The Holidays Are Here!

I hope and pray that everyone is having a fantastic Christmas week with friends and family.   Nancy and I had the pleasure of going into Houston last night for a nice dinner with good friends we had not seen a long time.  We were both quickly humbled when we were driving downtown and were overwhelmed by the number of homeless sleeping under I-45.  There seemed to be more than normal due to the rain.  I was also overwhelmed by a group that had set up flood lights, tables, and were serving meals.  I am not sure if this was the St John's team or another a group.  So many of us at CLPC have been truely blessed in so many ways.  I personally are starting to realize that with these blessings come huge responsibilities to help those who need us.

Special thanks goes out to Lee Swindler and all of you who have really stepped up in re-starting the Carpenters Hand Ministry.  In a very short amount of time, we have accomplished a lot. A sample of the accomplishments the last six weeks includes:

• 15-20 men that showed up for our first Manly Service day on November and performed yard work, misc home repairs in San Leon, hanging a door for a very special member of CLPC, and assisted with the youth garage sale.  
• ICM Assistance – Joe Bradley, Mark Klaus and I along with our sons and some of their friends loaded Christmas trees on a truck and hauled tree containers to a storage unit on Dec 5
• Ongoing Help for Nancy Craig – I know that Wayne Bell and Jason Pettrey have gone back and helped with home repairs and transportation assistance
• Church Nativity Scene Lean-To – Bob Webber and I built a structure to house the CLPC nativity scene (see attached picture)
• Installation of the new door for Harrison’s – Laurence Mays and I completed the installation of the new door on Dec 12

The next Manly Service Day is Saturday, January 9th - We will meet at CLPC for a quick breakfast, prayer, and break out into work teams.   The plan going forward is to have the 2nd Saturday of every month set aside for service projects.   The projects are pre-planned and targeted to be completed by mid-day on Saturday.  Please reach out to Lee Swindler, Josh Strasner, show up at CLPC, or leave a comment to this blog if you are interested in getting involved.  There is plenty of different work to do for everyone - from manual labor, carpenter skills, to the ability to go buy supplies, and/or to just stop a listen to a person in need.  

I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas and Happy New Year!

Update - Few Good Men needed on Monday, December 7th

Service Update as of Nov 19th

Interfaith Caring Ministries (ICM) is a local organization serving people in desperate situations with a focus on returning them to self-sufficiency. One of their key fundraisers is a Christmas tree rental program where local businesses select a decorated tree for their business location. ICM needs some “guy help” on Saturday, December 5 at 8:00am to load about 40 decorated trees from the South Shore Harbor conference center into enclosed trucks and/or trailers and then on Monday, December 7 at 8:00am to deliver them to the local businesses. If you are interested in helping this great local organization on one or both days, email me at l_ktech@yahoo.com and I will put you on the list. Thanks- Lee
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Our first 'manly' day at CLPC was a great success.  So how do we measure success?  We had about twenty guys show up for the breakfast and most of whom were ready to serve.   After good fellowship, we broke out into three work groups and were able to knock out most of the projects that Lee Swindler had identified. Big thank you to Lee for an outstanding job in scoping and pre-planning the projects.  We could have done it all, except had to special order a door.

Big thank you to all of the guys that showed up and to those who took the time out of their day to serve others.   Thank you to Jason as well for opening up his home, and garage, for a fun evening.   If you have ever wondered what you get when mix a Virginia up-bringing with an engineering degree - check out Jasons garage and coat closets.  Not your normal home set up but one that we all appreciated!

I was personally moved by Steve's stewardship sermon this past weekend.   Especially  the point that a few of us, or maybe it is just me, have sometimes given God the monthly left-over of our finances vs paying him first.  I realize that left-overs are not much of a sacrifice.  I think we all, or maybe it is just me again, sometimes treat our time and talents the same way.   When it comes to service, it is hard to find the time.  I think a better way to put it, is that we never have any left-over time in our busy schedules.  Maybe it is time that we start giving God something a little more than left-overs with our time & talents as well as our finances.

So what is next?  The Carpenters Hand ministry will continue to be the venue which we identify projects and opportunity to serve.  For the month of December, we have several Christmas related projects that will need to be done.  Beginning in January, we will probably start targeting the 2nd Saturday of every month as our Manly Service Day.  If you are able and willing, then I am certain some projects will be available to work on.   Projects will also require time beyond Saturday so there is plenty of opportunity to serve.

We are also planning many more fellowship opportunities in addition to our normal weekly gatherings and manly movie nights.  Look for a fishing out late spring, potential spring golf outing, and many opportunities to cycle as the MS150 once again will be upon us in April.

