Attend Christmas Eve Service With Us!!

Merry Christmas To All Of You!!

I pray that you are well and that God's blessings are upon you during this season of giving and reflection. No doubt you may be looking for a place to go to church on Christmas Eve. Whether you attend with us regularly or have been away for a while, The Intersection Church is the right place to be on Christmas Eve!!

I would like to invite you to join my family and I at the Intersection @ 6pm at the Gettysburg Middle School for a brief but powerful time of music and scripture that will kick your Christmas festivities off right! For those that desire to give, there will be a special offering to help needy families in our area. Please come prepared to give and allow God's Blessings to flow in your life!

I can't wait to see you and your family on this special night. I KNOW it will be a powerful blessing that will prepare and empower you for this incredible holiday!

Merry Christmas!
jeremiah

The Reverse Christmas List

As children we are inadvertently trained to believe that Christmas is all about us. The scene below is one that most of us can identify with...

The Christmas Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtwVgOmPNPE

We create a Christmas list with all the stuff we want Santa to bring and as long as we don't do bad things, he will put them under our tree. This is our experience with Christmas lists as a child...

The problem is, some of us have never grown up.

Our Christmas list may not include a Red Ryder BB gun or Barbie doll.

Our grown up Christmas list looks like this:

* I hope Uncle Paul doesn't end up in drunken fight with Grandpa
* I want people to compliment me on my Christmas dinner spread
* I want to avoid a fight with my ex over the kids

We try so hard to get these things for ourselves because we know Santa doesn't have a dysfunctional family eraser in his bag for us. We try to be good and hope that this Christmas won't turn out like the dysfunctional or lonely one we had last year.

In the end, though, we wind up disappointed because our expectations and desires are something people rarely ever cooperate with. What we need to learn is that it is much easier and satisfying to create a reverse Christmas list.

Here's what I mean; What if our adult Christmas list included things like:

* I want to give my kids my undivided attention for a significant portion of Christmas Day
* I want to give my family a great meal that doesn't kill me in the process (No compliments necessary)
* I want another chance at forgiving Uncle Paul for ruining my Christmas year after year

What if you approached Christmas with these question...
What can I contribute to SOMEONE ELSE'S Christmas this year?
How can I make SOMEONE ELSE'S Christmas List happen?
Where am I being selfish in terms of my expectations for Christmas?

I will be teaching on a biblical approach to Christmas listing that exemplifies the love God showed for us in sending His Son as a cure for the ME Christmas! Join Cori and I at 10am at The Intersection to make this Christmas a satisfying and powerful holiday!!

Things To Pray About

Cori and I are so thankful for all the people who pray for us, our family and the ministry we have given our lives to. The Intersection family has some amazing opportunities on the horizon that need a lot of prayer covering right now. Would you fast and pray with me about the things that I want to mention below...




1. Impressions Of Christmas (Dec. 16, 17,18)
Please pray that all the details would come together and that everyone involved would be able to plug in and perform their tasks with excellence. Also pray that God would use this show to connect new folks to the life and power that comes from relationship with a Christ-centered church and new family over the Christmas season.
2. "Give It Away" Message Series (Starts this weekend)
Please pray that a spirit of true generosity would rest upon our congregation as we go into the Christmas season and beyond it so that we can make a difference in the world around us. We are going to be teaching giving, and a God-centered approach to our stuff that will equip us to live the blessed life.
3. Leadership transitions and promotions
There are some big changes coming to our leadership team as new faces step up to take new posts and take new territory as a result of our leadership blast this past Saturday. Pray that each new leader would be empowered to serve in the specific area they feel called to. Also, pray that Pastor Jerome and I can have the discernment to help these new leaders step up to their "serve spot". I am asking God to help everyone in our church find that one place at the Intersection where they can be connected to their purpose.
4. Christmas Eve Service
Please pray with us as plans come together for us to share a special experience on Christmas Eve. Please pray that we would be able to meet at the school and help us believe that many friends and family would come out and experience Christ on the only night many of them would ever come to church.
5. Prayer for Stronger Families
On a personal note, I have been asking God to make me a better father with His heart for my wife and children. I am asking for supernatural grace to be the best priest and protector for my family and my prayer is that other families would be drawn together in strength because our fathers are stepping into greater faith and consistency in their faith walk.

