When Disaster Strikes

The news from Oklahoma and Texas is horrible and difficult to bear. The tragic loss of life, especially the children in the elementary school, raises hard and gut-wrenching questions for all us. In times like these we pray for a faith that is bigger than our questions, and we thank God for a hope that is bigger than what a tornado can take away. We pray this hope can become real to the victims of this disaster.

As Christ-followers we are part of a Kingdom that is both here and is yet to come. What we witnessed yesterday was the groaning of creation for this Kingdom to come (see Romans 8:18-25). Jesus even predicted such occurrences would happen prior to the full consummation of His Kingdom (see Luke 21:11).

But now our response is to bear witness to the King we serve and the King we await.

• Let's all commit to praying for the victims that they may find and rest in the only hope that transcends this tragedy.


• Let's also pray for the first responders and relief organizations and churches that they may demonstrate the hope and love of Christ.


• Finally, as a church we are today donating thousands of dollars directly to the disaster relief efforts underway in Oklahoma. This is only possible because you faithfully give. Thank you for helping Rock Bridge respond quickly and generously in a way that prayerfully will meet practical life-giving needs in the days to come and offer hope for those in pain and grief.

Tragedies like these remind us that this broken world is not our home and that "here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:14, NIV). We thank God for this hope and anticipation while praying today, perhaps more than before, "Lord, Your Kingdom come."

Kingdom Giving

During Operation Advance we have an opportunity to make a "Kingdom investment" with our finances ... or should I say the finances God has given us "dominion" over. While giving away money is challenging and often scary, I want to encourage you that God is faithful to us when we are faithful to His kingdom causes. As we go through an honest, biblically guided, and faith-filled process, we can trust God to grow us closer to Him and shape us more in His likeness. Remember Jesus' teaching that "...where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). So as we invest "treasure" into the Kingdom, our heart will follow and become more Kingdom-oriented. Here are a few things to encourage you:

Watch the Operation Advance giving partners video that we showed during our services this weekend.

Include your spouse, children, small group, etc in the process of deciding what to give.


Always keep the Cross and the gift of God's Son in mind as you consider giving.

Our Elders and staff have already committed OVER $21,500.
⁶ Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly ... ⁹ Then the people rejoiced because of their leaders’ willingness to give, for they had given to the Lord with a whole heart. {I Chronicles 29:6-9, HCSB}

Be creative when thinking about how you can give.

• Eat out less and divert the money you would normally spend to the offering.


• Drink less coffee and cokes, giving the money you would spend to the offering.


• Seriously analyze your budget and spending to make long-term changes so you can be more generous.


• Consider how you can reduce driving (gas expenses).


• Look at your "standard of living" -- can you make changes so you can increase your "standard of giving" to the Kingdom?


• Finally, hold everything loosely. Look at your investments, savings, etc. etc. Give God a "1000% Yes" answer to "What's next?" for your finances.

There is great power in our church going through this together in unity. A few of us can make a small difference, but all together we can dramatically alter the dynamic and change the direction toward God's kingdom on several fronts by our sacrificial gift this month. Pray and listen. To God be the glory!

Instructions on how to give:

• You can give online at "MyRockBridge" by clicking here.


• Make a check payable to "Rock Bridge Community Church" and put "OPERATION ADVANCE" in the memo line.


• Put loose change in the large water bottles found in our lobby spaces at all campuses.


• We are encouraging everyone to give something over Palm Sunday weekend (March 21/24) but you can give earlier or later if you prefer.

Fasting 101

On Thursday as a church we are fasting together for the "advance" of God's kingdom IN us and THROUGH us. Here are a few thoughts on fasting along with an excellent web site that goes in more detail: "Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer" --

Why fast?

• To remind ourselves that we do not live on "bread" alone but ultimately upon God and His presence (Matthew 4:4; Psalm 73:26)


• Because certain spiritual victories only come through fasting (Matthew 17:21; Ezra 8:21)


• To heighten our sensitivity to God and His voice (Acts 13:2)

What should I fast from?

• Something that you will consciously miss:
  
  
  
  • A meal or several meals
  
  
  • The use of Facebook or the internet or other social media
  
  
  • TV
  
  
  • Cokes, coffee, caffeine, sugar, or even meat
  
  
  • Limiting your diet to fruits and vegetables and juices (this is a good option for a longer fast)
  
  
  
  

What do I do while I fast or when I miss what I am fasting from?

