Year End Giving

In just a couple days we will say goodbye to 2009 and hello to 2010. I just sent a special year-end giving e-newsletter to all of our financial partners. I want to ask you to pray with me for something specific. I think I felt like God directed me to pray and believe for at least one gift of more than $10,000 to come to Freedom Valley Tulsa prior to 2010.

I'm not asking you to give that gift . . . unless God is asking you to, which is another story and between you and God . . . I'm asking you to believe and pray with me for this big gift to come in through our year-end giving opportunity.

Thank you for your faithful prayers. If you would like to view the e-newsletter I sent or would like to give online, you may do that here.

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor

9 Launch team members arriving this week!

I can hardly sit still. Nine of my favorite people in the world are arriving in Tulsa this week. On Wednesday, Jake and Shawna Lewis, Steph Rider and Evan Stoltzfoos should be pulling into town after a short 23 hours on the road! Gerry and Julie Stoltzfoos will be with them, but they are not staying, unfortunately :) The following day, Matt and Cindy Gesser and their three boys, Shade, Stone and Silas will be here! This is off the subject, but I want to prophesy over Shade right now that he will be a star football player at Union High School and beyond . . . in college and the NFL.

Ok, back to the subject. These people are the brave explorers I spoke of in the video introducing our church. By the way, you can view the full version of that video here. It's the whole story of Freedom Valley Tulsa, so far, boiled down to 14 minutes. Check it out.

And pray for those who will be on the road this week, please. There is some more "winter weather" in the forecast this week for the Tulsa area. Our team is assembling in the place God has called us to be. We're following the voice of our Creator. There's not much more exciting and fulfilling than that.

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor

Church and the Christmas season in Tulsa

One of the big reasons I wanted to get to Tulsa prior to our originally planned Jan 1 move date was to observe how churches in this city approach the Christmas season. With the notable exception of a blizzard on Christmas Eve (more on that in a minute), it looks like Tulsa Churches see and take advantage of the Christmas opportunity to connect with people who would not otherwise attend their churches. It looked like most churches had some type of Christmas Eve service with the larger ones offering many multiple services, some even prior to Dec 24.

I braved the blizzard and went to a service/production at Church on the Move. It was nothing short of amazing. It was the most creative and enjoyable production I've ever experienced paired with the most powerful presentation of the "Christmas Story" from the bible. It was fun and challenging. I loved every second of that 90-minute program.

Back to the snow. It is early Sunday morning as I write this and it has been well over 48 hours since the last of the snow has fallen, but just about every church in the city is closed. Yeah, the roads are still bad in spots and I'm not sure I would take my family out on them today, but the thing that bothers me is that I went to the movies yesterday and the place was packed. Shows were sold out and I waited in huge lines for popcorn. Same city, same people, same roads. It just kind of makes me mad that so many churches canceled today. True that I might not take my family out today, but I would open my church and be there for whoever might brave the elements. Thousands braved it for a movie yesterday. I'm sure a few may make it to church.

Oh well, I'll have ample opportunity to put my money where my mouth is in the future.

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor

changes in the leadership landscape . . .

Seems like there are changes taking place in the leadership landscape in God's Kingdom. I believe that Freedom Valley Tulsa will have a significant place in that landscape if we follow God's voice and stay true to what He says to us. Read more about this here on my personal blog.

Jason Fitch - lead pastor

day with God - what if . . .

I spent yesterday doing the best I know how just connecting with my Creator. I left my computer at home and had my phone off all day. Those things helped, but I still need to practice this habit of being alone with God. I need to find a good place to be or something. Yesterday, I mostly drove around and stopped here and there. Some reflections from my time "unplugged":

• If I'm going to lead a church well, I need to lead my family well. I've struggled so much with the inherent chaos our family has been in with selling our home, living in a temporary one and then moving cross-country. The truth is that I've done a poor job coping and I've not been a very kind person to my wife and boys. That is changing, beginning yesterday.
• As I drove around, I found some comfort in going to and going by the places I had memories from . . . old houses I'd lived in, old schools, etc. I think I heard God tell me to stop going back to the familiar places. This time around I'm a whole new man and God is creating a whole new identity. That scares me just a little.

