Fasting for spiritual and physical health

This past Sunday I encouraged our church to embark on a 21 day time of prayer and fasting. We are joining hundreds of other churches across our land for what is a national movement known as "Awakening." That is my prayer for my life, our church, our nation; that we would see a spiritual awakening. As I shared last Sunday, fasting gets the "gunk" out. As we live out our lives, the daily grind can wear us down and we lose our passion. God wants us to live our lives for Him with passion. Romans 12:11 states, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." I can't think of a better thing to do than to dedicate the first part of the year to God and drawing near to Him through prayer and fasting. We all need to start out 2011 fully alive and attuned to God's Spirit.

There are not only incredible spiritual benefits to fasting, but there are physical benefits as well. Obviously, losing weight is a natural benefit of fasting. Stoval Weems in his book "Awakening" states that when we fast "our bodies reset themselves." Also, Steve Meyerowitz in his book "Juice Fasting and Detoxification" states, "When you fast, you are on nature's operating table. The body changes hats. Instead of being in the business of receiving, processing, storing, analyzing, assimilating, discriminating, and discarding, it shifts to the job of house cleaning, removal, sanitizing, refurbishing and renewal. It is a big job and it is not without its inconveniences, especially when there is someone living in the house."

Just like our souls, the inside of our bodies needs a good spring cleaning from time to time. Fasting is a simple way of cleaning house. I encourage you if you didn't have a chance this week to pray and fast, to commit yourself to do this before we finish January 30. It will be a wonderful benefit for you spiritually and physically.

Pastor Tommy

Awakening 2011

I am looking forward to our second church wide time of prayer and fasting called Awakening. We will not be alone. Awakening is an incredible event, consisting of churches and ministries all around the world, coming together in a 21 day season of prayer, fasting and personal devotion at the beginning of each year.  Two of the main goals of the national Awakening campaign are:

• For churches and leaders to come together to pray, fast and seek God at the onset of the year .
• To inspire pastors and leaders everywhere to establish or strengthen a culture of prayer and fasting in their church or ministry.

We will officially start our 21 day prayer and fasting time on Monday, January 10 through January 30. This Sunday I will begin a 3 part message series sharing some principles I've learned about fasting. I will also hand out a resource from awake21.org that will give much information on the basics of fasting.

This year I will be embarking on a 21 day juice fast. I did that last year as well. The point is not whether you go 21 days or not; the point is that you set aside a time to renew and refresh yourself in your walk with God. Fasting allows you to clean the gunk out and "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). I look forward to starting the year off again with this time of renewal. I am praying for an awakening!

Pastor Tommy

What a great year in the life of Ridgeview Church! We baptized thirteen, gave over several thousand dollars to international missions, and continued to go about "bridging" in our community! It was great to cap off the last service of the year at the red barn where 300 people came to our Community Christmas eve service. It has been a great year!

I am so pumped about 2011! I look forward to our church wide time of prayer and fasting as we begin "Awakening" on January 9. We saw God move in our church this past year because of our obedience to the biblical practice of fasting. I can't wait to see what He does in 2011!

Bridging

Pictured above is our first Christmas Eve service in the red barn back in 2005. In the beginning stages of Ridgeview Church, I spent considerable time crafting our church's purpose statement. I have asked several people from time to time at Ridgeview to repeat it after me. They usually start out strong and then taper at the end: "Seeking to be a bridge of God's love..." I then say, "so that they may experience His purpose for their lives." I recently read a book that said if you can boil down your organization's existence to a few words or just one word, it will be far more memorable. The more I thought about Ridgeview the more the word "bridging" kept coming to mind.

Everything we do at Ridgeview is about "bridging" people to Jesus who is the bridge to God. 1 Peter 3:18 states, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Once we bridge them to Jesus we want to provide bridges of growth and service and give them opportunities to continue bridging out to others and do for others what was done for them.

I am proud of our church and how we've tried to maintain a bridging focus over these last 7 years. I have made a renewed commitment to step up our bridging efforts. It's called the Bridge 200 initiative. As Pastor, I have made a commitment to make 200 touches in our community each week myself. It's been said if you want to measure the temperature of a church, put a thermometer in the Pastor's mouth. I am excited about possibilities of what can happen in our community, in our church, and in our own lives if we make 200 bridge touches of God's love with people. We will not be the same!

We are already seeing fruit in our church because of the seeds we planting. Allow me to share some examples just from this week:

*9 kids came to Christ in our Good News Club.
*13 bridging with bread visits were made Monday night.
*13 stick signs were placed by Ridgeview volunteers in our community this week advertising our Community Christmas eve service.
*Over 300 Christmas eve invite door hangers were delivered to homes in our community.
*By Friday at 8:30 am we will have served hundreds of parents free coffee as they dropped their kids off at school.
*By Sunday after church we will have baptized at least 3 people! (13 for the year!)

