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!