This has been a weird last week or so... Banks failing and people losing their homes. Accusations of lying, stealing, and corruption at the highest levels of corporations and government. Inflation (or maybe deflation), oil prices, lending rates, lack of liquidity in lending, debt, and repossession.
So much stuff is going on that it's hard to get your hands around the problem to figure out what to do about it. Such is the way things go when money becomes a problem.
Maybe the only good thing in all this is that we have some simple principles from God that we can follow to help us with how we deal with money.
In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God speaks about the evil of corruption (Proverbs 15:27) and the dangers of chasing after wealth. (1 Timothy 6:9-10)
In a crucial discussion of wealth and money, Jesus told us about the importance of spiritual wealth and the shortcomings of greed and material wealth. (Luke 12:13-21) He then goes on to share about how much God loves us and how we don't need to worry about material things... There are more important things for us to be concerned with, like following God. (Luke 12:22-31)
The Bible has much more to say about money, stewardship, giving, and everything about living life in a way that is both enjoyable and brings honor to Him.
For more info at a great website, check out Crown Financial Ministries. It's a great place to start exploring ways God can give you financial peace and contentment, and take away worry and concern!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
An important request...
Hey, everybody. I'd like to deviate from the values discussion we've had lately and focus on something that's much different. I want to ask you to pray for my brother's wife Tina.
She just gave birth last week to their third child, and had been dealing with some type of mass in her nasal cavity for awhile during the pregnancy. She's been having horrible headaches. Doctors ran a scan on her this week soon after delivery and are very concerned about the nasal cavity mass and another one they found in different location in her brain.
My brother Keith is in the Army, so Tina's doctor is attempting to help them get a referral outside the Army system, in the expert civilian hospital community. Whatever is done as a treatment, it will be difficult, since surgery in the facial and brain area is never easy.
My brother is stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX (a long way from our family already) and is due to ship overseas to Kuwait early next year for 12 months. So, there is even more drama in this whole thing.
Please join me, Emily, and the rest of my family in praying for Tina, my brother Keith, and their kids Jeremiah, Aiden, and little Isobel. This is a super-trying time for them and they need God to show up in their lives on this!
Please pray that this issue turns out to be something small and easily-fixable or that God provides healing outright for Tina. Please pray that God would comfort Tina and Keith, and help them to comfort the kids. Please pray that God would give them strength to face this difficult time and that He would show His grace to them and draw them close to Him.
Thank you for praying! I will keep you updated.
She just gave birth last week to their third child, and had been dealing with some type of mass in her nasal cavity for awhile during the pregnancy. She's been having horrible headaches. Doctors ran a scan on her this week soon after delivery and are very concerned about the nasal cavity mass and another one they found in different location in her brain.
My brother Keith is in the Army, so Tina's doctor is attempting to help them get a referral outside the Army system, in the expert civilian hospital community. Whatever is done as a treatment, it will be difficult, since surgery in the facial and brain area is never easy.
My brother is stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso, TX (a long way from our family already) and is due to ship overseas to Kuwait early next year for 12 months. So, there is even more drama in this whole thing.
Please join me, Emily, and the rest of my family in praying for Tina, my brother Keith, and their kids Jeremiah, Aiden, and little Isobel. This is a super-trying time for them and they need God to show up in their lives on this!
Please pray that this issue turns out to be something small and easily-fixable or that God provides healing outright for Tina. Please pray that God would comfort Tina and Keith, and help them to comfort the kids. Please pray that God would give them strength to face this difficult time and that He would show His grace to them and draw them close to Him.
Thank you for praying! I will keep you updated.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Ridge Church Value #4: Serving Others
The fourth core value of Ridge Church is "Serving Others."
Here's what our Launch Proposal says about Serving Others:
"We believe that serving others is a natural lifestyle of committed believers in Christ. Christ-followers should seek to serve both those we encounter in our community and those at the far ends of the earth as a means of sharing the Gospel with all people."
This value flows forward from our third value, Community. There is one very foundational difference between the two values, however. We use the words "serving others" instead of just the word "serving" because our fourth value, Serving, is not aimed at those who are already part of our church or fellowship.
