We had a great day at Foothills yesterday. Here are a few highlights:
* I'm not sure what the numbers were, but it looked like we had a very good attendance
* Having an extra hour of sleep definitely had people come in with a ton of energy.
* The worship set was awesome. loved having the choir up there.
* We started a new series called, Glow. We are asking the question, If so, then what? Yesterday we asked, If the Bible is true, then what?
* The 3 main points were, we must Accept God's Word, Absorb God's Word and Apply God's Word.
* Yes, I really did accidentally put on my wife's jeans. (You will have to watch the video to understand!)
* We had a great response to the message, in fact we almost sold out of Bibles in our bookstore!!
* We had a Get In The Game class yesterday afternoon. I absolutely LOVE leading that class!
* I heard that our Toccoa campus also had another incredible day. The momentum at that campus is amazing. I have been encouraging some of our staff from Seneca to get over there on a Sunday and just experience it.
* On another note, I was asked to lead a couple of sessions for my friend Dean Herman's staff retreat last Friday. It was a great joy to do it. Dean's church is preparing to move into a new facility, so I talked about some cautions to be aware of.
* This Thursday evening we are having our annual Dream Team appreciation celebration. This is the night where our staff gets to honor all of the volunteers that make our jobs possible. If you have never volunteered at Foothills, you are missing out!
Monday, November 07, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday review
Yesterday was a great experience all the way around for me. I actually got a chance to worship at both campuses of Foothills Community Church, so that was very cool.
* Brian Rhodes preached at our Seneca campus on parenting. As a new Dad, his approach to the message was, I'm not an expert, but here's what I want my daughter to know". It was very heartfelt and everyone really enjoyed it.
* Next week we will start a new series called, GLOW. Basically this series is going to ask the question, If so, then what? (I'll tell you more about it on Sunday) Make sure you bring a friend!
* After the service at Seneca, I rushed over to our Toccoa, GA campus for their 11:00am service. It was awesome! Here are a few observations:
* It was packed out. In fact I heard that it was a non-holiday record attendance.
* The energy was amazing. The people are totally into it. They laugh alot, sing loud, and smile... a bunch!
* I kind of snuck in after they got started and sat down and just "observed"
* They baptized 5 people in the holy horse trough! Lives are changing for sure!
* Pastor Kevin Robison did a killer job leading the worship and Pastor Brian Marshall is obviously in his element. They make a great team, along with all of their awesome volunteers!
* They had a huge party yesterday evening for the community, and they estimate around 700 people showed up!
* A few other things:
* Foothills will be participating in the Trunk or Treat at the Seneca Walmart this evening from 6 until 8pm. This thing is huge. last year there were around 8,000 people that showed up!
* If you have a car (and some candy) and you would like to help out at Trunk or Treat, show up at Walmart at 5:30pm
* I have heard a bunch of great feedback from our Lord's Supper service last Thursday. Many thanks to Brian Rhodes for leading in my absence.
* I was in Dallas, TX meeting with a group of Pastors that I have had the privilege of getting to know over the last 2 years. I am totally indebted to each of them for their friendship. These are some of the most godly, wise men that I know. Each of them are leading significant churches from across the United States, and I can assure you that the Lord is at work in our Nation!
* It was also nice that my wife was able to come this time as well!
* Brian Rhodes preached at our Seneca campus on parenting. As a new Dad, his approach to the message was, I'm not an expert, but here's what I want my daughter to know". It was very heartfelt and everyone really enjoyed it.
* Next week we will start a new series called, GLOW. Basically this series is going to ask the question, If so, then what? (I'll tell you more about it on Sunday) Make sure you bring a friend!
* After the service at Seneca, I rushed over to our Toccoa, GA campus for their 11:00am service. It was awesome! Here are a few observations:
* It was packed out. In fact I heard that it was a non-holiday record attendance.
* The energy was amazing. The people are totally into it. They laugh alot, sing loud, and smile... a bunch!
* I kind of snuck in after they got started and sat down and just "observed"
* They baptized 5 people in the holy horse trough! Lives are changing for sure!
* Pastor Kevin Robison did a killer job leading the worship and Pastor Brian Marshall is obviously in his element. They make a great team, along with all of their awesome volunteers!
* They had a huge party yesterday evening for the community, and they estimate around 700 people showed up!
* A few other things:
* Foothills will be participating in the Trunk or Treat at the Seneca Walmart this evening from 6 until 8pm. This thing is huge. last year there were around 8,000 people that showed up!
* If you have a car (and some candy) and you would like to help out at Trunk or Treat, show up at Walmart at 5:30pm
* I have heard a bunch of great feedback from our Lord's Supper service last Thursday. Many thanks to Brian Rhodes for leading in my absence.
* I was in Dallas, TX meeting with a group of Pastors that I have had the privilege of getting to know over the last 2 years. I am totally indebted to each of them for their friendship. These are some of the most godly, wise men that I know. Each of them are leading significant churches from across the United States, and I can assure you that the Lord is at work in our Nation!
* It was also nice that my wife was able to come this time as well!
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sunday review
Week #3 of our Family Wipeout series was a tough message to deliver. we talked about marital infidelity. So many marriages/families have been destroyed because of this epidemic.
* The statistics are staggering. Some show that 50% of all men and 40% of all women have had adulterous relationships--- that seems unbelievable to me.
* I talked about 4 things you can do to avoid an affair: 1. Improve your walk with God. 2. Invest into your own marriage. 3. incorporate guardrails into your life. 4. Imagine the consequences.
* It was tough to do that message knowing that there were people in the service that were dealing with the aftermath of adultery.
* There is an attack on the family unit. Foothills Community Church is committed to helping families, that's why we tackle the tough topics.
* David Odom knocked it out of the park, singing Ring of Fire!
* I am so pumped about this Sunday's message. We will be talking about the Blessing. You need to be there!
* Our staff is working on some new parameters for serving as a leader at Foothills. We are going to be raising the bar, but that's what leadership is all about!
* We will be doing the Trunk Or Treat for Halloween at Walmart again this year. This is a HUGE opportunity for us to connect with our community. Last year there were over 8,000 people that came!!
* Our Toccoa campus will be having their Big A Party on Oct. 30th. It will be very similar to the Seneca campus Party in the Pasture, but they will be having a trunk or treat in their parking lot too.
