Still Dreaming (repost) and This Week in the Grove!

 Church, Church at the Grove, Church Planting, Jesus, Leadership, Missional, Random Thoughts  No Responses »
Aug 262011
 

Still Dreaming For:

  • I am still dreaming about a church that effectively reaches people far from God!  I am dreaming about reaching those that have never been in church and those that left church years ago for one reason or another!
  • I am still dreaming about being a church for those already following Jesus but have grown weary of being a part of churches that have given up on reaching people outside the church and simply keeping those on the inside happy!
  • I am still dreaming about reaching thousands and thousands of people and always struggling to keep up with baptizing those who have turned to follow Jesus!
  • I am still dreaming about being a church that has to have multiple services on Sunday to accommodate all the people God is reaching through us!
  • I am still dreaming about beginning new campuses in nearby communities that need a church passionate about reaching people far from God!
  • I am still dreaming about being a church-planting church that is consistently launching new churches locally, nationally and across the globe!
  • I am still dreaming about being a pastor of a church that consistently invests into young leaders that plant churches and have impact in communities locally and globally.
  • I am still dreaming about being the godly leader and example to a faith community that models leadership, marriage, parenting and godly living God’s way!
  • I am still dreaming about being at a location for the long haul for the maximum influence and missional impact!
  • I am still dreaming about living for the glory of God and the good of people!

What are you dreaming about?

5 year anniversary!
On September 11 we will celebrate an incredible 5 years as Church at the Grove! (Insert applause & cheers) These 5 years have been significant in seeing many people turn to follow Jesus & seeing lives transformed as we have impacted our local community and even touched lives around the world.  September 11 will be a big day and we want everyone who calls Church at the Grove home to be there and to bring your family and friends to join you!

Two Services on September 11
We have continued to see our CATGrove family grow and as a result, we need to create more space for new people.  On September 11 we will launch with 2 Sunday morning gatherings at 9:30 & 11am.  This is to create another opportunity for you to invite your family and friends that you have been praying for and investing in!

Community Groups begin September 11
Our new Community Group semester will begin Sunday September 11! I am convinced that one of the important elements to our growth this past year (God gets the credit, of course) was our Community Groups this past year.  We had more groups and more people connected to groups than ever before!  Please choose a group over this next month and get connected to other people in the church!

Church at the Grove Social Circle
This coming January we will launch a 2nd location gathering in Social Circle.  God has called us since before we ever launched our 1st gathering to be aggressive in ADVANCING the gospel through planting new churches and new locations of CATGrove!  I am asking everyone to please pray about being a part of this launch team that will help get this new gathering started.  It will be one of the most exciting things you have ever been a part of.  Consider making this your campus, consider giving one year or six months to help get Social Circle started.  We can’t do without people like you.

 

 

 Posted by at 12:13 pm

World’s greatest Volunteers! & This week in The Grove

 Church at the Grove, Church Planting, Leadership, Random Thoughts  1 Response »
Jul 122011
 

We simply have the World’s greatest volunteers!

I am so thankful for the many men and women that make Church at the Grove happen! 

We have a group of people that come in early on Sunday mornings and set up for our Sunday gatherings!  They create the environment so we can share the gospel of Jesus with the community.  We have people that pick up biscuits for our team, we have people that put out donuts and water.  We have team that come in and help with name-tags, set up resource tables and greet guests as they come in.  We have teams that hand out programs and give people a smile when they come through the doors of the auditorium.  We have an incredible worship (sound; lighting; & graphics included) team that comes in very early and sets up, rehearses, and they come prepared to lead us into the presence of God through music and singing.

We have an awesome team in our preschool and children’s ministries that setup, prepare and teach our children the gospel of Jesus!  I am so thankful for them.

There is no way we could do what we do without awesome volunteers that sacrifice and serve to glorify God and fulfill the Great Commission by sharing the gospel and Making Disciples.

Making Disciple requires faithful servant volunteers to give their hearts and lives to the sharing the gospel of Jesus with those around us.

THANK YOU!

Because we can’t do it without you and to show appreciation for all that you have done and continue to do, we offer our 2nd annual Volunteer Appreciation night!

Sunday night August 28 at Lenora Park @ 6:30 we will gather for a night of fun at the water park.  It will be for the entire family of those that serve in any capacity at Church at the Grove!  Please begin to RSVP to our office by phone or email to let us know you plan to attend.

Also Considering your place of service:

  • Please make sure you are faithful to serve on dates that you are assigned.
  • Please be on time or early to the areas you are responsible.
  • Please make sure to cover your areas and recruit replacements when you cannot be there.

We cannot do what we do without you!  You are MVP’s! our Most Valuable People!

Keep praying! Keep Investing! Keep Inviting!

