Our Next Launch Meeting - With the correct date!

We are having our next Chatsworth meeting at 6:00pm on Tuesday October 27th at the Appalachian Community Center! Please feel free to invite your friends to this event as we will be sharing lots of cool stuff!

1. Dinner will be served
2. We'll announce our projected launch date and pre-launch schedule
   
3. Formally announce our location!
   
4. Prep our ‘bless the school’ event – create packets for teachers at Chatsworth and Spring Place schools – include ream of paper, hand-written thank you notes and some home-made cookies
5. Child-care is provided
6. Some surprise announcements!
   
7. PRAY

I hope you can be there and invite some un-churched friends!

Church Visits

As we continue to move toward launching Rock Bridge Chatsworth I am spending some time visiting other churches around the southeast with similar dynamics and mission as our own.

Here are some thoughts on my experiences to date:

• Make sure you are easy to find. "Signs, signs, everywhere signs..."
• Small things make a HUGE difference
• First impressions are hard to get over - good or bad
  
• Host team is the first impression - good or bad
  
• Technology can make things better
  
• Technology can make things worse
• There is more than one way to do church
  
• Excellence from people makes up for mediocrity in atmosphere
• I'm amazed at how much God is doing in so many places!
• Saying you are a church that wants to reach the un-churched is different than actually doing it

Rock Bridge is not perfect. We have flawed people working to love Jesus and His people but I am so honored to serve HIm here with these people and I am SO happy to be home this Sunday.

Keep an eye out for some news, we are close to a decision on launch date and location!

IMPORTANT ROCK BRIDGE BAPTISM UPDATE

Bridge Baptism has been moved! We'll now meet in the Wink Theatre at
5:00pm today with dinner to follow in Stage 123. We look forward to seeing
you there!

THOSE BEING BAPTIZED SHOULD ARRIVE AT THE WINK BY 4:00PM!

Favorite Small Group Moments

For the last several years Gail and I have hosted a small group in our home. This last Tuesday was again wonderful which led me to reflect on how much I love this group. So here are some of my favorite small group moments and quotes - in no particular order:

• "If I could go back in time and change one thing... I'd return to the fifth grade and inform my momma that it is NOT okay for a ten year old girl to have a mullett."
• The previous quote led to a 'bad hair picture' contest - It was a tie between my own 6th grade picture and the girl-mullett. Pictures will NOT be posted.
• "These are the best meals we eat all month."
• "Awesome... ish" [a combination of some of our 'favorite words']
• "...just pray for my whole family - they're ALL crazy..."
• "Thank you for helping us while I was without a job."
• "Thank you for loving me and caring for me through the death of my daughter."
• "Thank you for your support while my husband is at war."

Do you see it? Do you see the value? Because of this group we are better, because of the love and support we all give each other we are more like Jesus.

• In small group there is laughter.
• In small group there is sharing.
• In small group there is growing.
• In small group there is healing.
• In small group there is praying.
• In small group there are changed lives.

Maybe you can lead a group; or host a group but whatever it takes... get in a group, it will change your life too.

Rock Bridge Chatsworth - EVER CLOSER!

Rock Bridge Chatsworth is meeting this Monday night, August 24th, at 6:00pm, at the Appalachian Bank Community Center. Dinner and child-care are provided.

Here's a preview of what will happen:

• Update on building search
• Update on staffing our part-time student, children and worship pastor positions
• Update on possible launch date options
• Sunday morning service teams will begin preparations for launch
• Plans for our first outreach event will begin to take shape
• Prayer... Prayer... Prayer

If you are now on or would like to join the team that will launch Rock Bridge Chatsworth, please attend this meeting - it will be GREAT!

The latest on the building search

Here is the latest on the Rock Bridge Chatsworth Building search:

• While the Harris-Sutton Chevy building remains empty, it is still not available to us in a way that makes sense. I remain in prayer that if God wants us in there HE will make it happen.
• We do have a building on our radar that holds some interest. It is not something I can say a lot about yet but we are investigating if it can be used, what it will cost to make it usable for church and if it is where God is leading us.
• Some people have contacted us to discuss the idea of building a building and then leasing it to us with a possible purchase option. I have submitted some floor-plan ideas. PRAY! This would be very cool!
• Both of the current options require some down time, leading to the question of ‘what to do in the meantime?’ To answer that prayer we are praying and looking into a few temporary locations.

Bottom line: We are comfortably on God’s path to finding the perfect place at the perfect time.

Weekly Prayer Meetings

I recently shared here that I am praying for 250 un-churched or de-churched people to begin connecting to Jesus at the launch of Rock Bridge Chatsworth. So, at our Rock Bridge Chatsworth meeting a few weeks ago we started a list. A list of people that are disconnected from church or disconnected from God entirely. The list started with around 1oo people, has since grown to around 112 and continues expanding! This list lives on a wall in my home office, I pray for each name every day and it's AMAZING!

So amazing in fact that I want to share the experience. Thus, starting this week Gail and I will have an 'open prayer time' at our home on Thursday mornings - here are some details:

• ‘Doors open’ every Thursday morning from 6:30am – 7:30am
• At our home office [Email me at gus(at)rockbridge.cc for directions]
• Come at any time during that hour – there is no ‘program’
• Pray, get prayed for, add names to the list, add other requests.

Matthew 18:20 says: For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. If you area able, please join us to 'gather in His name' and wield this amazing weapon in the battle to see our community reached for Jesus Christ.