Responding to the Storms

The devastation in our area is tremendous from the storms that ripped through NW Georgia.  While much of Whitfield, Murray, and Gordon County was spared, our neighboring communities were not.   So this is a "Good Samaritan moment" for our church to meet needs in Jesus' Name and to be His hands, feet, and face to our hurting friends.

Our staff has been working fervently to develop an action plan and many of you have called asking what can be done.  We are in communication with area churches, the Red Cross, as well as the "Rock Bridgers" who live in Catoosa County (as far as we know they are ok physically).  Please know that as of now most of the affected area is closed to everyone but emergency personnel.

Pray. We can immediately ask God's presence and Holy Spirit to touch people supernaturally with His grace, comfort, and strength.

Supplies: Our church is serving as a collection point for the Red Cross.  You can bring items to the church office on the corner of Hamilton and Gordon Streets OR to any lobby space at any Rock Bridge venue during our weekend services. Right now the needs are:

• Hand sanitizer


• Feminine products


• Toilet paper


• Paper towels


• Wipes


• Bottled water


• Flashlights


• Tents and tarps

Financial Assistance: We will be giving from our missions budget.  We are still working out details of how best to give.  If you do wish to give additional money, you can make checks out to "Rock Bridge Community Church" and write  "Storm Relief" in the memo line.

What You Don't See

Watching ducks can be a fairly peaceful and entertaining experience. They are beautiful, naturals in the water, and can twist their necks almost 360 degrees (which is a skill I'd like to have).  However, what we normally don't see is below the surface of the water where ducks' feet are pretty busy "paddling".  In other words, "there is more than meets the eye" to a duck; it takes more than what we see to make a duck ... well, a duck.

This is especially true in a local church.  We see preachers and singers. We see buildings and bulletins.  But just like our friend the duck, it takes (way) more to make a church ... well, a church.

What most people don't see are the people who prepare the bulletins, pick-up the trash, mix the sound, manage the lighting controls, run the computers, pray during the services, make the volunteer schedules, put out the signs, check the batteries in the microphones, call the first-time guests, send out letters, count the offering, make meals for the sick and bereaved, visit the sick, teach the children, change the diapers (I know my son's can be particularly nasty, sorry), hang out with the teenagers, check the toilets (and toilet paper), lead the small groups, organize the prayer requests, send out the prayer list, answer the phones ... you get the idea.

So I want to acknowledge and thank those members of the church that we don't normally see, encourage, or appreciate. Thank you for making the church function.  Thank you for doing what needs to be done with grace, humility, and excellence. Thank you for giving without expecting. Thank you for serving without selfishness.  What would we be without you??  One thing is for sure, we would not be a church. So ...
thank you for BEING the church!

Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
Romans 12:4-5 {NLT}

 

Monday "Randomness" and An Update on Beth

• Always love hearing follow-up stories from Easter weekend.  Praise God for life change, for people returning to Him, for passion rekindled, for Good News proclaimed and received!!


• Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this weekend happen.
  
  
  
  • I also want to thank our amazing staff team ... your passion, work ethic, love for Christ and His church is a testimony to the worth of our great God. I love serving Him with each of you!!
  
  
  
  


• Got to baptize my niece Saturday ... very special.


• Praying for God to use our next series, Modern Family. It starts THIS weekend. Who will you bring with you?!?

An Update on Beth:
The Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is still present and problematic. Beth will continue to receive treatment this week in hopes that real progress is made by Friday.  This virus is obviously a very real obstacle and complication in Beth's recovery.  We would very much appreciate specific prayers against EBV, for full recovery, and just for rest.
Because EBV continues to linger and complicate things, we we have postponed the boys' trip to NYC (rats!).

HE IS RISEN! HE IS ALIVE!