* Looking forward to connecting with some pastor friends next week in Dallas. I love hanging out with these guys!
* Honored to be asked by my friend, Dean Herman to help lead his staff retreat in November. God is doing big things at Dean's church.
* Hoping to go to the Clemson game next Saturday. How bout those Tigers?!
* The statistics are staggering. Some show that 50% of all men and 40% of all women have had adulterous relationships--- that seems unbelievable to me.
* I talked about 4 things you can do to avoid an affair: 1. Improve your walk with God. 2. Invest into your own marriage. 3. incorporate guardrails into your life. 4. Imagine the consequences.
* It was tough to do that message knowing that there were people in the service that were dealing with the aftermath of adultery.
* There is an attack on the family unit. Foothills Community Church is committed to helping families, that's why we tackle the tough topics.
* David Odom knocked it out of the park, singing Ring of Fire!
* I am so pumped about this Sunday's message. We will be talking about the Blessing. You need to be there!
* Our staff is working on some new parameters for serving as a leader at Foothills. We are going to be raising the bar, but that's what leadership is all about!
* We will be doing the Trunk Or Treat for Halloween at Walmart again this year. This is a HUGE opportunity for us to connect with our community. Last year there were over 8,000 people that came!!
* Our Toccoa campus will be having their Big A Party on Oct. 30th. It will be very similar to the Seneca campus Party in the Pasture, but they will be having a trunk or treat in their parking lot too.
* Looking forward to connecting with some pastor friends next week in Dallas. I love hanging out with these guys!
* Honored to be asked by my friend, Dean Herman to help lead his staff retreat in November. God is doing big things at Dean's church.
* Hoping to go to the Clemson game next Saturday. How bout those Tigers?!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Project Reach and Launch Network
As many of you know, Foothills Community Church is a Partner church with the Launch Network, a church planting organization that has a goal of planting 1,000 churches in the next 10 years. A portion of our Project Reach funding is going toward this huge goal!
A friend posted this on his blog, so I thought I would pass this along. Here’s a list of the church planters Launch will have assessed, trained and resourced. Some of these churches have already started. Others will start in the coming months.
* Brad Raby, Discovery Church (Knoxville, TN)
* Will Goodwin, Oak Leaf Church (Canton, GA)
* Chad Davis, Venue Church (Hattiesburg, MS)
* Christian Newsome, Journey Church International (Lee’s Summit, MO)
* Robert Green, Fondren Church (Jackson, MS)
* Justin Craig, Vinings Church (Atlanta, GA)
* James Cordell, 101 Church (Rockmart, GA)
* Josh Nelson, The Station Church (Carlsbad, CA)
* Jeff Phillips, The Crossings Church (Vancouver, BC)
* David Bradford, Celebration Church (Hoover, AL)
* Angus McKinley, Elevation Church (Loveland, CO)
* Damian Boyd, Vertical Church (Atlanta, GA)
* Keith Montgomery, Kingdom Come (Woodstock, GA)
* Brandon Brilhart, Relevate Church (Lawrence, KS)
* Doug Sibcy, Impact Church (Lebanon, OH)
* Wesley Odum, Dynamic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
* Jonathan Napier, Newnan Church (Newnan, GA)
* Joey Baynes, Restoration Church (Greensboro, NC)
* Chaz Churchwell, Restore San Diego (San Diego, CA)
* Travis Fox, Salt Lake City Church (Salt Lake City, UT)
* Shawn Peoples, Grace Community (Kaneohe, HI)
* Chris Hughes, Hope Church (Orlando, FL)
* Terence Lester, Innovation Church (Atlanta, GA)
* Bryan Carter, Bozeman City Church (Bozeman, MT)
* Bryant May, The Exchange (Jackson, MS)
Thanks to all of you that have given to Project Reach. You are making a difference! We will be becoming even more active with this in the near future, but until then please pray for these new churches!
A friend posted this on his blog, so I thought I would pass this along. Here’s a list of the church planters Launch will have assessed, trained and resourced. Some of these churches have already started. Others will start in the coming months.
* Brad Raby, Discovery Church (Knoxville, TN)
* Will Goodwin, Oak Leaf Church (Canton, GA)
* Chad Davis, Venue Church (Hattiesburg, MS)
* Christian Newsome, Journey Church International (Lee’s Summit, MO)
* Robert Green, Fondren Church (Jackson, MS)
* Justin Craig, Vinings Church (Atlanta, GA)
* James Cordell, 101 Church (Rockmart, GA)
* Josh Nelson, The Station Church (Carlsbad, CA)
* Jeff Phillips, The Crossings Church (Vancouver, BC)
* David Bradford, Celebration Church (Hoover, AL)
* Angus McKinley, Elevation Church (Loveland, CO)
* Damian Boyd, Vertical Church (Atlanta, GA)
* Keith Montgomery, Kingdom Come (Woodstock, GA)
* Brandon Brilhart, Relevate Church (Lawrence, KS)
* Doug Sibcy, Impact Church (Lebanon, OH)
* Wesley Odum, Dynamic Church (Chattanooga, TN)
* Jonathan Napier, Newnan Church (Newnan, GA)
* Joey Baynes, Restoration Church (Greensboro, NC)
* Chaz Churchwell, Restore San Diego (San Diego, CA)
* Travis Fox, Salt Lake City Church (Salt Lake City, UT)
* Shawn Peoples, Grace Community (Kaneohe, HI)
* Chris Hughes, Hope Church (Orlando, FL)
* Terence Lester, Innovation Church (Atlanta, GA)
* Bryan Carter, Bozeman City Church (Bozeman, MT)
* Bryant May, The Exchange (Jackson, MS)
Thanks to all of you that have given to Project Reach. You are making a difference! We will be becoming even more active with this in the near future, but until then please pray for these new churches!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Sunday review
Sunday was awesome at Foothills Community Church. We continued our Family Wipeout series. I spoke on the art of communication. No doubt communication is the key to healthy relationships.
The 4 main components of communication are:
1) What I hear (being a good listener is the most important part of communication)
2) What I say (choose words that encourage, bless and edify)
3) How I say it (be extra careful with the non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expressions and tone)
4) When I say it (timing is everything)
If we can master these 4 things we will enhance every relationship we have.
