My Peruvian Experience - Part 1

Last week I was blessed with the incredible opportunity of going with Compassion International to Lima, Peru. I have been out of the country and have been on Mission Trips before but this trip affected me like no other trip I have ever been on. The poverty that these children and families are in is mind boggling. Dirt floor homes (or shacks), walls made of cardboard, no running water...the list could go on and on. The looks on their faces when they were given pencils or stickers or bubbles brought tears to my eyes. You would have thought they had received a million dollars. On this trip I cried...I laughed...I felt sorrow and my heart rejoiced. I realized that God is not a God of America. Many in our country have categorized Him as being formed in the buckle of the Bible Belt. A child's song came to mind as I walked through the trash filled streets of Lima..."He's Got the Whole World in His Hands." God is doing a great thing in Peru and around the world. I was grateful to have experienced just a small part of that. Thank you to those who prayed for us while we were on this trip.

I realize that pictures speak a thousand words, so here are a few pictures and clips from the trip.

This is outside of the window of the first church we visited. The homes on the hillside tell the story. Check out the boy at the end of it being brought to church by the other kids...physically!

On day 2 we were greeted by over 200 children at Compassion Project 444. I have no idea what they were singing, but it was wonderful!!

I also was blessed to have the opportunity of meeting a little girl whom my family will be sponsoring in the future. Later that day I had the privilege of visiting her at her home!

Well, there really was too much to try and post right now, so I'll be posting more on this trip later. Thanks for reading.

Heath

Starbucks & the Church

I am sitting in Starbucks right now thinking to myself, "Wow, the church could learn a lot from Starbucks!" Now I'm not talking in just serving better coffee...I mean churches today even market, "Now serving Starbucks coffee!" I'm more thinking about the quality of the environment...the welcoming of people from all demographics and socio-econonomic status...the vibe that you get where you feel like you could stay here all day! It's just a cool place. (I'm still hoping that the one I'm sitting in won't one that is shut down.)

So, we have the most important message to be presented to this world but often the church "experience" is either non-inviting...non-welcoming...or non-relevant. When was the last time that your average church goer was sad that the church service ended?! Why do we tend to settle for mediocrity in our presentation of the most important message ever?

I'm thinking right now about how this applies to Rock Point. Do we settle for mediocrity? Are our environments as engaging and welcoming as they can and should be? If someone had the option to spend their morning at Starbucks or Rock Point where would they choose?

Hmmm...I'll get back with you on that one.

Heath

Judgment Call

OK, so when a pastor is convicted from the sermon from Sunday it usually means one of 2 things:
1. He didn't preach the sermon.
2. He found himself struggling with the subject matter.

Well, as it so happens, this week I'm batting .1000. Andy Stanley's sermon on judging others and how we need to approach this so important topic really nailed me to the wall. I don't like to judge others, but I find myself doing this often. But I also find myself on the other side of the debate often and I sometimes ignore areas in others lives that I need to confront. It's an area that is harming them or others and they are headed down a slippery slope. For some reason I then go into overdrive with the "don't judge lest you will be judged" excuse. Not that Andy is reading this blog, but thanks Andy for digging deep to help us begin to understand how to make the "judgment call".

Here is part one of Judgment Call in case you missed it. Join us next week at Rock Point for part 2!

Heath

Paul Would Be At Home Today...

In our small group recently we have been trekking through the book of Galatians. This "letter" was probably written around 50AD to the beginning church in Galatia. (I emphasized "letter" because we often call it a "book" but it was originally a letter.) Here's the Cliffs Notes version of this letter...The new Christians were being swayed into falling back into believing that we achieve our relationship with God on our own. If we're "good enough" we can make it, and God will bless us here and for eternity. Paul is reminding them sternly that this is not only wrong but dangerous. That if that was the case...what did Jesus die for?! He reminds them that this gift was free and you do nothing to earn it...just accept it. Wow, we have come such a long way since that time...or have we?

