Big Happenings at Rock Bridge Chatsworth!

Tons of exciting stuff happening in our midst this summer and it's just getting started! In the coming weeks we will have our first Adventure Week [VBS on STEROIDS] at Bagley and we're right in the middle of some VERY cool Independence Day [week] activities that have been amazing. Join us Friday night in Eton as we play some Skee-ball, basketball and T-ball with kids!

So what's next? Glad I asked! We are about to embark on an incredible journey to transform our Children's Ministry space into a spectacular jungle/tropical rain-forest. We've collaborated with some incredible volunteers and staff to get a general plan and the new space will ABSOLUTELY ROCK YOUR WORLD. Our very agressive goal is to have the work done in time for Adventure Week which begins on Sunday July 29. This is a perfect time to capitalize on the momentum we are already seeing and it will also give those visiting us an incredible experience and a chance to build on board that momentum!

With that in mind, I will be in contact very soon to give details and work-day schedules that will allow all of us a chance to be part of this incredible journey, it will indeed take an army but I am confident we will get it done and much of the work is easy painting and basic labor.

The first thing we need to do is get both of our storage rooms cleared out so we can convert them to class space that is closer to the lobby. Two amazing volunteers have already cleared one of those rooms so this Sunday we will gather right after service and clear out the other room. I suspect this will take less than thirty minutes.

Here's a look at some pending projects you can help with:

• Basic labor:
• Basic painting [Even I can help with this]
• Getting new storage rooms organized
• Remove and replace ceiling tiles [Lots of ladder time - but NOT high up]
• Remove existing and/or hang new themed curtains - GONNA BE AWESOME
• Possibly some sewing to recover furniture

• Vic Webb is heading a 'design team' and will need help with the following:
• Finalizing design plans - if you have artistic vision - get on board!
• BASIC painting [Even I can help with this]
• Artistic painting [This is more specialized, but you don't have to be Van Gogh]
• 3-D Tree design [Steady with a utility knife - not too hard, but slow work]
• General decorating to have proper design flow from hallway to rooms

You get the point. We are beyond excited about how this transformation will raise our kids ministry to a whole new level - get involved to make it happen!

Please email me at gus@rockbridge.cc with questions or to volunteer.

More details soon!

July 6 Fireworks in Eton!

I am still in awe at how incredible our folks did at the fireworks in Chatsworth last Saturday afternoon and night. It was SO STINKIN' HOT and nobody complained and even more than that, it was FUN! Our silly attempts to keep cool led to us spraying folks as they went by which ended up being incredibly well received! While I can't totally connect the two, Sunday was among our largest 'holiday' weekend services ever. Just saying.


Our return to the Rec on Sunday was nothing short of spectacular. Watching entire families [young children to the not-so-young] work together to clean up the Rec in over 100 degree weather, and again no complaining was a true picture of the church serving the community.


That said, this Friday, July 6th, is the fireworks celebration at Eton Park in Eton. We will again have a booth setup to focus on helping kids and their families enjoy this event and 'wander the park' to simply help people have a great time. [We will not be giving away water at this event] Here are the details:

• FRIDAY Afternoon
• We will begin setting up at 5pm at the Park. We will not know our exact location until then. Feel free to call my cell phone - 706.264.4196 if you can't find us.
• We are asking our folks to wear the matching t-shirts throughout the day. We still have some shirts available and they will be ready at the booth at 5:30 and they are first come first serve for sizes. If you already have a shirt please save the remainder for new folks. There is no charge for the shirts for Rock Bridge'ers
• The basic plan is to hang out and show people our Christ filled lives and have fun together [Again, we will not be giving away water at this event]
• We need two folks [each hour] to commit for one hour during the following hours:
• 6-7
• 7-8
• 8-9
• 9-10 [Chatsworth started the fireworks at 10:15ish - I suspect the same will be true here]
• POST FIREWORKS [A FEW EXTRA HERE TO HELP CLEAR OUT WOULD HELP]
• PLEASE EMAIL ME at gus@rockbridge.cc IF YOU CAN DO ONE OF THOSE SLOTS!
• The success of our 'water-squirting' last Saturday leads me to believe we will do this again so If you can bring a cooler FILLED with ice it will help a TON to keep some bottled water [for our volunteers], us and others cool

This is going to be another great night and I am excited to hang out with you!

