Yes...you!

This past week was unforgettable. What started out as a trip to the emergency room for Kristi followed by a 7-day stay at Rush-Copley for surgery had a rewarding twist. We got to see several ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Some were nurses "just doing their job", some were CNA's "just doing their job", some were janitors "just doing their job." All were singing their own song...the song God put in their heart.

While it may not have been God's will that Kristi got sick, on the flip side, it certainly was His plan to roll with it and boy did He. Nursing staff expressing faith, a CNA hungry to know more and opening an opportunity for us to tell some of His story, our story and to listen to theirs. We heard the heart of an angel in a man that collects the soiled laundry as he pushed his cart up and down the halls singing Spanish love songs. Interestingly Kristi told Pastor Rob that the whole week of experiencing God in new and different ways made it all worth it-even the pain and surgery. A particular highlight was Kristi having a divine intervention during a painful procedure and she shared that story as well.

How interesting and profound that in the last few weeks Pastor Rob's message has been centered on becoming the best version of our self-each of us God's masterpiece. We tend to believe in ourselves at a much lesser degree than God does. He values each of us more than we tend to our self so perhaps maybe if we changed our track from any old song to singing that which is His in us, we might step out with a little more courage and without the anxiety that comes from feeling embarrassed, and just let the spirit flow; and leave it to God to send that song to the right person at the right time in the right place. Be the "you" God created you to be...His masterpiece. Whatever your occupation is, whatever your song is do it and sing it as if doing it for His glory. Submit, surrender and sync. Do that and lives are going to change, and you get a front row seat.

Some Reflections On Religion In School and Government

I had a few minutes during lunch today and wanted to pen some thoughts that have been on my mind.

I was thinking this morning about how emotional we can get as adults over issues like prayer in school, elimination of the Pledge of Allegiance and what religion our president claims to be. As a kid in grade school, I don’t think any of us kids really viewed the “Pledge” as anything more than a morning ritual quite honestly. I don’t believe we were ever taught verse-by-verse what it even meant; besides-we were focused more on things like lunch and recess. Nowadays it’s a popular big deal to take on passive crusades (by that I mean shallow lip-service) to make public our disapproval of those who seek to change or eliminate the “Pledge” or deny our children the right to pray in school. This is usually undertaken with little more action than a few keystrokes. I’m all for prayer; I’m just not convinced that there are many Christian kids that had or would publicly pray in school had a controversy not taken root anyway.

Now the daily news is ridiculously focused on the religious “leaning” of president Obama. Good grief-how many different ways can he say he’s a Christian? Even if he were not-I’m not sure it would matter in contrast to Bill Clinton who led our nation as a Christian if you catch my drift. Surely I would “like” my president to be a Christian yet I’m a pragmatist and as such understand the faith principles of a man or woman new to Washington are mandated to be “checked” along with his or her bags and coat at the door for the duration of their term (except on Christmas and Easter for photo-ops) so they are better equipped to “play ball”…hardball.

All that said-if we as Christians value God in the public sector so much then why aren’t most of us practicing our belief out loud in our own home? How many among us pray daily together as a family? How often do our kids see mom and dad pray together, study scripture or read literature that grows us as Christ-followers? Its gut-check time folks because my bet is our kids see us spending exponentially and ridiculously more time on internet social networking sites than they see us doing any of the above.

What would it look like to our kids, if they saw mom and dad spending even a mere 20% of the time they waste on Facebook serving as volunteers in some capacity instead?

It seems to me we need to get our head on straight, wise up and give God priority in our own house and set the example for our kids there.

"The Ride of a Lifetime-Reflections of grace" by Pastors Rob and Christy

“The Ride of a Lifetime…”



I recently shared with a new friend how I remembered feeling when God first implanted the vision of a new church in my heart. The best way I could describe how I felt was to compare it to a massive roller coaster ride. You remember (or at least can imagine) that feeling of your heart racing in your chest as adrenaline, fed by an odd mix of both exhilaration and intimidation, courses through your body. Even as you are flying through the course of giant drops and corkscrews your stomach goes from entertaining flurries of butterflies to waves of anxiety. Few things in life can create such a dynamic tension between sheer joy and pangs of fear. The joy comes from actually believing and living with an expectation that God can do anything. The fear comes from knowing that apart from God you can do nothing. Thankfully, God uses that fear to focus our faith and total dependence on Him.