 

 

Today

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="The Today Show Studio at Rockefeller Plaza in NYC"][/caption]

I have always enjoyed watching NBC's Today Show.  I would watch it before going to school after I watched Inspector Gadget or, as I matured, The Three Stooges.
But I always anticipated the 7:00 am introduction to the Today Show as the host would summarize the major news story they were covering and seque into a dramatic ending of "... Today, [the date]." The impression: major things happen every day; every day is full of news, promise, and pain.

In fact, today is the only day we have -- to live for God, to love our families, to treat people right, to make things right, to seize opportunities, and in essence, to live.

Martin Luther used to say, "There are only two days on my calender -- this day and that day."
"This day" refers to today.  "That day" is the day we stand before the Lord to give an account of how we used the "todays" He gave us.

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 [NIV]

Weekly Rundown (4.16.2011)

• Update on Beth:  The "EB Virus" is back.  Mid-week revealed positive tests for EB with symptoms showing in Beth's throat area. Further scans showed the virus had spread to some areas in her abdomen so the doctors quickly began treatment.  We initially thought her tonsils were going to be removed but since the virus had spread to other areas, surgery would not have eliminated the virus ... so no surgery, just treatment with some high-powered medicine.
  
  
  
  • I fly my first "red eye" flight to get back to NYC by Friday morning since (at the time) we thought the tonsil surgery could have been Friday ... no surgery (good news), I got "upgraded" to First Class (good news), and EB levels in Beth's blood work have already started decreasing (great news).
  
  
  
  


• Preaching this series on the Cross has completely rocked me personally.  Understanding the Cross is foundational to who we are as Christ-followers and to Who God is.  I'm praying God's Spirit is moving inside all of us to anchor us in the glorious truths of the Cross!
  
  
  
  • This weekend we looked at 4 words to describe what happened on the Cross and what results can happen because of the Cross: substitue, ransom, justify, & adopted.
  
  
  
  


• It's EASTER WEEK!!!
  
  
  
  • Good Friday service: 6:30 pm in the Wink Theatre (Dalton), child care is provided.
  
  
  • The Dalton Campus has added an 8:00 am service on Easter Sunday in Stage 123.
  
  
  • Pray for God's Spirit to move; pray for God to draw people to Him!!
  
  
  
  


• Oasis Event for students (6th-12th grades) runs this week (Sunday-Tuesday), starting at 6:30 in the Wink Theatre.


• Have a great week as we celebrate the GREATEST FACT with the MOST AMAZING implications: the resurrection of Jesus Christ!!

Update on Beth

Beth had the 90 day post-transplant bone marrow biopsy last week and the results are great!! Leukemia is in remission and the new marrow looks good.

However, the Epstein-Barr virus continues to linger, mainly in Beth's throat area.  As a result, the doctors want to do another PET Scan to make sure the virus has not spread to any other areas of her body and then surgically remove her tonsils since this is where the virus seems to be "lodging".  We think the surgery will be either Friday or Monday.

We may have to postpone the boys' trip to NYC as Beth recovers from surgery.

Your prayers are appreciated greatly--

• Thank God with us for the positive biopsy and the absence of leukemia in Beth's marrow/blood.


• Seek His sovereign protection and grace to fend off the EB virus.


• Ask for safety and success during surgery ... and for a speedy recovery!

 

Weekly Rundown (4.10.11)

• Started new series this weekend focused on the Cross -- there's a reason we sing "O the wonderful Cross".
  
  
  
  • No Christianity, no Christians, no heaven, and no way we can know God without the Cross.
  
  
  
  


• Be sure to pray for our team in Haiti this week.


• Praying for our church to become more ethnically diverse like our community is and like heaven will be (see Revelation 7:9). Several signs of movement in this area: exciting conversations, number of first-time guests, etc.
  
  
  
  • God is glorified with how His worth creates unity from diversity.
  
  
  
  


• I love hearing the story of the "this guy will never change ... [from being a hell-bound, selfish, sinner]" become the "This guy was radically saved by God!" Heard 2 such stories this week!
  
