I’ve been thinking about my years at The Chapel and what I’ve appreciated about the people and the ministry here. Looking back, I can clearly see why God led us here. Gina and I needed a place to teach us what a healthy, Biblical ministry looks like. Here is a list of random thoughts of what I love about The Chapel and why I think it reflects a Biblical church:

1. The Bible: This church has always preached, taught, and studied from the Bible. The world may laugh at our belief in its power, but you can’t argue with the lives that have been changed by it. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” Isaiah 40:8.

2. Outreach: This past Spring I read through the annual reports from all the ministry teams and one particular theme impressed me; nearly every ministry reported on at least one evangelistic initiative they had led in the past year! I thought to myself, “This really is an externally focused church!” I love that! Thinking of our church’s ministry just this summer, here are some evangelistic outreaches I can list from memory: the Riverside VBS, The Chapel’s VBS, two RAK events, the basketball camp and two 5 Day Clubs in Benton Harbor. Literally, thousands of people have been touched by the gospel in just three months! I haven’t even mentioned the individuals in our church who are sharing the gospel in community ministries, with friends, or with co-workers! And I also haven’t mentioned our benevolent ministry to the community. Wonderful!

3. Missions: Do you realize that The Chapel has focused on missions now for 30 years! Don’t even get me started on how many short term and career missionaries The Chapel has supported over the years. And…don’t get me started on the millions of dollars in that time frame that has been given to missions! Enough said.

4. Unity: The Chapel has an incredible unity about it. Don’t be mistaken as to its source, this is a gift of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-6). The Chapel has consistently majored on the majors, and let the minors slide. I remember going to a business meeting a few years ago where we had to go a different direction with our building plans. That could have been a messy meeting. But it wasn’t! I drove home after that meeting with my faith strengthened as a Christian, because the people of this church sought God’s will and not their own.

5. Love: There are countless unheard stories of how people have been loved by their brothers and sisters in Christ here. ABFs, Small Groups, Sunday School classes, Youth Groups, Choir, Tech Team, Worship Team, Men’s and Women’s ministries, Stephen Ministries, Grace Groups, and personal friendships. All of these relationship groups have brought people together in Christ and His love has been extended in jaw dropping ways. By the way, the next time you are here after a service, stop and observe how people just stand around and talk to one another. That is a great sign of God’s work here!

6. Grace: It’s no secret that in general, the congregation of The Chapel reflects a middle-class and up, Caucasian, social class in our town. But I have watched countless times as people of lower income or a different race have walked in here, and you have cheerfully and sincerely greeted them and embraced them with God’s grace. Thank you for that. That speaks more loudly than you realize.

7. Men: This might seem like an odd observation, but I believe one of the reasons The Chapel is such a healthy church is because the men have stepped up to lead. This is not a slight against the women who faithfully and wonderfully serve. But it is a fact that God has instilled leadership in a man and given us that role. While in many local churches the men are absent, at The Chapel you see men in the nursery, in children’s Sunday school, in ABFs, leading Small Groups, and in every area of the church. When men lead, God blesses.

8. Prayer: Although we do not have a visible prayer ministry (as in a Wednesday night prayer meeting), the people of The Chapel pray. Prayer happens through individuals, ABFs, Small Groups, Sunday Schools, the Sunday morning prayer ministry, the prayer chain, the prayer inserts, the monthly prayer guide, and in our ministry planning meetings. I believe that one of the biggest reasons for the ‘success’ of The Chapel’s ministry is because people have pleaded with God for His work to be done in us and through us in this town.

As a young Pastor stepping in to my first Sr. Pastor position, thank you, thank you, thank you for the healthy target I have to shoot for. God knew what He was doing when He brought my family here, and I hope to be a faithful minister who is used to lead a healthy church. We feel like one of the family whom you are sending out to multiply God’s work. We love you and appreciate you.

In Christ,

My beautiful bride, Gina, and I will be married for 10 years on July 1st. We met on December 6, 1996, at Butler University in Indianapolis, began dating on March 1, 1997, and now here we are!

