Want to win an iPad?

Best Trick Thursday – a huge outreach!

Want to watch Sundays announcements again, or see last weeks and this weeks set-list?

Our one year anniversary is quickly approaching, read about it here

Want to know what your Next Step is? (Always one of my favorite pages)

Need Prayer?

We are giving a Wii away tonight! Read about it here

Whats coming up at Catalyst?

Well, we’ve seen first hand just what God can do, and we’ve experienced some things in our first year that many churches haven’t experienced in 50 years. Im so excited about how great God has been and what he has done, but Im out of mind excited about whats to come in year number 2!

Year number 2 starts Sunday September 12th. It is also the day we will celebrate year number 1. I may not sleep until that day finally arrives!!!

Here are just a few reasons Im excited about our 1 year anniversary service…

• I can’t lie, it’s gonna be fun, exciting and memorable
• We’ve learned a lot, failed a lot and experienced a lot in year 1, and year 2 is going to be 10 times better because of all God is teaching us
• Some of the greatest people in the world are part of Catalyst Church. Some of those great people were on our launch team, and some are new to Catalyst. I can’t wait to see what happens as old and new great people team together to change Connecticut with the Gospel of Jesus
• Our environment is going to be totally fresh. This is one huge lesson we are learning. I can’t wait to see the new creative contagious environment that launches September 12th. Arms will be unfolded much faster and there will be far more wow moments that will help prepare people to hear the life changing message of Jesus!
• Jesus is going to move at Catalyst Church like never before!!!
• It’s a great opportunity to invite (or re-invite) friends and family. I can’t wait to see tons of new people and tons of semi-new people all there on one day!
• It is going to be packed… and that’s always fun, BUT it also means more people will hear about Jesus and more people will be lifting high the name of Jesus!!!!!
• We are giving away a car. Okay, just kidding. Well, maybe a matchbox car. But I promise the move of God will be much more exciting than anything man could give away.
• There are rumors of Connecticut’s largest ever one year anniversary celebration cake!
• Its just going to be a huge party and celebration during and after the service

Don’t miss this great opportunity to invite and be a part of this celebration service and launch into year 2 service! It’s going to be intense!

Will YOU be there AND what excites you most???

The New York Times Magazine ran a story this past week called “What is it about 20-Somethings?” looking at the new life stage of emerging adulthood. The article echoed what other recent studies are showing and something we’ve been saying at Mars Hill Church for awhile: The world today is filled with boys who can shave.

Historically, a guy would go through two life phases: boy, then man. The transition from boy to man was comprised of five sociological variables that happened almost simultaneously or in very close succession:

1. Leave your parents’ home (Gen. 2:24);
2. Finish your education or vocational training;
3. Start a career-track job, not a dead-end-Joe job;
4. Meet a woman, love her, honor her, court her, and marry her;
5. Have children with her.

But here’s what’s happened. Rather than moving from boy to man by this succession of sociological transitions, we’ve created something called adolescence. It’s a third life stage in the middle between boy and man. We don’t know what to call them so we just call them guys. These are boys who can shave.

Today, adolescence starts somewhere in the teen years and continues indefinitely. There is no foreseeable end. The problem with adolescence is guys don’t know when they’re ever going to grow up and be men, and no pressure is exerted on them to do so.

Is it when you’re sixteen and you can drive, or eighteen when you can vote and join the military, or twenty-one when you can drink?

Is it when you graduate from college after you’ve worked on your undergrad degree for seven or eight years?

Is it when you get married? Is it when you have kids? Is it when you buy a house?

No one knows. So, we are left with indefinite adolescence and a Peter Pan Syndrome epidemic where men want to remain boys forever.

Men in the World: Childish Consumers

The Apostle Paul says, “When I was a boy, I talked like a boy, I thought like a boy, I reasoned like a boy. When I became a man, I put childish and boyish ways behind me” (see 1 Cor. 13:11). A lot of guys don’t, as if responsibility is a bad thing and the longer you can prolong it, the more masculine you are. That’s the world. It’s absolutely childish and it’s consumerism.

The marketing sweet spot for many companies is young men ages eighteen to thirty-four. These guys don’t know what it means to be a man, and so marketers fill the void with products that define manhood by what you consume rather than what you produce.

The tough retrosexual guys consume women, porn, alcohol, drugs, television, music, video games, toys, cars, sports, and fantasy leagues, as if being a man is defined by how much meat you can shove through your colon, how many beers you can pound, how fast you can drive, how stinky you can fart, how hard you can hit, how far you can spit, how loud you can belch, and how big your truck is.

The artsy, techie metrosexual types consume clothes, decaf lattes, shoes, gadgets, cars (not trucks), furniture, hair products, and underwear with the names of very important people on the waistband. For them, manhood means being in touch with one’s feelings, wardrobe, and appearance.

A legion of moms and girlfriends enable these boys who can shave. They pay his bills, pick up his messes, loan him their car, and refill his sippy cup with beer or martinis, depending upon his preference. Girlfriends, gal friends with benefits, and miscellaneous other mannies (nannies for men) need to know this: you want a guy you can marry and have babies with. You don’t want to marry a guy who’s a baby.

Men are supposed to be producers, not just consumers. You’re defined by the legacy, the life, and the fruit that come out of you, not by what you take in. But most guys are just consumers.

Men in the Church: Cowards and Complainers

What happens if you walk into the church and try to find out what a man looks like? First of all, you’re not going to find a lot of guys in most evangelical churches. The least likely person to see in church is a single, twenty-something male. He is as rare at church as a vegan at a steak house.

In the world, boys who can shave are children who are consumers. In the church, boys who can shave are cowards who are complainers.

