Tory Farina

WOW!...

This is now going in my '11 budget. WOW!

Weekend Reflections...

• This weekend something deep happened. I’m not sure what it was, but it feels like we crossed a barrier. Every so often this happens, and I eventually find out what that barrier was. 
• The band was stellar as usual. Kyle Rex is a ROCK STAR! I thought he was going to smash his guitar at the end. 
• Joe Anderson did an outstanding job! His story is remarkable and it draws people to the Lord. 
• We have had so many visitors that we can’t handle the crowd at the welcome center. They changed some things up in the lobby today. I am not sure if we’ll do it that way going forward, but we are going to have to make some changes to accommodate growth. I am weird... I love change. I’d set up the lobby different each week if the volunteers wouldn’t hate me for it. 
• Elizabeth gave an incredible report today. She talked about how we are so grateful to the Lord for her healing that we decided to give a thank offering as a family. It was a significant gift for us but it’s not the money that matters. It was a heart issue for us. God has been challenging us to give more than we ever have. I love it. 
• I just found out another lady in the church is pregnant. On my last unofficial count that makes 8 ladies in their first trimester. We are about to have a huge boom in our nursery this year. 
• Alyssa Whitmire our kids director is taking the whole place to the next level. I peeked in this morning and was very pleased to see so many kids worshiping God with actions and singing. It was not that long ago when we had no kids coming in the 6-11 ages. She wants to start using the older kids and teenagers to help staff and lead her kids in small groups. What an awesome way to make future Connection Group Leaders. 
• Brian Kirchner (our deacon) blessed us with such kind words and challenged the church to love on us pastors. Thank You! 
• I started Mike Vick today on my wife’s recommendation. When I told her he got hurt and cost me a win she said, “Well that’s what you get for taking my advice in football.” How right she is.
• For those keeping score at home. I am now 3-1 in the High Point League and 2-2 in the Mike Vick League. If I would have played Rivers I would be 3-1. “I’ll get you next time Gadget!” 
• We are going to need a bigger refrigerator. O is bringing twice the art of other kids on Sunday because she attends both services. Lots of drawings. I asked if she wanted to stay home for one service. She said, “No daddy I want to be at church with my friends. She is kind of social.” 
• I am so excited to start the next series. The Life of Joseph is a great case study on Betrayal.

Betrayal Bumper from Courtney Feia on Vimeo.

Mind Dump...

I want to get something out to you about what is happening in my life. Here is a quick mind dump to share with you.

·          Pastor Drew did an outstanding job teaching on the “Rich Young Ruler.”  The best line of the talk was his definition of RICH: “having more than you need.” We can all fit into that mindset in America.

·          Drew challenged us to look for things that might not be totally surrendered to Jesus. Areas where we may be out of alignment with his callings for our lives. This is an important thing to do every so often. The stuff of life can grow like a weed and eventually choke God’s best from our garden if we are not careful.

·          Sunday’s mailer dropped early... We are trying a new way of doing our mailer and it came a week before it was supposed to. I was a little frustrated. It’s kind of like when people come to your house an hour before they were supposed to. You are getting ready for them and the food is being prepared, but you are still in your cleaning clothes and the table isn’t set. Basically we have a few plans that were going to be implemented next week for the new arrivals. They were also sent before a major holiday, which isn’t ideal, but everything is ok.

·          We will to try to an add on Facebook to rekindle people’s memories about the mailer. So if you see them, hit the “Like” button and help us out.

·          Visitor flow was great. I met a lot of new people. I love hearing people’s stories. There was a group of guys from Sierra Leon and a lady who is a guardian for people in an assisted living home. So cool!

    ·      Welcome to the team. Alyssa Whitmire is joining the High Point Team as the Director of Children’s Ministry. Add her as a friend Facebook and watch for great things to come out of our Kids Department.

·          Next week is the beginning of “People of the Second Chance.” I am so excited for it to begin! The Lord is going to do powerful things in people’s lives.

         God of Second chances. I love this Song by "Carlos Whittaker". We will be singing it each week of this series enjoy it and see what happens when he takes the song to a park to record a video for it.

·          I am excited for football to begin. I like football but I don’t know enough about it, so sometimes I feel lost when they start talking about nickels and dimes. Being in two fantasy football leagues and not knowing most of the players is going to be a lot of fun. I play by the numbers ESPN gives me, so for me the fun isn’t because I am imagining myself on the field. What I am excited about is watching it with Olivia. She is at the age where she wants to do whatever Dad wants to do and maybe that thing might be football. I am going to get her a RODGERS jersey this year.

·          Elizabeth is still having migraines. It has been going on since Memorial Day. Going an entire summer with a massive pressurized headache is really starting to wear on her. Please pray for complete healing and for pain relief.

