One Day to Change the World!
Horizon Community Church Campuses: This Sunday, November 13, is our One Day to Change the World Miracle Offering. One hundred percent of...
About Pastor Stan
Pastor Stan has been the lead pastor of Horizon Community Church since 1993. He has a heart to be like Jesus – full of grace and truth (John 1:14). He believes that living and teaching the balance of grace and truth is what brings the most productive, impactful and fruit-filled life for Christ. He communicates the bible in a relational style with everyday life application. He is deeply passionate about a relationship with Jesus Christ. Stan has been married to his best friend, Karen, since 1981. They have two adult children, Aaron and Candice, who he loves to spend time with. He likes sports and enjoys watching Horizon Christian High School games.
Favorite scripture: 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. -Proverbs 3:3-4 (NIV)
Continual Improvement is Better Than Excellence
Okay, I got some of you fired up with that statement, didn’t I? Let me tell you why I think this is true. Excellence means something...
Women Rise Up and Take your Place in Ministry!
If you think women are weak, read Judges, chapters 4 and 5. Deborah is the nation of Israel’s wise and godly leader. All the men are...
5 Ways to Keep Good Relationship With People Who Have Opposing Political Views
We are currently in one of the most toxic post-election cycles I have ever seen. It is a political minefield with friends and family. More...
7 Reasons I Cast My Vote For Jesus in 2016!
It is currently an election year that is more polarizing than any I have ever seen in my life. I am taking this moment to tell everyone...
7 Common Traits of Breakout Churches
Here is a great article by Thom Rainer about turnaround churches that are making a difference: 7 Common Traits of Breakout Churches Great...
3 Simple Steps to Joy in Your Life
I like joy better than happiness. The root word for happiness is happens. Something good has to happen for us to be happy. Well, we don’t...
How to Measure Success in Our Lives
Tim Tebow, former NFL quarterback, current TV sports analyst and sought-after speaker, had this to say about success: “TRUE SUCCESS is...
INVITE A FRIEND TO CHURCH THIS EASTER, SURVEY SHOWS THEY’RE LIKELY TO SAY YES
We tend to think these days that no one will really come to a church service if invited. Not true according to a recent study by the ...
Did You Know That God is Crazy About You?
It is true. God has a crazy love for you! Look what He says to His people: Zechariah 2:8b: …whoever touches you touches the apple of...
Your Place of Business is Your Ministry Too!
Too often pastors like myself have unwittingly caused believers to feel that ministry takes place primarily at church services or events....
Eight Steps to Discovering God’s Will for Important Decisions
1. Pray and ask God for His wisdom. “Okay,” you say, “I thought your counsel would be more profound.” What follower of...
The Most Important Thing to Remember When You Vote
Wow, what a barn-burner last night in the Iowa presidential primary. Trump loses, and Hillary needs coin flips to win. This is an important...
Helping Those Who Are Unable to Help Themselves
In December, my wife, Karen, daughter, Candice, and I traveled to India to check out a ministry called You Can Free Us. It is an outreach...
Seven Reasons You Should Go To Church
1. The bible says you should. Hebrews 10:25a says, “Let us not neglect our church meetings, as some people do…drawing near.”...
Ten Great Resolutions for 2016
1. Read the Bible every day. God’s word covers everything that is important in life. If we read the word of God and apply it to our...
How to Handle Criticism
1. Ask yourself if it is true. The bible tells us that the wounds of a friend are faithful. (Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a...
Back to Back
A person is lucky in life to have a few really good friends. The kind who will stand beside you in good times and bad. Who never waiver in...
If We’re Careful With Our Words, Life Goes Better
God cares about us. He cares about how well our relationships go with others, especially our family members. So He gives us guidance and...
The Best Leaders
1. The best leaders love God with all of their hearts and put Him first. It all starts here. If Jesus isn’t first, then everything...
LIKE A FLOODLIGHT
The following scripture has been on my mind the last few weeks. In Luke 11:36, Jesus said: “If you are filled with light, with no dark...
Aloha From the Hawaii Pastor’s Practicum
I am in Honolulu right now at the New Hope Pastor’s Practicum. What can I say? It really is about the conference, but it sure is...
Horizon Hosts Donnie Moore for a Youth Summer Camp
If you are middle school, high school or college age, this camp is for you! Horizon’s Summer Camp 2015 begins this Sunday, August 16....
Don’t Miss Dick Foth and Donnie Moore
Horizon Community Church, have I told you lately how much I love you? Well, I love you!!! What a tremendous group of people at HCC who love...
Horizon Has Added a New High School/College Age Youth Pastor
I am thrilled to let the Horizon Community Church family know that we have added a new youth pastor to the current team at our Tualatin...
Horizon to Launch a New Campus in 2016 in Lake Oswego
Last year as part of Kingdom Builder’s at Horizon we launched a multi-site plan. We currently have three campus locations in our “One...
Horizon Receives a Three Million Dollar Pledge
What a great journey we are on here at Horizon Community Church! This year the people of Horizon pledged $1 million to Kingdom Builders, or...
In Times Like These
How are we to respond in days like these when morality is being shifted and reshaped by the courts and public opinion? The scripture below...
Fast and Furious 7
It has been an incredible seven weeks. We started two new Horizon Community Church campus locations; one in Sherwood and another in...
Exponential Advances at Horizon
What a great season we are in at Horizon Community Church. We have two new locations becoming Horizon campuses starting this Sunday,...
