Kris Sorensen

Don't Tell Tammy

2012-02-09T14:13:00.003-05:00

Don't tell Tammy but I'm thinking about getting her this for Valentine's Day...

She doesn't have neck problems, I just think it looks very fashionable. I think she will really like it.

Everyone Has a Twin

2012-02-06T14:38:00.005-05:00

I had a very interesting text conversation with a friend back in Indiana who is taking college courses. Here's how it went...

Him: WGS guest speaker looked so much like you. Hope all is well.

Me: Poor fella :)

Him: The guest lecturer was not a fella.

Me: haha [Internally I was thinking he was being funny here - but wait...]

Him: Yes, very glad I did not go up and say dude how's it going. Women Gender Studies takes a lot of attention and so far outside the box I can't see the box.

Me: Yikes. SHE looked like me!? Oh my.

Him: Yes she looked like YOU! I have a pic of you in my contacts and showed it to a classmate. She did a double take.

Me: Lol. This conversation is hilarious - I may have to put in a blog post :)

Him: I would have taken a pic to send you but we are not to have phones or laptops out during class.

Me: I will just look at myself in the mirror & picture the poor lady.

*{shudder}*

Love Regardless

2012-02-04T18:53:00.002-05:00

Here is an audio link to last week's message (Jan. 29) at The Branches Community Church - "Love Regardless"...

Click HERE

Or you can paste the link in your address bar:
http://mediastorage.cloversites.com/thebranchescommunitychurch/media_player/1%20John%202%207-11.mp3

Merry Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T16:54:00.001-05:00

74 Degrees on December 25th. It's a Merry Christmas for me!!

The Branches Update December 2011

2011-12-15T17:33:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from The Branches Community Church!

We pray that you are enjoying the season with family and friends. The Branches is looking forward to celebrating our first official Christmas together as a church family. On December 19th we will be sharing a Christmas meal together and enjoying one another's company. The great thing about being a young church is that we get to enjoy many "firsts" together. A few weeks ago we took our first communion with one another. It was a very meaningful time for us to corporately remember the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us.

Our desire as a church is to reach out with Christ's love into our community. Frequently we do this by generously giving to others. In November we approached a local agency for names and addresses of families in need. Just before Thanksgiving we gathered at the Harris' home and put together Thanksgiving baskets to pass out to families in Escondido. Brand new festively decorated laundry baskets were brimming over with turkey, potatoes, pies, stuffing, etc. Each family who put a basket together then delivered it to families we had never met before - it was a great evening.

One of the people at The Branches that I wish you all could meet is Tom Clare. Tom and his family are a powerful team caring for the poor. Tom's first direct encounter with ministering to the homeless was on October 29th, less than two months ago. On that Saturday our church provided a barbecue meal to the homeless in the park. Tom volunteered to purchase all of the meat and to grill it. When I arrived at the park Tom was already there, I could barely see him through all of the smoke wafting up from the grill. When the smoke cleared I saw Tom's smiling face as he flipped the burgers and was making sure that the homeless who were flooding over to the table had everything they needed. Later, He told Pastor James, "I don't think I could ever throw out leftovers from my refrigerator knowing that there are people in my community who are hungry."

After the meal Tom and his wife Shellie stuck around with Pastor James in the park to minister to a gentleman who needed counseling. They put the man up in a hotel for the evening and Tom offered the gentleman his phone number in case he needed to talk again some time. God was definitely doing something in Tom's heart that day at the park.

Just a couple of days later Tom and Shellie made their way back to the park on their own with a large pot of soup and provided soup for dozens of people. He sat and talked with people in the park and simply listened to their stories. He learned that many of them could use coats as colder weather approached. That week at work Tom organized a coat and blanket drive. Within a day his truck was packed with gently used coats and blankets and shoes. Over the month of November Tom and Shellie made several trips back to the park on their own to feed those who are hungry.

A couple of days ago Tom's workplace had a Christmas party and there were 8 full trays of food left over. There was no way he was going to let it go to waste so he called Pastor James. James contacted the homeless shelter in town and told them that we had food to provide; the shelter said that it was great timing because they didn't know what they were going to do for the soup kitchen the next day.

Currently, Tom has a new project that he is inviting all of our church family to participate in. The winter season is a very difficult time for the homeless in our community so we will be collecting socks, rain ponchos, McDonald's gift cards, etc. to pass out to those in need.

Less than 2 months of ministering to the homeless and Tom is a "fireball poverty fighter"! Men like Tom humble me. A couple of weeks ago I caught Tom after church, I said, "Tom I think it is so awesome the way that you are ministering to the homeless in our community." Tom looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, "I want to thank you and James for everything you're doing, because up until now they were invisible to me."

Those who were previously invisible are now visible; seems to me like he is seeing through Christ's eyes. Tom's life is changing, and Tom is changing lives… and it's all because of Jesus.

Glad the manger was filled and the tomb is empty!
Kris

Inspirational Speeches

2011-12-12T11:53:00.000-05:00

Branches Community Church Update

2011-10-06T14:41:00.004-04:00

As a church we continue to preach the Gospel and do our best to live it out in our community. On the last Saturday of each month we have "PB&J at Grape Day". We put together sack lunches and pass them out to homeless and others in downtown Escondido at Grape Day Park. This has been a great opportunity to practically meet needs and interact with others in the community. The last Saturday in October we plan to ratchet it up a notch with a large barbecue in the park.

Clean up at San Pasqual High School after the football games is in full swing again. We meet as a group at the end of fourth quarter and begin the task of cleaning up the stands when the fans leave. We generally follow up our night of service by hanging out at Chili's with one another.

Our Men's Bible Study recently completed the book of Luke (it only took us a year to get through it :) Last Monday we began our new study in the book of Acts.

The number of new faces seems to be picking up each week in our Sunday services. We have had new guests almost every week for the past several weeks; it is always a shot in the arm for us to see and connect with new folks. Most of our guests are coming as the result of fellow "branches" inviting their neighbors/coworkers/relatives to join them at church. The challenge becomes developing community outside of our Sunday morning services with those who have recently begun attending.

Our mother church, Brookville Road Community Church, will be having their annual Missions Banquet on November 16th. I will be back in Indiana from November 10-17. I would love to connect with you while I am back. I'm looking forward to catching up with many of you and hearing about what the Lord has been doing in your lives. To stay current with where I will be, please feel free to follow me on Twitter: @changeisgood4u or "friend me" on Facebook - You can also email me at changeisgood4u (at) gmail.com

Pastor James and I would like to thank you for your prayers as we are in the infancy stages of The Branches Community Church. Please continue to pray for favor for all of the families who have moved from Indiana to start this church (Pinkerton's, Harris', Canady's, & Sorensen's) Please pray that the Lord would open doors of opportunity for us as we desire to spread the Gospel to as many people as possible in as many places as possible.

Glad the tomb is empty!

Kris

Are You Kidding?

2011-08-21T23:30:00.002-04:00

Are you kidding me!? With each trick I kept thinking, "Don't do that, you can't do that.." and he DID it!

20th Anniversary

2011-07-27T02:43:00.004-04:00

Today marks 20 years of marriage for Tammy and me. This anniversary is a little different; Tammy and Shelby are staying at Grandma J's place in Iowa. I miss them but I'm glad they can have this time to spend with Tammy's mom.

Tammy I love you, thanks for loving me back! In honor of our 20th anniversary I bought a Dairy Queen cake. As you can see I have already cut into it; the big piece on the right is mine. As a matter of fact all the pieces are mine HA!

Coffee

2011-07-03T23:54:00.002-04:00

Very informative... and entertaining...

The Branches Update

2011-06-14T14:42:00.002-04:00

It seems like it has been a while since I've sent out an update for The Branches Community Church. We continue to meet each Sunday at San Pasqual High School and are enjoying worshipping with one another and inviting others to be part of this movement with us.

