Tuesday, June 22, 2010

New Series . . . .



We will be kicking off a new summer series at Sunset Chapel beginning on Sunday July 4th! Join us for an incredible time of learning, connection and worship! Each weekend throughout the month we will weigh in on one of four critical topics ranging from... anger, regret, complacency and a diseased tongue.

As humans, we are wired to make snap decisions, often in as little as three seconds. It's not surprising that we also allow ourselves to download negative responses to these circumstances. Thankfully God provides much needed answers and instruction! After closer examination we will see how the smallest adjustments in our behavior can often produce the greatest results in our lives.

Each weekend we will unpack one of these four troubling areas and look closely at how we can handle them rather than allowing them to control us. Our goal is to provide creative solutions to our struggles and to provide God-centered perspectives that will have a lasting impact on everyone who walks through the doors here at SC.

". . . In Remembrance of Me . . ."

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Pre-School Director Position Open

About the Position: We are looking for an energetic and take-charge person to lead and direct the operation of a Christian early care and education facility. If you are a person who has a passion for the education and development of children, and enjoys working with parents and staff; while effectively running all aspects of a preschool operation, then we are looking for you!

Position Summary: The director is responsible for all aspects of the management of the preschool, including educational program implementation, human resources, marketing, customer service, budgeting, licensing and community involvement.
Qualifications:

• Must have Florida's Director Credentials
• Must have VPK Director's Endorsement
• At least 1 year of management experience in a licensed child care facility
• Additional skills, abilities and experiences preferred:
• Experience working with toddlers, preschool and school age children
• Knowledge of obtaining or maintaining national center accreditation
• Proven track record of increasing and maintaining enrollment
• Ability to hire, train, develop and retain staff
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• Professional in manner and dress
• Skillful in building strong relationships with children and parents
• Ability to handle administrative duties and provide leadership with minimal supervision

If you possess the qualifications and experiences we need, we would love to hear from you! Please send your resume today! Interviews are being scheduled now for qualified applicants.

email all inquiries to my Administrative Assistant,Frances Watkins at: office@sunsetchapel.com

Are You New to Sunset Chapel? Join Me for Coffee!

Summer Outreach!

Summer signals the beginning of family outings & vacations, grilling season, excursions to Disney World, and for many churches, a dip~not in the ocean here in South Florida, but in our weekly attendance numbers.

Instead of fighting the reality that a great many of our current attendees will often be missing. We are scheduling six solid chunks of time to reach out to the numerous unchurched families that are in the vicinity of our church during this extended summer season.

These creative summer outreaches will allow us to step away from our regular day to day routines and give us new perspectives and the opportunity to build new relationships as we take God's message outside the confines of our local church straight into the neighborhoods of Miami!

As the summer of 2010 begins, we are looking at this as an opportunity to pull out all the stops and create an interest in Sunset Chapel as well as convey real hope to families.

Because SC is still transitioning towards our new vision we don't have all the resources we need to accomplish our goals completely. We are eager to create six unforgettable experiences for kids that will heighten their interest in our fantastic kids ministry here at SC!!

So I've am taking advantage of using all my social networking opportunities to inform as many of my friends as possible about our efforts to reach the unchurched and to extend to them an opportunity to invest in the great ministry here at Sunset Chapel and to provide a boost of encouragement to our outreach volunteers as we endeavor to make a dent into the 92% of people living in Miami who don't attend church anywhere!

Would you prayerfully consider making a one-time gift to support this Kingdom building effort to reach children and adults who are far from God? Your partnership would be greatly appreciated. I can't thank you enough for considering praying and financially assisting us. Please go to the homepage of sunsetchapel.com and click on the "Online Giving" icon. Just follow the easy steps to make a contribution in the "other" box, then print "Summer Outreach" in the second box beside your indicated donation amount. All donations are tax deductible and will be used exclusively for our summer outreach efforts. If you have any additional questions please contact my Administrative Assistant Frances Watkins @ 305-271-4094 Ext. 103. Please know that there is no pressure. We believe this will be a great blessing to families with children in Miami, but also an incredible investment for the Kingdom of God.

