Living In Tension

Well this is unnerving....

2011-09-04T08:40:00.002-05:00

This is the link to the Story I was talking about this morning....

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Culture/Default.aspx?id=1413686

Phase 1 Building!

2011-09-04T07:16:00.001-05:00

HELP!! HELP!! HELP!! We need your help this week!!

2011-08-03T15:43:00.007-05:00

This week Tuesday through Thursday we will start prepping all of our 60 sheets of plywood for building project. If you can hold wood, spray wood, carry wood or stack wood we would LOVE YOUR HELP!! All labor will be happening at Revelations Architecture between 4 and 8PM. We will need 4-6 people per night and we will during that time prep ALL the wood needed for our entire project. If you can make it call Bill Yudchitz at 715-498-3870 or 715-341-5588 and let him know when you are available!!http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Revelations architecture is located at 1301 Dubay Ave, Stevens Point.

This is what we're building!! :)
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Update 8/9/2011: We had to bring the sheets of wood here to the building, so we are starting work here at Evergreen at 3PM today. New schedule is 3PM-? Tue-Thur at the church 3349 Church Street SP.

Link to help those in Joplin

2011-05-28T23:38:00.001-05:00

We will be taking an offering tomorrow to help those effected by the tornadoes in Joplin and other areas, if you aren't in Church, you can use the link below...

Too Much Fun...

2011-05-20T16:21:00.003-05:00

As I said on Facebook:

Class of the Week: St. Paul Lutheran School kindergarten class - WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, Sports

2011-04-08T14:57:00.000-05:00

Class of the Week: St. Paul Lutheran School kindergarten class - WAOW - Newsline 9, Wausau News, Weather, Sports

Hey Alex's class made the news! :) She's the one in the black heart covered sweatshirt! :)

Straight Eye Candy

2011-02-03T22:59:00.008-06:00

For those of you who aren't close enough to have attended Sunday's Building info meeting, here is some Eye Candy about what the new place will look like :)

This is a rendering of our sanctuary

Cafe Area

Office Module

Overview

Church Location cleaning/painting/moving Schedule!

2011-01-27T10:14:00.002-06:00

So here is our schedule for cleaning painting and moving into our new location at 3349 Church Street, Stevens Point.

Thursday Noon-? we will be cleaning, and maybe priming
Friday 10-? we will be Priming, and repairing doing light carpentry/fixing things/unloading Church trailer
Saturday @ 9:30 we are meeting at the church office to load everything up and move over & set up!

See you all there!

Glad to be getting back to the scriptures LINE-BY-LINE!

2011-01-26T11:34:00.002-06:00

For the last few months I've been doing several topical series, but deep down I always really just want to go through the Bible line-by-line. Years ago while talking with our staff we were trying to diagnose problems people were having in their lives and the conversation finally distilled to one significant fact: We all need more Scripture. That was a major turning point for me as a preacher. I like topical sermon series and think they are a necessary part of what we do as a church, but ultimately, how do I get better spiritual nutrients to hungry believers than going line by line through the scriptures. So on February 6th I will finally be able to launch the series I'm most excited about this year: Ephesians-Encountering the Mysteries of God. It's both basic and intensely profound. It's relevant to people evaluating the claims of faith and to those looking to sink their decade old roots of faith deeper into Christ. The megathemes of the book might prompt more passion than I know what to do with! In Short, I think it's the foundation to grow us all to the next level . The content to allow the Holy Spirit to do what he wants both IN and THROUGH us.

Slow but steady Progress!

2011-01-21T13:05:00.002-06:00

So we should be signing the lease by today or Monday at the latest. We've been slowed down by lack of move in funds and leagaleeze (yes I know it's not really a word). The new revised plan has us taking possession January 27th, just 2 days before our Anniversary Party. we will use those 2 days to clean, paint, put up partition walls and setup the sanctuary etc. Most "real" buildout will have to happen after that. We'll also be using that time to tape out the architectural plan on the floor, so vision of where we are headed stays alive. The digital images I am recieving are nothing short of finger-licking good, but you'll have to wait until our Jan 30th Building Info Meeting to see most of them. Overall, I'm thrilled. We are making slow but steady process towards an attractive, comfortable, useful tool that will assist us in the actual mission of Evergreen Church: Introducing People to our King and Savior, Jesus! :)

New News on the NEW Location

2011-01-17T16:04:00.005-06:00

So as of today our lease is simply being perused by the lawyers and we should be signing it early tomorrow. If you missed Sunday's announcement, we should be moving into the former Steve's Hardware AKA the Former Furniture and appliance mart in just a few weeks. Our Architect Bill Yudchitz has been hard at work putting together plans and concepts for our space. Presently, we are planning on having our 6th Anniversary Party there on January 29th, and our first Sunday morning in the space Jan 30th. The images below are current discussion points or concepts of how we will make everything in the space modular (meaning we can take it apart and take it with us when we move on from this space. This then enables us to have the vast majority of our investment in this space as a permanent investment. All boards, walls, separators we make we will take with us, and this makes me happy :)

This is the first floor plan we are discussing:

We're also trying to utilize cheap or free materials to do things like separate the sanctuary from the rest of our space. One of the possibilities we had discussed was using industrial cardboard tubes, in a way similar to how Shigeru Ban has built things in the past. This is what the dots around the seating areas indicate. He did this in a Church in Japan in the past, see below. More drawings and details will be forthcoming. Swing back soon for more!

Helps for those on the Awakening 21 "Daniel Fast"

2011-01-09T06:45:00.000-06:00

Hey Folks,

I'm getting tons of questions about what can and can't be eaten. Check this website, it's great. Here is some content copied:

Daniel Fast Food List

“In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.” Daniel 10:2, 3

One of the great things about the Daniel Fast is that you are not limited to any specific amount of food, but rather to the kinds of food you can eat. The Daniel Fast is limited to vegetables (includes fruits) and water.

