Favorite brand of soda?

Coke - 56%
Pepsi - 44%

Since Pepsi is for the younger generation - me - there must be a lot of older people responding! lol

Your favorite time to prayer?

In a recent poll we asked for the favorite time to pray. Those who responded said;

50% early morning
21% bedtime
9% before getting out of bed
7% mid day
6% evening
4% afternoon

What is your favorite time?

Your Highest Level of Education?

Recently a poll asked for our highest level of education. Those that answered said;

37% said an undergrad degree
19% said a Masters degree
13% said a high school degree
9% said other professional education
7% said AA degree
3% said a doctorate
3% said other education
1 % said less than high school

Your Favorite Contemporary Christian Singer/Group?

In a recent survey those who answered who their favorite Contemporary Christian Singer/Group chose the following;

24% said someone I had not named (who please)
17% said Michael W. Smith
12% said Casting Crowns
11% said Third Day
9% said Newsboys
9% said Hillsong
6% said David Crowder Band
3% said Randy Travis
1% said CeCe Winan, Jeremy Camp & Jason Upton

Who is your favorite?

Comments on Today's Sermon

I don't usually load the gun and point it at myself - but - what did you think of the sermon today? Daniel: Against All Odds. It should be up Sunday night if you wish to listen to it again to give your thoughts.

Be gentle - but give me some feedback!

Praise and Worship Songs

Do you like any of these praise and worship songs?

I Can Only Imagine – Mercy Me - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S70gwFcSK9k
Show Me Your Glory – Third Day - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfZaMOuv2RI
Amazing Grace – Jars of Clay – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmjFmOwWp2c
Only a short take
Beautiful One – Jeremy Camp - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acspX34Guu4
Dive – Steven Curtis Chapman - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=098PwlqHD-o
King of Glory – Third Day- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_36u-TkeQQ
Ancient of Days – Gary Sadler - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBcP1ICgUIM
Alabaster Box – CeCe Winans - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq8VP9osGrg
Glory Defined – Building 429 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZzzVnO1WGA

Worship

I was going to try to do this in a poll, but something was missing. So here goes with a post.

Do any of the elements or parts of worship touch you? Are you moved or motivated or humbled by any portion of worship? Are you or at times are you merely going through the motions on Sunday? Is it a religious experience, a ritual, even trite? Is it new everyday, fresh and a spiritual event in your week? What could make it better? What are your favorite parts of worship? What has improved? What needs improvement?

Your worship team spent a week fasting and praying for our worship ministry. Many of you joined us. What did God say to you during the prayer and fasting time? What is God saying now? How can we make our corporate worship the best hour or two of our week?

Your prayerful thoughts are welcomed.

Our Vision and Mission

Mt. Oak’s Vision Statement
Living as disciples of Jesus Christ!

Mt. Oak’s Mission Statement
Introducing people to Jesus Christ
Developing relationships in Jesus Christ
Making mature disciples of Jesus Christ

Mt. Oak’s Strategy
Being inviting and welcoming (foyer)
Being intentional about growing disciples (living room)
Being a servant of Jesus Christ (kitchen)

We will have an intentional strategy to move people from the foyer to the living room to the kitchen in their Christian Development. Every ministry we support with resources of time, talent and money will have to be a step to help someone move from a non-believer/visitor to the place of being a believer to the place of being a Disciple of Jesus and a servant leader.

Events are merely opportunities to target one step! Few if any events will concentrate on more than one step. We should not try to mix steps if at all possible.

Too many churches spend resources on meeting needs and when the need is met, persons move on but what have they gained? They may have been ministered to as a divorced person, but have they grown as a Disciple of Jesus Christ? Are they a better Disciple, or have we simply helped them through a difficult season in their life? We can do both!

Time Table
† December through February – planning team meets (and will continue)
† February 23rd to end of April – ministry leaders give feedback and design goals (action points) for their ministries in line with the vision, mission and strategy points
† April to June – prepare for Ministry Fair (date still unset)
† June to September – prepare for roll out of new and redesigned ministries

What are your thoughts and comments

How many hours do you work?

We asked how many hours a week that you worked? Those who responded said;

23% - 41-50 hours a week
23% - 33-40 hours a week
15% - 61 plus hours a week
15% - 25 or less hours a week
13% - 51-60 hours a week
7% - 26-32 hours a week

How many hours do you work a week and in how many jobs?

Crucial Moral Issues

We ask what was the most crucial moral issue facing us today and here are the results of those who responded;

42% said gay marriage
36% said abortion
9% said prayer in the church
6% said an issue not listed
3% said war
3% said world hunger

What do you think is the most crucial moral issue facing the church today? How about listing your top three?

