EdYoungBlog

Beyond the Walls

What They Don't Talk About in Seminary

U. B. U.

Just released my first rap video at C3 2010! U. B. U.

Setting Things Straight and Moving On

This was an awesome weekend at Fellowship Church! I am humbled by the outpouring of love, encouragement and support from so many people. Before I spoke, I took the opportunity to thank the church and address some recent news coverage. And now, we will continue to move forward and follow God in the work He is doing here.

No Secrets

We sometimes need to be reminded of why we do ministry.  The calling on my life was given to me when I was 21 years of age.  There were no words that any individual could have given me to persuade me to enter the ministry, or to stay out of the ministry.  When God tugged at my heart to follow Him into full time service for His kingdom, it was only because of His call.

To this day, I look back over the 28 years of ministry, and without a doubt, if my ministry work was for anyone one or anything other than God, I would not do it.  I serve an audience of One.  With that being said, I want to share with you some recent media attention that Lisa and I have received.

A local reporter has spent what seems to be a great deal of time investigating me concerning my integrity as the leader of Fellowship Church.  We have not seen the piece that was aired, nor will we give credence to it by watching.  We do know that the report is scathing and creates the idea that I, along with my wife Lisa, have been dishonest in our business dealings and with our use of Fellowship Church as a means of obtaining personal wealth.

The reporter sent an email request for information, but refused to give us any details or information that he obtained from an anonymous source.  He only said that he has spoken with former staff members about us. But we have no verification of who he has spoken with.  We do not know his source(s) and it is irrelevant to us.  What we do know is that this report was made based on fragments of information gathered out of context and anonymously, and that it disregarded documented information that the Board of Directors for Fellowship Church is privy to and that is known by legal counsel and accounting audits.

The piece insinuates that I keep secrets from the congregation of Fellowship Church and that I use Fellowship Church to create personal wealth. Let me say very clearly, Lisa and I have no secrets. 

My life is lived in an aquarium, and I am not ashamed of that fact.  Do I share every detail of my life with the congregation of Fellowship Church?  No.  But it isn’t because my life is secretive.  It is because there are details that the proper people know, hold me accountable to and make the decisions based on what is best for Fellowship Church and its ministries.

I have never claimed to have lived a perfect life. I do, however, claim to live a life of integrity. I don’t make that claim lightly. 

Before God, the Board of Directors and the legal and financial accountants have governed the workings of Fellowship Church and its staff.  We operate in a manner that is “worthy of the calling of Christ Jesus” and have no apologies, nor would we change anything that we have done on behalf of the unbelievable ministry of Fellowship Church. 

Ironically, the reporter told a Public Relations spokesperson for Fellowship Church that this story was set to air during sweeps week, as it will be of high interest. 

Well, every week is sweeps week for Fellowship Church. And we will continue to do ministry with those who are far away from God in mind, and we will work tirelessly to make sure that the message of Jesus is at the forefront of everything we do.

The past 20 years have exceeded anything we could have ever imagined. Yet, at the same time, we truly believe the best is yet to come! We hope to see you this weekend as I begin a brand new message series called "Influence”.

It's for everyone...and their iguana!

We'll see you here!

Hope 4 Haiti Initiative

The past few days have been a whirlwind of activity, and I wanted to update you on what we are doing to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

In our continued efforts, we have formed a valuable partnership with Convoy of Hope—a humanitarian organization that already has established facilities and personnel on the ground in Haiti. Because of the generosity and support of the people of Fellowship Church, we have already been able to contribute significantly to this organization.

Also, as a result of Fellowship Church’s influence through C3, we are leading a global effort with other churches to gather and deliver supplies directly to the island.

Just 36 hours after the earthquake struck,

C3 sent our first airplane of much needed supplies to the island.

And through the community of churches in C3 and your support, we will continue to gather supplies at our Miami campus and get them to the people of Haiti. You can help make this happen! And I encourage you to do all you can for our Hope 4 Haiti initiative.

This is a difficult time for thousands of people. But this is also a time when we can work together to show Christ’s love to the people of Haiti in a very real and tangible way!

Reaching Out

Over the past several hours, I’ve been praying for the people and thinking about the situation in Haiti. And as I reflect on the devastation and destruction that so many people are experiencing right now, I can’t help but see an opportunity for the Church to reach out and make a difference!

Right now, details are still coming in from the Red Cross about specific physical needs and how we can help. But as those details become available, we are opening up our Miami campus as a collection point. I encourage you to contribute what you can to what they need. If you are outside of the South Florida area, you can help by texting HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to relief efforts.

This is a difficult time for thousands of people. And I encourage you to pray for all those affected by this tragedy. But this is also a time when the Church can truly assist and, in a very tangible way, show the world what following Christ is all about!

Stay tuned for more updates here and on my Twitter and Facebook as well.

Falling Asleep to the Sermon

It's All About the Details