• Roughly one month ago we had our Four18 Easter services. We had our student small groups praying for this service in the weeks leading up to it. They were “circling” their fellow students and friends. Their faith was at a whole ‘nother level and did God show up! We had our highest attendance of people, 108. Not only was it standing room only, we got to see 10 students step into a relationship with Jesus!!! It was an awesome experience to see God meet us as we stood on His promises in prayer.
• Overflow 2013 is rapidly approaching. July 15th seems to be creeping up on us quickly. If you are not familiar with Overflow, it is a week long youth camp that we host for our students. Last year was our first year putting on a camp and the process has been completely different the second time around. During our first year we took just over 40 students, and getting that number was pretty difficult. This year we announced Registration for camp was open, and within 2 months we exceeded capacity. We currently have 85 students signed up for Overflow and have just a few spots available. We are beyond pumped for camp! So Open Door family here is your warning: these students are going to come back and you better be ready to run with them because they are going to set this area on FIRE!
• Last week we had our last fundraiser for Overflow. We had our BBQ Dinner Fundraiser. I just want to say THANK YOU to all those who participated, volunteered, and bought a dinner. We went from selling 450 dinners last year to 1,330 dinners this year! I am stoked about that because each plate that was purchased went towards helping cut costs for students to go to camp. So thank you!

Thank you for taking the time to read about what’s going on with the students of Open Door. Continue to pray for us as we plan and get ready for camp this July. We believe this will be a catalyst in our year. We appreciate all your support!

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Tyler Braden
Student Director

You can follow KIDMO for updates and insight on what’s going on in our children’s ministries!

Twitter: @KIDMOkids

Instagram: KIDMOkids

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Megan Pulaski
Children’s Director

In opening, I would like to say that what we are experiencing right now is something I’ve never seen before. Momentum can be man created, but when God breathes it is sustained! From the opening of the year I felt like God gave me a word that we would double in attendance this year. The weight of what I felt was tangible and a little overwhelming at first. I didn’t know what it meant exactly as there were no real signs it would happen. I now believe it was prophetic as to what was about to happen. What we see now is literally unlike anything I’ve seen before, and I believe that it is just beginning. The determining factor of what happens now will be what it has always been: will we continue to seek God or become satisfied with where we are right now? Our prayer as a staff is that our hunger for God would continue to grow, and that we, as a church, would not back down from desiring more of Christ, more of His Spirit, and more of what He wants for us as a church! I am blessed to be your Pastor and we are just beginning to Love God, Love People and Change the World.

Here are 6 things we want you to know and we ask you to continue to pray for and celebrate with us about:

1. Overflow 2013, our student camp for grades 6-12, is FULL! This is huge, as our students are hungry for Christ. We decided to double the camp this year and before the end of March it is already full! They have a fundraiser coming up in April that you can help with, but more importantly please be praying for the leadership, staff, and students that are going, that God would show up big and lives would be changed! They will be selling BBQ & Chicken meals throughout April. You can find out more by clicking here.

2. Uprise, our young adult ministry for 18-25 year olds in downtown Greenville, is exploding! John Conway and his team are slaying dragons and people are coming to know Christ and experience the power of the Holy Spirit! I realized after it was set to launch that the very location had been something Michael Chandler and I, with several others, had circled many years ago believing Open Door would have a presence there one day in downtown Greenville. It’s happening… and it is just beginning! They have been running 60+ since the start in February and I am about ready to SHOUT with joy over it!!

3. Life Groups are going amazing! More than likely you’re in one and God is showing up in a big way as we read The Circle Maker! Over 450 people are in small groups right now. That’s double the amount of people we’ve ever had in Life Groups! Not only that, but marriages and individuals are seeking God in ways like never before. It is truly a promise of God realized. We are releasing our new catalog for summer Life Groups soon and I encourage you, if possible, to make this commitment to get into a group. IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!

4. We are growing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have literally seen a jump in attendance of 400 people since the beginning of the year. We broke the 1000 mark for the first time in our history during this stretch. While numbers aren’t everything they do mean YOU ARE INVITING PEOPLE which is a huge honor that our staff and volunteers don’t take lightly. With that, please be praying as we need help in our children’s areas to help facilitate the growth. If you can volunteer on Sunday to help in this area please click here. Also be praying that people will experience the love of God and be drawn closer to Him in our services, and help us by loving on people around you and making them feel welcome!

