Weekly Rundown (8.31.08)

• I preached live at our Calhoun Campus today ... GREAT TO BE THERE!


• There is a great vibe, feel, or "buzz" in Calhoun ... welcoming spirit, hanging out in the lobby, good worship, excitement, etc.


• I can't figure out holiday weekend attendance patterns to save my life: up or down?


• Praying for fellow Americans on the Gulf coast as Gustav prepares to make landfall.


• Went to Athens yesterday to see the 'Dawgs play ... I think everyone including the manager got to play.  Loads of young talent who played great.  I hope we drop in the rankings though ... that #1 thing is a big bullseye on our backs.


• We open STAGE 123 in 7 days!!!!!!!!!!!! 


• Prison Break starts back on Labor Day!!!!


• Olympics followed by political conventions and the start of football season = I am not getting enough sleep.


• I had lunch with 2 awesome business leaders in our community this week.  I went over some of the leadership challenges and opportunities in our church and God used both of these people to speak truth into my life.  I am reminded that all truth is God's truth and that we can learn from anybody.


• I've been slacking with exercise lately and I feel it.


• Please PRAY BIG & BOLD this week for Stage 123!!  We have a huge opportunity to reach more people for Christ, to create another incredible environment for people to experience God & His church at work, to minister more effectively to the next generation, and to better serve our community.


• I love the adventure of following God!!

Tailgater!!

This Friday is one of the biggest local football games of the year:  Dalton vs. Calhoun, which effects our church as well (being one church in 2 locations: Dalton & Calhoun).  So we're pumped to have the opportunity to be part of a joint tailgater between the two Quarterback Clubs -- our very own Rock Bridge band will be playing during the pre-game festivities!!  Come on out and support your school, our young people, or just our church ... food, inflatables, and good music :)

Friday, August 29th starting around 4:45 pm at Harmon Field in Dalton!!

Stage 123 Pictures

Check out the latest pictures from Stage 123!!

Here's the schedule for Stage 123:

Wednesday, September 3rd:  Dalton First Wednesday Service (service starts at 6:30 pm)

Sunday, September 7th:  9:30 & 11:00 Worship Services

Sunday, September 7th:  6:30 pm Student Ministry Kick-off

Weekly Rundown (8.24.08)

Here's this week's recap:

• Some great conversations and discussions in our staff meetings on Tuesday.  We're discussing the basic question of "What makes Rock Bridge Rock Bridge?"  Who are we to our community? What would happen if Rock Bridge did not exist?  Very valuable discussions for us!  I've been asking people who don't attend Rock Bridge these same questions and it is pretty interesting to hear what they have to say.


• It's official --  Stage 123 opens Sunday, September 7th in Dalton!!!  (We'll also be in the Stage for First Wednesday in September.)


• Construction on the new ministry center is set to begin real soon!!


• The Olympics are now over ... back to normal sleep.


• The next 2 weeks are great for a political junky like me.


• Football on Friday and Saturday this week ... it's the most wonderful time of the year :)


• Student Ministry is rockin' right now at both campuses.


• Dalton Children Ministry is cramped for space as more and more children connect to Rock Bridge Kids ... Parents, thanks for your patience -- construction is underway!!  Also, to help our space problem, try coming at 9:30 am instead of 11:00 am.


• We finished our Domino series today.  Overall, I felt this was a good series for us as we prepare for what I believe is going to be an amazing season for our church.


• Had some church planters in our services today.  I am so excited about the movement of God to plant more churches here in America.  Just to keep up with the number of churches that close each year, we need to plant 3000+ churches a year.  Once you factor in population growth and the number of people who leave the church each year, the need to plant more churches or multi-sites is apparent.


• Shane Craven is planting in Ringgold in early 2008.  Jeff Murphy is planting in Columbus, GA in January 2009.  Praying for these guys, their launch teams, and the people God is calling them to reach!!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why has Rock Bridge Dalton chosen to stay downtown and not go out and just buy land?

(This question is asked mostly by those who do not go to Rock Bridge.)

The short answer is God brought us downtown and kept us downtown. In 2002 when we were preparing to launch we looked at meeting everywhere but downtown (Trade Center, 7th Day Adventist Church, a funeral home, a school theater).  The door closed on each potential meeting site and with a little over a week until our 1st scheduled preview service, we had no place to meet.  The newly renovated Wink Theatre was set to reopen at about the same time and we saw an update on its renovation in the newspaper so we called the owner and went to meet with him.  He said, "I can think of nothing better to be in here [the Wink] on Sunday mornings than a church."  We agreed on a price, shook hands (no signed contract), and Rock Bridge started in the Wink Theatre.

