General
Weekly Rundown (7.25.2010)
- This has been one of the craziest & busiest summers! Trying to hire two new staff members for children and groups, gearing up for a great fall season, working out more details of short-term mission trips, a new web site, etc. etc. Really proud of our staff and volunteers for keeping the momentum rolling during the summer season!
- Pumped about LIES OF THE DEVIL. Some of these lies are so subtle but so deadly. Praying the truth sets us free!!
- Can’t wait for our new web site to launch!!!!!
- Already praying for a BIG, GOD-GLORIFYING BAPTISM in September!!
- Had several conversations this week that have confirmed that I have failed to do a good job explaining the biblical basis for church membership. I’ll post a blog on that subject later this week and we’ll discuss it in a message in the future. Thanks so much for those who talked to me about this!!
- We have a team leaving for Haiti in 2 weeks … pray for them and for this country!
- Great meeting with Chattanooga-area church planters last Friday. We need more people to plant churches!!
- Have a great week!
Monday is for Missions
We are excited to announce our Mission Trip dates and opportunities for our church!! We’ve got 4 trips planned (so far) over the next 18 months. You can sign-up by emailing missions@rockbridge.cc
- Living Water: Honduras
- Well construction to provide clean drinking water
- Relational opportunities to meet needs and share Christ
- May 21-28 and November 6-13 (both in 2011)
- Total cost: $2000
- Haiti Trip
- Church construction
- Food distribution at “tent city”
- August 7 -14 and November 6-13 (both in 2010)
- Total cost: $800
Each trip will involve about 5-12 people who sign-up, complete an application process, and go through some basic training. Each individual will need to raise their support and our staff will assist you with this rewarding process (you will learn firsthand how God provides!!).
The following staff members are available to assist with questions, applications, raising support, etc.:
Alfred Turley, Operations Pastor (alfred@rockbridge.cc)
Carll Converse, Calhoun Campus Pastor (carll@rockbridge.cc)
Jeremy Owens, Worship Leader (jeremy@rockbridge.cc)
Weekly Rundown (5.16.2010)
- Mandy the “Mannequin”‘’s appearance in our services this weekend was real shocker. I think “she” helped us illustrate the importance of transparency and authenticity in our relationships!
- Spring Baptism is NEXT weekend!!! Praying big … please join me in praying for a big, amazing celebration of new life in Christ!!
- Our search for the Children’s Minister position has now begun. Click here for more details.
- The JOEL Team’s work continues to be very beneficial and fruitful for the long-range health of our church. I am a BIG believer in the power of this verse and this is an important principle for us to leverage as Rock Bridge moves into the future.
- Trying to get message series concepts laid out through the rest of the year … very exciting possibilities!
- Several membership classes/dinners/lunches in the next several weeks at all our campuses! I love this time of sharing about all things Rock Bridge! Always great to meet new people and share God’s vision for Rock Bridge with them!!
- Some of Eyasu’s latests words and phrases:
- It’s hot. It’s cold. (In the right context!)
- Art. School.
- Horse. Cow. Grass.
- Bicycle.
- Brother. Family.
- What’s that?
- It’s late on Sunday … kids are asleep … Beth is on her way home from Senior Night 2010 at Church … God is good … I am blessed … have a great week!!
Job Opening: Rock Bridge Children’s Minister
Recently, our current Children’s Minister (Amanda Welch) at Rock Bridge Community Church announced her resignation effective on July 31st. Her husband has received an amazing job opportunity so they will be leaving our area. Amanda’s service to children, our church, and God’s kingdom have been tremendous!
We are now ready to start looking for our next Children’s Minister. This person would have direct responsibilities at our Dalton campus but leads and coordinates children’s ministry efforts (birth through 5th grade) at all our campuses (Dalton, Calhoun, and Chatsworth). Specifically, we are looking for someone who …
- Is passionate about Jesus Christ and children with a calling to serve in the local church.
- Can recruit, develop, and shepherd staff and volunteers in a growing church.
- Can build, develop, and work through teams of people to accomplish goals and pursue our Church’s vision and mission.
- Knows how to create intentional environments and experiences for children that help them fall in love with Jesus, the Bible, and the church.
- Can multi-task by leading people and managing various details so that Rock Bridge Children’s Ministry is aligned with the church’s vision, executed with excellence, and glorifies Christ.
If you or someone you know (or know of) is interested, email a cover letter and a resume with references to our Operations Pastor, Alfred Turley.
What’s Next?
Guest Blogger: Jay Ashlock, Discipleship/Groups Pastor
In my position as Groups/Discipleship Pastor here at Rock Bridge Community Church I have the amazing privilege of connecting with different people from all walks of life. One thing I am learning is that God often works through the people in our lives — through our conversations, through community, through our relational connections.
Once I was talking to a friend who doesn’t attend Rock Bridge. He visited our church and asked me, “Is there something else to to this?” I asked him what he meant and he said that he has been to Rock Bridge worship service and was wondering what was the next step? On a larger scale he was asking, “What do we do with all of these people once they come to church?” These questions are powerful and have forced me to wrestle with the way I think of church.
We typically and traditionally have thought of church as a place to go and a spot on the weekly calendar. But church was given to us by God and is one of the main ways He works in our lives. How? Because true church is community, it is spiritual family, it is people. And God works through people to work in and on our lives.
One of the ways we try to leverage this principle is through small groups. I tried to explain to my friend that you haven’t really been to church unless you’ve experienced community in a small group. Small groups are where we leverage the teaching from our services and learn how to live out the Word of God in a practical way. Groups are not an addition to the worship service. Groups are where we can really BE the church, instead of merely “doing” one hour a week. This is what we see in Acts 2 — people joined together by the Cross and doing life together in Jesus’ Name.
