This weekend I took my family on a road trip, and we attended a surprise party…a birthday party for my dad’s 70th!  Did you hear that? 70 years. Now that might not seem old to you, but if you knew my dad and the life he’s lived, you’d be going to this party too.

Well, it worked…his girlfriend Carol pulled off the surprise and people from all over the place (New York, Virginia, Kentucky & North Carolina) showed up to cheer my dad on.  My kids loved it and so did everyone else.

The reason I was cheering was probably different than most.  You see, my dad represents an awful lot to me.  For all the wins and losses, successes and failures, and ups and downs through our life as a family, it’s what happened four years ago that has left an indelible mark on my life.  It was the day after Easter (on my father’s birthday) that it happened.  After years of praying, some important talks, going to church together here and there, and some more praying…it finally occurred.

My dad and I were sitting in my Jeep overlooking our church property.  Only minutes earlier we had been driving, and he was telling me that he was proud of me.  Once we stopped, I took a deep breath and explained that I was glad that he was proud of me and the way my life was turning out…that I wasn’t a thug, but instead a Pastor in a thriving church that really is trying to serve and help people.  Then I did it…I told him that while I loved helping so many people find hope in Jesus, it would be my greatest honor to one day be able to lead him in making that decision for himself…to pray with him…to be there as he came to Christ humbly asking for His forgiveness and inviting Him into his heart to be his Forgiver and Leader.  I told him I couldn’t wait for the day when he was finally ready to take that step.

What happened next undid me…I couldn’t even look him in the eye. We were both looking forward when I finished saying those heartfelt words.  And then it happened.  As I finished that last sentence, I heard the words I had been waiting to hear for 23 years.  Waiting to hear them from my dad…for two+ decades of talking and praying.  And then they came…  “Ok, I am ready.”

I responded with my head jerking toward him and exclaiming, “REALLY???”  Then we gripped hands, bowed our heads sitting there in my Jeep overlooking the church property, and my dad prayed to receive Jesus as his own Leader and Savior.  I will never forget it…never.

I have confidence that God is working in the hearts and lives of His kids…lost and found kids…more than we will ever know.  So I stood there on Saturday and sang happy birthday to my dad…yes, my dad turning 70 that day.  But even more important…my dad turning 4 that day as he celebrated his fourth spiritual birthday.

I don’t know your dad.  But just in case you have been talking with him…praying for him, just watching and waiting for the day when he will say, “Ok, I am ready,” I thought I would cheer you on.  I thought I’d let you know that 23 year long-shot dads do humble themselves. I thought I’d spur you on to more prayer, more risky conversations and repeated invitations to church…to letting you know you aren’t wasting your time or your breath.  It really does happen.  Borrow courage and hope from me.  God really is at work more than you know…even in your dad.  So don’t grow weary of doing good, your work for God is never in vain (1 Cor. 15:58).

Happy Birthday Dad…I love you and I am so proud of you.

I spent this weekend with my family in North Carolina (& man did I miss you, Quest! & week 2 of the Man Series – I heard it was awesome!).  I’ll blog about my primary reason for being in N.C. soon, but while I was there I got to attend Elevation Church where Steven Furtick is the Lead Pastor.  This is a very young church (barely three years old – as they launched out in February 2006) and it got me thinking…

Recently my email was flooded (with people trying to be helpful) with copies of newspaper articles, studies, reports and analysis all saying the same thing in different ways.  Essentially the research showed that CHRISTIANITY IS DYING IN THE U.S. The findings said that people on the whole are giving up on the idea of a personal God…therefore church attendance is plummeting.  Evangelism is less fruitful.  Passion for the cause of Jesus Christ and the advancement of His Gospel is now a passing reality.  People aren’t interested, and churches are becoming echo chambers.

Here’s the deal…no one seems to have told the people coming to Quest Community Church this news.  I am seeing more passion than ever…more life change…more marriages resurrected…more students finding direction…more artists using their talents…more evangelistic fruit than ever before. I am watching thousands of people find an anchor for their lives and souls as they are placing their trust in Jesus every single day of the week…not just Sundays.  In fact, God’s work at Quest is advancing at ever increasing speeds.  I can sense the pleasure of God around every corner and in nearly every single ministry at QCC.  Just stepping in the doors breathes life into me and thousands of others.

This past weekend I walked into Elevation and felt the same sensation.  Dozens of people were there serving and welcoming us…people in a demographic that the studies showed were not supposed to be there.  They were there – and thrilled to be so.  Hundreds were there on a Sunday night worshiping God and being challenged from His word to grow.  In three short years Elevation has grown from serving 121 people at their first service to over 5500.