• By fasting you free attention and time to focus on the things of God (Colossians 3:1-3)


• When you feel the desire to eat or watch TV or check Facebook or whatever you are fasting from, instead turn to God in prayer, Scripture reading, or worship music

Remember fasting is about turning from something so you can turn to Someone--God.

Any advice if I am fasting from food?

• Drink plenty of fluids before and during your fast.


• Do not "gorge" yourself on food the day before.


• Get rest


• During your fast, slow your pace down (don't engage in strenuous physical activity for example).


• Have a plan for what will do when your body says, "Feed me". A few options are to drink water or juices, immediately turn to prayer and Bible reading, talk to other Christians who can help encourage you, etc.

 

Operation Advance and You!

So in yesterday's blog, we previewed our big initiative for this month called OPERATION ADVANCE. Part of the purpose and power of this movement is that we are doing this TOGETHER as a united body of believers for the cause of Christ's Kingdom. So please be willing to say "Yes" to as much as you possible can to join in the "advance"!

1) Be in a worship service every week. Consistency is key and experiencing God together is vitally important. Make every effort to attend services and don't forget about Rock Bridge PM (Thursdays at 6:30 pm) in Calhoun and Dalton if you're away on a weekend.

2) "Advance" with a small group. If you are in a small group, attend the group meetings and participate in your how your group is serving the community in March. Discuss together how God is working in you and growing your faith. Help each other advance the Kingdom!
If you'd like to find a small group, email info@rockbridge.cc.

3) However much you pray, pray some more. Commit now to giving God more time and attention in prayer. Participate in the 24/7 service (March 6-7) by coming to a campus for prayer. The prayer "advance" launches with 1st Wednesday on March 6th.

4) Pray for at least one person BY NAME that does not currently follow Jesus Christ. Ask God to open their eyes and heart to see Christ clearly and treasure Him passionately. Ask God to use you to help them see Christ.

5) Consider "fasting" for a portion of time to deepen your hunger and to feed solely off Christ. Whether it is one meal or 10 meals or fasting from TV or social media or the internet, consider giving up something and use the time to pray or be in God's Word. You'll be surprised how real God in you becomes.

6) How every much you give to the Kingdom, give some more. We are giving to several great causes from NW Georgia to the ends of the earth so prayerfully ask God to help you make a "kingdom-based" financial decision that glorifies His Name.
We'll officially collect the offering on Palm Sunday weekend (March 21/24) but you can give anytime in March and early April. You can also give online through MyRockBridge.

7) Be alert for Kingdom opportunities all around you and expect God to "advance" in you and through you. The Kingdom is moving and it moves through people like us who say "Yes" to God's advance!

A Prayer For Someone Without Christ

I pray we are all given opportunities to BUILD & BRING this week: build a relationship to bring to Christ. We open a new campus and start a new series for a new year this coming weekend. Great opportunity to INVITE someone to church with you. I want to share a prayer that you can use for someone you know that needs Jesus and/or a church home.

Lord God,

I know You are mighty to save because You saved me. Thank you for the gift, miracle, and joy of my salvation. However, I am also burdened for those who do not know You.  My heart's desire and prayer to You is that _____ might be saved  (Romans 10:1).

I pray that _____ could grasp how wide and long and high and deep Your love is -- and that they might be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from You, Lord (Eph. 3:18-19).

Father, enable me to work at bringing _____ to Christ. I know Your will for me is to share You with others but I'm fearful and weak so I start in prayer asking You to give me an opportunity (Colossians 4:3) to share Your love with _____ and invite him/her to church. Give me boldness to share the greatest news in all of eternity (Acts 4:29). Use me to open their eyes so that You may be clearly seen (Acts 26:17-18). Make Your work through Christ so comprehensible and clear to _____ and give him/her eyes to see the glory of the Gospel in Christ in their heart. (2 Cor. 4:6).

I pray this for the glory of Your Name and the advance of Your eternal kingdom!

AMEN.

Amazing: 4 Events, 4 Counties!

I haven't blogged since June; I want to end my blog "fast" with a simple "THANK YOU!" to our church for the incredible fall events.
We did four events in four counties over the past few days ... just to give something free and fun to the areas God has placed us; just to communicate that Rock Bridge is FOR the people, the families, the children of Gordon, Murray, Catoosa, and Whitfield counties; just to be a small reflection of Who Jesus is.