Exciting Christmas Show Opportunity!!

Hey guys!

Cori and I are getting ready to produce our 8th year of "Impressions of Christmas" but this year we need you! Many of you have been a part of our shows in the past and you KNOW what fun we have!

We are expanding our show this year and so we are looking for people who can sing, dance and act to help us make this year's Christmas show the best ever!! That's why you are getting this email. We know that you are creative and crazy enough to work with us AND want to know if you are down for making this year's Christmas show SPECTACULAR!!

Please respond to this email (yes or no) to let me know if you are interested in helping out with any (and all) aspects of producing this show.

We will be having our first organizational meeting on Oct. 9th @ 6pm which will be your chance to come and hear more about how you can get involved. All proceeds for this show will go to help build the new family shelter in Gettysburg and the Adams County Arts Council.

The show will run December 16, 17 and 18th and the location is yet to be determined, but will most likely end up being at either the Gettysburg Middle School (or High School) auditoriums if we can work out the details.

Please consider jumping into this thing with us as we bring the Christ of Christmas to Adams County!!

jeremiah

Two Pro-Life Opportunities (From Heidi Acker)

Hi guys........

Heidi Acker asked me to let you know about two very important ways you can show your support for the cause of unborn children and I'd love for the Intersection to be a part of both of them in a big way. First is a Pro-Life Ad with your signatures, and second is the Gettysburg Life Chain.

These two opportunities are happening over the next two weeks so please plan to take advantage of them if it is your heart to do so...

The Adams County Chapter of the Pennsylvanians for Human Life is sponsoring a two-page, pro-life ad to be published in the Gettysburg Times and Hanover Sun on Sat., Oct 29. The ad will be paid for by individual contributors at $3.00 per line. These names will be printed, with permission, on the ad. Please see Joyce Weaver this Sunday (Oct. 2nd) to sign up.

Gettysburg Life Chain will take place this Sunday, Oct. 2, from 2:30-3:30 at the Square and along streets in Gettysburg. Please join us as we peacefully demonstrate our stand against abortion by holding life-affirming signs and silently praying for protection for unborn children. Pro-Life signs will be available near Adams County National Bank on the Square. Please contact Marilyn Dietrick (334-8480) for more information.

Getting hitched?!?!

Thinking about getting married or know someone who is? I am pleased to report that there is a new pre-marriage class that is about to begin in the month of October. This class is being offered by my good friend, Pastor Marvin Stanley and his wife Mary starting Tuesday nights on Oct. 4th @ 6pm. This class (or one like it) is one of the few requirements to being married at The Intersection and would be an incredible opportunity for young couples to explore the idea of marriage God's way.

If you are interested in attending, you can just leave a comment and show up at the first class on October 4th! However, if you could also email Lana Orr at teacherorr@gmail.com and I to let us know that you are planning to attend, that would be great too!


jeremiah

IMPORTANT: Leadership Blast Weekend Info

Hey Everyone!

I hope you are all ready for this weekend! It is going to be amazing! Although we have had many challenges in ironing out the details, I believe that Cori and I have been able to put together an amazing experience for everyone who decides to attend! Here are the details you need to know!

We will meet at 6pm @ Freedom Valley York Road in the Momentum room (2004-2006). Our plan is to meet briefly and then Cori and I want to take you out for an italian dinner. Come hungry and ready for a great time with the rest of our leadership team on Friday night!! We'll send you home with a great meal and lots of laughs.

We'll pick back up Saturday morning at 8:30am with some teaching, more fun and important training that will prepare us for the growth that God is going to give us over the next 12 months. You do not want to miss the morning session! Bring your notebooks, pencils and a laptop if you have one because we want to prepare you and equip you well as a leader in our church, communities and homes.

