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Five Reasons we are launched Church at the Grove Social Circle

Russ — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:20:10 +0000

Our Social Circle campus pastor Nathan Boyd shared this with our launch team a few months back in preparation for launching our second campus in Social Circle. We must continue to advance the gospel through church planting and multiplying movements!

1. Because we understand that found people find people…and we will not stop doing whatJesus commanded us to do.

Matthew 28:18-20- “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of age.”
Matthew 9:35-38 – “When he (Jesus) saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field”

2. Because we understand that saved people serve people…and we will not stop doing what the Bible commands of us.

1 Peter 4:10 – “Each of you should use whatever gifts you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
Matthew 20:28 – “…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

3. Because we understand that growing people change…and we will not stop praying for Jesus to change us.

Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

4. Because we understand that we can’t do life alone…and we will obey what the Lord has instructed us to do in Hebrews 10:24-25.

Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Ecclesiastes 4:9 – “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.”

5. Because we understand that we cannot out give God…and so we will obey what God’s Word teaches.

Malachi 3:6-12- ‘”Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.”
Proverbs 3:9-10- “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine

The Hidden Life of a Leader

Russ — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:57:50 +0000

God often takes us into a dessert experience to do a deep work in private before he performs a broad work through us in public.

A life that is characterized by spiritual depth is most often cultivated in time spent in solitude, quietness and obscurity.

Paul experienced this dessert obscurity and solitude immediately following his Damascus Road conversion.

Galatians 1:15–18 (ESV)
¹⁵But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, ¹⁶was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; ¹⁷nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
¹⁸Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days.

Paul spent 3 years in dessert obscurity for the purpose of preparing him for the ministry to which Jesus had called him.

I am reading Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit by Charles Swindoll, and I cannot remember EVER being taught about Paul’s 3 year journey into the dessert. Why did he spend 3 years in the dessert prior to his public ministry?

Before we answer why, let’s take a look at who else spent time in obscurity before their ministry went public:

Moses fled to the plains of Midian and tended sheep for 40 years before God used him to free the Israelites from Egypt.
David spent 13 years as a fugitive in the caves of Engedi where many of his Psalms were born before assuming the throne of Israel he was anointed for when he was a boy.
Joseph spent time in jail unjustly accused in Egypt before he ascended to a place of authority that would allow God to use him to protect his family from famine.
Elijah spent time hiding in the wilderness being fed by ravens.
John the Baptist ate locust and honey for most of his ministry. He announced the public ministry of the Messiah and he was beheaded as a reward for going public with the truth of a political leader.

Here are 3 areas that God often works on while we are in the dessert:

God often desires to forge in us a work of lasting transformation and character. To do the work of God in ministry we must have a heart for people, we must craft our theology and we need to cultivate an identity solely in Christ.
Often it takes time to discover what REALLY matters. In the dessert experience we learn that to be great leaders we must lead in areas that truly matter to God!
When we are so busy and fixing everyone else at breakneck speed, we simply can’t hear God’s voice clearly. God takes us into solitude in order to slow down, get quiet and listen to his still, small voice.

I spent some time in the dessert under a pastor that lacked integrity and leadership. It was in that experience that I learned to depend on God. My relationship with my wife grew stronger during this time as we leaned into God and one another.

The church I planted and now pastor went through a very difficult period two years into the plant. It was a bit of a dessert experience where I learned what really mattered.

Have you spent some time in the dessert? What did you learn?

Don’t Give Up; Think Long!

Russ — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 23:10:38 +0000

In February of 2008 I was ready to quit.

We had planted Church at the Grove in September 2006 and had an exciting launch and quick growth in the first year and a half. There were several disappointing circumstances at the end of 2007 that led some families to leave the church. Our attendance was stagnant and I was simply tired and discouraged. Our financial support would be ending later in the year and the numbers did not add up for us to be self-sustaining. I spent some time on more than one occasion looking at the classifieds in the paper thinking I could get a “regular” job and be a great volunteer leader to a pastor somewhere.

I called one of my most encouraging friends, Mike Linch, pastor of NorthStar Church in northwest Cobb County where I had served almost 5 years as student pastor. I knew Mike understood what I was going through after planting NorthStar several years earlier. He shared with me some of the ups and downs he personally had experienced and then gave some simply, yet profound advice.

Don’t Give Up! Hang in there! Give it some time! Think Long!

I listened and God has blessed my “Thinking Long”! I am in this for the long haul! I love church planting! I love Church at the Grove. I intend to honor God and spread the gospel through a long term commitment to a local church that plants churches!

I am reading Mark Batterson’s book, The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around your Biggest Dreams and Biggest Fears. In the book Batterson issues a challenge to “Think Long” in our prayers, dreams and ambition to see God move.

He states,

“We live in a quick-fix, real-time culture. Between the news ticker and Twitter, we’re always in the know, always in the now. We don’t just want to have our cake and eat it too; we want the instant brand. We want to reap the second after we sow, but this isn’t the way it works with dreaming big and praying hard. We need the patience of the planter. We need the foresight of the farmer. We need the mindset of the sower.”