Last Sunday (6/12) we were blessed to have guests join us from Indiana. Mike & Teddy Hamilton from our sister church, Brandywine Community Church, joined us for the worship service and then lunch. The Hamilton's were out in California visiting their daughter, Kelly and granddaughter Grace, in Riverside. It was so encouraging having them spend the day with us and hearing about how the Lord continues to bless Brandywine.

If you are ever in the Southern California area, we would love to have you stop in and see what God is doing at The Branches. If you have friends or family members in the area you might share our website and contact information with them so they can check us out too.

I may have shared with you before that Nate and Kate Canady had been attempting to sell their home in Indiana so that they could move out here to California to be a part of the church plant. I have some very good news to report, their home has sold and they are now homeless! =) Nate is out here in So Cal for the next couple of weeks looking for work. Our young church is so blessed by their faith to leave everything behind and answer God's call for them to minister to the Escondido community. Please be in prayer that Nate locates the job that the Lord wants him to have. (fyi: In case you might happen to have any contacts out here, Nate is an environmental engineer)

James has been working on an initiative to have people spend one hour in their week (each week) praying for The Branches. The request went out on his Facebook page just yesterday, and as of the last count we have 21 hours of prayer in the "Prayer Bank". If you would like to jump on board in prayer with us you can hit James up on his Facebook page, email us, or text him. Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support.

Glad the tomb is empty!
Kris Sorensen

http://www.thebrancheschurch.com/

The Dance

2011-05-28T18:53:00.006-04:00

A couple of Sunday's ago we were all setting up for the morning service. While we were busy getting everything ready, Shelby climbed on stage and began dancing to the music that was playing in the background. I'm not sure if anyone really noticed what she was doing because we were all very busy getting ready. I paused and quickly pulled out my phone because I wanted to record the moment. As Shelby danced, there was something very moving happening for me. I don't think that it was just a daddy who loves to see his daughter dance. As she danced, while all of the commotion and distraction was going on, I was thinking about how the Holy Spirit is like that. Life hurries along: places to go, people to see, things to get done, etc. meanwhile, the whole time the Holy Spirit is working in the background, beautifully scripting "the dance".

Roll with it

2011-05-22T21:18:00.006-04:00

This morning at The Branches Community Church we ran into a little snag. The auditorium where we meet had been set up with 500 chairs for graduation events. We were told that the chairs had to stay up and couldn't be moved... :(

What to do? What to do? Well we made the best of it and set up on the stage. I think the stage worked really well. It really has the feel that we are looking for anyway. So what looked to be negative, really turned out to be a blessing. :) I wish I had a photo of what it looked like all set up... maybe next week.

The Branches in the News

2011-04-29T14:26:00.003-04:00

The North County Times ran an article on The Branches Community Church on April 29, 2011.

To read the article online you can go HERE. To read some clarification of what James really told the reporter you can go HERE.

I've posted the article from the NC Times below, enjoy...

Branches brings pastor home to Escondido

By DAN BENNETT - For the North County Times | Posted: Friday, April 29, 2011

The beginning of an era for the Branches Community Church in Escondido started with a bang ---- an "egg-splosion," actually.
Easter Sunday marked the official opening for the new church, though Branches had some early sessions in January. The church now meets Sunday mornings in the large theater room at San Pasqual High School.
"It's been great so far," said church co-founder James Pinkerton. "We had 5,000 Easter eggs and a wonderful service."
The opening of the new church fulfills a longtime goal for Pinkerton, who grew up in Escondido, attended Grant Middle School and graduated from Escondido High in 1990. Though he went away to seminary in Kansas, Pinkerton says he always wanted to return and start a new church.
"I had been working the last three years in Indiana," Pinkerton said. "I was a youth pastor, and my wife was a children's pastor."
With Pinkerton's former classmate, friend and colleague Kris Sorensen, the three decided they wanted to move to California and open a church in Escondido.
"I've long had my heart set on a church in Escondido," Pinkerton said. "Part of the reason is that there are really not enough churches in Escondido, so when we looked at the demographics, it made sense."
What the team needed even before a congregation was a location.
"I called the local school district and asked if they ever had churches before, and it seemed they hadn't," Pinkerton said. "San Pasqual was the best place for us. There are 622 seats, so plenty of room to grow."
The church's mission, Pinkerton says, is to emphasize the Bible.
"We are a Bible-believing church," he said. "We are a non-denominational church aligning ourselves with the Bible. Our source of truth is the Holy Spirit, God and Jesus. We want people to feel they are in a comfortable place. We want people to understand that we don't have preconceived notions about what they believe, we just want them to hear the discussion. Our purpose is to love people with God's love, and understand that we all have God in us."
Pinkerton says the church emphasizes love in all lives.
"We want to speak to the love in peoples' lives, and if they never felt that love, we hope to help them start," he said. "We have a vision, and our core values speak to the mission, but people are free to use those as they will."
Service and community partnerships will become part of the church's practices. It will partner with youth groups and other service organizations.
"We want to be part of the community," Pinkerton said. "I'm a youth pastor, so we want to have youth groups soon. We hope to have Bible study every other week. We also hope to have all kinds of small groups. We want people interested in music and people interested in art to have their own small groups. Our groups will grow organically, according to interests. For now, it's a matter of growing the congregation, through word of mouth, social networking and other means."
Branches could have its own building someday, if all goes well.
"We don't necessarily want to have a large sanctuary, but a place that will service Escondido and its people every day," Pinkerton said. "Maybe it would have a food pantry and a clothing bank, maybe a cafe and a skateboard park. It could be a place bustling with activity, a place where we could minister seven days a week."
In the meantime, Pinkerton says the group is happy with the church's current home, and also happy that he has returned to his roots, this time with his wife, Tonya, and their three children.
"This is where I want to be," he said. "It's the place for us."

Visit www.thebrancheschurch.com or call 760-670-6233.

High Flyin'

2011-04-27T23:32:00.010-04:00

I have no idea what I'm doing here... but it was fun.

The Branches - Easter 2011

2011-04-25T01:20:00.005-04:00

Serving Those Who Served

2011-04-18T19:04:00.005-04:00

On Saturday April 16th The Branches Community Church partnered with Compact of Escondido to serve youth in our community that gathered for the National Youth Service Day. The youth tidied up one of our local parks and then we treated them to a bbq. I think we served between 75 and 100 students. We really enjoyed hanging out with some of the kids in our community and it gave us an opportunity to invite them to our Easter Egg Hunt and first church service!

The Branches Sunday AM Photos

2011-04-07T13:31:00.005-04:00

Entrance from parking lot...

Entrance to children's rooms...
Sprouts (our nursery) Mr. Will Pinkerton...
The Grove (K-5th grade)...
Pathway to auditorium entrance...
Welcome table...
Cafe...
Media Team...
Auditorium...

Poem For Singles

2011-04-06T16:56:00.002-04:00

Wow -

HT: http://theresurgence.com/

To Do List

2011-03-30T16:13:00.001-04:00

Busy, busy, busy...

Happy Birthday Tammy

2011-03-19T12:47:00.001-04:00

I know it is just another day, and just another number, but I'm glad we have today to celebrate your birthday. Happy Birthday! I love you.

Happy St. Patricks Day

2011-03-18T01:23:00.002-04:00

Delivery

2011-03-13T21:47:00.001-04:00

I got called in unexpectedly tonight so it's me and the delivery bags tonight.

To Do List

2011-03-08T14:14:00.000-05:00

I have another busy day in front of me.

Stretched 3

2011-03-06T22:06:00.005-05:00

If you would like to hear the audio from today's message at The Branches Community Church you can click THIS LINK.

