JeffCranstondotcom

Please Forgive the Pun at the End of This Post

I've been feeling out-of-touch with you - having not blogged since last week. It's amazing how these blogs get into your bloodstream. It's like a child you constantly have on your mind - okay, not exactly like a child - but you get my drift.

I've been basically on-line inaccessible until today. And I can't say I've missed it too much!

I've got some challenging posts on the horizon ... which will start Friday, Lord willing. I'm going to start attempting to answer some of the questions we received from our current series at LCC called, "Got Questions?"

Friday's blog will address the question, "What does the Bible say about cremation?" We'll see if that one fires you up (wow, that was a really bad pun there...).

Meet the Team - Cynthia Cullen

Cynthia leads the worship and creative arts efforts of LCC's Hilton Head Island campus, along with her husband, Todd. The three of us share an unhealthy fixation for all things Seinfeld. I first met Cynthia when she was a teenager, (not sure which one of us should feel older after that statement!), and have been impressed ever since with her love of family and her love for Jesus. She genuinely seeks after Him and it shows in her life. She shares her life through her two blogs: Cheval Glass and Cullen House. She's a fantastic mom to Sydney and Sean.



What's the biggest leadership lesson you have learned over the past year?
The importance of communication at every level of ministry. We as staff leaders assume that the people we are leading vertically or horizontally are always right there with us. We must realize that with any area of leadership responsibility that we find ourselves in, over-communication is the key to success. Let people grow tired of hearing from you. When there are blanks, people fill them in with whatever they want.

What is God teaching you right now?
God is showing me how much He just wants me to be with Him. I am taking more time to do just that. Not an agenda ... not a plan ... just being with Him and listening to Him as He speaks to me through His Word and in prayer.

What are your top ministry challenges?
Finding professional artists (musicians, creatives), who are willing to give the church a try. Most people at this level have had bad church experiences or do not know how they can contribute. My prayer is that God will send them to us so we can show them what a church is like that loves artists regardless of their background, circumstances, or place on their spiritual journey. I feel called to connect with artists and I deeply desire to help them see how the gifts they have been given by God can be used in ways they never imagined!

What are you most excited about?
The culture that we are creating at LCC-HHI of serving the community, serving each other, and reaching out to artists on our Island.

What do you do for fun?
I love spending time with my family - the beach, the pool, bike riding - anything that we can so together is THE most fun for me right now.

What are you reading these days?
Wasabi Gospel (Wood), Between Wyomings (Mansfield), and Spectacular Sins (Piper).

Monday Morning Reflections

- It was a pretty interesting day at LCC yesterday. We began our new series, "Got Questions?" by attempting to answer the multi-faceted question of, "What does the Bible teach about Alcohol?"

- We were able to dig into the question of, "Should a Christian drink alcohol?" It felt like many were holding their breath throughout the entire message!

- If you want to know how we answered it, check out the LCC website and click under "Messages." It should be posted in a day or two.

- The bottom line, as with many things we face as Christians is, "Is this something through which I can glorify God? Is it making me more like Jesus? How will it affect my testimony?"

- There are wonderful godly people on both sides of this issue. Paul's words to us from Romans 14:1 should guide us as we seek to find common ground. And yes, I did say that we can't get after someone who drinks a glass of wine with their meal if we can't even see our own toes! Scripture very oftens couples drunkenness with gluttony. Both are sinful.

- Emily (The Intern) Wolf led worship with Clay and sang an incredible song at the end of the message. She has a beautiful voice and really added to our whole worship experience.

- And speaking of worship experiences, "Captivate" will help us experience the wonder of God through an evening of worship ... Friday, August 7th at 7 p.m. Child-care from infants through pre-school will be provided. Plan on it ... don't miss it!

- Immediately after church (and lunch at Bluffton's new Fiesta Fresh) I headed for Atlanta. I'm posting this from L.A. now (Lovely Atlanta). I'm here to meet with a few pastor friends, pick their brains, and learn from them. I also had lunch today with one of my mentors, Ravi Zacharias. It was great getting caught up and "sitting at his feet" again.

- I met with Mike Linch from NorthStar Church today and on Tuesday I'll meet with Buddy Hoffman from Grace Fellowship. These guys are both a few steps ahead of me  - okay, a mile ahead! - so I listen, ask questions, and seek wisdom. Now if I can only find it as Proverbs exhorts us to do!