What can you do now?  Pray.  Pray about what your talents are as well as what you would like to see out of a mens ministry for either service or fellowship.  I especially realize that not all of us are blessed with the same skills and talents.   Some of you are excellent carpenters, or electricians, or plumbers.  Some of us, are not (just ask Nancy).  Good news is that the skill and talent you do have is in need.

Fellowship opportunities and ideas - leave a comment, or see Sandy Fine, Jason Pettrey, or myself.

Ideas on service projects - leave a comment, or contact Lee Swindler, drop an e-mail to thecarpentershand@clpc.org or myself

Ideas on how to serve - leave a comment, or contact Steve, or myself

What to get connected to the mens ministry?  Glad to have you.  Leave a comment, or contact Rick Hainley, Mark Christensen, or  myself.

Have a fantastic week,
Josh Strasner (the tall Josh ) & the men of CLPC

November 14th - Man Day at CLPC

We have three manly events occurring on Saturday, November 14th.   We hope you can make one of them, two of them, or all three of them - just whatever fits your schedule and heart.

Breakfast @ 7:30 @ Fellowship Hall - We will be hosting a breakfast at 7:30 AM in the fellowship hall.  The intent is to bring all men of CLPC together in one spot at the same time to enjoy great fellowship and find out what is going in the mens ministry this year.   I hope you can make and bring a friend.

Carpenters Hand Service Work between 9:00 - 12:00 AM -  We are lining up a series of small home projects that can be performed in small groups and completed before noon.  The specific projects and who will perform what will be determined at the mens breakfast.  If you are interested in helping out, then bring a few basic tools and a great attitude.   If you know somebody in need of service, please drop an e-mail to thecarpentershand@clpc.org .   I hope you can make it and bring a friend.

Guys Grill'n Night 7:00 pm - ?  - Our own Jason Pettrey has offered to open up his home for an evening of guys grill'n and refreshments.  TCU will play Utah in a great football game or we may just pop in a movie.   Jason promises to have enough meat for all, and home brewed refreshments.  Just bring your favorite side dish, your favorite refreshment, a great attitude, and a friend.   We had over 30 attend the last movie night and hope to shatter that record.  I hope you can make it and bring a friend.

Jason's address is 1430 Thornwood Lane (Houston TX 77062)  Phone is 281.286.3253 or  Google Map to Jasons House

We all know that life is hard and we can promise you that the Christian life is even harder.   It is not recommended to proceed alone.  Join us, and bring a friend.  

Please leave a comment to this blog if you have any comments or questions.  You can also reach me by e-mail (Josh_Stras@yahoo.com) or cell phone (713-855-9672).

Have a blessed week and see you Saturday!

Josh, Jason, Vic, Tom, Mike, Mark, Jimmy,  Steve, ML, another Jimmy, another Mark, David, another David, Larry, the one and only Sandy, Eric, John,  the other Josh, the newest Josh, Dalton, Bob, Rick, Lee, and ..............   

Fellowship & Service - UPDATED Oct 30th

The response to the first posting to this blog last month was small but powerful.  The mens ministry at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church is clearly gaining momentum and our focus going forward will be on fellowship and service, but this will not be without a challenge.   From conversations with many, it is clear that we all suffer from the case of our hearts wanting to do more than our schedules allow.   Life is hard and it is difficult to juggle the responsibilities of being a son, father, spouse, employer, employee, neighbor, and Christian.  Finding time to devout to yourself, and to other men in the spirit of fellowship typically gets knocked down to the bottom of the list.  Unfortunately, finding time to devout to complete strangers typicaly doesn't even make the list.  It is easy to see why given the schedules that we all live.  But there is hope.

We had a record number of men enjoy a fantastic time in Bastrop this past weekend as part of the annual CLPC mens golf outing.  I am not sure how and when this started - but would enjoy any comments from anybody out there that has insight.  I just know it has gone on for over 20 years now and is one of the most enjoyable fellowship activities I have ever been a part of.   Thank you to Sandy and Ed Westerlund for coordinating the activities this year.

On November 14th, we are planning our next Mens Breakfast at CLPC.  This will be a busy day at CLPC because it is also the day of the youth garage sale.   I for one, like the idea of having a church facility packed with people and activity on a Saturday morning.   More the merrier.   The purpose of the mens breakfast at CLPC, like many other churches, is a time to gather for an hour or so to enjoy good fellowship with others, meet new friends, and hear more about what God has lined up for the men of CLPC.  I hope you can make it and hope you bring a friend.   It will be from 7:30 - 9:00 (there abouts) at CLPC Fellowship Hall.  Please contact Rick Hainly (rhainley@yahoo.com) or comment to this blog if you are interested in helping out or just would like to know more about it.