Other thoughts:
* The music was excellent. It was cool having David Odom and Adam Courtney tag-teaming leading worship!
* Stephanie did an amazing job leading us during her song!
* Shane Smith's team does a great job with all of the technical aspects of our services
* Foothills has the most incredible volunteers!
* We have had almost 100 people give their lives to Jesus in the last 9 weeks!
* This Sunday I will be tackling a very difficult topic. How To Avoid An Affair. I can't tell you how many marriages I know that have been destroyed by infidelity.
* We had around 40 people show up for our Project Reach family day last saturday, serving at the food pantry! Wow!
* We have a team of 14 people heading to Harlan County Ky. this weekend to serve on a Project Reach regional mission trip!
Some dates to remember:
* Thursday October 27th at 6:30pm. We will be celebrating the Lord's Supper at our Seneca campus.
* Sunday November 6th from 12:30pm until 2:30pm we will be having our next Get In the Game Class. Lunch and childcare will be provided.
* Thursday November 10th at 6:30pm. Our annual Dream Team Celebration. This is our annual celebration honoring every person that has served at Foothills during the last 12 months. Our staff gets to serve the volunteers as a way of saying "thank you". This is a blast. I believe that we will be having karaoke again this year! Desserts will be served and childcare will be provided.
The 4 main components of communication are:
1) What I hear (being a good listener is the most important part of communication)
2) What I say (choose words that encourage, bless and edify)
3) How I say it (be extra careful with the non-verbal communication such as body language, facial expressions and tone)
4) When I say it (timing is everything)
If we can master these 4 things we will enhance every relationship we have.
Other thoughts:
* The music was excellent. It was cool having David Odom and Adam Courtney tag-teaming leading worship!
* Stephanie did an amazing job leading us during her song!
* Shane Smith's team does a great job with all of the technical aspects of our services
* Foothills has the most incredible volunteers!
* We have had almost 100 people give their lives to Jesus in the last 9 weeks!
* This Sunday I will be tackling a very difficult topic. How To Avoid An Affair. I can't tell you how many marriages I know that have been destroyed by infidelity.
* We had around 40 people show up for our Project Reach family day last saturday, serving at the food pantry! Wow!
* We have a team of 14 people heading to Harlan County Ky. this weekend to serve on a Project Reach regional mission trip!
Some dates to remember:
* Thursday October 27th at 6:30pm. We will be celebrating the Lord's Supper at our Seneca campus.
* Sunday November 6th from 12:30pm until 2:30pm we will be having our next Get In the Game Class. Lunch and childcare will be provided.
* Thursday November 10th at 6:30pm. Our annual Dream Team Celebration. This is our annual celebration honoring every person that has served at Foothills during the last 12 months. Our staff gets to serve the volunteers as a way of saying "thank you". This is a blast. I believe that we will be having karaoke again this year! Desserts will be served and childcare will be provided.
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
What a weekend
Last weekend was unbelievable at Foothills Community Church.
* On Sunday morning we kicked off our new series, How To Avoid A Family Wipeout.
* For whatever reason, every time we do a series on the family it seems to really connect.
* I spoke to the singles about raising the bar when it comes to dating/marriage. It was also a reminder to all of the married people about continuing to do those things that you used to do when dating.
* This Sunday we will be talking about what is probably one of the most important parts of relationships. I have a feeling that this one is going to connect with everyone that comes.
* On Sunday afternoon we had Party In The Pasture. Wow, what an amazing party it was. We had inflatables for the kids, a classic car show, a petting zoo, lawnmower races (and yes, I believe one of the mowers blew up!), food, a concert by Stone Echo with some good old classic rock!, and best of all we baptized 32 people!!!
* I was blown away by how many people came to the Party In The Pasture. It was crazy, but it was a lot of fun!
* As my wife and I drove away that evening, we were so thankful for all of the staff and volunteers that made the event so special. It was one of my favorite days ever at Foothills!
* I absolutely love it when the church just comes together to have fun!
* On Sunday morning we kicked off our new series, How To Avoid A Family Wipeout.
* For whatever reason, every time we do a series on the family it seems to really connect.
* I spoke to the singles about raising the bar when it comes to dating/marriage. It was also a reminder to all of the married people about continuing to do those things that you used to do when dating.
* This Sunday we will be talking about what is probably one of the most important parts of relationships. I have a feeling that this one is going to connect with everyone that comes.
* On Sunday afternoon we had Party In The Pasture. Wow, what an amazing party it was. We had inflatables for the kids, a classic car show, a petting zoo, lawnmower races (and yes, I believe one of the mowers blew up!), food, a concert by Stone Echo with some good old classic rock!, and best of all we baptized 32 people!!!
* I was blown away by how many people came to the Party In The Pasture. It was crazy, but it was a lot of fun!
* As my wife and I drove away that evening, we were so thankful for all of the staff and volunteers that made the event so special. It was one of my favorite days ever at Foothills!
* I absolutely love it when the church just comes together to have fun!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
An Important re-post
I had the privilege of speaking at the Nines conference on the topic of health in ministry. That got me thinking that I needed to re-post something I wrote right after my surgery 4 months ago. My hope in re-posting this is that it may challenge someone to take a step toward physical health.
FROM MAY 17th, 2011
I want to thank all of you that have been praying for me. In case you were not aware, I had a recent physical (which I passed with flying colors), but kind of in passing, my Dr. suggested I have a Cardiac Calcium Score test done. I had never heard of this test before, but I figured, I may as well make an appointment. The test took 5 minutes and cost $99. The lower the score the better. Unfortunately for me, my score was high.
I was then sent to a cardiologist who scheduled me to have a heart cath done this past Monday. The idea was, if the cath showed no sign of any plaque build-up, I would be given a clear bill of health, if not they would install a stent in my arteries. Unfortunately I had 2 blockages (1 was 80% blocked, and the other was 75% blocked), so they put in 2 stents.
The surgery took about 3 hours, and other than me keep waking up and having to get more anesthesia, it was pretty easy. I stayed overnight at the hospital, and will have to take it easy for a week, but then I can resume my regular pace.
