The Time Has Come

It is hard to believe how quickly the time has gone by since we originally announced that we would be leaving to plant EHCC Memphis back in January. Our journey at Eagle Heights in Hammond is coming to a close, and our new journey is getting ready to start. Only God knows the rest of our story, we have been obedient to His call, we have prepared and planned as best as we know how. Now the rest is up to God.

Words could never express how much we are going to miss all of you at EHCC Hammond. You are our best friends, and we will forever value your friendship. I will never forget my first Sunday at Eagle Heights, how welcomed and accepted I felt. I pray that you will always treasure that quality, as it is a special quality that not every church has.

I want to say to my 313 group how much you have meant to Ashley and I. You have been a special jewel in our lives and I know that the Lord has great things in store for each of you, keep God first in all that you do.

Thank you 312 youth movement for being an awesome youth group. Never settle for just being an average youth group. God has called you to greatness.

To our best friends Philip and Julia: What an amazing man and woman of God you have become. You are an amazing example of a witness for Christ. You inspire us. Be strong and of good courage, fight the fight of faith, and run the race with endurance

What can I say to my Pastor (Pastor Kevin) I could not have asked the Lord for a better spiritual father, mentor, and friend. You are a true man of God with the utmost integrity. Thank you for everything. You are a pastors pastor.

Pastor Lisa, never has there been a spiritual mother quite like you in our lives. Your humility, passion for God and His people, and your willingness to serve God will always go with us.

I have always said that the opportunity of a lifetime, must be taken in the lifetime of an opportunity. Thank you Eagle Heights for giving me the opportunity to be your brother, your friend, and your pastor. It was an opportunity well worth taking.

We love you,
Jake and Ashley

Fishing and the Lessons it teaches

I had the pleasure of taking the guys from my Community Group Bible study fishing in Venice Louisiana this past weekend. For those of you who don't know, I enjoy fishing, and there is no greater fishing in the world(if you ask me) than Venice. It is a very special place. When the Lord told me to move my family to Memphis to start the church he knew getting me away from Venice would be tough, as I will be 6-8 hrs from any body of saltwater. I guess I will just have to take up freshwater fishing. Pictured here is my friend Cole Martin standing on Breton Island (a barrier island off of the coast of Louisiana) holding his first ever Jack Cravelle, a prize fish to many anglers. The fish was about 40 inches long and weighed approximately 30 lbs, the fish was released and swam away in the pristine waters joyfully. Congrats Cole. I had about 9 of my closest friends with me on this trip and we had a great time.

As we were cutting up and laughing around the dinner table Friday night at the marina restaraunt after a day on the water the Lord reminded of the story in the Bible when Jesus speaking to some of His future disciples said "follow me and I will make you fishers of men". These men were rough neck, blue collar, ordinary guys (fisherman by occupation), and Jesus challenged them to leave what they knew and felt comfortable doing, to do what sometimes can be the uncomfortable, for us Christians (fishing for men). As I began to think about most of the guys at the table that night, I started thinking about thier stories, remembering when they came to know the Lord, and how far in life they had come. I started to think about the individuals that had invited them to church or shared the message of Christ with them, that would eventually lead to thier salvation in Christ. I thought about the difficulty of a fishing trip to Breton Island, this an Island that sits about 8 miles off of the coast, and can at times be not easy to get to, but if one can get there, the fishing grounds are tremendous, the fish seem to always be there. Sometimes as Christians we tend to want to sit back in our comfortable places and never leave the shoreline, it's not always easy, but Christ is calling us out into the deep, where the hurting world is crying out for a savior that is real. That savior is Jesus, and I challenge all of us including myself to launch out into the deep on a daily basis and be a fisher of men.

Web-Site Launched

I am excited about the new church web-site www.eagleheightsmemphis.com that has been recently launched. This web-site will be a very useful tool in communicating Eagle Heights to those in our church and also, those interested in possibly attending one of our services. This important tool will be particularly effective in the very beginning stages of the church, as we will use it to announce weekly, and special events. It is my hope that this web-site will one day become what I like to call full service, where we will have live video and streaming audio of current sermon series, and advertisements of upcoming church events and activities. Stay tuned to the site regularly, while it will be continually undergoing updates and changes as we approach the launch of the church. Should you have any questions or comments please feel free to send an email via the page on the site labeled contact us.

Jake

It is Official

Well it is finally official. June 29, 2008 will be our last Sunday at Eagle Heights Community Church in Hammond. I really cannot believe how fast the time has gone by, it seems like only yesterday we were announcing to everyone our plans for planting a church in Memphis, Tn. However, that was almost five months ago. God continues to amaze us with His favor. As many of you know, we needed to sell our home here in Louisiana, we told the Lord that even if it didn't sell we were still moving to Memphis to do what He has called us to do. We put the house up for sale without an agent and sold it 12 days later (to God be the glory). Our next obstacle was finding a place to live that someone would rent to us without having to sign a lease. Well, lo and behold a very precious neighbor friend of ours offered to let us live in a home that she had been fixing up to rent, (that is right across the street from our old house), absolutely free for as long or as short as we needed to. The really cool thing about this story is that about a year ago the Lord laid on my heart to take the college group over and plant some flower beds in her yard, and we did just that, we didn't do it for any other reason but to just be a blessing to someone in our community. God never ceases to amaze me with His blessings. One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 10:22 - The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow with it. I have lived this scripture on both sides of it. I know what it means to have a lot, and be miserable, but I also know what it means to have a little and be happy. Happiness is not in things, relationships, popularity, or reputations. Happiness is in God. We have been so blessed to have been a part of such a great church, with such wonderful people. Words could never express our heartfelt gratitude to all who have been such a vital part of our lives. We are going to miss this place very much, our hearts will always be with Eagle Heights in Hammond. Please keep us (Eagle Heights Memphis) in your thoughts and prayers.


Jake