Serving Others means serving those outside of our current group, church, or fellowship (you pick the word you like best). Serving Others means serving people in our neighborhoods, communities, schools, and workplaces. It means serving those in other cities, states, and countries. It is a way to show the world that those who follow Christ care about them, love them, and are representatives of Jesus Christ. It is a way to bring the truth of the Gospel to ears who have learned that they can trust us.
It is important to remember, however, that Community and Serving Others are related. Those who are part of the Ridge Church family should serve each other; we should just remember that serving each other and Serving Others are two different and equally valid expressions of love. One is love for a brother or sister who is in Christ with us, the other is love for a neighbor or friend who may not know Christ. Matthew 20:25-28 links the serving found in our value of Community and the serving found in our value of Serving Others very well.
Proverbs 14:21, Matthew 28:19-20, Isaiah 49:6, Acts 1:8 are just a few of the many verses that support our value of Serving Others.
We have a great opportunity for you to practice this Ridge Church value next weekend! We are helping to set up the new Knox Area Rescue Ministries Thrift Store at 314 Merchants Drive (the shopping center with Outback Steakhouse and the Mandarin House restaurant) on Saturday, September 27 from 12 to 2 pm. Everyone is welcome to join us as we serve our community together. Bring your friends if you like--it will be a great time to meet people who are interested in The Ridge. Kids are welcome, and we'll be done well before game time!
If you'd like to chat about Serving Others or have questions about our service project, just email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com. Have a great week!
Here's what our Launch Proposal says about Serving Others:
"We believe that serving others is a natural lifestyle of committed believers in Christ. Christ-followers should seek to serve both those we encounter in our community and those at the far ends of the earth as a means of sharing the Gospel with all people."
This value flows forward from our third value, Community. There is one very foundational difference between the two values, however. We use the words "serving others" instead of just the word "serving" because our fourth value, Serving, is not aimed at those who are already part of our church or fellowship.
Serving Others means serving those outside of our current group, church, or fellowship (you pick the word you like best). Serving Others means serving people in our neighborhoods, communities, schools, and workplaces. It means serving those in other cities, states, and countries. It is a way to show the world that those who follow Christ care about them, love them, and are representatives of Jesus Christ. It is a way to bring the truth of the Gospel to ears who have learned that they can trust us.
It is important to remember, however, that Community and Serving Others are related. Those who are part of the Ridge Church family should serve each other; we should just remember that serving each other and Serving Others are two different and equally valid expressions of love. One is love for a brother or sister who is in Christ with us, the other is love for a neighbor or friend who may not know Christ. Matthew 20:25-28 links the serving found in our value of Community and the serving found in our value of Serving Others very well.
Proverbs 14:21, Matthew 28:19-20, Isaiah 49:6, Acts 1:8 are just a few of the many verses that support our value of Serving Others.
We have a great opportunity for you to practice this Ridge Church value next weekend! We are helping to set up the new Knox Area Rescue Ministries Thrift Store at 314 Merchants Drive (the shopping center with Outback Steakhouse and the Mandarin House restaurant) on Saturday, September 27 from 12 to 2 pm. Everyone is welcome to join us as we serve our community together. Bring your friends if you like--it will be a great time to meet people who are interested in The Ridge. Kids are welcome, and we'll be done well before game time!
If you'd like to chat about Serving Others or have questions about our service project, just email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com. Have a great week!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
A lesson from the latest gas craze...
This weekend was a pretty weird time here in Knox Vegas. Friday after work at my part-time job (as a business-to-business sales rep for the local HoneyBaked Ham Store), Emily and I headed to Charlotte for her baby shower. That morning, rumors began circulating that there would be a gas shortage in Knoxville. I filled up at about 10 am, with prices at $3.69 for regular gas. Friday afternoon as we left town, many stations were out of gas, and prices at the stations with gas were hitting $4.49.
Our trip was great, but I worried about not being able to buy gas on the return trip Sunday. However, it soon became evident that although there were stations throughout the Southeast that had run out of gas, most stations had at least regular fuel available at a pretty high price. Driving through South Carolina was nice, since they had ample fuel at pretty low prices. (We usually drive to Spartanburg and up to Charlotte, since it's easy and there's cheap gas.)
