All Things New

I'm trying to make myself new. I have a new job, new town, new band, new car, new boss, new church, new coffee shop, three new places to sleep in six weeks - my little girl started kindergarten at a new school, new understanding of how much change my wife can take - it's a new day -

Midland

I love being in Midland. Even getting here for my first day of ministry has been exciting. On my way up from Lansing I and my car met a deer while traveling around 70mph. The deer and my car did not survive the encounter. I, however, am doing great, and I praise God for that.

Loosing my car was a curve in life I didn't expect, but what God has done since this accident has been a tremendous blessing. Even in loosing one car, God has provided my family with two cars. A new, far nicer car than I expected to be able to put my girls in, and a great car for me to get around this beautiful town. God is great.

I have been here for two Sunday services and it has been wonderful to worship together. On our first Sunday we shared communion together. It was a powerful way to begin our covenant relationship together in ministry here at Midland. The Midland congregation also blessed our family with a welcome basket. It was actually several welcome baskets, it took four trips to get the baskets into Pastor Dave & Leah's house. We had a great meal together with the Midland staff and then we watched my little girls open gifts for just over an hour. It was like Christmas morning for them. I thank our Midland family for the way they have loved and welcomed my family. It is great to be here. May God fresh anointing to our ministry and our journey together.

Pastor Eric

Dear Central Family

Dear Central Family, June 27, 2008

I have accepted a position with the Midland Free Methodist Church. I will begin serving in Midland on August 1st. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to serve in ministry with Pastor Sue and Pastor Shawn and Pastor Bruce. I am very thankful that Pastor Bruce partnered with me in prayer in this decision and allowed me the freedom to talk with him about anything during the process. I have learned a great deal from Pastor Bruce, in class as my instructor and in staff as my lead pastor. I have enjoyed working with the pastoral team and the support staff at Central, we will continue to serve as friends even as we serve from different locations. I am sad to leave friends, and I am excited to serve God in this new position. The prayerful pursuit for God's guidance in making this decision has been a significant endeavor, often walking Susie and I through times of disappointment and periods of hopeful expectation. God has been faithful, and has lead us in this new direction for our family.

We love the people of Central Free Methodist Church. We have gained the dearest friends that we have ever been blessed with in our adult lives. As God has walked us through this time He has been preparing us for this transition. Leaving friends will be a difficult portion of this decision. Leaving our worship ministry team will be the hardest part of this move. The worship team at Central knows what worship is and what worship is not. I have been blessed again and again as this team of people continues to grow musically, technically and spiritually as they have become wonderful worship leaders. We will miss you, but we are encouraged that friendships will endure even when we are apart.

Susie and I are grateful for all of the friendships and the many blessings the people of Central have showered upon us. We have been leading worship at Central for almost six years. When we came to Central we were in transition from our ministry with World Vision and we immediately found a home and a church family here at Central. We came to Central when our first daughter, Katie, was just two weeks old, and in the next year our second daughter, Jolie, was born. The people of Central have always loved our family and cared for us, blessing us and helping us in times of need, and celebrating God's faithful goodness with us. We are grateful for times when Susie and the girls got rides to church when we needed help with transportation. We are grateful for the times over the past years when individuals fixed cars for us when we were unable to do so. We are grateful for the many times that you blessed our family with food and fellowship, and gifts for the girls during Christmas. We are grateful for the anonymous help we received when we could not pay our water bill and our water was shut off. We are grateful for the tremendous blessing of many who have become moms and dads to us and grandmas and grandpas to our girls. Individuals in the church have blessed us over and over again. I am blessed to play a beautiful guitar that was a gift from an anonymous friend in the church. I have wanted to play on the golf league, and this year I am because of three wonderful friends in the church that have blessed me by buying me clubs, and paying for league fees. I am grateful for the tuition that individuals from Central have paid to allow me to pursue classes toward my ordination. I could go on and on as I recall all of the abundant blessings we have received, I trust God has used us to bless His church during this time, also. As a couple, Susie and I are immeasurably grateful for how much you have loved us and our two little girls.

We have been blessed to share our lives with you over the past years, sharing together times of triumph and times of great struggle. We have worshipped the unchanging God together even through changing times. Though this decision has been hard, I am very excited about Midland. Because of the love and friendship we have with the people of Central, I know you will be happy for us, also. Midland is a great fit for our family, and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with Pastor Dave Kessler. We will remember you in prayer, and will trust that God has great plans for us as well as for all of you at Central. Thank you for the privilege of serving as your worship leader during these past years. We will look forward to times when we are able to worship together again. May God bless us all as we submit to His authority and to the power of His grace.

"Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Be in agreement with one another. Do not be proud; instead, associate with the humble. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Try to do what is honorable in everyone's eyes. If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone," - Romans 12:9-18

Pastor Eric & Susie Wing
Katie Louise & Jolie Mae

Willow Arts Conference

I am very grateful that Pastor Bruce sent me to the Willow Creek Arts Conference last week, it was a wonderful and challenging event. I was very blessed to be able to attend. The conference was very confirming and encouraging, some of the sessions fit perfectly with the core of our worship sabbatical study. There where other sessions that where much more personal. As I return to work I am struggling to see how to implement some challenging thoughts. I have felt this way before after a great conference, when you come home and the "real" world replaces the conference world. This time I need the "real" world to change a bit, I need to intentionally spend time to create, to wait on God and listen, to look for God in everyone and everything, to do what God has called me to do even in disappointing circumstances. I do not want to let go of this complicated struggle. The friction of wrestling with this conflict of ideas will, I believe, help me become the worship leader, the artist as intercessor, God wants me to be.

Don't Come Empty Handed

Last night was the last night of our worship sabbatical. I have been so blessed by how the team has invested in this time of study. Individuals on the team have stepped up to the idea that on Sunday morning we present the offering we have prepared all week. One on our team has done this. He has put together a rehearsal CD in Garageband that is helping the entire team prepare a song for worship. This is "loaves and Fishes" worship for our team. Taking what we have and giving it back to God, and letting Him multiply it. An offering of time, talent and resources is multiplied in preparing the entire team to present an offering that God will multiply on Sunday morning to feed the multitude. Last week another member of our worship team honored God by the time he gave in preparation of a video of the worship team reading scripture paraphrases from our study. God blessed that offering as we shared the video last week.

This is how we are to worship, preparing an offering Monday through Saturday and on Sunday we do not show up empty handed, we present the offering of worship and the sacrifice of praise that we have prepared all week long. Here is part of the worship team video.

Worship Sabbatical April 22, 2008

The team continues to pursue the heart of worship. I was blessed during this week of study by the depth of discussion and transformation that God is bringing to our worship team. I shared with the team that they can never go back to how things where, now that we have seen how worship could and should be. I believe this worship sabbatical time will bear fruit in this team and for this congregation for years to come.

After our teaching and discussion time we began "mic & monitor night". This focus on how to use the equipment we have, made a dramatic improvement to our monitor mix. The team also took part in producing a video to share with the congregation to help communicate how God has lead each of us during this worship sabbatical.

Worship at Central Free Methodist

Worship Sabbatical wk4

Last night the worship team met for our fourth week of worship sabbatical. It was a great night as all shared from the homework that we have been doing together. I am excited about sharing this study I have put together with our congregation and eventually with other worship teams. This time of spiritual growth and deliberate focus is having a great impact on the worship team, and I believe will have a great impact on how this congregation will worship our Redeemer, Savior and Friend.

Stop Prepare Worship

We are taking a worship sabbatical. This will involve two new activities for our team. One, we will begin to meet as an entire group each Tuesday night. Two, we are going to step away from serving on Sunday morning for an extended period, so that we are able to stop, prepare and worship. As we learn and grow together we will take time to share insights that have been inspired from our personal time in God’s word. The purpose of this sabbatical will be to build a worship ministry that is vibrant, spiritually alert, fervent, and committed to seeing God’s purposes fulfilled through our corporate worship. The worship ministry that finds this kind of momentum will be used by God to impact the community in a powerful way.

God's Love

During my two day retreat at St. Francis retreat center I was very much invested in seeking God's will. But like God often does, He had something different in mind. I sat down at a table prepared for me and began enjoying the meal. As I was reflecting on my pursuit of God's will I suddenly was truly blessed by the pitcher of water on my table! It seems like a very simple idea as I share it, but it is a very powerful idea when I embrace it. God reminded me through a simple pitcher of ice water that His will was that I know how greatly He loves me, cares for me, and provides for me. He is the source of rest, refreshment, and life.
I decided at this meal to buy a water pitcher to have on my family's table at home. I want this water pitcher to be a reminder for my family and I, of God's love, of God's care and of God's providing life to us.

God In Me

Jack Handy writes - “If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”

I was blessed by the love and support of my family and my church staff to be able to invest two days in prayer and study at St. Francis Retreat Center. During my time I had such a renewed sense of how much God loves us. It sounds flat as I write this but spending that time in God's word and having uninterrupted worship and prayer time just kept crushing me with the significance of God's love in my life. I went with a list of questions, I came home with the same set of questions. I came back today from my retreat with a greater thirst for just being with Him. I came home with a renewed desire and urgency to know God better and to have Him fully dwell within me. I guess my questions can wait, they don't seem as urgent as they did a couple of days ago.