michigan. During this time we did a monthly outreach in the community and we spent $0 on advertisement or promotion other than invite cards. Each week we encouraged those who attended to invite their friends and family to come back. At the end of 6 months we had averaged 77 during our preview services with a high of 94 and a low of 67. We were pumped and excited about what the future held for Lakepointe.

Statistics for Lakepointe since our first official service on October 18, 2009:

Weekly Attendance: 105 including preview and launch
Weekly Attendance: 105 since March 21 launch
Launch Service: 297
Salvations: 22
Baptisms: 9
New Members: 83
Weekly Volunteers: 30

One Year

2010-08-22T20:16:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I posted, but I decided to go ahead and write a little about the journey we have been on while planting Lakepointe Church. One year ago today we moved from Pensacola, FL to Metro Detroit to plant Lakepointe Church. Since the big move there have been many ups and downs. The next few posts I will be sharing some of the things we have learned in the last year. We have seen God work and provide in amazing ways and I am looking forward to sharing some of the wonderful things we have experienced. I will say that if I could travel back in time I would have made the same decision based on what I know now and the things we have experienced.

Lakepointe Church

2009-12-05T14:10:00.004-06:00

We are gearing up for our 3rd monthly service on December 20th. Pastor Scott shared on his blog how you can help Lakepointe. Check it out and do what you can. We have already seen the Lord work in marvelous ways and we know that He will continue to work. Please help us reach the lost and hurting in Metro Detroit.

Lakepointe Church Launch Video

2009-10-20T09:40:00.002-05:00

Journey to Michigan

2009-09-24T19:57:00.003-05:00

September 25th will be exactly one month since my family and I arrived in MI. Before we left I had no job and we had never seen the house that we were going to live in. Since arriving we have found that our new home is plenty big enough for the four of us and I have found 2 jobs that will allow me to have a flexible schedule. It has been unbelievable to see how God has opened doors and provided for us. We cannot wait to see the amazing things He has in store for us.

Job Hunting

2009-09-02T11:55:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I blogged. We have been very busy since arriving in MI on Tuesday, August 25. Our new home is great and in a really good location. Every store you can think of is within 3 miles of our house including 2 malls.

Paul is our new landlord and we are praying that we will have the opportunity to share with him God's love. We have already invited him to our first service on October 18. Randy and May (My) live in the unit next to us and they are very nice. We are praying for them as well.

I will try to post a video or something soon so that you can see the inside of the condo. Adam and Hailey are sharing a room but they don't seem to mind.

Most of my time has been consumed with searching for a job. I have not spent so much time at the library since my college days. This is something that is foreign to me since I have never actually looked for a job before. I am learning a lot and I have had some success. Waiting on people to respond back is agonizing for me since I am a results oriented person, but I guess it is teaching me patience. Pray that doors will continue to be opened and that God will provide me with a job soon.

We have started going to a local coffee shop in order to meet people. Pray that God will give us contacts and that we will be bold in sharing and inviting others to Lakepointe. I will try to keep current on my post.

Heartbroken

2009-08-22T21:02:00.002-05:00

As we prepare to embark on our move to MI I have just received some very disappointing news. Following Christ is never easy, actually it may be one of the most difficult things to do. We knew that when we decided to be obedient to God's call that there would be many trials we would face. The unknown is the most difficult part of faith, but we trust that God will see us through. Tonight I received some news that has left me completely heartbroken. I know that God is in control of this situation and I know that He will work it out according to His purpose. Please pray for my family and that God will use this opportunity and these circumstances for His glory. There are many hurting people in the world and the only way they can receive true everlasting peace is through Christ. My prayer is that we will be used by God to help those who are hurting and in need especially those in our own family.

Conviction and Commitment

2009-08-06T19:44:00.001-05:00

Conviction: a fixed or firm belief.

Commitment: the act of committing, pledging, or engaging oneself; a pledge or promise; obligation.