Anyway, Monday and Tuesday were strange days. Gas at local stations that had fuel was at least $4.99, and many stations were over $5. We officially had the nation's most expensive fuel prices. It seems that the stations that didn't order more gas from distributors at inflated prices and therefore ran out were not upsetting people nearly as much as those with gas that were charging high prices. (People are funny like that...) Most stations simply had no gas and removed the prices from their signs as an indicator of that fact.
The big takeaway for me in all of this comes from the scene at the local convenience stores that had run out of gas. Our local Weigel's is usally a busy place. It's a neighborhood market and deli as well as a gas station. But when they didn't have gas on Tuesday when I bought milk there, business was dead. There were just a handful of cars. Folks that wanted milk (They have the cheapest, and some say best, around. Maybe due to the Weigel family history as dairy farmers?), beer, bread, and random sundries were in there, but that's it. Checkout ladies were bored. It was surreal when compared to the usual long lines in the store and jostling for a parking spot outside it.
Gas drives our culture's habits. People spend money at Weigels for lots of stuff, but they come there because they can also buy gas. As our nation spends less money on gas and we put more fuel-efficient cars on the road, convenience stores will suffer. They exist to serve the needs of gas-fueled car drivers. When the internal combustion engine really starts to decline with the advent of electric cars and vehicles powered by who knows what, convenience stores will really be in a pickle.
I read recently that The Pantry has 1600 stores. What will they do when everyone is averaging more than 40 miles per gallon in their Civic Hybrids and Toyota Priuses? What will they do when people plug their cars in at home? It seems only the cleanest, brightest, best-located and cheapest convenience stores have a future. Time will tell how it works out, but the future was here this weekend when $5 gas hit Knoxville.
The question is, how flexible are our churches and church leaders? How flexible are our ministries and our denominations? Are we flexible enough to respond to the needs of our extremely fast-changing culture? Are we flexible enough to respond to the changing beliefs of our community members? Are we flexible enough to respond to the next major 9/11-like crisis?
Churches that have Kingdom impact are like the Boy Scouts. They live by the motto "Be prepared." Let's hope that we, as church leaders, are ready for all contingencies and changes in our local communities and we also have prepared ourselves for the likely futures that we will soon live through. Let's not be prepared to serve just the person who lives in our community today, as the convenience stores serve the gas-hungry car. Let's be ready to serve the person in our community 5 or 10 years from now, who is totally different from the current resident. Let's keep an eye to our culture and community's changes so that we can always proclaim the Gospel in ways that resonate with our culture and our people.
Our trip was great, but I worried about not being able to buy gas on the return trip Sunday. However, it soon became evident that although there were stations throughout the Southeast that had run out of gas, most stations had at least regular fuel available at a pretty high price. Driving through South Carolina was nice, since they had ample fuel at pretty low prices. (We usually drive to Spartanburg and up to Charlotte, since it's easy and there's cheap gas.)
Anyway, Monday and Tuesday were strange days. Gas at local stations that had fuel was at least $4.99, and many stations were over $5. We officially had the nation's most expensive fuel prices. It seems that the stations that didn't order more gas from distributors at inflated prices and therefore ran out were not upsetting people nearly as much as those with gas that were charging high prices. (People are funny like that...) Most stations simply had no gas and removed the prices from their signs as an indicator of that fact.
The big takeaway for me in all of this comes from the scene at the local convenience stores that had run out of gas. Our local Weigel's is usally a busy place. It's a neighborhood market and deli as well as a gas station. But when they didn't have gas on Tuesday when I bought milk there, business was dead. There were just a handful of cars. Folks that wanted milk (They have the cheapest, and some say best, around. Maybe due to the Weigel family history as dairy farmers?), beer, bread, and random sundries were in there, but that's it. Checkout ladies were bored. It was surreal when compared to the usual long lines in the store and jostling for a parking spot outside it.
Gas drives our culture's habits. People spend money at Weigels for lots of stuff, but they come there because they can also buy gas. As our nation spends less money on gas and we put more fuel-efficient cars on the road, convenience stores will suffer. They exist to serve the needs of gas-fueled car drivers. When the internal combustion engine really starts to decline with the advent of electric cars and vehicles powered by who knows what, convenience stores will really be in a pickle.
