Give Thanks Video Resource

Looking for a video for your church to use during this Thanksgiving season or really any time of the year you might cover thankfulness?  Then check out this video that the Element Church Media Team put together!



Give Thanks from Element Church on Vimeo.


As a recently started church plant, we have been searching for some alternative ways to create revenue for the church, and we thought that this video and others like it to come in the future could help us to do just that.  We are in the process of setting up an account with Sermon Spice, as well as with other media outlets.  However, their pricing structures will force us to distribute the videos at a much higher price, than if we are able to provide them directly through churches connected to us relationally. 

That being said, we would like to extend an invitation to you and your church to use the "Give Thanks" video for your church for a donation of at least $10 to Element Church.  Since this is our first attempt, we are not set up with our own website just yet, but the process to get the video is still very simple.  Just follow these steps:

1. Watch the sample video here, if you have not already done so.
2. Go to the Element Church donation page and submit a donation for at least $10 to Element Church.
3. We will then email you a link with a password to be able to download the video (without the Element Church watermark).

That's it!  I hope you enjoy the video, and that it helps to meet your needs right now, or at any other time that you cover the idea of thankfulness throughout the year.  Thanks, and may God bless you and your ministry as you serve Him!

My Thanksgiving 25

Just thinking about the things I'm grateful for today.  Not even close to an exhaustive list, nor is it really in any kind of order, but I'm certainly grateful for these...

1. God's love for me.
2. My best friend, Jodi.
3. My girls - JoLyn & Jacki
4. My family.
5. A church family (I love my Element Church family!)
6. Baseball
7. Friends
8. Mentors who believe in me.
9. That I don't get what I deserve.
10. Mexican food
11. Funny videos
12. Cheesesteaks
13. Riding my motorcycle
14. Spending time with the fam
15. Chili's salsa
16. Podcasts
17. My PS2 (but I would give it up for a PS3)
18. Barbecue, BBQ, or However you prefer - you make it, I'll eat it.
19. Phillies, Eagles, & Flyers
20. Watching people grow in God
21. Potato rolls & BUTTER
22. Steak
23. Watching my kids on Christmas day
24. Gadgets
25. Seeing people decide to follow Christ

Thanksgiving Video

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

I'm thankful for...

Great video that asks the question, "What are YOU thankful for?"

Pre-Turkey Turkey.

Ok, now I know this picture doesn't really tell the whole story of what Thursday night was like at Element Church's ConNEXTion Group Thanksgiving party, but you have to believe me when I tell you that it was awesome!


 It was only a year ago when we held our first Thanksgiving party, and just to see the kind of genuine community that has been brought together, and to see so many people from Millvale and the surrounding areas come together was awesome!  


I remember that last years as we held this event, it was actually the first time it seemed like we were becoming a church.  Now, just a year later, it's clear to see that we're more than a church...we're a family!


There's nothing like sharing a meal together to bring people together.  Here's to many more!

I'm glad my in-laws are leaving...

I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out!

This was the first Thanksgiving in so many years that we have lived close to family again. Right after Jodi and I got married, we lived about 1 1/2 hours from my parents, and Jodi's parents were about 30 minutes away. That said, we had easy options for getting together for holidays, birthday, or just being able to meet for dinner.

Then came life.

We stayed in the Philadelphia area for a while, but eventually all of us moved to different spots, at one point 10 hours away from all of our parents.

This Thanksgiving I am thankful that my in-laws are going home because home is literally around the corner! They have moved to Millvale to help us in planting Element Church. It has been great to have them here for that, but even better to have them here for days like this. (Now to work on MY PARENTS...)

So...that's #10. I'm thankful for having family close again!

9. Friends - So grateful for the great friends God has blessed me with...both old & new!

8. Jesus - Thankful for what Jesus did for me by forgiving my sins.

7. A Godly heritage - Not only because my dad, both my grandfathers, and my great-grandfather were all pastors, but because I have parents who daily let me see God in them. Their consistency has made me who I am today.

6. Godly mentors - I have been so blessed to have such great, Godly men who have poured time, energy, and resources into my life and ministry. My dad, Pastor George Cunard, Pastor James Leake, Pastor Ken Martin, and now Pastor Jeff Leake. These men are who I want to be when I grow up. Seriously, I thank God for letting me watch and learn from such great role models!

5. Humor - I love to laugh. I love that God made life fun sometimes!

4. Phillies - I love that they won the World Series. I know I'm pathetic for saying it, but every other year I get so disappointed. It's great to cheer for a winner!

3. My job - Sometimes I feel so lost in this process of planting a church because it's unknown territory for me, but I have never felt like I was on more in God's will than right now. In the last couple of months I have seen one "small coincidence" after another come together to make it clear that God is doing something here, and I'm so glad to be a part of His team!

2. Good food - Missions trips have shown me what an amazing place we live in for so many reasons, but American food rocks. I mean, as good as Mexican and Italian food is, nothing beats Philly cheesesteaks or Buffalo wings.

1. My wife - God has given me the PERFECT partner. Jodi laughs at my stupid jokes, treats me so great, loves me, accepts me for who I am, and she's beautiful inside & out!

I am a BLESSED MAN!!!

A Thankful Celebration!

Thursday night was such a great time, as our Millvale Matters group gathered for our regular weekly meeting. However, this time was different; this time we gathered for an extra hour to participate in our first-ever Thanksgiving Party. Thanksgiving is typically a time that we gather as family to give thanks for all of God's blessings during the past year. For us, it was definitely a moment that we were able to recognize what God has done, and to look forward to how God is currently at work in us and through us in Millvale!

The evening consisted of a feast of great food (everyone brought a dish to share), some games, and a ton of fellowship around the dinner table. It was great to get to talk everyone, and to get to see so many people show up at the same time (we had 31 people this week!)

I'm not sure what else to say, except that I'm really pumped to be a part of Millvale Matters and the birth of Element Church!

Millvale Matters Thanksgiving Party

I am really looking forward to this Thursday's Millvale Matters meeting. We're extending our usual meeting time for an extra hour to celebrate what God has done in the past few months, and to look forward to what's to come in Millvale! If you're in our area, and have thought about joining us, but just haven't as of yet, this would be a GREAT time to start. We'll be putting out quite the spread, and are looking forward to getting to know each other better.

Plan to attend? Just shoot me an email at richj@allisonparkchurch.com to let me know!

Hope to see you Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Thanksgiving Verse:
Psalms 106:1-3 (NLT) (1) Praise the Lord! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. (2) Who can list the glorious miracles of the Lord? Who can ever praise him enough? (3) There is joy for those who deal justly with others and always do what is right.

Here's a look at Thanksgiving Dinner real up-close like. May God bless you and your family this Thanksgiving!