  
  
  • "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes ..." [Romans 1:16a]
  
  
  
  


• I love reading Andrew Murray.


• Beth is doing well (thanks so much for always asking and continually praying).  She is fighting and winning, still fighting but winning.
  
  
  
  • EB Virus is "detectable" in her system but below the point of her testing "positive" for it. Please pray her own immune system fights this off successfully.
  
  
  • Praying for T-Cells to increase.
  
  
  • Pray for our friend Edwin who is still hospitalized but doing better.
  
  
  • Pray for the family and friends of John Hanna who passed away recently after battling Fanconi-related head and neck cancer.
  
  
  
  


• John 6:29

GLOCAL Christians

From a Shaw truck right outside our apartment in NYC to an abundance of Coca-Cola in often drought-stricken Ethiopia, our world is smaller and more connected than ever.  We experience this emotionally when we see images of suffering in Japan.  We experience this economically when Middle East unrest causes “pain at the pump” at home.  We are more aware and more affected by global events. As Christ-followers, what is our response? What does this mean for us?

The story of the Good Samaritan reminds us that AWARENESS + ABILITY = RESPONSIBILITY.

When we are aware of a need or issue and have the ability to meet that need, then we must respond … it is our responsibility, and it is part of our God-given mission.  Once we overcome the temptation of apathy (indifference), then we can easily step into action … because (thanks be to God) we do have the ability to make a difference.



 

PRAYER: Long ago God ordained prayer as how we talk to Him and ask for His grace to be targeted to our needs.  Prayer is like a walkie-talkie that we use to call in heavenly strikes of sufficient grace.  Long before airplanes and the web gave us the ability to send resources and people to areas of need, God called us to pray … and He promises to respond.

The Missions section of our web site lists people groups that have yet to be impacted by the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Joshua Project is a great tool for learning about unreached people groups. The daily news cycle makes us aware of needs that we can respond to simply through prayer.

GIVING: How we steward money says a lot about what we think of our “Good Samaritan” responsibility.  Today, you can send a text message and immediately donate to reputable organizations meeting needs in Jesus’ Name.  The local church holds the biblical distinction of being the primary storehouse AND clearinghouse for collecting and distributing need-meeting, Christ-exalting resources.

GOING: All of us can “go” with the Gospel into our neighborhoods, workplace, and areas of social interaction.  Some of us can “go” on trips.  All of us should be open to God’s leading … and He will lead all of His followers to “go” in some way.

GLOCAL: Thanks to God we, more than any other generation, can overcome geographic limitations to be difference makers through the Gospel. So just as Shaw and Coke are with their products, let’s be “glocal” [local + global] with Christianity … and never forget--our product is best!!



 

Weekly Rundown (4.3.2011)

• Big summer opportunity coming up for area children: Camp Winshape!! Sign-up now!!


• Lots of Christ-exalting stuff happening through Rock Bridge missions:
  
  
  
  • Haiti trip this month
  
  
  • Honduras trip in May
  
  
  • Ethiopia trip in June
  
  
  • Also, the part of the money our church gave this past December will fund the training of church planters in Iraq THIS month!!
  
  
  
  


• Starting new series next week focusing on the Cross ... cannot wait for God to honor His Word, glorify His Son, and bless His people!!


• The new building for our Calhoun Campus is going to be incredible and give us incredible opportunities to proclaim Christ, build community, and be more effective in our mission.  Praising God for His favor and the privilege of stewarding His Gospel.


• Our local area still has unemployment around 12-13% which is much higher than the national average.
  
  
  
  • If you are out-of-work, and need help PLEASE let your church family know so we BE the church!!
  
  
  • Let's pray for people to find jobs and for our economy to grow stronger.
  
  
  
  


• The doctors gave us permission to bring the boys up to see Beth!! Tickets already booked for early May. Ethiopia invasion of the Big Apple!  It will have been 5 months since Beth has seen Eyasu & Abreham ... Mommy can't wait :)