Favorite Bible Translation

Recently we polled the congregation concerning their favorite Bible translation. Of those that responded;

71% said NIV
8% said KJV
8% said NKJV
5% said the Message
2% said NASB
2$ said AMP

At what age did you recieve Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

A recent poll asked the question - At what age did you recieve Jesus as your Lord and Savior? The following are the results for those who responded:

33% said between 10-15
18% said between 21-35
16% said between 36-50
12% said under 10
12% said between 16-20
4% said between 51-75
2% said between 76-100

45% than received Jesus before the age of 15, 57% before 20 and 75% before the age of 35.

Prayer & Fasting

In a recent polls 64% said they would join the prayer and fast for February 10-17. We are praying for our worship ministries. 20% said they would pray but medically couldn't fast.

Diets

We polled persons about diets. We allowed them chose from multiple choices. For those that responded to our poll:

39% said the were on a diet right now
39% said I need to be on a diet right now
36% said I have tried every diet out there
26% said I am allergic to diets
21% said I have never dieted (don't need to)
19% said I have a diet that works
2% said I have never dieted (and it shows)

Fasting and Prayer Ministry

Recently we had a poll about fasting and praying. Don't forget the week of prayer and fasting coming up Sunday, February 10th through 17th. This fast and time of prayer is for our worship ministries. No solid food from breakfast to dinner (sunup to sundown - natural fruit juices allowed) During the time you would have spent eating lunch we are to spend time praying about our worship ministries. Here are the results, of those that responded (multiple answers were allowed):

46% said they had fasted before
39% said they would join the upcoming fast and prayer time
34% said they had never fasted
34% said they would join a fasting and prayer ministry
26% said they would attend a class on fasting and prayer
14% said they didn't know about fasting
2% said they fast and pray regularly

Are you interested in a prayer and fasting ministry at Mt. Oak?

Our Offerings

Recently we had a poll asking about our giving to God through His church. It was one of the most visited polls we have posted. The question was How do you determine how much to give in your offering?.

Of those that responded:

31% said they tithed and then some
29% said they tithed from their gross income
11% said they tithed from their net income
11% said they gave whatever they could afford
7% said they gave what my spouse and I agree to give
5% said they had no plan
3% said they had another plan not listed

Your thoughts?

Today's Daily Message

I received more comments on today's daily than others. Do you have any thoughts you would like to share about it?

Daily Message – February 5, 2008
Rev. Dr. Ramon E. McDonald II
Pastor – Mt. Oak Fellowship – Mitchellville, MD

I want to continue taking a look at Paul, one of the greatest apostles of the Bible. The truths about Paul can help us in our spiritual journey.

We mentioned in this sermon yesterday a couple of passages from Paul’s writings. One was about the struggle we deal with, even after the regeneration of the new life.

Romans 7:18-20 - 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Have you ever felt this way? If so, Satan has tried to convince you that you aren’t saved I bet. That if you were really saved you would do good all the time. Yet Paul, a godly man who strived to follow Christ and was often beaten and imprisoned for his faith, struggled and wrote about it in the above passage. The sin nature lives on in us and continues to wage war daily for our witness, if not for our soul.

We will see tomorrow that because Grace covers over all our sin, we shouldn’t sin more so Grace may abound, but it is good to know that I am not alone in my struggles to do what is good, what is of God.

Just something to think about today as you go on your way.

The Giants Win!

So - 58% of those who responded to our poll said the Giants would win but the rest o the world didn't see it coming!

How about leaving your favorite moment in the game?

Of course, mine was what some are calling the greatest Super Bowl play of all time. When Eli was being grabbed and tackled, he broke loose only to throw a bomb down the field. David Tyree, a special teams player, caught the ball falling backwards, while being hit, and secured the ball against his helmet as he fell. What a game changing play!

Denominational Childhood

We recently asked for the denomination of your youth. 33% said Methodist, 12% said Catholic and Baptist, 7% said Presbyterian, Episcopal and Non-Denominational, and 5% said other or one not listed and also 5% said they did not attend church as a youth.

Favorite Gospel

The question was asked about your favorite Gospel. 72% of those who responded said John, 15% said Matthew, 10% said Luke and 2% said Mark.

The Day Stands Out

In a recent poll we asked for the most significant day and 44% of those who responded said their wedding day was most significant. 33% said their birthday, 32% said the birth of their child(ren) and 9% said their spiritual birth.