Going Global

This past Sunday was a very memorable service for me at RPCC. We announced our relationship that we are beginning with Compassion International and had over 20 children sponsored that day. What an awesome thing to see with God's people stepping up to help others in need, even when they are in another part of the world. Kevin Meyers from Compassion dropped by for an interview and helped us understand what Compassion International is doing around the world.

I am so excited about this partnership with Compassion as we will not only be able to sponsor children from here in the states but we will be able to take trips to Lima, Peru to assist with what Compassion is doing there. The mission of Compassion is to "release children from poverty in Jesus' name". Very simple mission, but very impactful organization. After witnessing first hand what is taking place through Compassion in Lima, I am thrilled to be able to partner with them in not only assisting children with physical poverty, but spiritual, economic and social poverty as well.

Thanks to all those who agreed to sponsor children this past Sunday. If you weren't able to come by the table Sunday and are interested in sponsoring a child, you can either drop by the Compassion table this week at Rock Point or go to our website to pick up a sponsor packet.

Can't wait to see you all this Sunday at Rock Point.

Heath

Random thoughts...

Do you every have random thoughts that go through your mind? I know I do. Sometimes these make sense, but other times, it might just mean that the way the mind that is sending the messages is a little off. (See, that doesn't even make sense)

I've been thinking about the following things here and there....off and on. Let me know your thoughts.

* Why does the church have the best message in the world, but often times we present it in the worst possible way?

* As a Christian, is it more important to be "in the world" or "not of it".

* Why does the culture in America get a bad rap but culture is embraced in other parts of the world with the intent of "reaching the lost"?

* Why is it so easy for us to spend over 30 hours a week watching TV but so hard to give 1 hour a week to serving at your church?

* If Jesus was so concerned with the needs of others...why is it so often that we want our needs addressed first and then we'll worry about "them"?

These are just observations that I have been making over the past month or so. Not jabs...not aimed at any religious group or person...just general thoughts about the church today. Been in church work for a long time...plenty of time to build up some questions. What are yours? Are you thinking about God's Kingdom work here? I hope so.

Heath

TEXTing

OK, so most of you when you read this post title, you thought of texting via your phone or handheld device. But I'm using this phrase in conjunction with our series currently going on at Rock Point. The series is called TEXT and we're talking about diving into the TEXT that God has given us...His Word...the Bible. I personally believe that the Bible is not just a compilation of a lot great writings from a lot of great people. I believe that it is God's written word for us...even thousands of years after it was penned. It is incredibly rich with wisdom...poetry...drama...redemption...love...etc. TEXTing in this context means to read the text...the Bible...which doesn't always mean you totally understand it. Anything that has ever stretched me or I have grown after reading, was not completely comprehendible the first time I read it. But it was so worth it when I immersed myself into it.

This book...the Bible...is alive. It will change you if you read it. So how about it?
If you choose this challenge, let me give you a few places to start.

Step #1 - Get a Bible. I recommend something that is readable in our language today. I prefer the NIV version, but there are a lot of great translations. Yeah, the "thees and thous" from the KJV are very poetic, but I don't know how many of my friends speak like that today. (FYI - that version is a translation as well.)

Step #2 - Pick a time and place. Just like reading a good book, it's probably not the best idea to try and read the Bible with a lot of distractions.

Step #3 - Read it. Below are a weeks worth of reading if that helps you know where to start. All Bibles have a place in the front which helps you know where the individual books are found. (Ex. Matthew, Isaiah, Psalms, etc) Use this. It will help you if you need it.

Monday: Psalm 1

Tuesday: Psalm 119:9-16

Wednesday: Psalm 119:33-37

Thursday: Psalm 119:97-104

Friday: Proverbs 2:1-6

That's pretty much it! Now you can take this as deep as you want to, but for those who have never even given the TEXT a try, this will help you get started.

So pick it up...read it...you won't regret it!

Heath

Stories of Life Change...

I love hearing stories of life change. I'm not talking about winning the lottery or finding your "soul mate". I'm talking real life change by having a relationship with your Heavenly Father through Christ. Jesus promised abundant life and it's for real. I love hearing people who were far away from God and now are walking with Him...not living perfect...but trusting in Him. Wow!

In fact, down the hall from where I am sitting, we are filming 3 stories of those who have experienced this new life in Christ. We'll be showing these before they get baptized at Rock Point in a few weeks. For us baptism isn't just something you do in church, it is really celebrating what God has done on the inside of us through an external act. So we want to give those who are being baptized the opportunity to share their story with others. It's pretty cool!