I've had some folks ask if our sermons are on the internet yet; unfortunately, we have had some hiccups in that area. So today I decided to simply record the message on my iPhone while I was speaking. Hopefully, we will have everything worked out by Easter so that we can have the video of the sermons online each week.

Follow the link above if you would like to listen to today's message.

Catalyst West Coast

2011-03-05T00:51:00.000-05:00

My third Catalyst event. I've loved every one of them.

To Do List

2011-02-27T12:48:00.001-05:00

I have a very busy day ahead of me...

I Love My Mother Church

2011-02-16T13:45:00.005-05:00

I love the faith of our parent church! Last Sunday Pastor Hubert shared just some of the vision that God has placed on his heart for Brookville Road Community Church. God is doing great things... and has greater things in store for BRCC and their ministries.

Greater Thing Through Vision from Brookville Road Community Church on Vimeo.

The Branches - Second Preview Service

2011-02-09T23:03:00.000-05:00

Our second preview service went very smoothly Sunday (Feb. 6). God is good and we had 60 people in attendance, and we saw several people visit The Branches for the first time. Our launch team continues to do an excellent job of setting up, serving, and welcoming our guests; each service it seems like we are becoming more efficient in setting up in the auditorium.

We also shared our goal of having 200 people at our Easter service. This will take plenty of prayer and effort, but we are confident that we can reach this goal with the Lord's help. We have just two preview services left before Easter; beginning Easter Sunday we will begin meeting weekly.

The Branches - First Sermon Series

2011-01-14T17:25:00.003-05:00

Our first series of messages at The Branches Community Church is called "Stretched". (By the way Nathan Harris did an excellent job with the series image!)

We live in a culture that pushes us to the limits. Buy more, do more, accomplish more, conquer more and the result is, we are stretched thin. The push from this world is: bigger homes, nicer cars, better clothes, perfect bodies, perfect marriages, and perfect kids. And if we don’t have these things we pretend we do, or we push it to the limit to get them and we’ve lost the space in the middle. It's insane and it's killing marriages and families and people are hurting. Many people are living life at an unsustainable pace and it is not what God intended.

You need to have space between where you are and where you need to be. God invites us to do life differently... to have some margin and to begin to re-prioritize our lives around Him. Matthew 11:28-29

Imagine the practicality of reorienting your life around God and the things that are most important in life. What would it be like creating some space in your life? What would it be like showing up 5 or 10 minutes early to a meeting so you’re not stressed? Imagine having money left over at the end of the month. What if we had such a large space between us and temptation that the pull of doing wrong was significantly reduced? What if we had large reserves of emotional capacity to deal with the inevitable problems that come our way? Imagine having 3 or 4 nights a week, where you don't have anything at all on your schedule. What would it be like in our homes and in our church if we had extra time and extra money to invest and give to people in need around us? What would happen to you spiritually if you finally had space for significant time with God?

First Service Photos

2011-01-11T03:19:00.003-05:00

Be sure to check out Nathan Harris' blog for photos of our first service. You can check it out HERE.

The Branches First Public Service

2011-01-11T03:05:00.002-05:00

We had our first public worship service last Sunday (1/9/11). I think we all walked away from service Sunday feeling very blessed. There was excitement in the air and we were glad to see so many people show up to our first service [we had an attendance of 86]. Everything went very very smoothly. We have a few minor things that we can work on for the upcoming preview services, but overall I was really impressed with how well everything went.

We had a large number of guests from Round Table Pizza (where James and I work) and it was great to see so many of our friends there. We had an added blessing of having one of the pastors from Brookville Road Community Church join us. Andy Flink just happened to be in California for a couple of weeks taking classes at Talbot and was able to catch a train down toward Escondido; it was great having Andy lend a hand and get to experience our first service. Our launch team did a great job of getting everything set up and everyone who took part in the worship service did fantastic! Everyone gave their best for the Lord and I believe He was pleased.

Thank you all for your prayers they mean so much to us. Please continue to pray that this young church will be a blessing to the community of Escondido for the glory of God.

Our next preview service will be Sunday February 6th.

The Countdown is ON

2011-01-05T19:09:00.004-05:00

We are just a few days away from the launch of The Branches Community Church. It seems as though we are swimming in details right now but there is a sense of anticipation as we wade through the minutia. We have a great launch team, some terrific churches, and loving Christians lifting us up in prayer and support. All of the prayers and support can definitely be felt.

We would really appreciate your prayers as we prepare for our first public worship service this Sunday. If you could pray that God is glorified in this young church and that lives in Escondido are impacted by the gospel that would be great!

The Branches Community Church Launch!

Christmas Snapshots

2010-12-25T11:58:00.007-05:00

The Branches Update

2010-12-24T00:05:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from The Branches Community Church! Thank you all so much for your prayers and support over this last year. We value your partnership as we launch this young church in Escondido, California. The Lord has been blessing us as we near our first official public worship service on January 9th. Here is a brief list of just some of the blessings:

I now have a part-time job at Round Table Pizza. Following in the footsteps of the famous James "speedy delivery" Pinkerton, I will be delivering pizzas in Escondido. I'm thankful for the added income and the opportunity to meet new people.

San Pasqual High School has given us permission to use their sound system and video projectors; this will save us thousands of dollars in upfront costs. They have also arranged for a couple of students to assist us each Sunday with the audio and video equipment.

Our sister church, Brandywine Community Church, in Greenfield Indiana has graciously offered to assist us financially and prayerfully over a three year period! BCC has a huge heart for local and global missions and we are very excited to be a part of their ministry.

Pastor Shawn Beaty at Generations Church in nearby Oceanside has offered to lend some unique support to The Branches. Shawn has invited us to come to Generations Church on Sunday, January 2nd and invite some people from his congregation to be a part of a S.W.A.T team. S.W.A.T stands for Servants Willing Able and Temporary. The idea is for a number of folks from their congregation to assist us with our worship services for a short period of time while we build momentum and a larger team of servants.

Please continue to pray for:

* our launch team as we prepare for our first worship serve,

* our parent church Brookville Road Community Church as they encourage and support ministries around the globe,

* the lives of those in Escondido that will be transformed by Jesus Christ through The Branches Community Church.

Thank you; may God bless you and your family as you celebrate the birth of Christ. Merry Christmas!

New Job

2010-12-16T01:56:00.003-05:00

Tonight (12/15) I officially began working part-time at Round Table Pizza. I will be delivering pizzas a couple of nights a week. The world famous pizza delivery driver, James Pinkerton, has been training me. It's challenging learning the roads in Escondido, but with lots of practice (and my gps) I will be half as fast as James delivering pizzas!

Creative Talent Part 2

2010-12-11T01:08:00.000-05:00

North Point's iBand from North Point Web on Vimeo.

Creative Talent Part 1

2010-12-11T01:03:00.000-05:00

My PVC Instrument, DRS Talent Show @ Yahoo! Video

The Branches Update

2010-11-26T19:50:00.001-05:00

I pray you had a great Thanksgiving and have enjoyed time with family and friends. I enjoyed spending nearly two weeks back in Indiana with family and friends. From November 10th-22nd I spent time visiting churches and pastors in the BRCC network. The primary purpose of the trip was to attend the missions banquet at Brookville Road Community Church. I also had the opportunity to speak at BRCC and Brandywine Community Church. It was great catching up with the other pastors and staff, and hearing about how God has been working in their churches. I came back with a list of prayer requests from our parent church and sister churches that we, The Branches Community Church, will be praying for.

I'm so grateful for the friendships and support that we have experienced with our extended church family. It is a privilege to partner with this group of pastors and congregations back in Indiana. Although we are separated by distance, our common goals of reaching our communities for Christ and extending His work across the globe helps us to realize that we are all working together.