 Posted by at 9:38 am

Remembering why we do what we do! & This Week in The Grove!

 Church at the Grove, Church Planting, Culture, Faith, Jesus, Leadership, Missional, Random Thoughts, READ THIS!  1 Response »
Jun 032011
 

The “new routine” of Summer kicked into gear this week with celebrating Memorial Day and getting used to school being out.  It has truly been a great week and I have reflected on the goodness and faithfulness of God so much this week.

I was able to spend some time with a few different people this week that helped remind me of why we do what we do at Church at the Grove.

I spent some time with a friend that is hungry exploring faith issues and the Bible for the first time in his life.  It is so refreshing to see that hunger for the Word of God and the things of God.  This is why we started Church at the Grove!  We desired to build relationships with people born and raised in the first “post-Christian” generation that didn’t have the Bible and Christian foundation that so many have had in previous generations, especially here in the Bible Belt.  This friend is vigorously pursing God through reading the Word and becoming a part of the Church at the Grove family.

I spent some time with a precious family that has gone through a recent tragedy in their family and it is so encouraging to see them lean into God during this tough trial.  They have been overwhelmed with the outpouring of love from their Grove family and are trusting God as they continue to move forward.  I always think I am going to visit someone in need and encourage them but often I am the one that leaves a home being encouraged by the family I visit with.

I was able to cast the vision I believe God has given Church at the Grove with a family this week.  It never gets old sharing the mission and vision God has given us.  It is so humbling and surreal to see how God has delivered on what He promised us He would do just over 5 years ago when we set out on this adventure!  As I shared the heartbeat of our church and what I believe is distinct and significant about Church at the Grove, I was overwhelmed again with gratitude and resolve to move forward faithfully to accomplish what God has led us to do!

Can I remind you?!

Vision:

God has called us to reach out to the first generations born and raised into a “post-Christian” American culture.  We desire to share the gospel with these generations and see God build a church of influence!

Mission:

Church at the Grove exist to develop people who follow Jesus and Make Disciples.

Strategy:

We seek to fulfill God’s Vision and Mission for Church at the Grove through:

  • Creating Environments where people can explore faith at their own pace.
  • Encouraging relationships.
  • Starting discussions and conversations that lead to sharing the hope found in Jesus.

Simply put, we want more than anything else make much of Jesus, glorifying Him through touching individual lives with the love and grace of God.  Love God; Love people!

Keep praying, Keep investing, Keep inviting!

 

 Posted by at 8:47 am

Let’s Go! Social Circle & This Summer!

 Church at the Grove, Church Planting, Faith, Jesus, Leadership, Missional, Random Thoughts  No Responses »
May 252011
 

This past Saturday night we had an informational/vision meeting about our Social Circle Launch next January 2012.  Here is a quote from one of the people at the meeting:

“I am excited out of my mind, but I am scared to death at the same time.”

I think that is right where God wants us to be!  We must continue to move forward to fulfill the mission of our church!  I am much more scared of becoming inward focused and complacent.  We must move forward by faith trusting that God will lead us and guide us.

Read Joshua 1:5-9  God is faithful in His promise to be with us and never forsake us or leave us!  He encourages us to be courageous as we move forward.

With this in mind, here is what we need as we move forward in our Social Circle Launch:

  • We need families to prayerfully consider being a part of the Social Circle Launch Team.  We need you to consider making the Social Circle Campus your church home and we need you to serve faithfully to make it happen.
  • Please consider permanently becoming a part of the Social Circle Campus, especially if you live geographically close to the Social Circle area.
  • Please consider giving God ONE year of your life to help launch, build and invest into the lives of the people God wants to reach in the Social Circle area.
  • Please consider giving God SIX MONTHS of your life to help launch, build, and invest into the lives of the people God wants to reach in the Social Circle area.
  • Consider helping us invest into the Social Circle Community this fall as we do ministry to make a practical difference in the lives of the people in Social Circle.
  • Consider helping us organize and execute 3 preview services this fall that will give people in the area a chance to see what The Grove is about and what our gatherings are like.
  • Help us simply get the word out about The Grove at Social Circle!  Think of people in your circle of friends, neighbors, family and associates that might be impacted by this new Sunday gathering/community in the Social Circle area.
  • Please contact us (Nathan, Russ, Craig) if you are interested in any of this OR if you have any questions.

Don’t miss part 2 of “BLESSED” this Sunday!  “Blessed are those who mourn”

Use Memorial Day as an opportunity to connect with someone in your neighborhood or family!  Invest and Invite!  Start a discussion/conversation that might lead to sharing the hope that is found in Jesus!

Remember to live BLESSED this week:  We are BLESSED when we are at the end of our rope!  When we are at the end of our rope, Jesus can take over!

 Posted by at 10:39 am
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