Before we were married I always thought that I wanted a wife who had as big of dreams and aspirations as I had. I thought about how great it would be if both of us could go out and conquer the world! But, God in His wisdom knew what He was doing when He gave Gina to me. Thankfully Gina’s personality is to be a very steady, supportive, and loyal woman. She is not interested in going out to conquer the world; she’d rather stay close to home! Although I did not know it ten years ago, I can see how much I needed this from her. She supports me and keeps things steady at home while I work in the ministry.

From even before our marriage began, we intentionally set healthy spiritual patterns that would help us for our future together. I remember thinking early on in our relationship that Psalm 127:1 was a great verse on which to build our marriage. It says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” Through God’s kindness, we have tried to look to Him for help in decision making and direction for our lives, marriage, and parenting.

A few years ago we came up with a ‘Hayward Family Mission Statement,’ that has reminded us of what we want our marriage to stand for. Here is the brief version: “We the Hayward’s seek to glorify God in our daily lives, testify to the name of Jesus, and multiply a godly legacy through our children.” We realize that our marriage exists for more than just keeping each other happy. Ultimately, we exist as a couple to make God happy.

I’m a very blessed man to have a loyal friend and life companion in Gina and I look forward to making more memories with her for many years to come.

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!... Wham! That was the sound in homes of about 60 men at 5:00 am for the past 24 weeks! Why was their alarm going off so early on Wednesday mornings? So they could attend Men’s Fraternity: The Quest for Authentic Manhood!

During this program, men gathered at The Chapel to learn about practical life issues from a Christ-centered perspective. Our leader, via DVD, was Robert Lewis. Robert talked us through the wounds of our past, the biblical definition of manhood, how to love our wives, how to treat our sons and daughters, and how to live out authentic manhood for our futures. After listening to Robert, men talked in their small groups about real heart issues, and as a result, formed some deep relationships with other like-minded men.

Our Quest for Authentic Manhood was capped off with a graduation ceremony where over 40 men were knighted into manhood. These men faithfully completed their manhood plans which included looking back at their past, examining their present, and setting strategic goals for their future. (To see pictures of our graduation ceremony click here.) It was truly a memorable ceremony to be a part of!

God also worked in great ways through the Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters class that was held during the winter ABF quarter. About 60 men and women participated in this class, which centered on how to raise our daughters in a strategic and God-honoring way. In this class, (based on Dr. Meg Meeker’s book and taught by our own Ron Godly) we learned how crucial our role as fathers is in the life of our daughters. Women from The Chapel courageously shared stories about their relationships with their fathers and how that affected them. We very much appreciated their vulnerability so we could learn what to do and not to do with our daughters. What I appreciated most about the book and class was that it elevated the importance of my role as a father in contrast to the world which portrays men and fathers as bumbling goofs.

May God continue to strengthen The Chapel as a church in the years to come because men’s lives have begun to change today.

To learn more about our next session of Men’s Fraternity beginning in October click here.

And to all my frat brothers reading this, let’s live out the Biblical definition of manhood:

Reject Passivity
Accept Responsibility
Lead Courageously
Expect God’s Great Reward!

In Christ,

It’s a bit ironic that I would be writing a blog about helpful books. Growing up, I only read what I had to for school and I did not like libraries! I would have rather been playing sports outside than being stuck inside reading. But in recent years I have been helped by some good books, and I want to share their titles with you:

