Candy Trail!!!

Absolutely incredible! Hundreds of kids joined us last night on the HPC hillside for an amazing time celebrating fun in Jesus...

Statistics were hard to gather, but based on car counts, parking evaluation, and candy distibution there was no less than 800 and as many as 1,000 people on the property at one time for our most amazing Trunk-R-Treat to date.

I never imagined a traffic jam at the junction of Hwy 80 and the HPC entrance, but I have now seen and believe! Cars just kept coming... One of the ushers actually joked, "I feel like I'm in a giant-sized ant hill!"

To the community thank you so much for participating! To the HPC congregation thank you for bringing your children, grandkids and neighbors. Thanks as well to all the HPC staff and volunteers who worked so tirelessly and led so effectively. You were on your game last night and I have never been more excited about the potential within you and the destiny God has set before us!

I find myself already anxiously anticipating next year. Greater things are yet to come!!!

Candy Trail

Our Thursday night service will be replaced this week with our annual Halloween alternative.

We have added several new things as well as bringing back the classics:

Trunk-R-Treat
Candy Trail
Candy Land
Hayrides
Hot Dogs, Marshmallows, & More!!!

Everything is Free and Everyone is Welcome!!!

The fun starts at 6pm!

You're welcome to bring candy for the kids if you would like... Cya there!

Russell County...

I'm comfortable in Russell County. Without a doubt, it is the place for me. Ironically, it is also the place I once desperately desired to leave. Now, it would take the audible voice of God to move me out.

Once upon a time, I longed for the excitement of bright lights, busy highways, and high-caliber restaurants. Today, I sit in a Louisville waiting room with construction equipment beeping and banging in the background, still recovering from the mental trauma of yesterday's battle with traffic. (There's one black Corvette in particular, I look forward to never again drafting alongside.) Thus, let it be made official that I have no desire to hear the bustling, blaring, horn-blowing activity of this city or see this cold, rigid, unwelcoming skyline again any time soon.

Sure, there are things I sometimes wish Russell County served as home to: A Red Lobster or Sticky Fingers would be nice, but my waistline is better off without either of them. A mall would be appealing, but my wallet probably couldn't handle my wife's weekly visits. A spa would be relaxing, but I'm spoiled enough the way it is. A social club would bring connectivity, but I'm a loner anyways so its an unnecessary perk...

Ah... The lack of traffic each morning in Russell Springs is refreshing. An occasional blockage of my hurried pace on the Old Columbia Road can be navigated as I tailgate a Massey-Ferguson with my mind reflectively racing through the bordering fields. Guthrie's, The Cove, The Front Porch, Rowena's Landing--not five-star--but they have effectively faciliated a never dying appetite for more and a bulging waistline that increases its mass daily. Fred's and Kmart, I appreciate you. I walk in, I walk out--never wrestling seven people for a pack of razors. The Links is close enough to a social club for me. Do I golf? No, but the occasional golf cart excursion, while mocking the pitiful swings of my friends, has at times been like a drive through heaven. As for the spa, my neighbor has an above ground pool that I mischievously dive into when he's not home, so all is well...

Russell County, I'll be back on Wednesday afternoon and I may kiss your ground. You are surely missed by this man who has fallen head over heels in love with you...

And Oh by the way, Rowena's Landing, I'll have the Kentucky Fare, with golden-brown fried potatoes and an extra-side of counry ham... .

Kevin Knight

Kevin Knight was absolutely one of the funniest men I ever met. We spent many summers together at an annual church youth camp and I have countless hilarious memories as a result of his tireless pranks.

Although, I had not seen him in many years, I unexpectedly ran into him in a hotel lobby about a year ago and it was as though, for a few moments, we were back at youth camp laughing hysterically without giving any thought to any thing else going on around us...

Kevin's death has left a void no man can fill and my prayers are forever with the Knight family...

Here is a link detailing his battle with H1N1: http://www.wyff4.com/news/21396071/detail.html

HPC Logo Design

Here are some logo designs we are considering for HPC as we move towards a new day. Let me know which one you like the best and why:

LOGO #1LOGO #2

LOGO #3

LOGO #4

HPC: The Past, Present & Future...

Here's a link to a video that shows glimpses of HPC's Past, Present & Future...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ_QUaD0EWI

Josh McDaniels

Sometimes it can be very difficult to stick to your innate sense of what is the right direction for your ministry, business or relationships. Especially when influential people disagree with your choices.