Definitely two words that are lacking in our culture today. Unfortunately, these two words are also lacking in the church. Rarely do you find anyone who has conviction and is committed to those convictions. Stephen was a man who had convictions and was committed to those convictions even if it meant he had to die. Read Acts Chapters 6 & 7, and ask God to give you the same convictions and committment that He gave to Stephen and so many others in the early days of the church.

2 Timothy Chapters 3 & 4 talks about how in the last days men will be deceived by false doctrines and teachers. Be careful that you are not deceived and make sure that you have strong convictions based on the Bible and not what someone else has told you to believe. Search the scriptures and know what God says.

Moving to Michigan

2009-07-18T17:59:00.004-05:00

The first 3rd of the Lakepointe team (Scott and Karen) moved to Michigan on July 4th weekend and have been spending the last couple of weeks getting settled into their new environment. The other 3rd (Jared and Beka Sabo) will be moving July 30th. They have been busy packing and preparing for the move. Jared is going to drive the van and trailer that was donated to Lakepointe. We are praying that all their stuff fits into the back. If not he will be in the doghouse with his wife. They are leaving the weekend of their one year anniversary so that stuff had better fit.

The Blanchards and Sabos both have or had homes to move into so that definitely helped to make a smooth transition. The last 3rd of the team aka the Nippers will be moving the week of August 24. We are excited and anxious about the move. It will be very difficult to leave our families and friends as well as our church family. We know that this is God's plan for our lives right now, but that does not necessarily make it any easier. We are thankful for God's provision up to this point, and I have included some things for everyone to pray about as we make this transition. We appreciate your support and prayers.

Prayer Request:
1. God's power and blessing
2. Place for Lakepointe Church to meet
3. Jobs for Sabos and Mark
4. Safety as we travel
5. Financial support to come in
6. Place for Nippers to live
7. Clear vision and mission
8. Smooth transition for Adam, Hailey, and Nate

How should the church look?

2009-07-12T15:51:00.004-05:00

I read this article a few months ago and thought I would post it on my blog. It is from Francis Chan and describes what the church should be doing according to the Bible. I found it to be very powerful and challenging. What would happen if every Bible believing church started to act this way? Does this make you think about your own habits and conduct? Are you interested in obeying God's Word or criticizing others? Give it some thought and prayer and go where the Lord leads you.

A Gathering Force
By Francis Chan

Is there any logic in believing that God started His Church as a Spirit-filled, loving body with the intention that it would evolve into entertaining, hour-long services? Was he hoping that one day people would be attracted to the Church not because they care for one another, not because they are devoted to Him, not because the supernatural occurs in their midst, but because of good music and entertainment?

Try to imagine what conclusions you would come to if you had no prior church experience. The things in church services might make sense to the American church-attendee, but they don't make sense biblically.

Picture yourself on an island with only a Bible. You've never been to a church-you've never even heard of one. The only ideas you have about church are what you've read in your Bible. Then you enter a building labeled "church" for the first time. What would you expect to experience as you entered that building? Now compare that to what you actually experience when you attend church.

GANG RELATED
A while back, an ex-gang member got baptized at our church. He fell in love with Jesus and turned from his old lifestyle. But after several months at the church, he stopped attending. When we asked him why he stopped attending, he answered: "I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church, I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren't just nice to each other once a week-we were family."

That killed me because I knew that what he expected is what the church was intended to be. It saddened me because I realized that the gangs paint a better picture of loyalty and family than the local church body does.

But what if the church looked like this?
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

That describes what the ex-gang member was looking for. It describes what the world is waiting for. I used to look at this passage as something that was wonderful but could never happen in the twenty-first century. There are just too many cultural obstacles for the Holy Spirit to overcome. He is powerful enough to raise the dead, but not powerful enough to form a sharing and loving body in our individualistic society. I doubted God's ability to stir a body of believers to love tirelessly and give without restraint. I reasoned that this type of fellowship was probably not intended for our time. Besides, we don't have time to love like this.