When we were about 2 years old we starting looking for land and/or other options for long-term property.  We inquired about 2 pieces of property.  One in particular was the old Lowe's building in Dalton (near the Shaw Offices).  We visited the property, consulted with several people, and prayed because this building had enormous potential.  But after a lot of prayer and wise counsel our leadership all believed it was a "No" from God and that for the time being we should stay downtown.  Then in the Spring of 2004 the Wink owner said he was interested in selling to us if we were interested ... which we were.  However, we prayed all summer, held a church "town hall" meeting to see where our church stood, and not until a consensus was reached through prayer and a church wide vote (97% in favor) did we purchase the Wink.

So bottom line is we are downtown because a door opened to get us downtown, doors have shut to keep us downtown, and most importantly, our prayers have revealed that God wants us to be in downtown Dalton.

If I Had It To Do Over Again ... (part 2)

If I had to start RBCC over again, here are some things I would want to do again:

Be foolish enough to do it.  I think you have to be a little foolish to start a church and trust that God will build His church (Matthew 16:18).  I'm thankful that we were "unwise" which gave God plenty of room to work!  According to the wisdom of church planting, you should ...

• Not meet in a space that will feel empty with 200 people in attendance.  We did ... in fact the Wink (lower level) was probably only a third full and we didn't use pipe and drape or close a single section and it felt empty ... except for I guess there was room for God to work!


• Have a worship leader.  We didn't.  In fact, we only had a keyboard and electric drum set.


• Have your technology nailed down.  We didn't.  We had a 10-year old 500 lumen projector with a bulb that had never been changed and we didn't have a replacement!  We projected onto a screen that looked like one we used when I was in 5th grade!


• Have excellent children spaces.  We didn't.  We used the upstairs lobby for nursery and dismissed k-5th graders to the theatre's dressing rooms which had no heat, and required going down a 2.5 foot hallway!

It's funny but knowing what I know now ... would we still have started our church on September 8, 2002 ... ? I ask myself that a lot ... but I sure am glad we did!!

Stress student ministry.  Lots of theories on this one but Beth & I decided from Day 1 that we were going after teenagers like crazy.  Everyone says do a great children's ministry from the Day 1 if you want young families to show up and/or come back.  However, some say wait on student ministry until you have more resources and leaders.  We didn't wait and now when college students are over at my house on fire for Jesus because they "had Rock Bridge" in high school ... I'm so glad we did Student Ministry from Day 1.  AND students bring their parents to church because most parents get excited when their teenager is excited about Jesus and His church ... as opposed to some other alternatives :)

Renew and repeat the vision regularly.  Somehow we just keep repeating our vision with regularity so that no one was too confused about why we started Rock Bridge: >50,000 unchurched (as of 2002) in Whitfield County alone.  We do a yearly "Vision Sunday" that renews our passion for connecting people to Christ and His community.

Let others get in on it and give stuff away.  We attracted a number of Christians who were looking for a church to bring their unchurched friends to and to be passionate about serving.  We quickly got many of them involved in key leadership roles, ministry teams, etc.  For example, much of the business (finances, property issues) of our church has always been handled by some amazing people who are not on our staff.  God has people prepared to come alongside and build His church through His people.  It takes people to reach people.  God sent us some amazing people who very quickly bought into the vision of RBCC and we have set them loose to do ministry ... and they have attacked that 50,000 number!!

If I Had It To Do Over Again ... (part 1)

Sometimes I'll catch myself thinking about if I could go back 6 years and start Rock Bridge all over then what would I want to do differently and what would I do the same??  I'll take two posts to answer this question.  Today, I'll start with if I had it to do over again, I would do these things differently:

Learn the lesson that praying is more important than preparation.  (In fact, prayer IS preparation).  There is no substitute for prayer and I've found in my life that what I thought was prayer was not what God means by prayer.  God promises to build His church and He says it shall be a house of prayer; therefore, we better ask Him to "teach us how to pray" ... I wish I had asked this question earlier.

Hire staff quicker as a catalyst for growth rather than as a response to growth.  We waited too long to hire some critical staff positions and several of us almost crashed from burnout.  I wish we had staffed small groups and worship from Day 1.  Worship and community are near and dear to God's heart.  And you should staff what you value ... or rather what God values ... because it is His church. 

Hang out with other pastors more often ... the encouragement from a peer is needed!  Just in the past 2 years have I really begun to meet other pastors/church planters.  God has used some amazing people to really bless, encourage, and speak truth to me that has in turn helped me become a better Christian, leader, and pastor.  I hope I can do the same for others.