So THANK YOU ROCK BRIDGE: for giving (everything we did for the community was FREE ... like the gift of God described in Romans 6:23 and 2 Cor. 9:15); for serving; for inviting; and for ultimately, representing Christ!

Your Feedback

Our staff and elders are always asking ourselves tough questions related to the work God has called our church to do. We also look at prayer requests, listen to our small groups, pray, follow your God stories, and track a lot of data to examine effectiveness.
However, from time to time we have found it is useful just to send out a quick set of questions to get some direct feedback from you. So we'd appreciate your help by answering the questions found by clicking the link below. Thanks a bunch!

RBCC Feedback Questions

Our Unmet/Met Easter Goal

For the first time we set a numerical goal for our Easter services. We fell short of that goal by 46 people. We considered counting all the pregnant ladies as two (and in some cases three!) but decided against it :) However, while we did not meet the numerical goal, we met our greater goals --

• We wanted to intentionally invite and bring lots of guests (especially, unchurched/disconnected) to church this weekend to hear about Jesus. We blew that goal out of the water! So many first time guests were at RBCC, and we met so many people who had not been active in church for a long time.


• Additionally, we prayed hard for God to show up and be present in our services. And as always, God proved faithful. At least fifteen people indicated a decision to begin a new life in Christ and many more prayer requests indicated that the God's Spirit was actively stirring people's hearts.


• Finally, our volunteers rocked! So many served at multiple services and all of you who served represented Jesus! Thank you! We could not have done TEN SERVICES in THREE COUNTIES over FOUR DAYS without you!!

So glory to God ... but let's not stop! Let's encourage our guests to ...
-a) Return this weekend for part 2 of IDENTITY THEFT
-b) Connect to a small group or ministry team
-c) Keep taking steps in Jesus' direction ... walking with Him is worth it!!

Praying for people to CONNECT to CHRIST and His CHURCH for His GLORY!!

Easter 5K

Less than 2 weeks until Easter and this is the first time we've ever set an attendance goal except for our initial launch goal of 200 people back in September 2002!

The goal: 5000 people across NW Georgia hearing about Jesus and connecting to life in Him.
Why? God's renown (Isaiah 26:8)
How? God's people praying persistently and inviting & bringing people to church

1. We have multiple services and multiple campuses for people to attend: 10 services in 3 counties!!


2. Let your guest/friend choose which service and attend that service with them.


3. Help free up seats by attending Rock Bridge PM (Dalton) or a Saturday night service (Dalton/Calhoun).


4. We will be starting a new series on Easter weekend called, Identity Theft.

Short of planting a new church, one of the best things we can do to help grow God's church is to free up seats at optimal service times. This means we especially need seats available on the Sunday morning "popular" service times such as 9:30 and 11:00. Additionally, we'll need young families to help free up space in Children's Ministry by attending a non-traditional service time if at all possible.

However, if you bring a guest attend whichever service they want to attend -- guests are the priority!! And let's remember that the goal is for guests to do more than just attend -- we want to help them connect to Christ and His church! So pray for people to encounter God's presence and be drawn to Him!

Calhoun Service Times [Gordon Hills Shopping Center/old Piggly Wiggly (near Ford dealership, off Hwy 41)]
Saturday at 5:30 pm; Sunday at 8, 9:30, & 11:00

Chatsworth Service Times [Bagley Middle School]
Sunday at 10:30 am (we'll be ready to use the bleacher seating if needed ... let's need it!)

Dalton Service Times [Downtown Dalton]
Rock Bridge PM/Thursday at 6:30 pm (Stage 123)
Saturday at 5:30 pm (Wink Theatre only)
Sunday at 8:00 am (Stage 123 only)
Sunday at 9:30 & 11:00 am (Wink & Stage 123)

Message Recap: Delayed-Part 2

This weekend's question when we face a "delay": What am I supposed to do in the meantime?"

Psalm 25:1-9

• We must decide who is going to be "God" over our delay.
  
  
  
  • The first issue we must resolve is who we are going to trust (Psalm 25:1-2)
  
  
  • God gives us 2 incentives to trust Him (Psalm 25:3-4)
    
    
    
    • A promise to claim that those who wait on Him will not be disgraced
    
    
    • A warning to heed that short cutting God will prove costly
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Before we quit believing on God, we often quit waiting on God.
  
  
  
  


• Once we decide to trust God over our delay, we can seek to know Him better. Knowing Him is transforming.
  
  
  
  • God begins to work on our character, transforming us to Christ.
  