Looking back, I wonder if I came to those conclusions because there was a part of me that wasn't sure I wanted it. It's interesting how much our theology is driven by desire.

There came a point where the elders at our church concluded that there was no reason why God wouldn't want the church to look like it did in the beginning. From there we reasoned that if God wants that, then we want it too. But the exciting part came when we resolved not to settle for anything less. We would pursue this for His Church regardless of how many would be turned off and move to other churches. If this is God's standard, then we will one day give an account for how we led His people toward the biblical model.

But where do we go from here? The hard part is answering the question of how. There are probably many who want our churches to function like the early church, but how do we get there?

START WITH WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
In other words, start with yourself. It's wrong to blame others for the condition of the Church. And it's silly for leaders to blame followers. God wasn't satisfied when Adam blamed Eve or when Eve blamed the serpent.

Our elders started with what we could control. We can't control other people. We can't make the congregation "break bread in their homes" or "sell their possessions." We also can't control God. We can't make Him do "wonders and miraculous signs" through us. I can, however, sell my possessions as people have needs. I do have control over that, so that became the first logical step. As we do our part, we trust God to bring about the "awe" and "wonders" in His time.
It was a beautiful time of sharing as our elders laid "everything" at each others' feet. We surrendered the keys to our cars, homes, and bank accounts. I actually believed the elders who looked me in the eyes and said, "What's mine is yours. If anything ever happens to you, I will support and care for your kids as much as I would care for my own. I will be your life insurance." And because they had a history of genuine sacrifice for the sake of the gospel, I trusted what they said. From there, we began going to some of our friends in the congregation and expressing our commitment to them (something anyone can do).

And now this mentality is spreading. New life is permeating the church as individuals are backing up their words with sacrifice. Cars and homes are being sold or given away. Expensive vacations are joyfully replaced with spending on others. People are being taken into homes-not only for meals, but to live. It's still the beginning of the process, and most people probably still come for the teaching or the music, but there's a growing number at our church who are coming to be with their church family and they don't care about who's teaching or leading music.

THERE MUST BE MORE
Something real was happing in the early Church. It was something of the Spirit, too powerful to be replicated by human effort. Imagine taking a friend to one of their church gatherings. Your friend might not experience a smoothly run, professional service. But one thing he would experience: God. Do we even need to ask which is better? So much of church growth today has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. The right team of talented people can make any church grow. When people sit through creative services, is it really God they're experiencing?

Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that we shouldn't give our best to God. If you're a musician, work diligently at your music. If you're a teacher, labor intensely over your messages. I'm just asking you to be willing to rethink what you're doing and ask: How can we create a more biblical environment where people see and experience God?
I
'm reminded of the story of Gideon in Judges 7. God tells Gideon, "You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.' So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained." (Judges 7:2-3)

If you remember the story, God then reduced the army to 300 soldiers. God did not just defeat the Midianites-He was careful to do it in a way that gave Him all the glory. He did not want to allow Israel to boast "that her own strength has saved her."

May people see our churches and know that mere human beings could not have created what they experienced. May we seek the priorities of the early church and trust God to once again produce the fruit of the early Church.

"And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." (Acts 2:47)

Francis Chan is the pastor of Cornerstone Church and the president of Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley. In addition to being a pastor, Francis speaks to thousands of youth throughout the U.S., challenging them to deeper commitment. He can be heard on his radio program "Truth Be Known." Francis has a great sense of humor, a genuine love for Christ, and a commitment to teach straight from the Word of God. Francis and his wife Lisa have been married for twelve years and have three daughters and one son: Rachel, mercy, Eliana, and Ezekiel. He is a graduate of the Master's College and Seminary.

Prayer for the Church

2009-07-07T08:39:00.002-05:00

Recently, I have been reading Fellowship of the Burning Heart a collection of sermons by A.W. Tozer. Here are some excerpts from his sermon "How to pray for Revival" that should be our prayer and desire for the modern church.

