Each month Five20 and I.G. team up to serve in our community. Check it...

Well, Father, here we are. I'm sitting in the grass down the street from our house in the neighborhood park. My wife is next to me, and my puppy is sniffing the grass next to me; she's looking for a place to pee…I'm sure of it. I woke up this morning feeling very anxious. I couldn't sleep last night. I tossed and turned, which was weird because Morgan and I spent about an hour processing, and thinking through our lives here in Vegas. The hour seemed to have ended with peace and rest. We begged for your presence to invade our lives where we are missing you. We asked that you would be in charge, and be so much bigger than OUR plans. We begged that YOUR plan would intersect ours, and be priority. We felt peace, and as we prayed to you we were able to rest in you. We watched a movie together, and then went to bed…it was 1am.

I should have been tired, but I couldn't sleep. My mind raced with this, and that. I think I finally fell asleep around 3am. I woke up this morning feeling extremely weighed down. I was in chains, in bondage. But to what? As I lay there next to my beautiful wife a song by Shane and Shane played over and over in my head. The song speaks of the enemy's plans to steal, kill and destroy us; he whispers lies into our ear, and tries to steal our joy. The writer goes through the brokenness of us, as Christ followers, and how we are cursed and gone astray. The enemy whispers this into our ear. The writer would suggest that we not try to escape that accusation, but that we embrace it as truth! One of the verses says, "could the father of lies, be telling the truth?" The song goes on through all of the ways that the enemy is right. The end of the song proclaims such freedom, "I cannot gain salvation…oh the devil's singing over me, an age old song, that I am cursed and gone astray. Singing the first verse so conveniently over me. He's forgotten the refrain…JESUS SAVES!"

That song echoed in my mind as I lay there holding my wife. My soul screamed for peace from Jesus.. I longed for the faith to embrace that accusation from the enemy, and allow that to fuel my appreciation, and understanding of the grace of Jesus in my life. You see, I am a slave to performing. I am a people pleaser. I have goals for myself. They are all goals of kingdom growth. I even have a vision from the Lord. "How can this be a bad thing", you might ask. The problem is that we (I) so often become slaves to "ministry". We forget about the saving grace, and sovereignty of God. We think it's all up to us to change the world, and somewhere along the way think we figured out how to do it. We push God out of the picture. We get so caught up in the works, and tasks of "growing the kingdom" that we sometimes forget what the kingdom, and it's growth even looks like (or means).

I thank Jesus daily for my wife, and how He uses her to softly remind me of what the kingdom is, and what our purpose as Christ followers is. If it weren't for her I'd be in my office all day replying to emails, answering phone calls, and planning things. I'd be in meetings all day, and trying to cast vision and grow MY thing. I would be "creating a place of community" for those in our neighborhood, and opportunities for outreach among those we do life with. "But Aaron, what's wrong with these things!?" That is a good question, and one worth asking. Of course, there is nothing wrong with those things. They are all great things. The problem, however, is when we allow ourselves to become a slave to them. In the midst of all of these "good" things we get distracted, and lose sight of what discipleship looks like. We forget what it means to pour ourselves into a few people. We think that if we can just have a few more people at our gathering, or add one more outreach to the schedule (to bless more people, of course!) that the Lord will be more pleased with us at the gates. The song echoes in my mind again…

This stuff may not resonate with any of you. The truth is that it seems like every time that I start thinking I've got "it" figured out I end up on my face desperately crying out to my savior…to SAVE ME. (Usually from myself) I have to constantly remind myself that I am, daily, being saved. I wasn't once saved, and now waiting for heaven. I am daily being saved, being reconciled to the Father, being humbled, being grown, and learning how to choke out my flesh by feeding the Spirit of Jesus that is in me.

"Lord, please never let us forget YOU in the midst of the things we feel you've called us to DO. For the things we do are NOT the end. They are simply a means to the end. May YOU, and YOUR saving Grace be what consume us daily. Set us be set free from the need to perform, and gain your favor. Remind us that we are made perfect in your eyes through Jesus. Teach us how to raise up passionate disciples of YOU. It is in the precious, powerful, and loving name of Jesus I pray these things. Amen."

Intentional Gatherings Vegas is rockin' and rollin'...

One of the many partnerships we have here in Vegas is NextStep Ministries. My friend Walt has a passion for seeing the homeless, and less fortunate set free by the grace of Christ. Walt does church in 3 different parks, 4 times a week all over the city. His ministry provides lunch for those who come. He is seeing the lives of homeless people changed through the Gospel of Christ. I produced this video for him to get the word out about "Spirit West Coast", which is a large Christian outdoor music festival in California. Check it out...





Like I said, this is only one of the many partnerships we have here in the city. Your prayers, and financial support are allowing these things to happen. You are appreciated more than you know. Keep in touch, and visit this blog regularly for updates! Thanks.

Check out the video from our wedding...we hope that it blesses you as much as it did us



Here's the reception...



The Lord truly blessed me when He gave Morgan to me. I am the luckiest man alive, guaranteed.