5. We had our Next Generation Building Campaign offering a few weeks ago and were blown away by what God did. Over $223,000 was taken in to launch the effort. The faithfulness of our God and the faith the families of Open Door have in God amazes me. We are humbled by what has taken place and we believe, by faith, that we will build this next phase DEBT FREE in Jesus name!

6. EASTER IS COMING, and we are ready! We are calling it Scandal of Grace and we are expecting crazy big crowds, but more importantly we are expecting for many to rededicate their lives to Christ and to receive Jesus for the first time. Our big ask of you is to invite someone you know. Our big ask of God is that He would move and that it wouldn’t be a performance, but that it would be all about Jesus so that He can do a real work in people’s hearts. Our Senior Pastor called for a Daniel Fast leading up to Easter. You can find out more about that by clicking here. We are so expectant of what God will do that day. I’m so excited I might even wear a suit!!!!

We love you and are honored to pastor a church like you Open Door…let’s press into Him and continue to seek Him!

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name goes all the glory for your unfailing love and faithfulness. – Psalm 115:1

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Aaron Kennedy
Executive Pastor

I found myself standing in the produce isle of The Fresh Market trying to find something tasty for lunch and supper. The colors, the smells, the textures of berries, pineapple, kale, spinach, beans…beans would be delicious with a ham hock and a little corn bread…sorry, this is the Daniel Fast…no ham hocks and corn br…wait, corn is a vegetable, but it’s no good without egg, milk and BUTTER. Ohhh! Chocolate to dip the strawberries in…, oh! There’s a squirrel..I pinged through the store like a pinball tumbling out into the parking lot with little or nothing that would really satisfy my hunger but had immensely diminished my wallet.

So, we’re begging for your help! Looking over Facebook, Instagram and Twitter…I’m seeing some fabulous pictures and posts of tasty morsels that insure this will be a keeper even after Daniel is a faint memory…so PLEEZE, help a sista out.

If you find a real deal, surprise steal, meal for real that you’d do again, do tell! Post in the comments section and let’s share in the bounty. I figure that I’ll get to the praying faster if I gain ground on the Fast faster!

And if you missed the info about the 21/10 Day Fast check out the details by clicking here.

#NoSackClothandAshesHere!

Click here to share your meal ideas.

Deana Kennedy
Co-Pastor & Life Groups Director

I was a mere 18 years old when my youth pastor introduced us at a district youth meeting. Greg asked me out before the meeting was over and (he doesn’t know this) the deal was pretty much sealed for me when he took me to a Valentine’s Banquet at a local church…and he was the entertainment.

Our courtship was long distance from Lexington to Greensboro prior to cell phones, Internet and during the gas crisis of the early ‘70s. That’s when I first came to understand the favor of the Lord…he always had someone willing to hook him up with a full tank of gas on Friday or Saturday nights. Our dates consisted of fine dining, movies, doubles with friends, Bible Study, adventures, laughter and a growing love. No surprise, it was an easy yes when he proposed. For me it wasn’t whether I could live with him, it was whether I could live without him…and I don’t believe I could.

But that doesn’t mean this journey we’ve loved and enjoyed has been without its challenges. We’re two entirely different people from two entirely different backgrounds…born of parents that were Believers and survivors of the Great Depression. Both of us first born, he’s an outgoing, extroverted, people person; I’m an introverted, introspective, fiercely private person. He likes change, I like stability…we both have control issues; he likes golf…I don’t, and the list goes on.

Thankfully, during our very first year of marriage, we had the opportunity to attend a marriage conference taught by Tim and Beverly LaHaye…the same LaHaye that turned 5 apocalyptic novels into 16 and several millions later, you know him for the Left Behind Series. But he started out as a cutting edge Christian Psychologist with a heart for marriages and relationships. It’s where I first learned about personality types which opened me up to a journey of appreciating love languages, multiple intelligence, spiritual/motivational gifts and how to understand and communicate with people…ultimately to the over­‐riding question in all my relationships…do I want to be right or do I want to have a relationship with ‘this’ person, be it Greg, my adult children, our in-­loves (we don’t have out-­laws), friends, employees and Team members, literally, anyone.