Don't lose focus when criticized.  Starting a church in our hometown did not necessarily guarantee a warm homecoming for Beth & I.  I notice a lot of church planters end up with defensive spirits and act like a cornered rattlesnake because of the amount of criticism received from other Christians/churches.  I have felt myself getting that way at times but in the end God will build His church and so we answer to Him.  We are only here by the grace of God and accroding to the plan of God ... when I leave it at that I sleep a whole lot better :)

Weekly Rundown (8.17.08)

• Domino Part 3 today.  This is a challenging series (aka "stepping on toes") but I really believe God is preparing us as a church for some amazing things!


• Jeremy Owens did a great job leading worship today in Dalton.  He'll be leading worship at Stage 123 when that venue opens in a few weeks.


• We had two great kick-offs for our Calhoun & Dalton student ministry.  The student volunteers rock!!


• Great lunch this week with Shane Craven.  Shane has pastored in Dalton before and is now starting a church in Ringgold.  I'm pumped to have Shane here in NW Georgia and believe God is going to do some awesome things.


• GroupLink this week in Dalton and next month in Calhoun.


• I'm really encouraged by how strong our giving has been lately given the poor local economy. 


• We're planning a staff "working" retreat for mid-September.  God has really focused my prayers and thoughts on a few things that we need to work through together as a staff.


• God has given me some really BIG things to pray for right now.


• Georgia is #1 in the AP Poll ... we can enjoy it for 2 weeks :)


• The Olympics are so inspiring to me.  Plus, I love America and get really fired up when we win ... but I pay for it in the morning!!

Dealing with Criticism

One area that God has been speaking to me about lately is how to deal with criticism.  I guess I was a little surprised at the amount of criticism you receive as a church planter and as a pastor ... and any criticism against our church is against me because I love this church, helped start this church, and believe so much in the potential of this church (this means when a staff member, ministry, music, etc is criticized, I take it personally ... I've tried not to but it's like when someone criticizes a family member or close friend.)  So here's what I've been learning about dealing with criticism:

Any and all criticism is an opportunity for me to check my spirit and combat pride.  I am tempted to silence criticism, get defensive, and quit listening.  However, that response can lead to or indicate a prideful spirit and I am VERY AFRAID of pride in me.  So I try to ask God to search my spirit, examine my motives, AND if the criticism is valid ... receive it and act on it. (And YES, criticism can be valid and there is usually a reason for all criticism.)

Criticism can be a sign that people care.  I sit in meetings all Tuesday morning reviewing what is happening in our church and planning ahead.  I listen to our staff and leaders speak openly and honestly and sometimes critically.  But these people care about Jesus Christ, Rock Bridge, and God's work here.  Criticism from people who care and understand the vision of Rock Bridge is incredibly important to hear, receive, and respond to appropriately.  Criticism in this way can indicate high levels of ownership.  (Perry Noble has a great post on dealing with "tension" in the room during a meeting.)

Criticism is an opportunity to cast vision.  Criticism may reflect a lack of understanding and a desire to understand.  For example, we strongly discourage parents from bringing children (5th grade and under) into our adult service.  Some have interpreted this to mean that we are against children which could not be farther from the truth.  We explained that we have an incredible children's ministry that is safe, secure, fun and Jesus-packed, that children distract others in the service (including the preacher who does not use notes very much and can forget what he is saying when distracted), and that a huge part of our vision is providing relevant, age-appropriate environments ... then usually their criticisms are replaced with understanding and a level of appreciation.  Any and every criticism can be a great opportunity to cast vision!! 

Criticism can be a sign that people do not understand the vision.  I would love to think that we would have 100% buy-in to what we do ... but that has not happened yet and I am beginning to think it never will. Some people will never understand why I don't use the KJV, wear a suit, or why we use the music we use, or why we love small groups, or why we value technology.  And I have to be okay with that. 

Godly convictions and principles do not have to be defended.  This is the lesson of Daniel 3:16-18.  We do not have to defend obedience, matters that have been settled and bathed in prayer, and anything attached to God's glory.

Weekly Rundown (8.10.08)

• Great to have everyone starting to get back into the swing of church ... attendance at both campuses was strong as we continued our DOMINO series.


• This Friday afternoon I had nothing "scheduled" so I just spent some time with God in prayer.  It was rich with conviction and vision.  Let's just say my clarity and passion for this church and its direction are at an all-time high!!