  
  • If all God wanted was a "happy ending", we'd all be in heaven now.
  
  
  • The process of waiting is the point of waiting.
    
    
    
    • What do we become while we wait.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Character transformation leads to course/path determination.
  
  
  
  • God speaks to us through our character that can recognize Him, His ways, and His will.
  
  
  • We can walk down a path with clarity, confidence, and courage.
  
  
  
  


• 4 Paths that we see through trusting God and letting Him transform our character in a delay:
  
  
  
  • When in the meantime, you need to grow. (2 Chronicles 34:1-4)
    
    
    
    • Josiah chose to grow into his position as King.
    
    
    • Growth means maturing, developing convictions, making pre-decisions, forming a theology, and going to deep with God.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • When in the meantime, you need to stay. (Genesis 16:1-4)
    
    
    
    • Abram & Sarai should have "stayed" and not taken matters into their own hands.
    
    
    • Staying means enduring with patience, not quitting, not running, and not falling for the "grass is greener" syndrome.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • When in the meantime, you need to go. (Joshua 10:7-10)
    
    
    
    • Joshua marched all night to receive the God-promised victory.
    
    
    • Go means we fight, we take responsibility, we march in God's direction, we do all we can while trusting God to do what He can.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • When you've messed up in the meantime, do the right thing right now. (John 19:38-40)
    
    
    
    • Nicodemus had been wrong all his life.
    
    
    • But after Jesus' death, Nicodemus got it right while the disciples ran in fear. He did the right thing.
    
    
    • His act of courage gave us irrefutable evidence of the death and resurrection.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Ultimately, what we do as we wait in trust on God is we give evidence like Nicodemus that the God we follow is alive!

The Rundown (3.13.2012)

Big stuff on the horizon as we head into Easter season --

• Disciple Now: March 23-25
  
  
  
  • 6th-12th graders
  
  
  • More information including registration information here
  
  
  
  


• Easter 5K: 5000 in worship over Easter weekend. How?!?
  
  
  
  • Multiple services: Thursday night, Saturday night, & Sunday morning
  
  
  • Multiple locations: Chatsworth, Calhoun, & Dalton
  
  
  • INVITE! INVITE! INVITE!
  
  
  • PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!
  
  
  
  


• NEW SERIES: Delayed -- what is happening when God makes us wait? Why does God allow things to go from bad to worse? How is God working when it feels (and looks) as if He is completely absent and inattentive?
  
  
  
  • Starts this weekend at ALL our campuses!
  
  
  
  

An on a lighter note, the Harlem Globetrotters are in town this coming Monday night at the NW GA Trade Center ... and yours truly is the "guest referee" (I wonder what will happen to me?)!

Weekend Recap

This weekend we talked vision and strategy at all our campuses. Because of the importance of this topic, here's a recap:

• We need to have the same definition of "church" as the Bible.
  
  
  
  • From Ephesians 1:20-3:10, we arrived at this definition: God's display of transforming "dead me" into a "living we" for a "watching they"
  
  
  
  
• This definition forces us to think of church as a mission, not a meeting. The church is God's demonstration community.




• When church is nothing more than a meeting of individuals, it is easy to excuse lack of participation and tolerance of sin.


• When church is a community on a mission with God, everyone is significant as a display of God's grace to make known the "immeasurable/incalculable" riches of Christ.




• Four things the "watching they" needs to see from us:




• They do not need to see us disqualify ourselves.
  
  
  
  • Because of fear and insecurity some sit on the sidelines which betrays the power of God's grace and resurrection in our lives.
  
  
  • Some fail to pursue holiness, and live in sin while claiming to be Christians. This mocks God's grace and says God is less than satisfying and His grace is less than sufficient.
    
    
    
    • To clear: Christians are not perfect but are called to pursue holiness and fight sinfulness
    
    
    • For those living in blatant and obvious sin, there are 3 choices:
      
      
      
      • 1-Stop it.
      
      
      • 2-Seek help. Fighting sin is often a community affair through confession & accountability.
      
      
      • 3-Stop claiming to be a Christian and consider you may be "dead" as described in Eph. 2:1
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• They need to see life.
  
  
  
  • The church proclaims life and displays life change through its members.
  
  
  • As a result, church should be exciting and full of passion.
  
  
  • We should expect to see people saved and baptized.
  
  
  • Worship should be an expression of passion and affection.
    
    
    
    • We should never appear to be "bored" with God's grace when the Bible says we will enjoy it for eternity.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• They need to see a strategy.
  