I am so encouraged by the comments left on our Connection Cards this week on how our people are bridging:

"Gave a Ridgeview card and a tip to a lady at the drive through Friday."
"Shared my lunch with a co-worker."
"Met a hispanic lady whose husband had left her and she needed a twin bed. Texted my Growth Group and we are gathering items for her."
"Prayed with a lady that works at AT&T store who is suffering from depression."

In this newsletter there are some great opportunities to go about the task of "bridging." Jesus commands we go and bridge (Matthew 28:19-20). I am so blessed to partner alongside you this Christmas season in this most noble duty of bridging!

See you Sunday!

Christmas Bridging

If there is ever a season to seize the moments to show God's love to others it is during the Christmas season. It seems as though God just opens up the airwaves to his love and kindness during this time of year.

So, what can you do this season? Here are some quick ideas I have and some I gathered from servecoach.com.

1) Invite them to our Community Christmas Eve Service
The photo above is the backside of the direct mail piece we're sending out to thousands in our community. We're providing air support for you as you invite those you know to this wonderful bridging event!

2) Bring Christmas goodies to your neighbors
It's a great conversation starter and can provide opening opportunities to tell your Jesus story.

3) Buy a Coke or candy bar for the cashier checking you out
People working cash registers around the holidays have a very high demand, low reward job. Surprise them by kindness and generosity.

4) Give 30% tip to your server
While you're out enjoying your shopping and enjoying your day, your waiter or waittress is working serving you. These are people that are so easily overlooked this time of year. A big tip is the perfect way to show them that God is a God who notices people.

5) See what God would say to you about you giving above and beyond in your time, talent, and treasure
Our annual Christmas missions offering is in full gear. We also have some great bridging opportunities available as a church (see the Bridge section). There are also opportunities in our community organizations to lend a hand as well.

6) Treat a coworker to lunch- boys with boys and girls with girls, please!

7) Take a poinsettia to work for your boss- if you are the boss, get one for your receptionist.

8) Take some Christmas goodies to the place you frequent
Every Monday I go to Moe's to eat after staff meeting. Last Monday my server Brian knew exactly what I wanted and what I wanted on it. (Joey bag of donuts!) Most likely these people "know you" even if you have never spoken to them before. This is a great way to break the ice and start having an actual relationship with them, even if it is just a small one.

Whatever you do this season, make sure that the people you serve know that God loves them. After all, the point of the season is, "For God so loved the world...that He gave His only Son."

See you Sunday!

Pastor Tommy

Our Largest Attended Worship Service Each Year Is Held In A Cold, Drafty Barn!

Five or six years ago I drove by the red dutch barn on Gap Creek road and the thought hit me, "That would be a unique place to have a Christmas Eve service." That first year at the barn Jennifer White and myself put the service together. We had around 100 people show up. The rest is history: In 2006, we had 400 people. In 2007, we had 381 people. In 2008, we had 472 people. Last year we dropped a bit but still had 237 people.

Now, I know a great thing when I see it! It turns out the Christmas Eve service at the red dutch barn has been a great way to bridge out to our community with the love of Jesus. It's one of our most effective events. Each year, the gospel is clearly explained and we share the real meaning of Christmas. This year I am praying our Community Christmas Eve services are the biggest we've ever had. Why? Because I want people to hear about Jesus! I am praying 500 to 600 people come this year. In order to see that happen, we must do several things:

1) Pray for our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers; pray for our community that they would be receptive to an invite to the service.

2) Invite them!
We are sending a direct mail piece to over 15,000 homes in the area. We are also making 200 personal visits a week leading up to Christmas eve. We are running an ad in the Greer Citizen and will be putting stick signs in the community. All that is great but none is as effective as you personally inviting someone you know!

3) Volunteer
We have numerous teams that you can be a part of: parking, photography, greeting & registration, set-up, take-down, ushers, refreshments, media and sound. Much help is needed to pull this event off. Every job is important! Did you know by serving on the parking team you will assist a family in finding a parking space. They in turn will come to the service and will hear the gospel and respond and find a church home at Ridgeview. You had a part in changing a family's legacy by serving on the parking team. Each volunteer position is part of the chain in bridging people to Jesus.