That said, it is not very often that I find inspiration from the happenings of NFL teams. However, I would recommend that you google a coach by the name of Josh McDaniels. You may already know his story, but if not, prepare to be inspired by a man who drew a line in the sand and made it clear that nothing would hinder his development of a team atmosphere--not even the star player...

Significant Church Network

I will be at the Significant Church Network's Conference at Victory Christian Fellowship (Somerset, KY) today and tomorrow.

SCN is a unique organization in their recognition of thriving rural America churches. I am looking forward to connecting with both new and old acquaintances.

God is moving in the US, despite popular consensus, and I believe rural churches will play a 'significant' role in the End-time Harvest.

I appreciate your prayerful support of this gathering as small-town pastors come together for the cause of Christ.

Tonight @ HPC!

Ashley Wilson, lead pastor of LifeGate Church (Lexingon, KY), will be at HPC tonight @ 6:30pm!

For more information about Ashley & LifeGate Church visit www.lifegatechurch.tv

WAR Revival

Just a reminder that the WAR Revival will be closing out tonight in Hazard, KY at The Forum.

Service will start at 6pm CDT.

Ronnie Loy & Family

The Loy family experienced a loss this week as Ronnie's father passed away.

The arrangements are at Wilson Funeral Home in Russell Springs. Visitation is at 4 tonight and the funeral is at 1pm tomorrow.

Casey County Disaster Relief

I have spoken with the Disaster Relief Coordinator in Casey County and I am being told the things that are most needed right now are financial contributions and cleaning supplies. Click here to see pictures of the disaster areas: http://www.libertyky.info/gallery/displayimage.php?album=4&pos=85

If you would like to contribute you can drop off your items at Higher Praise Church between 10am-3pm or before and after services. Financial contributions can be mailed directly to:

Casey County Disaster Relief
PO Box 127

Liberty, KY 42539

You can also drop off any monetary donation at HPC and we will deliver it at the same time as the cleaning supplies.

Also, in response to a few questions I have received about how relief contributions may be applied to your end of the year charitable donations: I'm not for sure how tax credit will work if you mail your check directly to CCDR, but if you would like to know for certain you can make your check to HPC, but ear-mark it for CCDR, and we will give you an end of the year contribution statement to apply toward your taxes.

Thanks in advance for helping us find needs and meet them!

Casey County Tornado

On Sunday, Jackie Blankenship, our Local & Regional GO Team leader was busy collecting items for the Casey County tornado victims... I would like to thank all of you who brought a donation. However, from the looks of these images there is still more to be done: http://tiny.cc/KEgc5

Stay tuned, as we hope to update you on how we can continue to reach out to those in need...

Building Update: List of Partners during the Construction Process

I'm not for sure if we have ever made an official announcement regarding the businesses that will be and have been involved in the construction of the new facility. I think it is important for you to know, because each of the businesses listed have went above and beyond to help make this vision a reality. As a matter of fact, each of them have absolutely blown me away with their support and willingness to help in a difficult economy. I ask that you support them with your patronage when possible and let them know that you appreciate their generous cooperation with our church.

General Contractor
Hilpp Construction, Inc. (Lebanon, KY)

Excavation
Pyles Excavating, Inc. (Columbia, KY)

Site Clearing, Logging, & Eqpt Provision
Jeff Meeks Logging (Liberty, KY)
Kentucky Tie & Lumber (Columbia, KY)
Tarter Gate (Dunnville, KY)

Architectural Services & Construction Consultation
Central Kentucky Design, Inc. (Berea, KY)
Ken Koehler, AIA (Louisville, KY)
Wooldridge Design Services, Inc. (Stanford, KY)
South Central Design, Inc. (Columbia, KY)
Owen's Construction, Inc, (Windsor, KY)
Dale Roy (Columbia, KY)

Financial Services
First National Bank (Russell Springs, KY)
Wade's Appraisals (Russell Springs, KY)
Jeff Loy Legal Services (Russell Springs, KY)

Also, below is a list of the men who serve on HPC's Administrative Team. They have been given the responsibility of making the day-to-day decisions during the construction process, with Donnie Gilbert having been appointed by this team as HPC's representative during consultation and negotiation.

HPC Administrative Team
Donnie Gilbert
JW Hendrickson
Dale Curry
KJ Burton
Aaron Sharlow

HPC logo

We are currently in the middle of a re-design on HPC's logo. Unfortunately, as much as we liked the logo we debuted in April of this year, it will not work with the theme we wish to incorporate in the new building. So.... Stay posted later this week--maybe even as early as tomorrow--for the opportunity to get a sneak peak at a few of the design options...

