Spread the word!

Rock Bridge Chatsworth is looking for a part-time Children’s Minister! Do you…

• Have a passion to see un-churched and de-churched kids meet and grow in Christ?
• Want to recruit and train volunteers for an AWESOME kids ministry [6 Weeks – 5th Grade]?
• Want to love, lead and support those volunteers?
• Have 15 – 20 hours per week available to make children’s church happen?
• Want to join an amazing group of staff and volunteers?

Then… Email gus@rockbridge.cc for a complete job description!

Learn, learn, learn

There are lots of churches out there. Big, small, traditional, contemporary and somewhere in between. There are churches with stained glass and some with no glass at all. Gail and I were at a church in October that has more people than they have parking and run parking shuttles to move many of their thousands of folks from an off-site parking lot to their church building.

I was in a church once where the ceremonially robed minister did not touch a Bible, instead another ceremonially robed minister held a giant, and I mean giant Bible for the main-man to read. Some churches dance while some never do. Some churches have electric guitars and drums while others have no musical instruments at all.

It is this diversity that enables, or should enable the body of Christ to reach and serve the diverse population of God's prized creation within the communities we live.

For the last several Sundays Gail and I, along with some friends have visited a few of those diverse churches to learn. Not to learn about stained glass, robes or what kind of instruments to use but to learn how to do church in a school.

Here are some highlights of what we've learned or confirmed:

• God is working in churches that meet in schools
• Good use of technology can draw people into the service
  
• Bad use of that very same technology can be a terrible distraction
• Loud music can be cool
• Overly-loud music can be just plain painful
  
• Seating matters
• Don't confuse visitors
  
• Energy and passion from the church team; greeters, ushers etc... is critical
• Joy from those same people is also critical
• Joy flows from within the individual
  
• Consistent energy and passion however flow from leadership and it fades as it travels
• The leader with low energy and passion will have followers with even less
• People are inspired to serve God when they understand the value of what they are doing
• To pull off volunteer-driven church in a school, or anywhere, vision must be communicated clearly and often
• God has put some AMAZING people at Rock Bridge!
• Be open minded because some things that I've never thought of or think are ridiculous or even stupid... are working for God in other churches!
  
• Learn, learn, learn!
  

I expect to do a few more visits over the coming weeks to keep learning, but what I'm REALLY excited about is getting started here at home. Can't wait!

Money where our mouth is

I have news. The economic situation in this area is hard. I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true and to prove it, one need not go far. Most all of us can demonstrate the difficult situation by simply examining the bottom line of our own finances.

Another fruit of the current economic tree can be seen in our local school budgets. The teachers and administration are doing a great job working within tight budgets to care for and educate our kids and grand-kids and supplies sometimes run short.

It is this need that moved us to 'put our money where our mouth is'. As Rock Bridge Chatsworth continues to move toward our actual launch we have said that we want to make a difference in our community and in the lives of people so one of our members planted the seed that led to a plan to make a difference.

So last week at our Rock Bridge Chatsworth Informational meeting we put our plan in action. Here's what happened:

• Over the last few weeks our middle-school Area Bible Study [ABS] kids made 200 awesome thank-you cards for teachers at Spring Place and Chatsworth Elementary Schools
  
• On the day of our meeting we had some volunteers baking cookies at the Appalachian Community Center all day and some more made cookies at home
  
• At our meeting everyone pitched in to put together nearly 200 packets of these home-made cookies and thank you cards [several packets were also put together by some volunteers at home later]
  
• A print shop in Chatsworth gave us a great deal on 17 cases of copy paper
  
• On Thursday afternoon a team of folks representing Rock Bridge Chatsworth delivered enough paper, cookies and thank you cards for every staff member at Spring Place and Chatsworth elementary schools!

The staff at both schools were incredibly gracious and thankful, it was a very cool event. As we handed a ream of paper to one of the teachers we received my favorite quote of the day, "This is worth even more than gold!"

It was our honor to serve these amazing people that love, care for and educate kids in our community and I am incredibly honored to 'put our money where our mouth is' and serve with the amazing people that God has already assembled at Rock Bridge Chatsworth.

Looking forward to doing more!

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.