Due to circumstances beyond our control, our first "preview service" has been moved from December 5th to January 9th. San Pasqual High School is completing construction on their campus and their auditorium is in use on the date that we needed it. Fortunately, the delay will allow us more time to invite friends and family members to our first service. Our preview services will be on the following dates: Jan. 9, Feb 6, Mar 6, April 3rd and Easter April 24th. Beginning on Easter Sunday we plan to meet each Sunday.

Invitation cards are being printed so that we can distribute them by hand in the community. We recently supported our local civic theatre by helping with stage props and were given a large, full page, color advertisement in their playbill which invited people to our first service. Our launch team purchased and assembled Thanksgiving baskets that were distributed to needy families in the Escondido area; and plans are being made to go Christmas caroling at a local retirement community on Christmas Eve.

Prayer Requests

Please pray for:

Continued blessings for our mother church, Brookville Road Community Church; and our sister churches.

Our preview services: that we would have good attendance, that God would be glorified, and that we would see lives in our community impacted by our young church.

Opportunities for us to express the Lord's love to our community in meaningful ways.

Financial blessings.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

Back in Indiana

2010-11-16T21:20:00.003-05:00

I'm back in Indiana right now (Nov. 10-22); I am staying with my parents and visiting pastors in the Brookville Road Community Church network. I really enjoy visiting with the other pastors in the network and catching up with what is going on with their ministries. This afternoon I spent some time with Greg Ruble and enjoyed hearing about all the exciting things happening at their church. Last Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at BRCC. On Wednesday evening I will attend their missions banquet and get to share about the good things happening with The Branches Community Church. Next Sunday I will get to speak to the fine folks over at Brandywine Community Church. On Friday I will make my way back to the Muncie area and meet with some friends there. Each day has been filled with meetings and appointments, so it has been very productive.

I'm enjoying my time here, but I am looking forward to getting back home to Southern California!

Dad's Visit

2010-10-20T23:17:00.005-04:00

My dad came out for a visit this week and helped me with some projects around the house. When we got done with our "to do" list I took dad to visit the USS Midway, and later to the pier in Oceanside. Here are some pictures from his visit:

More Photos From Last Week

2010-10-07T16:02:00.001-04:00

Last Week

2010-10-05T14:05:00.001-04:00

Pumpkin

2010-10-05T13:55:00.000-04:00

This is the lucky pumpkin that got plucked from the thousands to choose from at Bates Nut Farm in Valley Center, CA. I'm anxious to see what Shelby & Tammy will do to decorate this little guy.

Miramar Air Show

2010-10-05T13:51:00.000-04:00

Last week we had a great time at the Miramar Air Show. We were blessed by a kind stranger who offered us 3 tickets to the front row! Here is just a brief clip of the Blue Angels performing.

Daddy Daughter Date

2010-09-25T13:56:00.005-04:00

Earlier this month Shelby and I spent the day together at Disnelyand. It was a fantastic day!!!

New Family Member

2010-09-10T11:38:00.000-04:00

Meet Oreo Sorensen. He is a 7 month old Maltese Yorkie mix (Morkie). Last weekend I gave in to Shelby's repeated requests for a dog. This is the dog she fell in love with, and I just couldn't say no any longer.

Oreo is a sweet dog and is learning the fine art of potty training right now; and he is quickly making new doggy friends in the neighborhood. We love the little guy and are enjoying making him a part of the Sorensen household.

Robert

2010-09-03T15:27:00.004-04:00

I met Robert at Starbucks the other day. Robert is a gentleman in his late 80's or early 90's; he appears very spry and sharp with a warm gregarious smile. He walked in, noticed my Mac computer and struck up a conversation. Turns out Robert has a Mac that he uses to email his family and to surf the internet. He is very much a Mac devotee so we bonded quickly. After a short conversation Robert bought his drink and asked if he could sit down and chat with me. I had a half hour before I had to leave so I shut the lid to my computer and said, "sure, I'd love to."

We talked a little bit about computers and technology and then I asked him about his family. Robert mentioned that he has a couple of daughters, four grandchildren, and two great grandkids. I asked about his wife and he said she had passed away over 35 years ago. I said, "I' sorry to hear that", he said, "It's okay, we are all going that way some day." I agreed and talked a little bit about how brief life is. That is the moment Robert asked me about my family and where I'm from. I told him about Tammy and Shelby, and about how we had sold everything and moved here from Indiana to start a church in Escondido. Robert was intrigued, he said he had met only one other pastor in Starbucks before. I told him he should, "Go to Indiana, every other person in Starbucks is a pastor. :) We talked a bit more about starting a church and he asked me several questions.

I then asked Robert what he did for a living and he told me that he currently works as a machinist but had been trained as an engineer and had served in World War 2 with the Royal Air Force in the United Kingdom! At that moment I wished I had at least 3 more hours to spend with him to hear his stories. I asked Robert if he had written his stories down for his kids and grandkids; Robert looked at me with a look of puzzlement and a touch of honor at the same time, he said, "No, I never have." I could tell that he was thinking that he should really do that. I talked to him about my Grandfather and how he has written his stories down for us.

I said, "Robert I would love to stay here and learn more about your life, but unfortunately I have to go. Here is my card with my phone number, please call me sometime and I will meet you here, buy your drink, and you can tell me about your life." He thanked me for my time; I patted him on the shoulder and left.

I really hope Robert calls or we bump into one another again at Starbucks. I'd really like to learn about his time in the war and I'd love to share what God has done in my life.

The Branches Community Church core value #3: We embrace community – laughing, crying, learning, sharing, loving supporting, giving, working, playing, eating shopping, singing, worshipping, caring… together.

Another Song

2010-09-02T00:43:00.000-04:00

I got up from the sofa a moment ago, looked down on the floor, and discovered what Shelby had been working on in the car this afternoon. As you can see in the picture, she has written another song. Reading the songs she writes gives me such a good feeling.

There is something else she does that just melts my heart... I wish I could capture for you the passion she sings with when we are in church. Shelby will sing the songs in church to the Lord with everything she's got. Her heartfelt worship is such a great example to me, as well as other adults.

The Branches Update

2010-08-27T22:29:00.001-04:00

As The Branches Community Church continues to move forward we find that much of our energies are spent investing in relationships. We gather for a men's Bible study every Monday and are enjoying reading through the Bible together and sharing time with other men. Each Tuesday, several of our families make their way to the Farmers Market in downtown Escondido and then over to Round Table Pizza where we gather with others and enjoy a meal together. It is becoming routine for us, and community is being built. It seems as though we add one or two new people each week to our Tuesday gatherings and word is beginning to spread that a new church is starting soon. Sometimes we wish it would go faster but we remind ourselves that relationships, true relationships, take time.

James is currently looking for space (read that as "free" space) for us to meet on Sunday afternoons for another gathering time as we attempt to build momentum for the winter "launch" date. Our plan is to sing a song or two and have a time of teaching and vision casting for the new church.

We have been very blessed to have Alice, James' sister, helping us with the tedious details of applying for our EIN and our 501c3 (read that as government red tape). Alice continues to plug away at the paperwork and we are on track to have our tax exempt status sometime in the future.

We are pleased to report that your prayers have been answered and Nathan & Kimberly Harris have found employment! Nathan works in nearby Vista, at New Haven as a childcare counselor, and Kimberly is working at Studio 158, a salon in downtown Escondido. You can read a little more about it at Nathan's blog… http://nathanhasasong.blogspot.com/2010/08/411.html

As we prepare for our official launch, we are trying to collect church equipment. If you, or your church has equipment that is no longer being used we would gladly put it to good use. Here is a list of some of the things that we are still in need of… [microphones, mic stands, microphone cables, music stands, lcd projectors, video screen(s), projector cart, software to run laptop, keyboard, stools, batteries, video camera(s), coffee cups, folding tables, brochures, ladder, umbrellas, extension cords, table covers, pens…]

If you are interested in donating items, or would like more information you may contact James at 760,670.6233 or Kris at 760.807.9507. If you are interested in helping financially, checks may be written to our parent church: Brookville Road Community Church. 7480 W. US 52 • New Palestine, IN 46163 and write "Branches Community Church" in the memo.