Greetings from Vegas,

I'm not good at keeping things short, but the Lord is breaking me of it. So much has been happening here, and i want you to know. I figured that i'd let some of the pictures guide me as i try to fill you in on how the Lord is already moving in Vegas. All of your prayers and financial support are what makes these things possible!

***This is what we like to call the "P" wall. Everyone who steps foot into our house gets to be on it. As you can see, we've been in town a couple of weeks, and the wall is quite full. Praise God for bringing people to our home!***


This is the Passion wall. Everyone who comes in gets to write their name and what they're passionate about. This opens up the doors for beautiful conversation among many...



This past Saturday evening we had what we are calling "connection gatherings" at our home. We have connected with many people from all over the city in the past year and a half up to the move. We invited about 50 people thinking few would come...



To our surprise, and panic, about 40 people crammed into our 880 square foot condo! Morgan prepared an amazing meal for everyone. The air was full of people's passions as they met others and shared in conversation of things that the Lord is doing all over the city....



Pastors and non-profit directors met for the first time, and students with similar passions connected for the first time; these encounters will not be the last. I've already heard stories of fruit being produced from these new relationships, which will lead to kingdom growth!



Our intention with these "connection gatherings" is not to begin, or grow a church; most of these people already attend churches, or are pastors of churches...the purpose is to see Christ followers from around the city connect with others parts of the body who simply "run in different veins" of the body of Christ here in Vegas. I love watching a sense of Unity begin to take place among those who choose to call themselves followers of Jesus.



Many of you have heard about something that Morgan and I are a part of called "Five20". This
is a weekly gathering that targets young people who would never step foot into a church building. "Five20" meets in a local bar here in town every Sunday night from 6-8pm. Check it out: www.five20vegas.com - Sunday we launched...







There's nothing like seeing lyrics of praise to our Savior all over flat screens in a bar surrounded by bottles of liquor. I read the Bible, and find Jesus spending most of His time in places like this...teaching, sharing, healing, and communicating His love to the lost and hurting. We pray through the power of the Holy Spirit that the lost would come to know Jesus as they encounter His followers...on their turf.



Morgan and I (Intentional Gatherings Vegas) have teamed up with "Five20". Our role is to instill into the DNA of "Five20" a message of community among the people who attend. We are responsible for hosting gatherings outside of Sunday night in people's homes. These "missional communities" as we call them will each be no larger than 15 people, and be centered around a mission in the city with the purpose of seeing the Power of the Gospel transform Vegas.

Last night we had our first gathering in our home. People from all over the neighborhood, and from "Five20" came to eat dinner. We hung out, played games, and shared about how Jesus is at work in the city. A guy who's been running from Jesus shared his hurt, and we gathered around him to pray. The Lord is reconciling people to Himself...

Please continue to pray for us as we seek to reach our neighborhood, and city with the Gospel of Christ through authentic community. Once again, it is your prayers and financial support that make this possible for us. Never hesitate to contact us by email or phone if you have any questions, or would like to become a part of our support team.

Sincerely,

Aaron & Morgan Snow

Hey guys,
An nationwide organization called "House 2 House" heard about "Intentional Gatherings", and the work that we were doing with the homeless in downtown Ft. Worth. They posted an article about us, along with some of our old stories from the streets on their website. Go check it out!

www.house2house.net

It's the article on the home page called "Soul Cafe"

-Aaron-

P.S. - Morgan and are in Vegas and doing great. We got settled in to our new home and things are rockin' and rollin'. Update to come later...

"…may it wreck every decision I make into a decision of glory to You. The light is glory. The glory was leaving me; it was going upward to You. It was leaving me. I was being drained of any self-glory, and extending to You the glory that is due..."

While I was praying today You gave me a vision. I was crying out to You. I was begging for guidance, and direction with all that is taking place in life right now. It is seemingly impossible that any of this should be happening. However, it is, and life is good. I kept begging You to give me the strength to keep You at the center of my marriage, and life. I begged You to give me direction with every decision I have to make over the next few months. I got this picture of me in a dark place with my arms raised, palms facing upward. My head was tilted all the way back and a beam of light was pouring into my mouth…I was turning in circles slowly. It was silent, not a word, or noise. At first I thought that it was a picture of You filling me up with something…strength, I don't know. I continued praying scattered prayers that darted from here to there. I would come in and out of focus, but the theme was that I was desperate for You, and needed You. Thoughts swarmed around, and I was overwhelmed, feeling almost anxious. The same picture popped into my mind again. I immediately thought the same thing, "oh, the Lord is trying to fill me up with something". But then it hit me. That light is not coming into my mouth, it is shooting out. It was like a beam of light that grew wider with distance. The light was glory. The glory was leaving me and going to You. Right then You answered every prayer, and told me the theme of everything I was praying. You answered many prayers in that instant. All the glory for any, and everything MUST go to You, or I have failed, and robbed the cross of it's worth. I give you Glory Lord. I give it all to you. I need You. Show me how it plays out in my life. May it wreck every decision I make into a decision of glory to You. The light is glory. The glory was leaving me; it was going upward to You. It was leaving me. I was being drained of any self-glory, and extending to You the glory that is due.