- Atlanta traffic is ridiculous. Hwy. 278 looks like a side-street up here. No more complaining about 278! At least not until I get home...

- On Wednesday, I'm looking forward to hearing the latest from Equip in regard to China. Some amazing things are happening kingdom-wise in that country, and I want to learn all about it!

- Please continue to keep the LaGue family in your prayers. Carol and the boys really need the support of God's Spirit and God's people during these difficult days following Dan's passing. I mentioned Dan's final moments yesterday in church. If you want to read about them - and trust me, you do - click here.

- Pastor Rob Jacobs has been with us for over nine years and he's finally getting some serious time off! Our church provides a wonderful sabbatical for our pastors and Rob - although he is two years overdue - is taking a three-month sabbatical beginning on August 1. Please keep him in your prayers and ask God to rejuvenate, refresh, and relax him. If anyone is deserving of this, Rob is. We'll miss you, buddy, but don't call us! Enjoy your time and love on your family!

- Have a wonderful day, everyone.

Meet the Team - Joe Friesen

We have a great team of staff folks at LowCountry Community Church. I want you to meet them! Over the next few weeks, from time to time, I will be letting them share with you a little about themselves.

Today, we begin with Joe Friesen. Joe serves as our Pastor of Mission and oversees our outreach ministries - as he likes to say - "Here, There, and Over There." Joe and his wife, Patty, have been friends of ours since the late 80s and we loved and respected them from the moment we first met. You can scope out his part of our ministry here.

Hey, Joe, what's the biggest leadership lesson you've learned over the past year?
Developing leadership teams is the best way to lead ministry. Instead of micro-managing and trying to keep all the plates spinning by myself, I have found that when I empower a leader to lead a team of others, the event or program runs at a whole different level than if I would have tried to do it all myself. The downside for control freaks like myself is that I don't have control or input on every detail - but the downside is also the huge upside. I have found that a group of people are far more creative and responsive than I could ever be. The other upside is that when an event or program is over, and lives have been impacted, the celebration is much bigger because of all who helped share in the labor.

What is God teaching you right now?
That quiet is good. I am in a chapter of life without children at home so this definitely helps. I have never been good at quiet or solitude, but since my sabbatical this year, I have been practicing times of quiet and reflection more than ever. I have found in the silence that I am comfortable with God. Sometimes I feel He reveals something special, but mostly, it just feels like we are hanging out together - and it feels like we both like it!

What are your top ministry challenges?
Identifying and developing leaders. I have found an abundance of great-hearted "privates" at LCC, but "lieutenants" are very hard to find. Many people are ready to serve, but few want to lead. We need to constantly help people find their "SHAPE" to see if they have leadership potential. This is another advertisement for people to pursue the Core Classes at LCC as you will find out in this process what your "SHAPE" is.

What are you most excited about?
My kids! Aaron and Carrie just had our first grandchild, Camille, and she is, of course, amazing! I am so proud of Aaron as he leads the Middle School ministry at our church. He is a gifted youth worker and a great dad. Our other son, Tim, is getting married next week and we are gaining a precious new daughter. Tim has a couple of college degrees in music and is currently playing wherever he can and waiting for the "big break." Tim is an unusually talented bass player, but more importantly, has a passionate heart for lost people - especially Muslims. Patty and I are very proud of our young men and see God at work in their lives.

What do you do for fun?
I usually end up reading, exercising, playing with my new camera, or waiting to see if someone will take me fishing! I know little about salt water fishing and look forward to some coaching. Patty and I really like to just get in the car and explore. What I think Patty and I enjoy most is having people in our home for a meal and some good stories.

What are you reading these days?
"Tortured for Christ" by Richard Wurmbrand and "Man in the Mirror" by Patrick Morley. Several books about the spiritual discipline of solitude and contemplative prayer, and a variety of historical novels - the most recent was book one of the "A. D. Chronicles" by Bodie Thoene. Other favorite writers are Francine Rivers and John Grisham.

Absent From the Body, Present With the Lord

We just received word that our good friend, Dan LaGue, has passed into the presence of Jesus. Dan was a man who truly gave his life to God and others - specifically eastern Europeans. He has battled melanocytic neoplasm since 1999. This is a slow-growing form of melanoma that is spread through the neurological system of the spine and brain. Dan maintained the most amazing attitude through it all. LCC has supported Dan and Carol and their ministry through Campus Crusade for Christ. They have become much more than just missionaries to us: they have been dear friends and partners in the ministry.