If you would, take just a moment to pray for some quick requests:

*Pray that God would help us to develop meaningful relationships with those we come into contact in the community.

*Pray that people would yield their lives to Jesus Christ as they see and hear the gospel proclaimed.

*Pray for the Lord's favor on our parent church and sister churches within the Brookville Road Community Church Network.

Thank you so much for your interest and support for The Branches Community Church!

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 ESV

Body Boarding

2010-08-21T13:39:00.001-04:00

The other day our family took a little trip over to Del Mar and I tried out my new body board. I had a blast, and am looking forward to our next excursion to the ocean.

Oh Dear

2010-08-15T23:57:00.002-04:00

I think I heard the question, "Can we get a dog?" about 100 times today. Shelby even offered me all of her Christmas money if I would just get a her a dog... Oh dear, I'm doomed.

New Routine

2010-08-07T23:20:00.003-04:00

We have been in our new home for about a week and a half now and we are starting to settle in. Moving to a new place means a lot of upheaval, and that includes a shift in your daily routine. Starting a new church and not having a defined schedule means that I need to be proactive in getting something productive accomplished. Over the past week I have been working on developing a new daily routine. It looks like this: 7AM wake up and do devotions while still laying in bed! (Finding a comfortable position for daily devotions is key :) After devotions I greet Tammy and Shelby who got up at 3AM (just kidding, I have no idea what time they get up, but they are always up before me.) I eat a light breakfast and then I stretch (because I'm old) and take a jog around our neighborhood. Once I have completed my run, I shower and then get dressed and head out the door to our local Starbucks. At Starbucks I have the opportunity to interact with folks while I am working on messages. In the afternoon I spend some time with Tammy and Shelby and we explore parts of Southern California they haven't seen yet. The evenings have been a good opportunity to hang out with others or get some "handy-man" tasks accomplished around our new home.

My routine won't always look this way; over time and with the demands of a large congregation once again, there will need to be a shift in my time and responsibilities. But for now this is how I've been spending my day.

I'm still here

2010-07-29T00:49:00.005-04:00

I'm still here; I haven't fallen off of the face of the earth. We have been super busy moving into our new home here in Escondido. The past couple weeks have been filled with signing papers, writing checks, purchasing items for the house, painting, minor repairs, etc... I will try to get some pictures posted on Facebook and the blog once the house doesn't look like a tornado hit it.

It's good having the family together again. Tammy and Shelby waited in Iowa with Tammy's mom for a month while I stayed with the Pinkerton's and looked for housing here in California. It's amazing to think that we closed on our home in Parker City, IN. on June 15th and in just a little over a month we are now living in our home here. That is a huge answer to prayer!

We have enjoyed taking little trips as a family to different locations close by; I think the trip to the beach was Shelby's favorite so far. Tammy's favorite has been the Ikea cinnamon rolls :)

This Monday (Aug. 2nd) James and I will be beginning a mens Bible study. The plan is to simply read through the Bible together as a group and stop every few verses and talk about what we just read. When football season begins we will have our study and then watch the game together. I'm praying that each of us we will grow spiritually, and that we will see some guys that may have been far from God grow closer to Him.

Bob

2010-07-10T12:00:00.004-04:00

Yesterday at the mall I met Bob. Bob is a man in his late 50's, slender, very high pitched voice, a bit eccentric, yet very bright. We struck up a conversation while I was looking at a pair of sunglasses. For at least ten minutes Bob sipped on his coffee and spoke about his prescription glasses: what kind of frame they had, the lenses, where he got them, etc... While he was speaking I was nodding my head, smiling, and interjecting a comment here and there. Somehow the conversation changed to investing in pharmaceutical companies: mergers, stocks, children's tylenol recalls, etc... I'm still nodding, smiling, and offering a comment here and there.

Bob was loving it, I don't think a lot of people stop very long to listen to him. I was set to listen as long as he wanted to talk; I had nowhere to go so I could listen as long as he wanted to chat. There wasn't a spiritual conversation or an invitation to come to church; just one person showing kindness to another. Once Bob had finished talking he smiled real big, held out his hand for me to shake, and he thanked me for spending some time with him.

I pray that I meet Bob again sometime in the mall, so that I can be a listening ear, a smiling face; and perhaps a friendship can develop and I can share with him of my love for God.

*The Branches Community Church core value #2 "We embrace love – we will love people whether they ever to chose to love God."

Caedmon

2010-07-09T12:18:00.002-04:00

Goodbyes are tough...

http://wonbyone92.blogspot.com/2010/07/my-buddy.html

Exclusive Post - New Home

2010-06-30T16:53:00.005-04:00

This is an exclusive post; you will only read this information here; no Twitter, no Facebook, no Emails.

I just got word today (Wed. June 30th) that our offer was accepted on a condo for our family! It's a beautiful place in the northern portion of Escondido. They are speeding along the process so that I can get Tammy and Shelby here ASAP. If all of the inspections pass, then by mid-late July I will be reunited with my girls in our new home. We are very excited to begin putting down roots here in Southern California and finding our own place is obviously a big part of that.

Thank you all for your prayers! I would encourage you to continue praying for some of the other requests mentioned in my last post.

The Branches Update

2010-06-19T18:34:00.004-04:00

I sent this out by email & Facebook this morning to some folks and though I'd post it here as well -

Originally this quick update was going to be an urgent request to pray for an immediate need, but before I could even get the request out, God has been moving. We learned late Thursday (June 17th) that the home James & Tonya were going to be renting was unavailable. Due to unforeseen circumstances the family who were to rent the home to the Pinkerton's decided they needed to sell it instead. That left James & Tonya with less than a week to obtain housing in Escondido. Obviously, this didn't shock the Lord and He had another place lined up. The Pinkerton's will be renting a condo now, and can move in immediately; so this request has turned into a praise!

We would love for you to pray for a few other things though:

Traveling safety - James, Kris, and the Harris' will be traveling to California June 22nd-25th.

Jobs - Please pray that Nathan & Kimberly Harris as well as Andy Adair find work soon.

Home - I (Kris) will be looking for a house to buy for my family.

Relationships - pray for God ordained encounters with people in California who need to see God's love displayed through us.

Your prayers are needed and greatly appreciated as we start The Branches Community Church.

Glad the tomb is empty!

Kris Sorensen

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 ESV

Final Week at BRCC

2010-06-10T21:13:00.005-04:00

Join us this Sunday (June 13th) at Brookville Road Community Church for our final Sunday. James and I will be sharing the pulpit and Pastor Hubert will be praying for our team as we are launched out to California to plant The Branches Community Church.

The church has planned a "baby shower" for us on Sunday. They placed pieces of paper on a tree with items that we will need to begin the church, and people chose an item off the tree and went out and purchased it and brought it back to the office; the office is filling up with diapers, coffee makers, toys, hand sanitizer, etc... We were given a trailer by Living Streams Community Church (thanks Pastor Greg!!) and now it will be stocked with items purchased by folks at BRCC.

We have developed some great friendships with the staff and parishioners of Brookville Road Community Church; this relationship was definitely God ordained and a blessing to our young church. Thanks BRCC!!!

Shelby's psalm

2010-06-06T08:30:00.003-04:00

Shelby wrote a new song again this morning. This one is much more like a psalm. With her permission I have posted her latest creation below...