If you want a print out of this list in brochure form to use yourself or share with others, please visit www.Daniel-Fast.com

Special Note: if you have health issues, please be sure to contact your health professional for advice before committing to any fast including the Daniel Fast. If you would like a list of the foods included and excluded in the Daniel Fast to show your doctor, just copy the contents of this page. Also, if you are interested in a collection of recipes that will take you through an entire 21-day Daniel fast, click here.

After answering hundreds of questions about the Daniel Fast, I am updating the food guidelines. My hope is that it will serve as a more complete list. The original list used by many people was issued in a book about fasting. I know the author tried to do the best he could, but that isn’t the same as getting hundreds of questions seeking clarification. So here is the new list that I hope helps.

Please make sure to READ THE LABEL when purchasing packaged, canned or bottled foods. They should be sugar-free and chemical-free. Keep this in mind as you review this list of acceptable foods.

Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast

All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon

All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy.

All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.

All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter.

All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans.

All quality oils including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame.

Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters.

Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.

Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast

All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.

All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs.

All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice.

All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods.

All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives.

All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips.

All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.

Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.

Requested Steps from 12/26

2011-01-09T06:41:00.002-06:00

There were some requests from my 12/26 sermon about the last 4 points I had about how to get God's scriptures into your head...here they are....

2 tim 3:16

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

1 Ask God to meet you in the scriptures

2 Read he Bible in a repentant Spirit

3. Mediatate on fairly Breif passage or narrative

4. Take one thought or verse with you through the day

Hunkering Down For Christmas

2010-12-02T10:36:00.003-06:00

So in short, the owners of the Old Dunham sports have been pulled into a lawsuit involving the very building we are trying to lease. So until this legal battle is finished we're hunkering down at the Holiday Inn for Christmas. When the new year comes we will continue our search for a permanent location, but with special music, choir rehearsals and the like filling up our days we're just going to make it through the Holiday Season in our present location. Starting this sunday we'll be launching our new Sermon Series "The Music of Christmas". Hope to see you there!

Baby Steps!

2010-11-11T02:22:00.001-06:00

No word on the Permanent use of Dunham Sports yet, but we ARE Meeting there AT LEAST the Sunday of Nov 21 when the Holiday Inn has their TinselTown event going on! No news is good news, KEEP PRAYING!! :)

Monday is the Big Day

2010-10-30T19:02:00.002-05:00

So for those of you who haven't heard, this past week the Former Dunham Sports building rose to the top of our list of possible locations again. After the sale of Centerpoint Mall there was lots of dust that needed to settle. So this last week I called Peter who manages the mall to see if any of the spaces he was in charge of had changed...and indeed they had. Peter went on to inform me that the situation that had prevented us from renting Dunham in the past had vaporized and now the space could be available to us for the cost of utilities. We immediately jumped on the opportunity and scheduled a walkthrough with our architect Bill Y. Wednesday morning we spent several hours discussing terms, options and layout for the Dunham space. We then wrote up a proposal and emailed it to Peter to submit to the current decision makers for Dunham. Our final stipulation was that we hear back from them by tomorrow Nov 1. So pray with us that our proposal is accepted, and that ECSP can finally find a place to hang it's hat for a while!!

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The Place of Peace Info Meeting was awesome!

2010-10-25T09:45:00.002-05:00

This Sunday just after Service I was overwhelmed by the number of people who showed up to start working with the Place of Peace! We had lunch and talked about all the possibilities that could happen through our partnership with is awesome ministry! Check the new new POP Website later this week for more info and scheduling!

Bernards and an Open Door....

2010-10-17T09:29:00.003-05:00

So the building search goes on. At this point I am only holding the tiniest sliver of hope for the Old County Market. There is a 2% chance still remaining and I will ferret that out this week. Additionally we MUST have a plan before Nov 21 when Tinsel Town comes to the Holiday Inn and we must vacate! One possibility we had not explored in the past is Bernard's Supper Club on the North Side of Point. It has space, availability and we would simply be given our own key. Set-up and tear down would still be necessary but could happen at our leisure as they are not open on Sundays. I am hoping for a location that would allow us to squat for cash without a lease but let us remain set up. Keep praying for that with us, our set-up and tear down teams are growing weary and we need to get them a long if not permanent break :)

New Sermon Series Starts This Sunday!

2010-10-13T14:02:00.003-05:00

This is the Graphic going in the Buyers Guide....

It's Official! The Place of Peace will soon become a ministry of Evergreen Church!

2010-10-12T18:53:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, a few weeks ago ECSP was approached by our local Catholic worker house (The Place of Peace) about taking over their ministry. The Place of Peace has been in opperation feeding people weekly community meals, running a food pantry and a clothing shelf for about 12 years now. After speaking to our Elders, staff and congregation about the ministry, I annoinced this morning that we will start running the POP starting in 2011! If you're interested in getting involved, swing by the info meeting after service on 10/26.

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Set aside the time...

2010-10-09T10:21:00.001-05:00

When I do marriage couseling I often suggest people get away for a time, take a vacation together to remember why they are together, why they fell in love and why they made the vows they have to each other. Whenever we dedicate time to the Lord, it has the same effect. Already this retreat, Jesus has set people free, broke fallow ground, and put to death our sins on his cross. Thank you Risen Christ

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Building Update! Pray with us...

2010-10-03T09:19:00.002-05:00

So the Yoga Studio was a bust, but Our architect Bill is now negotiating with the management folks from the Old County Market for us. Bill has a whole negotiation strategy he will be using. So pray for Bill! Our second option after County Market is the YMCA. This option is entirely unexplored and I will keep you updated here on my blog. All of our choices even with a building location flow out of the philosophy that if you want to change a culture you start as far upstream culturally as you can. The source of much of the culture we find here in Stevens Point begins in one place...UWSP.