1. The Bible – I’m not just listing this book because I’m supposed to. My life has been genuinely changed because of what I’ve learned in the Bible, and I continue to be enriched by its content. In my experience, the words of Psalm 1 hold true. Another verse that, with God’s help, I try to live by is Psalm 119:147 “I rise before dawn and cry for help; I wait for your words.” There’s no book like it.
2. Preparing for Marriage, by Dennis Rainey – When I was engaged to Gina I found this book and purchased it for us to go through. It helped us to communicate about our upcoming marriage and to learn more about each other. I remember us meeting in the basement of Irwin Library on Butler University’s campus to talk through our answers. I loved it so much that I use it in the pre-marital counseling I do with couples.
3. The Total Money Makeover, by Dave Ramsey – Four years ago, this book changed our financial world. We know what were supposed to do with our money, but we didn’t have an easy plan to get it done. This book gave us the plan. Gina and I both read it and proceeded to pay off all debt except our house in six months. We have paid cash for things since reading this book and we’ve lived in financial freedom. This book was so helpful to us that we bought 10 copies and gave them to our family members and closest friends. I also give it to all engaged couples that I meet with for pre-marital counseling.
4. Revolution in World Missions, by K.P. Yohannan – This book was incredibly challenging and caused me to fall in love with the mission organization Gospel for Asia. K.P. challenged me to live sacrificially and give financially, so that native missionaries could reach the millions on the continent of Asia for Jesus Christ.
5. S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose for Life, by Erik Rees – This book about spiritual gifts and God given passions helped me to formulate what my serving ‘sweet spot’ is. I like how it helped me piece together how God made me and the experiences He’s given me so I can determine in what area of service I am most effective.
6. Since Nobody’s Perfect…How Good is Good Enough?, by Andy Stanley – I really enjoyed this little book because in an easy-to-read conversational style, Andy Stanley reasons with people why being a good person is not good enough to get into heaven. This is a great outreach tool.

There are other books I could list, but I’ll write more later. I hope this list is helpful to you too.

In a time when our world is growing in its skepticism about everything, especially faith in God, I find myself needing go back to the core reasons why I, Blair Hayward, believe in and follow Jesus Christ. So, I thought I would lay it out for you hoping you will find this to be an encouragement today.

Here are my four main reasons as to why I am, and remain, a Christian:
1. I believe in Jesus Christ because He changed my life: I keep coming back to the fact that I was not looking to become a Christian or to believe in God. Although I was interested in being a good person and having others like me, I was completely ignorant of what it meant to be a Christian. God saw fit to seek after me and show me who He is. I know that personal experience is subjective and doesn’t carry much weight with those who want concrete answers, but the fact remains that there is a major difference in the focus and character of my life from before I surrendered my life to Christ, to after. Following Jesus has changed my life from confusion to purpose, from bondage to sin to spiritual freedom, and from lostness to a soul-level peace.

2. I believe in Jesus Christ because He fulfilled prophecy: There are over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that Jesus fulfilled in his first coming. That is astounding to me! Think of it, hundreds and even thousands of years before Jesus was born, precise predictions were made about His birth, life, death, and resurrection. Some of the prophecies which I find amazing are Isaiah 9:6-7 and Micah 5:2 which speak of Jesus' birth and birthplace, and Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Psalm 22 which describe with incredible detail the crucifixion of Jesus and its meaning. The clincher for me is what the Bible says of Jesus in Luke 24:27, 44-47 “27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he [Jesus] explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself… 44 He said to them, ‘This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.’ 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.’” I really would have liked to have been there when Jesus took his followers through the Old Testament and showed them exactly where it spoke about Him.

3. I believe in Jesus Christ because He rose from the dead: On numerous occasions Jesus predicted He would be arrested, tried, beaten, executed, laid in a tomb, and three days later, rise from the dead (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34). AND HE DID IT (Mark 16:6-7)! No one…I repeat…no one else has ever accomplished such a task. In fact, Jesus told the Pharisees that His resurrection from the dead is the sign proving Him to be the Son of God (Matthew 12:39-40). I am trusting my salvation and eternal life to a living Savior.

4. I believe in Jesus Christ because He changed His disciples’ lives: This comes back to my first reason. The disciples, like me, were not looking to change the world. In fact their hope of Jesus being the Messiah of God was pulverized after He was arrested and crucified. They deserted Him and hid themselves away from the authorities (Mark 14:50; John 20:19). But what really gets me is that they went from being scaredy cats, to bold lions for God in the very city where Jesus was crucified! So what happened? See reason number three. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead, appeared to His disciples on numerous occasions, and taught them about the Kingdom of God before ascending to heaven is why their lives changed so dramatically. Tradition says that all but one (John) of the 11 apostles were martyred for their faith in Christ. Would they really be capable of maintaining a lie for all those years? Would they really be willing to die for something they knew to be false? I think not.