·          The air is crisp and I love it! I don’t wear shorts unless I have to and short sleeves are even a stretch. Why? Because it doesn’t look sharp (at least not on me). I see the ads of the skinny guys in their Bermuda shorts and think, “Hey, they look good.” Then I realize I will probably meet someone and start talking about church and Jesus and they will look at me and dismiss me because I look sloppy. Jackets, long sleeves, and shoes look much better, and now people won’t be wondering what it feels like to have a fur coat growing on my legs when I talk about church and Jesus.

·          Pray for me this week. We have a leader meeting, a wedding, and an important Sundays service. It’s a lot to pile on top of all the other stuff going on in the Farina house. I also feel as though I am staring a new job. You remember that feeling? As we move to a new level of church and family life so I must move to a new level of leader, husband and father. It's a bit messy but in my weakness the Lord is making himself STRONG! Thanks for praying for me.

 

The WHY Behind the WHAT...

What are you trying to accomplish when you ask a person to do something? Does the other person know? The big picture can be so clear to one and a mystery to another.

The biggest leadership lesson I am learning right now has to do with the WHY behind the WHAT. I have to make sure people do not just know what I want them to do but why I want them to do it. If they know that doing what I ask will accomplish something bigger than both of us then we both win.

In the church world it is easy to lose sight of the big picture and see our role as an isolated task. Isolated tasks are no fun. They’re not motivating. But being apart of a mission, accomplishing something grand, or seeing what you do make a kingdom difference in people’s lives — that is worth getting up in the morning for.

Set Up/Tear Down at High Point is a great example. It is easy to default into a task-driven mindset. Do this because we need it done fast. Those involved in this part of High Point are preparing an unholy place to be a place where God and man can meet. People who are far from God and are without hope and in need of restoration come every Sunday because we work at transforming a movie theater into a Holy Place.

 

High Point Kids is another example. It would be easy to see it as babysitting, but that is far from what is happening. We are helping kids meet GOD! By using language and concepts that are age-appropriate, we are changing the world because we are helping change their world. They discover Christ by watching how we model Him. We have an opportunity to pray over their futures and be partners with their parents as we raise these children in the Lord. That is pretty powerful stuff!

 

Hospitality is another example. We serve coffee and donuts every Sunday. We buy the good stuff and spend a large percent of our annual budget on sugary bread and hot water with bean juice in it. Why? Because people are hungry in the morning? No... Because Tory freaks on coffee? Maybe... but that's not the main reason. We spend lots of money and have people put lots of time into this area on a Sunday because it creates an environment that fosters community. When people are in community (Find Your Place) they are more inclined to grow in their faith (Develop Your Faith). When people are developing their faith and have friends to live life with, they are more inclined to make better decisions (Live Your Potential!). Serving donuts changes lives!

 

My #1 job as the pastor of High Point Church is to show everyone in the church how they can be apart of helping people Find Their Place, Develop Their Faith, and Live Their Potential! If I do that, we will have a church that everyone in this city will want to be a part of. Jesus’ name will be made famous because a lot of people who do not love or serve Him will discover How AWESOME He is.

 

Do You know what a big role you play? If you’re from High Point, I'll be letting you know a lot this year.

Go be a part of something great!

 

Thats not my name...

Our man child will be born at the end of the month. The hardest thing for us right now is picking a name for him. You need something that fits a baby, little kid and still sounds tough for when he is at football practice. We are looking for something a bit out of the ordinary but still classic and had settled into one that we both felt pretty good about. It had a good nick name, and was a solid choice for the rest of his life. We were ready.

UNTIL...

We were at the KIDS KUTS hair salon getting Olivia beautified and from across the room a lady yelled the name that we almost placed on our child. Elizabeth and I both cringed. It was the strangest moment to hear a name that you have been using for weeks in casual conversation and suddenly be revolted turned off by the sound. It didn't help that the kid screamed all the way through his hair cut.

In that moment we made a decision, our son will not have that name.

Anything like that ever happen to you?

Here is a little music in honor of naming a child.

(None of these names are our son's... I just thought the song fit the topic:)

ER Musings...

Its Monday and I am sitting in the ER with Elizabeth again. What a goofy way to spend your day off.

This is our 5th visit since she has become pregnant. They are just making sure things are ok. She has been having shortness of breath and after having two previous blood clots, they do not want to mess around.

I am learning a lot about what it means to love someone. When they hurt you hurt. When they are scared it scares you. It doesn't matter who was right or wrong in the heated discusion you may have had earlier in the day. When your sitting in a windowless ER you just want to climb up on the bed and hold one another.

Worry is a funny thing. The 1st ER visit I carried a lot of the heavy load of worry. Each test Elizabeth undergoes has tought me that I can not carry the load of worry. I can not Carry the million worst case scenarios. If I can't direclty fix it... Which is most things in an ER... Then I need to give it to someone who can & trust. I am raliZing though this what it means to leave it in Gods hands. I like to pick it up out of His hands and carry it around like a book bag full of rocks. Jesus is teaching me how to let him hold it. It's hard fir me but the only way to stay sane.