I’m grateful for that opportunity and the many that I’ve been able to attend and host. Some have cost us a great deal of time and money to participate in…and I can’t think of a single one that I didn’t glean something life altering. That’s why I’m boldly encouraging each of you…man/woman, couple, married, single, divorced, parent, employ, employer, neighbor, friend, anyone and everyone to attend our Relationship Conference: Worth Fighting For. As Dr. Gary Smalley says…’Life is relationships, the rest is just details.’

I’m pleased to tell you that our keynote speaker for the conference is Frank Meadows, LCSW, clinical director for Christian Psychotherapy (VA Beach) and founder of Meadows Healing Prayer Center…and most importantly for you to know, my personal counselor for nearly 10 years. To be honest, it took a good bit of prayer, maturity and goodwill for me to share him with you, Open Door. But I really do love you and know that embracing who God created me to be, while yielding the brokenness that’s in all of us, breaking the curses of generations before me, learning to walk in forgiveness, having a safe place to address the issues that a broken world beats us up with and walking in healing and wholeness is a significant path to having great and fulfilling relationships…that are worth fighting for!

You can register for the conference by clicking here.

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Fighting For You,

Deana Kennedy
Co-Pastor & Life Groups Director

This idea of spending time with Him, often is lost in religious practice or ritual. Yes we need to pray, read the Bible, discuss what we’ve read, and do any number of good things. But spending time with God is something so strange to many Americans that we should discuss it.

Let me ask you a question. How do you spend time with your best friend? You say, “we just hang out.” Well what do you do? “We talk sometimes.” What do you talk about? “Well, we talk about this and that?” My whole point is we take the time to “enjoy” our friend.

Prayer is more than pursuing an agenda, God is to be enjoyed above everything else. If I don’t enjoy the time, I will avoid Him, keep my duty but avoid everything else. Prayer will become a duty that I have to force myself to do. Doesn’t sound very productive or spiritual. Have you learned to enjoy your time with God? I mean really enjoy Him to the point you can’t wait to call on Him, take Him with you shopping or playing golf. The highest purpose of man is to love God and enjoy Him forever!

Before God wants us to do anything, He wants us to know that He loves us; and as He pours out His love, He heals us from the scars and wounds of the world. Sadly, many have never taken the time to really enjoy their relationship with God.

Beginning on March 10, I am inviting you to discover anew or rediscover this God of love with me. I am forsaking meat and eating fruits,vegetables and water with one purpose in mind — To know and enjoy My Heavenly Father. Yes, I will continue to work, play, pray and live but I will also spend time with God for the purpose of enjoying Him. I want Him to know that “I love Him!” That’s it, that’s the purpose. For 21 days I want to hangout with God as I would my best friend. Or if you think you are not ready for a 21 day meat fast, then on March 21 you can join us for 10 days. Both fasts will conclude with supper on Saturday night before Easter Sunday.

This is known as a Daniel Fast. It’s a fast based right out of Scripture. It’s not complicated. It’s simple: simply avoid meat and meat by-products. Just takes a little planning to make sure you have enough fruits and veggies that you will need.

With Easter quickly approaching, we encourage you to invite people with you to church that Sunday. As we do every year, we go out of our way to present the Gospel that day and we are praying for many lives to be changed in those services. Take this opportunity, over the fast to pray for those people you will be inviting, that they would experience the love of Jesus in a new way.

Whether for 21 or 10 days, you choose, and let’s begin an amazing time of fellowship with the One who loves us more than anything. It will be amazing!

///UPDATE: For meal ideas check out this blog post by clicking here.

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Greg Kennedy
Senior Pastor

My flight departed from a small, regional airport in Lancaster and headed for DC. Between DC and Greensboro, we crossed a line of heavy summer storms wrought with fierce lightening and plane jarring thunder. A stewardess (flight attendant, come on, you know the drill) was injured, the captain fell silent, and tears streamed down my cheeks. To say that it was frightening is an understatement. Simply put, I refused to climb aboard a plane for the next 25 years.

In 2000, I was asked to speak at a Women’s conference in…Moscow, Russia. You’ll have to take my word for it, but I actually inquired as to whether one might find alternate transportation between the US and Russia. However, completely convinced that this really was a God request, I pressed forward as Joyce Meyer would say…’afraid? Do it afraid’. Trust me, I was afraid.