Isn't that really what it's all about? Sharing our story. I'm so glad we're doing this. Can't wait to see and hear their stories!

Heath

Summer at Rock Point

Wow. Just got finished working on the summer schedule at Rock Point and I am getting extremely excited! Here's why:

* Memorial Day weekend is when Louie Giglio wraps up the series, "Home Free, Even Me". If you have ever wondered what God's grace really is all about...you will be there for this!

* We start off the Summer with the series, "Text" where we will take a close look at the significance of the Scriptures in our lives and how to read and apply it. Very cool approach to an extremely important aspect of our Spiritual Growth.

* We will have a Sunday in late June where we will be discussing what Rock Point is doing as it pertains to impacting the world the world for Christ globally. God has blessed us...let's bless others!

* We are working on a cool environment for the Rock Point attenders to invest and invite outside of Sunday morning. More info on that later.

* We will be combining both of our services for 1 at 10:30am this Summer. The cool thing about that is the crowd that will be combined with both services together. Should create a really cool vibe in the room for the summer.

Keep checking the bulletin on Sunday as well as the website at rockpointcc.org for more details throughout the summer.

Can't wait to see you all this Sunday. If you are in town, don't miss out!

Heath

Mother's Day...Together...and Louie...

Alright so I need to get a few things off my chest...not really, but it sounded good. Here are some random thoughts I've got going on.

* This past Sunday was Mother's Day and I hope all of the Moms out there had a great day. But really shouldn't every day be Mother's Day? I mean, they have the most difficult job in the world and they just keep going and going. I am amazed at how my wife raises our children...I often wonder why God asked ME to be the head of the household. She does a much better job than I do!! So to all of you Moms out there...remind the family that every day should be Mother's Day.

* Also, this past Sunday we talked about "Together" at Rock Point. About how important it is for us as a church to work TOGETHER as we move forward in leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We discussed 4 areas that are critical for this to happen...
- Join a Team (find a place to serve)
- Invite a Friend (think of someone and invite them to church)
- Give Generously (consider giving of what we do have...that is generosity)
- Do Life Together (get in a small group)

I wholeheartedly believe that as we move forward if we have a deficit in any of these areas we will not be able to be all we could be in creating a church where unchurched people would want to attend. Environments need people to pull it off...we need invitations from individuals to help guests connect...we need to be a generous church (to avoid presenting God's truth "cheaply")...people need to connect with people (because God made us that way).

So how about it? Even if you are not a part of Rock Point, are you joining your church with these 4 areas? If not...why not?

* Finally, we've got an amazing series from Louie Giglio the next 2 weeks at Rock Point. It's titled, "Home Free, Even Me". If you have never understood what grace is all about, you need to be at Rock Point on May 17 & 24. You won't regret it.

Peace.

Heath

Invest...Invite...Just Ask...Then What?

There is a phrase that we use around Rock Point a lot..."Invest and Invite". This phrase is in relation to every attendee of Rock Point considering someone to invest in and eventually invite them to church by asking them to join them. We believe this is the best way to get people through the doors of church...many for the first time ever. While this seems to be working pretty well...we still seem to be missing something. Let me paint a picture for you:

* You invest in a friend from work and are building a relationship with them. You really want to ask them to church with you and finally one day...
*...You invite them to church. Not just a casual invite, but a "hey why don't we meet up before church at Starbucks and grab a coffee on our way in!!"
* You're rockin' as your friend comes with you and they seem to really have a great time.
* You go home and wonder, "I hope they had enjoyed today...maybe they will come back".
* Then comes the feeling we all have..."should I leave it up them or invite them back?"

This is really a big deal because we don't want to be forceful with our faith, but we don't want to sit on our hands either. What if some of those people are sitting at home and wondering, "I wonder if they will ask me back to their church...I really enjoyed it!"
Hmmm....something to think about.

I personally think we should follow up with our guests. That follow up being from the one's who invited them. I really don't think they would feel pressured at all, especially if the vibe you got following the service was that they enjoyed themselves. Maybe, it's as simple as making the second "ask" and base what comes next on that response...not on what we think they will say.

Maybe we ought to add something on after "invest and invite". Not sure what that cool little catch phrase could be...maybe, "Invest...invite...just ask...
get 'em back?"

Nah!
Any suggestions?

Heath