I am thankful that my Dr. recommended the test. Keep in mind that I am not overweight, don't smoke or drink and exercise regularly. My cholesterol is just slightly above normal, I don't have high blood pressure and eat pretty well. I had no symptoms of any sort. Not even during strenuous exercise. That's pretty scary.
Here is what I am hoping this post will do. I hope you ask your Dr. about scheduling to have this test done, and get it done. If everything is clear, you're only out $99, and you have some peace of mind. If not, then maybe you can catch a possible heart condition before something tragic happens.
FROM MAY 17th, 2011
I want to thank all of you that have been praying for me. In case you were not aware, I had a recent physical (which I passed with flying colors), but kind of in passing, my Dr. suggested I have a Cardiac Calcium Score test done. I had never heard of this test before, but I figured, I may as well make an appointment. The test took 5 minutes and cost $99. The lower the score the better. Unfortunately for me, my score was high.
I was then sent to a cardiologist who scheduled me to have a heart cath done this past Monday. The idea was, if the cath showed no sign of any plaque build-up, I would be given a clear bill of health, if not they would install a stent in my arteries. Unfortunately I had 2 blockages (1 was 80% blocked, and the other was 75% blocked), so they put in 2 stents.
The surgery took about 3 hours, and other than me keep waking up and having to get more anesthesia, it was pretty easy. I stayed overnight at the hospital, and will have to take it easy for a week, but then I can resume my regular pace.
I am thankful that my Dr. recommended the test. Keep in mind that I am not overweight, don't smoke or drink and exercise regularly. My cholesterol is just slightly above normal, I don't have high blood pressure and eat pretty well. I had no symptoms of any sort. Not even during strenuous exercise. That's pretty scary.
Here is what I am hoping this post will do. I hope you ask your Dr. about scheduling to have this test done, and get it done. If everything is clear, you're only out $99, and you have some peace of mind. If not, then maybe you can catch a possible heart condition before something tragic happens.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
least likely
When you read the scripture, you notice a recurring theme; Jesus always gravitated towards the least likely people. One great example of this is found in John 4 when He encounters the Samaritan woman. Jesus broke through the cultural taboos by speaking to a woman, and not just any woman, but a Samaritan woman. In that culture this was totally unacceptable. In fact it surprised the woman when He struck up a conversation.
The woman had been divorced 5 times and was living with her boyfriend. She carried the social stigma of her past mistakes, and yet Jesus reached out to her and offered her living water. In verse 26 He tells her that He is the Messiah. She is so overwhelmed that she leaves her water jar, and goes into the town telling everyone about her encounter. The result..... Spiritual awakening happens throughout the city.
I believe that if the Church in America is ever going to see spiritual awakening like that, it's going to take all of us that have had encounters with Jesus to go back into our cities and introduce people to the Savior.
I am thankful every time I think that God would use a "least likely" like me to tell others about Jesus. Let's keep on proclaiming His name everywhere we go!
The woman had been divorced 5 times and was living with her boyfriend. She carried the social stigma of her past mistakes, and yet Jesus reached out to her and offered her living water. In verse 26 He tells her that He is the Messiah. She is so overwhelmed that she leaves her water jar, and goes into the town telling everyone about her encounter. The result..... Spiritual awakening happens throughout the city.
I believe that if the Church in America is ever going to see spiritual awakening like that, it's going to take all of us that have had encounters with Jesus to go back into our cities and introduce people to the Savior.
I am thankful every time I think that God would use a "least likely" like me to tell others about Jesus. Let's keep on proclaiming His name everywhere we go!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
random thoughts
* Sunday was phenomenal at Foothills Community Church. The best part was that 37 people at the Seneca campus and 2 people from the Toccoa campus gave their lives to Jesus!!
* It was great having Joy Hunnicut back with us.
* David Odom and his team brought it on Sunday (as usual). Seriously, we have the best worship team in the Country!
* We will be wrapping up the Stranger Than Fiction series this Sunday. It has been a lot of fun. This week we will talk about what to do when your world falls apart. You do not want to miss it.
* On October the 2nd we will start a brand new message series called, How To Avoid A Family Wipeout. This series will be the best time to invite someone to church. There will be topics that everyone will be able to relate to.
* I am excited about a conference next week called, The Nines. It has a unique format, with lots of speakers throughout the day, each given 5 minutes to talk. It's all free and it's all online. By the way, I will be one of the speakers!
* Don't forget about Party In The Pasture on October 2nd at our Seneca campus at 4:00pm. This is a community event with giant inflatables for the kids, Lawnmower races, food, a concert and Baptisms!! Invite EVERYONE!
* It was great having Joy Hunnicut back with us.
* David Odom and his team brought it on Sunday (as usual). Seriously, we have the best worship team in the Country!
* We will be wrapping up the Stranger Than Fiction series this Sunday. It has been a lot of fun. This week we will talk about what to do when your world falls apart. You do not want to miss it.
* On October the 2nd we will start a brand new message series called, How To Avoid A Family Wipeout. This series will be the best time to invite someone to church. There will be topics that everyone will be able to relate to.
* I am excited about a conference next week called, The Nines. It has a unique format, with lots of speakers throughout the day, each given 5 minutes to talk. It's all free and it's all online. By the way, I will be one of the speakers!
* Don't forget about Party In The Pasture on October 2nd at our Seneca campus at 4:00pm. This is a community event with giant inflatables for the kids, Lawnmower races, food, a concert and Baptisms!! Invite EVERYONE!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Sunday review
Awesome day at Foothills Community church on Sunday. There were so many great moments, i don't have time to list them all, but here are few that come to mind:
* It was extremely moving to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. Bill Swindle did an incredible job on that song!
* The attendance once again on both campuses continues to climb.
* Our Toccoa campus had their highest non-holiday attendance of the year!!
* We continue to have so many first-time guests. Sometimes I wonder, where are all of these people coming from?
* Our Student ministry, Thrive has been seeing teenagers come to Christ every week. Wow, I love to hear that!
* We had 61 people attend our Get In The Game class on Sunday afternoon! Leading that class is one of my favorite things to do. There were several people that came to Foothills for the first time on Sunday and then came back for the class!!
* I am very excited about this Sunday. I cannot wait to share what God has laid on my heart.