• We kick-off our student ministry fall line-up this week at both campuses!!!


• I absolutely love the Olympics!  The men's 4 x 100m freestyle relay was the most unbelievable finish I've ever seen (check it out here) ... GO USA!!!


• Beth wants to go to China :)


• Went to downtown Chattanooga last night ... that is one of our favorite places to go, eat, walk around, and enjoy the beautiful Tennessee River scenery.


• Our volunteers rock!!


• Heard some amazing facts and figures on the multi-site movement going on across America (how much it costs to launch a site, average attendance, etc.) ... what is happening at Rock Bridge Calhoun is simply amazing!!  (Most sites are in major metro areas, average 350-400 people, and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to launch!)


• The launch of Stage 123 is coming real soon ... Jeremy Owens will be our worship leader over there and we're so excited about opening that venue!!  Please pray for Jeremy, for our Student Ministry, for Sunday worship services and for all God wants to do according to His plans and at His pace!!

How BIG are your prayers?

As we continue in our series DOMINO, I think we'll be challenged by the radical potential God have given us and wants to harvest for His purposes.  One of the greatest "potentials" any of us have is the privilege to pray. Here's a few questions that have spurred my thinking and praying:

• Are your prayers broad and general or specific and definite? (God knows the hairs on our heads and is excited about the details.)


• Are your prayers more about blessing and protecting you or blessing others and expanding God's love?


• Are your prayers a "one hit wonder" with God or do you pray consistently and persistently?


• Are your prayers part of your routine or part of your relationship with God?


• Are your prayers small and timid or big and bold?

FAQs

How is Rock Bridge structured or governed?

We like to use the phrase, Elder-guarded, staff led, and volunteer-driven to describe our structure.  I'll break down the 3 pieces below.

Elder-guarded:  The Elders function in 3 big roles: discerners, guardians, and shepherds.  The Elders meet monthly to review ministry and financial reports.  They help the Pastor discern the right direction for the church and help steward the church's resources.  Major strategic decisions are approved through the Elders such as legal transactions, real estate decisions, etc.

Staff-led:  The staff leads the church on a day-to-day basis and is free to make most ministry decisions as long as they are aligned with the church's vision and supported by our budget. 

Volunteer-driven:  Simply put the vast majority of what happens at Rock Bridge is because of our wonderful volunteers.  To me this is where the church is the church.  The Bible teaches in Ephesians 4 that staff is to empower and equip the church body to build up the church body.  This is our staff's more important job ... making sure our volunteers are free to serve, to bless, and to be blessed.

Elder Selection

When you read the New Testament you see that Paul started a bunch of churches but he always worked to establish elders in the individual churches (Titus 1:5 -- "...appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." ).  Since our beginning in 2002 we have had Elders who along with the staff oversee the direction and resources of the church.  The Elders' wisdom, prayers, encouragement, and accountability are invaluable to me and to the strategic direction of our church.

All that to say that the time has come for Elder selection at Rock Bridge.  7 of our 11 Elders have terms that expire in December (all seven are eligible to serve another 3-year term).  To be considered for the position of Elder, a person must be nominated by another church member.  So if you would like to nominate someone to be an Elder, please read the qualifications below and prayerfully submit a name to elderselection@rockbridge.cc, along with a brief statement as to why you think they should be considered.

Elder Qualifications:

• Titus 1:5-9


• Been a member of Rock Bridge for at least one-year


• Serve on a ministry team, participate in a small group, tithe


• Be nominated by another church member


• Be willing to serve as an Elder


• Go through a selection process headed by the pastor and other Elders


• Be affirmed by the church

The Rundown (8.3.08)

• Great kick-off to our DOMINO series today ... good crowds at both campuses with energy, good vibe, and a message that was hopefully both challenging AND encouraging.


• Great meetings this week on how our church needs to be organized, structured, and staffed to continue reaching more people for Christ. (Thanks Brad Leeper and Bryan Miles!)


• First Wednesday this week at BOTH campuses!!


• Georgia was ranked #1 in the Coaches' Poll (good sign??? OR kiss of death???)


• Went white water rafting on Monday down the Ocoee River.


• Our web site being down this long is unacceptable ... we'll be making some major changes soon, and I do apologize.


• Been watching Shark Week this week on Discovery ... those animals fascinate me.


• I may actually go to White Water in Atlanta tomorrow ... haven't been since high school.


• I think our staff needs to get away on a working retreat real soon.  There are a lot balls in the air and we need to make sure nothing is out of alignment and we're all laser focused on our vision.


• It's just really hot!!