There are so many great churches in our country.  Elevation, Willow Creek, NewSpring, North Point, LifeChurch.tv, Quest Community, Saddleback, Granger, Kensington, Redeemer Presbyterian, Harvest, North Coast, The Crossing, Mariners, Calvary Chapel, Southland Christian, Community Christian, Heartland, Gateway, Seacoast, Crossroads Community, Crossroads Christian, Bethel Harvest, Central, National Community.  I just named 25 great churches off the top of my head…

If you are eager to learn about Jesus – and either you have no church to go to – or your present church has decided Jesus isn’t what/who the people in the U.S. are really looking for (or so the study shows) – then FIND A GREAT CHURCH like one of those I mentioned AND GO THERE.  Find a church that is excited about their future. A church eagerly anticipating what God might do next.  Find a church that is motivated by the findings of these thorough studies rather than deflated by them…because there are hundreds…maybe even thousands of such churches out there.  And you tend to feel it…and experience it when you walk in the door.  You can just tell they have IT!

So go for it…God isn’t reading these studies thinking His work here is done.  I see vast evidence that He is just beginning to crank things up!  Don’t take my word for it – go observe one of the people from Elevation – you won’t even need to ask.

“In France last year more babies were born to unwed mothers than into two parent households.” “Concern and fear grow as the financial climate  worsens.” “Study reveals dramatic increase in Americans following example of  Europeans by turning away from the concept of faith in a personal God.”  ”Felons released back into society early with Jails bursting at their seams.”  ”Joblessness rates soar.”

I do not read the traditional newspaper very often…mostly I visit a couple different news sites and read the news there.  The above quotes are from just a few of the news stories that came out this week.  I could have continued ad nauseum…quoting discouraging realities from nearly every aspect of life for the balance of this post…easily!  Pretty discouraging stuff. So let me ask you a question:

What do you do for real encouragement? What is it that truly inspires you?

I mean, no one wants to walk around pretending that bad things aren’t really happening.  On the other hand, we don’t want to be discouraged all the time either.  As I was considering this challenging and complicated reality, my mind began to race.  I was reflecting on my own question, “So what is it that inspires me?”  And what happened next was unplanned & exhilarating…I stopped trying to think & God began to flood my mind with His answer to my question.

First, I recalled Christmas time here at Quest as thousands of men, women & children took off their jackets and piled them high on the stage in an effort to Give Hope in the form of warm jackets to the people in Kentucky who were down on their luck and unable to keep warm in the harsh winter that was on its way.

Then my mind raced to images of musicians, artists, craftsmen, techies, and many others spending hour after volunteer hour working to prepare the launch of The Man Series (our current QCC weekend series) for the thousands we were praying would show up to be challenged by God.

Next I pictured Janet’s face. When I saw her, Janet, an awesome leader & volunteer, had just stepped off the stage from teaching in KidsQuest.  She was bursting with joy & wonder as she had watched the faces of the 500+ kids she had just taught about God’s great love for them.  She was shaking her head in awe as many of them began to understand (in a real way) God’s heart of love for them.  Many decided that they wanted His love for themselves & chose (with their parents at their side) to invite Christ to become the Forgiver and Leader of their life!

Finally, as I drove up to the church in my Jeep, I laid my eyes on the new building that is now beginning to take real shape.  I was realizing that while it is certainly the concrete reminder that God is drawing thousands of new people to this place to learn about His love and redemption…on this day it took on another meaning. As my eyes scanned the building, I began to realize that God is entrusting all of these new people to Quest in large part because of Questers!  God’s great blessing is directly linked to the people of Quest loving, serving, giving, inviting, reaching, sacrificing, praying, leading, listening, investing, helping, and caring!

It was like a tidal wave to my mind. I was overwhelmed…my heart was inspired to it’s core.  In this church I am surrounded by Questers…the most inspiring collection of people I have ever had the privilege to know.  Most look very ordinary in the eyes of the world of status and power.  But to God…to the thousands they serve…and absolutely to this pastor…they are heroes!

Questers, did you hear me?  You are heroes!  In a world where discouragement rules the headlines, you bring encouragement to so many.  Great job my friends…great job to all of you.

You are an inspiration to me and so many others.  Listen to the cheers from heaven…your Father’s voice is calling out through the darkness to say, “Well Done!“

This will be my first time posting following a weekend of worship experiences at Quest Community Church.  My plan is…each week after services to slip into a coma on Sunday night…but then sometime before things get rolling again on Tuesday morning to blog about the things on my mind from the weekend.  That could be random things or unforgettable things or things I didn’t get to say in my talk…whatever sorts of things.  I am hoping this is compelling enough to draw you back each week to read it as a regular column of sorts.  I don’t have a great title yet…something like: Monday Morning Quarterback…Reflection from the Weekend…but I haven’t landed it yet.