We also have one more trick up our sleeve at 1pm on Saturday so plan to have lunch on us and bring your appetite once again. This is surely going to be one of those weekends that we talk about for years to come, so plan to join us starting at 6pm this Friday at Freedom Valley York Road. We will hand out a more detailed itinerary on Friday night, but here is what you need for now.

Please respond to this email to let me know whether you plan to attend so that we can have the correct seating arrangements for dinner Friday night.

Dress is casual and comfortable.

Childcare is not being provided. Please make other arrangements if necessary.

Proposed Itinerary:
Friday
6pm- Meet at Freedom Valley York Road (Rm. 2004-6)
7:30- Dinner (Meet at restaurant)
9:00- Finish Meal
Saturday
8:30am- Meet at Freedom Valley York Road
12:30pm- Blast Ends
1:00pm- Special lunch surprise

Can't wait to be with you all!!

Catalyst Sunday is tomorrow!!

Hey Everyone!

I hope that you are all doing well and that the Summer has started off well for you and your families!! I wanted to drop you a line to let you know about some very important get-togethers that are happening tomorrow (June 26th). Every six weeks or so, I encourage all of our team and regular attenders to join me for a time of relationship building and leadership training called Catalyst Sundays!

The day will start with set up for our regular weekly service starting at 8am followed by our Sunday morning worship experience at 10am at the Gettysburg Area Middle School. Later in the day, you are invited to join Cori and I for Catalyst Team Meeting at 3pm @ Freedom Valley York Road, led by Pastor Jerome. This is an open group of Christ-disciples and potential Kingdom leaders that get together to ask the Lord for further vision in their lives and in their church.

Finally, at 5:45pm we will join Pastor Gerry and the entire leadership team at Freedom Valley for pizza, teaching and goal-setting designed to help take your personal growth to the next level. There will also be a chance for us to work through goals as a church, so you don't want to miss it!!

If you have any questions or want more info, you may reply to this email or call me at (717) 398-9072. I love working and growing together with all of you and I thank you for supporting the vision that God has given us at The Intersection! See you there!!

Hope For The City 2011

Here's a rundown of what God is getting ready to do in Gettysburg next week at Hope For The City (June 16-19) Doors open at 3:30pm and I'll be leading worship starting at 6:30pm!! Don't miss it!!




http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_18170801?IADID=Search-www.eveningsun.com-www.eveningsun.com

Armenia Missions Trip Final Update

Okay everyone!

The team is safely back in the States now and everyone is adjusting to Eastern Standard time once again. I was expecting the jet-lag to be worse than it is, but it turns out I am surprisingly resilient :)



So here is the run-down on this powerful trip and all that God did! We went to three cities during the course of the week and a half we were there. We did nightly worship concerts with an evangelistic message and altar call each night. The Armenians are sincere and passionate worshipers! Despite the language barrier, they sang, danced and high-fived each other like we were singing in their language! I was truly blessed by their openness to our music and energy.

We started our tour in the shadow of Mt. Ararat (where Noah apparently exited the ark) in the town of Ararat near the Turkish border. The people were so open to the message of Christ and I had a chance to speak on His willingness to serve us in the cross, death and resurrection. Many young people responded to the altar that night, crying out to God for the ability to serve God (and others) with their very lives! I am humbled to have had this opportunity to speak to these beautiful people in Ararat.

From Ararat, we loaded everything up and hit the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia with the life-changing music and message of God's love for us! Although, we had trouble getting the word out about the concerts, I believe that many were impacted by these three days of worship and leadership training. Lance did an amazing job, teaching our need for a savior as we prayed and ministered to those that attended each night. We also had the opportunity to do some exploring during the day that helped us understand the Armenians as a people and nation. I am so humbled that God chose us to bless and serve these chosen people of God! They truly are a people with God-given purpose and destiny and I know that God released some prophetic initiatives that will help them be spiritual leaders in every area of the world!!

We closed the tour with two days worth of ministry in a town called Vanadzor. This town was one of three cities that were nearly destroyed by the devastating Armenian earthquake of 1988. The rebuilding is still happening and many of the Armenians I met were still living in the temporary housing that was set up for them back in '88. I was delighted by how this city responded to the Gospel message and music. They were open to God's grace like few groups I have ever seen and we spent hours praying (and prophesying) over people at the altars of this beautiful church!