We look forward to the summer months and witnessing God at work in people's lives, leading them through breakthroughs and blessings! We will continue throughout the sizzling summer months to keep everyone updated on what God is accomplishing in our city!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Sunday Splash!



*We had another amazing day at Sunset Chapel today! I just love it when we step out and try new things and we see God's imprint all over it!!
*The worship was excellent! The worship team was leading with such joy and enthusiasm today! You could just feel the excitement in the air!!
*Our guest speaker, Dr. Gary Kellner shared with us a challenging and terrific message as we hosted a first time event at SC, "Barefoot Sunday"!!
*We rejoiced together as we saw our people bring over 100 pairs of shoes and place them on the platform for distribution by "Samaritan's Feet".
*My heart was bursting with pride as most of you entered into the sanctuary today barefoot... for bare feet!!
*What a special moment it was at the conclusion of the service to have our ministry team each seat a child and kneel before them and wash their feet!
*Christ gives us the example of coming to serve with love and compassion.
*Our partnership with "Samaritan's Feet" was our opportunity to be like Him!
*We were able to visually picture how children around the world are going to receive their new pair of shoes from this Christian organization.
*It was a profound moment for me and I hope for you as well.
*Thank you for your generous donation of shoes and finances during our service today. All of it will be used to purchase additional pairs of shoes and assist us in shipping them to "Samaritan's Feet".
* Dr. Kellner reminded us also that it is our moment here at SC to make a difference for Christ right here in our city!
*What a huge sign of encouragement it was for me to see at the end of the service the numerous names listed that signed up to participate with us as we prepare to enter 6 different neighborhoods this summer and take God's message into the streets.
* I am very excited about the summer of 2010 and I'm looking forward to sharing with you future developments and updates concerning these outreaches!
*Without a doubt we are overflowing with potential here in Miami!! It's still possible to sign up and get involved!! Just contact us at the church office and we will get you connected!!
* I daily thank the Lord for Sunset Chapel! And for the opportunity to pastor such a great church (which is full of my new best friends for life!). I pray that God continues to draw us closer to Him and each other. It is such a privilege to serve a church that wants to make a dent for God in reaching the unchurched! I believe that He has so much more for us! Every week He sends new people our way! That continues to just blow my mind away! We worship and serve an awesome God!!
*Have a blessed week and watch for future updates to come as we share with you all the summer happenings here at Sunset Chapel!!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Sunday June 13th - Go Barefoot 4 Bare Feet"

Samaritan's Feet is a non-profit organization dedicated to changing lives through Shoes of Hope distributions around the world. 300 Million people wake up each morning without a pair of shoes to protect their feet from injury and disease.

The goal of Samaritan's Feet is to provide shoes to 10 million people in the next 10 years by teaching them a biblical story of faith, hope and love, demonstrating those truths in touching them by washing their feet, and treating them to a new pair of shoes and socks!

SUNSET CHAPEL is partnering with this outstanding organization by hosting a "BAREFOOT SUNDAY" this weekend JUNE 13th! We are asking all of our attenders to "Go Barefoot 4 Bare Feet" and to bring with them pairs of shoes to donate. Your gift of shoes will be a simple yet profound way to demonstrate compassion!

SC, I am so proud of you and your heart to support missions worldwide. We will also receive an offering on Sunday to support this worthwhile missions ministry, you can donate online by going to sunsetchapel.com and click on the "Online Giving" icon. (Then indicate the amount beside "Other". Be sure to also print "Samaritan's Feet" in the box beside your amount and all funds donated will be tax deductible.) If this is your first "online" contribution just follow the easy instructions that are provided. If you have further questions please contact our Frances Watkins, Financial Administrator at 305.271.4094 ext 103.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Men's Work Day!! Getting Dirty for God and His Kids!


We are looking for several able-bodied men to join us Saturday, June 19th @ 8:00 AM to spread mulch in the playground areas used by both SC/SCA children. Please help us complete this important summer project! You'll enjoy fellowshipping and working with others for a worth-while cause. Lunch will be provided for all of our volunteers!! Contact the church office @ 305-271-4094 or our school office @ 305-595-7558 to sign up!
See Ya There 8 AM Sharp!

