Ridgeview Church Mission Trip 2008

Staten Island, New York

We're back this summer to the Big Apple for our second trip to partner with Crossroads Church here in Staten Island. Pastor Ray of Crossroads Church is doing a great work and has a real heart for the people here. We've come here to help advance the gospel on behalf of Crossroads Church. We are having an incredible trip and there is barely a minute of free time to post a blog. We have done kindness projects like passing out water. We are prepping and painting IS 72 public school to build bridges of God's love for Crossroads Church. We are leading a sports camp at PS 58 public school and had 42 kids show up today. We are literally at the Crossroads of the world up here this week. It is a true melting pot of people of different races, cultures, and religious backgrounds. One young lady at our sports camp who is a Muslim told us she didn't pray to our God. It is so awesome to have an opportunity to share with her about our God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I certainly appreciate the prayers of my Ridgeview Church family!

I am currently reading The Breakthrough Company: How everyday companies become extraordinary performers. Chapter 3 discusses the topic of "Crowning the Company." These are great questions all Pastors must ask themselves: "Is your company building something that is far greater than the leader?" (p. 28) "Visit Roger Staubach in his office and you'll notice that something is missing-practically anything relating to football. Ask him why and he'll tell you, 'It's because we are building something here that is bigger than Roger Staubach.'" The chapter goes on to show keys to crowning the company are 1) Crown the customer first 2) Aim high 3) Avoid the trappings of corporate royalty 4) Shift from commander to coach 5) Don't let loyalty become a liability 6) Encourage chaotic communication (i.e. do you have an open door policy?) 7) Cut people in on the action (i.e. take care of your people).

Ridgeview Church is so much bigger than her Pastor. I want us to speak of the purpose for which we labor and take the focus off of me. John the Baptist said something about that didn't he? "He (Jesus) must increase, I must decrease."

Yesterday I spent the day at the Cliff's Valley clubhouse as part of a Pastor's mentoring network I'm a part of led by Dr. Ken Hemphill. Our guest Pastor for the morning was Dr. Don Wilton of First Baptist Church Spartanburg. Don is from South Africa and he has one of those accents that keeps your attention even if he read the back of a cereal box. Fortunately, he gave us something more substantive. Right before lunch Jim Anthony, CEO and founder of the Cliff's, dropped by to say hello and welcome us. Jim is a Christ follower who really wants to help Pastors. We owe him a huge debt of gratitude for making this opportunity available to us.

Here are some key thoughts I gathered from Dr. Wilton:

*Preaching is the power of God through an individual personality.

*Your conversion, your call, and your commitment to Christ means when you preach you fear no man but God.

*There is nothing more important than the preaching ministry in your church- a weak pulpit is a weak church.

Ridgeview Church Mega Sports Camp June 2008

Mega Hit!

I just finished the book mentioned above. The premise of this book: "The secret to winning and keeping customers is to reward them." Ok, as a Pastor I don't look at the people in my church as "customers." But, there is much to be applied here. Our staff team and volunteers work hard to reward those who may be first timers or long term attenders at Ridgeview Church. It comes with inspiring worship services, relationship building, opportunities for spiritual growth and service, and events each month to be outward focused in our community. In fact, tonight I received a call from a man in our church who had just come home from one of our Growth Groups led by Rob & Sandra Smith. He was rewarded by going tonight and wanted to call and let me know how much he and his wife enjoyed it. He's one satisfied Christ follower tonight. My goal is for everyone in our church and community to experience the rewards of knowing Christ and serving Him. I believe it don't get no better than that!

Make Us One

This Sunday Pastor Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv will be speaking at Ridgeview by means of video. He will continue the message series begun last week called "One Prayer." Craig is the originator of this campaign that is seeing many churches around the country and world take part. Pastor Craig will deliver a powerful and humorous message. His "one prayer" for the church is that God would "Make us one."

