Weekly Rundown (9.19.2010)

• From my heart: I really believe our church is on the verge of a greater manifestation of God. All I sense from God is to seek Him but wait for Him.  Please pray with me for our church to walk in step with God, glorify Christ, and depend radically on the Holy Spirit.  Please pray God's Word is honored like never before.


• New on Staff:
  
  
  
  • We hired Ben Honeycutt as a new part-time worship leader. Ben will be leading mostly in our student ministry but will lead occasionally during our adult weekend services.
  
  
  • We hired Kent Boyd (part-time) as our Student Production & Outreach leader.  Kent was in our FIRST youth group.
  
  
  • We hired Jarred Owens as our new IT Director.
  
  
  • Crazy but all of the above hires were replacement hires (We did split one full-time job into 2 part-time jobs)! Had several folks resign, move, etc over the summer and are just now filling their vacated positions.  I am thanking God for faithfully providing these individuals so quickly. They have all hit the ground running!!
  
  
  
  


• Celebrating & thanking Him:
  
  
  
  • For the 3rd straight year we have been named one of America's Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches!! We are #46 ... wow! But church is so much more than just the number of people attending ... how many are we sending? How many disciples are we making? Is God being glorified?
  
  
  • Baptism today was incredible ... God's grace, life change, God's glory ... does not get much better!!
    
    
    
    • Seeing our Calhoun Student Minister, Kurt Kessler, baptize his son was awesome!
    
    
    • Story after story of life change (overcoming pain, addiction, religion/legalism, etc.) ... wow!!
    
    
    • It never gets old to hear people proclaim Jesus as their Lord!!
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Missions: We continue to pursue local and global opportunities to partner and proclaim Christ.  I am so excited to learn of God's work that is occurring everywhere and in the most unlikely of places!
  
  
  
  • Good meeting this week with church planters in the greater Chattanooga area.
  
  
  • Hearing some interest about Rock Bridge going into Ringgold??!!??
  
  
  • Had a conversation this about Rock Bridge helping plant churches by equipping potential church leaders in IRAQ!!
  
  
  • Great discussion about incredible work in Whitfield County called, City of Refuge.  We might come alongside a few other churches to help meet real needs in our community.
  
  
  • We are continuing to press forward with doubling our missions budget/giving in 2011.  We are committed to investing this kingdom money in the wisest and most strategic ways possible.
  
  
  • These Scriptures are guiding my prayers regarding missions right now:
    
    
    
    • Isaiah 58
    
    
    • 2 Corinthians 9:9-11
    
    
    • 2 Corinthians 8:2-4
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  


• Preaching:
  
  
  
  • Follow Me: Part 2 -- I love preaching about the purpose, power, and potential of Christ's church!! Especially convicting is the thought that we have made the church more about our comfort than Jesus' cross. Especially exciting is that the church holds the "keys" to help reveal Christ to the world!!
  
  
  • Next week: Part 3 -- I was personally "rocked" during my preparation for this message. It is changing my Christian walk.  We'll be talking about a subject that can be easily misunderstood and is seemingly hard to apply.  The scripture for next week is John 14:12-27.
  
  
  
  


• What's going on?
  
  
  
  • Many of us continue to challenged by David Platt's book Radical.  You can get a copy in the lobby space of any of our worship venues.
  
  
  • Preparing to unveil new opportunities to pray through a 24-7 prayer initiative.
    
    
    
    • Pondering and praying about other ways to increase prayer in and through our church.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  • Our new Technical Director has been hired.  We can't announce anything yet until he has had a chance to talk with his current church ... but we are pumped!! This means Brian Holt will be moving into the Groups Pastor role in a few weeks.
  
  
  • We need to multiply, reproduce, & plant NEW small groups!!  We need to see a major breakthrough in this area.
  
  
  • Exciting to hear our new Children's Minister, Allen Bishop, share more of his thoughts and vision. Exciting possibilities on the horizon as we seek to enhance/improve an already amazing ministry in our church!!
  
  
  • Calhoun Campus is looking intently about leasing a building!!  God has been really manifesting Himself in that campus ... several salvations and "God-stories"!!
  
  
  • Asking this question a lot: Is there anything we are doing that is good, but keeping us from what is best?
  
  
  • PLEASE let us know if you have questions -- email justask@rockbridge.cc or my personal email is matt@rockbridge.cc.
  
  
  
  


• My life:
  
  
  
  • Love my family and being a dad!
  
  
  • Had to have my first (but definitely not last), "I made a mistake as your dad" conversation with Eyasu this week.  He understood and I think (?) he forgave me.  Being a father helps me see my sinfulness from another angle and gives me even more motivation to seek God's grace!
  
  
  • Georgia football ... ugh! Go Navy!!