Heaven will be beautiful! He sits on his royal throne and looks down to make sure I am safe.

I love my Lord! I would do anything for Him.

He is almighty. He is in control of any creature.

Oh, how I love you my Lord!

I demand to take Jesus off of the cross and put me on.

I deserve to be put on that cross not Him!

Oh, how I love You.

Even if everyone laughed at me for caring about you, I still would love you my Lord.

Shelby Sorensen (age 7)

Quick Update

2010-06-02T20:44:00.004-04:00

Just some quick notes to update those interested:

This Sunday we will be attending one of our sister churches, Shelbyville Community Church. This will be our first visit to SCC and are looking forward to worshipping with them.

On Tuesday evening (June 8) James and I will be meeting with the mission team of BRCC and sharing our story with them.

Our last Sunday at Brookville Road Community Church will be on June 13th; James and I will both be sharing the message that morning.

There's a little gathering scheduled at the park in Farmland on Saturday June 12th to send off those that will be going to California to start The Branches Community Church. If you live in the area you are welcome to join us for lunch at the park.

Tammy and I will be signing closing papers for the sale of our house on June 15th (Praise God!). Once the papers are signed we will make our way to Iowa where Tammy & Shelby will stay with Tammy's mom while I then make my way to Escondido, CA to look for a place to live.

It's starting to sink in that we have less than two weeks left and our scenery will change, our routines will change, our time zone will change, our zip code will change, ... you get the idea. All of these changes do not dampen my desire to get out to Escondiodo and love people with God's love.

(Thanks for your prayers for: our safety, the "launch team", the people of Escondido, and for the Kingdom of God to be expanded)

The "Dump"

2010-05-27T18:15:00.004-04:00

James and I have been "super blessed" by our internship at our parent church, Brookville Road Community Church. When Pastor Hubert told us that he had a place for us to stay he called it a "dump", of course as you watch the video below you will see that he was only kidding. James and I looked at each other in disbelief as we were given permission to stay in this 6 bedroom 4.5 bath 6,058 sq. ft. "mansion".

The builder of this home, (who doesn't even attend BRCC), offered our families the opportunity to stay there whenever we needed during our internship. This home is currently on the market and the asking price has been reduced significantly; catch me on Facebook or shoot me an email if you are interested in purchasing it and I will get you in touch with the builder. ;-)

This poor quality video doesn't do the home justice... but you get the idea.

Prayer Answered

2010-05-17T17:58:00.004-04:00

For those of you who may not have heard yet; we have an offer on our home and the closing date is set for June 15th. Praise God!!! This is a huge answer to prayer. This means that we will not have a mortgage payment to worry about as we live 2,200 miles away. The closing date comes with exactly one week to spare before we had intended to start the moving process. God's timing is amazing. (Definitely none too early; but never late).

Next prayer becomes: "God, please help us to locate a place to live in Escondido."

AMEN

We've Been Adopted

2010-05-11T13:40:00.004-04:00

Last night James and I met with the Elders of Brookville Road Community Church and shared with them our plans for starting a new church in Escondido, CA. It was exciting being able to interact with the Elders and to answer their questions about The Branches Community Church. At the end of our meeting together the Elders voted and the result is... we are now officially recorded as a daughter church of BRCC! It's great having a "parent church" that will be offering their support as this young church gets off the ground.

I long for the day that the Elders of The Branches can sit across the table from a man who has been called by God to start a church and is seeking our support. We want to raise up leaders who will fully embrace the call of Christ to "go" to all nations. It is our dream to plant churches up and down the coast of California as well as start a church/churches in Northern Ireland. But for now we take it one step at a time, and last night we took the step of being "adopted" as a part of a church planting movement that wants the name of Christ to be exalted in every corner of the earth.

New Family

2010-05-08T19:54:00.004-04:00

One of the benefits of our internship at Brookville Road Community Church is the opportunity that we have to meet with other pastors who have planted "daughter churches". This afternoon James and I had the privilege of sitting down with Pastor Greg Ruble from Living Streams Community Church. We really enjoyed hearing how the Lord has had His hand on Pastor Greg and the believers at Living Streams. Greg started the church in September of 2008 so it was good to be able to get perspective from someone who has recently planted a church. Tomorrow (Sunday) we will attend Living Streams and worship with their congregation.

Next weekend we will be attending Brandywine Community Church and then sitting in on their staff meeting on Monday.

James and I are really looking forward to the connections that we get to enjoy with our sister churches. We're prayerful that our relationships will continue to strengthen as we interact with our fellow pastors and churches in the years ahead.

Moving Sale

2010-05-04T14:40:00.003-04:00

And so it begins. The process of selling nearly everything we own. We begin this weekend May 7 & 8. Here is a list of just some of the items that we will be selling. If you live in the area we would love to see you, even if you don't buy anything, just stop by and say "hi".

Moving Sale May 7th-8th

408 East St. Parker City

1pm-7pm Friday

8am-3pm Saturday

Elec. Cuisinart waffle stick maker

Elec. waffle makers

Blender

Placemats

Toaster

Kitchen Aid chopper

Food Dehydrator

Rival Roaster Oven

Tea Kettle

Sun tea jar

Glass canister set

Cupcake pans

Large wooden bowl

Candle holders

Cups/glasses/mugs

Pfaltzgraff bowl set

Candy dishes

Bakeware

Baking utensils

Silverware

Plates

Canisters

Cake pans

Serving trays

Children's plates

Mixing bowls

Pans

Casserole dishes

Hand Mixer

Pie cutting board

Baking cooling racks

Baking sheets

Pampered Chef stoneware

Pie plates

Mini cake molds

Stock pot

Salsa KIt (unopened)

Children's books

Christmas decorations

Christmas tree stand

Children's toys & games

Pixma MP480 Photo printer (unopened)

8 man tent

Precious Moments (with original boxes)

Kerosene heater (unopened)

Large cooler

Lawn tools: rake, small shovels, sprinklers, timers, etc.

Tools: laser level, 6" bench grinder, small tool set, bits, electric stud finder, tool boxes, etc.

Paint brushes

Car buffer

Car washing kit

Black & Decker electric sander

Shelving

Saw horse with vice

Splitting maul

Computer hutch

Bookshelf

Mirror

Quilts

Quilt patterns

Fabric

Large "Western Stoneware" crocs (15, 12, & 6 gal.)

Storage shelves

Wood filing cabinet with shelves

Pixma ip 6600D photo printer with accessories

Lamps

CD's & DVD's

Some Updates

2010-04-30T22:17:00.004-04:00

We continue to make plans to start The Branches Community Church of Escondido...

* Currently we are working on putting our church planting strategy down on paper.

* This Sunday I will be preaching at our parent church, Brookville Road Community Church.

* Our internship at BRCC is going well and I'm enjoying learning from their staff, and ministers from other daughter churches.

* We have plans to meet weekly with our core team moving out with us to Escondido.

* The Branches website is getting closer to being completed. (www.thebrancheschurch.com)

* In mid-May my father and I will be traveling to Escondido to look for a condo for my family.

* We will be having a moving sale over the next several weeks. The plan is to move with just our car and as few possessions as possible.

* I'm looking forward to calling California "home".

California Lyric Video

2010-04-28T09:26:00.003-04:00

Sponge Bob Time

2010-04-24T18:24:00.003-04:00

I now own one watch; only one, this one. I scored this baby today because Shelby got it in her BK "Value" meal, and she is not a Sponge Bob fan. To be honest, I've never seen an episode of Sponge Bob but I am a fan of "free" watches.

Core Values

2010-04-20T20:54:00.003-04:00

James and I worked this morning on defining and refining the "core values" of The Branches Community Church. Here are some of the things that makes our heart beat...

Our values are what make us unique and distinct. They flow out of our desire to make everything about God and for His glory.

