Picnic in the Park Day!

Today's post is an easy one... My lovely wife Emily is a great emailer. She just sent out an email to those we have on our email list about our first Ridge Church event, and it's a good one. So, here you go (links added by me).

"Hey guys!

I wanted to give everyone a heads up about The Ridge's first fun social thing! Saturday, August 23, from 12-3 (show up anytime you like) we are going to have a fun hang out time for people at Fountain City Park! It's B.Y.O.F. (Bring Your Own Food, haha)! We thought that might be easier since some people have kids and some are picky eaters, as are some adults! So, you can pack your own lunch or pick something up on your way here along Broadway, there are PLENTY of options! We will provide some additional beverages and dessert! We will have some fun activities for the kiddos, the playground is completely accessible and there's A LOT of space for a game of frisbee or football for the adults!

The goal is to meet people, get to know each other better, hang out and have a good time! It's a fairly low-key thing. Please feel free to invite your friends to come and hang out! So, bring a friend, some food, chair or a picnic cloth (we will try to get a pavilion, they are on a "first-come" basis) and hang out with us at Fountain City Park!

Don't forget to mark your calendars and we'll see you there!

Emily

P.S. If anyone is interested in helping out just email me at emily@ridgechurchknoxville.com or give me a call at 704.579.2022!"

Here's Some Baby Pictures...

OK, due to popular demand (or, due to the person who commented on a post asking for baby pictures!) here are a few ultrasound pics of our baby girl. Enjoy and have a great week!

By the way, don't forget our Ridge Church Information Meeting tomorrow evening if you're in Knoxville!

Ridge Church Value #2: Grace and Faith

Yes, it's true! Ridge Church does have more than one core value. (As a matter of fact, we have six!)

Our second core value is "Grace and Faith." Below is some information on our value of "Grace and Faith" from our Launch Proposal. (That's a document church planter dudes share with folks who are interested in supporting a church from afar with their prayers and finances, or supporting it locally by being part of it.)

We'll be sharing our Launch Proposal with everyone who comes to our Information Meeting on Monday the 28th at 7 pm at the Kroger Community Center in Halls. We'd love to have you come and learn about The Ridge and ask all the questions you want!

Here's what our Launch Proposal says about Grace and Faith:

"We believe that all people, especially those who do not already follow Christ, matter to God. They should be offered grace by the local church and actively and continually invited by Christians to place their faith in Christ and His Gospel."

There's always a little "unpacking" to do when someone says that some concept is a core value. For me personally, Grace and Faith are crucial.

When I was a younger believer, I was a very legalistic individual. I believed that even though I was a believer in Christ, there was a ton of stuff I had to do to please God, and those who didn't do the right things (or, conversely, did do the wrong things) weren't pleasing Him. Then, I kind of oversteered to the other side and spent some time believing that as long as folks believed in Christ, they could do pretty much whatever and God was cool with it. (Don't get me wrong, I thought that within good reason... You could say I just was very "anti-rules.") This is often called "antinomianism" in theological-speak. Here's a good definition of that word.

We believe that Christians and the local church must always offer God's grace to everyone with whom we come in contact by sharing the Gospel (or "Good News") of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. When those who aren't Christ-followers respond to God's call on their lives and accept God's gift of grace through faith in Jesus, they become Christ-followers and are adopted forever as part of God's family.

Of course, those who are Christ-followers sin or mess up daily in their lives. Often our difficulty is that we aren't willing to allow Christ to live through us as we selfishly attempt to control every aspect of our lives. But this doesn't mean that we are "losers", useless, or are not loved by God!

So often through the years, our churches have "shot our wounded"--people who are hurt or struggling with sin or pain or some other "issue"... At Ridge Church, that's not going to be the case!