"I pray more for this than I pray for anything else. That the glory of God might be revealed again to this generation so the presence of God will be so overwhelming, so humiliating, so humbling, so wonderful, so glorious that it will turn us wrong-side-out and all our thought-up jokes will go down the drain and all our self-confidence will disappear and we will stand or kneel or fall down in the Presence of this Holy God and cry, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almight'."

"O God, restore Thy church again to the Holy Land. But, O God, if you use me, all right; but if you don't want to use me, I'll be joyous and rejoice to see the Church restored. O God, honor Thyself in our midst, and if you want to use me all right, but if not, I'll back the man you do use. I'll love him; I won't be jealous; I'll pray for him; and I'll work behind the scenes; and I'll do my dead-level best, unseen to do what I can do."

This is my prayer and should be all of our prayers that God will change the church and ourselves so much that we only seek to praise and honor Him and not to receive praise and honor for ourselves.

SOLD!!!!

2009-06-24T20:30:00.006-05:00

One hurdle towards our move to MI was to sell our home in Pensacola. Today, June 24 we closed on our home. God is so good to us definetely more than we deserve. Now the only step left is to set a move date which will be sometime in late August. We are excited about the move and cannot wait to see what God has in store for us. We know it will not be easy but we know God will be with us every step of the way. Please keep us and the Lakepointe team (Scott and Karen Blanchard and Jared and Beka Sabo) in your prayers.

Who do you emulate? Part II

2009-06-21T14:21:00.005-05:00

I firmly believe that we should only try to emulate Christ, but I also believe that we can learn from others. There have been many people who I have learned from over the years. Some who have had the greatest impact on my life would be my dad, Pastor Godfrey, Jeff James, and there have been many others. All of these men are all Godly men who walk with Christ and I have learned from each one of them but I still must emulate Christ.

To be the most effective we must be willing to learn from others. Thankfully there are many places that we can go to learn. With technology we have access to both modern day bloggers and to the men from days gone by who walked before us. My dad is constantly sending me messages and writings from what he calls the "old dead guys" like A.W. Tozer, R.A. Torrey and many others. These men were from days gone by but their insights into Gods Word and their wisdom can help anyone who wants to emulate Christ. I also read blogs and listen to sermons from guys like Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, Ed Stetzer, Craig Groeschel and many others. It is important for us to pray for discernment as we listen to or read something from anyone and that we make sure that we try to hold everything up to Gods standard. If we want to lead and emulate Christ we must constantly be learning.

Who do you emulate? Part I

2009-06-20T10:36:00.007-05:00

I was reading the foreword to a book the other day and the writer was praising the author of the book about his accomplishments and his walk with God. As I was reading, I began thinking about how we put men up on a pedestal and try to copy them or become like them in every way. I have seen people preach, dress, walk, talk, and do their hair like their favorite pastor or evangelist. We try to emulate these men when we should really be trying to emulate only one and that is Christ. His standards are so much higher than any person, organization, denomination, or church. As a matter of fact, it is impossible for us to attain His standard. Isaiah 64:6 says that all our righteousness or good works is as filthy rags in Gods eyes.

God is a holy, righteous God and we should try to be like Him in every way. Ultimately, we will each be held accountable to Him and not to anyone else. Our lives should be lived for His glory and His honor. To me this is one of the most frightening things that I can imagine that we will be held accountable to a holy, perfect God. It is easy for me to live up to someone elses standard but not for me to live up to Gods standard. Like I have already said we cannot meet Gods standard it is impossible. Thankfully He still loves us and He made a way for our sins to be forgiven and when he looks at His children it is like we have never even sinned. My prayer is that I will not try to copy man, but instead that I will emulate Christ with my life.

Silly Pics from our recent trip to Disney

2009-06-11T19:29:00.005-05:00

The kids always want to stop and make silly pictures but there are always so many people that we are not able to do it. This time there were several empty machines so we made an incredible family portrait. I will put more up later.

