Friday, January 15, 2010 Help for Haiti Earthquake Victims

You can't have missed that a massive, 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12th. While we have been watcing this story unfold, I cannot fathom the destruction and chaos that has ensued.

The damage to buildings is extensive and the number of injured or dead is estimated to be in the hundreds, even thousands - over two million people live in and have been affected in Pot-au-Prince alone.

Check out some of these photos coming out of Haiti. WARNING: they are heartbreaking and graphic.

Nearly three days later some organizations are still assessing the situation and some are implying how God's wrath brought this on. We at Encounter believe that action is required because — simply, love is a verb.

This is why I have been impressed with organizations like Samaritan's Purse and World Vision. It is also why Encounter will be partnering with Samaritan's Purse taking our part in helping the quake victims. Samaritan's Purse workers and volunteers are already on the ground and making a difference in Haiti. And that makes all the difference.



Watch the video above or on YouTube here.

Right now, the best we can do is to pray and help financially. I personally encourage you to make a difference and to remember that sometimes, love is measured in dollars. Click the button below to go to the Samaritan's Purse donation page.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010 EncounterCast 1.12.10: Friday Night FWD

This EncounterCast, Eric invites you to Friday Night FWD on January 15 @ 7pm. Go North on Montana Ave and turn left on Avian (1.5 miles North of Bob's Market). Look for the banner. You don't want to miss it!

View the video above or on YouTube here.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010 Friday Night FWD - Friday, January 15 @ 7pm

You may have missed our last Friday Night FWD, but here is your opportunity to check it out! Come join us Friday, January 15 at 7pm.

You've seen the posters around town. Maybe even a friend told you or gave you a flyer. Or maybe you came last time and want more awesome music and spiritual growth.

What Is It About?

It's an opportunity to connect with friends in a casual atmosphere where you can be yourself. There's some great music and real, authentic group discussion about life and faith.

What's Gonna Happen?

We start by getting acquainted over coffee and snacks. Then we continue with a great band; a little edgy and a little loud. Finally, we get into a great spiritual discussion. Now at Encounter, we're just a group of people who are struggling and learning together what it means to follow Jesus, so that's what our first series of topics revolve around: "Walking in the Rhythm."

This time we'll focus on "The Opening Promise & Purpose of Jesus?" We'll look at what Jesus said His purpose was - how it translates into both a promise for us and a challenge for all seeking to follow Him.

You Can Help

We need your helping in getting the word out about Friday Night FWD. You can also help us keep on the lookout for different musicians who might want to get involved one or more weeks. We want to keep it fresh with some variety. And of course, it would be sweet if you would invite some friends, let people know about it, and personally you don't wanna miss it yourself! You can click on the image for a JPG or download a PDF flyer here.

This Time's Location

We will meet again at at the Big Sky facilities at 8181 Avocet Drive. Don't know where that is? Go North on Montana Avenue PAST Bob's Valley Market at Lincoln. Then go about two more miles North and TURN LEFT on Avian Road. Make one more quick left and you are there. Look for the signs at Bob's and Avian.

More about Friday Night FWD here
RSVP on Facebook here

Monday, December 28, 2009 2010 Is Going To Be Off The Hook!

These holidays mark our first Christmas and New Year for Encounter Church. While we have been planting Encounter for less than a full year, many things have been accomplished — we are building the foundations for a strong, edgy, and dynamic faith community simply devoted to following Jesus.

Efforts to be a burning bush in our Helena community have been directed and empowered by God's guidance — and we desire nothing less for 2010!

As the lead pastor and church planter, I am devoting this week to a special time to seek God's will for Encounter in the new year. Will you join me?

I will be asking important questions like ... Are we moving in the right direction? Do we have the right people in the right roles to help us move forward? Are we focusing our time and resources on the right priorities?

I can already tell you that we are super excited for what God has in store for Encounter in 2010. And there are at least three simple things we will be doing as we seek to catch the attention of our community and see people moving forward in a growing relationship with Jesus.

1) Encounter God: Planning for Launch

We will make plans and preparations for our grand opening. There are several key roles that have yet to be filled for a successful launch team. We are passionate about what God will do in Helena through Encounter and are seeing awesome people come forward who desire the same.

2) Experience Community: Meeting and Growing Together

We will meet regularly for Friday Night FWD to connect with others, encounter God in worship, and engage in some essential discussion of life and faith. In addition, we will launch our LifeGroups with the intention of multiplying into more as the year progresses. We will continue to learn more about, and live out what it means to follow Jesus in tangible and dynamic ways.

3) Engage Culture: Being The Change

We will engage our culture by meeting needs and sharing God's love in tangible ways in our community. We've already been making an impact and will continue to do so. As part of the Helena community, we desire to help make a difference for others while also seeing a change in the spiritual landscape.

What You Can Do

You too can be part of what God is doing in Helena. Do you know friends who are struggling with life or faith? Are you struggling to find a place to fit in and just be yourself? Want to journey with others and find out more about what it means to follow Jesus?

Our dream is to see Helena changed in a positive way. We desire to see broken families restored, struggling lives renewed, and new hope offered to those who are ready to give up. We want to be a burning bush, something out of the ordinary, that catches peoples attention so that they can encounter the hope of God.

Do you resonate with this dream? Do you want to know more? You don't have to join us in a formal capacity, we just invite you to check us out. Let's have coffee. Come join us for Friday Night FWD. Come serve the community with us this month. You just may find that this Encounter movement is what you are longing to be a part of.

Contact us to talk more...

Check out a little of what has happened in 2009 with the following links:

Encounter Happenings on the Encounter Helena Blog
Encounter Videos on YouTube
Encounter Photos on Picasa

Saturday, December 26, 2009 A Family Christmas: 12-18 Afterburn

Here are some photos of decorations and setup for our recent Friday Night FWD: A Family Christmas on December 18, 2009. It was a family oriented event designed to allow people to share time with their loved one while discovering the heart of Christmas and giving the gift of 'presence'.

We decorated pine cone ornaments and Christmas cookies and both were a big hit. We also had a holiday music sing-a-long. We ended the evening with a telling of the Christmas story from Luke 1-2 and then sang Silent Night together by the light of our cell phones. It was a great celebration!




You can find all the great photos on Facebook here.
Check out a Picasa slideshow here.