June 30 Fireworks @ Murray Rec

This Saturday, June 30, is the fireworks celebration at Murray County Rec. We will have a booth setup  to give away free bottled water and spend our day 'wandering the rec' to simply help people have a great time. Here are the details:

• SATURDAY
• We will begin setting up at 3pm at the Rec. We will not know our exact location until then. Feel free to call my cell phone - 706.264.4196 if you can't find us.
• We are asking our folks to wear matching t-shirts throughout the day. We will have the shirts at the booth at 3:30 and they are first come first serve for sizes. Since we are asking our folks to come out to help cleanup on Sunday, there is no charge for the shirts for Rock Bridge'ers
• The basic plan is to hang out and show people our Christ filled lives and have fun together
• We need two folks [each hour] to commit for one hour during the following hours:
• 3-4
• 4-5
• 5-6
• 6-7
• 7-8
• 8-9 [A FEW EXTRA HERE TO HELP CLEAR OUT WOULD HELP]
• PLEASE EMAIL ME at gus@rockbridge.cc IF YOU CAN DO ONE OF THOSE SLOTS!
• If you can bring a cooler FILLED with ice it will help a TON to keep water - and us cool
• It's going to be hot, we will have some spray bottles to help keep cool

• SUNDAY
• After church on Sunday, we are asking as many folks as possible to return to the Rec Center and help us do some cleanup - our first focus will to clean the property of local homes - we'll evaluate when we get there.
• This is a great opportunity for us to include our whole family is serving our community!
• We will meet back at the Rec after lunch - I will plan to be there by 1pm. We will work until we need to finish...

This is going to be a great day and I am excited to hang out with you!

State of the Church - April 2012

In case you missed it, we had a wonderful lunch after church on Sunday and I took a few minutes to share the current health of Rock Bridge Chatsworth as of March 31.

• We have exceeded our budget in giving! [Rousing celebration!]
• Not a reason to 'slow down' but a chance to keep moving forward
• We have spent less than budget! 
• Not being 'cheap', just wise stewards working to be ready for God's next thing
• We have >63% of adults in small groups with new groups forming! 
• This is excellent and has us well on our way to our 80% goal
• We have >70%  of the congregation serving on a regular basis
• Our evangelistic culture is on the rise - we are inviting our friends and they are coming. 
• Keep it up, personal invitation and prayer are the most effective ways to see people get involved
• Attendance is up 11% from the previous quarter.
• Preview for next update - it continues to be up this quarter
• Baptism sign-ups are up - and two have been saved 
• That trend has continued into this quarter

Bottom line... Rock Bridge Chatsworth is HEALTHY and God is working in our midst!

Dorito Tacos!

I was on the phone with a friend a few weeks ago and with a level of excitement he asked me the following question "Have you tried the new Dorito Taco at Taco Bell?" Truth be told, I hadn't eaten at Taco Bell for ages, just lost the taste for it and I hadn't even heard of said item, but I was intrigued. So the next day I found myself calling him from the parking lot of Taco Bell to inform him I was about to try the ingenious new invention. It's possible he had some food-envy and asked for an update as soon as I had one.

I proceeded through the drive-thru and ordered some lunch. Once I got to the window to pay, the cashier was practically giddy at the thought of someone trying the taco for the first time. Fifteen minutes later I texted one single word to my friend Vic: AWESOME.

A few weeks before that, another friend had recommended I try Jersey Mike's Subs and the experience was similar. Jersey Mike came closer to a New York Deli than anything I've had and it indeed made me happy. I have since sent or brought several friends to Jersey Mikes.

So my Dorito Taco and Sub-Sanwich experiences got me thinking. Brad ate a sub and fervently suggested I try it, Vic heard about the Taco on Television, was excited about it and shared it with me. Then the cashier was excited for me to try it and once it had passed over my taste-buds I quickly shared the news with more people... leading to a thought... do we [myself included] have more enthusiasm for an interesting food item than for the most powerful, incredible, loving, gracious force in all the world, universe and everywhere else? Do we share the life-changing news of Jesus Christ with that kind of joy and passion?