New Chapter equal de ja vu

2009-06-09T20:07:00.002-05:00

As April and I look forward to an exciting start in MI it seems like I am right back where my journey in the ministry began. This summer the Lord blessed with me a job at the Marcus Pointe Christian School summer camp. The pay is not high but I am thankful for the opportunity to work and serve the Lord. It has been fun getting to see many of the kids who were at Marcus Pointe when I was the administrator of the school. Some of them were in the infant room and now they are 5 or 6 years old, boy does that make me fill old. I love being around kids and always laugh at the funny things they do and say. It is hard to believe that almost 12 years ago I went on staff at Marcus Pointe and that I am once again working there. I would have never guessed that this would be part of God's plan for me. I love to see how God works and how He always provides for us. There have been many times where God has provided for us and I thought there was no way He could. The only thing I can think of is Romans 8:28. God cares for me and He wants what is best for me it is up to me to obey Him and try to follow His plan for my life. As I look forward to a new chapter it is interesting how God has brought me back to an old chapter. I am interested in what I will learn this summer and how God will provide for my family.

Lessons Learned from Spending Time with Family

2009-06-08T20:00:00.003-05:00

I just got back from a mini vacation with my favorite family. April, Adam, Hailey, and my favorite inlaws went to Orlando to visit Walt Disney World. We had a great time and we were able to do everything we wanted to do as well as relax quite a bit. I was glad we were able to go since we may not be able to make it back there for a while with our move to Michigan in August.

During the trip, I noticed lots of different kinds of people. The weekend we were there was Star Wars weekend at Disneys Hollywood Studios so there were some interesting people running around in some interesting to say the least costumes. I saw happy families, angry families, tired families, and families with lots of energy. We were able to talk with people standing in line which is always fun and interesting. We always enjoy giving them pointers on how to make the most of their Disney experience since we consider ourselves to be "experts".

Last week was also the week when people who live in alternative lifestyles gather in Orlando. Due to this April and I were nervous about taking the kids during this time, but we decided to give it a try and see what happened. Later in the week we had a discussion about how the church has done a terrible job of reaching out to this community. The church as a whole has not done a good job of showing them the love of Christ and that is a tragedy. Instead we have tried to shame them into coming to Christ. I have to admit when I see someone who is involved in this lifestyle I automatically judge them, but when I see someone who may be involved in a "lesser sin" I have compassion on them. This week I was convicted by the Holy Spirit to not judge the sinner but rather pray for them and do what I can to show them the love of Christ. Everyone who has not accepted Christs love and forgiveness has a need regardless of the "sin" in which they are involved. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Except for the grace of God we would all perish. My desire is that I would be able to talk straight with people about their sins and how a Holy God hates their sin, but loved them enough to make a way for their sins to be removed. The next few days as you go about your normal day remember that everyone you come in contact with is someone for whom Jesus died and try to show that person the love of Christ.

Having an attitude of audacity

2009-05-05T22:12:00.005-05:00

Two weeks ago I was able to attend a conference put on by Steven Furtick and his staff at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. During the conference I learned many things and God really spoke to me. One of the things that really spoke with me was the principle of creating a culture of audacity. Audacity is an attitude that you create and cultivate. It is an attitude that God can do great things if you are willing to step out in faith and trust Him. Sometimes it means you have to have big dreams and a big vision. We should be bold in our efforts to share the gospel and to go against the gates of Hell. David showed audacity when he went against the giant Goliath believing and trusting that God would protect him and give him the victory. My prayer is that God will help me to create an attitude of audacity when it comes to serving Him and doing things in His name.