Pastor Craig shared a humorous story about someone telling him they heard their pastor say his church waters down the gospel. I had someone in my church a few years ago tell me a fellow Pastor in our area state that Ridgeview is fine for people if "all they want to do is show up on Sunday morning." This same Pastor stated about my church, "They do things differently over there." He wasn't being complimentary.

We as Christ followers can do so much more when we are united rather than divided. It is my prayer that as a Pastor I will always have a spirit of cooperation and unity with my brothers and sisters in Christ and the sister churches in my area. It isn't about competition; it's about cooperation. We have a common enemy! Imagine what we could do if we Pastors and churches focused on doing battle with him with the full armor of God rather than focusing on lesser issues.

With that thought I'm going to bed. Good night!

O'Neal Village: Future Home of Ridgeview Church

This past Sunday I shared with our people the good news that Ridgeview Church has officially found a home. Jeff Randolph, the developer of O'Neal Village, has graciously agreed to give our church two acres in which to build a church! We will be nestled in a mixed use commerical/residential development known as O'Neal Village. The development will have shops as well as office space. We will build the church basically on the corner of the town center square. I am delighted about this opportunity. One day our church facility will be in the middle of people going about their daily lives playing, eating, shopping, etc. This is exactly where we want to be- among people! I believe we will have an incredible opportunity to splash people everyday by showing people love and sharing how they can experience His purpose for their lives. Thanks Jeff Randolph for giving us a wonderful gift. It is an answer to prayer! Five years ago I had no idea what course Ridgeview would take. It's neat to see the doors God's Hand has opened for us. "Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 4:20-21 NIV)

Spiritual Warfare

This Sunday I finish up a series on spiritual warfare entitled, "Flying under the radar." I shot a video testimony today of Don and Beverley Brown, along with Michele Turner. You will hear their stories at Ridgeview Sunday. They have all experienced very real encounters of demonic presence. In fact, Michele's body experienced major downturns in health that were inexplicable. After intense times of prayer over several months with husband Tracy, she was freed. Some will balk and say this is a bunch of nonsense, etc. To those who understand the battle at hand, we underscore the words of Paul in Ephesians 6:12, "For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places."

P.S. Pictured above standing at the mics are Tracy and Michele Turner. They are former worship leaders at Ridgeview and wonderful people!

Just Do Ministry & Shut Up About How Your Church Is Like No Other!

Maybe in my older age and in my 5th year of a church plant I'm getting a bit grumpy, but if I hear one more church declare how Jesus Christ personally appeared to them and wanted to let them know how their church was the coolest, most relevent, authentic, real, cutting-edge, exciting, happening, church like no other and not like all the other churches around, I think I'm going to explode! Where in the Bible does Jesus say our goal as churches is to outdo one another and to compete for "coolest" church around award? If your church attracts bikers on Harleys wearing leather and is reaching people for Christ, I'm for you! If your church is reaching blue collars, white-collars, or no collars, using guitar and drums, banjos and bluegrass, or Steinways and handbells, I'm for you! As one famous Pastor declared, "We need all kinds of churches for all kinds of people."

So, with that said, the church I Pastor (Ridgeview Church) will be out this Saturday from 10 am to 12 pm conducting a "Single Moms Free Oil Change" over on highway 101 here in the Blue Ridge area of Greenville County. We're not the first to do this in our community. It's not original with me; as if that has to be a criteria for doing minisry. We're simply going to be out there seeking to obey the Great Commandment and the Great Commision because we believe good deeds can be the bridge upon which the good news can travel. We're part of the Kingdom of God working alongside our sister churches to do what Christ has commanded us to do. Life is too short to get caught up on any other cause than that!

Happy 1st Birthday,

Landon Jack!

We had a good day, didn't we? We went to Brushy Creek Park and rode "George" the train. We went to the playground afterwards and watched

your brother run around. You'll be out there soon enough. Mom baked you a cake and it sure was good, wasn't it? You liked the wrapping paper more than the presents themselves, didn't you?

God has blessed us with another blond-haired, this time blue-eyed, little boy. We pray for you every day and with the Lord's help will do our best to "train up a child in the way he should go.." (Proverbs 22:6)