Saturday, June 5, 2010

First Year Anniversary!

I am really looking forward to tomorrows service at Sunset Chapel! I am looking forward to sharing with you some new vision ideas that God has given me for our church!

I can hardly believe that a whole year has flown by so quickly! This first year is just the beginning! Let's continue to maximize our efforts and strive to reach our potential every single week during this second year of ministry together! I am so glad that Sunset Chapel believes in the vision God has given to us to reach our city! Thank you all for eagerly supporting His vision for reaching those living far from Him!

It is an incredible privilege and honor to serve as the Lead Pastor here at Sunset Chapel! I feel like I am in the center of God's will, and I wouldn't want to trade places with anyone, anywhere, for any reason! We have the BEST people coming to SC every week! I just love the people we have in our church! We've all heard stories of people who have given up on the church for various reasons...then someone invited them or they heard about our church and they came to check us out...and now they keep coming week after week!

Each week we have the opportunity to see people accept Christ into their lives and become completely changed. I never tire of seeing that!! Following Christ is the best decision anyone could ever make and I am determined to give a clear presentation of Him in all our services and give people the opportunity to cross the line of faith!

I see people each Sunday smiling at each other, laughing together, crying together, even praying together! I just love our church!!!

I am so blessed to be surrounded by such caring, gifted leaders on our church board! i am so thankful for Tammy, Frances. Luis, Terry, and Sterling! This group consistently provide me with encouragement, inspiration and wisdom! They help me in so many ways to carry out the vision that God has given me for Sunset Chapel!

Our ministry team is fantastic! I wish you all had the opportunity to spend the time behind the scenes to really see them in action when they are not serving on Sundays and Wednesdays. Adam, Douglas, Kevin are three of the best you will find for using their gifts for God's Kingdom purposes! I so appreciate their contributions for helping SC become a great place to encounter God's presence!

I am tremendously blessed to be married to my wife Shari! She is incredibly talented, compassionate, steady and...beautiful!! (I absolutely LOVE being her husband!!). She is my best friend, we can go for walks and talk about anything. If my world were to fall apart today, next week, month or year..she would be there for me. She is also a terrific mom to our sons! She is the best ministry companion God could have ever given to me!!

Friday, June 4, 2010


Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV) says "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened".

Some people are not willing to knock and wait for the door to swing wide. They try to force it open themselves or break it down. God in His own good time will remove the obstacles. When He is ready the door will open. Prayer fastens itself to the will of God. Faith waits for the answer to come in His way at His own time!

The person who correctly asks is the person who asks in faith, believing that God is "able" to grant the request and that God is "willing" to grant the request.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

SCA Pre-School Program!





A Great Night! Everyone had so much fun watching our SCA Pre-School tot's perform their program "Covenant Cruise Lines". Our building was jam packed with a massive turnout of proud parents, grandparents and family friends! We savored every moment as these fantastic children sparkled with their outfits, speeches, dance routines and songs! Their performance was more than we could have anticipated! We were able to snap a few pics for everyone to enjoy if you missed this event! We also took a few moments to honor and recognize the contributions and leadership that Mrs. Dasiely Ana has made during her tenure as our Pre- School Director. She will be greatly missed by all!

Get Your Feet Ready . . .

Our Pastoral Staff and Leadership TEAM will be ministering and preaching barefoot (06.13.10) and we are asking that everyone else to also join us and come to church barefoot . . .

Experience a life without shoes first-hand to help spread awareness of the impact a single pair of shoes can bring to a child's life.

Did You Know . . .
  1. In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, to get clean water, and to seek medical attention.
  2. Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
  3. Often children cannot attend school barefoot.
  4. In Ethiopia approximately one million people are suffering from podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
  5. Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes.
  6. Over 100 million children do not own a single pair of shoes!!
We are asking everyone to bring a new pair of children's close-toed shoes (preferably sneakers) sizes 10-4, to church with them on . . .
Sunday, June 13th for our 10:30 AM service.
HELP US BRING COMFORT AND SMILES TO AS MANY CHILDREN AS POSSIBLE!!