At The Ridge, everyone who is not yet a believer in Christ will be showed God's grace and challenged to accept Christ in faith. Those who are already believers will be shown grace when they "mess up" and challenged to allow Christ to be the Lord of thier daily lives as they walk with Him in faith. Put another way: forgiveness, grace and love will be offered to all with one hand, and faith and discipline will be a challenge presented to all with the other hand.

As always, a blog is an imperfect place to share one's most theological thoughts... If you have questions about grace or faith, email me at kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com!

There are several verses in the Bible that support our value of Grace and Truth. Check out these: Acts 2:37-41, Matthew 18:21-35, Acts 8:26-40.

A Great Weekend and My Prayer Philosophy

Hope you all had a super weekend! I did...

I took Emily to Panther Creek State Park in Morristown, Tennessee for her birthday (Saturday was her "exact" birthday, which was cool). We hiked to the exact spot overlooking Cherokee Lake where I asked her to marry me 11 years ago. (The pic is from the Internet--just a representative shot!)

It was a great day! We went to Panther Creek quite a bit when we were students at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City. Of course, with Emily being pregnant, it was an interesting 2-mile hike in the heat, but we took plenty of water and everything was fine... It was beautiful and everything is a healthy green!

After changing into something a little nicer, we ate supper at El Sazon, our favorite Mexican restaurant while we were in college. (After 10 years of travel, I must say that nothing has beaten Campestre in Princeton, WV. It's the bomb! Cheap, wonderful food, great service, a nice new restaurant, and clean bathrooms! What more can you ask for? And in Southern West Virginia, no less!)

So, it was a good day. I hope your day was as nice as ours.

Today, I wanted to share a little about my "prayer philosophy." There are about as many ideas about prayer as there are well-meaning Christian folks. (That's alot!) My ideas about prayer used to be pretty simple: God is perfect and unchanging, so prayer doesn't change God, it just helps us to get "on the same page" with Him and is an opportunity to connect with God and worship Him.

Since Emily's been pregnant, though, I think I understand the depth of meaning in some biblical passages on prayer a little better. Don't worry, I haven't changed my mind on God's perfection or unchangableness, I believed I've just gained a greater appreciation for and a greater understanding of the biblical concept of prayer. (And, In case you haven't noticed, I'm always learning about more about both the Bible and God's nature... We all should be!)

When Jesus speaks in Luke 11, He is speaking for the Father (as He always does). As we talked about in an earlier post, God owns it all. The Luke 11 passage is obviously teaching that we are to be persistent in our prayers, and to ask God for good stuff--even if it's just stuff that we perceive is good in our imperfect humanity. God is "omni-sapient" (all-wise) and it's not a problem at all for Him to decide what we should have, and what is not so great for us to get our hands on. (See "Adam and Eve" for an idea of a seemingly-good thing that wasn't so good at all.)

As a father-to-be, I can far more easily see the comparison between earthly fathers and our Heavenly Father. Each is in a setting where they are able to offer wonderful things to their children. In God's case, the supply of blessings is unlimited! (In my case, not so much, but I can afford candy and some cool toys! Transformers action figures, anyone?)

However, each father also desires for their children to do the following (Disclaimer: this is my own list, you won't find it in any Bible passage, but I think you'll find it useful.):

• 1) really figure out what they want by themselves or with the help of others as a process of becoming more mature
• 2) think seriously about whether they really want it and if they're pretty sure it's a good thing to have
  
• 3) realize who has the goods and the power to provide them
• 4) actually humble themselves before their provider and honor them by asking for what they want
  
• 5) trust their provider (who has greater wisdom than they do) to judge the reasonableness of the request,

and finally,

• 6) appreciate the decision that their parent/our Heavenly Father makes in the matter, and be willing to have a good attitude regardless of the decision.

Of course, a post on the topic of prayer could go on forever. I have many more thoughts on prayer, and I'm sure you do too!