* Joy Hunnicut will also be back with us singing with our Worship Team.
* The band will be doing a feature song that will bring the house down, so be ready!
* I love the staff I get to work with. These guys and gals are AWESOME!
* I am looking forward to the Party In The Pasture coming up on October 2nd. (see the video below) Let's invite every single person in the community to this event!
* On October 2nd we will also be starting a new series called Avoiding a Family Wipeout. INVITE everyone!
* It was extremely moving to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of 9/11. Bill Swindle did an incredible job on that song!
* The attendance once again on both campuses continues to climb.
* Our Toccoa campus had their highest non-holiday attendance of the year!!
* We continue to have so many first-time guests. Sometimes I wonder, where are all of these people coming from?
* Our Student ministry, Thrive has been seeing teenagers come to Christ every week. Wow, I love to hear that!
* We had 61 people attend our Get In The Game class on Sunday afternoon! Leading that class is one of my favorite things to do. There were several people that came to Foothills for the first time on Sunday and then came back for the class!!
* I am very excited about this Sunday. I cannot wait to share what God has laid on my heart.
* Joy Hunnicut will also be back with us singing with our Worship Team.
* The band will be doing a feature song that will bring the house down, so be ready!
* I love the staff I get to work with. These guys and gals are AWESOME!
* I am looking forward to the Party In The Pasture coming up on October 2nd. (see the video below) Let's invite every single person in the community to this event!
* On October 2nd we will also be starting a new series called Avoiding a Family Wipeout. INVITE everyone!
Party in the Pasture! from Foothills Community Church on Vimeo.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Sunday review
Sunday was another fantastic day at Foothills Community Church. Just when it seems that it can't get any better, it does!
* Adam Courtney was back as our guest worship leader. Not only is he a great worship leader, he is a great guy.
* David Odom will be back leading worship this weekend. I can't wait to see what they have put together to remember 9/11.
* I can't remember having so many people connect with a message as they did on Sunday. We talked about breaking free from the things that hold us captive.
* As I was preparing for the message, God showed me some really cool things from the scripture that I think resonated with our folks.
* Both of our campuses are experiencing an incredible awakening! it is so much fun to be a part of that.
* Looking forward to catching up with some Pastor friends this week!
* College football season is in full swing. I am really happy about that.
* Archery season opens up in 9 days. I really like that too!
* This Sunday at Foothills it is going to be awesome. Start thinking about who you can bring with you.
* Our children's ministry aka Kidzone is exploding right now. I don't think most people really have a clue what goes on in the kids area while we are in the main auditorium. All most of us see are the game room or big playscape, but that is just a way to draw kids in. What really makes the difference is what is happening in each of the rooms. Kids are learning about Jesus in an age-appropriate environment. We hear stories ever single week from parents whose children come home and can share with them exactly what they learned, and begin to live it out.
* Don't forget about the next Get In The Game class THIS SUNDAY at 12:30pm in the small auditorium. There will be free food and childcare. We will have you out of there by 2:30pm. It's not too late to come. just go here and register.
* Adam Courtney was back as our guest worship leader. Not only is he a great worship leader, he is a great guy.
* David Odom will be back leading worship this weekend. I can't wait to see what they have put together to remember 9/11.
* I can't remember having so many people connect with a message as they did on Sunday. We talked about breaking free from the things that hold us captive.
* As I was preparing for the message, God showed me some really cool things from the scripture that I think resonated with our folks.
* Both of our campuses are experiencing an incredible awakening! it is so much fun to be a part of that.
* Looking forward to catching up with some Pastor friends this week!
* College football season is in full swing. I am really happy about that.
* Archery season opens up in 9 days. I really like that too!
* This Sunday at Foothills it is going to be awesome. Start thinking about who you can bring with you.
* Our children's ministry aka Kidzone is exploding right now. I don't think most people really have a clue what goes on in the kids area while we are in the main auditorium. All most of us see are the game room or big playscape, but that is just a way to draw kids in. What really makes the difference is what is happening in each of the rooms. Kids are learning about Jesus in an age-appropriate environment. We hear stories ever single week from parents whose children come home and can share with them exactly what they learned, and begin to live it out.
* Don't forget about the next Get In The Game class THIS SUNDAY at 12:30pm in the small auditorium. There will be free food and childcare. We will have you out of there by 2:30pm. It's not too late to come. just go here and register.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Sunday review
Sunday was when of the best days we have ever had at Foothills. It was awesome.
* There is such a buzz around the campus on Sunday mornings, it's almost tangible. It seems like no one wants to leave after the service. They just hang out with friends. I love that!
* We have come out of the summer with a huge momentum wave. We are seeing people commit their lives to Jesus every week. The attendance has increased by nearly 350 people in the last 4 weeks!
* Our Toccoa campus is exploding right now. They are having record numbers of first-time guests, and overall attendance is growing rapidly!
* At both of our campuses we have tons of people signing up for our new semester of LIFE groups. Kelly Ross is knocking it out of the park getting people connected.
* At our Seneca campus our worship team did an arrangement of In Christ Alone that just about blew the roof off of the building---Amazing!
* We dealt with a very difficult topic, betrayal. All of us at some point in life are victims of betrayal, so how we deal with it is crucial to our overall spiritual health.
* I am very excited about something we are planning on doing on September 11th, to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.
* College football is almost here. Bring it on!
* This Sunday is going to be incredible. I will be talking about how to break free from the things that hold us captive in our lives.
* There is such a buzz around the campus on Sunday mornings, it's almost tangible. It seems like no one wants to leave after the service. They just hang out with friends. I love that!
* We have come out of the summer with a huge momentum wave. We are seeing people commit their lives to Jesus every week. The attendance has increased by nearly 350 people in the last 4 weeks!
* Our Toccoa campus is exploding right now. They are having record numbers of first-time guests, and overall attendance is growing rapidly!
* At both of our campuses we have tons of people signing up for our new semester of LIFE groups. Kelly Ross is knocking it out of the park getting people connected.
* At our Seneca campus our worship team did an arrangement of In Christ Alone that just about blew the roof off of the building---Amazing!
* We dealt with a very difficult topic, betrayal. All of us at some point in life are victims of betrayal, so how we deal with it is crucial to our overall spiritual health.