Hundreds of people responded to preaching about Christ and His salvation plan during the course of these 10 days and I know that many others were healed, filled with the Holy Spirit and strengthened in genuine faith in a country where faith has been misunderstood and misrepresented for centuries.

Thanks to everyone who contributed financially towards my portion of the cost for this trip! (You know who you are!) Also a big shout-out to all of you who prayed for the team and I while we were overseas...You were as much a part of the team as those who traveled the 19 hours to minister nightly!

I will try to post videos and pictures as I get the opportunity on my facebook and other similar places. Thanks again to all of you who supported this mighty team of worshipers and teachers...you made a difference in Armenia!!

Day 3 in Armenia!!

Internet has been really spotty so this is my first official update. Thank you all for praying for me and the team here in Armenia! We are seeing an amazing response from our new Armenian friends! Tonight we sang, clapped and shouted our way through an amazing experience with God and prayed with so many who were hungry for more of God.
Last night, I was able to preach about Jesus and His sacrifice for us and we saw the altars flooded with young people who decided to follow Jesus!! Please continue to lift us up in prayer and dont forget toreach out to our families back home...they are making a great sacrifice as well through this week!

Tomorrow, we are off to the capitol city, Yerevan, for three more days of music and fun with these amazing people, followed by two days in Vandazor doing the same!!

Blessings to all of you and I will update when I have more experiences to share...

T-Minus 24 Hours!!

This time tomorrow, our team will be setting out for a spiritual adventure to Armenia and back! I am so ready to see God's hand move in our lives as we minister and I am hungry to see others moved by the presence of God that will go along with us! Will you pray with us over the next 12 days?

We are asking for safe travels, strong connections with new believers and lots of God's grace to tell the story of His love for mankind through Jesus his Son! We will be traveling throughout the country, so please pray protection for us all as we go to places like Yerevan and Ararat, teaching worship leaders how to minister more effectively.

Thank you all for checking in regularly during the course of this trip. Your continued prayers will help make this missions effort more powerful for God's purposes on the earth!

Blessings!
jeremiah

Leavin' on a jet plane...

So here's the deal...

God has provided an opportunity for me to share my gifts in worship and music with a group of people I never would have dreamed of. In May, my family is sending me on a missions trip to Armenia with a two-fold purpose. The first is to see hundreds of Armenians make a real connection to the living Christ, having their sins wiped away for ever. The second is to equip the worship pastors in that country with the tools they need to stir God's presence among the people they serve week to week.

I am amazed by the Father's plans and I am humbled to present myself to Him for a three-city tour of Armenia in the space of 10 days. I am leaving my two small children and beautiful wife, Cori for that time because I believe that God can use me dynamically to change lives in the power of the Gospel alive in worship and teaching...

...Can you believe with me?

If you have been blessed by my ministry over the years or you have a connection to me personally, I am asking you to consider partnering with me in two ways.

First, I am asking all of you to pray for me through the first two weeks of May as my team and I are gearing up for this intense time of ministry. Pray that many would have their lives transformed through God's grace at work in our team and that we would be safe, strengthened by the Holy Spirit to do every good thing we are called to accomplish.

Secondly, I believe that many of you would be willing to partner financially with me to reach my goal of $2200.00 to pay for my travel expenses. My family and I want to bear a large portion of this cost, but I know that some of you understand that when you sow seed into another person's ministry, you receive a harvest from their work as well. That is why I am asking each of you reading to consider a gift of $10, $100 or $1,000 to invest in God's work for the people of Armenia.

If you feel led to give to my work in Armenia, you can simply send a check (payable to Freedom Valley) to me and I will deposit them into an account for me at Freedom Valley. Be sure to write "Missions-Armenia" in the memo, but do not write my name directly on the check if you want the gift to remain tax-deductible. Simply add a post-it with my name with the check to make sure it gets to me.