A New Hope (minus Luke & Darth)

2010-09-26T09:38:00.002-05:00

So this week Wednesday I will be wrestling with 2 more locations. The first is a current Yoga Studio in downtown Stevens Point and the second is my prime location, the former County Market/UW Bookstore right across from the UW campus. Pray for us about this folks, it's getting down to crunch time. We have about 30 days (until the end of Oct) worth of lease left on our storefront. The Holiday Inn would still have us but I would really love to NOT be a mobile church when the snow starts flying. Wouldn't you?

With Chris in the School of Prayer

2010-09-12T07:29:00.002-05:00

I referenced a book this Morning in my Sermon. It's been instrumental in my own understanding of prayer and has lead me to some exceptional breakthroughs in my own life. Also, through the wonders of technology I can now share it virtually with all of you through Google books. check the link HERE.

News about the River Cities Diner

2010-08-06T09:07:00.004-05:00

So the search for a permanent facility for Evergreen rolls on. Our latest location we have been investigating held (yes that was past tense) real promise until Wednesday of this last week. Our interest was holding on one major point:could the 8600 Square feet in the basement be used for more than storage. If this area could be used for youth and children's spaces, this site could function for Evergreen Church. The problem was the height of the ceiling at 7'2" and building code stipulates that 7'6" is required for any public occupancy. We were informed by our realtor that variance could be applied for. Wednesday I made contact with both City Inspectors and Bill from Revelations Architecture. Both gentlemen told me the same thing...there was almost NO CHANCE of a variance being granted. So the search rolls on. I'm honestly not worried, as Jesus said "I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it." (Matt 16:18 NLT). Jesus knows the location all set aside for ECSP...we just need to wait on him :)

The Article From Today's Sermon (7/25/2010)

2010-07-25T00:32:00.002-05:00

This is the Full text from The Mother Jones Article I referenced in today's sermon.
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Middle-class parents are stretched thin these days. Between health care costs, child care hassles, looking for a home in a good district, and paying for college, raising a child is becoming increasingly expensive. Little wonder, then, that married couples with children are more than twice as likely to file for bankruptcy as their childless counterparts, and 75 percent more likely to have their homes foreclosed. And the danger is growing worse by the year: In 2002 1.6 million people filed for bankruptcy, many of those middle-class parents. a record . As Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Tyagi note in their book, The Two-Income Trap: Why Middle-Class Mothers & Fathers Are Going Broke, having a child is now "the single best predictor" of bankruptcy. "

In the face of such hardships, many families have sent both parents into the workforce to try to make ends meet. After all, surely if both parents work full-time it shouldn't be hard to ensure financial security, right? Wrong, say authors Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Tyagi, in their book, The Two Income Trap. Two-income families are almost always worse off than their single-income counterparts were a generation ago, even though they pull in 75 percent more in income. The problem is that so many fixed costs are rising -- health care, child care, finding a good home -- that two-income families today actually have less discretionary money left over than those single-earner families did. As the authors write: "Our data show families in financial trouble are working hard, playing by the rules -- and the game is stacked against them."

Amelia Tyagi recently sat down with MotherJones.com to talk about the two-income trap: how families get into to it, how it affects them, and what can be done to help them out.

MotherJones.com: Can you explain what the two-income trap is?

Amelia Tyagi: More and more families today are sending both parents into the workforce -- t's become the norm, it's what we now expect. The overwhelming majority of us do it because we think it will make our families more secure. But that's not how things have worked out. By the end of this decade, one in seven families with children will go bankrupt. Having a child is now the single best predictor of bankruptcy, and this holds true even for families with two incomes.

So we looked at the data for two-income families today earning an average income. What we found was that, while those families certainly make more money than a one-income family did a generation ago, by the time they pay for the basics -- an average home, a health insurance policy, a second car to get Mom to work, child care, and taxes -- that family actually has less money left over at the end of the month to show for it. We tend to assume with two incomes you're doubly secure. But if you count on every penny of both of those incomes, which most families today do, then you're in big trouble if either income goes away. And obviously, if you have two people in the workforce, you have double the chance that someone will get laid off, or double the chance that someone could get too sick to work. When that happens, two-income families really get into trouble, and that's how a lot of families quickly go bankrupt.

MJ.com: In the past, it seems like a stay-at-home mom could act as an insurance policy for the family if the dad was laid off or whatnot. But today two-income families have nothing to fall back on in the event of a disaster.

AT: Right. It used to be that a stay-at-home parent was a sort of safety net -- she (and it was usually a "she") not only took care of the children, but she was there if anyone got sick. Or if Grandma broke a hip, she could step in and provide care without costing the family financially. But today, with both parents in the workforce 100 percent of the time, there's just no way to care for somebody on the side -- either somebody has to take time off work or somebody has to pay someone to provide that care. In either it represents a big financial blow, and families just don't have the flexibility to deal with it anymore.

MJ.com: Some conservative commentators might see this as evidence that the mother should return home.

AT: [Laughs] Right. Of course, the notion that mothers are all going to run pell-mell back to the hearth and turn back the clock to 1950 is absurd. But that aside, a big part of the two-income trap is that families have basically bid up the cost of living. Housing is a big example. A generation ago, an average family could buy an average home on one income. Today you can't do that in three-quarters of American cities. We all know that housing prices are going up, but what most people don't realize is that this has become a family problem. Housing prices are rising twice as fast for families with kids.

A lot of that has to do with public schools. As confidence in the public schools has dwindled, people are bidding up the prices on homes in those school districts with good reputations; so for a typical family, the only way to afford one of those homes is to send mom to work. Average mortgage expenses have gone 70 times faster than the average father's income, and the only way families are keeping up is by bringing in two incomes.

