Magical Moment?

I just returned from a week at Disney World in Orlando! Wow! What a great week! I have heard people talk about "magical moments," a specific time that they connected with Disney Magic.

Would I have a magical moment? I went in thinking okay - lots of rides - characters - high priced food and drink - long lines - what could be magical about that? Then it happened... the smiles - the look on my girls' faces during their first Disney Parade. Priceless. It actually happened several times. The pictures with Mickey and Minnie, Cinderella's Castle, It's a Small World...

I happened to think of Westview and our first "Magical Moment." When did we connect to Westview? Tanya and I attended two different large churches in the Des Moines area before visiting Westview. One thing we really liked about a larger church, we could slip in and out and not really have to connect with anyone.

When we first came to Westview we did the same thing - show up right before services, leave right after the benediction. It was our choice - right, then we started noticing groups of people who looked like they wanted to be there and really were connected. Slowly we started to try to interact with people and met a few friendly faces. Looking back it took us almost a full year to really become engaged with people. One of our "magical moments" was at a Westview Church golf outing - we were paired with Dave and Susan Watson. It was really the first time we connected with someone besides a quick hello on a Sunday. We decided it was time to initiate and engage; then we saw God bless our family, friends, and faith.

We were then introduced to a small group and began building relationships with friends. Those friendships have changed our lives. Six years later we have built a network of friends we pray with, talk about our faith with, and just have fun together!

I look at my Disney experience and think - yeah - but that's what Disney does...everyone is there to help create a magical moment for you, their guest. Their mission is to "make people happy"

Westview Church has a vision to be a House of Prayer and a Serving Church. Westview wants you to be a part of that vision through Westview's Mission of helping people find Jesus, grow in Jesus, and Serve Jesus. We want you to have a "Magical Westview Moment!"

I don't want you to wait a year like we did. I understand - everyone has their own speed at engaging with a local church. I would encourage you to contact me if you want to get involved with a small group, a ministry, or just simply talk about your magical moment.

Thanks for stopping by...Keith

To contact Keith click here

Don't Hide Your Faith!

I wanted to follow to the "What do you mean by Christian?" post from a few weeks back.

By asking first what someone means by "Christian" it can allow you to know there perspective on Christianity. Too many times, by answering "Yes - I am a Christian." the conversation ends. The conversation might end before either party knows how the other defines Christian.

It is safe to say we all have had conversations with others who may have a whole different definition of what it means to be a Christian. Michael Simpson states in Permission Evangelism,

"By First engaging in understanding their concept of Christianity, I create enough interest to pull them into conversation. When I finally do state that I am a Christian, based on what that means to both of us, nonbelievers are often more willing to listen because I have been thoughtful enough to consider their perspective." Permission Evangelism p 33

Simpson goes on to relate this process to an encounter you could have at a local coffee shop. He tells a story of interacting with a gentleman at a local coffee shop. Meeting a modestly dressed man who takes interest in you. You spends the afternoon in conversation. You come to realize he has a unselfish and kind heart. As you leave and exchange names, you immediately recognize his name as a famous multimillionaire that the press has been headlining each day. He has been involved in a "scandal" and the media has painted him into being a self-centered man of greed who has destroyed the lives of several people.

Later- if you were to explain to your friends about your meeting. How would you relate how this man engaged you and showed you a heart of wisdom and unselfishness. This man was nothing like you had imagined. If you had known who he was before your conversation, how would that have impacted your perception of this man? Would you have even listened or understood what he was about?

Again- I think it is more about inviting conversations - than repelling conversations.

Don't hide the fact your a Christian - just be aware other's don't always have the same definition. Sometimes it might help a conversation to go farther by clearing up any inconsistencies, otherwise you might end a conversation too early that could impact someone's life forever.

Remember - Initiate conversations, Engage friendships, Bless relationships!