The post that updated Dan's condition simply reads:

July 14, 2009
Dan is with our Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven.

Earlier today, Dan had a temperature of 106 degrees and his blood pressure was falling. Dan is finally and completely healed. He's reveling in his relationship with Jesus right now more than he ever has. And whenever some saint that I know has gone to Heaven, I can't help but think of the words of D. L. Moody: "One day you shall read in the newspapers that D.L. Moody is dead. Don't you believe it! I will be more alive than ever!"  It is, however, heart-breaking for Carol, Zach, Mitchell, and Blake. Please pray for the LaGue family and the coming days and weeks ahead.

Dan now knows in full Paul's words from Philippians 1:21. "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." And, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints" (Ps. 116:15).

Dan was a modern-day Barnabas; the Scripture which was written about Barnabas applies equally to Dan LaGue: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord" (Acts 11:24). We'll miss you, Dan.

Monday Morning Reflections

- Yesterday at LCC was a day of mixed emotions for me.

- I felt like we really were able to get a hold of some key principles regarding temptation and how to overcome it: refuse to be intimidated by the evil one; request help from God; refocus your attention; and, reveal your struggle to a Christian friend.

- And in light of temptation's power, it's good to remember that whatever gets your attention, gets you.

- The way we think determines how we feel; and how we feel determines how we act. Therefore, it's important to fill our mind with good things. Paul says it in Philippians 4:8.

- I really love the verse from Proverbs 4:23, "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life." (NCV)

- It was a bittersweet day for me personally - and for our church as well. Two families that have been absolute stalwarts are moving away and yesterday was their last day with us.

- The Tallman family are moving to Virginia where John enters private medical practice after a stellar Navy career. John has served LCC as an elder.

- The Jones family are moving to Charlotte for Frankie's job. This family was here when the Cranston's arrived and have been so faithful. God has used them in the lives of hundreds of people. They have served in too many ways for me to list here.

- Churches need families like this and we will miss them greatly. I can only breath affectionate benedictions upon them and tell their future pastors and churches: "God is choosing to bless your congregations by bringing these families to you!"

- Our Belize mission team returned home safely from a fantastic week of ministry in that very needy nation. Our own Emily had a wonderful experience there and wants to go back asap! Thanks, Rob, for leading this team so effectively.

- One of our LCC missionaries, Dan LaGue, has been battling cancer for a few years and things have really been taking a downward turn in the last week. Please pray for Dan, his wife, Carol, and their sons. Click here for the latest update.

- Our middle schoolers are with Aaron up at the dcla09 conference in Washington, D.C. They will be returning on Wednesday. Please pray for a wonderful time for them and a safe journey back to the lowcountry. Our daughter, Tiffany, is with them as well.

- And since she is out-of-town, and our son-in-law, Bryan, was mountain-biking in the Pisgah National Forest, we had the privilege this weekend of keeping Bear, the world's greatest dog!

- Have a great day, everyone!

Four Questions I'm Asking Myself

1.  What would I do if I had no limitations?

2. What would I do if I had only five years to live?

3. What would I do if I had unlimited resources?

4. What would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?

These questions are challenging me and are from John Maxwell's latest book, "Put Your Dreams to the Test." I like to evaluate and re-evaluate where I am and where I think I ought to be going in life-direction every now and then. I think we should all so that; it's healthy.

I'll put it this way: to not evaluate where your life is and where it is going is to live a life without purpose and direction. We then too easily fall into the trap of mediocrity and settling for less. I don't know about you, but I don't really want to invest my life in those two areas!

Why not ask yourself these questions and see where they might take you?

Things On the Other Side

One of my favorite essays, from my favorite author, is "The Other Side of the Hill" by F. W. Boreham. In re-reading it today, I ran across a brief passage I wanted to share with you. Boreham challenges us in the to look at the larger, the grander, the things that are more immense, than that which is contained in our little world. And in so doing, we fulfill God's call and command on our lives.

