Chad Dean

ELEVATE!!

2011-06-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ok....so we voted last week as a group and decided the name for the 5 Point Student Ministry would be Elevate. I had been thinking and praying about this name for around 2 weeks already. I wanted to make sure whatever we named the group would have a significant meeting. I also want to make sure everything we do is built on Christ and not on any person, including myself. John 3:30 is where John the Baptist is explaining to his disciples that he must decrease and Christ must increase. He is explaining that he came to prepare the way for the Christ, but that he was not the one. It was important to John the Baptist to elevate the person of Jesus Christ who was coming to save the world and who was God's son. How awesome is that! I want us to be about the same thing! We also have limited time to reach people with the love of Jesus. I want to make sure all we do as a ministry is to elevate the name of Jesus Christ and to never do anything for self gain. We owe Christ everything and he owes us nothing, but he still died for our sins and loves us just the way we are. I hope we can share that love as a ministry and that people will find a new life in Jesus Christ through Elevate at 5 Point Church in Easley, SC. Let's get it started!!! Elevate's first official service is Sunday night June 5, 2010 and we are started our first series of the summer entitled LOSERS! Be there and be a part of what God is going to do at Elevate!

Losers

2011-05-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

5 Point Church's Student Ministry Presents....LOSERS! Ever felt like a loser because of someone else and the way they treated you? Have you ever made someone else feel like a loser by your words or actions? Have you ever failed God in any way? Has God ever failed you? These are some of the questions we will be discussing in our first series this summer in the 5 Point Student Ministry. I'm pumped to see what God will do through this series! Our new series, Losers starts next Sunday night on June 5, 2011 and last 4 weeks! Students be there and bring some people! Pray God uses this series to speak to you and the people you bring!

Email to 5 Point Students!

2011-05-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,

I seriously think I have an awesome name for our group, but I want to hear what you guys come up with. I'm going to post this email on my blog as well so those who do not have email can see it as well. Pass the word! Big announcement: this Sunday night we will have our first annual memorial weekend youth cookout! It will be at Lawson and Michelle's form 5:30ish to 8ish. Try to meet there but if you can't, meet at the church at 5:30 and someone will be there to get you there. There will be maps at church on Sunday morning if you don't know where they live as well. We will have burgers, chips, and homemade ice cream! Its going to be a great night so don't miss it! Come ready to give some name ideas too! Anyway hope your week is going well and spread the word about Sunday night! Let me know if you have any questions too. Later.

Chad

Update.....

2010-09-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

Well, Lydia is now 9 months old. She is small for her age only wearing 3-6 month clothes. She is not crawling yet but trying to. She is working on pulling herself up too. She is beyond beautiful! She likes to stand at her learning table and play with things we don't pay for. She also loves stuffed animals and the shovel from her sand bucket. Finally she also had a great time at the beach a couple of weeks ago and loved the sand but was a little weary of the waves. That is the short update on where we are
with our precious Lydia. Jen and I are both working on our careers right now and I am taking my next to last semester of seminary. I am looking for the right ministry job as well to break back into the field I was in for so long. With new perspective of course. We have had a rough two years but we have a lot of positive to focus on so that is what we are doing. Our prayer is that God would use us daily. I will update again soon. We had a lot of stuff going on the last two years in addition to Lydia being born so blogging was honestly the last thing on my mind. God is amazing and life is impossible without Him. Later and God bless!

Going insane!!