* I am very excited about something we are planning on doing on September 11th, to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.
* College football is almost here. Bring it on!
* This Sunday is going to be incredible. I will be talking about how to break free from the things that hold us captive in our lives.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday review
Wow, What a great day we had on Sunday at Foothills! You can tell that people are getting back into a normal pattern after a long summer.
* We had the 3rd most first-time guests of the year. Thank you to all of you that keep inviting your friends. You are making a difference.
* Kidzone was rocking with tons of children. If you happened to notice people walking around the concourse dressed like a clown or in other circus related costumes, don't worry, they are actors from Planet Kidz!
* I am so proud of all of you that are participating in our Project Reach opportunities. We had sign-ups for helping with 3 local ministry projects and we not only filled them up, but had an overflow!
* We started a new series Sunday on the life of Jacob. We talked about the importance of waiting on God. As an impatient person, I really needed that one. This Sunday we will be talking about dealing with the pain of betrayal. If you have ever had someone hurt you, stab you in the back or betray you in some way, you NEED to be there. And keep inviting everyone you see.
* I am very excited about our next Get In The Game class. This is a class where you will learn more about who Foothills really is. At the end of the class you will be given the opportunity to join Foothills as well. The next class will be on Sunday September 11th from 12:30-2:30pm. It will be held in the Venue auditorium in Foothills south. We will be serving lunch first in the small auditorium (adjacent to the Venue). Childcare will also be provided. You will also get a chance to meet most of our staff too. It is going to be a blast! You can sign-up online here.
* Mark your calendars for October 2nd. We are going to start a new series on the Family that day, and here's what I am asking you to do. INVITE, INVITE, INVITE!!
It will be a day to remember. We will have one of the most amazing services on Sunday morning, and then later that afternoon we will be inviting everyone back for a HUGE party. There will be tons of inflatable rides for the kids, free food, a concert, and BAPTISMS. You will be hearing a lot more about this, but make sure you set aside that day on your calendars.
* We had the 3rd most first-time guests of the year. Thank you to all of you that keep inviting your friends. You are making a difference.
* Kidzone was rocking with tons of children. If you happened to notice people walking around the concourse dressed like a clown or in other circus related costumes, don't worry, they are actors from Planet Kidz!
* I am so proud of all of you that are participating in our Project Reach opportunities. We had sign-ups for helping with 3 local ministry projects and we not only filled them up, but had an overflow!
* We started a new series Sunday on the life of Jacob. We talked about the importance of waiting on God. As an impatient person, I really needed that one. This Sunday we will be talking about dealing with the pain of betrayal. If you have ever had someone hurt you, stab you in the back or betray you in some way, you NEED to be there. And keep inviting everyone you see.
* I am very excited about our next Get In The Game class. This is a class where you will learn more about who Foothills really is. At the end of the class you will be given the opportunity to join Foothills as well. The next class will be on Sunday September 11th from 12:30-2:30pm. It will be held in the Venue auditorium in Foothills south. We will be serving lunch first in the small auditorium (adjacent to the Venue). Childcare will also be provided. You will also get a chance to meet most of our staff too. It is going to be a blast! You can sign-up online here.
* Mark your calendars for October 2nd. We are going to start a new series on the Family that day, and here's what I am asking you to do. INVITE, INVITE, INVITE!!
It will be a day to remember. We will have one of the most amazing services on Sunday morning, and then later that afternoon we will be inviting everyone back for a HUGE party. There will be tons of inflatable rides for the kids, free food, a concert, and BAPTISMS. You will be hearing a lot more about this, but make sure you set aside that day on your calendars.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Sunday review
Here's a late Sunday review, but you know what they say... better late than never.
* Wrapped up the Awakening series. I loved the series. It was a bit convicting, and uncomfortable for me and many of you, but God uses that to grow us.
* Attendance is already starting to come back to some sense of normalcy. This Sunday will be the first weekend where pretty much everyone should be back from vacation.
* I love all the Dream Team volunteers that make Foothills what it is. You all are the most committed, passionate people I know.
* It was great having David Odom back leading worship this Sunday.
* I am so pumped about all the things that God is doing at Foothills right now. The momentum is building.
* Through a lot of prayer the Lord has given me direction for what the next 7-8 months will look like at Foothills. We are expecting huge things. I will be sharing these things in the coming weeks.
* I can't wait for this Sunday. We're starting our new series called, Stranger Than Fiction. We're going to look at the life of the Old Testament character, Jacob.
* I am asking all of you to get out and Invite, invite, invite! Let's pack the place out. This series will be life-changing!
* Had a great conversation last week about Foothills with a guy that I met. The more I talked about Foothills, the more excited I became. I love this place. By the time the conversation was over all he kept saying was, "I wish I lived closer to your church" (He lives over an hour away)
* I am so proud of the teenagers at Foothills. Last Wednesday 3 more gave their lives to Jesus and 14 more were baptized. I am praying that they rock Oconee County for Christ as they head back to their schools. They are kicking off a brand new series this week too.
* Our Toccoa campus is geared up for a huge Fall. Campus Pastor, Brian Marshall and Worship Pastor, Kevin Robison have been prepping for big things!
* Wrapped up the Awakening series. I loved the series. It was a bit convicting, and uncomfortable for me and many of you, but God uses that to grow us.
* Attendance is already starting to come back to some sense of normalcy. This Sunday will be the first weekend where pretty much everyone should be back from vacation.
* I love all the Dream Team volunteers that make Foothills what it is. You all are the most committed, passionate people I know.
* It was great having David Odom back leading worship this Sunday.
* I am so pumped about all the things that God is doing at Foothills right now. The momentum is building.
* Through a lot of prayer the Lord has given me direction for what the next 7-8 months will look like at Foothills. We are expecting huge things. I will be sharing these things in the coming weeks.
* I can't wait for this Sunday. We're starting our new series called, Stranger Than Fiction. We're going to look at the life of the Old Testament character, Jacob.
* I am asking all of you to get out and Invite, invite, invite! Let's pack the place out. This series will be life-changing!
