Wow! Today was our second and final afternoon doing KidFest in Fountain City Park! It was a blast. It was very cool to be part of it, and as your pastor, I am very proud of you, Ridge Church!
For those of you not aware of KidFest or the reasons behind it, the two day event had a simple purpose. We believe that people are important, because God believes that. We believe we should love people, because God does. So, we asked ourselves how we could show our community they are important and we love them. We came up with doing all kinds of fun stuff in Fountain City Park for kids and families absolutely FREE! It turned out to be awesome and fun for everyone... I have a feeling we may very well do another KidFest again someday!
I am proud (of course that's the good kind of pride) that 23 Ridge people volunteered on Friday and Saturday to love our community and serve as part of KidFest. We had folks painting faces, painting hair, putting on temporary tattoos, playing games, doing crafts, watching babies, and participating in object lessons that were fun and shared Bible truths... I saw people come out of thier shells, I saw people doing things they had never done. I saw, most of all, people realizing that we can ALL be "ambassadors for Christ" and share Jesus' love with others, even strangers!
I am proud of everyone who pitched in with their time, money, and stuff. Great job loving others in our community, with no strings attached or expectations for "payback" of some kind.
I want to especially thank Trey, Kitten, Alyssa, and Morgan McClain and Keith (I can't spell your last name, email me it dude!) for coming down from Evansville, Indiana to help us serve our neighbors this weekend! Trey is the pastor of Discovery Church. Emily and I have been best buds with Trey and Kitten for a decade. His young church supports The Ridge financially and prayerfully. They came to join hands with us in loving our community, and they rock! Thanks!
At The Ridge, two of our six core values are Serving Others and Fun. These last couple days, you did both. Great job!
Tomorrow (Sunday), we will have another big day! We've rented SkateTown in Fountain City so that we can have some fun together. We'll have worship at the usual time of 10 a.m., followed by FREE stating for us and our friends and neighbors from 11:30 until 1 p.m.!
Make sure to bring a chair to sit in for worship! If you have more than enough for your family, please bring the extras for others to use!
This will be another day of fun, worshiping God and rolling in circles together! See you there!
Showing posts with label Discovery Church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Discovery Church. Show all posts
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Trey and Kitten, Evansville, and Discovery Church
Last weekend, Emily and I drove to Evansville, Indiana to visit our friends Trey and Kitten McClain and their church plant, Discovery Church. Discovery has committed to supporting The Ridge financially each month with 5% of their offerings. They also financially support a church literally "on the Strip" in Las Vegas called Verve.
Pretty cool! Both Ridge Church and Discovery Church are committed to planting churches. The first church plant we are supporting at The Ridge is Journey Church of the Highlands in Boone, NC. You can learn more about Journey in an earlier blog post. We will be supporting more churches as time goes on because New Churches is one of our core values!
Trey had Emily and me come up front at their gathering and share a bit about what God is doing here in Knoxville through The Ridge and the awesome folks who call Ridge Church home. It was good to be there and be encouraged, and it was also good for the Discovery folks to meet firsthand the real live church planter types that they are supporting with their prayers and God's money. We did a little Q&A from the stage, and then their church prayed for Emily, Chloe, me and all of the Ridge Church folks. So, know that there are people in Indiana behind us!
Here's a pic of all of us (including Trey and Kitten's kids Alyssa and Morgan) together at Marx Barbecue on the West Side of Evansville this Sunday after Discovery's worship gathering. There's also a purely gratuitous one of Chloe asleep in the car when we stopped for gas:
Discovery has been great to us! We thank God for their support and the support of other churches like them, including many Acts29 East Coast churches.
God is up to big things in Knoxville, but that's not the only place! There is a new generation of churches that are serious about living life transformed by God and His love and truly loving their communities... It's pretty exciting... It's great to be part of something bigger than ourselves!
Pretty cool! Both Ridge Church and Discovery Church are committed to planting churches. The first church plant we are supporting at The Ridge is Journey Church of the Highlands in Boone, NC. You can learn more about Journey in an earlier blog post. We will be supporting more churches as time goes on because New Churches is one of our core values!
Trey had Emily and me come up front at their gathering and share a bit about what God is doing here in Knoxville through The Ridge and the awesome folks who call Ridge Church home. It was good to be there and be encouraged, and it was also good for the Discovery folks to meet firsthand the real live church planter types that they are supporting with their prayers and God's money. We did a little Q&A from the stage, and then their church prayed for Emily, Chloe, me and all of the Ridge Church folks. So, know that there are people in Indiana behind us!
Here's a pic of all of us (including Trey and Kitten's kids Alyssa and Morgan) together at Marx Barbecue on the West Side of Evansville this Sunday after Discovery's worship gathering. There's also a purely gratuitous one of Chloe asleep in the car when we stopped for gas:
Discovery has been great to us! We thank God for their support and the support of other churches like them, including many Acts29 East Coast churches.
God is up to big things in Knoxville, but that's not the only place! There is a new generation of churches that are serious about living life transformed by God and His love and truly loving their communities... It's pretty exciting... It's great to be part of something bigger than ourselves!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Thankfulness Train Keeps Rollin'...