There will be two Christmas Eve services at 6:00 pm & 8:00 pm. May we all be part of praying, inviting, and volunteering for this event. I believe there is no more important investment of your time this Christmas season.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Tommy

Thanksgiving Weekend at Ridgeview

I always look forward to Thanksgiving weekend at Ridgeview! We've used this weekend to do something once a year: a Thanksgiving brunch/worship service. We will have the morning worship at the same time (10:30 a.m.) in the Blue Ridge High cafeteria. You are encouraged to bring a food item to share "potluck style." If you are unable to bring anything, please come anyway. We will have plenty of food! Paper products and beverages will be provided. There will be a time of worship music, a Thanksgiving message from C.J. Cauble, along with the lighting of the Advent Candle and partaking of the Lord's Supper. There will be no Ridgekidz (elementary); we will provide a space with a tv/dvd player for preschool parents to take their kids if they get a bit antsy.

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Christmas Eve Service @ Red Barn

Ridgeview Church will again have its Christmas eve service at the Red Dutch Barn off of hwy 101 & W. Gap Creek Rd. This is one of our biggest community bridge events we do all year. We will culminate our Christmas message series Christmas eve entitled "The Gospel." I will be sharing with as much clarity as I possibly can on what is the Gospel and will offer an invitation for many to accept the Jesus we sing about and celebrate during Christmas.

Much work is to be done in preparation for this event. The most important thing we must do is to bathe this in prayer. Second only to that is to invite our family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers who need a church home and/or need Jesus. I would like to ask you now to begin praying for this evening- that many would experience the salvation Jesus offers. Also, this will not happen without our volunteer teams. We will need a picture team to take pics of families, a parking team, a greeting and registration team, a set up/take down team, a refreshment team, a media team, along with an usher team. We will get more information on all the details of these teams soon. I look forward to this day!

--
Tommy Hargrove
www.ridgeviewchurch.net
864 630 9459

How To Have A "Radical" Thanksgiving

Can you believe Thanksgiving is only two weeks away? It's one of my favorite days of the year! As I've been thinking about the upcoming holidays and in light of the Radical series we've experienced, I wanted to throw some ideas your way I recently discovered.

How to have a Radical Thanksgiving for individuals & families

*Fast and pray for those who don't have enough to eat.
Did you know that according to the United Nations, over 5 million child deaths occur each year due to starvation. How about on or around Thanksgiving this year, spend a day in fasting and prayer for the world's hungry.

*Discover what the Bible says about thankfulness to God.
The Bible is full of references to thankfulness towards God. Grab a concordance, topical Bible, or online reference tool like www.biblegateway.com and look up verses about thankfulness in the Bible. Choose one passage that seems relevant to your family. Meditate on it. Memorize it as a family. Think about what it would mean to live it out, and then act on that understanding.

*Give a secret gift of money to someone you know.
In tough economic times like these, you probably have several friends and acquaintances who are hurting financially this Thanksgiving. Maybe your finances aren't great either. But if possible, pick at least one person who would be encouraged by a gift of money. Send whatever cash you can afford to this person, along with an anonymous note of encouragement.

*Invite an international visitor to your Thanksgiving dinner.
The United States is one of only two countries to celebrate Thanksgiving (the other is Canada). Think of a newcomer to our country-perhaps an international student, whom you could invite to share your Thanksgiving celebration this year. Prepare to share with your guest(s) the history and meaning of the day. More importantly, share with this person what you are personally thankful to God for.
*I would recommend calling Joshua's Way Ministry in Greer (801-4804) and asking for Florine Palaghia. He works with their Cross Culture Network and knows international students from the colleges and universities in our area.

*Comfort a hurting brother or sister in Christ.
Think about people in our church who might feel as if they don't have much to be thankful for this season. The Bible says we are to weep with those who weep. Don't feel like you have to fix anyone's problem, or perhaps say anything at all. But give encouragement, a listening ear, and best of all, your presence.


These are some great ideas as we approach the Thanksgiving holidays! Would love to hear your thoughts and ideas!
(P.S. Don't forget to bring your Operation Christmas Child shoebox for our collection day this Sunday.)


Seeking to live radically for Him,


Pastor Tommy

Leaders Who Last Message Series Begins Sunday, November 7

The old maxim is true, "Leadership is influence." Everyone is a leader in some area because of their influence over someone whether it be a parent, a teacher, a coach, a friend, or a supervisor. But how are we leading in the marathon race of life? We have all seen runners running alongside us who have stumbled, burned out, or veered off the track. That may have even happened to you at one time or the other. It is not automatic that a leader finishes well. How do we finish well? Leaders Who Last message series will show you how to finish well based upon God's Word so you may hear from Jesus as you cross the finish line, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"