Leading my son to the Father

This Sunday morning at Torch, I was brought to a place of true worship. There was a presence in that reception hall at PeeWee's Place as God's children engaged in authentic and powerful worship. There is no question that whatever this week holds in store for me, good or bad, I am more ready to encounter this week because I met with God this morning in community with His people.

But it was the end of the worship service that I enjoyed most. Last Sunday, we concluded a Gospel message with an opportunity to receive Christ. God moved and one woman in attendance prayed to accept Christ as her Savior. But my 6 year old son, Luke, also raised his hand to receive Christ. So this past Thursday, I sat down with him and talked through the Gospel. Then I was privileged to guide my son in committing his life to Christ. There are few things more exciting as a father than introducing my son to his Heavenly Father! And I had the great honor to introduce our newest Christian at Torch Community Church to his new church family this morning. What an exceptional morning it was!!!

Pray for Torch, pray for me.
BJ Sanders

Isaiah 60:1-2
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines over you.
For look, darkness covers the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will shine over you,
and His glory will appear over you.

My letter of Commendation for the officer who helped us get to NY

I post this because I want everyone to know there are still great people our there.

To whom it may concern:

                My name is Pastor BJ Sanders and I am writing this letter as a form of commendation for Sergeant Bryan J Cook, whose actions and willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty provided my church group with great comfort, if not also preventing more tragic circumstances.

                On Sunday, December 2^nd, 2012, a group of 6 individuals from Torch Community Church were on our way to New York to volunteer in recovery efforts for the Hurricane Sandy Relief. We were around 30 miles west of Columbus, OH traveling in our Chevy Suburban on I-70 headed westbound. Around 2:00pm, I had the unfortunate privilege of being behind the wheel when our rear right tire unexpectedly blew out. After pulling onto the shoulder, we realized that not only was the tire blown, but in the explosion, it had also severed a coolant hose that passed through the wheel well. We began unpacking the stacked luggage from the back compartment and placing it in the grass in order to find the spare tire and jack.

                The entire time, safety was a major concern. There was little shoulder room for a large vehicle like ours, especially with the right side having to be jacked up. Tractor trailer trucks flew by us causing gusts of wind that made us all very uneasy. We had one 15 year old boy who we asked to stand well off the road in case something happened.

                Around only 5 minutes into our situation, we were pleased to see a police car pull up behind us and turn on his lights. Sergeant Cook stepped out and observed our situation. He offered some guidance. He then proceeded to set up flares behind his car for our safety. He advised us on where we could find a repair shop to look at the severed coolant hose. Then, as we continued struggling with the jack, he intervened and was able to quickly assist us in jacking the vehicle up in order to remove the blown tire. He was gracious, kind, and comforting to have there. Only as some of the other men continued to put the spare on did I hear the rest of Sergeant Cook’s story, which further impressed me. He did all this off duty! He was driving east on I-70 on his way home to the Cincinnati area (where we also are from). He saw our vehicle on the side of the road going the other direction, and without hesitation, he u-turned to come to our aid. This confirms for me that Sergeant Cook is truly passionate for the public safety of the people of Ohio. This is very encouraging for me as a citizen. The group of 6 individuals owes Sergeant Cook a great deal of gratitude for his actions. Because of his willingness to help, we were able to quickly and SAFELY get back on the road. We made it in to New York that night and experienced an incredible week paying it forward as we helped those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

                Sergeant Cook deserves due recognition for his actions, and he deserves my deepest heartfelt Thank You.