The Sunday morning mens class, led by Vic Hirsch, started manly movie night last year.  This is an evening when we gather for good grill'n, nice refreshments, and usually a movie or something.   My personal favorite is tied between watching Saints & Soldiers while sitting on Vic's dock (before Ike dropped by), or watching Tim Allen's original comedy routine at Tom Nic's house.  The tradition continues the evening of Novmeber 14th at Jason Pettreys home with a night of guys grill'n and movies/football/darts.  We will publish more information (logistics) but feel free to contact Jason directly (jasonpettrey@hotmail.com) or comment to this blog if you might be able to make it.  Jason has a tendancy to watch anything as long as it involves Virginia Tech football.  (UPDATE: Jason will start the grill'n and homebrewed refreshments at 3:00 PM for anybody that wants to stop by for afternoon football.   Official grill'n and movie night will start at 7:00 PM but it will be come-n-go)

All of this fellowship is fun and is a good way to experience the fact that you can be a devout follower of Christ and still have fun with the guys.   However, it is still about the service.  We are now seeking volunteers who can help with a few small projects around the house for a few congregation members that need a lending a hand.  What a great opporutnity to resurrect our Helping Hands ministry.  If you are a handy man and want to help - please let Lee Swindler know (l_ktech@yahoo.com) 
or leave a comment to this blog.  We are not asking for a big commitment and even if you can only do it on one day - that is great.  This was a ministry that several men at CLPC had started but faded when Travis went to Iraq and a few of the projects turned out to be bigger than the ministry was equipped for.  I am specifically interested in anybody interested in spearheading this effort.  In the meantime, please let me know if you are available late morning and afternoon of Saturday, November 14th to help out.  What a good day it would be to enjoy a great breakfast, do some good deeds, enjoy a great worship on Saturday night, and wrap it up with good grill'n at Jasons. 

To close, I hope everyone is enjoying Steve's sermon series and his constant reminder to read scripture, pray, and to surround ourselves with the right people.  

Have a blessed week - Josh

Welcome to CLPC Mens Ministry!

I was asked to lead the mens ministry at CLPC in early 2008, and have spent all this time trying to figure out what that really means.  I am really not that slow of a person, but I am a firm believer that for any ministry to take root requires a movement from the heart and not a request from a governing body.  I think I have finally figured it out what I was asked to do and why.

Tell them what you will tell them, then tell it to them, and then close by telling them what you told them.  This is a common phrase in the world of presentations and public speaking.  I never related this to the scripture before until was studying Matthew and started focusing on Jesus first and last words to his disciples.  There is a lot of great scripture betweeen Matthew 4:18 and Matthew 28:18, but I think his point was made when he said "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" and then closed with 'go do it'. 

We have a lot of great men involved already with this movement.  Art Wood and Don Brown lead the Wednesday morning group of men who have years of service and working behind them.  Joe Bradley leads the early Friday morning group that focuses on prayer and scripture.  Vic Hirsch applies his gift of insight and teaching every Sunday morning.   Shawn Gano heads up Thursday night basketball at CLPC, for those of you that are not on first name basis with your orthopedic surgeon (like me...).   But, we need more volunteers to really embark on this mission.

I am excited to let you all know that Jason Pettrey and Sandy Fine have volunteered to spear head Mens Fellowship activities.  This includes any fellowship outing from the annual mens golf outing to Bastrop to manly movie night.  Expect great things and events ahead in the area of mens fellowship.

Is God calling you?   If he is, then I think you know it.  Consider this blog entry as an invitation to respond to God's calling.   If you feel compelled to help out in any of the following areas, please leave a comment on this blog, or drop me an e-mail (Josh_Stras@yahoo.com).   If men respond, then it will happen.  If men do not, then we will move on in the areas that God has called us.  While we sometimes get frustrated with God's timing, it is something of a stress relief when you do relinquish control to Him.

• Sports Commissioner (the only role with an official title) - If you are interested in spearheading sporting activities such as basketball, golf, fishing, softball either as outings or an offical team, then let me know.
  
•  Mission and Service - Help identify, organize, and communicate service opportunities that could use a few good men.  The challenge is that there is always more opportunity to serve than people willing to serve.  If you feel called to help in this area, I want to hear from you.
  
• Outreach - Opportunities always seem to arise where a family is seeking a male mentor for a child, or we have men going through a tough time and just need support.  If this is an area of interest for you to be part of, then we need you.
  
• Communicaitons and Marketing - This involves everything from helping me with this blog, group communications, and identifying ways to get the word out through whatever means.  If you have gifts in this area, then share them.  
  

Special thanks to everyone that is instrumental in this ministry and have consistently stepped up in a variety of ways - Allison Groten (yep - every men ministry needs a woman), Vic Hirsch, Joe Bradley, Art Wood, Rick Hainley, Mark Christensen, Sandy Fine, Jason Pettrey, Jimmy Emore, Don Brown, and many, many others.

Please leave a comment or drop me a note for any feedback to this ministry or blog.    We want to hear from you - and pass the word.