So, feel free to email me if you want to continue it at kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com or call me at 865.223.5851. Or, we can do coffee someplace! :)

A Little Voyage on the "Steward Ship" - Part 2

So, in continuing from yesterday's post, here are some Ridge Church guidelines that we believe fit well with Jesus' financial ethics:

1. A "tithe" of 10% of all regular donations and offerings given to Ridge Church will be set aside to support church planting and church planters.

2. We will set aside 5% of all Ridge Church donations and offerings for missions causes and missionary support, and a further 5% will be set aside for Ridge Church's savings fund.

3. The salaries of all Ridge Church staff members will be set and approved by an outside advisory team of trusted pastors (who are also members of the Acts29 Network) until we have our own local leadership in place (2 to 3 years probably). Then, the local elders of Ridge Church will set and approve salaries.

4. Our launch budget and operating budget will be approved by those same guys; again this will last until we have our own local leadership in place. (We are in the process of hammering out our relationship agreement with our outside advisory team. I'm pumped to be accountable to them and their wisdom! More info soon.)

5. I will never write checks for Ridge Church, nor will Emily. Right now, we have two volunteers who both must sign any Ridge Church checks. They are Sue Irving and Rose Stapleton. These fine ladies also process the financial donations for Ridge Church.

6. I will not count or handle the money we receive when we meet on Sundays, nor will Emily. We will have a volunteer team for that. My goal is to get as far away from the receiving of donated funds as possible! :)

A Ridge Church goal is to move toward full compliance with the best practices (PDF document) of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. They're an honorable and reputable organization. Their financial accountability standards are high and will take time for us to reach, but isn't God is worth full commitment in every phase of our lives? (That's an easy question...)

Finances really are a big deal in life... The good thing is that we don't have to worry about controlling our funds and be "all about the Benjamins." God says He owns it all, and Jesus talked quite a bit about money.

Mark 6:21 is a big Bible verse about cashola, and there are many others. You can use StudyLight.org (a really sweet FREE site) to find more Bible verses about pretty much anything! If you're looking for some ideas on handling your personal finances in a way that will honor God, please your spouse, and set a good example for your kids, I highly recommend these guys.

Until next time, have a great weekend!

A Little Voyage on the "Steward Ship" - Part 1

Hello! I've been working on this particular post for a while, since I think it's important stuff. I didn't know when the right time would be to share it, but I have a good reason today...

We just got set up with Google a couple days ago so that Ridge Church could receive online financial gifts. I even blogged about it. Unfortunately, there are some issues with Google's Merchant Services and it looks like they will keep us from processing gifts with them any more. (I gave twice to check out the service and it worked fine... What can you do?)

I'm not going to "hate" on Google, since I like Google, I use GMail, Google Reader, Google Apps, pretty much Google everything, and this blog isn't going to be a place to make angry comments about anyone or anything. I will give "props" but not criticisms. My belief is that criticism belongs in a personal conversation, preferably face-to-face. So, let me just say that we're exploring some other options for online giving, and we are committed to making giving easy for all of you who plan on financially supporting Ridge Church!

Fortunately, this ride on the "Steward Ship" won't be a "three-hour tour!" I just wanted to share a little bit about Ridge Church's financial philosophy. (It seems like that should be two "f" words or two "ph" words. English is weird that way.)

Anyway, there are a few "bullet points" that should serve to make our financial ideals clear. Since we are a "church plant" (a new church, from scratch, from the ground up) this kind of stuff is important to share clearly and publicly. We want to be people of the most reliable stewardship ethics. We serve a holy God, and He deserves our commitment to honoring Him with our funds. (If you think about it for very long, you'll realize it's all God's anyway.)

While the Bible is quite clear that greed is a very naughty thing that can lead to big personal issues, and it says alot about personal financial management, it doesn't tell the local church many specifics on how to spend its money! But, that doesn't mean that it's impossible to come up with some solid standards for churches in the realm of financial management.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about some simple Ridge Church guidelines that we are committed to and we believe fit well within the Bible's teachings on financial ethics.