Pastor BJ Sanders

Torch Community

Prayer for people in tragedy

This Sunday was a strange mixture of melancholy and relief, and appropriately so. We were all unsettled by the tragic events that took place Friday in Connecticut. And while we daily rejoice in our salvation, to have tried and created a spirit of celebration in our worship would've certainly been forced. The highlight of our Sunday morning was most definitely hearing the testimonies of those who journeyed to New York to serve with the Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts. It fit, hearing how we made such a positive impact in the aftermath of one disaster immediately on the heels of another. So a conversation about tragedy was appropriate. I have to admit, Sunday's message about God in Tragedy may very well have been the most difficult message I've ever had to deliver. I'd much rather preach a sermon about joy than suffering, abundant life than despair. But the suffering and despair that has shocked our culture demanded otherwise. So, we love our friends, family, and children a little more authentically this week. We pray for those affected. As in genuinely beg and plead with God for His mercy and compassion for them, and His protection for us. Sin is overtaking our world. But not forever. The violence of God's love will win. So we pray for Him to make Himself known. And we grieve. Grieving is a natural and appropriate response to the hurting that is felt.

Next Sunday, however, is going to be our Christmas celebration. It will be a unique Sunday, and I genuinely look forward to it. It all begins with a free Breakfast Buffet at PeeWee's starting at 9:30!!! This buffet is going to be the FULL spread!!!

Pray for Torch, pray for me.
BJ Sanders

I know I always close with this passage, which has become sort of a theme for this blog. But I hope that in light of today's post, you really read and understand it. How fitting it is.

Isaiah 60:1-2
Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord shines over you.
For look, darkness covers the earth,
and total darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will shine over you,
and His glory will appear over you.

Why I can't wait to work with Samaritan's Purse again

The week of December 2nd-December 8th, I had the distinct honor to lead 7 members of Torch Community Church in a week long mission experience working with Samaritans Purse in Island Park, NY in Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. I had worked with Samaritans Purse in the past as a day worker and had seen from surface level the greatest relief and recovery organization on the planet in action. But spending the entire week opened my eyes to just how powerful of a force Samaritans Purse really is in both relief efforts as well as spiritual impact.

Quickly on the relief effort side of things, Samaritans Purse is incredibly organized and well structured. With workers coming and going on a daily basis, Ed, our volunteer coordinator handled the crowd, created teams, and managed the people resources available with the greatest of efficiency. Todd Taylor, the project coordinator, handled the overwhelming task of delegating work orders with an incredible expediency. More than a few times while working, we would hear homeowners, neighbors, or people in the community talking about other recovery organizations who would leave a home in worse shape than Sandy, but not Samaritan's Purse. Those orange shirts became in the community a symbol of hope and excellence.

But far more than merely helping people recover from the physical damage of the storm, SP is healing victims spiritually. The BGEA Chaplains were working alongside the SP workers, talking with the homeowners helping them to sift through the devastation of Sandy on their lives rather than merely their house. The volunteers are encouraged to engage in conversations with the homeowners to let them tell their story. For it may be just one more time of sharing their story that they can begin healing emotionally and spiritually. Baseboards and drywall can be replaced, but no insurance can cover the emotional and spiritual damage these homeowners are experiencing. These conversations were my second favorite part of the week. We were blessed to witness 2 separate homeowners give their lives to Jesus. And at another, a large manly older gentleman, hardened by decades of life, was brought to tears as we prayed with him. Disasters have a way of opening people up to being loved. Getting forced out of the comfortable dependencies of life that we so easily take for granted causes a certain hunger for greater things. These homeowners were ready for healing that has been needed in their lives long before Sandy blew into NY. This was so much more gratifying than snapping up flooring with a prybar, enjoyable as that actually was.

But the most rewarding aspect of working with Samaritan's Purse this week, the reason I will be coming back many times and I would encourage anyone reading this to work an extended period in one location, was relationships developed with the most amazing Christian men and women that I have ever been around.