Of course that's where you see the trap. If families were simply sending Mom into the workforce and using that money to build their savings, or to have more fun, or to go on more vacations, you wouldn't see the same kind of financial trap. If Mom or Dad got laid off, heck, they'd stop going on vacation. But that's not the case. If mom gets laid off now you can't say, "Well, we'll just stop paying the mortgage for awhile." One of the things we've heard over and over after our book was released was mothers stepping forward and saying: "You're telling my story. You know, maybe I prefer to work and maybe I don't, but I tell you I have no choice financially. The only way we're getting health insurance and the only way I'm sending my kids to a decent school is for me to work and work some more."

MJ.com: Even so, there still seems to be this perception that families are only going bankrupt because they're splurging on frivolities.

AT: [Laughs] Yes, there's this great myth out there that we call the "Over-consumption Myth," which goes: If you earn a decent income, and you're in trouble financially, it must be because you're blowing all your money at the Gap, and TGIF. The myth is so powerful, it almost seems like heresy to question it. But when we actually looked into the data on what real families actually spend, it's just not true. An average family of four actually spends less on clothing than their parents did a generation ago, adjusted for inflation. That includes all the Tommy Hilfiger sweatshirts and all the Nike sneakers. How does this work? Well we forget all the things we don't spend money on anymore -- how many kids have leather shoes for Sunday school anymore? How many people dress up in wool suits for work everyday?

The point is that families today are spending their money no more foolishly than their parents did. And yet they're five times more likely to go bankrupt, and three times more likely to lose their homes. Families are going broke on the basics --housing, health insurance, and education. These are the kind of bills that you can't just trim around the edges in the event of a downturn.

MJ.com: Now you also found that single mothers, and single divorced mothers especially, have the highest risk of bankruptcy. Why is that?

AT: Well, everybody knows that single mothers have it rough financially. But if you ask people what the solutions are, you will nearly always hear that we should increase child support, and that single mothers should make higher incomes. Makes sense, right? The problem is that's exactly what America has been doing for the past 30 years. Child support enforcement is not perfect but it's better than ever. Child support awards are more consistent and they're higher. And women's incomes are increasing ten times faster than men's. There's still a wage gap but it's closing. So you add all that up—single mothers should be doing today than ever. But the sad fact is in the past generation the number of single mothers filing for bankruptcy has increased more than 700 percent. At the rate we're headed one in six single moms is going to go broke by the end of this decade -- that's a scary statistic.

We found that this has nothing to do with child support. The problem is that two-income married couples are in trouble financially, and if they're not making it, then the single mom doesn't have a prayer. It used to be that when a family got divorced, the stay-at-home mother went back into the workforce and brought in a new income. Plus, they probably had a mortgage they could afford, as well as some money in the bank and no credit card debt. So the divorce was a big financial shock back then, but they had a lot more resources to cope with it. Today there's no way to bring in new income, since the mom's already working. Plus, the average family today owes a couple thousand dollars or more in credit card debt, and all their fixed expenses are already claiming the overwhelming majority of two incomes. So they don't have any give to deal with the new situation. Then on top of it all there are the legal costs and the costs of setting up a second household. It's devastating.

MJ.com: Let's talk about some of the solutions you propose in your book to help alleviate the two-income trap. You mention that the housing crunch and unaffordable mortgages could be dealt with through policies that promote public school choice—basically, offering vouchers to families so that they can send their kids to schools anywhere in a district.

AT: Right. The point here is to give every child access to good public schools regardless of where they live. Today if a parent wants to choose where their kid goes to school, they can either fork over a whole bunch of money in tuition for private school or they can buy a new house near the school of their choice. And it's driving up property prices in certain key areas. When you stop and think about it, that's kind of ridiculous.

So we're suggesting that you need to decouple schools from home location -- a zip code should not automatically equal what public school you go to. Ultimately this would give families more choices -- they could live anywhere in a city and not worry as much about getting a good education for their kids.

MJ.com: You also argue that skyrocketing college costs are putting families in a pinch. And one of the solutions you mention is a tuition freeze for state universities, so that families can start affording to send their kids to college once again.

AT: I think we need to put the "public" back into public universities. College tuition has been increasing at nearly three times the rate of inflation. In the past generation, college tuition has doubled, adjusted for inflation. I don't think more student loans is the answer -- kids are already drowning in student loans. So we need to start thinking about other ways to make college more affordable.

What we found is that colleges often increase tuition just because they can. When you look at what universities are spending money on, they're spending far more on sports programs, far more on administrative overhead, far more on food services. Those are all nice, to be sure, but not when the college tuition goes out of reach of middle-class families. So a tuition freeze would force universities to stop and think about what they really need to offer, what's really necessary.

MJ.com: You have a whole bunch of solutions and policy recommendations in your book, but one interesting thing about all this is that you're always looking at how policies would affect the way policies compete with each other. So, for instance, you note that free child care would actually put stay-at-home moms at a disadvantage.

AT: Exactly. So our recommendation is that subsidized child-care should be offered in tandem with some sort of subsidy for stay-at-home parents, in the hopes that that would offset the competition between families. Otherwise, you're providing even more financial pressure on one-income families, and forcing those remaining stay-at-home mothers to enter the workplace in order to keep up with everyone else.

Another proposal we offer is universal preschool -- basically we would extend public education to start at age 3 or 4 instead of age 5. There's not an expert out there who thinks that kids don't need to go to their first day of school until age 5. But that's another policy proposal that benefits stay-at-home parents and working parents alike.

MJ.com: One of the big lessons from this book seems to be that if you want to look at how families are doing in the US, you can't just look at employment. Why do you think bankruptcy statistics don't really garner a lot of attention?