You can hand the check directly to me or mail it to the church (address below) with my name on the front of the envelope. It's that simple. Please consider giving any size donation to move me where I'm needed, sharing the love of Christ with people a half a world away!!

Blessings to all of You!!
jeremiah


Freedom Valley Worship Center
c/o Jeremiah Herbert
3185 York Road
Gettysburg PA, 17325

Renewed and Ready!!

There is no replacement for renewed vision, focus and spiritual fervor! It can't be bought or sold but it must be released through time spent away from the everyday responsibilities we face. I am on my way home from just such a stretch of rest and dreaming, prayer and reflection.

I am so excited by what God has been whispering in my ear over the last week and I feel a renewed sense of focus and urgency in my personal life that will positively fuel every other aspect of my life and relationships! Look out! These times of refreshing inevitably bring new trials and greater power in my life and I can't wait to see what God does with it in 2011!

Let's grow deep!!

2011 is here!! So Now what?

Does it ever feel like it's easy to start the year with excitement and anticipation? Have you ever wondered where that excitement goes around the third week of January? For some of us, the dream of a great year may even get bogged down before then. I have experienced it time and again and I know that many of you can relate to losing the "I-Can-Do-This!" feeling that culminates in your New Year's resolutions falling flat.

A couple years ago, I realized that the reason I experienced the slump in the past was because I had failed to turn my resolutions into sustainable vision and goal setting for the entire year. Since that time, I have made it a high priority to put my (personal and ministry) goals and vision for the New Year into writing as quickly as possible each January.

This year I am going public with our vision as a leadership team at the Intersection. We believe that God has established 2011 as a year for us to grow deep in faith, family and community. As a church, we have set our faith on that same, larger vision which will manifest itself in 6 definable and measurable goals which include:

* Identify 8 new church system leaders
* Standardize the plan for Set-up and Tear Down
* 100 new decisions for Christ
* 35 confirmed baptisms in water
* To have a partnership class in place and working by the end of the year
* To get the Kids Mobility Center up and running by the End of May

I'd love to hear your feedback on this plan...or, if you want to share your own goals and vision for 2011, I would love to read about them!!

A Year to Grow Deep!!!

Hey everyone! What if I told you that 2011 was your year to grow deep? What does that even mean? This is my prayer aim for the new year and I want to help us all grow deeper in Christ through three events this weekend!

The first is our first EVER Intersection Vision Day! It will take place this Saturday, January 15th, from 9am-3pm. We will be meeting at Comfort Suites in Gettysburg, next to the Evergreen Cemetery and The Pike. Lunch will be provided, so come prepared to learn what God has in store for us in 2011 (a year to grow deep)!! We ask that you please find your own childcare for this day-long event.

The second event is our regular morning worship experience on Sunday morning @ 10am at the Gettysburg Middle School. If you haven’t been with us in a while, it’s a great time to jump back in! You don’t want to miss the worship time and continuation of the message series we are calling “Primal”.

Finally, come out for a time of refreshing and refocusing at the Catalyst Session being brought to us by our sending church, Freedom Valley. Join me and Pastor Gerry as we grow in leadership principals and team planning at Freedom Valley York Road starting at 6pm. Childcare will be provided!

So many opportunities!!

Religion is too complicated!!

Hey all you cool people!!

2011 has arrived and with it comes all of our hopes and dreams for “getting it right” in the New Year! Many of us make resolutions to get in shape and get organized. Others feel that we have let our love for God grow cold and so we look at the New Year as a chance to get our spiritual lives in order...that’s where The Intersection comes in!

We have begun a primal journey with a new message series that can help all of us take the complicated out of faith! If you feel that Christianity has become too “hard to get” causing you to become “lost in the weeds” of complex faith, we want to help you find a new, simple start to a relationship with God!

“Primal” will help us all get “back to the basics” of faith in Christ as we look at the prime commandments of Jesus to...love God and love people. It can be that simple!!

Join us at 10am on Sunday morning at the Gettysburg Middle School for this exciting new look at the simple message of Christ and YOU could find your hope and faith renewed for the New Year!

Blessings in the New Year!
jeremiah