Well, for some at least, the answer is yes. Over the last 4-5 weeks I've had at least 5 different people [including the taco-meister Vic and Brad, the Jersey Mike advocate] share with me with incredible enthusiasm that people they have been inviting to church, have finally said yes! They had been praying for the friends for a long time, inviting for a long time and didn't give up. Even more exciting, is that in every case - the friends DID come to church, I got to meet each one and all have been back or plan to come back.

So I say thanks for the effort. Not the effort to 'grow Rock Bridge Chatsworth', [or grow my belly], but the effort to make a difference in the lives of your friends by consistently and enthusiastically sharing the 'even-better-than-Dorito-Tacos' amazing love of God with them.

Now if only someone could recommend a place that has made broccoli taste good.

Some things I learned from Dad

A few weeks ago, at around 5:30 in the morning I got the call that my Dad had passed away after a long and brave fight to recover from a heart attack. We knew his time here was coming to an end so Gail and I were able to be in New York with him for his last few days. Throughout his life, Dad was the most powerful and inspiring man that I ever knew and even through his recovery, while stuck in bed, he remained an imposing force that charmed [or frightened] every doctor, nurse and therapist he encountered. This week we would have celebrated both Mom and Dad's seventy-third birthdays but instead we are still grieving Mom and now Dad. This loss is simply indescribable because his life, and therefore my life have been indescribable too. As I walk through this time in my life, I find myself reflecting on what I've learned from my Dad, including but not limited to:

• How to be a gracious host. Dad [and Mom] made people feel at home and welcomed
• How to make the house look like nobody had been there - even after a large party Dad was able to eliminate any evidence of that party within minutes. It was amazing.
  
• How to make amazing pancakes. Okay, it's Bisquick, but he taught me how to make them a special event filled with love and joy and I now carry on that tradition with my family.
  
• How to completely lose my mind when I can't find a hammer - or some such thing. Okay, so this isn't a good lesson, but he also taught me how to regain composure.
• He taught me how to forgive. I screwed up more than my share, sometimes my screw-ups hurt Dad. In no instance did he ever show signs that it was hard to forgive. Ever.
• He taught me how to be strong. In Mom's final days he carried me and my brothers and sisters through the darkest hours we ever knew.
• He taught me that "if you look like you know what you're doing, people will leave you alone". He led us into amazing experiences because he was unafraid to venture into things that most would have been intimidated by. The great stories are endless!
  
• He taught me that having money, or not having it did not have to change you.
  
• I could go on and on, but I'll close with my favorite thing I learned from him. His sister tells a story from when Dad was first dating Mom. I should say that this was the 1950's and Dad was Fonzie, the coolest cat in town. He was into his share of mischief but he didn't hurt people and he had a sense of humor beyond description. So my Aunt was walking along the street one afternoon and she saw her super cool older brother walking on the other side of the street holding hands with his new girlfriend. She waved excitedly at her big bro and without hesitation he raised up his hand, the one still holding the hand of his future wife, and waved back, publicly showing his love. Dad taught me how to love my wife publicly. He danced with Mom in the kitchen, said he loved her, wrote her notes, there was never any doubt about who was his queen - for more than fifty years.

Part of me is sad right now, in fact most of me is sad but at my heart level, my very core I am so grateful for the life I led with the greatest Dad, Mom and brothers and sisters imaginable. I'm so thankful that I have wonderful memories shining through the grief and they enable me to smile and find some joy in this dark season.

Momentum

As 2012 continues, we have an exciting opportunity to capitalize on the momentum created by renewed commitments and resolutions to be more involved in church. Services at Rock Bridge Chatsworth have been incredible and we've already seen exciting growth for this young year. Here are some things that are contributing to and will help continue the momentum:

• Praying. This is everything, apart from Jesus, we are doing nothing.
• Inviting. People are inviting their friends and it is paying off. I have met several people already this year that were at Rock Bridge Chatsworth because of friends inviting them.
  
• Loving. We are doing an amazing job of taking care of each other. I have several examples of how we are 'being the church' to the people around us.
  
• Welcoming. We are doing a great job of making people feel welcomed in our services, may we never lose sight of the significance of this!
  
• Reaching. Upcoming Church activities include Staff-appreciation day at Bagley Middle School on January 23rd. Foster Family Appreciation Day on February 25th [details pending] and a special Easter event to be announced soon!

Thank you for what you are doing to build on this momentum, let's continue to pray, invite, welcome, love and reach out to people so we can share God's love with our community.