Well, while we're talking about Thankfulness here at the start of the New Year, it's only appropriate that we publicly thank all the folks who have supported the Layne family prayerfully and financially for the past six months while we have been planting Ridge Church.
There are many folks who have donated their hard-earned funds to provide a way for Emily and me to pay the bills as we have been meeting folks and gathering people into The Ridge. We can't thank them enough! Although I have a part-time job at the HoneyBaked Ham Store near Knoxville Center, and I work with some really great people, that job isn't designed to supply the pay, hours, or benefits to provide for a family.
Our church is associated with the Acts29 Network, a group of churches that plant churches and agree on a common theology. A29 churches connect for prayer, advice, support and encouragement. However, The Ridge is not connected with a specific denomination. We are "nondenominational" or independent.
There are certain benefits from being nondenominational, like not having an outside entity tell you how to do everything or being forced to give your money to a certain fund. But, being nondenominational also means Emily and I don't get a "paycheck" like most people think of it.
All the funds that Emily and I get from Ridge Church while our church is young and small are funds that have been donated to The Ridge for our support. The donations come from friends, family, and churches. When we grow larger, Ridge Church will become financially independent... But that takes a little time.
So, for making life possible for us, we thank our supporters! And, we thank God for creating a spirit of generosity in your hearts.
Although I don't think it's appropriate to share the names of all the individuals and families who are supporting us financially, I'd love to share the names of the churches! Some are part of the Acts29 Network, and some aren't. But, all of them are important to us and we thank them very much for committing to us as a couple and to the vision God has for The Ridge!
Christ Community Church - Watkinsville, Georiga
Discovery Church - Evansville, Indiana
Exmore Baptist Church - Exmore, Virginia
Redeemer Community Church - Johnson City, Tennessee
Sojourn Church - Huntsville, Alabama
Thanks again to all our prayer and financial supporters. You rock! By the way, if you're reading this and would like to join the list of our supporters, please do not hesitate to let me know... We can find a way for you to help The Ridge get financially on our feet!
There are many folks who have donated their hard-earned funds to provide a way for Emily and me to pay the bills as we have been meeting folks and gathering people into The Ridge. We can't thank them enough! Although I have a part-time job at the HoneyBaked Ham Store near Knoxville Center, and I work with some really great people, that job isn't designed to supply the pay, hours, or benefits to provide for a family.
Our church is associated with the Acts29 Network, a group of churches that plant churches and agree on a common theology. A29 churches connect for prayer, advice, support and encouragement. However, The Ridge is not connected with a specific denomination. We are "nondenominational" or independent.
There are certain benefits from being nondenominational, like not having an outside entity tell you how to do everything or being forced to give your money to a certain fund. But, being nondenominational also means Emily and I don't get a "paycheck" like most people think of it.
All the funds that Emily and I get from Ridge Church while our church is young and small are funds that have been donated to The Ridge for our support. The donations come from friends, family, and churches. When we grow larger, Ridge Church will become financially independent... But that takes a little time.
So, for making life possible for us, we thank our supporters! And, we thank God for creating a spirit of generosity in your hearts.
Although I don't think it's appropriate to share the names of all the individuals and families who are supporting us financially, I'd love to share the names of the churches! Some are part of the Acts29 Network, and some aren't. But, all of them are important to us and we thank them very much for committing to us as a couple and to the vision God has for The Ridge!
Christ Community Church - Watkinsville, Georiga
Discovery Church - Evansville, Indiana
Exmore Baptist Church - Exmore, Virginia
Redeemer Community Church - Johnson City, Tennessee
Sojourn Church - Huntsville, Alabama
Thanks again to all our prayer and financial supporters. You rock! By the way, if you're reading this and would like to join the list of our supporters, please do not hesitate to let me know... We can find a way for you to help The Ridge get financially on our feet!
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!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Some Interesting Ideas from a Preview Service
Emily and I went to Evansville, Indiana this weekend to help our friends Trey and Kitten McClain with the first preview service for their church, Discovery Church. I wasn't sure what to expect, since I'd never been to one before (and I hope to have my own in a few months, so it was good for us to be there!)
We had a great time visiting with Trey and Kitten and their two girls, Alyssa and Morgan. They are sweet kids. Morgan is 7 months old (the pic is from February, so don't worry) but I know for a fact that she has a massive crush on me! :)
We got some great ideas from Trey and Kitten's preview service. First, you need a bunch of tables. I just sort of realized that while we were there... You always think of sound and video and stuff like that, but tables are important, too, and it would be a real pain to try to borrow them from another church, although I guess you could do that.
Also, you can make cool banner-type signs without spending a ton of money. Just make PVC frames for the banners (you can paint the PVC to color-coordinate with your logo or chosen colors) and zip-tie the banner to the PVC frame through grommets on the edges of the banner. It works great for indoor banners and signs. For outdoors, just make a thicker frame (since the banners are going to be bigger anyway) and then use sandbags or maybe sand in the frames' feet to hold the banner in place if the wind kicks up.