Now, go enjoy your Friday night... Do something fun! :)

Ridge Church Info Meeting in Knoxville!

That's right, everyone. We're having our first "official" Ridge Church meeting in Knoxville on Monday, July 28th at 7 pm at the Kroger Community Center in Halls, and we hope you'll join us!

The address is 6943 B Maynardville Highway, Knoxville, TN 37918. The Kroger Community Center is right behind the Kobe Japanese Restaurant. Thanks to Kroger of Halls for allowing Ridge Church to use their facility free of charge!

This meeting will be an important one in the life of Ridge Church. We will take the time to share our "launch plan" and vision for our new church. We will talk about dates for having some hang-out activities so we can get to know each other and you can bring friends to check out "The Ridge." We will also introduce you to some fellow pastors from our church planting network, Acts29, who know Emily and me and are part of our advisory team.

There will be time for you to ask any questions you may have and get to know other people at the gathering. We will provide drinks and light snacks, so just plant to eat supper either before or after you come. The meeting should last about an hour. We will open the doors shortly before 7.

Please do us the favor of an RSVP so we know how many people to plan for. Just email Kevin at kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com or call 865.223.5851. Those are also great ways to contact Kevin if you'd like to get more information before you come.

See you soon!

Online Giving to Ridge Church Now Available!

Well, you asked for it, and it is here! You can now make tax-deductible financial support/donations to Ridge Church online!

It's simple. Just go to the bottom of this webpage and put the amount you want to donate to Ridge Church in the Online Donations box. Then click "donate" and follow the instructions on the webpage that comes up.

This awesome service is provided FREE to non-profits by Google Checkout. Google is a trustworthy company, and their transactions are secure. To donate this way, you will need a credit or debit card and a Google account. If you do not have a Google account, just follow the directions on how to get one. If you do have a Google account, just follow the directions to log in. If you don't have a credit or debit card, we can't help you there... :) Please send us a check instead!

When you donate to Ridge Church using this method, your funds will be automatically deposited into our operating account. You will receive a receipt from Google via email indicating that your transaction is complete. At the end of every month that you donate to Ridge Church, you will receive an email receipt from us indicating the amount of donations that we received from you that month.

At the end of January, you will receive a yearly statement for tax filing purposes. All gifts to Ridge Church are tax deductible to the extent of IRS regulations.

If you have any questions about online giving, please do not hesitate to ask via email to info@ridgechurchknoxville.com. You may also call Kevin at 865.223.5851.

Thanks for giving online as a way to make our paperwork easier... We hope it makes your life easier, too!

Ridge Church Value #1: Truth

As I mentioned in my last post, this week we will begin to share Ridge Church's values with you. Values are some of the most important things look for when you check out a church. There are so many churches out there, with so many programs and so many styles of worship, preaching, and teaching. But values are the things that really drive the leadership of a church (or any organization for that matter).

Aubrey Malphurs (who is a seminary professor and also works as a consultant to help churches with issues) wrote a book called "Planting Growing Churches." It's like a textbook on starting new churches. He defines a new church's values as "constant, passionate, biblical core beliefs that drive its ministry." I like this definition.

Ridge Church's first value is "Truth." Here's what we have to say about Truth:

"We believe that truth is found in the Bible. This truth (the Gospel) leads to new spiritual life in Christ and fulfillment in daily living; the Bible's truth must be taught honestly, effectively, and practically by the leaders of the church so that those who hear it can apply it to their lives."

One thing to note is that we have a firm belief in the validity and relevance of the Bible. We really do believe it is God's Word to people, and it's the most important information that's ever been communicated. This belief will guide us in all of Ridge Church's future paths.

There are several verses in the Bible that support our value of Truth. Check out these: John 1, John 14:6, 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

Ridge Church Info Meeting in Charlotte!