What a great week to launch this regular post! The launch of The Man Series was nothing short of electric.  Here’s what I saw:

A. There was an incredible buzz…people were inviting friends, family, neighbors & coworkers like crazy.  I think the uniqueness of the series piqued interest big-time. In fact there were so many new people, I personally met dozens of first time guests of Quest…unreal!

B. I can’t describe how I felt walking up to the stage for the first service (Sat. 5:55pm)…as the music just rocked, my heart was pounding out of my chest with excitement, anticipation, and the feeling God was getting ready to do groundbreaking work in the lives of men.

C. Speaking of music…HAVE YOU EVER HEARD that in a church before???  The way Anyerin and the band led us from that new worship song into that bridge where they played timeless guy riffs from the 60s thru the 90s had men out of their mind.  I kept asking people which song was their favorite and I heard the name of nearly each song {AC/DC, Nirvana, Cream, Metallica, Deep Purple, Eminem}…way to go music team…INCREDIBLE!!

D. I think Justin vs. Shillito may turn out to be a classic…can’t wait to see episode 2 this weekend.

E. 40 people gave their lives to Christ…40 people had their sins erased and became sons & daughters of God on a weekend where we had a motorcycle on stage and a monster truck out front!  Nothing more important will be said in this post than that: 40 people!!! (17 from KidsQuest – way to go guys…this is why you work so hard and pray so much).

F. I heard our Fused Retreat (students) was unreal…just out of this world…I am told 17 teenagers put their trust in Jesus…mind-blowing.

G. We grew by nearly 500 people from the week prior to this launch…exactly 800 from two weeks prior!!! That’s a taste of why we are making room for more people…just a taste…

H. Just after I walked off  stage from teaching Helen Musick asked me with energy in her voice, “so how long have you waited to give that talk?” And the best answer I can give is…TOO LONG!!!  I watched as men listened hard…took notes…some got teary at times (in a manly sort of way) while others got agitated (which was just as from God as the crying).  Men have forgotten (or never known) who God made them to be…and to be reminded can be overwhelming, scary, exciting, convicting, and all of the above!

I. I believe God is getting ready to do a deep work in many men in Lexington and Frankfort…work that frees some men up to become men….men after God’s own heart.  Many guys will, by the end of this series,  Face the Giant that is taunting them from across the valley every day.

J. I was so proud of the women this weekend. I have gotten a ton of great feedback from you ladies who took a deep breath and listened for what God wanted you to learn. I saw you grappling with the way you’ve thought of and dealt with the men in your life…good for you…I applaud you all.  By the way, I wish I would have said more clearly, “thanks to women for being the driving force in churches & ministries as the men have been AWOL.” Thanks ladies…God has used you incredibly over the last centuries to advance His cause. Thanks…now how about some help?

K. I will conclude with what so many Questers said and hundreds more thought…Man do I love my church!!!  I really do…I want to shout it out…go on TV and broadcast it… “If you have given up on church or hate going, TRY QUEST COMMUNITY CHURCH, it is awesome.”  Really and truly…if I wasn’t the pastor, know that I would love being a member at this terrific church…(thanks to everyone who helped and invited).

So there you have a few random reflections on the weekend where we launched what I think will become one of the most talked about, loved, remembered,  impacting series at Quest.  My heart is pounding…perhaps still from the weekend…maybe in anticipation of next weekend.  Wow…who woulda guessed it? The Man Series…bring a guy with you this weekend. God is really up to something!

How in the world am I supposed to sleep?? We kicked off The Man Series tonight and it was unbelievable! Pure adrenaline…the musicians kicked butt…the worship was alive and full of energy. There were Ferrari’s and monster trucks and fire in church. There was chrome and steel. There were guys doing push-ups and guys eating wings. The place was just full of people eager and ready…and even though we were on challenging territory, everyone who risked coming took it like a champ.

I can’t wait to see what God’s going to do tomorrow. I can just feel the men being filled with hope that it’s really possible…they really can become themselves…the men God designed them to be.

I love this church!

God’s love and power are breathtaking.

P.S. Bring a friend. Get your man to church in one of our services Sunday in Lexington or Frankfort. Do what it takes. Just get here. You will be glad you came. (If nothing else, you’ll hear everything from Steppenwolf to AC/DC to Eminem. How’s that for a day at “church?”) Time to try & sleep…

Hours…we are only hours from blast off.  I am absolutely out of my freakin’ mind about what God is going to accomplish in this new series at Quest Community church.  Check this…

• The auditorium looks  awesome…so ready to go (great work Amber, Jeremy & Creative Arts Team)

• The service elements are spectacular and you are gonna laugh your butt off at least 3 times

• The music is gonna blow your mind (if you love 80′s rock especially)

• And I will do my absolute best to really connect with every guy out there…young or old, married or single, Christian or seeker.