Thr3e Conference

2009-04-29T12:10:00.002-05:00

On Tuesday Pastor Scott and I traveled to Charlotte, NC to attend the first and last Thr3e Conference put on by Pastor Steven Furtick, his staff, and volunteers From Elevation Church. I will share some of the things that I took away from this incredible day later. I am so glad that we were able to go it made for a really long day but I was encouraged, motivated, challenged, overwhelmed and physically exhausted and it was totally worth the cost. One of the highlights was getting to meet Pastor Steven and to have a few minutes to talk with him. He prayed for us and encouraged us to go reach Detroit for Christ. We were also able to spend some time talking with other staff members and volunteers which was a highlight and helpful as well. They gave each person who attended a jump-drive loaded with documents from their church which they use on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. I am sure that this will save us hours and come in handy later. I am excited to see how God continues to use us in His calling on our lives.

Dominican Recap

2009-04-25T15:40:00.002-05:00

I made it back from the DR last night around 10:30PM and I am glad that I was able to go with the Aletheia Seniors. We got to see a tremendous work that God is doing through SCORE International and their partners in the DR. God also moved in my heart and many of the students we took as well. Here is a brief description of our trip.

Day One: Arrived in the DR around 2PM and traveled to the SCORE complex for orientation and to get settled before our busy week began.

Day Two: We traveled to a sugar cane village called La Cubana for our first day of VBS in a public school. We had around 70 students K-6th grade who attended. We sang songs, presented a puppet skit on forgiveness, told a Bible story on the Lords Prayer, did a craft with color sheets that had verses in Spanish, and then we went outside and played soccer, baseball, football, frisbee, pato,pato,gonzo, and other games with the kids. They had a great time. In the afternoon we visited a girls orphanage except for me and one student who injured his leg so we had to stay back at the hotel.

Day Three: Went to La Cubana for VBS where we did the program again with different skits, Bible story, and crafts. Went outside and played with the kids again. In the afternoon we went shopping and sight seeing in Santo Domingo. I was the only one in our group who did not barter so I got ripped off but it turns out I actually paid less for some things then people in my group.

Day Three: Went back to La Cubana for the final day of VBS. We read the story of the crucifixion and then presented the gospel to the students using the witness bracelets. Each student got to make one for themselves. We left the teachers extra materials to make more bracelets and sheets in Spanish explaining what each of the colors represent. We encouraged them if they had prayed to receive Christ to go to the church in their village and to continue following Christ. In the afternoon we went to a handicap orphanage where we sang songs and played with the kids.

Day Four: Traveled to Catalina Island where we snorkled and spent a day of leisure at the beach. Gods Creation below the sea and above it is amazing.

Day Five: Traveled safely back to Pensacola.

All in all it was a great week. It is amazing to see how God is working and how people are still coming to know Him. We cannot and must not quit trying to reach people for Christ. Let Gods love and kindness flow from you into the lives of those you come in contact with. We went to minister to the people in the DR and to bless them but I think we were ministered to and blessed more than they were. My prayer is that God will keep a fire burning in my heart and the hearts of the seniors to share and serve others for Christs sake.

Dominican Republic

2009-04-18T22:11:00.002-05:00

I will be flying to the Dominican Republic on Sunday, April 19 with the Senior class from Aletheia. We will be doing VBS in a sugarcane village as well as visiting some orphanages. I am looking forward to how God will use the students and myself this week. Everyone has worked really hard to earn money for the trip and to prepare I am sure we will be blessed. Pray that God will work through us and in us for His glory.

Books I am currently reading or just finished reading

2009-04-11T15:38:00.005-05:00

These are the books I have read recently or that I am currently reading.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan - Describes our Awesome God and the love and grace that He has shown us. Challenges us to love Him back in a real and practical love not to earn His favor but because we truly are in love with Him and what He has done for us.

The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller - Detailed description of the parable of 2 lost sons. One who left his father and one who stayed behind. When the one returns his Father recieves him back into the family with no cost to himself and asks the older brother to come in as well but he does not accept the offer. The younger son knew he was lost but the older son was like many religious people who are trying to earn Gods favor by being good people.

