Bridge Initiative Summit This Sunday!

Dr. Frank Page, Keynote Speaker For Bridge Initiative Summit This Sunday!

This coming Sunday, May 30, we will have our first Bridge Initiative Summit. It will be a time to share what God is doing in our world and how we can join Him on mission. We will hear from our own Ed Niles on international bridging. We will also hear about how we can be involved in national, state, and local bridging. Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Frank Page. No stranger to many at Ridgeview, he is the former Pastor of Taylors First Baptist Church. He was instrumental in leading Taylors to start its first daughter church we know as Ridgeview. He is currently the Vice President of Evangelism for the North American Mission Board. He has been nominated to be the next Executive Director of the Southern Baptist Convention. He is a sought after speaker all over the nation. It will be his first visit to Ridgeview. This is a don't miss event!

 

 

Last Week To Sign Up For Summer Growth Groups

Our Growth Groups director, Paul Eill, is extremely pleased with Growth Group sign ups for the summer. We are coming off a great Spring semester and have had almost a month off. Like all good weight lifting programs, there is a principle of stress and release. Many were stretched spiritually this past semester. We have now given you a month off and now it is time to hit the gym again for some more growth. We have some great Groups being offered. You can sign up by filling out your Connection Card on Sunday, signing up at the Grow table in the foyer, or emailing Paul Eill (paul@ridgeviewchurch.net). The list of Growth Groups being offered are in the Grow section of this email newsletter.

 

 

Great Baptism & Barbecue Fellowship!

What an incredible night we had last Sunday at O'Neal Village! The weather, the pool, the food, and the fellowship were fantastic! Most importantly, we saw ten people baptized! Praise God for what He is doing! We give Him all the praise and honor. Special thanks also goes out to Brian and Kathy Green for catering the barbecue. It was delicious!

 

See you Sunday!

 

Pastor Tommy

 

 

 

 

Memorial Day

 

This Memorial Day weekend as we remember those who have lost their lives fighting for our country, please also remember two soldiers near and dear to the Ridgeview family. Andy Howell, the son of Bill & Deb Howell, is stationed in Iraq. Nathaniel Balough, a former North Greenville University student who made Ridgeview his home church, will be heading for Iraq soon.

 

Thank you!

 

Pastor Tommy

What a wonderful time we had Sunday night as we baptized 10 people at O'Neal Village in Greer. It was a celebration of changed lives by the power of Jesus Christ. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come." I was recently asked what I enjoy most about ministry. Just look at the picture; that's my answer!

Outdoor Baptism & Barbecue Fellowship At O'Neal Village This Sunday!

 

Outdoor Baptism & Barbecue Fellowship At O'Neal Village This Sunday!

Make plans to be here this Sunday evening for the baptism and barbecue fellowship. It will be held at O'Neal Village on highway 101 right down from the Lake Cunningham fire department in Greer. The party gets started at 5:00 pm. We will be baptizing nine people! God is so good! After the baptism, we will enjoy some great barbecue catered by Brian Green, who will also be baptized along with his wife Kathy. There will be swimming, games, and some great fellowship to enjoy. Please bring a lawn chair and $3 suggested donation for the barbecue plate (maximum $10 per family).

 

Baptism illustrates our new life in Christ. The Bible says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)." During the morning worship service we will share video testimonies of those being baptized and their new life in Christ. I look forward to seeing you Sunday morning and Sunday evening as we celebrate Jesus and the lives He's changed.

 

Pastor Tommy

A Divine Mentor

Over the last couple of years I've been involved in a number of mentor/coaching relationships. They all have been beneficial to me in helping me grow as a leader. As I am reading Wayne Cordeiro's book, The Divine Mentor, I am reminded that there is no greater Mentor than God through His Holy Spirit and through His Word. There are loads of great resources out there to help coach/mentor you in any field you are in. They are important. But, they must always take a back seat to the ultimate wisdom found in God's Word. It is timeless!