So invite, invite, invite…ladies, tell the men you know that you will let them watch the final four uninterrupted if they just give church a shot.  I have been sensing God wanting to do so much in men during these weeks together.  You will hear me stand up and say something I believe with my whole heart…

“Never underestimate what God can accomplish through a man who has a soft heart  toward Jesus and is resolved to do whatever He asks of him.”

That’s all it takes for God to accomplish the impossible in that man, his marriage, his family, his work, this crazy world.  I have watched God do it  over and over.

Men have been left out of the picture for too long…I can’t wait to see what the Lord has in mind…

MEN – I dare you to come…Quest is not what you’d expect. Come out this weekend. If you can’t be here…come online. We are live at all service times.  You’re gonna be glad you did.

Let me lead into Day 2 of blogging by confessing: Holy Freakin’ Moly!!! am I shocked by the response to our new blog…in the first 17 hours after launching petehise.com 796 unique visitors spent time on the site. I am flipping out…nearly 20 countries are represented already.  Thank you for showing interest.  I am thoroughly convinced God is going to do great things through this blog.  I will be asking Him to touch your life, family, marriage, church, even your heart through my random thoughts….trusting that He has larger purposes in mind.  Stay connected to see what He might have in store for you…

For this 2nd post I want to offer up a couple things running through my mind…

• Last night I had a meeting with 9 very creative people.  We met for four hours preparing some of the final touches on creative elements for the Easter series at Quest.  I am absolutely out-of-my-mind excited…I am bursting for this series to begin…it is going to be fantastic and fun and revolutionary and perhaps even shocking.  It is called Epic: The Man Series …this is a series designed, crafted and written for men.  We are gonna go places churches rarely go…into the lives, challenges, and souls of men.  I cannot wait. Know why?  Because men have it so tough these days.  Few men have quality role models…examples of people living out the Epic lives God made them for.  Women, I believe you will learn an awful lot about the men in your life…but I am making my appeal to men. Come to church this weekend…come to The Man Series. You have nothing to lose (but an hour of your time) and everything to gain.  So man up and be here at one of Quest’s 4 identical services…maybe a preview will help convince you:

• I took part of my staff on a walking tour of Quest’s new building today…we stood at what will in 4 months be the second floor of the new main entrance.  We were 20 feet in the air and we could see so many houses, cars, buildings, people…and it hit me once again…the people we were looking at are the reason we are making space…we are making room for them.  We are making room so we can throw open our arms to thousands & thousands who may not know that Jesus is crazy about them.  Many think that God is angry with them or disappointed – when in fact He is crazy lovesick for them.  Most don’t know. Do you know He adores you?  Do you know He sent His only boy Jesus as proof of His love?  Well, we are making room for them, and you, to learn of His conditionless love!

So come find out for yourself…I can’t wait to see your face when it sinks in.  Hope to see you this weekend.

I cannot believe I am actually launching a blog.  I recall 2 years ago having to ask someone “so what the heck is a blog?” Since learning…the idea of a blog began to grow on me. I started to see the value in doing one myself.  But since I don’t have an abundance of spare time I was reluctant…”should this really be a priority?…Will anyone actually read it?…How will this benefit Quest Community Church (the awesome church I pastor)?”  I even went so far as to ask the advice of some of the leading pastors in the nation. “So guys,” I asked, “do you think I need to invest my time, energy & heart in a full throttle blog?”  All of their answers can be summed up in this sentence… “Only if you really want to impact people in the 21st century.” I was convinced…so here I am…petehise.com!!!

So let me officially welcome you to my very first post. I have written for other people’s blogs…the Lexington Herald Leader’s Faith Blog…but this is post #1 for petehise.com.  My blog is going to be a blend of what I hope to be very engaging, challenging and surprising stuff.  Since my intention is to add posts several times a week, I will not be going to the trouble of trying to publish high-literary material.  It will sound like me…a bit rough around the edges, straightforward, unguarded, and irreverent.  

My goal is to connect with people in very real and alive ways.  As Quest grows I hope to help people get a bit closer to me by blogging about things that don’t have a vehicle to get out to everyone in other ways.  So be ready to hear what’s going on in my mind and heart: challenging leadership stuff; awesome stories of transformation; freaky stuff that didn’t fit in the sermon; outrageous challenges God is sending our way as followers of Jesus and as a church bursting with light in this dark world.  As we do life together, I hope you click here often, ready to be stretched, informed, encouraged, and maybe even shocked. 

I really can’t wait to see how Jesus uses this blog to draw people’s hearts, minds and lives together.  Even more than that…how will He use it to help people understand His great love for them?  I can’t wait…thanks for reading…set petehise.com to your faves list and check back often…I’ve got some stuff I’m dying to tell you tomorrow…

P.S. Take the survey…it’s new every week (fun for you…sermon material for me).