Rob & Martine Karch

Vacation

2008-08-18T20:27:00Z

A typical week is between 60-80 hours for me. I love it, and it can be tiring: 9-12 hours: various planning & accountability meetings (3-4 a week) 12-20 hours: sermon preparation 8-12 hours: small groups (3-5 a week) 4-10 hours: small group preparation 5-7 hours: Sunday morning (set up and tear-down included) 4-10 hours: calling on various people in and around the church 4-10 hours: administration/e-mails/prayer letters/phone calls/etc. 3-8 hours: evangelistic related activities 10+ hours: Other...(read more)

How to Give a Man-Hug

2008-08-04T12:20:00Z

For all those confused guys out there, this should clear things up....(read more)

really, no R-E-A-L-L-Y frustrated

2008-07-21T16:20:00Z

Our good friends Titus and Stephanie, working with street kids in Guayaquil , are living through some CRAZY and FRUSTRATING experiences in Ecuador. (And to think I can get upset when someone steals my parking spot). I'd encourage you to check out their blog here (http://tsfolden.blogspot.com/) I'd also encourage you to send them money here ... then pray ( Matt 6:21 ). Can you remember the last time you were REALLY frustrated? I mean, really, REALLY frustrated?? Join us in the following (condensed...(read more)

Jesus the revolutionary

2008-07-15T01:28:00Z

This Sunday's message: "Jesus the Revolutionary" -Did Jesus really make a difference? We will look at everything from human rights, to women's rights, to the abolition of slavery, to child-labor laws, to the most significant; our justification before a just God. You may remember this theme from "le Lounge". I decided to re-use part of my notes from that discussion, expand on them, and present them Sunday morning. It will be great to partake of the Lord's Supper together...(read more)

Meeting Jesus

2008-07-11T11:20:00Z

This Sunday will be a blast. Jean-Louis will share his testimony and be baptized. Many visitors have already confirmed their attendance. Noël, a hard-hitting, construction-worker-type evangelist will preach. Zac will lead us in singing. Here is the flyer for this Sunday's sermon. Again, we passed out about 3,000 of them in several different neighborhoods. Please pray!!! TRANSLATION: "A meeting... Is it possible to meet Jesus in 2008?"...(read more)

100+... but we cheated

2008-07-10T02:14:00Z

Last Sunday we had over 100 people in attendance, with several first-time visitors, and even a couple of regular families missing. We sang. Sam recounted how Christ radically transformed his life a couple of years ago. We looked at "The Secret Message of Jesus" (which is NOT a secret by the way). Then we ate and sang until 2pm. Here's the catch: we had about 15 visitors from our mother church (that's how we cheated). The majority were part of a percussion worship-group that led...(read more)

3000 invites: Jesus-the secret revealed

2008-07-04T13:32:00Z

This summer, each Sunday has a theme and a custum invitation for that theme. This week we distributed invitations to 1,500 houses in two communities (each house received the same invitation twice=3000 invitations). One community has been around for 50+ years, the other is brand-spanking new. We will distribute invitations most weeks for the entire summer (along with many community service projects, door-to-door invitations, and a dozen other events we can't fit into one phrase) . This week's...(read more)

Like a Hurricane... in 1820

2008-06-25T13:49:00Z

As I rush to finish last-minute preparations for a looming Bible study, I think that my torrid pace is a result of my immaturity. That someday I'll grow out of it. One day I'll be cool, calm, and collected (and prepared) like the preachers of old (though never remotely as intelligent). I think of Jonathan Edwards , Timothy Dwight , Lyman Beecher . Wait... Lyman Beecher? One of the great pastors of the Second Great Awakening ? Cool, calm, collected, and prepared? Look at the image. He sure...(read more)

Drunk before 10am... it's not funny

2008-06-18T12:04:00Z

Marcelle is about 60 years old, white hair, 5' 4", medium build, and piercing blue eyes. His gait could be described as more of a shuffle than a walk. A couple of months ago he showed up in the parking lot as we were setting up for a Sunday morning service. As he hit people up for change, the overpowering odor of alcohol betrayed his intentions. Réal was the first to spot him. I love Réal. If you want to learn about Christ's unconditional love, watch how Réal loves. When he saw Marcelle...(read more)

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

2008-06-11T13:26:00Z

Found this over at the HarborChurch blog by Matt Dirk (the fact that I'm linking to a soundbite-ish quote probably just goes to prove his point) : Nicholas Carr writes this in The Atlantic: I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I can feel it most strongly when I’m reading. Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy. My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the...(read more)

Huguenot "Idiotic" Perseverence

2008-06-09T20:23:00Z

In 1998 I (Rob) visited a cave in the Alps of southern France where a group of " les huguenots " hid for about 50 years during severe persecutions by the Catholic church. John Piper, on his blog, shares another story of resisting Huguenots : June 9, 2008 | By: John Piper In his book, Passion , Karl Olsson tells a story of incredible patience among the early French Protestants called Huguenots . In the late Seventeenth Century in… southern France, a girl named Marie Durant was brought before...(read more)

Real Authenticity

2008-06-05T19:49:00Z

"Authenticy". Everyone talks about it (in US evangelical circles anyway). They try new "ancient" experiences, like candles, incense, pillows, and rusty nails, in the name of being "authentic". (Ironically, I actually enjoy many of these sensory experiences.) What makes me uneasy is how many search for an "authentic" worship experience through the transformation of their surroundings... the exterior. First century Judaism was already 2000 years old during Jesus'...(read more)

The Awe-Factor of God

2008-06-03T14:15:00Z

Francis Chan is a pastor in Southern California who recently wrote the book CrazyLove . (the videos at www.crazylovebook.com are amazing as well). Up to now, I've loved everything I've seen and read by him. Check out this breathtaking video:...(read more)

Movement Quebec

2008-05-31T14:47:00Z

A Provincial Movement: The Fellowship of Evangelical Baptists in Quebec (which we partner with here in Quebec) are in the middle of their vision: 30 new churches , 100 new workers , in 10 years . This vision began in 2002 and we are now looking at its successful completion in 2012. We are beginning on average 3 healthy new churches every year all over Quebec. This in and of itself is motivating. God is moving throughout our Association. A Regional Movement: On a smaller scale, L'église Baptise...(read more)

Advice to Missionaries (and everyone)

2008-05-29T11:47:00Z

I found this over at the desiringgod blog today, which is always a source of encouraging and convicting, God-glorifying discussion. But I'll tell you what... this is simultaneously inspiring and exceedingly difficult: May 29, 2008 | By: John Piper Category: Commentary As I was working on the fifth volume of The Swans are Not Silent series about the lives of William Tyndale, Adoniram Judson, and John G. Paton, I found a letter written by Judson from Burma on June 25, 1832 with sobering counsel...(read more)