This Friday night, July 11th, Emily and I will be in Charlotte for the first information meeting about Ridge Church! We are going to share about the vision that God has given us for the Northeast Knoxville/Knox County, Tennessee area, what that means for us, the church planting process and timeline, and how you can be part of our support team. (Or maybe you can move to Knoxville and be part of our "on the ground" team!)

Bill and Margaret Branigan are graciously hosting our gathering at 7 pm at their home in Indian Trail. Anyone interested in supporting us and learning about Ridge Church is warmly invited! We won't keep you out all night--as a matter of fact, Emily and I will be in town through Sunday to visit.

All we ask is that you RSVP via email or phone so that the Branigans can be prepared for our crowd. If you need directions to the Branigans, just let me know. I want to respect their privacy and not list their home address here.

You can email me at kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com or call me at 704.579.2235 or Emily at 704.579.2022 to RSVP. (Yes, we're still in that wonderful two-year contract with Alltel.)

This week: a discussion of Ridge Church's six core values... Come back soon!

Our First Few Days in Knoxville!

Well, Emily and I are officially residents (again) of Knoxville, Tennessee!

Saturday, with the generous help of our summer interns and friends in West Virginia and our in-laws (Emily's parents) we moved our stuff out of our apartment and into our rental truck. Then, on Sunday afternoon, again with the help of friends and family, we moved into our new rental home in the Gibbs area of Knoxville. Thanks so much all of you who helped us!

Please mail us or call us at our new home! Our address is 7509 Lyle Bend Lane, Knoxville, TN 37918. Our cell phones will remain the best way to call us until December, when we are finally set free from our cell contract. Mine (Kevin's) is 704.579.2235, and Emily's is 704.579.2022. We have much better reception in Knoxville than we did in West Virginia...

On Saturday after emptying our our apartment, we took Emily's parents to the Exhibition Coal Mine in Pocahontas, Virginia. The mine is the first place coal was mined in the area, and it became a tourist destination years ago. (The coal seam is so big there that people used to be able to drive through the mine--it's now a walking tour.)

The big thing you realize when you visit the mine is how fortunate we are to live the way we do now. 100 years ago, 16% of all coal miners died in the mines. Working was dangerous and life was hard. Sometimes I think we should thank God simply for technological progress... Our lives are are a far cry from the lives of folks 100 years ago, in many good ways!

On Monday, our friends John Hightshoe and Maleigh York came to visit us. John was one of our students at Charlotte South Fellowship, and we have become friends with Maleigh as well. They stayed until Wednesday, and generously weaved in and out of our multiple moving boxes that were yet to be unpacked. We enjoyed visiting with them and hope to have more friends come see us soon!

The past couple of days have been spent humorously... driving around looking for free Wi-Fi in our area, since we don't have the Internet at the house until Tuesday. Fortunately, two excellent (but very different) places to eat offer free Wi-Fi: Krystal in Halls and Panera Bread of Fountain City. I like Panera Bread alot, and the people who work at the Fountain City location rock! But I have had a special connection with Krystals since I was a kid... I love those tiny little burgers of joy. Some may call them mean names, but I love 'em and I will eat 'em anytime I can. If you've never had a Krystal, you've really missed out!

Since it's July 4th, I wish you and yours a Happy Independence Day. In the spirit of the real meaning of the holiday, why not read the Declaration that made our country a reality? Hope you get to have a cookout or watch some fireworks too!

Simple and Secure Online Giving

Giving to Ridge Church is simple and secure!

We use PayPal as our donation processor. You can donate to Ridge Church anytime using a credit or debit card. Just click on the "donate" button on the right side of the website's homepage and filling out the secure PayPal form. You will receive a receipt from PayPal via email when the transaction is complete.

If you prefer writing checks, you can set up your Ridge Church donation to occur regularly via your online billpay service. This way, you won't forget about your donation or have to write checks and mail them anymore. All major banks now offer FREE online billpay with their checking accounts. It's great!

You will receive an email receipt from Ridge Church at the end of every quarter that you donate, regardless of your method of giving. Thank you for your support!