We even learned that Starbucks sometimes gives a great deal on coffee! They comped the first preview service's coffee, pending a weekly deal for coffee. That's cool, and it allows Discovery to have quality beverages to offer the people who check out their worship gathering.
A Great Weekend!
Emily and I got back last night from an awesome long weekend. First, we had our last visit to Emily's OB/GYN here in Bluefield, WV and found out that we seem to have a healthy baby girl! From there, we started our trip to Evansville, Indiana to see our friends Trey and Kitten McClain and help them with the first "preview service" of their new church. (A preview service is kind of a "trial run" of the weekly worship services of a church plant; they are usually held monthly just before the weekly "launch" of the regular services.)
On the way to Evansville, we spent a day in Knoxville at Emily's parents' house. We got to hang out a bit, and we also were able to finalize Ridge Church's checking account and our own personal checking account. I like SunTrust! Just read my last post and you'll see why.
Discovery Church held its first of three monthly preview services at the Kerasotes Stadium 16 Theatre on the West Side of Evansville. Trey and Kitten have a real God-given excitement for this area of town. Although that side of town is the "older" area, the University of Southern Indiana is there, which means the neighborhoods have an interesting mix of residents. (Anyone familiar with their former men's basketball coach, Bruce Pearl?) Haha!
Unfortunately, there are few "cool", healthy churches for young students and families on the West Side. I think Trey's church will be just what the area needs so that people feel that they have a safe and caring place where they can explore the claims of Christ.
Speaking of the claims of Christ, you can learn all about them in the excellent book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I also found an interesting interview with C.S. Lewis that delves into some of the claims of Christ, and allows Lewis to comment on other interesting ideas.
On the way to Evansville, we spent a day in Knoxville at Emily's parents' house. We got to hang out a bit, and we also were able to finalize Ridge Church's checking account and our own personal checking account. I like SunTrust! Just read my last post and you'll see why.
Discovery Church held its first of three monthly preview services at the Kerasotes Stadium 16 Theatre on the West Side of Evansville. Trey and Kitten have a real God-given excitement for this area of town. Although that side of town is the "older" area, the University of Southern Indiana is there, which means the neighborhoods have an interesting mix of residents. (Anyone familiar with their former men's basketball coach, Bruce Pearl?) Haha!
Unfortunately, there are few "cool", healthy churches for young students and families on the West Side. I think Trey's church will be just what the area needs so that people feel that they have a safe and caring place where they can explore the claims of Christ.
Speaking of the claims of Christ, you can learn all about them in the excellent book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I also found an interesting interview with C.S. Lewis that delves into some of the claims of Christ, and allows Lewis to comment on other interesting ideas.
Friday, June 20, 2008
New Churches, New Friends, New Fun!
Emily and I are in Knoxville this weekend on the way to helping our friends Trey McClain and his wife Kitten with the first "preview service" of their new church in Evansville, Indiana. It's called Discovery Church and we plan to have a blast visiting them and their two girls, as well as seeing their new church peeps tomorrow through Monday!
Ridge Church and Emily and I are as of today now officially banking at SunTrust of Fountain City. What a nice group of folks there! Annie Howard, the Assistant Branch Manager, is super nice and even helped Emily with a suggestion for a place to get her hair cut. Annie finished up the church's checking account application process that we started online and then helped Emily and me to set up our personal checking account. Looking for a bank to check out? SunTrust of Fountain City should be on the list!
We also got our first piece of mail at our new P.O. Box--our copy of our non-profit corporate charter from the Tennessee Secretary of State. With all this paperwork, I'm going to have to buy a filing cabinet!
Emily and I are excited about being in Knoxville for good starting on June 28th! One more cool thing we discovered last night: Leo's Cafe on Tazewell Pike in Fountain City has live music on Saturday nights now! So far, they've had bluegrass and jazz.
Emily and I are pumped about having a place to gather with new friends that features live music AND great food (plus great service)! Check out Leo's if you've never been there before. My suggestion: a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a Diet Cherry Coke (with real cherry syrup!).
Ridge Church and Emily and I are as of today now officially banking at SunTrust of Fountain City. What a nice group of folks there! Annie Howard, the Assistant Branch Manager, is super nice and even helped Emily with a suggestion for a place to get her hair cut. Annie finished up the church's checking account application process that we started online and then helped Emily and me to set up our personal checking account. Looking for a bank to check out? SunTrust of Fountain City should be on the list!
We also got our first piece of mail at our new P.O. Box--our copy of our non-profit corporate charter from the Tennessee Secretary of State. With all this paperwork, I'm going to have to buy a filing cabinet!
Emily and I are excited about being in Knoxville for good starting on June 28th! One more cool thing we discovered last night: Leo's Cafe on Tazewell Pike in Fountain City has live music on Saturday nights now! So far, they've had bluegrass and jazz.
Emily and I are pumped about having a place to gather with new friends that features live music AND great food (plus great service)! Check out Leo's if you've never been there before. My suggestion: a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a Diet Cherry Coke (with real cherry syrup!).
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