If Paul were walking the streets of America, say in Chattanooga, and he began hanging out with followers of Christ, I think he might begin to have flashbacks of the church in Galatia almost 2000 years ago. How often we think God blessed because we were "good". How often do we compare ourselves with others and justify our actions because we're at least "better than them" and God's eternal scale surely will tilt our direction. It's the Merry-Go-Round of self-righteousness that ends up having much more "self" than "God" as the focus. This way ends up dangerous for ourselves and for others.

So what does it boil down to? One word - GRACE. Sounds like a real churchy term and there's even an old song written about it. But there is no other word that can calm our anxious hearts or stop our pursuit of "goodness". It is the word that releases us from ourselves and puts the keys of eternity in the hands of the Creator. It's the word that allows us to welcome anyone and everyone into our church doors because we're really all in the same boat!

I would be nowhere without this gift of GRACE. How about you? Do you expend your time and energies earning God's love and acceptance or living in His GRACE?

Heath

Group LIFE!

I love my small group. I just had to get that off my chest. Our group constantly challenges me in my faith...my marriage...my parenting...my investment in others. I love the "diversity" in our backgrounds and faiths. I love that we can all share our struggles and pray for one another. I love that we don't have all of the answers about God and the Bible and what is going on in this world. We are doing life together. And I have to tell you, that's fun!

When we moved to Chattanooga a year and a half ago, we really didn't know a whole lot of people. Even showing up on Sunday as the pastor of a church, relationships weren't flourishing. But when we joined our small group several months later, everything changed. We now have a group of people that we not only meet with every week, but we call them friends. And we are so grateful for them.

So how about you? Where are you experiencing Community? Do you have some people who are pouring into you and you have the opportunity to return the favor? If not, why not check out Group Link at Rock Point. From my vantage point, you won't regret it.

Here's the Group Link...link. Check it out!

Rock Point Group Link

Heath

2008 - a Great Year at Rock Point!

This morning I'm reflecting on the past year at Rock Point. This has been an absolutely amazing year as we have experienced God's blessing in so many ways. Here are just a few of the thoughts I have been reflecting on...

* In January we were given the opportunity of meeting in the Chattanooga Christian School Fine Arts building. Wow! What an amazing opportunity that has been! This facility has been a true God-send as it has met all of our needs being a start up church. Thank you so much administration at CCS! We appreciate your willingness to let a small start up church invade your facility one day a week. We hope we have been as much of a blessing to you as you have been to us.

* At the end of 2007 we had almost 95 people involved in small groups. Today we have right at 175. I'm no math whiz, but I believe that is about 80 new people in groups! If you believe that life change happens best in a place like small group, this number should get you pretty excited!

* Our Sunday worship service attendance has grown 15% from January to December. Our children's areas have grown almost 35% in the same time frame! Many of those new faces have expressed that they weren't interested at all in church until attending Rock Point. Goes to show that people are investing...inviting...and asking people to attend church with them. As a pastor this is so encouraging!

* We began our first Starting Point in Fall of 2008 and already have interest in another group beginning early 2009. Some great stories of life change have come out of that group.

This is only a snapshot of the exciting things that have taken place at Rock Point this year. I am so grateful for every moment that God has given us in 2008; the good...and the bad. Sometimes you have growing pains along the way, but as a church we are learning and growing. I am so excited to see what God does in 2009 as we partner with Him. He is always faithful and it is my prayer that we continue to be faithful to the mission of leading the people of the Chattanooga area into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you for being a part of this endeavor with us.

Have a Happy New Year and I can't wait to see you this Sunday at Rock Point!

Heath

Intersect Project

Recently about a dozen people from Rock Point joined Habitat for Humanity to assist in finishing up a home to be moved in that day! The team touched up paint inside the house, constructed a storage shed in the backyard, as well as hung some shutters and siding. The cool thing was they also helped the lady move into her house that was provided by HFH.

Here is a quote from the Volunteer Coordinator from HFH:
"I know your group got a LOT done and our construction crew was really
pleased – look forward to having you back with us week after next!"

It's so exciting to be part of a church where those who attend are active in making a difference in their community. Thanks to those who participated on this day and we look forward to hearing stories in the future about various service teams and small groups who jump in on the Intersect Project.

Heath