I read recently that The Pantry has 1600 stores. What will they do when everyone is averaging more than 40 miles per gallon in their Civic Hybrids and Toyota Priuses? What will they do when people plug their cars in at home? It seems only the cleanest, brightest, best-located and cheapest convenience stores have a future. Time will tell how it works out, but the future was here this weekend when $5 gas hit Knoxville.
The question is, how flexible are our churches and church leaders? How flexible are our ministries and our denominations? Are we flexible enough to respond to the needs of our extremely fast-changing culture? Are we flexible enough to respond to the changing beliefs of our community members? Are we flexible enough to respond to the next major 9/11-like crisis?
Churches that have Kingdom impact are like the Boy Scouts. They live by the motto "Be prepared." Let's hope that we, as church leaders, are ready for all contingencies and changes in our local communities and we also have prepared ourselves for the likely futures that we will soon live through. Let's not be prepared to serve just the person who lives in our community today, as the convenience stores serve the gas-hungry car. Let's be ready to serve the person in our community 5 or 10 years from now, who is totally different from the current resident. Let's keep an eye to our culture and community's changes so that we can always proclaim the Gospel in ways that resonate with our culture and our people.
Ridge Church Value #3: Community
As I said recently, Ridge Church has six core values. These are the core beliefs that guide our new church, both now and in the future. They are the concepts we stand behind and the hills that we will fight on, the things that make The Ridge unique!
Our third value is "Community." Here's what our Launch Proposal says about Community:
"We believe that all people need healthy, growing relationships based on biblical ideals. These relationships are best found in the Christ-centered family and in a small groups of Christians meeting regularly to encourage and support each other as part of a larger local church community."
It's pretty simple, really! We believe that everyone was created by God to live in community with other humans. We also believe that every Christ-follower needs relationships with other Christians in order to grow to be more like Christ. We believe that God created us that way, and that community is a deep emotional need of all humans. Regardless of how modern and post-modern Western philosophy and culture tend to individualize life, we need each other to be all God wants us to be.
Not only do we believe in community, we believe that community starts in the home. For too long, churches have been willing to take on the responsibilities of the parents in spiritually educating our children. Churches have said, "Here, drop your kid off on Sunday for an hour, and we'll handle all the teaching about God that they need." This is both insufficient in providing a quality spiritual education for children and also unbiblical.
Check out Deuteronomy chapter 6. The Bible clearly teaches here and in multiple other passages that the spiritual guidance of our children should start in the home. We believe that at Ridge Church and are committed to it. Because we are committed to the concept of parents teaching their kids about God, we are also committed to helping parents learn how to spiritually educate their kids.
The bonus prize is that when parents answer their kids' questions about God, it motivates them to learn and apply spiritual concepts in their own lives... Isn't God smart in planning things that way?! (The answer is "YES!")
Ridge Church is committed to providing small group environments for parents (and all those who call The Ridge home) to grow to be more like Christ. We look forward to a not-too-distant future in which Ridge Church has small groups for all age groups. We see groups where mature believers in Christ help both new believers and non-believers to interact with the Bible and life experience in ways that draw them toward faith and surround them with grace.
Finally, we believe that folks at The Ridge should look out for each other. This means that small groups will serve their group members. During tough times like illnesses in the family, small group leaders will provide "triage" care. When new babies come home, small group members will bring food to new parents. When small group members' kids make poor life choices, other members will rally around the family in crisis and provide support and encouragement. When a bread-winner loses a job, small groups will be the at the "front lines" in battling for the family and helping them through hard days.
The list can go on... And it will! Community is a crucial value at The Ridge. And, it leads to another one: Serving Others. Stay tuned for a discussion of that value soon!
There are several verses in the Bible that support our value of Community. Check these out: Proverbs 27:17, Acts 2:42-47, Matthew 18:19-20. If you want to chat about our value of Community, email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com.
Our third value is "Community." Here's what our Launch Proposal says about Community:
"We believe that all people need healthy, growing relationships based on biblical ideals. These relationships are best found in the Christ-centered family and in a small groups of Christians meeting regularly to encourage and support each other as part of a larger local church community."
It's pretty simple, really! We believe that everyone was created by God to live in community with other humans. We also believe that every Christ-follower needs relationships with other Christians in order to grow to be more like Christ. We believe that God created us that way, and that community is a deep emotional need of all humans. Regardless of how modern and post-modern Western philosophy and culture tend to individualize life, we need each other to be all God wants us to be.