2009-12-04T19:41:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it! I AM A FATHER! I am already blown away by the love I have for this beautiful baby girl. It's true you change when you have children. i don't know the specifics but I know I'll never be the same again. Lydia was born December 2, 2009 at Greenville Memorial Hospital in Greenville, SC. She was born by c-section at 2pm. The NICU doctors checked her out first and decided to take her to the NICU for further observation because her crying was irregular. This of course scared me and I was trying to be there for Lydia and Jennifer (my wife). They ended up only keeping her there an hour and decided she was doing well enough to go to the newborn nursery. What a relief! Lydia was born at 36.6 weeks which is one day shy of term. Jen had an incredibly rough pregnancy (preaclampsia, migraines, and just.. diabetes) to give you an idea. Needless to say the doctors wanted to watch both Jen and Lydia closely. Lydia has done amazing and they think she may be able to go home soon. Jen had a rough first day after the section but is doing much better today. We are praying her migraines go away after this pregnancy. She has had them since she was 7 though. Back to Lydia, she looks just like Jen and is such a beautiful baby girl. I love my family so much and all want to do is brag about them. Jen and Lydia are both amazing and God has blessed me beyond what I ever dreamed. We were told we may not have a child of our own but God disagreed. I can't tell you how excited we are. Jen has been in the hospital for 9 weeks and I have been here most of that time with her as well. We are so looking forward to going home. Now I'm going to try to get a little rest because I know the days of good rest are gone now. But I could not be happier about it. Thank God for the blessing of an awesome wife and daughter!

Seriously!? A new update..

2009-11-19T10:18:00.000-08:00

Seriously again!?

The doctor just told Jen that they needed to wait an extra week from what she had told us. It seems like they are constantly changing their minds and we really wanted to meet Lydia on Thanksgiving eve. Oh well, we know they have the baby's best interest in mind. The doctor said it would be a lot better to wait till December 1st and she said the OR was booked solid next week. That is where we stand now and they say this should not change. We will see. This is very frustrating but we do want what is best for Lydia. I'll keep you updated if any other changes occur.

Getting closer....

2009-11-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hey I like updating on here because you can all read it and I want to keep everyone updated. We really appreciate your prayers during this trying pregnancy (which we know is a blessing). They are looking to tap Jen next Tuesday. This means they draw fluid from around the baby to see if the lungs are developed enough. If that is ok, and they think it should be, they will be getting the baby out next wednesday. This is Thanksgiving eve and my nephew Evan's birthday who was born last year. Crazy! We will see what happens. This is a scary and exciting time for us as you can imagine. I may be holding Lydia in my arms this time next week and I have no clue what that will be like. I just know it will be amazing. Hopefully Jen will do awesome and be able to enjoy her right away too. Lydia may need a week in the NICU, it just depends. Thanks again for all your prayers. We are so thankful for the friends and family we have and this past year has truly shown us how blessed we are in that department. I'll update again soon.

Update on Jen and Lydia...

2009-11-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Well there really is not much to update right now. We are frustrated and thankful right now. There have been a lot of bumps in the road but God seems to be there to work it out every time. This pregnancy and the last 5 weeks in the hospital have truly been a roller coaster for us, especially Jen. Right now though, her protein, blood sugar, and blood pressure are under control so they are going to wait as long as they can to take the baby. They even think she may not need a c-section. We will see. Best of all we may (prayerfully) be able to avoid Lydia being in the NICCU at all if this holds out another 2 or 3 weeks. Jen is 34 weeks today and it is a miracle she has made it this long with all the complications. Of course the hospital stay is driving us both crazy but it is the best place for Jen to be and we know it. We have lost one whole income and we may lose our insurance but God is still faithful and seems to be providing ways throught the tough times. We have learned that earthly treasures (money, income, etc) can dissappear in no time and at any time so that has actually been good for us. God does not want us to cling to earthly things so tight anyway. Thank you all for your prayers and please continue. I will update on here again if anything changes. Thanks again and God bless.

Our First Video for Lydia with our Flip Mino HD...