AT: Absolutely, that's a huge lesson. In general, I think income statistics don't garner much attention. It seems that incomes have dropped in the past couple of years and we haven't heard so much about that. It seems like the stock market and employment numbers always gets the attention. And that seems to miss the point. As we interviewed people for the book, we kept hearing people make the assumption that bankruptcy is merely a side effect of bad economy. But there's no evidence of that. Bankruptcy rate increased all through the 1990s, when the economy was pretty robust. And there a lot of reasons for that. One of the things you have to remember when you talk about how to measure the financial health of the American family is health care. Half of all people who go bankrupt cite a medical problem as one of the things that drove them into bankruptcy. And today, even as the economy is rebounding, there's no evidence at all that medical care is getting more affordable -- in fact, just the opposite.

MJ.com: There also seems to be this idea out there that debtors are immoral, or that they're gaming the bankruptcy courts in order to get out of having made bad choices, so we shouldn't worry too much about them.

AT: Yeah, there's this great myth that back in the some murky past, people paid their bills no matter what. Why? Because they had more honor! Whereas today, people say, our morals are willy-nilly and we run to the bankruptcy court at the first sign of trouble. But when we look into real data on the real people going bankrupt, there's no evidence for this myth. The fact is, out of all the possible reasons for going bankrupt, only three account for nearly 90 percent of bankruptcy: a job loss, a medical problem, or a divorce. And the fact is that those are exactly the kind of calamities that the bankruptcy courts were designed to help people through. The courts are supposed to be there for somebody who has lost their job and can't pay their bills. Most people simply aren't gaming the system in any way.

Oh, and then the other half of the myth is that people just have no shame, that bankruptcy has lost its stigma, which again, it held in some murky past. But more than 80 percent of people who filed for bankruptcy said they were deeply ashamed, and didn't even tell their family members or their coworkers or their neighbors—even when the reason they filed for bankruptcy most anyone would sympathize with. I talked with a woman who filed for bankruptcy because she had breast cancer, and her new insurance had not kicked in, and she could either take on the medical bills or get breast cancer without care. Even still, she talked still of being so ashamed and not wanting anyone to know that she filed. The notion that there is no shame in filing would be news to the people who are actually going down to the bankruptcy court.

MJ.com: Now you mention that, in addition to spiraling costs, the deregulated lending industry has been largely responsible for putting families further and further into debt.

AT: Right. We all know that debt's spiraling through the roof, and that Americans have vastly more debt than they ever did before. Most of us get the impression that it just happens, in a vacuum, or it's a side-effect of our bad morals. The reality, though, is that it didn't just happen. The laws changed. A generation ago, American had what were called "usury laws", which limited how much interest a lender could charge. Pretty much every nation on earth has usury laws, and America had them in place since colonial days. But Congress effectively wiped out the usury laws in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and as a result the lending industry was transformed. A generation ago, when a bank could only charge 12 percent interest, they were in the business of carefully screening whom they lent money to. There were no all-purpose credit cards, there were no consolidation loans. They lent money only to people who could pay them back. But today, when you can charge 20 or 30 or 50 percent interest, heck, they can make money lending to every man, woman, and child, even an occasional family dog! And that's exactly what's happened. They offer more and more loans to people with bad credit, and most of those borrowers end up even further into debt.

MJ.com: And your solution was to bring back the usury laws?

AT: Yes, we could put back those laws in one fell swoop, and it would help families get out of debt, make debt cost less, and it wouldn't even cost taxpayers anything. It's the best kind of regulation. I'd like to see other regulations as well -- better disclosure, fro instance. And I'd like to see Congress outlaw the practice where lenders can change their rates even after you've borrowed the money, like they do on credit cards. Not even the mob gets to do that!

MJ.com: What do you think are the biggest obstacles towards changing those laws?

AT: The credit lobby. [Laughs] It's the best-financed lobby in Washington, and they would not like to see that happen.

MJ.com: You have an interesting section in your book on policies to promote homeownership, where you note that some of these policies actually increase bankruptcy? Can you explain how that works?

AT: Sure. A number of groups, President Bush included, have advocated increasing homeownership. That's a great goal, to be sure, and these groups have good intentions. The problem is that they usually advocate waiving downpayments, or subsidizing downpayments for people who can't afford to put up the money up front. Unfortunately, a family that doesn't the financial resources to put together a downpayment on their own, is 15-20 times more likely to lose the home on foreclosure. Let's face it, if you haven't been able to save up some money for a downpayment, it's a sign that your income is too erratic or your expenses are already too high, and you can't afford that house right now.

The second problem is that mortgage companies will charge these low-income homeowners a much higher rate, because they view them as a higher risk -- the banks know full well they're 20 times more likely to get foreclosed on. So they're paying more for the same product.

MJ.com: What sort of reception has your book received among politicians in Washington?

AT: Well the political reception has been really overwhelming, really fabulous. Folks like John Kerry, John Edwards, Howard Dean are all picking it up and quoting from it. I think people saw the description of the problem that families face is very powerful. It's got people to start talking about the middle-class squeeze, and understand the notion that poor folks aren't the only ones who are struggling financially. I think that's a very important message for liberals and progressives who care about these issues and are committed to financial well-being for Americans.

MJ.com: It forces them to realize the problem has a wider scope.

AT: Right. Throughout our book we try to think about policies that have a broad tent. Often policies that you hear from liberal thinkers tend to narrowly help only the poor. And I think that the middle-class today is so stretched, I don't think there's much appetite for that. So we're thinking about policies that have a broader umbrella, like universal preschool. That will help poor and middle-class children alike. Usury rates will help middle-class families getting beat up with overpriced credit cards and mortgages, and it will also help poor families who are getting victimized by payday lenders. I think that broad scope is an important political message.