Well, it's that time again. Can you tell? A blanket of post-turkey drowsiness tends to wrap itself around America and convince us that this is "the life". It's wonderful to me how one certain season can bring out the best in people. All of a sudden we let that car cut in front of us or tip the waitress a little more. All in the name of the "Christmas Spirit". As the weather grows colder (or...not) it seems our hearts grow warmer. I remember getting pulled over for speeding on Christmas day a couple years ago. The police officer let me go with a warning because "Eh, it's Christmas". The chime of that bell and the beckoning red bucket collects our change with ease. In October, life was a little heavy and my vision was blurred with my own problems. But come November, things don't seem so bad. Starbucks is always the first to welcome the red, white, and green. There are specific things that our minds automatically associate with Christmas. How can I get flustered over a seven dollar cup of coffee when all I can picture is little Tiny Tim? Oh, I do enjoy this time of year. I mean, besides the frazzled shoppers and crowded roads, there are things that take place that are nothing short of a miracle. Families come together and forget about the past. Forget about how dysfunctional things may be. Forget about "that" family member who wears a strange odor and says inappropriate things (we all have 'em). We choose to find the good in people. We also find the good in ourselves. Call a homeless shelter this week and try to schedule volunteer time. They're all full. We've had enough emails and phone calls to last all year from teens, couples and families that want to give of themselves to soothe another's loneliness. The Saturday before Thanksgiving there were more volunteers on the streets than homeless! Children everywhere are "adopted" and given toys and gifts. Children who otherwise, wouldn't be important enough to receive such things. I wonder how many children find hope in the fact that someone out there, even a stranger, cares enough to spend money on them. So, there is obviously something magical about these two months. We can't deny the seasons ability to muster up motivation in us.


But I have to wonder, what would Jesus think about holidays? It seems we've assigned one day to celebrate something more than any other day. Think about it...Valentines Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.

I all too often pat myself on the back for work well done during the holidays. Sacrifices that are made or money given. We do have the best of intentions! But how would Jesus respond when a man is unloved January through October. Or the waitress with average tips, or the road rage infested drivers. Or the single mother who is alone. I'm not so sure he would be patting me on the back.

In fact, I wonder what kind of image of the gospel we are portraying.
I have begun to wonder why charity comes so easily during this season. Is this the message of the gospel?

"Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors Him." (Prov. 14:31) I couldn't find any footnotes that specified a time frame.
"Jesus said to him, 'You lack one thing, go, sell what you possess and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven." (Matthew 19:21)

"He said to the man who invited him, 'When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, crippled, lame and blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you.(Luke 14:13-14)

"They asked us to remember the poor" (Galatians 2:10).

Because our minds adapt to traditions so quickly, sometimes its hard to see when something is off. It just seems normal. I know that for the past 22 years I never had these questions. It's always been like clockwork. Holiday equals charity. But how strange would it sound if we added " during Thanksgiving and Christmas" to the end of these few verses. Please understand, I'm not trying to be sarcastic or cynical. But sometimes we don't know why we do things, and until we step back and ask hard questions, what is strange masks as normal.

"When you give a feast, invite the poor...for Thanksgiving and Christmas".

" Remember the poor....Thanksgiving and Christmas."

I know what we've been taught and that our hearts and motives are pure, but I cannot ignore how this concept does not match what Jesus taught.

My fear is that we, the Church, are painting ourselves a great divorce between resources and relationship. I know that its a lot easier to serve during this time. I realize that schedules lighten up a bit and opportunities seem to be more available. We know that our intentions are good and our hearts are broken for these people. But maybe they don't know that. All they see is that around the holidays we show up, do our good deed, and go home. See ya next year.


Imagine with me for a moment. Maybe some of you are the "numbers" type of person and imagination is something silly and pointless. But c'mon. It's Christmas. (Couldn't help it)


Imagine what social poverty would look like if we had the same motivation every month of the year. Imagine all the good done November-December multiplied by ten other months! Imagine if "charity" became who we are rather than what we do. And most importantly, imagine the picture of the Church: consistent, pure, selfless. As we pack up our volunteers and go back home, I can't help but imagine Jesus staying behind.


So should you spend every waking moment on the streets? Probably not. We all serve as different parts of the body and must be passionate about such. An arm wouldn't do much good if all it did was try to be a foot. But maybe what we see as "Christmas Spirit" is actually the gospel in action. Maybe we've caught on to something.

This year as you tear down the Christmas tree and swear to the latest diet, ask yourself some questions. Ask you family some questions. Imagine January through October. Choose to love. Choose to find good. Choose to give. Choose to sacrifice. Choose to be thankful. Let the gospel of Jesus change who you are.


Maybe we'll see each other more often. Merry Christmas.


Keri

kericrowell@gmail.com

As many of you know Morgan and I are preparing to move out west. We have been traveling back and forth to Las Vegas, Nevada for the past year, and will be moving two days after Christmas. The video below will answer many of the questions that you ask me on a daily basis about what we will be doing when we get there. Please feel free to post any comments, or contact us with any questions. If you are interested in being a part of our support through prayer or financially please let us know by email: aaroninvegas@gmail.com

Thanks, and enjoy the video.

-Aaron & Morgan Snow-