Not only do we believe in community, we believe that community starts in the home. For too long, churches have been willing to take on the responsibilities of the parents in spiritually educating our children. Churches have said, "Here, drop your kid off on Sunday for an hour, and we'll handle all the teaching about God that they need." This is both insufficient in providing a quality spiritual education for children and also unbiblical.
Check out Deuteronomy chapter 6. The Bible clearly teaches here and in multiple other passages that the spiritual guidance of our children should start in the home. We believe that at Ridge Church and are committed to it. Because we are committed to the concept of parents teaching their kids about God, we are also committed to helping parents learn how to spiritually educate their kids.
The bonus prize is that when parents answer their kids' questions about God, it motivates them to learn and apply spiritual concepts in their own lives... Isn't God smart in planning things that way?! (The answer is "YES!")
Ridge Church is committed to providing small group environments for parents (and all those who call The Ridge home) to grow to be more like Christ. We look forward to a not-too-distant future in which Ridge Church has small groups for all age groups. We see groups where mature believers in Christ help both new believers and non-believers to interact with the Bible and life experience in ways that draw them toward faith and surround them with grace.
Finally, we believe that folks at The Ridge should look out for each other. This means that small groups will serve their group members. During tough times like illnesses in the family, small group leaders will provide "triage" care. When new babies come home, small group members will bring food to new parents. When small group members' kids make poor life choices, other members will rally around the family in crisis and provide support and encouragement. When a bread-winner loses a job, small groups will be the at the "front lines" in battling for the family and helping them through hard days.
The list can go on... And it will! Community is a crucial value at The Ridge. And, it leads to another one: Serving Others. Stay tuned for a discussion of that value soon!
There are several verses in the Bible that support our value of Community. Check these out: Proverbs 27:17, Acts 2:42-47, Matthew 18:19-20. If you want to chat about our value of Community, email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com.
Monday, September 15, 2008
A Bunch of Thanks!
I think tonight is a great time to issue a massive "Thanks!" to a bunch of folks that have really blessed my life and Emily's life lately... And also the life of Ridge Church!
First, a big thanks goes out to John Fooshee, Jim Fickley, and Kurt Hannah. John and Jim are pastors (lead pastor and leadership coach, respectively) at Redeemer Community Church in Johnson City, TN. Kurt is the lead pastor at Missio Dei Church in Asheville, NC.
These three church planters have graciously accepted my invitation to form Ridge Church's first Outside Advisory Board. Our outside advisory board is a group of men who are qualified by the Bible's standards for leadership to serve as "elders" in a local church setting.
The reason that we need an outside advisory board is to provide wise "elder-level" leadership to The Ridge at a time in our church's life when we do not have "in-house" elders. Discovering who should serve as a local church's elders is not an overnight process, and a time of service and training is required to identify these kinds of men.
I, as the lead pastor, serve as the sole local elder at this time. John, Jim, and Kurt are the outside board members. All of us have been rigorously evaluated and assessed by other pastors and have been approved as members of the Acts29 Network. Together, the four of us form the elder board that oversees major decision-making at Ridge Church.
Over the next few years, Ridge Church will become self-supporting financially and leadership-wise, and we will have a full board of local elders that will replace the outside advisory team. Until that time the people of The Ridge can know that they have a group of qualified men who are committed to their growth and spiritual maturity.
This post isn't really the place for a further discussion of elders, but we will have that one later... Until then, if you'd like to read about the Bible's qualifications for elders, check out 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (The version here uses "overseer" instead of "elder," but these words are often used interchangeably for this role.)
Second, I would like to give a huge thanks to Redeemer Community Church for giving a sacrificial financial gift to The Ridge. Finances are crucial to a church plant, not because "it's all about money" but because all the materials a church needs, from a facility to meet in, to paper to print info on, to "Pack 'n' Plays" for kids to hang out in, costs money.
It is a huge honor to have the support of other churches who are committed to being behind new churches. Prayers, encouragement, and finances are all vital in the church planting process, and Redeemer has provided all of those to me, Emily, and Ridge Church. Thanks, and thanks to other churches and people who are supporting (or considering supporting) The Ridge with finances, prayer, and encouragement!