  
  
  • Without a strategy to church drifts into "me" mode (selfish, independent) or "me & we" mode (country club, clique-ish)
  
  
  • Our strategy:
    
    
    
    • We pray.
    
    
    • We proclaim Jesus when we gather (in large & small groups) and when we scatter (to our locations and vocations).
      
      
      
      • We invite. We talk about Jesus relationally and casually but intentionally displaying His grace to us.
      
      
      
      
    
    
    • We repeat.
    
    
    • We multiply.
      
      
      
      • Disciples. Small groups. Services. Campuses. Churches = Kingdom impact
      
      
      
      
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • Rock Bridge Easter goal: 5000 in worship!
    
    
    
    • Bring an unchurched friend with you.
    
    
    • Have a strategy to be involved in making Easter invitational and evangelical, not just traditional and cultural.
    
    
    • We need some people not to come on Sunday during optimal times (9:30/11:00) so we have room for guests.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• They need to see sacrifice.
  
  
  
  • My greatest fear as a pastor is we lose our sacrificial mindset.
  
  
  • We must resist the urge to be comfortable and complacent.
  
  
  • Sacrifice is always a tension between what feels safe vs. what God asks ... Go with God!
    
    
    
    • Take the mission trip. Make the ask. Serve with passion!
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

Bible Translation: Switching to HCSB

A few weeks ago I posted that we were prayerfully considering switching from using the NIV (1984) translation of the Bible. Our staff and Elders weighed in on using the English Standard Version (ESV) or the Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSB). We were basically split in our opinions and preferences; however, the decision was made to adopt the HCSB as the primary translation we will use for preaching and to offer this translation in our resource areas.

Why the switch from the NIV (1984)? With the release of the 2011 New International Version (NIV), the NIV-1984 will no longer be published. We felt a new and different translation was needed for 2 reasons:
#1--Since 1984 there have been improvements in scholarship and understanding of the ancient texts as well as changes in the English language. Therefore, an updated translation seems wise and timely.
#2--As a church, we are committed to the authority and inerrancy of the Scriptures.  We desire a translation to be accurate, understandable, and suitable for public reading.  We question some of the NIV-2011 accuracy related choices which then affects arriving at a correct understanding of the inspired writing of the biblical authors.

Why the HCSB?

1-The HCSB is primarily about accuracy and readability as their website states:
The HCSB, as a Bible translation project began for many reasons. One of the main reasons was accuracy. The HCSB translation team sought out from the beginning to render an accurate reading of the Bible from the Greek, Armaic, and Hebrew texts. Another reason was readability. Modern English continues to change with time, so the HCSB translation team set out to advance the Bible in up-to-date language that any reader can understand clearly.

2-The Name of God is given special significance in the HCSB to help us better understand how personal God is in His revelation of Himself to us as sinful creatures.

3-The HCSB is precise in its translation. From the HCSB website:
The word count of the original Hebrew and Greek texts in the standard critical editions is 545,202. The HCSB comes closer to this word count than other major translation ... the HCSB is able to convey the original texts in a more precise fashion.

4-The HCSB is suitable for public reading and reads in a clear manner that audiences can follow. As a preacher, this was the single greatest advantage of the HCSB over the ESV and some other translations.

5-The HCSB has some unique features that aid in understanding the original and intended meaning of the Holy Spirit-inspired authors. For example, the "Bullet Notes" feature offers great explanations of frequently used biblical terms.

On a final note, no translation is perfect in its attempts to accurately communicate the original meaning of the inspired writers. Using a variety of translations aids in understanding and provides greater insights into the Scriptures. I still read the NIV, NLT, ESV, the Message, the Amplified, and the KJV/NKJV. We love the Bible and the God of the Bible. However, we believe it is wise to have a standard translation used in our services that is accurate, readable, and understandable; for us and for now that is the HCSB.