Needless to say, the roller coaster analogy has held amazingly true since God first gave that to me in January 2006. Nearly a year and a half later (Father’s Day Weekend 2007) God’s vision for Jacob’s Well went public. We felt God telling us clearly that “Jacob’s Well Church was to be seen before she is heard.” We’ve since come to love Francis Assisi’s quote…”Preach the Gospel always, when necessary use words.” And that’s exactly what we did for nearly 4 months before our first monthly preview service would be held in mid-September. By following the Spirit’s leadership we have experienced first-hand this simple but profound truth…grace, God’s grace, still amazes people.

Whether its our summer festivals ministry where we are passing out free sports bottles with ice water (over 12,000 so far this year alone!) or providing a shaded, clean area for families needing to change and feed their toddlers and babies, we have seen again and again how both community leaders and attendees are intrigued by such simple, selfless grace. Likewise, when we roll up our sleeves to undertake both large and small renovations on area homes as well as massive scale restoration of public parks, God’s grace can be seen building curiosity in the hearts of even the most stubborn cynics. And, when we show up in force to help lead and serve in the counties’ first ever free medical/personal services clinic (Kendall Cares Clinic) and thrift store ministry (Caring Hands) that serve the under-resourced, both onlookers and benefactors alike are reminded that God’s grace is not just available during a particular weekend, week or season…He is there all the time. As thousands of dollars and man-hours are invested dispensing God’s grace we can hear the loud “clack, clack, clack, etc.” of our roller coaster car heading up that intimidating first summit.

Thankfully, with each evangelistic outreach of grace we never fail to hear our two favorite questions…”What is Jacob’s Well?” and “Why are you guys doing this?” Of course, we derive even greater joy in answering those questions! Since our last update we have had the thrill of seeing life after life, family after family not only intrigued, but ultimately transformed by grace. This summer the festivals ministry point-leader was Shawn Dowd, a mother who received her first water bottle back in June 2007. Likewise, the point-leader who led and worked with all our out-of-state missions teams this summer was Rob Tesmond, a father who actually became engaged by The Well for the first time as he showed up to help serve in our comfort booth in June 2008. Whether it’s in receiving the grace or in partnering with us to dispense grace..God’s grace has transformed these and many other lives here at The Well. And with that..the roller coaster car takes your breath away as it launches down that first big summit!


Because There is a Better Way!

Rob & Christy Hager

We invite you to visit a special F.A.Q. page that we have set up with additional information regarding the potential temporary strip mall location as well as our current property situation. This link will also take you to a small Photo album from this summer... http://www.welcometothewell.com/?page_id=119

1-minute of Intimacy

I guess with a title like that you have to wonder what the heck Mr. Cole is going to unpack this time huh? Actually I was reflecting this morning on what sets the tone for a good day in my life before I walk out the door for work each morning. Usually my head begins to turn to thoughts of what my workday will hold soon after I wake up. Sometimes this is what gets me out of bed in the morning and I don't much care for that. When this happens, there is usually an element of anxiety.

I would characterize the relationship Kristi and I have as a married couple as fairly "normal"-if you can equate inclusion of "yours truly" in anything that can be defined as normal that-is. I was thinking this morning about what I consider to be our most intimate moment together. For me it's a mere 1-minute or so (I know what you're thinking). The most intimate time I spend with my wife is the 1-minute or so I spend holding her while I pray with her before I walk out the door to work in the morning. Sometimes Kristi does the praying but usually it's me that does. I'm not always in the spirit for it and when I'm not, Kristi insists that I be the one to do the praying that morning. She realizes that it's important for me to surrender to God from my own mouth than through hers. I'm blessed to have a wife so wise. There are times though-that my heart is so grieved that she takes control. I'm grateful for that.

This brief time together each morning is something special that unless you take the time to do it, is difficult to describe what that intimacy feels like. I can tell you though-when your Pastor preaches to you that when you allow God to be at the center of your relationship it makes a difference. It does; and there is usually a huge hole or void in my attitude on the days we don't start with that minute of intimacy. If praying with your wife is not something you normally do, try it. As a man, this is something your wife will appreciate and it is something that will find you putting God at the center of and at the start of each day and will change both the onset and outcome of the circumstances of your day.