And yes, once this new logo is debuted we will stick with it for a very long time... :)

Great Weekend

It was great to be home again at HPC!

The corporate gatherings were awesome this weekend and I was quickly reminded of why I miss this place so much when I have to be gone. Actually, it never fails that after I am gone for a week to travel in evangelism, I will tell Mandy upon our return that I'm not going to schedule anything else for a long time. It just seems that I always in the end mysteriously break my pledge. Undoubtedly, it is a healthy failure though, because it reminds me to appreciate what God has given us at HPC...

Sunday morning you were challenged to embrace each other in the Spirit of Christ's unity. You have already been doing this and I know you will continue to do so. The message was pro-active rather than re-active. Simply put, my desire Sunday was not to challenge you to START loving one another, but rather to KEEP loving one another. So often, we as preachers respond after the damage is done rather than to prepare people in preventative way. My vision is to prevent, rather than to respond. May you see hell's plot before it arrives at your doorstep and by doing so may you be able to avoid the pitfalls of so many who have gone before you...

Thank you for engaging in worship Sunday night. Wow! What a service... Its been a long time since I danced... lol

Claytor Lake State Park

I know the pics on this link http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/cla.shtml do not look very appealing, but I have to say that Claytor Lake State Park is one of the most enjoyable parks that I have ever visited. Quiet, peaceful, and beautiful…

We found it by accident and were enjoying our hidden treasure. Walking, playing, relaxing…
Then…… Natalie yells SNAKE!!! And for a moment chaos insued… However, after Big Daddy arrived all returned to normal and serenity once again ruled the environment.

We continued our journey with a walk through the park and discovered an amazing white sand beach surrounded by large shade trees. Truly, life was grand as we scouted the place where a future Gilbert vacation is sure to occur some day.

Then……. We walk back to the car only to find a flat tire…

Yep, the Gilberts have arrived in Pulaski County, VA and we are leaving our mark. From snakes to flat tires, we do know how to disturb the calm in any atmosphere! LOL

Beyond Ridiculous

Mandy recently received some email coupons from Books-A-Million and while we were traveling we decided to stop by and use them (we don't have BaM's in R Springs, you know)...

I was searching for some books on my list and she was doing the same. BaM stores have a children's section, complete with toys, so we let the kids have fun with the trains while we continued our searches. During one of my journeys to check on them, I noticed Dawson had picked out a comic book for himself. It looked innocent enough and I legitimately thought Mandy had approved the selection so I placed it on top of her stack of books. She glanced at it and said, "Where did this come from?"

My response was, "I thought you let him have it."

She informed me that she had never seen it before. Flipping through the pages, Mandy then abruptly threw the book! I picked it up, to find that it was a pornographic comic book filled with Sci-Fi beastiality. Within its pages were some of the most gruesome images I have ever seen and I was staggered to realize my two-year old son had been innocently digesting its pages.

Someone with beyond ridiculous intentions had placed a perverse comic book in the children's section and my son had stumbled across it. To say I was mad was an understatement, but I believe Mandy's temperature level topped even my own. The anger was too late though, the incident had already transpired and as a result we learned a valuable lesson about constantly filtering the things which our kids pick up--even in the believed safe zone a of children's book section. The enemy is ever waiting to steal, kill and destroy.

BaM should be more intentional about wrapping adult-content books in some type of seal that would prevent innocent intake of their filth, but until they do the responsibility of our children's purity rests on the watchful eye of us parents...

For certain a lesson has been learned by this father...

Some Things Never Change...

In May of this year our family tried a new restaurant during our vacation. We were amazed at the discounted prices and the quality of the food.

Then when we went to settle up with the cashier things took an interesting turn. The lady appeared to confuse her counting when figuring up my change from a $100 bill. After a couple of failed counting attempts she declared she didn't have enough small bills to give me what I was owed. She then petitioned a nearby waitress to make up the difference. The waitress gave her the amount she requested and then the cashier handed me an insufficient amount of money while saying she had already given me $20 at the start of her counting attempts. I told her she hadn't. She insisted that she had. So, with a busy restaurant, two wild kids and a full belly I thought maybe I actually was the one confused. I took her word for it and headed to the car. Once there I then realized a $20 cash deposit at the time of reservation had not been applied to my bill. I counted my money and was amazed to find that in fact I was missing not just $20, but $40!