But God. There are some connections in life that you know, that you know, are God’s connections for you. Such was our friend, Teen. I don’t know of anything this man can’t do and do well, including fly a plane. So, in preparation for my impending doom, he met me at our local air field and painstakingly taught me about lift, thrust, drag, slats, flaps and angle of attack…then he talked me right into the seat, handed me a brown paper bag and we were airborne…eventually I ‘flew’ the plane out across the inland and coastal wetlands. I can honestly say that for a few moments, at least, I could breathe normally and take in the awe-inspiring grandeur spread before me. And, I did go to Moscow, AND Perm, Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Greece, St Maarten, St Thomas, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico and more than a few state side destinations. And I’m headed to Africa this fall!

I’m grateful for the opportunities, the friends that shared my journeys, and the friend that literally taught me to soar above my fears. To quote Dr Gary Smalley, ‘Life is about relationships, the rest is just details’. And relationships are exactly why we consider Life Groups such an important part of life here at Open Door. As our average attendance continues to climb, opportunities to authentically connect with people become slimmer and slimmer. Life Groups afford us time set aside to actually connect, converse and experience the presence of other persons.

But they also give us another important gift…any seasoned pilot knows not to fly through a storm, over the mountains or at night in a single engine plane; you want at least two in those circumstances. Most of us know that life often forces us into storms, over mountains and through the darkest of night. If my only connection to the Body of Christ is Sunday mornings…then I’m approaching life in a single engine plane. But there’s a second engine available to us at Open Door…our Life Groups. I found those connections to be a gift that keeps on giving…LIFE!

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Deana Kennedy
Co-Pastor & Life Groups Director

Check out the Job Description below and if you think you’d be a great fit on our team follow the application instructions below.

Qualifications

• High School Degree or Equivalent
• Experience working with children preferred
• Minimum age twenty-five (25)
• Must have a good driving record
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with students and staff
• Demonstrate ability to work with diverse groups, and effectively communicate, both orally and in writing

Responsibilities

• Lead children, whether in a small or large group setting, to Jesus-His Unconditional Love, His Forgiveness, His grace
• Pour into the staff and this generation of students the love of Jesus, whether in a small or large group setting.
• Provide direct supervision of staff and students in the after school program
• Ensure safety, security and care of children
• Demonstrate Team-work with after school staff
• Facilitates a variety of recreation and enrichment activities for youth that meet the needs, interests and abilities of all students
• Prepare creative, hands-on interactive, and engaging lesson plans that meet the needs of all students.
• Implement emergency procedures and first aid when necessary
• Distribute snacks daily
• Assists in keeping program areas neat, clean, and organized
• Identifies student misconduct and disciplines positively so that the student feels loved and not condemned
• Assists in keeping the facilities, including the playground neat and orderly
• Communicate to parents daily that enter the classroom in a positive, professional way that ensures parents of your love for their children and the family
• Drive a Van Daily to transport students from school to after school facility / and transport students to destinations planned for Summer Camp
• Follow established procedures and policies written in the After School Handbook
• Perform other duties as assigned

Reporting

• Reports to the Open Door After School Director

Weekly Hours

• 20-25 hours weekly during the school year, with the possibility of more during teacher workdays and holidays
• 30-40 hours weekly during Summer

Special Requirements

• Background check
• TB Test

How to Apply

• Complete application and submit to Open Door After School
• Applications are available at Open Door: 4584 Reedy Branch Road, Winterville, NC 27834
• For questions please contact 252-321-2486

As we launch the Next Generation Campaign and get the opportunity to dive into Praying in Circles I feel the need to hit the spiritual gym and work out my faith muscles. It’s time to target the weakest areas and make them strong. It’s time to use the spiritual protein that is available to us (the Holy Spirit).

I believe that when we do that, we will see phenomenal and life changing results!

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Miriam Wamer
CDC & Worship Director

1. You Revive Me
2. The More I Seek You
3. 10000 Reasons
4. Not For a Moment
5. Believe

I think it’s fitting that you get this blog on Valentine’s Day. I fell in love with my wife because I spent time with her. I think many times we approach God from the standpoint that we should automatically be in love with Him, instead of embracing the concept that time spent with God causes me to fall in love with Him.

It is with that thought I leave you, and pray that you would begin to express love to the ones God has given you, and to the One that created you, allowing Him to breath His life into you.

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Aaron Kennedy
Executive Pastor