Third, I want to thank all of our friends in Charlotte who gave Emily a wonderful baby shower this weekend. She and I appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. We've never done this baby thing before, and all the wisdom and "stuff" we can get is deeply appreciated! Also, since as church planters we are relying on God to provide for our financial needs through the support of other people, very little money is available for baby stuff. So, for several reasons, this weekend was a massive blessing. Thanks!
Finally, I want to thank the folks who braved the highest gas prices in the United States over the weekend to come to our Ridge Church gathering at Mr. Gatti's in Halls on Sunday night. We had a great time stuffing ourselves with pizza, getting to know each other better, and talking about Ridge Church's values. Thanks for being part of a group of people who are becoming The Ridge and for bringing your unique personalities and gifts into our midst. Things are getting pretty darn exciting and I'm honored to be part of God's work in and among us!
Until next time, have a great week!
First, a big thanks goes out to John Fooshee, Jim Fickley, and Kurt Hannah. John and Jim are pastors (lead pastor and leadership coach, respectively) at Redeemer Community Church in Johnson City, TN. Kurt is the lead pastor at Missio Dei Church in Asheville, NC.
These three church planters have graciously accepted my invitation to form Ridge Church's first Outside Advisory Board. Our outside advisory board is a group of men who are qualified by the Bible's standards for leadership to serve as "elders" in a local church setting.
The reason that we need an outside advisory board is to provide wise "elder-level" leadership to The Ridge at a time in our church's life when we do not have "in-house" elders. Discovering who should serve as a local church's elders is not an overnight process, and a time of service and training is required to identify these kinds of men.
I, as the lead pastor, serve as the sole local elder at this time. John, Jim, and Kurt are the outside board members. All of us have been rigorously evaluated and assessed by other pastors and have been approved as members of the Acts29 Network. Together, the four of us form the elder board that oversees major decision-making at Ridge Church.
Over the next few years, Ridge Church will become self-supporting financially and leadership-wise, and we will have a full board of local elders that will replace the outside advisory team. Until that time the people of The Ridge can know that they have a group of qualified men who are committed to their growth and spiritual maturity.
This post isn't really the place for a further discussion of elders, but we will have that one later... Until then, if you'd like to read about the Bible's qualifications for elders, check out 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (The version here uses "overseer" instead of "elder," but these words are often used interchangeably for this role.)
Second, I would like to give a huge thanks to Redeemer Community Church for giving a sacrificial financial gift to The Ridge. Finances are crucial to a church plant, not because "it's all about money" but because all the materials a church needs, from a facility to meet in, to paper to print info on, to "Pack 'n' Plays" for kids to hang out in, costs money.
It is a huge honor to have the support of other churches who are committed to being behind new churches. Prayers, encouragement, and finances are all vital in the church planting process, and Redeemer has provided all of those to me, Emily, and Ridge Church. Thanks, and thanks to other churches and people who are supporting (or considering supporting) The Ridge with finances, prayer, and encouragement!
Third, I want to thank all of our friends in Charlotte who gave Emily a wonderful baby shower this weekend. She and I appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts. We've never done this baby thing before, and all the wisdom and "stuff" we can get is deeply appreciated! Also, since as church planters we are relying on God to provide for our financial needs through the support of other people, very little money is available for baby stuff. So, for several reasons, this weekend was a massive blessing. Thanks!
Finally, I want to thank the folks who braved the highest gas prices in the United States over the weekend to come to our Ridge Church gathering at Mr. Gatti's in Halls on Sunday night. We had a great time stuffing ourselves with pizza, getting to know each other better, and talking about Ridge Church's values. Thanks for being part of a group of people who are becoming The Ridge and for bringing your unique personalities and gifts into our midst. Things are getting pretty darn exciting and I'm honored to be part of God's work in and among us!
Until next time, have a great week!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Once again, an awesome weekend on the road!
This weekend, Emily and I visited Evansville, Indiana and our friends Trey and Kitten McClain, and their two girls, Alyssa and Morgan. Trey and Kitten are planting a church on the West Side of Evansville called Discovery Church.
Sunday morning was Discovery's first weekly worship service. They have been having monthly "Preview Services" for the past 3 months. Preview services are a way to "practice" how the public worship services of a church plant will look. They are a great opportunity for the children's ministry, worship team, pastor, setup and tear-down teams, and everyone else at a church plant to prepare for weekly worship services.