We embrace movement – not for movement sake, but because God is continually seeking to do a new thing to radically transform lives through His Gospel.

We embrace love – we will love people whether they ever to chose to love God.

We embrace community – laughing, crying, learning, sharing, loving supporting, giving, working, playing, eating shopping, singing, worshipping, caring… together.

We embrace everyday – Everyday people being transformed and loving everyday, because the church is a lifestyle and not just an event.

We embrace creativity and excellence – Simply put; we want to give God our best.

First Day at BRCC

2010-04-18T21:45:00.005-04:00

Today was our first day worshipping at Brookville Road Community Church. James and I were able to introduce our families to the congregation in both of the services. They are a great congregation; very welcoming and excited for us as we prepare to start the church out in California. We had some fun conversations with people who have California connections; meanwhile our children had a great time in all the different children's environments. An excellent first day; now we are looking forward to staff meeting tomorrow morning!

Final Message

2010-04-16T19:43:00.003-04:00

I've posted the final message that I delivered at FFC last Sunday. I begin with a confession...

Soon

2010-04-14T18:58:00.004-04:00

Soon this will be our new home. 30 minutes to the ocean, 30 minutes to the desert, 30 minutes to San Diego, 45 minutes to the mountains. Population 140,000+, 50% white - 50% hispanic/other; 13 parks, etc. (Wikipedia Escondido)

Soon this will be the home of The Branches Community Church.

Soon this will be the place where lives will be impacted through a community of believers living out the gospel.

Soon families will pack up their belongings and move across the country to be part of a larger plan orchestrated by God to call to Himself a community of believers.

View Larger Map

What's Next?

2010-04-12T21:27:00.004-04:00

Here's what's next as we take our next steps toward planting The Branches Community Church in Escondido, CA.

James Pinkerton and I will begin our internship at Brookville Road Community Church in New Palestine, IN. very soon.
I will preaching at BRCC on May 2nd and then again in early June.
We will have the opportunity to visit other churches that BRCC has helped to get started in Indiana, like THIS ONE.
We get to make new friends at a number of churches that we will be in partnership with.
James and I will be learning from some great men of God.
BRCC has arranged housing for our families, if we need it.
Tammy and I are still trying to sell OUR HOUSE; we have lowered the price again, and we would love for you to buy it!
James and I will be traveling to Escondido in early-mid May to secure housing for our families.
The plan is to move in late June
We intend on officially launching the church in December of this year.
The next 9 months are going to be crazy. CRAZY AWESOME!

New Look

2010-04-11T20:50:00.006-04:00

Obviously, this blog has a new look as of April 11th, 2010. You will find links just below the header to my personal sites, as well as links to our future church plant, The Branches Community Church, and to each of Tammy's blogs. You will also notice the return of the Twitter feed to the right and a much more minimalist look.

Missing from each post are the comments. I do most of my interacting these days via Facebook & Twitter moderating and responding to comments on the blog is more than I'd like to follow right now.

FYI: The header picture up above ties together a couple of things. The branches on the tree represent our new church, and the changing seasons of the tree represent the positive effects of change.

Saying Goodbye

2010-04-10T19:37:00.006-04:00

Tomorrow's the day. My last day at FFC. I have mixed emotions as I say goodbye to a congregation that I've spent nearly a decade at. I'm going to miss a lot of the folks here, and that makes me sad; but on the other hand, I'm excited to turn the page and begin the next chapter of my life.

Thank you FFC for allowing me to be your pastor. I have learned a lot; I've been stretched and molded into the person I am today as a result of my time here. In the coming days, months, and years I pray that FFC becomes more and more like the spotless bride that Jesus died for and intends to have presented to Himself. Place Christ first, and others before you, and you will be well on your way.

"...Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless." Eph 5:25b-27

If you would like to follow along in the next chapter of my life you can continue to follow this blog www.changeisgood4u.com, or www.thegrowingofthebranches.wordpress.com, or our Facebook page, or our soon to be launched website - www.thebrancheschurch.com

All Authority

2010-04-06T20:28:00.001-04:00

After Jesus' resurrection He declared to His disciples, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Matt. 28:18

All authority on earth has been given to the risen Christ. All of it. Jesus has the right to tell every man, woman, and child what they should do and think and feel. He has absolute and total authority over your life and over all cultures on the earth.

The risen Christ is King and as such, He has absolute, unlimited, unquestioned, unmitigated, unequivocal, and unmistakable authority over your life. His resurrection is God's declaration that he lays claim on every person in every nation because all authority on earth is His.

Proud Father

2010-04-04T23:27:00.005-04:00

There are some moments that my daughter makes me so proud of her that I think I could bust. This evening (Easter 2010) Shelby wrote lyrics for a song. I'm not sure how many songs she has written so far, but this is the first one that she has shared with me. After supper, she sat down at the laptop and began typing away, she proceeded to print a couple of copies off and then handed them to her mommy and me. I read the words and they melted my heart and I'm sure the heart of her Father...

God's love for me

God's love for me is like a flaming fire.

God's love for me is like a roaring ocean.

That's his love for me. That's his love for me.

He protects me from evil. He takes me to

heaven just for believing in Him. Oh,

God's love for me is like a flaming fire.

God's love for me is like a roaring ocean.

That's God's love for me. That's God's

love for me. Almighty God died on a

simple cross not covered in gold or silver.

Just for sinners. Just think an almighty God

died for a sinner like you and me. Oh, God

rescue me. I want to find you. I want to

seek you. I want to see your face oh Lord.

I love you so creator of heaven and earth.

All of evil only you can save me from. I

will devote all my time to you. All of earth

is frightened at the sound of all of your

words. At even the sight of you. This is

God's love for you.

by Shelby Sorensen (age 7)

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise" Psalm 8:2

Praise God

2010-03-31T19:59:00.002-04:00

God did it!! We raised more than the $37,000 needed for the matching funds from the denomination. Praise God. As of this evening we have raised $37,500 in just a little over 2 months. Thank you to all of you that have supported the startup of The Branches Community Church. We have a lot more fund raising to be done to get the church off the ground, but this initial push has been a boost to our confidence and confirmation that we are headed in the right direction.

The last Sunday for the Sorensens and the Pinkertons at Farmland Friends Church will be April 11th. Beginning in mid-April James and I will begin an internship at Brookville Road Community Church in New Palestine, IN. We will be learning from them for a couple of months before we make the move to California. BRCC will be partnering with The Branches Community Church of Escondido, CA.; we are looking forward to the partnership, and are anticipating great things.

There is one more piece of the puzzle that needs to be taken care of... and that is the selling of our home here in Parker City, IN. We would appreciate your prayers that our home would sell before this June. Our families need to get out to California by June 30th so that we can begin laying the ground work for the new church. If you know of anyone interested in a new home please send them our way... we are EXTREMELY motivated at this point. =)

I believe God is up to some big things with this new church. We have had many confirmations that we are moving in the right direction. The excitement level is building and we are excited to get this church started. If all goes according to plan we will probably be launching the church in mid-December.

Here are some things you could help us with by praying:

That our home will sell in the next couple of months.
That we have a smooth conclusion to our ministries at FFC.
That the Lord would prepare the hearts of those that we will share the Good News with in Escondido.
That God would be glorified through our lives.

You Will See

2010-03-28T21:00:00.003-04:00

"The high priest said to him, "I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God." "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied. "But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." Matthew 26:63-64

Revelation 19:11-16, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Jesus came to earth as a tiny baby – He returns as a conquering King and you will see.

Jesus came to Jerusalem gentle and riding on a donkey – He will return riding a white horse prepared for battle and you will see.

Jesus came humbly offering peace – He returns to judge and make war with the enemies of God and you will see.