To be honest, I'm a little scared on a few levels. I love Tulsa, but I feel like a stranger in a strange land. My mind goes to so many "what ifs". What if . . . some of our launch team does not come to Tulsa as planned . . . I don't do a good job networking with people here . . . we don't raise enough money. So many "what ifs".

Here's one God hit me with (and I love this one). What if all that happened but I still followed His call and pulled ever closer to Him. Well, if that all happened, things will be just fine.

Transition is difficult and scary. I desperately need and love your prayers at this time. Thank you!

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor

The Theaters of Tulsa

I toured 2 theaters today . . . Cinemark at Tulsa and Cinemark 8. The first Cinemark was beautiful, then second was not. The problem with both is lack of good kids ministry space. Cinemark at Tulsa is a slim possibility, but I doubt it will work because of the shortage of kids ministry space. It's a great looking place. Some pictures for you to enjoy :)

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor

touring the theater today

This morning @ 10am (that's 11am for you East Coasters - haha) we will be taking a good look around at the Cinemark Theater on 71st St. Pictures will follow. Please pray with me that God will talk to us about that location. As of right now, I absolutely love the location, however the cost has me a little nervous . . . probably would cost us in the neighborhood of just under $1000 per week.

Jason Fitch - lead pastor

possibilities

I'm going to do some recon work on the two movie theaters in Tulsa that we're considering using for our services. There's really only one that I'm very interested in, but I want to practice what they call "due diligence" and check all my theater options. I also hope to check on business banking and cell phone options today. I'll get to finish out my day with coffee with a new friend named Ryan.

Jon and Jen arrived safely yesterday and will begin looking at homes to rent today. Heather is back on the job-hunting trail. Please keep all of us in your prayers today as we look at the possibilities God may have for us here in Tulsa.

Jake, Shawna and the Gesser family all arrive in just a few short weeks. I can't wait to have more of the team here. I've never felt such a synergy with a group of people and I want to get to work! I love this life God has set up for me to live. What an adventure!

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor

update

Steps are being taken. The team is assembling in Tulsa. Heather Bryant moved into her apartment in Tulsa last night and Jon and Jen Trout are flying in today to spend a few days (I think 5) looking at places for their family to live. Just found out recently that Matt Gesser has a job in Tulsa! God is setting things up.

On my side, I secured our EIN for the church last night and I'm working through the process of getting tax exempt status in the state of OK. With a tax rate of 8.5, we can save big $ on all the equipment we will purchase this year if we can get that tax exempt status!

Just about 3 weeks until the next wave of the launch team moves to Tulsa!

update from Tulsa!

Wow, the last week has been an absolute blur . . . on a scale that I've not experienced before. I'm sitting in my living room on my second morning in Tulsa and I am finally beginning to feel some of the excitement in my spirit that I was hoping for.

Can I tell you something. Moving with 4 little boys is quite an undertaking. But, we are beginning to settle in just a bit. We now own a refrigerator and and groceries. Unfortunately, that refrigerator is too tall for the cabinet opening in our kitchen and I need to take a half-inch off the bottom of the cabinet, so if anyone is skilled with a jigsaw (and owns one) let me know. We have our washer and dryer hooked up and laundry is being washed and dried. We have a table and chairs in the kitchen, so meals don't have to be eaten on the floor. Things are slowly but surely being set up. We register Colin and Liam for school today and they start tomorrow (I hope :)

The best thing? For the first time in several days, I spent some time this morning reading God's Word. Man, that is such life to me. Just look at this :

Hebrews 4:12 - 13 - For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

I can't wait for the rest of our team to join us here in Tulsa. More updates to come

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor

my final night in PA!

Driving back from Lancaster now with Jake, Shawna Daniel and Heather. We had a great night at FLCC again. Thanks to Pastor Sam Masteller and his team for having us out tonight. I love that church!

Well, this is it. Tomorrow at 9am we pull out for OK! And how about this . . . Heather Bryant is going with us tomorrow! She just had a development with her job that let her leave for Tulsa a couple weeks early. We're so glad to travel with her.

Hey, if you would not mind, could you say some prayers for our family and Heather as we travel over the next few days? We could definitely use a concerted prayer effort as we spend 3 days on the road.

Well, my next post will be from somewhere between here and there.

Jason Fitch - Lead Pastor