Batterson goes on to tell this incredible story about “Thinking Long”:

“On the Swedish island Visingsö, there is a mysterious forest of oak trees; mysterious because oak trees aren’t indigenous to the island, and its origin was unknown for more than a century. Then in 1980, the Swedish Navy received a letter from the Forestry Department reporting that their requested ship lumber was ready. The Navy didn’t even know it had ordered any lumber. After a little historical research, it was discovered that in 1829, the Swedish Parliament, recognizing that it takes oak trees 150 years to mature and anticipating a shortage of lumber at the turn of the twenty-first century, ordered that 20,000 oak trees be planted on Visingsö and protected for the Navy. That is thinking long. For the record, the lone objector was the Bishop of Strängnäs. He didn’t doubt that there would still be wars to fight at the end of the twentieth century, but he was the only one who anticipated that ships might be built of other materials by then.”

Chances are some pastors and church planters reading this might be in the midst of some discouragement and doubt about continuing on. Listen:

Don’t give up! Hang in there! Give it some time! Think Long!

Forgotten Heroes

Russ — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:16:14 +0000

Most of us are familiar with the powerful story of the Apostle Paul’s conversion. He is on the road to Damascus in route to persecute more followers of Jesus when he is surprised by a bright light and an unfamiliar voice. He is blinded and was led to Damascus where he stayed for 3 days without sight, food or water.

Enter the forgotten hero!

Ananias is mentioned simply as a disciple of Jesus and God speaks to him in a vision. Acts 9:10-12

Ananias responded in obedience to what would have been the more modern equivalent of making a visit to ”Adolph Hitler” for the purpose of laying on hands and giving sight back. Ananias was skeptical but made the walk and carried out his small part in the miraculous transformation of a former 1st Century terrorist.

Ananias played a small but vital part in the sovereign plan of God to use the Apostle Paul to spread the Gospel!

Ananias has been called one of the forgotten heroes of the faith.

Forgotten heroes are those that play seemingly small roles in Kingdom Advancement but in reality their roles are indispensable in the Kingdom of God!

Who are the Ananias’s of our day?

Those that setup and breakdown in a church plant.
Those that hold and take care of babies so young couples can hear the gospel.
Those that quietly serve the sick, hospitalized and troubled behind the scenes.
Those that serve and teach our children on Sundays in an age appropriate setting where they can hear the gospel.
Those that help and serve the poor in a community but never get notoriety nor want it.
Those that love on our teenagers weekly in our student worship environment.
Those that count money, stuff envelopes and lick stamps.
Those that pull trailers, swing hammers and replace broken things.
Those that run sound, cameras and edit video.

I could go on and on and on…….

I am thankful for the forgotten heroes in my life and in the life of Church at the Grove! We could not do it without you!

Are you willing to be a forgotten hero?

Great Launch in Social Circle; Let’s take the PLUNGE!

Russ — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:47:54 +0000

I am so thankful for the people that God has put in place to lead CATGrove forward in our mission to lead people to follow Jesus and Make Disciples!

We have launched another campus in Social Circle!

This past Sunday we launched our Social Circle Campus with 95 people in attendance at Social Circle Middle School! Wow! Praise God for His faithfulness in seeing this dream become a reality.

I am so thankful for all the people that have invested so much energy and time making this campus in Social Circle possible. Nathan’s strong leadership has been a blessing in making this launch possible. I am thankful for all of the leaders and volunteers that have invested so much time and effort to get us going in Social Circle.

I am so excited about our new teaching series “PLUNGE” that began this past Sunday! We will address each one of our “ministry filters” or “core values” over these six weeks.

Here are our ministry filters:

Biblical Faith

Persuasive Compassion

Missional Responsibility

Authentic Relationships

Intentional Simplicity

Faithful Stewardship

This past Sunday: The Word of God is a revelation of Himself and when we see Him as He is, we are transformed.

Join us as we journey through the Bible at www.youversion.com Essential 100 Bible reading plan! Go here to see it: http://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/the-essential-100/settings

Martin Luther said, “The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold on me.”

Let’s commit to reading and applying God’s Word on a daily basis.

I am so excited about what God is doing in and through Church at the Grove! Please continue to invest your life into the lives of others in our community! Let’s continue to move forward with the mission God has set forth for us.

I love you and I am praying for you.

This Week at the Grove

Russ — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:33:45 +0000

Mid-Week Video Email 11.17.11 from Church at the Grove on Vimeo.

Loving the Community like Jesus

Russ — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 16:42:12 +0000

Here is the question for the day:

If our church were to disappear, would Church at the Grove’s influence be missed?

