Category Archives: Pastor Mark

Words From Pastor Mark – October 2015

Great Times
Let me start this article by thanking everyone who worked so hard to make the block party a wonderful success. It was great to see so many Crescent Avenue shirts helping serve the community.

Thank all of you for the great birthday and baptism celebration after church last Sunday. The many cards and thoughtful comments were appreciated by not only myself but my daughter as well. It is great to be part of God’s family. Continue reading

Words from Pastor Mark – September 2015

As I looked through the books on my shelf today I came across a Bible I purchased a number of years ago. I still remember the situation of how I bought it. I was watching the television one Sunday morning before going to church and Robert Schuller said. . . “I have a new bible I would like for you to buy from me. (He went on to explain what make his bible different because of all the additional resources he had put along with the text.) Then he said the words that got me to buy two and give one away. Continue reading

Words from Pastor Mark – May 2015

Looking with the Power of the Holy Spirit

The other day while walking down the hall of a building I was not familiar with, I saw what appeared to be someone walking toward me. On coming closer, I found it was my own reflection in a huge mirror. For a moment it frightened me. Somehow a full-length reflection of one’s self is a startling thing. Continue reading

Words from Pastor Mark – Jan 2015

HELP! I need somebody. . .

Some of you will remember the old Beatles song from a number of years ago. Well the title of that song is just what we need at Crescent Avenue. Because the church is doing more things and reaching more people we need some persons to volunteer for a number of areas. Below is a list:  

1. Ushers and greeters. . .  one of the most important areas of our church is how we greet and welcome persons coming to our worship services. We have worked very hard to welcome every person both those we know and those new persons who are visiting with us each week.  

2. Flowers for the morning services. . . there is a sign up poster in the lounge for specific Sunday’s that you would like to provide flowers. You may also dedicate those to someone special.  

3. Tech team for morning services. We now have the need for persons who would be willing to learn and operate the tech support for worship services.  

4. Children’s workers. . . many of you have noticed that we are welcoming more children each week and we need persons who would be willing to work in the children’s ministry. We will also have another Kids Konnect this spring and will need a number of persons to share in that ministry.  

5. Each Sunday we have a time of sharing after services. We need persons or groups who would be willing to provide cookies and snacks for that event.  

6. Small group leaders and host. . . this spring we will be starting a small group discipleship ministry for our members and visitors. This will be a home based ministry and will need a group of persons who would be willing to host and lead those groups. As you can see we need you to help in the ministry of your church as we Connect, Grow and Serve the lakeside  community of Fort Wayne. Thanks for helping!  

Pastor Mark

Words from Pastor Mark – 11/2014

A Season of Thanksgiving

There is a challenge traveling around in the Facebook world about giving thanks. You challenge someone to post three things they are thankful for each day for seven days. Then everyone will comment about them and some will shake their heads in agreement.

November is the month of thanksgiving for most persons. Why, you ask? It could be because the holiday of Thanks-giving falls during that month. If we look back at history and it is most likely because it is a time of harvest in the northern half of the world. I am not a fan of the fall. Fall is a lot of work. Raking leaves, readying for a cold winter  (I am not a fan of the cold), and getting out the winter coats and boots.

While I would pass on fall I do like the thanksgiving part. I like to reflect on the many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for my beautiful wife, all of my children, my grandchildren and my brother and his family. I am very thank-ful this year for the new little ones God has brought into our home.

I am thankful because the month of October was a blessing to the Gough family. One afternoon I pulled into the drive of my house to be greeted by Linda Diaz on behalf of the church with a wonderful meal, (actually it was two meals), then the next morning Kay Feichter-Thistlethwaite brought hot dogs and all the fixings for another great meal. Many days throughout the month of October I would arrive at the office greeted by cards of thanks for my role as pastor of Crescent Avenue. This summer I was able to attend a number of Tin Caps games because of the gift of tickets from Robert and Joyce Kaufman and John Gingrich.  I have had a group of persons from the Firehouse ministry help me reconstruct the playground in my backyard.

I am thankful that each Sunday is a blessing as we gather to worship. How great it is to be greeted by the many  familiar faces I have come to know and appreciate over the last year. It is also wonderful to meet the many new friends each Sunday who are beginning to populate our church with new life. It is a joy each week to spend time with the many children during the children’s time, Kidz Konnect on Wednesday evening and my chapel time with the day school. I am thankful for the great musical persons at the church. Some of them are new but many have served the church for many years. What a gift it is to work with Paul Kendall each week. I am thankful for Cindy in the office and all of the Day School workers.

I guess you could say, I am blessed. And all of those blessings make me thankful. Most of all I am thankful that I can know that God loves and cares for me. He forgives me of all of my bad choices and desires to have a relationship with me. He loved me so much He sent Jesus to carry my sin to the cross. I am thankful that he wants me to be  special in His sight and pushes me to be everything I can be in this world. Because He loves me I can love others.  I guess you could say. . .  Life is good because of the many relationships I am privileged to have. All of the stuff can fade away but the people in our lives are forever. God Bless

Pastor Mark

Words From Pastor Mark – 10/14

We Need Heroes!

The lyrics of a song from a few years ago are:
Everybody needs a hero
Someone who always knows the way
Just when you’re sure you’ve really gone astray. . . By Joan Jett and The Blackhearts

What does it take to be a true hero? Usually a hero in this world is not some superman, endowed with mystical powers and great abilities and talents. It is an individual who over a period of time is willing deny the needs of themselves and focus on the needs of others. So what does it mean to be a true Christian hero? I is a person who is willing to believe God, commit themselves to God’s will, and devote themselves to God’s work. Continue reading

Words From Pastor Mark – 8/14

THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

I have been reading Exodus and Joshua in preparation for the next sermon series. What great books. The one BIG point I have discovered in that text is. . . If you’re going to follow God’s calling on your life, you’ve got to believe it’s never, never too late.

After Moses sent the 12 spies into the Promised Land, they returned and reported that the land was too hard a place for God’s people to settle. Because of their unbelief, God had the nation wander around in the desert for an-other 40 years, and an entire generation died because they did not believe in God’s promises. But Caleb and Joshua believed, and they got to live. Continue reading

Words From Pastor Mark – 7/14

Bloom where you are planted. . .

A number of years ago there was a statement that was popular. It was “bloom where you are planted”. There were books and articles and a 7 step program developed to help you to bloom. Some persons took the admonition to heart and did bloom but most just went about their life complaining, whining and saying that life just was not fair.

Bloom where you are planted does not appear in the Bible. . . but I believe we could look to I Corinthians 7: 20 – 24.   Continue reading

Words from Pastor Mark – 6/14

Peace. . .

I have spent the last week in Southern Indiana. This part of the state is very beautiful with the rolling hills and sparse population. I have had the opportunity to visit a few of the historical places along the river and witnessed how the early settlers lived. Each morning I have spent time overlooking the forest watching the deer and other ani-mals feast on the leaves and grass. I looked for a time of peace and tranquility in the midst of the storm that is life. (The peace has been a bit of a challenge with 13 of us living in a condo.) Continue reading

Words from Pastor Mark – 4/14

Christ Is Risen – and He loves us. . .

God loves you so much that he sent Jesus on a mission of love with a message of love. The Bible doesn’t say God has love; it says God is love. Love is his nature; God is love. His nature of love took him to the cross and the nature of LOVE brought him from the grave.

God created the entire universe. He created this planet; he created the human race. Then, he created you, just as you are, because he loves you. Continue reading