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Staff Retreat

We just got back from a staff retreat in Toccoa, Georgia.
I love Toccoa ... even though I played my final high school football game there. We lost to Stephens County, 13-6 in the state quarterfinals.

Anyway, great time with our staff. We had a lot of fun going to Toccoa Falls, riding horses, eating, and playing games. We discussed a lot of stuff and really got some great things done/planned:

--Leadership lessons from Moses (Exodus)
--Rock Bridge vision (what is God doing that we need to pay attention to)
--Creative process (how we plan messages and worship services)
--Effective follow-up/assimilation (how we help people get connected)
--Staying healthy in ministry
--Leading volunteers
--Multi-site preparations
--Calendar planning
--Office reconfiguration (in preparation for new staff)
--New financial process/procedures (What works at 400-500 does not work >1000)
--Prayer time

Bottom line for me after this weekend:
--Our staff is fun, faithful, and fruitful.
--Our staff sees God working and wants to see MORE for Him!
--Our staff is a little crazy and that's a good thing!
--Our staff is rock solid behind our vision
--Our staff loves the people God is bringing to Rock Bridge.
--Our staff is expecting BIG things from a BIG God who wants it more than we do.
(God wants Rock Bridge to fulfill the Great Commission more that we want it!)
--Our staff is pumped about Exodus 14:14

Multi-Site: Rock Bridge Calhoun

This past Sunday was a great day at Rock Bridge Calhoun with ~100 coming to worship!!There are lots of great questions that people have about multi-site so here are some answers (this is a long entry):

WHAT IS MULTI-SITE?
One church meeting in multiple locations but with a common vision, budget, and leadership.
Multi-site is not a new concept. The church at Corinth and several other first century churches were multi-site. They consisted of several house churches that were part of one city-wide church.
--9 of the 10 largest churches in America are multi-site.
--7 of the 10 fastest growing churches in America are multi-site.
At Rock Bridge we believe that 'church' is not a specific building or location. Church is a group of believers connected to other groups of believers by a common mission!!

WHY IS ROCK BRIDGE TAKING A MULTI-SITE APPROACH?
To make more disciples for Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8) by bringing the church closer to where people are.
We have noticed a trend at Rock Bridge: people are driving from several communities outside of the Dalton-Whitfield area, including Calhoun. We are commanded by Christ to "go and make disciples" ... multi-site is part of us being obedient and not being afraid to take risks for the cause of Christ.

HOW DID ROCK BRIDGE CHOOSE CALHOUN?
The short-answer is: it was a 'God-thing'.
One our teaching Elders, John McIntosh, was asked to preach for a church called CrossPoint. The church had been without a pastor for several months and John really enjoyed his time with the people there.
At the same time, myself and others had been praying about planting new churches and/or starting new sites as a way to reach more people for Christ.
From there the idea of merging together to have greater influence was born. After much prayer and discussion, CrossPoint asked to be adopted by Rock Bridge.
--In 2004, 1500 churches were multi-site. 30% of those 'sites' were adoptions/mergers like what Rock Bridge is doing in Calhoun.

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR ROCK BRIDGE CALHOUN?
On Easter Sunday, Rock Bridge assumed teaching responsibilities for the new site. Additionally, our two sites now share the same type of bulletin.
The biggest first step is to prayerfully locate a Campus Pastor to lead the charge in Calhoun (we are very close).
After that we'll begin organizing ministry teams, locating a meeting facility, and getting ready for the official launch in the Fall of 2007.

WHERE WILL ROCK BRIDGE CALHOUN MEET?
To be determined.

HOW WILL THE TEACHING BE HANDLED?
As of now, the Calhoun site will either watch a video of the 9:00 am message from the Dalton campus or there will be a 'live' teacher.
We believe that the power of God's Word is not limited by the medium through which it is communicated and that through excellent technology both Dalton & Calhoun will experience the same teaching.

WHAT ABOUT WORSHIP?
The worship will be with a live band and worship pastor like at Dalton.
Children & Youth programming will also be similar once the site is officially launched.

WHAT DOES THE CAMPUS PASTOR DO?
He will lead the ministry efforts in Calhoun and pastor the people. He will be responsible for everything but the Sunday morning message. That means he has to organize and coordinate small groups, children's ministry, worship planning, student ministry, pastoral care, community care & outreach, church operations/administration, and supervise the staff & ministry team leaders.
And he will teach from time to time as well.