Multi-Site: What We Are Learning

We've been a multi-site church for over 4 years now and it has been an exciting and challenging approach to reproduce congregations in other NW Georgia communities. I am a huge believer in church planting and the reproduction of healthy congregations. The simple mathematical fact is the current number of churches cannot keep up with the growth of the population and lostness of the U.S.
While there is a great effort to plant churches in our major cities and their suburbs, smaller towns are frequently not targeted by church planters. Some statistics show that smaller towns are nearly as unchurched as major cities. Additionally, small towns face serious "Gospel obstacles" such as legalism, traditionalism, ritualism, and "easy believe-ism" that potentially deceives people away from their real need of a saving relationship with Christ. Because our mission is to help reach and disciple people for Christ from here to the ends of the earth, we envision multiple sites being an ongoing part of our strategy and efforts to bring glory to Christ by fulfilling the Great Commission.
Here are some lessons we've learned along the way both from experience and from other churches:

We start sites as a mission of the church but expect sites to transition to being ON mission. New sites start with lots of support from other campuses as part of the church's overall strategy for missions. Over time the site transitions to an army for the Gospel in its specific community.

The goal is not to multiple preaching points or worship centers but a vibrant congregation of Christ-followers who form a "bridge" to connect others to life in Christ. In other words, it is not just about convenience and hearing the same sermon or experiencing worship; it is about being the church in a community.

Stay where you are; serve where you live; be Christ in your own community. The simple fact is most unchurched people will attend a church service close to where they live. The simple fact is the longer we drive to go to church, the less likely it is than an unchurched person will come with you. Christians are more effective worshipping and serving where they live.

Video teaching is not an issue, unless that is all there is. A church is so much more than the sermon and the preacher, but if a multiple site (or any church for that matter) is only ministering through the sermon and preacher, then the impact will be limited and less effective.

Christians must be challenged and led to think beyond their preference, convenience, and comfort. Multiplying sites and churches is not easy but it is worth it and it is necessary (see 1st paragraph). Christ commanded us to "ripple out" from where He sovereignly places us (Acts 1:8; Acts 17:26). This is an issue of leadership and vision that comes from Christ Himself.

Worship is the fuel and the goal. As we worship Jesus, our hearts begin to break for people who do not know Him. True worship fuels us to "go", to sacrifice, and to point others to Christ (see Isaiah 6:1-8). The goal: His glory through more worshippers. The more who worship Him, the more glory He receives ... and His glory is our ultimate mission!

The Problems We Pray For

2012 has started fast and furious (the way we like it!).  We've seen LOTS of guests coming and (just as important) coming back! Each weekend we are having multiple decisions for people to follow Christ and people are signing up to be baptized, to become members, to serve, to get in a small group, and in general, get connected to the Body of Christ at Rock Bridge.

When we experience rapid increases in attendance like the past 2 weeks, it can create problems ... good problems -- there are people everywhere! We pray for problems like this! We want MORE people in church because that means MORE potential for God to be worshipped, Christ to be followed, and people to be loved. However, we need your help to make sure we stay prepared for what God has planned. So here's what I'm asking:

1) Pray. Pray that God's presence is known through our services into people's hearts.

2) Put guests first. In Chatsworth, one extended family could not sit together because there were not enough empty seats!! We've had to add extra seats to Stage 123 the past two Sundays!!
Rock Bridge, you are bringing people to church with you ... AWESOME!!

• So be alert, be helpful to others, and be willing to ...
  
  
  
  • Sit closer to the front to make it easier on guests who may arrive later because they are unfamiliar with parking, children check-in, campus layout, etc
  
  
  • Sit somewhere differently than your preferred seat :)
  
  
  • Attend another service time or venue that might be less crowded
  
  
  
  

3) Follow-up with guests. I received an email this week from a church member who mentioned 4 new families to Rock Bridge and wanted to make sure we were following-up with them! That is dedication to connection, and connection is our mission!!

If someone comes to church because you invite them then please encourage them, thank them, and as they are ready point them to next steps of salvation, small groups, serving, membership, First Wednesday, etc. etc.
Let's all of us help connect people from all walks of life to life in Christ!!

4) Keep inviting. If someone you invited has not responded yet, don't give up ... keep inviting and keep praying. Ask God to give you boldness and opportunities to point people to Christ and bring people to church. God loves to answer that prayer!!

For the renown of Jesus Christ in NW GA!!

Confessing Praylessness

Today during our staff prayer time (what we are starting to call "Staff Chapel"), we read Jesus' rebuke of His disciples for doing ministry without prayer (see Mark 9:14-29) --

"This kind can come out by nothing but prayer ... " [Mark 9:29, HCSB]

Then we all confessed why we fail to pray as Jesus taught: busyness, fear of disappointment, selfishness, dullness, lack of love, impure motives, uncertainty about God ... it was convicting and powerful at the same time.
We even recounted God's favor and blessings on our church and asked ourselves, "What if we prayed as Jesus taught?" WOW! The fact that God ordains prayer as a primary means of accomplishing His will is mind boggling and mysterious, yet exciting and joyous. The fact that we could be missing aspects of God because we fail to pray ... it all drives us back to prayer.

