I have heard a lot of conversation being generated about the current series we are in, The Forgotten Path.  It seems to be stirring up some things for folks.

When it comes to planning weekend series and services, the natural question then becomes, where do we go from here?




Immediately following The Forgotten Path we're going to do a 
 two week related series called Boulevard of Broken Dreams... (read more)  [Image by guccio at Moleskiner.net]

In addition to the Sara Groves concert, we will also, of course, be offering a Christmas Eve service (or services).  For that service we would love to get your creative input...(read more)

[image by jspad]

Are you a visual artist?  Painter, sculptor, sketcher, photographer, graphic artist...   You get the idea.  If you are gifted in one or more of these ways, there is an opportunity coming up that you could show off your abilities. 

We are looking for visual representations of "paths".  If you are interested in submitting work for this please contact me at the office 727-725-4570 or by email or comment here. (You can try any other means of communication too - facebook, twitter, carrier pigeon, Morse code - they'll probably reach me. - OK, the Morse code would reach me but I'd be clueless.)

[image by Rickydavid]

As we prepare for the upcoming Forgotten Path series, we are looking for quotes and scriptures related to "path".  If you know of any or any or find any please post them here.

We have artwork!

Take a minute and check it out. 

Also, those of you with an aptitude for stage design, use this artwork to let your mind race with ideas and share your thoughts on stage props, lighting ideas, fabric or other backdrops. 

The final titles are in for the weeks of the "path" series.  Here they are:

Series Title:  The Forgotten Path

Week 1 - The Path Principle
Week 2 - Spoiler Alert
Week 3 - Borrowing Scar Tissue
Week 4 - Attention Deficit Disorder

All of your input helped tremendously as we shaped these titles and plans for the series. 

[image by batega]
I would love to continue to hear from you ideas for songs, dramas, scriptures, visuals, stage design, personal stories we could include.  Your ideas are already shaping a great series!

Thank you for being a part of this!

We are very busy right now dreaming up plans for our "Path" series.  I recently held a brainstorming session where we tried to take our ideas a little further into implementation.  I'm posting the raw results of our conversation here in hopes that it might get your creative juices flowing and you will post your additional ideas in the comments here.

We're looking for song ideas, story ideas, drama ideas, video ideas, marketing, ...  you get the idea.  So, let us know your thoughts.
[image by Sentrawoods]

This fall we're launching a new series that I'm really excited about!  It is based on Andy Stanley's book The Principle of the Path and his teaching series Destinations/Boulevard of Broken Dreams. 

Throughout the weeks in this series will take a look at:

[image by Jeff Power]

Today, our friend and creativity guru, Randy Elrod posted a great list of questions that he calls "10 Powerful Questions for Personal Creativity and Fulfillment."  

I think that as the artists of Cypress these are great questions for us to ponder.

1. When am I most naturally myself? What people, places and activities allow me to feel most fully myself?

2. What is one thing I could stop doing, or start doing, or do differently, starting today that would most improve my quality of life?

3. What is my greatest talent?

How your life has changed for the better because of your relationship with Christ? 

Please post your response here.

Beginning August 8th we launch the series I Love My Church.  I mentioned before the areas we are going to cover each week.  What I'd like to ask you is do you know of a story in your life or the life of someone else at Cypress that illustrates these ideas well?

What stories come to mind?

This August, we will host a series called I Love My Church.

We're going to address the following topics:
I love my church because it provides me tools to grow spiritually
I love my church because it provides a community of faith
I love my church because it allows me to be part of something bigger than myself
I love my church because it partners with me to bring friends to Christ




With this information, can you think of ideas for service elements? stage design? personal stories you're aware of that illustrate these points?  dramas?  songs?

OK, now's your chance to send in your ideas.  Just  "Comment" below and let us know what you think.

[image by Chocolate Geek]

For 2010 the Planning Team that decides our service and series topics met and decided to put together a plan for the entire year.

While we reserve the right to change things if we feel necessary, this does give us a plan to work from and gives you services and series to begin cooking up ideas for way ahead of time.

I have posted the series in the right column of Muse under the heading: Future Series. But I will also list them here for ease of communication:

• February - Balanced
• March - A Place for Everyone (artwork is from LifeChurch's series of the same name)
  
• April - The Best of Me (working title-a series re: potential, purpose) or a series on Family
  
• May/June - Characters of the Bible (possibly based on UnRated by Granger)
• July - Summer Series (multiple teachers, multiple subjects)
• August - Spiritual Formation Series
• September - evangelism series
• October - Fall Big Push Series on Family or Relationships
• November - Person of God/Attributes of God series
• December - An Unexpected Christmas

Please go ahead and let your wheels start spinning and start commenting your ideas for these series. I will post series postings as we approach the individual series and know more.

Thanks again for your ideas and your time! Together we can create services that use the arts to reach people for Christ!

[image by redstamp.com]

The final week of A Place for Everyone we are going to take a look again at how important it was for Jesus that we all know that we are invited to share this life and eternity with Him. It was so important that He gave His life to make that possible.

We are all invited to do life with Him. Will we?

What arts elements could help us tell this incredible story on Palm Sunday?

Imagine a church where people - all people - are welcome. Not a church just for church people. What would that look like?

What if church really was designed to be a place where everyone could come and not feel judged, not feel excluded but instead feel like they are a valued participant?

Cypress Meadows strives to be exactly that sort of a place.

What arts elements do you think of that would communicate this mission?

We say it all the time,

"there's not a person you will lock eyes with that is not important to God."

What does that look like in how we treat others? What does that look like in how we live our own life?

If we are important to God, if we are so important to God that He has a plan for our lives are we living our lives accordingly. Are we investing ourselves, our gifts and our strengths in His plan for our lives?

What arts elements can you think of that would help raise these questions?

Something BIG is happening at Cypress that is going to really impact the smallest people at Cypress!

Sunday, March 7 we will hold a service that will cast vision for our new family ministry at Cypress, Orange.

I've talked with Chuck Deitch, our Community and Family Ministry Leader, and here is a little about what you can expect with Orange.

Red is the color that represents home, love. Yellow is the color that represents church, light. When you combine the two of them you get Orange!

The church and the family are designed to work together to teach, shape, love the kids in our lives. When they work together well it sets our kids up for a true win.

What songs, videos, dramas do you know of that would work well to help cast vision for this exciting next step for Next Gen?

The final key to staying balanced with our finances is to develop a plan and work the plan. And the plan is all about our priorities. What percentage of your finances will you honor God with 2%, 10%, or all?

[image by Steve Wampler]

There are areas in our finances in which we have to be making constant corrections. Two of those areas are: Spending and Getting out of debt.

We'll take a look at how spending is really an extension of discontentment and what it means for the borrower to be slave to the lender.

[image by Adam Crowe]

In order for our finances or anything in life to be balanced, we have to have a clear objective. Your objective regarding your finances may not be defined by you in so many words, but is defined by your actions with and attitudes toward your money. Perhaps your objective is to be able to provide well for your family. Or possibly to save as much as possible. Spend as much as possible. Regardless, you do have an objective. This Sunday we're going to suggest that the only objective that will provide true balance is the objective of honoring God with our finances.

[image by starryeyez024]