Let Jesus In!
Imagine, for a moment, that your friends decided to throw you a big birthday party. You knew who would be coming to your party and where it...
How to Deal with Criticism
When criticized, carefully evaluate the criticism to see if it is true. a. Go to God and ask Him if it is true. 2 Corinthians 13:5a...
Preach the Gospel, and Since it’s Necessary, Use Words
A friend sent me this article today and I believe it is profound. It talks about the importance of preaching the Gospel in a day where many...
TROUBLE: GO TO GOD
The question isn’t, “Will I have problems?” The question is, “When will trouble happen?” We can’t escape it in this life. ...
Plant Yourself in a Good Church
I have just returned from my sabbatical. A sabbatical is a time away to refresh and regenerate. Here at Horizon, pastors are given a...
God Loves and Forgives the Exotic Dancer
That’s an unusual title for a blog, isn’t it? But it’s true! God will love and forgive everyone who comes to Him with a humble and...
Influence in Mainstream and the Marketplace
I was thrilled to see that there are currently three movies that have a bible emphasis that are in the top ten for mainstream Hollywood...
Change or Die!
Continuous change is necessary to be effective. Change is really hard for some people. They don’t want to see the old methods go away....
Comparison is the Enemy of Contentment
We all need to be careful when it comes to comparing. It is one of the things that can make us slip into discouragement. Comparing...
Wait on God, He Will Come Through!
Do you have a problem that you need God’s help with? Call out to Him. Keep calling and wait on Him and He will answer you. Psalm 38:15...
God’s Will in HD
God’s will sometimes seems elusive. Which way should I go? Where should I concentrate my efforts in ministry? What direction is the...
How to Make 2014 Your Best Year Yet
1. Thank God: Start by thanking God for all He has done for you in the past year. Write it all down. Remembering the good gives us a...
INVITE SOMEONE TO CHURCH THIS CHRISTMAS. YOU COULD CHANGE THEIR LIFE FOR ETERNITY!
Christmas is a time of year when people are open to attending special events, becoming part of a celebration, and checking out the local...
What a Great Partner!
My wife, Karen, recently had a birthday. Funny, on that day my main thought was how blessed I was to have such a special lady as my wife....
The Sweet Spot of Your Gifting and Anointing is Where You Need to Live
What are you gifted to do? What has God called you to do? You will need to understand the answers to this question if you are going to...
Adapting to the Times
Is the ministry you are leading growing? There are times we have to be honest with ourselves and say, “No, it’s really not that...
Let Your Light Shine!
All my ministry life I have emphasized this scripture: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and...
Current Without Compromise
I was privileged to be able to attend the General Council of the Assemblies of God this past week. I was surprised to see that social...
Put a Crown Above Their Heads and Watch Them Grow Into It
I don’t want to be one of those people who are the negative part of someone’s story. You know, the person who thought they couldn’t...
Generous People are Happier!
So, leaders, are you leading here? I don’t know one pastor who doesn’t want the church he pastors to be generous. I think it is...
How to Develop a Strategy for Your Ministry
I have some good news for you. You don’t have to do this on your own. You don’t have to be a brilliant, amazing, natural leader to...
The One Question for Every Leader
Leadership is complex. It is a bowl full of spaghetti with interwoven relationships, vision, values, projects, communication and direction....
The Rewards of Faithfulness
One of my favorite passages of scripture is Proverbs 3:3-5: 3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write...
Give Away What You Have Learned
Whatever your skill set, whatever you have learned through experience and hard work, give it away! If you do, you will find that...
What to Do When Criticized
If you lead, you will be criticized. Even the greatest leaders will face criticism. So what is the best way to handle it? First, we need to...
Wherever You Are, Be All There
“What do you have for me to do today, Lord?” That is a great question to ask the Lord each morning when we get out of bed. One thing...
If You Want to Get Better, Ask Someone to Help
For you spiritual leaders out there, where are you getting help to improve your skills and learn? Most of us want to get better. So how do...
Worrying is a Waste of Time and Energy!
Dick Foth was with us last Sunday morning at Horizon. In his sermon entitled “How Do I Get to Peace From Here?” he quoted that someone...
It’s OK to Have Fun!
It may surprise you that God likes for us to enjoy life. Ministry is great, hard work is scriptural, and productivity is a positive thing...
Understanding God’s Love for Me is the Key to the Best Life!
It is interesting that when God chose to describe himself in a summary statement He chose these words: “God is love.” (1 John 4:16). He...
Three Key Relationships
When I read the bible I see three key relationships vital to our Christian growth that we should all pursue. We all need a Paul, a Barnabas...
The Best Way to Make Jesus Known is to Know Him Better
As believers and servants of the Lord, we have dreams we would like to accomplish and great things we want to do for Him. It is not really...
God’s Hilarious Basketball Miracle!!!!
I remember when the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “I want to build a great high school to glorify my name.” Retrospect shows a great...
“Calm Seas Never Make Skillful Sailors”
There is a lot of wisdom in that saying. In my nearly twenty years as senior pastor at Horizon we have had many great seasons and a few...
That is What it is All About!
I am still in the afterglow of last Sunday, 2.10. We had a great day with joy and salvation in the house. I wanted you to see this note...
It’s a New Day!
Wow, what a weekend! We just came to the culmination point for our emphasis called “2.10 The New Horizon.” The 2.10 is just...