2009-10-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Jen, Myself, Lydia and the NICCU

2009-10-22T07:29:00.000-07:00

As some of you know we have had a trying pregnancy and a really trying month or so. Jen is doing ok in the hospital but they are having to watch her closely. She has a condition called preaclamsia (sp) and at any point depending on her labs and blood pressure they will need to deliver the baby. Our baby is a girl and we are naming her Lydia. We are taking it day by day and Jen is feeling rough a lot and good some. We are grateful for a baby that should be normal healthwise in time. A doctor Tuesday night gave us a tour of the NICCU and say Lydia could be there 5 to 6 weeks depending on when she is born. They are trying to leave the baby in Jen as long as they can. They are now hoping to make it to 32 weeks which is a week from today. Jen's due date is actually Christmas eve. Jen has to stay in the hospital for the duration of the pregnancy and some after. This may or may not be much longer. Anyway, I am thankful for the blessing of a daughter, but I also want my wife, Jen, to feel better. Keep praying and thank you for all your prayers so far. Much Love, -Chad-

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

2009-05-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni. No matter what kind of team you are a part of, whether it is business, sports, ministry, or whatever, you will learn a lot from Lencioni in this book. I would recommend it for ministries and businesses who need help with being a team. Lets face it, that is most churches and businesses. Overcoming these five dysfunctions means laying your pride down and focusing on others. A team can't be successful when its all about an individual. Its not always about what you can do because no matter how good you are the team as a whole is better. I saw this in the NBA playoffs as well. Lebron and Kobe are both great, but neither of them can win a game in the playoffs without their team contributing. Actually, when Lebron and Kobe score less their team usually wins by more points. Why?....because the team is better than the individual. We all want to be the "star" at what we do, but at what expense? Is it worth not succeeding as a team so an individual can look and feel good. The book as a whole highlights the five dysfunctions of a team which are: absense of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance of accountability, and inattention to results. The book goes into much more detail about each dysfunction. The truth is though, if you are in ministry, the only goal is and should be to glorify God. This book has many good points and can benefit anyone in todays society who has to work with others. Have a great weekend and God bless.

Thanks...

2009-04-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to thank everyone who has been praying for Jen's (my wife's) dad. He came home from the hospital yesterday and is doing much better. There are still a few weeks of recovery left but the worst is hopefully over. Please continue praying and know we appreciate it. Other than that, things are going ok. I am praying a lot about this new ministry we have started and what the future looks like for it. It is called the Bridge and is designed to reach college/twentysomethings in the upstate through Marathon Church. Yes it is my old job as well. Hopefully God will allow me to do this long term but he is the only one who can see the future. Please pray that God shows us what direction to take as we move forward with this ministry. On the other hand if you fall in this categorie or just want to help us out, check us out on Monday evenings at 7:30pm at Marathon Church in classroom 3. God teaches us so much when our futures are uncertain in our eyes. God already knows the future and is not concerned at all. Everything will work out to his glory. I hold on to this and hopefully it can help you too. Have a great weekend and God bless!

What is our purpose?

2009-04-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

Do you know what God is calling you to do? I was reading Paul's conversion experience in Acts 9 and realized that it should be that clear to all Christians. You know our sole purpose is to lead others to the love and promises of God. Yet we get uncomfortable when we think about sharing that love. Sure it goes against our nature, but what doesn't that God's Word asks us to do? Read Acts and you will see a church with no fear of man, just fear of God. God gives us many opportunities to show others his love and to share it daily. Ask God to use you every morning if that is truly what you desire. What do you desire? Do you know God? Just some thoughts.....

Satan Debate on ABC with Driscoll.

2009-03-27T06:44:00.000-07:00

First, this is the beginning of hopefully many new posts for my blog. I am going to consistently do this because it helps me to talk about what I am learning in life. Hopefully, it will benefit those who read it as well. Now for what I have to say today:

If you did not check out the satan debate with Mark Driscoll yet you should. It was pretty interesting to say the least. Driscoll was prepared and stuck to the Word of God. You should watch this and can can at http://theresurgence.com/abc_nightline. That is tough to do when others around you do not agree with the Bible. It is scary how some people like to take portions of the bible they like and leave out what they don't like (referring to the bishop). In my experience and studies I believe it is either all true or all false. If the bible is true (which I believe it is) then Satan is real and so is God. You will get more out of watching this than reading my opinion on it. No matter what you believe, this debate could benefit you in your life's journey. Check it out.