So we resolved/repented together to "stop" praylessness and to pray like little children.

My sons ask relentlessly and boldly. They ask with expectation. They ask persistently. And even when we say "no" or "not now", they accept my explanations, and then ask for something else. Their asking is a sign of their trusting; their asking is a sign of their relying; their asking is honoring to Beth & I as their parents.
No wonder God wants the faith of a child ... and perhaps, the "prayerfulness" of a child too.

Ask. Listen. Seek. Hope. Expect. Ask again ... and again.

"So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”
[Luke 11:13, NLT]

10 Reasons to be Excited

10. Beth got an AMAZING report from her doctors in NYC this week. We are beyond grateful.

9.  You invited a BUNCH of new people last weekend -- we had record attendance for non-Easter services!
Now what?! Keep inviting, invite people BACK with you, tell them about small groups, 1st Wednesday, membership, serving on a team, etc. Don't let up because God's Word PROMISES to fulfill its purpose.

8.  Joy Switch Part 2 is this week! We will be in Philippians chapter 1.

7. You don't have to miss church if you work or are going to be out of town on Sunday! Why? Rock Bridge PM!

6.  We invested > $42,000 in local, national, and global missions this week!

5.  We've got some incredible videos, testimonies, and applications planned throughout Joy Switch ... don't miss church 'cause you don't know what you might be missing!

4.  Our church is reading the Bible together for 25 devotional readings during Joy Switch. There is power in focus & unity AND there is great power in God's Word. Like our eyes, the Bible helps us see, perceive, and enjoy spiritual beauty.

3. We are making progress to reach our goal of 125 small groups by 1/25; but we are not letting up!  If interesting in groups, email groups@rockbridge.cc

2. I love my church.

1. The tomb is empty!

Rock Bridge in 2012

A preview for our church in 2012 --

Renewed and rekindled efforts to "reach people"
Reaching people was the first core value we came up with as a church in 2002. It is why we exist. It's why we don't have dress codes, confusing worship services; it's why we started Rock Bridge PM; it's why we have multiple sites; it's why we invest in local and global missions; it's why we want to multiply and create new small groups (new spaces for new people); it's why we have multiple service times; it's why we have host teams/coffee teams ... it's also why Jesus came and what He commissioned the church to do.
**Would you pray for God to use you to help connect one person to Christ and His church in 2012?**
As long as one person does not know Jesus or have a church family, our mission is incomplete.

Intentional Efforts to Increase Serving in our Church
We are saved from our sins and saved to serve God. We want to make serving part of what it means to be a member of Rock Bridge. We want people to enjoy the significance of being used by God for His purposes. Don't be deceived into thinking God can't use you or that it is "someone else's job"! We need passionate and committed people to make Rock Bridge happen. The Gospel of Jesus Christ creates those servants (see Ephesians 2:10) and the Church's job is to mobilize them for significant service!
**Look for an announcement soon about "SERVO-LUTION" and we plan to strategically simplify and improve serving/volunteering.

10-year anniversary
We reach double digits this year!
We anticipate an all-campus worship service to celebrate and mark this time!!

New teaching translation for our church.
For 10-years we have used the New International Version (NIV) 1984 translation as the primary Bible for teaching. The publishers of the NIV have since come out with two revised translations: the  TNIV and the NIV 2011. The NIV 2011 is about 5% different than the 1984 translation. Changes in translations come as scholarship improves the understanding of ancient texts, archaeological findings provide more clarity, and technology enables greater collaboration among translators. Additionally, translators seek to ensure translations are able to be understood by people in today's world.

The challenge for our leadership and staff is that many of us are uncomfortable with some of the translation decisions made in the newer NIV versions. So when someone asks what type of Bible we use and then go buy that Bible, they get typically the 2011 NIV since the 1984 NIV is becoming less available and they also get a translation that is not as close to the original, inspired texts as we would hope. However, we do appreciate and value that there are now improved translations available since 1984.
We also remain firmly committed to the inerrancy of the Bible in its original manuscripts and value teaching from a translation that is as close as possible to those inspired texts but is also easy to read, understand, preach from, and memorize.

Right now, we are considering switching to either the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) or the English Standard Version (ESV). Both are excellent, committed to staying as close as possible to the original meaning of the inspired texts, and being readable in modern English.