A Month In The Life Of Ridgeview!

I could not be more excited about the month of May at Ridgeview Church! Great things have already occurred such as a record number of cars serviced and ladies helped for the single moms free oil change, the graduation recognition/student Sunday, the Ridgestudents 30 hour famine, a new children's minister in place, one-hundred Panera bagels provided to the faculty at Blue Ridge High for teacher appreciation, several families joining the church in our last membership class, and our volunteers helping out with the Greer Family Fest, to name a few. God is at work through His people!

 

I do not judge a church solely on numbers but I believe they do point to a level of church health. Let me say that our "numbers" already in May 2010 are much better than May 2009. That is very encouraging! There are some great coming events still left in May: our "Can You See Him?" second coming of Christ series, the outdoor baptism and barbecue May 23 at O'Neal Village, and our first ever Bridge Initiative Summit (May 30) with keynote speaker Dr. Frank Page, North American Mission Board Vice President of Evangelism and former Pastor of Taylors First Baptist and past President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

 

May is a great month in the life of Ridgeview Church! It is so encouraging to see the people of Ridgeview Church fulfilling their purpose of being a bridge of God's love to all people and making disciples of Him!

 

In Christ,

 

Pastor Tommy

 

 

Second Coming of Christ series continues Sunday

Second Coming of Christ series continues Sunday

As we continue our "Can You see Him" message series and pick back up on the Second Coming of Christ, we will be focusing on Matthew 24 & 25 for the next three weeks. This passage is known as the "Olivet Discourse" and it is the second longest message of Christ recorded in the Bible. We will look this Sunday at what Jesus says about the Tribulation. We will examine what will happen during that time and what we must do in light of that knowledge.

 

Very Proud Of Our Graduates & Ridgestudents

I cannot say enough about the fine students we have in our Ridgestudents ministry. It was an honor to spend some time with them serving for the 30 hour famine. It was inspiring for me to see many of them serving on Sunday in some capacity. Paul shared with Timothy, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12.)" Thank you Ridgestudents for the example you set. Also, congratulations to our high school and college graduates. We are proud of your academic accomplishments and wish God's very best for you. A verse that meant so much to me as I graduated from college was Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." I promise you if you put Jesus Christ first in front of your plans, ambitions, career, interests, relationships, and worries He promises to provide and guide you in all things. That's a great promise!

 

Growth Groups- Thank You Paul Eill

I would like to thank Paul Eill, our Growth Groups minister, for a great Spring semester. It was one of our best! Just as the name Growth Groups implies, we certainly saw growth and life transformation in the lives of those involved. Paul Eill was a great help to us in the administration required in overseeing our Growth Groups. I am grateful for his leadership!

Please be aware that we will take a break from Growth Groups for the month of May. The summer semester will begin June 6 - August 8. We will begin sign-ups this Sunday for our summer semester. I am excited about the Growth Groups being offered!

 

Mother's Day & Parent-Child Dedication

Looking forward to this Sunday as we celebrate Mother's Day and as we also hold our parent-child dedication. If you would like to have your child dedicated, please let me know before Sunday. It is simply a covenant before God, the Ridgeview family, and the parent or parents to take seriously the words of Deuteronomy 6:4-7, 4) Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5) Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6) These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7) Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

 

We have some great worship experiences lined up for the month of May. I hope to see you this Sunday as we celebrate and worship Jesus Christ who gives us fullness of life!

 

In Christ,

 

Pastor Tommy

 

 

Is God's Word Enough?

A belief system has developed in our day that gets people to buy in to the lie that they cannot cope on their own. Therefore, they need medication, counseling, etc. to make it through. Now, there is a time and place for those things. My wife is a child and adolescent counselor. But, the centrality of God's Word, the Bible, must be our first choice for dealing with life. I believe what Peter says in 2 Peter 1:3-4, 3) His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4) Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. Whatever you may be facing in life, turn to God's Word first. All other remedies are secondary in nature.