We had our partnership class (membership on steroids) this past Sunday and it was a good group (30+).. Often I get questions that go like this- “Why should I partner with the Bay”? I think it is a fair question and worth a blog. Partnership requires a level of maturity that says, “I am not here for me and my needs, I am here to make a difference in the world”. We all attend a church because it meets our needs- but we will only engage in a church where we can give ourselves away. I often say in our partnership class, “I wouldn’t attend a church that didn’t CHALLENGE me to live better”. That sounds good until people get pushed out of their comfort zone. Everyone is welcome to attend The Bay and we will fight for that openness and opportunity. But, when it comes to Partnership we raise the commitment bar. That offends some- and that is not preferred but it is okay, I realize that when I am challenged to live differently I sometimes get offended. So people have asked me- “Do you feel bad that some people are offended by what you say”? They ask, “Wouldn’t it be better to not offend and be more loving”?

First of all let me say- when did Love mean you didn’t tell the truth? When was the definition of love become some spineless go along that never offends?

Secondly, I do not offend intentionally but, I also know when I speak I need to focus on not offending God rather than people in the room. Does that make sense? All that to say- I am offended and challenged daily- thank God that He hasn’t given up on me.

By the way- if you are easily offended PLEASE DO NOT COME TO FRAT HOUSE. I will say things that are directed at MEN, real men, men with with a spine, testosterone in their veins and willing to fight for what matters. Know any men like that? If not show up tomorrow morning at 6:15 (if you are a man) and meet about 50 other men who are not easily offended!

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Church at the Bay launched on September 11, 2005. We had the support of over 200 Prayer Partners and over 15 Financial Partners – located all over the United States. These Partners make a HUGE DIFFERENCE through their support. Each month I send them an update describing what God is doing at The Bay and how they can pray. I thought I would share this months update with you. Please feel free to comment and ask questions.

Dear Partners,

We had an incredible time at our last Bay Beach Party! Our plan was to party at the beach and baptize on October 14^th. Earlier in the week, the temperature dipped and I was concerned it might get too cold for some to get baptized, but the day turned out to be incredible. We had somewhere between 130 and 150 people attending (depending on whether you accept the count of a Gator or a Seminole). We had the opportunity to see 16 people take the next step of Baptism! I must admit seeing people take the plunge excites me. It reminds me of why we started The Bay and how we always want to encourage people to take their next best step with God.

Here is a cool note I received from one of our 1^st time guests:

Hi, my name is Sh_____. I discovered Church at the Bay from a flyer I received in the mail. I have also received water bottles at the intersection of Sheldon and Linebaugh. I really enjoyed your service this past Sunday. It was definitely a new experience for me. The music was amazing. I was not raised around church. I really appreciated the booklets that were handed out in the beginning and provided us with a breakdown of the service and a place to take notes. You have no idea how much that helped me and the way you broke down each verse and referenced it to something we could all relate to this day in age. Thank You again.

Please join us as we pray for an impact this Halloween. Last year we did a version of Trunk or Treat that was well attended. We decided to nix it this year and challenge our people to be strategic in reaching their neighborhood. Here is our reasoning: all year we challenge people to invest in neighborhood relationships and invite their friends to The Bay. The one time of year our neighborhood comes to us is Halloween and we aren’t home. So this Sunday we are handing our invite cards (about 50 per family) and challenging people to get some good candy (that means chocolate!) and put that in the bag with the invite card. Sandy and I are going to also cook out hotdogs (healthy ones of course) for the parents who are walking their kids. I will let you know how it goes.

Thank you for your Partnership!

God’s Best,

Hal Mayer

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