Our role as a church is to be a bridge. As we serve and love those in our community we form a bridge through our actions over which the good news of Jesus can travel! I heard it said recently, “Influence is when you (church) become part of the fabric of the community.” My desire as a pastor is that Church at the Grove become a part of the fabric of the community. My former pastor Mike Linch spoke about this at a recent meeting of pastors and church leaders and it was a good reminder of the need for us to focus as a church on serving and loving our community.

Our community needs our church. Our church needs our community. True, lasting influence is gained over the long haul and leads to credibility with the community.

How do we “win” over the community….?

We have to learn to love the things they love and get involved in the things that are important to them.

My heart as a pastor is for God to raise up some leaders that will become the “flag waivers” (leaders) for our community ministry needs.

We want to serve our community with “no strings attached” just like Jesus love on people He came into contact with.

Popular author and blogger Seth Godin states, “If you are not remarkable, you are invisible.”

Church at the Grove, let’s dig in over the long haul, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, let’s serve our community in a remarkable way!

Check out my friend Brian Dodd’s thoughts on serving the community as a church: http://briandoddonleadership.com/2011/10/25/13-tips-on-how-churches-can-best-serve-their-communities/

Anticipation like the night before Christmas!

Russ — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:56:39 +0000

When I was a kid in elementary school, I could not wait for Christmas day! The month of December passed at a snail’s pace! It seemed as if Christmas Day took forever to arrive. There was one specific year that I could not sleep the night of Christmas Eve and my mom and day were awakened to a strange shuffling sound coming from my room. I was pacing in circles and my pajama feet were rubbing against the carpet causing a shuffling sound. I was quickly put to bed again and told that if I didn’t get in bed quickly that I would not benefit from the Christmas morning festivities!

I feel a little like that this week! It is very similar to the emotions I experience just over 5 years ago when we had our first preview services for Church at the Grove.

This Sunday night we will have our first preview gathering in Social Circle at the Middle School Activities building at 6pm. We would love for you to be there!

Although we have been through something similar to this when we launched CATGrove and we may be a little more prepared than we were over 5 years ago. Nevertheless, we really don’t know what to expect, who will be there and exactly how things will go! Isn’t that great!

It is in times like this that we get to experience God at work in the most intense and fresh manner. We take a step of faith and He works in and through our faith!

I am hoping to have a great turnout from our Walnut Grove “Grovers” this Sunday night. We need some of you to come early and greet. We would love to have some of you join us in the afternoon and set up and we will need some of you to stay a little late and help us breakdown.

On Saturday November 5 at 6pm we will have a Social Circle Launch Team Meeting for those feeling God’s leadership to be a part of this new endeavor. The location is to be determined.

Please keep praying, keep investing and keep inviting!

Missional Responsibility & Investing in Others with a Purpose

Russ — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:41:25 +0000

We set out as a church over 5 years ago to be intentional in our efforts to reach people disconnected from God and the church.

We know that most people come to Christ on the arm of a trusted friend.

How are you doing at investing in people and inviting them to join you at Church at the Grove?

Remember, you gotta come yourself if you are going to bring somebody with you or have them meet you at the school!

Who are you investing in?

Here is the concept behind our Core Value “Missional Responsibility”:

We desire to fulfill the mission God has given the Church. In both Old and New Testaments we encounter a God who is on a redemptive mission in the world. In fact, we are astounded at the lengths to which God will go in pursuit of his mission to redeem the crowning achievement of his creation – people. In North America, the term “mission” has been associated with either sending called people to other parts of the world or giving financially toward reaching others around the world. With the United States now being among the largest mission fields in the world, and the fact that there are now multiple generations born and raised in a post-Christian culture, we must address the need for churches to think “missionally” in a local context.

What if each individual believer and household could see their home as a “base” for missional operations to reach the entire neighborhood for Jesus?

This is a core desire for Church at the Grove.

Celebrating 5 years-WOW! & This Week in the Grove

Russ — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 14:49:24 +0000

What an incredible Sunday we had this past weekend as we celebrated 5 years as a church, began 2 services and remembered 9-11.

I was blown away by the faithfulness of our church to invite their friends to one of our gatherings. We had so many guests this past Sunday that I had writer’s cramp after writing guests notes early in the week!

Our total attendance was 451 combined for the 9:30 and the 11am gatherings! Way to go CATGrove in reaching out to your friends, neighbors and family members! This is the largest non-Easter gathering in the history of our church!

Our first week of community groups have been great so far. We still have a couple of Community Groups scheduled to meet this week, but it has been a great kickoff to our groups. It is not too late for you to join a Community Group! Plan to sign up and join the Community Group of your choice. Remember: Circles are better than Rows!

Help us Out:

Please help us balance our gatherings on Sunday morning! We were packed at our 9:30am gathering and our 11:00am gathering was a little thin.

We actually need to move about 40-50 people from the early gathering to the 11am gathering! Please consider coming to our later gathering this Sunday!

Concert for Missions and CD release:

This Saturday is our CATGrove Worship Team will be hosting a concert at Walnut Grove High School this Saturday September 17 at 7pm in the auditorium. Help us get the word out!