Our second goal of G.R.E.A.T. for SouthView is

REACH OUT

To REACH OUT and help meet local needs in Spring Hill.

Last year, I watched our new little church REACH OUT and bless a bunch of great organizations and groups that help others. The Well, our local Police Station and the Hope House are just a few. I love to see our people gather around a need and help meet it. I’ve watched people cook meals, give money, babysit, have people over for dinner and do countless other things to show people Christ’s love. When we REACH OUT despite our own needs, it really does amazing things.

I know many of our people were really affected by the economy  but that didn’t stop them from giving out of their needs. That’s what this goal is all about. If we waited to help other when our needs were met, we would miss the amazing blessing that God has for us. When you lack money, give your time. When you lack time give your prayers. There’s always a way to REACH OUT when you are purposeful in looking for it.

This year we are going to continue ministering to needs in our local area as well as branching out on our first mission’s trip to Mexico. We will host ComeBack Events (events in local parks where we give out free food, prizes, and kiddie games) this spring and summer. We will continue to look to help other churches as well (through combined worship events, combined youth groups and prayer). We even have some new ideas we are working on for showing people in this community that God loves them and thinks the world of them.

REACH OUT

There are so many needs but we are sent here to help meet them with God’s love.

M

Posted: January 31st, 2010 under Church info, Culture/Society.
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Our first goal of G.R.E.A.T. for SouthView is

GROW

To Challenge people to GROW deeper with God through devotions , small groups and accountability (relationships).

We want to foster a community of people that love to move further in their desire to know the one true God that created them for a relationship with himself. This doesn’t just happen, it takes us actively pursuing him.

-Devotions and prayer time with God alone is where it starts.

-Small Groups continues the journey.

-Developing relationships with others, on the same journey for accountability, encouragement, strength, support and guidance, is another way to complete the transformation.

We can’t do this alone. We need to GROW. We need to learn more about this creator that died to set us free. Salvation is the door…GROWING is the journey.

We start up 4 separate small groups (2 men’s / 2 women’s) in hopes that our church connects into them and understands it’s more than a “book club”. It’s more than a Christian AA meeting. It’s doing life together, learning together and studying together with a desire to see God transform us together as a church family. If we stay the same, we miss out on all God has for us. If we don’t spend time with him, we don’t understand him. If we don’t reach out to others for relational community we miss the whole point of church. Helping each other along this journey to reach their potential.

GROW.

It’s what we were created to do…

M

Posted: January 26th, 2010 under Church info, Culture/Society.
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Over the next couple of posts I want to break down our goals for SouthView Community Church for 2010. The acronym, GREAT, is what we will be working off of. Here’s a taste…

GROW

To challenge people to grow deeper with God through devotions, small groups and accountability.

REACH OUT

To reach out and help meet local needs in Spring Hill.

EXPERIENCE

To experience God deeper through Worship & Prayer.

ANSWER THE CALL

To find the calling on your life and the area of serving that God has for you.

TOUCH

To search for ways to touch someone, in your immediate sphere of influence, with God’s love

Posted: January 20th, 2010 under Church info, Leadership.
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Today I broke down the myth of “Forgiving Means Forgetting“. It was a message with a lot of points and ways I could go with it. Sometimes, as a pastor, you wonder if you were able to get all you wanted out in a concise manner. Here’s some left over thoughts from today.

-I think Forgiveness can really get used as a way for Christians to sit back and do nothing. Sometimes God desires us to rise up against the forces that try to put us down. Of course God commands us to forgive but do we sit back and allow the evils of the world to continue to get their way….heck no. There are times to stand up and say, NO MORE! To say God says to “turn the other cheek” to injustice is just not bibically correct.

-I love the fact that God DOESN’T FORGET our past or even our sins…but he does choose to not respond to us in light of those sins…how powerful is that?!?! To forget is an easy out…to CHOOSE to look past them and still love me and use me is AMAZING!

-King David is such an amazing & encouraging story about the power of God’s forgiveness.

-Love this quote – “Healing takes time…Forgiveness is a decision lived out as a lengthy process.”

-Although we suffer the consequences of our sin, God will give us 2nd, 3rd, 4th…chances. When you’ve been given a 2nd chance you realize how amazing this is.

-Don’t seek revenge….Read Romans 12:17-21 and you will see how amazing our “defender” is.

-One way to think about Trust is that it takes so much time to get it back….remember that next time you are ready to make a dumb decision.

-Love this quote as well – “Remember Christ died for sins he never committed to forgive people that had no right to be forgiven.”

-I’m glad God remembered and added the stories of David’s, Paul’s, Adam’s, Moses’s sins in the Bible. I’ve learned so much from what they have done wrong. Make that your mission as well. Although you’ve messed up, use it to help others not make the same mistakes. That’s one of the keys to “all things work together for good to those that love Him”.

-Watch out for Alexander the Metalworker!

-I hope this series challenges everyone to read the Word and find out what God really says. If you don’t agree with something, get in the Word and see what God’s thoughts are on it. Don’t just take my word for it…and if I mess up…I hope you Forgive me!

M

Posted: January 10th, 2010 under Church info, Leadership.
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Continue to fill yourself with Righteousness so that you emulate and shine with Righteousness. You will never know when someone needs to draw from you. Your family, church, friends, neighbors, co-workers and those that don’t know Christ are counting on you. Whether you know it or not, people are watching and looking to you for strength. Once you proclaim that you love and follow Christ, you better be on the top of your game. You never know when a God ordained moment will reveal itself to you. You don’t want to miss a golden opportunity to show someone the love of Christ.

M

Posted: January 5th, 2010 under Culture/Society, Leadership.
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