We took Emily's mom, Sue Irving (and her truck!), who along with her husband Bill have committed to helping us plant The Ridge. Unfortunately, Bill couldn't go due to some other responsibilities here in Knoxville. It was great for Sue to help in the children's area at Discovery, since she will be helping lead Ridge Church's children's ministry when we begin our weekly worship services.
Although it's fun to visit other churches and learn from the way our friends are leading their church plants, it's also nice to be home, too. We've been on the road a bunch lately and we're about ready for a break.
Emily and I are looking forward to spending some time with new friends (and old friends) who are checking out Ridge Church this Sunday night at Mr. Gatti's in Halls... I'm excited to share about the Vision and Values of The Ridge and for us to share some time chatting about what our church will look like.
So, join us (and feel free to bring your kids and your friends) this Sunday from 5:30 to 7 pm at 6903 Maynardville Highway. Gatti's has graciously offered us a meeting room, so everyone can eat pizza until about 6 pm, and then we'll talk about the future and The Ridge.
If you have questions about Sunday or Ridge Church, just email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com. See you Sunday!
Sunday morning was Discovery's first weekly worship service. They have been having monthly "Preview Services" for the past 3 months. Preview services are a way to "practice" how the public worship services of a church plant will look. They are a great opportunity for the children's ministry, worship team, pastor, setup and tear-down teams, and everyone else at a church plant to prepare for weekly worship services.
We took Emily's mom, Sue Irving (and her truck!), who along with her husband Bill have committed to helping us plant The Ridge. Unfortunately, Bill couldn't go due to some other responsibilities here in Knoxville. It was great for Sue to help in the children's area at Discovery, since she will be helping lead Ridge Church's children's ministry when we begin our weekly worship services.
Although it's fun to visit other churches and learn from the way our friends are leading their church plants, it's also nice to be home, too. We've been on the road a bunch lately and we're about ready for a break.
Emily and I are looking forward to spending some time with new friends (and old friends) who are checking out Ridge Church this Sunday night at Mr. Gatti's in Halls... I'm excited to share about the Vision and Values of The Ridge and for us to share some time chatting about what our church will look like.
So, join us (and feel free to bring your kids and your friends) this Sunday from 5:30 to 7 pm at 6903 Maynardville Highway. Gatti's has graciously offered us a meeting room, so everyone can eat pizza until about 6 pm, and then we'll talk about the future and The Ridge.
If you have questions about Sunday or Ridge Church, just email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com. See you Sunday!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Some Pics from our Picnic at Fountain City Park
Emily took these shots, and I wanted to share them with you.
Don't forget, our next Ridge Church gathering is this Sunday, September 14 from 5:30 to 7 pm at Mr. Gatti's in Halls! You can get directions and more info here.
If you have questions, just email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com or call 865.223.5851. See ya Sunday!
Don't forget, our next Ridge Church gathering is this Sunday, September 14 from 5:30 to 7 pm at Mr. Gatti's in Halls! You can get directions and more info here.
If you have questions, just email kevin@ridgechurchknoxville.com or call 865.223.5851. See ya Sunday!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Another wild week...
Well, I made a big mistake in my last post. I pretty much promised to post a couple times last weekend, and obviously, that didn't happen. So, I apologize. Life intervened last weekend, and my schedule didn't go as I planned. Maybe I should apply James 4:13-16 in my life next time! I guess the lesson to be learned is that life is always apt to change your plans and schedule.
Anyway, this weekend was a strange mixture of fun and difficult. Our friends Josh and Maria, and their son "little Josh" drove up from Jacksonville on Thursday and stayed until Monday. We stayed up far too late each night talking about old times. Friday, we explored the area and ate at Zaxby's on Cumberland. On Saturday, the five of us spent the day at Cades Cove and pretty much wore ourselves out. On Sunday, we visited a local church and had lunch with Emily's parents, Bill and Sue Irving.
At lunch, I got one of those calls that you hate to think about. My mom called to tell me that my grandmother (who lives in West Knoxville) had a stroke. So, Emily and I left lunch and drove to the hospital to visit her and my grandfather. It was a pretty stressful time. We arrived and saw my grandmother in the emergency room, unable to speak.