These are the main reasons I follow Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord. What are yours?

I saw it happen again on a recent Sunday morning. If you’re not looking for it, you won’t notice it, but when you understand it, it will make you smile. A couple at The Chapel recently dedicated their child to the Lord. After the service two other couples came up to congratulate and talk with them. Who were these other two couples? Friends. How did they become friends? They met in their Small Group.

At The Chapel we are aiming for this goal: growing committed followers of Jesus Christ. One of the ways that people grow as a committed follower of Jesus Christ is by belonging in relationships with one another. When God made people He hard-wired us for relationships, just as He in His three-in-one nature is relational. So, at The Chapel we have two main groups for people to grow in this area of belonging to one another: Adult Bible Fellowships (ABFs) and Small Groups. Although ABFs offer a place for us to relate with one another, Small Groups are the environment where we want deeper intimacy in relationships to take place.

On October 24, a group of five of us from The Chapel, attended Willow Creek’s Group Life Conference simulcast at the First Church of God in St. Joseph. It was a very valuable day, learning from different speakers who taught us about small groups and how to improve our leadership. Here are some of the key lessons I learned at this conference:

• Small Groups need to be a safe place to be authentic: If we are going to experience growth in our relationship with God and others, we have to be authentic. If we are going to feel comfortable sharing the hidden parts of our lives, we have to feel safe. This is why one of the key elements in our Small Groups at The Chapel is confidentiality. I have to be assured that what I share in the group will be met with grace and will stay in the group.
• Life change happens in Small Group relationships: Andy Stanley brought this point out in his talk about why he believes in Small Groups. He said that the greatest potential for life change to happen occurs when people sit in circles, rather than in rows. The large worship service is a necessary contributor to our spiritual growth. In it, we sit in rows facing the Pastor whose job is to show us the face of God. But we also need the face to face interaction with each other in Small Groups.

God is doing great things through our existing Small Groups as people spend time together studying the Bible, sharing with, caring for, and praying for one another. One of the results is that our large church begins to shrink when you connect with others on Sunday mornings because you have connected with them in your Small Group during the week.

We’d like to have more groups for people to experience this core value of belonging in relationships with one another. Contact me if you are interested in being in a Small Group, or learning more about being a Small Group leader at The Chapel.

In Christ,

Sixty-five degrees, sunny, and clear skies on November 14…in St. Joseph, MI?!! Believe it or not, it was! The Lord provided a gorgeous day for doing some good deeds in His name. The beautiful weather and love for other people brought out 70 people from The Chapel to rake people’s leaves for free in the name of Jesus! Not only is that the most people we’ve ever had for this event since we started it in 2004, but we used the most leaf bags this year…over 500!

Here’s what I love so much about this ministry:

• People of all ages participate – It is great to see individuals, families, Small Groups, and Adult Bible Fellowships participating in this outreach. Little children on up to retirees wielded rakes in the effort to touch lives.
• People of all ages interact – Because we have a larger church, most people do not know everyone who attends The Chapel. This outreach allows young and old to work alongside each other and get to know one another. It was great to see different generations working together for the cause of Christ.
• God is not random – Our ‘strategy’ for this outreach is to start in a neighborhood where we’ve been given a recommendation and then just move up and down the street to homes that need their leaves raked. Once we finish the pre-arranged houses, it becomes ‘random’ on our part. But once again, the Lord led us to homes of people who were injured, ill, elderly, and had family members who had recently been placed in nursing homes. I
• t’s simple to show love – This ministry is a simple, yet powerfully tangible way to show this community that God loves them and His love is free to all who will say ‘yes’ to Him. Before we went out to rake leaves we prayed and read from Matthew 5:16 “…Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

Do you have any ideas for a Random Act of Kindness that will touch lives for Christ? Let’s talk.

In Christ,