Missions
We continue to strengthen our commitment to local and global missions. We are in the process of searching for a Missions Pastor to help further this commitment and expand our efforts to minister to people locally & globally in Jesus' Name.
We hope to take more trips overseas, partner to plant more churches, and look for opportunities to start future campuses in the coming year.

Radical Dependence
Finally, our resolve to live out the Core Value of Radical Dependence is as strong as every. If I survey my prayers for our church over the past several months, the overwhelming theme is that of reliance and dependence on the Holy Spirit. This dependence comes through death to self, repentance from sin, and prayer.
We are considering another 24/7 Prayer Service where prayer & worship are continual for an entire 24-hour day.
We realize that "apart from Christ" and His Spirit we can do nothing and in fact, come to nothing.

The Best is Yet to Come
I believe this with all my heart as I see in Scripture the overarching theme of hope that come from the promises of a faithful God whose love is steadfast. God is building His church, preparing His bride, saving the lost, rekindling the saved, using us as His ambassadors, and desiring us to expectantly wait, watch, pray, serve, and desire His presence.

So let's be expectant ...

Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us — to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. {Philippians 3:20-21}

Five Things to Remember This Week @ RBCC

1) Rock Bridge PM moves to Stage 123 this Thursday night @ 6:30 pm.
Please spread the word and tell people who work, travel, or otherwise don't/won't go to church on Sunday morning that Rock Bridge has a worship option for them.

2) We kick-off our new year series, JOY SWITCH, this weekend!!
Pray big, pray often, and pray bold for what God wants to do through this series!
Invite someone to church with you. Invite repeatedly and consistently. Don't give up ... God doesn't give up on us!

3) First Wednesday is THIS week!!
Start off 2012 with big prayers, passionate worship, and by remembering Christ's death through communion.

4) Be desperate for God.
Let's plead with God to demonstrate His power, declare His righteousness, and give us His grace this week and this year. We need Him more than ever. We need His unfailing love, His amazing grace, His mighty salvation, His holy presence ... we need Him. Ask God to use you, to use our church, to use our worship services, to use your small group ... to accomplish His purposes.

5) Be expectant.
Expectancy is faith in action ... and it honors God. Expectant people see God's hand and experience His presence. Abandon "do your duty", "check the box" religion. Forsake the tradition and the ritual of church for expectancy. See Him in His Word, His people, His creation, His Son, His Cross, His Spirit ... and let's be amazed THIS week at our God!

Making the Ask

Over and over again we hear that the #1 reason people first attend Rock Bridge is that they were invited!! Additionally, national research shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans are open and receptive to hear information about a church from a family member, friend, or neighbor. Historically, the new year represents a great opportunity to invite new people to church -- new year, new resolutions, new habits, and a new openness.  (We are also starting a new series, "The Joy Switch" on January 5th & 8th.)

A big reason why people should be invited to church is because seeing Christians interact with one another and with God in worship is a key factor the Holy Spirit often uses in drawing them to salvation (John 17:21; I Cor. 14:24-25).  People are starving to see real love  in action and need to see it in a first hand experience. The reality of experiencing biblical community & authentic worship in a church blows away the false ideas of Christianity that the enemy has planted in the mind of society.

I am praying BIG for lots of invitations to be offered and to be accepted ...

“Then the master told the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and lanes and make them come in, so that my house may be filled." {Luke 14:23}

Here are some suggestions for inviting people to church with you:

1-Pray for specific people (neighbor, co-worker, your cousin) and for specific opportunities (at work, the store, the gym).
2-Eliminate specific fears they may have:
--Fear of being singled out; worry about dress codes; fear of speaking; concerns about child care; confusing or irrelevant services
3-Invite repeatedly.
--Research shows it may take 6 or more times for the invitation to even be seriously considered!
4-Invite relationally.
--Offer to meet them somewhere before church so they can sit with you; take them out to eat after church. Keep it personal.
5-Remember could be at stake ...
--Their salvation? Having a church home & family? Understanding the full love of God? God's amazing grace?
--More glory to God when more people praise His Name!

Dear God,
We pray in Jesus' Name for Your house to be full. Put people on our minds and in our paths that need to see Jesus in us and need to encounter Him through Your body, the Church.  Give us great favor as we invite people to church in 2012. Let people see the love, grace, and superiority in Jesus. We are Your ambassadors, use us for Your purposes. Amen.