Lost and Found by Ed Stetzer, Richard Stanley, and Jason Hayes - Gives statistical data on the younger unchurched and the churches who reach them. Gives information on how to reach this younger generation for Christ.

Hudson Taylor Autobiography - Amazing first hand account of how Hudson Taylor totally depended on God and how he founded the China Inland Mission. He totally leaned on Gods provison and God used him in a mighty way.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore - True account of 2 men(Ron and Denver) from totally different lives and how God used one woman and her love and devotion to God to bring them together. This book will make you cry and laugh but will challenge your thoughts on listening to God and serving Him.

Focus

2009-04-03T20:41:00.003-05:00

Many moons ago I was a fairly competitive runner. One of the things I learned running cross country and track was that if you wanted to win you had to stay focused on the finish line. I saw many races and was part of races where someone lost or won the race due to improper or proper focus. I remember this one particular race where I was chasing down one of my major nemesis a boy from Catholic High and I was able to overcome him at the finish line because he kept looking back at me. He was more focused on me than he was the finish line. After that race I pretty much owned him. I could almost always beat him at the finish line because he was focused on the 140 lb. freight train chasing him down. Paul talked about staying focused on the prize set before us in Phillipians 3:13,14 and Hebrews 12:1,2. Are you focused on the finish line or are you distracted with your past or other things around you? Staying focused is not always easy but it is mandatory if you want to get the best results.

What are you thinking?

2009-04-02T11:19:00.005-05:00

I am sure this is a question that you have heard at some point in your life. I know that I have and the last few months this question has been posed in many forms.

Let me tell you what I am thinking. I believe that God has a plan for everyone and that He only wants the best for us. I trust that God will take care of me and that He will provide for my needs. I know that trusting Him is not always easy and it is really scary most of the time, but if we truly follow Him then we will obey Him when He calls.

I know that to most people what we have decided to do makes no sense, but I also know that saying we believe in God and not trusting Him makes no sense at all either. Most of the time we say we believe in God but we live like we don't trust Him. We worry about things that we really have no control over anyway. We place our security in the size of our bank account, our possessions, or the jobs that we hold. God sees all and knows all why won't we surrender everything over to Him. He wants our entire life not just bits and pieces. Take a minute and read Matthew 6:19-34.

April and I believe that God has called us to serve Him in Macomb County Michigan just North of Detroit. We are excited about the challenges that lay ahead and we covet your prayers. Some specific things you can pray for us about our the sale of our home, jobs when we move, a place to live, provision for our needs. We thank God for how He has provided so far and we trust that He will continue to do so.

Philippians 4:19 "But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

Funny Name Serious Family

2009-03-29T22:58:00.008-05:00

Nipper what in the world is that? When you hear that name you can most likely think of many ways to misuse it or even ridicule. You might even think poor guy with a name like that I bet he got picked on a lot. Well I happen to love the name Nipper and I am quite proud to be a part of the Nipper clan. A few weeks ago I got to take my wife and 2 children to my grandparents Tom and Anne Nippers 60th Wedding Anniversary celebration. There were a plethora of Nippers present and we were all pleased to celebrate a couple who have stuck it out through the good and the bad times.

Let me give some history on the Nipper name and even share some famous Nippers with you. From the best I can figure the origin of Nipper is German and refers to someone who works in agriculture who is new to an area or a new dweller in a home. In England, it also referred to a small boy who "pinched" other peoples property (a.k.a. pickpocket). The most famous Nipper is of course the RCA image pictured above with Nipper the dog. A nipper could also refer to a boy who runs errands for a workmen or street seller.

With a name like Nipper you know things must be interesting. God has blessed me with an incredible family and I would not want to be called anything other than Nipper. This blog will be used for me to share my thoughts and insights of the work that God has called my family and I too (more on this later). I hope that you will enjoy reading my posts and that you will be encouraged and or inspired with the work of God in our lives.

"A good name is more desirable than great riches..." Proverbs 22:1a