Hebrews 12:1 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

I have never been so encouraged and motivated to wake up at 5:30 in the morning after only getting 6 hours of sleep for 7 straight days than I was this week. This for one primary reason, the great cloud of witnesses surrounding me. Other groups who flew in from all over the country like California, South Carolina, and even as far as Maui. The young man who came with his girlfriend to work for a weekend. But told her to go home without him, that his work here wasn't finished. He was still there after we left, still unsure how he would even get back home to Columbus, OH. The young man who traveled on a MegaBus alone all the way from Kansas City to NYC. The young woman who came by herself from right here in Cincinnati. The young woman from CA who flew to NY by herself to work because, as she said, "The world is full of talkers. I don't want to be a talker anymore." And the many repeat workers, retired men and women who struggle to come alongside Samaritan's Purse like an addiction. These are without a doubt, the greatest Christians in their churches and communities, who have formed the great fraternity of workers. Those who like all the rest of us, have plenty of reasons and excuses not to go, but will not allow any barrier to prohibit God's call on their life to love others. Love. Their great motivation. The intensity of their love for God has become a well of living water overflowing within them, and as God pours out His love in them, it compels them to go. To find others who are empty. And to pour love into them. To do...something. The amount of work may be overwhelming. But anything is better than nothing. And so they go.

If I were to somehow be able to create a church full of SP workers, we'd be the greatest church in America. But I am glad to know that I am a part of that family, the universal church...even if I'm the "special" brother who lives in the amazing shadow of my great family.

First 3 days of Mission Project - Hurricane Sandy Relief

I have the distinct honor this week to work alongside 6 other amazing individuals from Torch Community Church whom I get to call friends as we minister to those in New York who were affected by the Hurricane Sandy disaster. We are serving with the well-oiled and Gospel focused disaster relief organization ran by Franklin Graham called Samaritan’s Purse. My goal upon arriving was to update everyone as to our adventure every night, but I didn’t realize how busy and exhausted we would be! But what an adventure is has been, and we are only half way through.

While I have a passion for missions and reaching out to people who are genuinely in need, a large part of my hope for this trip was to begin building into the DNA and identity of Torch Community Church the same vision and passion for missions. I knew the best way for this to happen was for the 7 of us from Torch to witness not merely the physical recovery we are participating in, but rather to witness the spiritual recovery. So my prayer in the weeks leading up to this was for us to discover the joy of being a part of the process of someone’s salvation by one of the homeowners in whose house we were working to accept Jesus as their Savior.

Well, that was my hope. But my plan was for us to be here early Sunday night, get a good night sleep, and be ready to work Monday morning. That was, until the left rear tire on our Suburban decided to explode just outside Columbus, OH. And when it did, it severed the coolant hose that ran adjacent to it. We can replace the tire with a spare, but we could not drive 600 more miles without coolant. We took about 45 minutes to change the tire (long story), and then drove the SUV to a T/A Truckstop off the next exit and pleaded with them to help us out as they typically only service semi-trucks. After explaining the purpose of our travels, they obliged, and within another hour, we were back on the road all fixed up!

After only getting about 4 hours of sleep, we got up Monday, and spent the day working for a lady who is a retired NYC police officer. We spent the day completely gutting her basement. Her house was around 7ft under water, and currently unlivable. She was very nice and even purchased real NY Style pizza for everyone’s lunch! We took out drywall, insulation, toilets, and a whole bunch of screws, getting her basement down to the framing to begin dying out. Sand from the ocean water sat a few inches deep INSIDE her walls! As we worked, the BGEA chaplains talked/prayed with her. And that’s when it happened. On our first day, my prayer was answered and our first homeowner gave her heart and life to Jesus!!!!! It gives me chills to think about.

But wait, it gets better! Tuesday, we go to a younger man’s house who is a volunteer fireman. We do generally the same thing, except it’s actually the first level of his house that was underwater rather than a basement. He kitchen floor was still saturated with water as we removed the linoleum flooring, a month after the hurricane. Let’s just say I’ll be OK if I never remove another nail or staple out of a sub-floor. At the end of the job, I was privileged to be the one to present the SP Bible to him, a gift they extend to every disaster victim they serve. And we left as the BGEA chaplains stayed behind and talk/prayed with him. Yep, you may already know where this is going. We discover back at camp that when my Father wants to bless, He does so abundantly, and my prayer was yet again answered in the first two homes we work at. I can assure you, this isn’t normal or nearly that common! There’s been dozens of homes work on these 2 days, 4 salvations, and we were blessed to be a part of 2 of those. God is abundantly good. 

Let’s just agree that I look forward to tomorrow’s experience.

BJ Sanders