MJ.com: So what happens if the government doesn't do anything, and these problems aren't fixed? Isn't there a fear that families might stop having children if they start to see it as a financial detriment.

AT: I think it's a real worry. As word gets out that having a child is the single best predictor of going broke, how many people are going to hear that and say, "You know what sweetie, maybe we shouldn't." I would worry about that. I don't see that as being good for America -- that the country pits parents against everybody else.

New Possible Location for Evergreen...

2010-07-15T12:13:00.004-05:00

Howdy All,

This week we have been looking over a brand new location for Evergreen to RENT. The purchase option just isn't moving the way we would like it to. So considering that our rent will be more than doubling in about 6 short weeks, I've had some serious motivation to find a new home for our church. This new location would provide us with a BEAUTIFUL area for our sanctuary and childrens areas, reception, info and food. You can follow the LINK HERE to my facebook photo album with a few more pictures. The down side is that we would have our offices underneath the factory in the basement...no windows, no outside access, leaving our staff looking more and more like Edward Cullen every day. We're doing a walkthrough on Friday...I'll keep you posted from there....

We're doing it!

2010-07-03T17:11:00.001-05:00

The outdoor service at Pfiffner park tomorrow is ON! We are only supposed to have a 25% chance of rain at 10:00AM...so we're going for it!! :)

More news on Centerpoint...

2010-06-29T00:14:00.002-05:00

Okay, the June 24th court hearing accomplished very little. According to the Stevens Point Journal "More than three hours of testimony wasn't enough Thursday to complete the foreclosure sale of CenterPoint MarketPlace to Valley Bank, the mortgage holder and highest bidder.

The two parties will be back in court at 10:15 a.m. Wednesday to hear a decision from Portage County Circuit Court Branch 3 Judge Thomas Flugar, delaying the sale another week.

Though the mall's current owner, Dial Properties Inc., isn't contesting the $1.2 million bid Valley made for the property, it is asking Flugar to hold off on finalizing the sale because of another lawsuit it has filed against the bank and Vice President Steve Janney." You can find the remainder of the article here. Let's hope Wednesday's hearing is more productive. If this sale goes through we will be retooling our efforts to make an offer on JC Pennies :)

Yup...I'm living the Dad Life...

2010-06-26T23:39:00.004-05:00

Rough News On Dunham Sports

2010-05-20T10:25:00.002-05:00

I had a conversation with Phil W. from Dial Properties yesterday. According to him, Dunham Sports is $700,000 in debt between 2 mortgages and a personal loan. So at this time they will not entertain ANY offers under that number. This means that at this time, they still think they can get that amount and are not desperate enough, so we are going to shelf the Dunham conversation for 6-12 months and see if their tune changes. So at this time we will continue conversations about other sites. Keep praying folks…we need a space of our own! :)

Our Day in Court!

2010-05-15T21:48:00.002-05:00

According to our attorney Bob McDonald, no Sheriff's auction is final until a judge signs off on it. So May 24th there will be a hearing to determine if Valley Bank will receive the mall property it bid 1.2 million for. If the judge allows ownership to pass to Valley bank, then someone will have to EAT the 1.3 Million dollars of unpaid lien against the building... So I'll be in court on May 24th. As far as our continued pursuit of Dunham Sports goes, I should have an asking price on Monday May 17th! Keep praying!!

Monday Morning Sheriff's Auction of Centerpoint Mall

2010-05-03T11:14:00.002-05:00

So as many of you know we (Evergreen Church) have been mobile since September of 2009 when we moved out of our (now sold) building at 3024 Church Street. With the pending sale of Centerpoint Marketplace happening this morning our church was hoping to acquire a part of the mall specifically the old Dunham Sports portion. I have been scrambling to get financing in place, earnest money, etc so we would be able to bid for Dunham IF it was included with the rest of the mall. As we got closer to the actual auction it became apparent there was almost NO chance Dunham would be included in the sheriff’s auction. As of 10:00AM this morning I can now confirm those rumors. The mall buildings including J.C Penny’s (but not Dunham’s) were auctioned to Valley Bank for 1.2 Million. Immediately following the auction I spoke with the people from Valley Bank and they may be willing to “Condo” the J.C. Penny’s portion. This would mean they would sell it off separate from the rest of the mall buildings. Dunham will need to be approached through other avenue’s (Dial Properties) and we will be following up with those and other possibilities in the hopes of Evergreen having a permanent church home. Keep praying folks! I’ll keep you updated from here! P. Al

FIVE YEARS!!

2010-04-21T11:14:00.001-05:00

It's crazy that our church is now 5 years old. Our Denomination asked me to put together some video about our church, so remixed the Animoto.com 4-year video and here she be! Enjoy!

The Ministry Steel-Cage Death Match

2010-04-06T10:10:00.005-05:00

Last night as Steph and I were brushing our teeth, we were talking about Jesus and John the Baptist. Jesus was the happy, relaxed, holy, social drinker of the two. John on the other hand was a raving, hard-nosed, driven, seemingly angry prophet. The beauty is that they both point to each other and have the most complimentary things (John about Jesus, Jesus about John) to say about each other. I think it has to be so much more than just the fact they were cousins. They had radically different styles, and yet found some beautiful overlap and common ground. Why is it that we who are in ministry often have a need to howl and tout our path, our way as best. I've learned a lot about this in the last few years. Two of my favorite preachers are Mark Driscoll and Rob Bell. They both accomplish incredible things for the gospel and yet have fairly uncomplimentary things to say about each other. This is because of the theological and practical void that separates them. I stumbled across this article this morning an couldn't help but share it.