* Had a great conversation last week about Foothills with a guy that I met. The more I talked about Foothills, the more excited I became. I love this place. By the time the conversation was over all he kept saying was, "I wish I lived closer to your church" (He lives over an hour away)
* I am so proud of the teenagers at Foothills. Last Wednesday 3 more gave their lives to Jesus and 14 more were baptized. I am praying that they rock Oconee County for Christ as they head back to their schools. They are kicking off a brand new series this week too.
* Our Toccoa campus is geared up for a huge Fall. Campus Pastor, Brian Marshall and Worship Pastor, Kevin Robison have been prepping for big things!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
What will it take?
I have been working on some 6 month goals that I will be sharing with my staff. I am so excited about what God has laid on my heart about the next year at Foothills Community Church.
Along with those goals I listed 5 things that we must do to accomplish these goals. Keep in mind that these same 5 things are necessary for any endeavor to really work.
#1. PRAYER. Once God gives you direction the first and most important element is prayer. Not just a quick, "God bless this endeavor." but a prayer that begs God to step in or there will be complete and utter failure. Once our staff hears the goals it will take all of us every day voicing these prayers to our lord.
#2. PLANNING. The next phase is developing a plan to carry out the mission. Putting this in Football terms, this is where the game plan is put into place. It's not enough to say, we want to win the Superbowl. You need to develop a strategy to pull it off. In the Planning phase we begin to develop goals for each individual ministry, set time-lines, and necessary milestones.
#3. PREPARATION. This is the phase where things really start to get interesting (and sometimes a little hectic!) This when we look at systems, structures, developing leaders for the next wave of growth, making sure you have the infrastructure to handle the growth, etc.
#4. PROMOTION. This is where the vision becomes very public. You do whatever level of promotion is necessary. In the case of some of the things we will be doing, we will need total buy-in from our church. They will be the people who do the bulk of the promotion. We will also utilize other means such as marketing.
#5. PERSPIRATION. This the phase when it takes a "whatever it takes" get your hands dirty attitude. Everyone owns the mission, and everyone does their part. This is the part that will either make or break the entire deal.
Well, there you have it, 5 things to do to help your event succeed.
Along with those goals I listed 5 things that we must do to accomplish these goals. Keep in mind that these same 5 things are necessary for any endeavor to really work.
#1. PRAYER. Once God gives you direction the first and most important element is prayer. Not just a quick, "God bless this endeavor." but a prayer that begs God to step in or there will be complete and utter failure. Once our staff hears the goals it will take all of us every day voicing these prayers to our lord.
#2. PLANNING. The next phase is developing a plan to carry out the mission. Putting this in Football terms, this is where the game plan is put into place. It's not enough to say, we want to win the Superbowl. You need to develop a strategy to pull it off. In the Planning phase we begin to develop goals for each individual ministry, set time-lines, and necessary milestones.
#3. PREPARATION. This is the phase where things really start to get interesting (and sometimes a little hectic!) This when we look at systems, structures, developing leaders for the next wave of growth, making sure you have the infrastructure to handle the growth, etc.
#4. PROMOTION. This is where the vision becomes very public. You do whatever level of promotion is necessary. In the case of some of the things we will be doing, we will need total buy-in from our church. They will be the people who do the bulk of the promotion. We will also utilize other means such as marketing.
#5. PERSPIRATION. This the phase when it takes a "whatever it takes" get your hands dirty attitude. Everyone owns the mission, and everyone does their part. This is the part that will either make or break the entire deal.
Well, there you have it, 5 things to do to help your event succeed.
Monday, August 08, 2011
Sunday review
We had a solid day at Foothills Community Church yesterday. We began our second week of the Awakening series with a message from the book of Jonah. To be honest, there are some messages that are fun to preach.... this was NOT one of them! It was pretty intense, but that's OK.
* Adam Courtney was our guest worship leader. He did an awesome job. He leads a band called The Less Adam has led worship several times at our Toccoa campus
* Spiritual awakening doesn't come without a price.
* I mentioned that my brother was an extra in this great film classic!
* This Sunday has the potential to be so life-changing. You do not want to miss it.
* This morning (Monday), instead of our regular weekly staff meeting, all of the staff went bowling and then to lunch. It was so much fun. We are so blessed to have the most incredible staff in the world!
* On September 11th we will be having our next Get In The Game at Foothills. If you've ever considered becoming a member, or wanted to know more about the church, you need to sign-up. We will be doing it a little different (but better). It will be held after the 11:15am service on September 11th from 12:30 until around 2:30pm. We will serve lunch and provide childcare. All of our staff will be there to answer questions or to just get to know. You must RSVP so we will know how much food to have.
* Football season is right around the corner. I can't wait. I love college football!
* Speaking of football, Foothills flag football league is about to start. Sign-up today!
* Adam Courtney was our guest worship leader. He did an awesome job. He leads a band called The Less Adam has led worship several times at our Toccoa campus
* Spiritual awakening doesn't come without a price.
* I mentioned that my brother was an extra in this great film classic!
* This Sunday has the potential to be so life-changing. You do not want to miss it.
* This morning (Monday), instead of our regular weekly staff meeting, all of the staff went bowling and then to lunch. It was so much fun. We are so blessed to have the most incredible staff in the world!
* On September 11th we will be having our next Get In The Game at Foothills. If you've ever considered becoming a member, or wanted to know more about the church, you need to sign-up. We will be doing it a little different (but better). It will be held after the 11:15am service on September 11th from 12:30 until around 2:30pm. We will serve lunch and provide childcare. All of our staff will be there to answer questions or to just get to know. You must RSVP so we will know how much food to have.
* Football season is right around the corner. I can't wait. I love college football!
* Speaking of football, Foothills flag football league is about to start. Sign-up today!
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
incredible weekend
It was great being back delivering the message this past Sunday. I have really missed Foothills Community Church. I was reminded again just how blessed we are as a church.
God has blessed our church with an incredible staff and volunteers.
* We began our new series called Awakening. It is going to be life-changing. The scripture was from Ezekiel 37. It is a story about a valley of dry bones becoming a great army. I think all of us can relate to the dry bones. There are times in my life when I get that way spiritually. Fortunately God can breathe the breath of life back into us.
* The music was unbelievable. It really was. David Odom is an incredible worship leader. We also had Joy Honeycutt with us again, as well as our praise choir. Fabulous.