"On a pinnacle in South America, at the very summit of a lofty range of mountains, an immense statue of Jesus was recently placed. There is a deeper significance in the incident than the sculptors themselves saw. For Christ is always on the hilltops pointing His Church to the immensities beyond. The Church has always inclined towards parochialism; she has contented herself with those few miles that lie between herself and the distant foothills. But the Master has stood ever on the sunlit summit pointing to the infinities beyond. It is the story of Kipling's `Explorer':

"There's no sense in going further—it’s the edge of cultivation!
So they said, and I believed it—broke my land and sowed my
crop—
Built my barns and strung my fences on the little border station,
Tucked away below the foothills where the trails run out and
stop.
Till a voice, as bad as conscience, rang interminable changes,
On one everlasting whisper, day and night repeated—so:
'Something hidden! Go and find it! Go and look behind the
ranges!
Something lost behind the ranges! Lost, and waiting for
You—GO!'

"'Go,' said the Master. `Go ye into all the world.' In that tremendous 'Go,' the Church has caught a glimpse of the other side of the hill, and has herself been saved from narrowness by the discovery."
                                                    _____________________
Special thanks to my friend, Dr. Geoff Pound for posting the essay in its entirety recently. Click on the Boreham link above to read the entire essay (it's not too long and totally worth it).
- The Other Side of the Hill was published by Charles H. Kelly, London, in 1917.
- Image: Mosgiel, N.Z., where Boreham lived and ministered with Saddle Hill in the background. He often referred to Saddle Hill in his writings. Photo by David Wall.

Monday Morning Reflections

- Hey, everyone! It's good to be back.

- I took some time off last week to attend a wedding in Raleigh then visit with family in Maryland. I also drove up to New York to visit Lauren - a lot longer drive than I thought! (I'm the tall one.)Lauren is doing well managing the tennis pro shop at Maidstone Country Club. It's a beautiful spot. It was great seeing her again.

- Yesterday at LowCountry was pretty special. I spoke on praying that God would forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors (Matt. 6:12). Afterwards we celebrated communion and gave folks an opportunity to come clean with God or to make a decision to extend forgiveness to someone who had wronged them. Dozens responded and I heard from many throughout the morning that they really sensed a lifting of some heavy burdens they have been carrying around for a long time.

- We also had a very special opportunity to send out one of our own. Al Allnoch leaves today to spend one year in South Africa. Al has been in our church for about a decade and has served all over the place in ministry. His latest stint has been as a Promiseland volunteer and as an elder. You can track Al's life and new ministry on his blog, Trail Mix.

- We wrap up this current series called, Speak God, this coming Sunday. The next series, Got Questions? is going to be a challenging and sometimes uncomfortable one. Stay tuned!

-  Last Sunday I was able to visit a friend's church in Cary, N.C. Mitchell Gregory and I played some serious ball together in college. He's pastoring a pretty cool church up there called Cary Alliance Church. Mitch has been there for 20 years. He's my hero!



- On my way to visit Lauren in the Hampton's I stopped by Sagamore Hill, Teddy Roosevelt's former home, now managed by the Park Service. For someone who has read close to 25 books about or by Roosevelt, it was a real thrill to actually see the places and rooms I've read so much about. There is a terrific museum on the site as well.



- Darlene and I ate a quick lunch with Tiff yesterday after church. She's doing so well, enjoying their new house, and reveling in her summer off. We're so proud of her.

- Emily is with a team of 25 from LCC who are serving Jesus this week in Belize. Say a prayer for them today, please.

- President Obama has picked a church to attend. It's called Evergreen Chapel and it's a non-denominational fellowship at Camp David. Yahoo News reports, "Camp David's current chaplain, Lieut. Carey Cash, leads the services at Evergreen. If the White House had custom-ordered a pastor to be the polar opposite of Jeremiah Wright, they could not have come as close as Cash. (As it is, the White House had no hand in selecting Cash. The Navy rotates chaplains through Camp David every three years; Cash began his tour this past January.) The 38-year-old Memphis native is a graduate of the Citadel and the great-nephew of Johnny Cash. He served a tour as chaplain with a Marine battalion in Iraq and baptized nearly 60 Marines during that time. Cash earned his theology degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth - and, yes, that means Obama's new pastor is a Southern Baptist." Read more here.

- And from the "No-Wonder-the-Church-is-Seen-as-Increasingly-Irrelevant" file. This is just plain sad. And primarily because this is the best way the pastor could come up with to fill the pews in her half-empty church. This is what happens when we demote Scripture in our lives and churches.

- And now that you pet lovers are mad at me, maybe this is a good time for us all to be reminded of what church is not supposed to be. Brad Ruggles has some pretty thought-provoking comments here. 

- Stay classy!