Now here's where it gets interesting... Yesterday, we went back to this restaurant on our way to Virginia and amazingly the exact--I mean exact--same scenario unfolded with the same cashier, only with different numbers!!!

I had hoped the first time was an innocent mistake in a busy restaurant. However, I am now forever convinced it is an ingenious scam: play dumb, deflect attention, challenge your victim's memory and then stick it to them...

I will not name the restaurant for obvious reasons but I would advise you to be careful with your money in Sevierville, TN when eating at restaurants that specialize in BBQ and Southern Gospel music... ;)

International GO Team

Say a prayer for our International GO Team. They are leading HPC's first trip to Africa and we are expecting great testimonies to return with them!

They will be in Mozambique, South Africa during the next week doing mission work in slums and conducting revival services.

New Village Church

I will be in revival this week at New Village Church in Staffordsville, VA, Wednesday - Thursday @ 7pm EDT.

For more info please visit www.newvillagechurch.com

Jon & Kate

I'm not for sure of the full story, but I am greatly disturbed by the behavior exemplified by both Gosselins--made famous by the reality tv series, 'Jon & Kate Plus 8.'

Kate is obviously more media savvy than Jon, but I sense she has two personas. One private, one public. He on the other hand comes across as having a very public mid-life crisis while taking counsel from what must evidentally be a ridiculously greedy legal team.

My prayerful concern is that sometimes we view reality tv families as larger than life. It's as though they are in actuality fictional characters. While there may be some scripting in certain aspects of their lives for the purpose of good tv we must realize that in the end there are still souls hanging in the balance.

In the case of Jon & Kate, eight very special kids need a prayer covering. As well, their celebrity parents need a spiritual breakthrough of Biblical proportions...

May God re-establish Himself in the center of the Gosselin's home and may His spirit of reconciliation be stirred within their hearts...

iHarvest Capital Campaign

The iHarvest Capital Campaign has been officially launched and we hope you will make the decision to help us prepare a place for the Harvest as we anticipate greater things are yet to come!

Email higher-praise@usa.net for more info on how you can become an iHarvest Partner!

Rise Up Sermon Series

Be sure to check out the last three messages from this series... We've been getting lots of feed-back about hearts being stirred to Rise Up! The sermons will be posted online soon at www.goinghigher.net however you can also call the office and purchase a CD for $3.

Burnside Church of God

I will be at Burnside Church of God for Saturday Night Fever tomorrow night (Oct 3, 2009). It will be a youth-oriented service and the start time is set for 6pm CST.

Address & Contact Info:
BURNSIDE CHURCH OF GOD, 606-561-5533, 200 EMPIRE DRIVE, SOMERSET KY 42501.

Let The River Rise

Here is the song I referenced in the previous post...

Busy Week

Its been a super busy week and its only Thursday... However, I'm not complaining. The travel has given me the chance to make some new friends and re-establish some old connections.

I started the week in Rome, GA with Mandy for a Shepherd's Care Retreat at Winshape Retreat Center on the campus of Berry College. It is a phenomenal place. I kept feeling as though I was walking through the set of the movie "The Village". Winshape is leased by Truett Cathy (the owner of Chick-fil-a) from the college and is situated on a hillside in the middle of 26,000 acres. Be sure and browse their website http://www.winshape.com/ as I fully intend to begin an attempt to schedule some time there for HPC's Lead Team. We'll see if we can make it happen...

We left Rome on Tuesday at lunch in order to be with Bishop Smith at The River in Nashville later that evening. Billy Wilson was finishing out his 4-service revival and we sincerely had a great time. However, the prayer gathering in the Green Room after the service may have been even more significant for Mandy and I, as Billy declared a word over our life. I have to say that there are few places on earth like, The River. God has truly blessed Nashville with a wonderful church. The River is rising!

While there I did have a very unique experience... Jared Harrison a member of the praise band, and a songwriter in Nashville, shared a song with me he has written from inspiration he received via a message I preached at The River last year. Its a very good song. I really like the style and sound of it. He's a very talented guy who also provided the vocals for the demo track. (I tried to upload a link to the song unsuccessfully. So, look for it in a later post.)

We finished our journey on Wednesday in Louisville with an architectural meeting regarding the new facility. I was given a sketch of the front elevation which has been tweeked a bit from the 3-D rendering everyone has seen and it looks better than ever. I'm getting more excited every day!

Tonight I will continue our new series 'Rise Up!' I will be talking about 3 specific people surrounding you that you should never overlook as you "Rise Up!"