"Additionally, church planters are notorious for sizing each other up. At any given gathering, it is not unusual to hear guys ask one another, "So are you a Piper guy or an Andy Stanley guy?" or "Are you a house church guy or a big church guy?" Once these types of questions are answered, we immediately form an opinion of our brother and the "legitimacy" of his ministry in light of our own presuppositions, and consequently cast doubt on anything else he might have to say.

I believe the Scriptures set appropriate boundaries for what is and isn't acceptable in the name of gospel ministry. And we could all debate the legitimacy of pulling a tank out on stage to illustrate one’s point. But my fear is that we spend so much time figuring out which "tribe" we belong to that we fail to listen and learn from tribes other than our own. Sure, you may be against certain elements of another pastor's ministry, but does that mean that anything that comes from his ministry is automatically discounted because of its point of origin?

Think Hybrid

I would encourage taking a different path: THINK HYBRID.

Dictionary.com defines a "hybrid" as "anything derived from heterogeneous sources, or composed of elements of different or incongruous kinds. For example, a hybrid of the academic and business worlds."

I believe we can effectively employ this kind of thinking in nearly every area of life and ministry—from contextualization, methodology, and philosophy of ministry to preaching and small groups. “Thinking hybrid” is about drawing from a number of wells instead of just one. In doing so, we are able to maximize the strengths of our heroes while minimizing their weaknesses, instead of reproducing them in our own ministries.

For example, my own church planting method has been influenced by everyone from Mark Driscoll to John MacArthur to Andy Stanley to Mark Dever to Neil Cole. These are names that you typically do not hear in the same sentence, unless it includes "in a steel-cage death match," but all of these brothers have something to teach us and we would be wise to consider and heed their counsel."

The quote is from the article below.
5 Hard Truths for Planters | TheResurgence

Thanks to all of you out there that Jesus has intentionally put in my path to mess me up, keep me from drinking from only one well, and pissed me off. You're a Godsend...even if I didn't get it at the time. :)

Study and Teach vs. Teach to Study

2010-03-05T10:09:00.000-06:00

I came Across this today from Mark Batterson, one of the only 2 blogs I read consistently. I think he's right...and it makes me wonder about how I need to make changes at Evergreen. I think we're going to see more church wide reading coming....

Study and Teach vs. Teach to Study

Holy Underware, Hapax legomenon and other goodies

2010-03-02T07:59:00.003-06:00

Hey All, Sorry I've completely fallen off the blogosphere of late. I thought I would throw this out as a return for me. Sunday I was trying to remember a term at the last minute and I just couldn't do it. The term was Hapax legomenon and a short synopsis on them can be found HERE. It's interesting stuff because as Christians we try to never build core doctrine on words or concepts that are only found once in Scripture. Otherwise you end up doing this which leads you to wearing this>>>>

Praise Jesus for Youtube :)

Run for your life...

2009-09-29T18:27:00.002-05:00

I loved this...Do yourself a favor and spend the 4 minutes it takes to watch it.

Working with the Forkers

2009-09-16T10:55:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, Steph and I have been given the opportunity to spend a month in Verona Italy Sept 22-Oct 21 of this year. Many people have been asking many questions about what it's like, what we will do etc...and we really have very few answers. This video by the Forkers though should answer some of those. Thank you to everyone who has made this trip possible for us by volunteering at Evergreen and paying our way. We expect to come back refreshed and like couple of shiny new pastors.

Evotional.com

2009-09-16T09:21:00.001-05:00

I loved this tasty little tidbit from Mark Batterson. I really only read 2 blogs regularly...his and Steve Camps (http://stevenjcamp.blogspot.com)

Evotional.com

Shared via AddThis

Good Times at the new diggs :)

2009-08-20T15:52:00.002-05:00

So for those of you who haven't heard, ECSP is on the move again and we've spent the last couple days trying to get setup in our new office. The former Mike Plonkster Bookstore has become our weekly (not weekend) home for office space, storage, and small groups. The current color scheme is abysmal, so I'm only posting a photo of the outside. But if you have nothing to do this week, feel free to swing by...we could use the help! :) Also..isn't that the cutest little girl standing at the door, of course I MIGHT be biased :)

2009-07-12T19:22:00.001-05:00

is chillaxin for my last night before I become a single parent for a week...

2009-07-08T09:51:00.001-05:00

Is excited to get back to life and ministry in Stevens Point!

2009-07-07T17:36:00.001-05:00

Just ordered something called a "trucker's steak" and thinks our waitress could take me

2009-07-06T23:25:00.001-05:00

Made it through the funeral and other ensuing craziness, and all is well, thanks for all of your prayers team :)

2009-07-05T20:29:00.001-05:00

Loves this holiday :)

2009-07-04T15:48:00.001-05:00

Is celebrating Christmas in July with Andrew Peterson :)

2009-07-03T21:18:00.001-05:00

Is exhausted, but happy to be back home in Point

2009-07-01T18:40:00.001-05:00

Is in Northern WI till the end of the week

2009-06-29T16:53:00.001-05:00

Has had a death in the family and could really use your prayers

2009-06-29T12:17:00.001-05:00

is shuffling around he house like an old man drinking his coffee...what a great day to tinker :)

2009-06-27T23:50:00.001-05:00

is eating cheese & crackers, watching CSI and doing powerpoint for tomorrow...sheer bliss!

2009-06-26T16:52:00.001-05:00

Just found out the offer to purchase our church building fell through! SO! we are moving in 10 weeks, not 4!

2009-06-25T12:09:00.001-05:00

Just found out they are making a 10 year searchable sermon archive for Mark Driscoll WHOHOO! http://ping.fm/pbvgD

2009-06-24T22:18:00.001-05:00

Is so completely thrilled to be in such an awesome men's group

Krazy Kids Olympics ROCKED!