WHAT WILL CHANGE? WHAT WILL BE THE SAME?
In Dalton, not much will change.
In Calhoun, there will be a Rock Bridge.

This is kind of like the opening of 2 new Starbucks here in Whitfield County (one in Kroger and the other by the North Bypass). They are in two locations. One has a drive-thru and one does not. One is already open; one will open soon. One will own its building; one rents/leases its facility.
Both have the same goal, the same leadership structure, and both offer the same thing -- great coffee.
Rock Bridge Dalton & Calhoun will have some differences, but both will still communicate Christ in creative and relevant ways done with excellence!!

After-Action Report: Easter

Some random thoughts going through my head the day after Easter:

--If you volunteer at church in ANY capacity, you are AWESOME! It makes such a huge difference to what God is able to do through His church.

--We had more people at the 9:00 am service than at 10:45 ... many of you proved that you CAN actually get up that early ... keep it up!

--The buzz building in Calhoun is great!! We've got a long way to go before we officially launch but the people are GREAT, the need in Gordon County is tremendous, and God is opening doors for His Gospel there.

--How long can we stay at two services at our Dalton campus?
I want to stay at two as long as possible BUT we will not stay at two services IF it hinders growth or our ability to reach disconnected people!!

--We had several people make decisions yesterday in the worship services and in the children's theatre!! That means there is a big ole party in heaven!!

--We about to go into overtime adding new staff. We learned at Newspring that the optimal ratio is 1:100. We are currently at 1:175. Our staff is stretched and stressed ... but we are ON FIRE for what God is up to!! If you want to hear the two main sessions of the Newspring Unleash Conference, you can check them out here.

--We have a 3-day staff retreat this week that will be very important to how we get where God is taking us.

--God is good!

--John 3:30

Easter Sunday recap (4/8/2007)

WOW!!
Great day today at Rock Bridge with over 1750 at Dalton and around 100 at Calhoun (We have not officially launched Rock Bridge Calhoun ... more on this later)!!

This was a bit of a different Easter sermon for me. I always struggle preaching Easter b/c it is so familiar. But I felt better about today's message than any previous Easter sermon I have given.
He is risen!!

Message Highlights:
We focused on two phrases: "What if" and "As if"
--What if Easter did not happen?
--Life events, distractions, time all make us live "as if" it did not happen

I Corinthians 15:12-20
If Easter did not happen ...

1) Life would have no real purpose.
--We would have a hope so, think so, & maybe so faith
--We would not understand how life fits together
--We would be half-hearted in our endeavors

2) Life would have no real authority.
--Jesus would be a liar and a fraud.
--The authority that supposedly makes us unique and gives us value would be discredited.
--We could not relate to God. We'd be stuck in sin.
--Many people's religion lacks power because is it based on rules rather than the resurrection.

3) Life would be a dead end.
--we should be pitied; we'd live for the moment with no hope for eternity

*However, often times we live AS IF Easter did not happen.
--Where is this thing called life going? What does it mean? What can give me meaning?
--We are confused and uncertain.
--Illustration: after 9/11 America was clear on defending ourselves, our values, and our way of life. Today, the patriotism is almost gone and people are apathetic. Is the same true of us regarding Christianity some 2000 years after the resurrection?

Evidence for the Resurrection
A) Some say Jesus did not really die.
--Flogging & being crucified were not survivable.
--The Romans were experts at it.
B) Some say they went to the wrong tomb.
--I Corinthians 15:3-6 (500 people saw Him ... go ask them!)
--Jews and Romans would have wanted to produce a body ... but there wasn't one to produce.
--The Apostles repeatedly spoke of Jesus' burial. Someone could have checked out the burial site.
C) The disciples stole the body
--Who would die for a lie?
--Acts 4:18-20
D) Cannot explain the changed lives without the resurrection
--If there is evidence you can experience it and you can live AS IF it really happened!

We have a choice:
--Jesus is who He says He is ... Lord, God, King of Kings, the way to salvation OR He is still dead to us. He cannot be a moral teacher or good person.
I Corithians 15:56-58
--We have a gift (eternal life; purpose; salvation; forgiveness)
--We have a victory
--We can ourselves fully to a real purpose.