Above His head as He hung on the cross was the mocking statement King of the Jews – when He returns there is a tattoo on His thigh that reads King of Kings and Lord of Lords and you will see.

He wore a crown of thorns at His crucifixion – when He returns on his head are many crowns and you will see.

His followers scattered and ran for their lives at His crucifixion – He returns with the armies of heaven and you will see.

Jesus stood before the high priest sitting as judge in the mockery of a trial – when He returns you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven and He will judge the living and the dead and you will see Him in all of His heavenly glory.

Matching Deadline

2010-03-27T13:53:00.004-04:00

We are approaching the final days of our matching challenge for the church plant. March 31st will be the last day to match funds (up to $37,000). We are short of our goal, but prayerful that all of the funds will make their way to the account before Wednesday. There are envelopes with our logo on them available at the church in the foyer if you would like to make a donation. If you are writing a check you can make it out to "Farmland Friends Church" and in the memo write "Branches of Escondido". Thank you so much to those who have assisted us financially already! Your prayers and support mean a lot to us.

Click HERE to read more about The Branches Community Church.

Watch this Space

2010-03-21T21:06:00.003-04:00

Keep watching this space; my blog will be getting a makeover in early to mid April. Much of the focus of the blog will be our transition into starting The Branches Community Church of Escondido, CA.

Have you visited the blog for our new church yet? You can visit it HERE.

Many of the links on the side will be vanishing so if you need to bookmark other sites you may want to do that sooner rather than later.

Last Year at this Time

2010-03-17T10:32:00.003-04:00

Last year on St. Patrick's Day, myself and several others were in Ireland on a short mission trip. We took part in the "Pilgrimage" into Down Patrick and to Down Cathedral where St. Patrick is buried.

Imagine... The Branches

2010-03-01T18:29:00.003-05:00

Have you caught the series of "imagine" blog posts over on "The Growing of the Branches" blog yet?

Moralistic Therapeutic Deism

2010-03-01T10:36:00.003-05:00

A couple of Sundays ago (2/21/10) I preached about the false concept that "good people go to heaven" (borrowed from Andy Stanley's book How Good is Good Enough). I spent time poking holes in that belief, and concluded that the Bible teaches there is no one good... except for God. The truth is, "good people don't go to heaven, forgiven people go to heaven."

For a deeper look at this subject check out this video at the Resurgence website. They interviewed a professor by the name of Michael Horton from Westminster Seminary in Escondido, CA. Dr. Horton discusses "Moralistic Therapeutic Deism" and how many "evangelical Christians" have similar beliefs as non-Christians when it comes to theology and philosophy of life.

Happy Birthday Shelby

2010-02-25T13:07:00.003-05:00

Happy 7th Birthday Shelby. I want you to know that I'm very proud of you and I think you are the smartest little girl I have ever known. I love you with all of my heart sugar!!!

The Branches Update

2010-02-24T20:36:00.001-05:00

Interested in reading an update on The Branches Community Church? Pastor Pink has updated "The Growing of the Branches" blog, you can read it HERE.

Resignation

2010-02-21T23:45:00.005-05:00

Today in church I announced my formal resignation from FFC. Our last day will be April 11th. Here is a copy of the letter that I gave to the elders:

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

This letter is to inform you that April 11th 2010, will be my last day as pastor of Farmland Friends Church. This decision to resign from this position was not made in haste, but after many conversations and prayers. It has been an honor to minister alongside you as we have seen God change the lives of many people in our communities through the ministries of FFC. The time has come for me to step out in faith and follow God’s call on my life to begin churches in California.

We have made some lifelong friends from this community that will last into eternity and we pray God’s blessings on you as you seek the Lord’s will for the future of Farmland Friends Church. I will be in prayer that more and more lives are changed as you lead people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and develop a lasting relationship with God and fellow Christians.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

Glad the tomb is empty!

Kris Sorensen

God has plans for FFC and He has plans for the families that are heading out to California to begin a new work. I know that for many of those at FFC, and for those that are obeying the call to start The Branches Community Church of Escondido, our desire is to see God glorified in all that we do. I'm looking forward to seeing what God has in store for all of us in order to accomplish His plans.

Leadership Lessons

2010-02-12T22:33:00.002-05:00

Change

2010-02-12T09:49:00.001-05:00

Read this over at Tony Morgan's blog and thought I would repost it here...

It’s a lot easier to embrace change when you’re the one initiating it.

When we decide change is needed, it’s a lot easier for us to receive it.

Change without vision is chaos.

Change to fulfill vision is a lot easier to understand when it’s shared through stories.

Many times the most successful or positive changes also produce the most criticism.

Change doesn’t happen unless someone is responsible to deliver it.

It’s easier to embrace change when we see it rather than when we hear about it.

Change, even the best kind of change, will always generate some measure of fear and anger and sadness.

In other words, someone will always despise the change and let you know about it.

It’s almost impossible to change a change that previously worked.

Test-driving a change is a lot easier than fully committing to the unknown.

Change is more likely to take hold when it’s followed by an immediate win.

When you think you’ve communicated enough about the change, you need to communicate more.

Organizations that don’t change die.

When change happens, it always gets personalized–it always ends up being about “me.”

Slow change is rarely positive change.

Change without metrics is foolishness.

If the change is easy, you’re probably not changing enough.

Resistance addressed appropriately makes change better.

If everyone already recognizes the need for change, you’re obviously not the leader.

2010-02-08T14:45:00.001-05:00

Expedition Escondido (via txt) Heading back to Indiana today. Profitable trip: possible venue, official P.O. box address, 60 donated chairs, new friends, etc.

2010-02-05T14:01:00.001-05:00

Expedition Escondido (via txt): Just got done checking out San Pasqual High School's facility. Great multi-purpose room... could potentially work.

2010-02-04T14:16:00.001-05:00

Expedition Escondido (via txt): Large group gathering tonight @ Round Table Pizza 6:30pm. Looking 4ward 2 meeting new friends & sharing info about The Branches!

2010-02-03T11:46:00.001-05:00

Expedition Escondido (via txt) Andy is a cool cat; looking forward 2 ministering w/ him. Today we're checking out local high schools as possible church venues

Expedition Escondido

2010-02-02T12:58:00.002-05:00

Expedition Escondido is in full swing. Meeting with Andy Adair this AM @ St. Arbucks; joining our team of planters from Colorado. Andy has already moved to Cali

Another Look... Logo

2010-01-28T16:28:00.000-05:00

Matching Funds

2010-01-27T21:31:00.016-05:00

By God's providence, Indiana Yearly Meeting has agreed to match whatever Farmland Friends Church can set aside for James and I, up to $37,000. These funds will help us get the ball rolling on the Branches @ Escondido church plant. This is a huge answer to prayer and I can't begin to tell you how excited we are to have the opportunity to receive some financial assistance.

If you are interested in making a tax deductible gift to the Branches Community Church and assisting our families, please get in touch with me in one of the following ways:

You can leave your name and number by clicking the link above and placing a phone call to me. I will return your call A.S.AP, or you can email me at changeisgood4u at gmail.com

This is a fantastic blessing and we are thankful that FFC leadership is assisting us in this way, and we are prayerful that many others will take part in helping us achieve the goal of changing lives in Escondido.

The Branches Logo

2010-01-27T14:58:00.002-05:00

Coming soon to Escondido, CA ...

It's not about the House

2010-01-26T18:30:00.000-05:00

Back from Jamaica

2010-01-25T18:35:00.003-05:00

Last week I had the privilege of traveling to Jamaica and working with a great team of folks to build Daphne a home. Daphne had waited patiently for four years to receive her home. It didn't matter that there wasn't any electricity, running water, or even furniture; she was just so thankful to have a roof over her head. Here is a picture of Daphne joyfully opening the door to her new home.