* It is great to be able to take a vacation and not worry about anything. Thanks again to Tim Wadsworth, Brian Rhodes and Daniel Lucas for preaching in my absence. I have heard nothing but good things about their messages!
* We are gearing up for a new series we will begin on August 21st. That is going to be a huge weekend. School will be back in and summer will be over (sort of), so most people will be back to a more normal routine. This will be a perfect time to invite your friends to come with you. The series will be on the life of the biblical character, Jacob. If you think you're life is full of drama, just wait until you hear about his!!
* I miss waking up at 4:30am to go fishing (that was pretty much our routine for 3 weeks). I know that sounds weird if you're not a fisherman, but if you are, you understand.
* On a separate note. I am currently looking for an executive assistant to work at Foothills. As most of you know, my former assistant, Michelle Rhodes, and her husband Brian had a baby, so she is a bit busy right now :) This is a full time position that will take someone who has experience. You can email the church office for more info. office@foothills.cc
God has blessed our church with an incredible staff and volunteers.
* We began our new series called Awakening. It is going to be life-changing. The scripture was from Ezekiel 37. It is a story about a valley of dry bones becoming a great army. I think all of us can relate to the dry bones. There are times in my life when I get that way spiritually. Fortunately God can breathe the breath of life back into us.
* The music was unbelievable. It really was. David Odom is an incredible worship leader. We also had Joy Honeycutt with us again, as well as our praise choir. Fabulous.
* It is great to be able to take a vacation and not worry about anything. Thanks again to Tim Wadsworth, Brian Rhodes and Daniel Lucas for preaching in my absence. I have heard nothing but good things about their messages!
* We are gearing up for a new series we will begin on August 21st. That is going to be a huge weekend. School will be back in and summer will be over (sort of), so most people will be back to a more normal routine. This will be a perfect time to invite your friends to come with you. The series will be on the life of the biblical character, Jacob. If you think you're life is full of drama, just wait until you hear about his!!
* I miss waking up at 4:30am to go fishing (that was pretty much our routine for 3 weeks). I know that sounds weird if you're not a fisherman, but if you are, you understand.
* On a separate note. I am currently looking for an executive assistant to work at Foothills. As most of you know, my former assistant, Michelle Rhodes, and her husband Brian had a baby, so she is a bit busy right now :) This is a full time position that will take someone who has experience. You can email the church office for more info. office@foothills.cc
Saturday, July 30, 2011
I'm back!
I am back. I had an amazing time on vacation, but it's time to get back to reality.
* I am pumped about the new series we will be starting tomorrow called, Awakening. If you have ever felt spiritually dry or apathetic, this series will focus on how to get your spiritual life back in gear.
* I think this series will be one of the best series we've ever had. I think there will be a whole lot of people who are awakened.
* We will also have Joy Honeycutt with us. She is a fantastic singer with a fantastic story of God's grace.
* I have missed Foothills Community Church. We visited a lot of great churches, but as the great theologian Dorothy once said, "there's no place like home."
* I am super-rested up. Having an extended time away is so therapeutic for the soul.
* It's hard to believe that it's almost August. Where does time go?
* I can't wait to see all of you tomorrow, and don't forget to invite a friend.
* I am pumped about the new series we will be starting tomorrow called, Awakening. If you have ever felt spiritually dry or apathetic, this series will focus on how to get your spiritual life back in gear.
* I think this series will be one of the best series we've ever had. I think there will be a whole lot of people who are awakened.
* We will also have Joy Honeycutt with us. She is a fantastic singer with a fantastic story of God's grace.
* I have missed Foothills Community Church. We visited a lot of great churches, but as the great theologian Dorothy once said, "there's no place like home."
* I am super-rested up. Having an extended time away is so therapeutic for the soul.
* It's hard to believe that it's almost August. Where does time go?
* I can't wait to see all of you tomorrow, and don't forget to invite a friend.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
summer fun
I haven't been blogging for a couple of weeks because I have been on vacation. I am having an absolute blast. I'm getting a chance to visit family and do a lot of fishing. This year I trailered my boat down to Florida, and for the most part the seas have been calm, so we have been able to go offshore a bit.
If there is one thing that re-energizes me, it's fishing. Here is a pic of me and my nephew with a double-up on cobia.In case you're not familiar with cobia, it is probably the best tasting fish that swims!! The second picture is the "after" picture of the cobia!
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
What a week!
It was an incredible week at Foothills Community Church. Between the 2 campuses we baptized another 22 people! (That's 40 people this month!)
It all started Thursday evening with a time of worship, communion and baptism at our Seneca campus. Then on Sunday evening over in Toccoa they had a big party/baptism on Lake Hartwell. My wife and I were able to go and hang out with them, and we had a blast!
* We continued our Control Freak series on Sunday with a message about controlling our tongues. This is a tough one for most people. I know it is for me!
* We had over 20 people give their lives to Jesus at our Seneca campus on Sunday!!
* Even though it was 4th of July weekend, the attendance in the auditorium wasn't too bad. The kids numbers were way down. Lots of people on vacation.
* I think this was my first 4th of July were I didn't see any fireworks. Not one. I need to get out more.
* I keep getting unbelievable messages from people about life-change. God is doing some things behind the scenes that would blow your minds.
* Hard to believe it's already July.
* Please join me in praying for our team of 23 people that is in Harlan County, KY doing ministry through our Project Reach initiative.
It all started Thursday evening with a time of worship, communion and baptism at our Seneca campus. Then on Sunday evening over in Toccoa they had a big party/baptism on Lake Hartwell. My wife and I were able to go and hang out with them, and we had a blast!
* We continued our Control Freak series on Sunday with a message about controlling our tongues. This is a tough one for most people. I know it is for me!
* We had over 20 people give their lives to Jesus at our Seneca campus on Sunday!!
* Even though it was 4th of July weekend, the attendance in the auditorium wasn't too bad. The kids numbers were way down. Lots of people on vacation.
* I think this was my first 4th of July were I didn't see any fireworks. Not one. I need to get out more.
* I keep getting unbelievable messages from people about life-change. God is doing some things behind the scenes that would blow your minds.
* Hard to believe it's already July.
* Please join me in praying for our team of 23 people that is in Harlan County, KY doing ministry through our Project Reach initiative.
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