A buddy of mine calls them evangellyfish because they have no backbone. They don’t declare a major, church, theology, or fiancé. They don’t want to fail and they think if they don’t try, then they can’t fail. And by definition, that’s a failure.

They are, however, endowed with the spiritual gift of complaining. They say, “I hate the church. The church just wants my money.” As if the church wants his futon, Xbox, light beer, and computer filled with free Internet porn.

Here’s the cold hard truth: it’s a lot harder to do something than it is to complain about those who are doing something. The notorious sin of Christian guys is complaining about guys who are doing something rather than doing something.

Real Men: Creators and Cultivators

Paul says a man is “the image and glory of God” (1 Cor. 11:7). He is to reflect the truth, goodness, love, and mercy of Jesus, his God and Savior. He is the glory of God.

I have no hope in guys. But I still have hope for the guys because they are the glory of God. God wants his glory to shine through men. God wants his kingdom to be made visible through them. God wants them be his sons. God wants them to follow, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the example of Jesus.

I don’t care if you buy a truck or play some video games or rock out on your guitar. But the problem is when those are prevalent, predominant, and preeminent in your life. Some of you guys would argue and say, “It’s not a sin.” No, but sometimes it’s just dumb. You got fired because you were up trying to get to the next level and become a guild leader. That’s dumb. You work one part-time job so you can play more guitar or Frisbee golf. That’s dumb. You spend all your money on a new car or truck, or toys, or gear, or clothes, or gambling, or fantasy football. Dumb. Some of you say, “Well, it’s not a sin.” Neither is eating your lawnmower. It’s just dumb. There are a lot of things that Christian guys do that aren’t evil, they’re just dumb and childish.

Men, you are to be creators and cultivators. God is a creator and a cultivator and you were made to image him. Create a family and cultivate your wife and children. Create a ministry and cultivate other people. Create a business and cultivate it. Be a giver, not a taker, a producer and not just a consumer. Stop looking for the path of least resistance and start running down the path of greatest glory to God and good to others because that’s what Jesus, the real man, did.

BY MARK DRISCOLL  |

God who answers prayer
Sees me in my need
Runs to my despair
Your promise I believe

That You Are,
You Are,
You Are God

Bless the Lord with all that’s within o my soul
I cry out with all that I am make me whole
Here I stand I place all my hope in you
My Healer will see me through

God who answers prayer
Faithful you will be
In my darkest hour
Your promise I believe

That You Are,
You Are,
You Are God

Bless the Lord with all that’s within o my soul
I cry out with all that I am make me whole
Here I stand I place all my hope in you
My Healer will see me through

My Savior, my God on High
The One who has brought me life
I surrender all that I am
Into your hands, I’m in your hands

So that’s my current most favorite song. If you would like, download it here. What’s your current most favorite song?

However, I don’t want to view Jesus as a means to an end…in my ministry or in my life.

So, I’m asking, how do YOU worship him as Jesus. Not as someone who can fix your marriage. Not as someone who can fix your kids. Not as just someone who can fix your finances. Not as someone who can grow your church.

How do you worship Jesus for who he is rather than as someone who brings blessings? Tell me, I’d like to know what you think…

You’ll never understand and embrace the mission of Catalyst Church until you invite someone to church with you.
People come because they are invited BY A FRIEND
Signature of mediocrity – chronic inconsistency. Want to be a mediocre Christian? Be inconsistent in your time with God.
It’s not that God doesn’t hear your cry, it’s that God’s people take so long to listen to God’s commands.
My biggest fear isn’t failure, it’s succeeding at things that won’t greatly impact eternity.
The cost of mediocrity is always greater than the cost of growth. The cost of saying no to the next right step is always greater than the cost of saying yes.

• Reminded every week, that Angela is simply the best! Don’t miss the opportunity to invite your friends to worship with you. You may never have an easier invite.
• Angela did great with the Announcement Video! Can’t wait to see the baptism stories next week.
• Our facebook welcome page is up. Have you seen it?
• What was your favorite part of Sunday?

Someone is matching every dollar we raise through THIS Sunday (up to $1,500). You still have a little bit of time to take advantage of the opportunity to help us raise the last $500!

Here is what we are hoping will happen…before Sunday!

• 1 person would donate $100
• 4 people would donate $50
• 4 people would donate $25
• 10 people would donate $10

If we can do this, we will completely reach our goal! Can you be one of the people who help make this possible? Rooting for you to be a blessing to our community!!!

To help make this happen, please click the button below…

Parents, many kids from age 18 to early 20’s won’t naturally do what is uncomfortable.

College is uncomfortable. A full time job is uncomfortable. Responsibility is uncomfortable.

Working 12 hours a week at a minimum wage job, sleeping until 1:00 pm, hanging out with friends all the time, living at home, eating their parents food, and constantly having mom/dad bail them out is incredibly comfortable. But it is also incredibly unhealthy.

Here’s my advice parents, you need to find ways for their current lifestyle to be so uncomfortable that actually going to college or getting a full time job or moving out and taking responsibility suddenly becomes more comfortable than their current reality.

Stop bailing them out…unless you want to do that forever.

Just in case I haven’t ticked off enough people, let me throw one more thing out there…I have seen very few kids (if any) learn to manage their finances until they start to have a significant rent payment! Want to ensure your kids stay at home, waste obscene amounts of money, play video games all day long, and do very little…don’t charge rent! Seriously, would you have grown up and taken responsibility as a 18-20something if you had it as easy as you are making it for your 18-20something???

PS-if your parents are making it hard to be a slacker and making it easy for you to take responsibility…stop whining and thank them for helping you to be an independent healthy adult!

Sorry for the rant, Im just a little tired of seeing so much potential being wasted by kids in the prime of their life because they are always being bailed out.