2009-06-24T15:19:00.003-05:00

Saturday June 20th Evergreen Church hosted our first ever "Krazy Kids Olympics" complete with a Sock Toss, Watermelon Seed Spitting Contest, 50 Yard Dash, and a bunch of other crazy games. Just check out the pictures. The only bad part of the day happened when some knucklehead (okay it was me) got hot cinnemon flavored popciles, and several of the munchkins started crying and told their parents "Mommy this popsicle hurts my mouth!" Nice job Pastor Al :) Check the picture page...it's awesome!

2009-06-24T10:40:00.001-05:00

Is amazed that between Movies in the Park and Krazy Kids Olympics our website hits are up more than 300%!!!

2009-06-24T09:42:00.001-05:00

Is thankful for air conditioned coffee shops with wifi :)

2009-06-23T20:19:00.001-05:00

Trying pingle out...seriously hoping it works

It's Official! Evergreen Church is Moving!

2009-06-16T13:05:00.004-05:00

...We just don't know where to yet :)

A few months ago I was going about my normal life when the Holy Spirit broke through my usual routine and spoke something startling to me. He said “Al, you’re going to loose that building, and when you do, all heaven is going to break loose”. I think he told me this months ago so I would have time to process the information.
You see for those of you who aren’t regulars at Evergreen we’ve been “Squatting for cash” the last 18 months. What I mean is that we’ve been occupying our current facility without a lease and without owning it. It was a risk we were willing to take all those months ago because we felt God was in the decision. Looking back on the way we have grown and matured as a church he obviously was. That however, is just the problem, When we were a church of 50ish people a year and a half ago the building fit us, we were just big enough to fill the parking, children’s areas and sanctuary. After the last year and a half however we’re outgrown parking an the children’s area and would soon need to go to multiple services. This would not be an insurmountable problem except for one thing…the budget. Over the last few years we have existed as a church we have had a WILDY erratic giving pattern. So in the down times we would inevitably acquire debt, and I HATE debt. SOOO, we’re going to kill 2 birds with one stone. Going mobile again creates a whole host of problems to overcome, primarily facilities. The Lord however knew all this was going to happen and already has a solution in hand. We’re still praying about the details but here is the most likely plan. Four years ago when we started Evergreen, the one of the best venues in town was Washington Elementary. They had friendly staff, free storage on site and several churches had been there before us. It was a no brainer, I would be tempted to think about moving back to Washington except one little detail…it’s occupied. Our friends at Tapestry Church here in SP moved in there because it was a good choice and are currently occupying that space. The other interesting detail though is that in the last couple years the manager of our local Holiday Inn and convention center has come to Evergreen and is completely plugged in with our church. He’s able to get me a GREAT rate in a beautiful facility with air conditioning and all the space we could ever want or need. So the most likely scenario is that we will be going mobile with office space and a storage unit for all the loads of stuff we currently own. The additional upside is that we will cut our overhead by more than 2/3, enabling us to pay down debt and begin to save for a permanent church home. So there it is! Tell your neighbors! Tell your friends! Evergreen Church is on the move!!

Gun Toting Nut Pastors are some of my Favorites!

2009-06-05T09:52:00.002-05:00

I wonder what Evergreen would be like if everyone were "Packing"? Here's a possibility...

My favorate quote from that article "He said the point was not to mix worship with guns, though he may reference some passages from the Bible."...classic. I hope this guy has fun with this...

I guarantee he's gotten and will continue to get some attention and publicity from this, we'll just have to wait and see what kind :)

HELP! 3 designs...and they're all GOOD!

2009-03-27T22:24:00.007-05:00

So here are the 3 designs we're working with for the Buyers Guide and Portage County Gazette. Leave me a comment and see which one is your favorite! I'm seriously torn!

Day One of my Personal Retreat

2009-03-16T18:28:00.003-05:00

I’m a firm believer in the spiritual practice of solitude. That’s why each year I try to get away for a few personal retreats. If you’re never comfortable with yourself when you are alone it’s often difficult to be truly comfortable with other people. So this year a friend from Evergreen offered up her home in Rhinelander WI while her and her family are on vacation for spring break, and I jumped at the chance. The place is located a few miles outside of the city and I have to say I’ve never seen a more meticulous and beautiful little home. I let myself in and did a little dance in the living room the first day I got here. This >>> picture is the view out the all glass wall of the living room. It’s breathtaking and the sunrise is breathtaking. I’ll let you know what I’m hearing and learning as the retreat continues. So far my lessens have been 1.) My Wife Rocks! I’m so thankful I married the kind of woman who is interested enough in my Emotional/Mental/Spiritual/ health that she will provide this for me. 2.) Retreats should always happen in a place with this kind of immense natural beauty. It just points me right at the beauty of the God that made it. 3.) If your “retreat center” gets an unbelievable number of satellite TV channels, make yourself go to bed! …well, at least after the first night!:)

I'm dying here...

2009-03-14T13:17:00.000-05:00

I just had to share this :) Enjoy

Gearing up for "Tell Me a Story"

2009-02-09T16:24:00.006-06:00

This April we will be doing a joint outreach with two other ministries here in Stevens Point. I'll be themeing my sermons as in conjunction with 3 "Interactive Film Experiences" happening at the DUC Theater at UWSP. This is the tentative graphic I will be using and we are considering using Gran Torino as well as Slumdog Millionare. Check out the trailors below. :)

The third film is still being discussed and the other 2 ministries are IVCF and Tapestry Church. Both ministries are run by men I respect and appreciate (Andy Lickel, and Robbert Terrell respectively).

4 years of Evergreen Church!

2009-02-03T23:52:00.001-06:00

The video for our 4 year celebration video is done! Check it out!

Helps for those on the Awakening "Daniel Fast"

2009-01-13T14:54:00.002-06:00