So how about you? Are you really experiencing church? Are you being the church?
Thoughts on Worship
Guest Blogger: Jeremy Owens, Worship Leader
Worship has always been a misunderstood topic. I have heard people say “that was some awesome worship”, when they are actually just referring to the music. Even the term “worship service” is confusing because to many people worship is just the term used for the musical portion of the service.
Worship is so much more than a service, music, words and phrases. The God of Universe that created me and created you, the God that sent His one and only Son to this earth to die so that we could spend eternity with Him deserves a heart felt reverent response to His amazing love, mercy, compassion and grace towards us.
It starts in our heart.
If we really believed that God is who He says He is we would respond to Him how Abraham did when he took his only son Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him because God told him to. Or we would respond the way Noah did when he built a huge boat in the midst of ridicule & mockery because God told him to. The real truth we can pull from both of those stories from the Bible is that worship begins with obedience. If we really believed in our heart that God is who He says He is, then we like Abraham and Noah, would offer our lives to Him everyday. This is the heart of worship: we respond to God — both to Who He is and to what He has done.
Ethiopia Update #1
We are at the close of our second full day in Ethiopia and it has been wonderful!!! We are thankful God has allowed this new chapter in our lives!
Yesterday and today we were able to spend about 2+ hours with our boys (we were not expecting to see them until Friday). They are both amazing! We have each fed Abreham a bottle, played soccer with Eyasu, read Eyasu a book, and Beth got “christened” today by Abreham…his diaper leaked 
Abreham is big and happy!! He smiles a lot and seems very content. Eyasu was shy and reserved at first, but warmed up after a few of my goofy soccer ball antics. He seems eager for us to touch and interact with him. Needless to say, we are happy to oblige!!
Tomorrow, pray for our safety (health & travel) as we drive 6+ hours to the south to visit the area where the boys are from and hopefully meet their birth relative(s). We are excited about this opportunity to learn more about the boys’ heritage and background.
The people of Ethiopia are amazing — very friendly and kind. Their humility and grace is inspiring in the midst of very difficult circumstances. Many seem to have great faith.
We are unable to access internet frequently and replying is hard because of internet speed. Check Beth’s facebook page for more frequent updates … we hope to update every day or so.
Thanks for the prayers!!
Does God Smile?
Guest Blogger: Greg Womack, Worship Pastor
A lifelong friend of mine used to say, “All I want to do is make God smile.” While that is a worthwhile goal, the truth is we don’t have to do anything to make God smile, He already smiles at the thought of us. Zephaniah 3:17 says it this way: “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” Do you see that amazing truth? The God of heaven and earth delights in you, covers you with His love, rejoices over you! He smiles when He thinks of you! Isn’t that incredible!
Unfortunately, we often focus on God’s displeasure or disappointment with us rather than His delight in us. The thought that God rejoices over us is hard to comprehend. But it’s true!
What would our lives look like if we really believed God delighted, rejoiced and sang over us! What would our work routines look like? Our families? Our worship? The fact that God really desires to be with us should inspire, motivate and drive us to be with Him, to love Him, to worship Him! Do you want to make God smile? His truth declares He already is!
Why Missions?
Guest Blogger: Alfred Turley, Associate Pastor-Operations
We’ve received a lot of questions about foreign missions at Rock Bridge, especially as we begin planning future trips and partnerships. Some ask why we do it at all, as our own community has so many needs. I personally have been involved with foreign missions for over 15 years, and through those experiences, primarily in Haiti, I have seen God do some amazing things! Here is why foreign mission efforts are important:
-1) Others who are less fortunate need to know that they matter. By going on trips where we develop relationships and partnerships, they see that they are not just a handout, but that they are a person that matters to us and therefore matters to Jesus. Some mission trips only focus on projects, and while the heart of service is great, people hurting want to know that we see them, we see their hardships, and we care. We can’t always get to know everyone, but we should try! Many of the orphans I have met in Haiti were treated lower than dogs. When we fed, played, sang, and laughed with them, they felt they mattered to someone, and that God just might actually love them!
-2) Missions remind us the world is bigger than us, and that God’s heart is for the world. Missions remind us that just because people have different ways of talking, eating, driving, etc., that they still matter to God. Cultures around the world vary greatly, and it’s important we realize that just because others do things differently, they still matter to God.
-3) Missions change us forever! Our country is so blessed… sometimes we forget what true needs really are. Visiting a country where there are no police to call, no ambulance to call, no power, no running water… it makes you realize we have so much! Some people literally do not have clothing to wear and walk around nearly naked. Some have no house to live in, so they build a shed with sticks and do the best they can to live. In Haiti, people regularly eat dirt, because there is nothing else to eat. A meal every day is a luxury. They can’t imagine eating three a day!
-4) Missions give us the opportunity to sacrifice for our Lord, Jesus Christ. By going on trips, praying for missionaries and the people they are ministering with, by partnering financially, God gives us the chance to lay down our selves for others, and create a bridge of compassion that God will use to change lives!
Easter 2010!!
Easter Services at Rock Bridge: 8 services across NW Georgia!!
- Dalton Campus
- Thursday, April 1 @ 6:30 pm (Wink Theatre)
- Sunday, April 4 @ 8:00 am (Wink only); 9:30 & 11:00 (Wink Theatre & Stage 123)
- Calhoun Campus
- Sunday, April 4 @ 10:30 am (Calhoun Civic Auditorium)
- Chatsworth Campus
- Saturday, April 3 @ 5:00 pm (North Murray High School)
- Sunday, April 4 @ 9:15 & 11:00 am (North Murray High School)