Love is not fully realized untill you are faced with the harsh reality that you may be only a short breath away from never expressing it in the person you loves presence again. I think everyone should experience the smell of death if nothing more than to flush out your deep rarely spoken heart for that person and your relationship. While Elizabeth ends the day ok each night I have found myself telling her my heart more, holding her tighter, dwelling in her presence longer and not wanting to be away from her more than I need to be.

Talking about a life apart has actually drawn us closer. Love must be like a grape vine... Producing it's best fruit when grown under stress. Maybe it only works for relationships built on a good foundation. It has exposed some cracks but those are easier to fix when time is of the essence.

I hope you never find yourself in an ER awaiting an echo cardiagram. I pray you live long and happy lives treasuring the one you love. I hope and pray I do as well. But I do hope that the realization of how short this life actually is sets in. Love deeply, hold lovingly and never let a moment of heated conversation linger and fester.

The reports came back normal and Elizabeth and I are going home tired and feeling that icky hospital feel. But we are alive... More so than when we went in this morning. Our love has grown and our awareness of our need for one another has become clearer.

How would your relationship weather an ER visit? Let the love of your life know before you are sitting & waiting for test results to be revealed.

Just some thoughts from the ER I tapped out on my iPhone while we waited.

The Shepherd knows his sheep...

In John 10 Jesus shares how he views Himself — as a good shepherd who knows and understands His sheep. Rather than being a hired hand who bails when things get tough. He digs in, and He’s there when His sheep need Him the most. As a pastor, I read this and am challenged to lead the people in my church in a similar fashion.

 

I love being a pastor. I love seeing those in the flock I’ve been entrusted with continue to grow and discover their potential! I love surveying the needs of the flock each week via Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, and direct conversations. It is challenging but rewarding. When the people at High Point trust me and pour their hearts out I can’t help but feel humbled that I am the one they go to.

 

Just this week I have heard people pour out their hearts about infertility, job loss, relational strife, discovering their place in life, and so much more. These past four years I've seen people make it! I have also seen some not make it, which  grieves me. The sad stories weigh on me more than the success stories. Thankfully, there have been more successes than "failures." I am realizing that it is the accumulation of life that counts.

 

To the people of High Point:

 

Thank you for trusting me as a good shepherd. I want you to know I love you. I pray for you often. I pray that you all would discover God’s potential for your life. I count it a privilege — a gift from God — to be able to serve you as your pastor.

 

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Tory

Daddy You where that?!!!...

My daughter Olivia this weekend got a taste of figure skating. As we were watching this weekend she looked at one of the guys outfits and said... "Daddy You were that?!!!" She was very insistent that I get this outfit and wear it. After thinking about it some more, I think I could pull it off. What do you think?

I'm Back...

Things I learned through my time of Withdrawal...

•  Wayne Cordero saved my life and ministry... After reading his book “Leading on Empty” I am convinced I was headed for a breaking point at some point down the line in my life and ministry. I have and will continue to make changes necessary to leave a Lasting Legacy.
• I have more time than I thought. Cutting out extra stuff helped me realize how much time I waste.
•  My relationship with the Lord is the Source of Everything else. Yet often It gets shelved somewhere between car maintenance and shower cleaning. It does not occupy the space in my heart and mind that it should if it is the source of everything. (As a pastor this is a sad revelation.) So I am evaluating the changes that must be made to transform this unacceptable situation.
• Christian music is good but not a lot of it is GREAT!
• Facebook / Twitter are far more useful tools than they get credit for. I was shocked at how many people I felt disconnected from.
• I get grumpy when I fast Food.
•  Maintaining a Blog is exhausting. I need to figure out how to be a smarter blogger. I think I might use more video. Would you watch my short clips?
• Changing patterns takes a tremendous amount of intentionality. You cannot say... I want to change, I need to change or even I must change without making a plan and actually putting the plan into action.
•  Push email on my iphone is stupid. I cannot and will not be a slave to my email... especially when I delete most of it. My email will serve me and not the other way around.
• This will be a yearly event. I will also add into my life’s schedule times of getting out of town for times of withdrawals.
• I need a Sabbatical... Not this year but in the next few years as we round the corner to seven or ten years it is Vital the Elizabeth and I get a Sabbatical in order to gain freshness and longevity at High Point.
•  We are entering into a season of High Points Story that is really exciting. I feel encouraged, Fired Up and energized by what I feel the Lord is brewing in my heart.
•   Isolation is a Scary place to be... Withdrawal is a Non Negotiable place to visit!
•   The WELL of your Soul is what you serve others with... If it’s shallow, contaminated, or not built to last you’re in trouble. If it is Deep and Living water it will refresh people for Years to come.
• Jesus took breaks from the demands of Life and ministry often... I am still chewing on this and am incredibly challenged by it!

I have lots more to say but will leave it at this and work out more the next fe days and weeks. I just wanted to let you know I am back and FIRED UP!

1st sled...

We went to Menards and got O her 1st sled... She (I) is so excited about it.