A Must Read Letter

For the past 2 years we have been privileged to support Dr. Rhett Shirley as a medical missionary to Kenya. Rhett's service on the mission field has ended and he and his family have returned to the U.S.

Here is a letter from Rhett that summarizes his missionary service and reminds us that God's glory drives us to go to the ends of the earth no matter the cost and no matter the circumstances because people matter to God.

Missions Letter from Rhett Shirley

Weekly Rundown (11.27.2011)

Been awhile since I've done a true rundown so here goes:

• We sponsored even MORE Compassion kids this weekend!! 400+++ and counting.
  
  
  
  • By reflecting the generosity of God and letting God's love flow through us, God is giving hope, food, and medical care to children all over the world! One life at a time is how Jesus' changes the world!
  
  
  
  


• Our 2012 Budget recommendation is ready. We'll take a few minutes during December's 1st Wednesday for a brief business meeting to act on this recommendation.
  
  
  
  • This budget reflects several priorities:
    
    
    
    • Increasing our missions giving
    
    
    • Budgeting for local outreach and evangelism efforts
    
    
    • Adding "margin" to our budget
    
    
    • Appropriately funding our core ministries: worship, groups/discipleship, students, and children
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Here are the dates we know for 2012 Mission trips:
  
  
  
  • Honduras (digging a well): May 19-26 & October 6-13
  
  
  • Ukraine (evangelism; Bible study): July 13-21
  
  
  
  


• Main idea from today's sermon:
  
  
  
  • Point of Surrender: To give the Word of God more authority than my past experiences, present feelings, future expectations, and natural tendencies.
  
  
  
  


• Continue to pray for people who are out of church and/or missing life in Christ. Ask God for opportunities to invite and share God's love and for the boldness to seize them!!

2012 Budget Recommendation

At our next First Wednesday service (December 7th), we will have a brief business meeting as required by our Bylaws. At this meeting we will present the 2012 Budget recommendation for approval by the Church's membership.
Additionally, we hope to present Elder candidates for approval and affirmation. The Elder Selection Team is continuing to review and interview prospective elders.

Please click the link below to review the 2012 Budget recommendations. If you have any questions, please contact any of the following individuals or email - justask@rockbridge.cc.

Rock Bridge Stewardship Team:
*Frank Hogshead, Chair
*Pete Scarborough
*Chris Simuro
*Jason Hopkins
*Alfred Turley, Executive Pastor (alfred@rockbridge.cc)

Rock Bridge Church Administrator:
*Brenda McClure (brenda@rockbridge.cc)

2012 Budget Recommendation

400!!

This weekend was OF God!!

Rock Bridge,
The heart of God flowed through you as 400 children were sponsored during Compassion Weekend!! Only by responding to the Gospel and the radical generosity of God is this possible!! This means 400 children will have food, water, medical care, and exposure to the Gospel.  400 children will soon learn that someone from northwest Georgia is loving them and praying for them.
PRAISE GOD!

Let me share two other reasons why this weekend is OF God --
First, Compassion International used our average attendance and the historical response of other churches to determine the number of packets to give us so that  we would not run out of children to sponsor. Guess what?!?!?
We sponsored ALL of the children we were given!! The response exceeded expectations ... but that is what the Gospel creates: new hearts that overflow with the generous, sacrificial love of God (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)!!
Second, in the middle of a terrible recession Rock Bridgers will be giving over $182,000 per year to meet the needs of children all over the world!!

All I can say is "To God be the glory!!"

Extra Scenes

This weekend's message was a "vision" message and because I get so passionate about that subject I usually don't have time to cover everything.  I want to provide some of the "extra" scenes that did not make this weekend's message --

Gospel Partnerships
We not only want to faithful in Gospel proclamation but also forging Gospel partnerships.  The truth is that no person or church can be as effective in pursuing the mission of God without partnering strategically with other likeminded organizations, individuals, and churches.
*Next year we hope to partner and help plant churches in Statesboro, south Atlanta (Clayton County), and Chattanooga.
*This year we partnered with over ten agencies in our three county area (Gordon, Murray, & Whitfield) to meet needs in Jesus' Name.
*Globally, we are partnering with organizations to take care of orphans, plant churches, dig wells, and care for impoverished children.

Multiplication
God's Kingdom spreads through multiplication. This is how the church left Jerusalem and spread outward. God's love and the message of the Cross has that impact.  We called it "flow" in the message.  God's love and message of salvation flows from one person to another as a natural effect of the Holy Spirit's influence in a Christian. God's love cannot be contained or isolated but it longs to be multiplied.
This multiplication or "flow" happens among individuals, in groups, in communities, and ultimately all over the world. This explains our church's growth and our multi-site strategy to helping NW Georgia know the Jesus of the Bible.

Lifeboats
Lifeboat #14 off the Titanic chose to risk all to save some while the other half-empty life boats rowed away from the cries of the drowning. Churches, Christians, and small groups are to be life boats, not pleasure boats. As a lifeboat, we adopt the mentality that if we don't, no one else will. If we don't invite people to see Jesus in us and in our church, then who will? We don't even wait for the answer ... we stay on mission with God:  "For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost." {Luke 19:10}

Worship Evangelism
The example you set in worship matters!! When you worship in the freedom and passion of the Holy Spirit, you are adding to the Holy Spirit's "presence" in the service AND non-believers are watching your example.

Wrap-up
I am unbelievably excited about God's hand in our church. I heard a story this week of a person who invited FORTY people to church!! 40!! People are dealing with sin and fightings its effects. Lost and un-churched people ARE at our services EVERY week (praise God!).  Our small groups are being mission-minded, building relationships, and contemplating birthing new groups for new people in new areas. We are working to hire a Missions Pastor by the first part of 2012 to further advance our local and global efforts to meet needs and share Christ.  So let's keep praying, keep growing, and keep multiplying the Name of Jesus!