Praise God that His grace was present in abundance, and my grandmother has improved steadily since Sunday. She's moved from the ER to the critical care unit, and finally to a "regular" hospital room.
I'm going to share a little more about what happened to my grandparents here. I hope they will forgive me if it's too personal, but there's a reason for it.
My grandfather had to make a momentous decision on Sunday. He had to choose whether or not to have the doctor at the ER give my grandmother an IV medication that could break up the clot in her brain and help her condition. The problem is that my grandmother is already on blood thinners, and too much thinning of the blood can cause hemorrhaging and even more problems than a blood clot.
My grandfather, mom, and dad all chatted with the doctor, and it finally came down to a crucial question. My family asked the doctor, "Would you give your own mother this medication?" The doctor said that he would, because there was a 60% chance that the medication would help my grandmother and a 40% chance that it would cause more problems. My family had to choose between the advice of their expert adviser and their own gut. Fortunately for everyone, they took the wise advice of the expert and my grandmother is steadily improving.
The point is this: How often do we trust our own "gut" about what is best for us in life, and reject the "advice" of God that is found in the Bible? Pretty much daily, with repeated negative consequences. We struggle so much in life because we think we have the answers to our own spiritual, social, emotional, and family problems and we choose to live outside God's best plans for us.
In truth, God gives us a 100% guarantee that if we operate in the truth that He presents to us in His Word, our lives will be lived to our fullest potential. This doesn't mean we will have a life devoid of pain and difficulty, but it does mean we'll live a life that is deeply meaningful and fulfilling.
So, when faced with difficult life decisions, we need only look to the examples laid out for us in the Bible. When we trust God's Word and place our faith in Him, we are free to let go of worry and allow Him to guide our paths.
Anyway, this weekend was a strange mixture of fun and difficult. Our friends Josh and Maria, and their son "little Josh" drove up from Jacksonville on Thursday and stayed until Monday. We stayed up far too late each night talking about old times. Friday, we explored the area and ate at Zaxby's on Cumberland. On Saturday, the five of us spent the day at Cades Cove and pretty much wore ourselves out. On Sunday, we visited a local church and had lunch with Emily's parents, Bill and Sue Irving.
At lunch, I got one of those calls that you hate to think about. My mom called to tell me that my grandmother (who lives in West Knoxville) had a stroke. So, Emily and I left lunch and drove to the hospital to visit her and my grandfather. It was a pretty stressful time. We arrived and saw my grandmother in the emergency room, unable to speak.
Praise God that His grace was present in abundance, and my grandmother has improved steadily since Sunday. She's moved from the ER to the critical care unit, and finally to a "regular" hospital room.
I'm going to share a little more about what happened to my grandparents here. I hope they will forgive me if it's too personal, but there's a reason for it.
My grandfather had to make a momentous decision on Sunday. He had to choose whether or not to have the doctor at the ER give my grandmother an IV medication that could break up the clot in her brain and help her condition. The problem is that my grandmother is already on blood thinners, and too much thinning of the blood can cause hemorrhaging and even more problems than a blood clot.
My grandfather, mom, and dad all chatted with the doctor, and it finally came down to a crucial question. My family asked the doctor, "Would you give your own mother this medication?" The doctor said that he would, because there was a 60% chance that the medication would help my grandmother and a 40% chance that it would cause more problems. My family had to choose between the advice of their expert adviser and their own gut. Fortunately for everyone, they took the wise advice of the expert and my grandmother is steadily improving.
The point is this: How often do we trust our own "gut" about what is best for us in life, and reject the "advice" of God that is found in the Bible? Pretty much daily, with repeated negative consequences. We struggle so much in life because we think we have the answers to our own spiritual, social, emotional, and family problems and we choose to live outside God's best plans for us.
In truth, God gives us a 100% guarantee that if we operate in the truth that He presents to us in His Word, our lives will be lived to our fullest potential. This doesn't mean we will have a life devoid of pain and difficulty, but it does mean we'll live a life that is deeply meaningful and fulfilling.
So, when faced with difficult life decisions, we need only look to the examples laid out for us in the Bible. When we trust God's Word and place our faith in Him, we are free to let go of worry and allow Him to guide our paths.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)