Last night it was announced on the local news that Blue Ridge High school coach David Farnham is battling cancer and is in Greenville Memorial Hospital. I first met Coach Farnham two summers ago as he was helping lead a clinic for the Blue Ridge Youth Association. We had him come speak this past February at our church for our church's SuperBowl Sunday. We even put a humorous video together with him in it. I still laugh every time I see it. Check it out at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAwxTQ--fS4.

My prayers are with Coach Farnham as he battles this illness. He's a great man not because he's a good football coach but he loves the Lord and lives his faith out as he leads young men.

Thank You!

Today in the morning worship service my wife announced her resignation as children's minister of Ridgeview Church. She has begun a new job at Piedmont Psychiatry counseling chidren and adolescents. I can't thank her enough for all she has done! Almost 4 years ago we as a new church had our first worship service. From day one we had a children's church for parents to leave their children as they made their way into the worship service. It was staffed from preschool to 5th grade. We literally had nothing when we first started as a church with no structure or program for kids. Tanya came in and gave it structure. Now, I feel our children's ministry is running on all cylinders. We had strong numbers this morning in our Ridgekidz area. We baptized a young girl today as well named Eden Huskey. Our Wednesday night Champtions 4 Christ is a great discipleship time for 14 to 15 kids who have signed up. It's high commitment. Thank you Tanya for going on this journey with me and jumping in there where needed in this new church plant. You have helped plant seeds in young hearts and minds that are growing into a harvest of young men and women sold out to Jesus!

Our home group met tonight at our home. It was our second meeting of the Fall semester that runs September 9 to December 9. Pictured above is one of the many reasons I look forward to group!

Small Groups, Home Groups, Growth Groups, Connection Groups, Journey Groups, Shepherding Groups, Bible Study Fellowship Groups, Sunday School That Meets In Homes Groups

I don't care what you call 'em, they are vital to a church. Just read through the book of Acts, especially chapter 2. I have led a home group since we started the church 3 1/2 years ago. I am still learning better ways to do do small groups in our church. I have read countless articles, books, etc, on small groups. Currently, I am listening to "The Small Groups Intensive Workshop" on CD that I purchased from churchleaderinsights.com. It is the best resource I've ever laid my hands on how to do groups. I wish this stuff was out when we first kicked off groups. It's good, really good!

P.S. Pictured above is one of our first groups we had at Ridgeview, the Yearick/Stovall group.

Ridgeview's Summer of Servive 20,000 Touch Celebration Sunday

14,588 Touches!

Ok, we didn't quite reach our goal of touching 20,000 people this summer with the love of Jesus in some way. But, there was much joy in the journey! Pictured above is one of 3 block parties our church hosted in various neighborhoods in our community this past week. Today was our celebration Sunday where we hosted around 175 student athletes from North Greenville University and fed them lunch. It was a great day! We showed a video of North Greenville University President Jimmy Epting. He couldn't be with us today but extended a welcome to the students and thanked our church for hosting them. He even said he knew me when I was a nobody but now I'm a somebody. He cracked everyone up! It's been a great summer. We've served many people in our community; 14,588 to be exact. Hopefully, we all can see that serving others as Christ followers should be a lifestyle and we should do it cheerfully as unto the Lord. Speaking of good cheer, today I started a new message series on living the joy-filled life. I think one of the most powerful moments today is when we showed a video testimony of Renee Smith who is an active attender in our church. Renee is a couple of years younger than me and has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. I have admired so much her attitude through this trial. She has a joy about her. You see, happiness is based on circumstances. Joy is based on a relationship with Jesus Christ. Renee is truly an example of what living the joy-filled life is all about. It isn't based on circumstances. It's based on Jesus!

Sunday Night Reflections

This morning at Ridgeview Church a beautiful thing happened. Our church became a meeting place for the Blue Ridge community to gather together and not only worship God but also remember one of our own who lost her life a little over a week and a half ago. I conducted the funeral for precious Lexie James who moved out of our community with her family last December to live in Knoxville because of her father's job transfer. Today was an opportunity for those who were not able to go to the funeral and even for those who did to gather together and start the healing process. We had Keith Vaugh from the Blue Ridge Little League share some remarks and present the family with a beautiful plaque/picture of Lexie in her Blue Ridge softball uniform. We had principal Tommy Hughes who leads the elementary school in which we gather for worship on Sunday share some wonderful stories of Lexie as she left her mark on Mountain View Elementary. We had her father read a letter he wrote that encapsulated the essence of what Lexie was like. Also in attendance were the girls softball teams that Lexie played on along with parents and others whose lives had been touched by Lexie in one way or the other. It's important for churches to be involved in the community. Ridgeview will always be involved in serving our community in the name of Christ. God allowed our church to minister to others today who were in our church for the first time. That's what we are about at Ridgeview. That's what we do.

New York Mission Trip Wednesday Night Reflections

Tonight the group went over to view ground zero at the World Trade Center and were going over to China Town. No, we haven't been sightseeing the entire trip. We have been hard at it all day today doing more painting, cleaning up the rooms we've already painted, and then more painting of classrooms and hallways at the middle school here on Staten Island. It's been a great experience! Yesterday was our sightseeing day. We worked in the morning and then took the afternoon and evening to see the city. We went over to the Rockefeller Plaza, then caught an off broadway play called "Altar Boys," and then headed over to the ESPN Zone for a while before heading on home. Our days have been long. We've worked hard and played hard. Tomorrow we will do touch up on the school hallways and classrooms and then head back to South Carolina. We will travel all night in our two SUVs by switching drivers every couple of hours. It has been a great trip and I hope to double if not triple our group for next summer.

I am staying at the hotel tonight because I've got to finish the message for Sunday. Anyway, I shared with our group this morning a passage from 2 Corinthians 5 which Paul states, "The love of Christ compels us..." He goes on to say later in the chapter that we are "ambassadors for Christ." It's been a great trip up here to NYC/Staten Island and the people of New York are great. We've seen some awesome sights in the city. But, that's not why we came. We came to help be a bridge of God's love to the people of New York. The "love of Christ compels" us! We have been wonderful ambassadors for Christ this week. Thank you to those who took a week of their lives to be Christ's ambassadors: Gerri Jefferson, Rahel Wilson, Dave & Thor Yearick, Tyler Smith, Logan Yarlett, Patrick Knorr, and Milo Wilson.

This morning we began to do what we came to do: “Paint the Town.” We met at the middle school along with the two other churches and began painting the school hallways and classrooms with a nice baby blue color. I spent some time putting tape down around the edges to prep the room for painting and then did most of my painting in the afternoon. I was able to spend some time with two pastors from Houston who are here for this same cause. It has been neat to get to know Dr. Rodney Woo from Wilshire Baptist Church and James ? (sorry, I’ve forgotten his last name) who has planted a church in the Houston area. Unfortunately for me when I returned to the hotel for lunch I received some good natured ribbing from some of the guys claiming I went off and took a nap. It’s going to take some time to get my credibility back!

Pastor Ray from CrossRoads Church here in Staten Island has had several groups do this over at least the last 2 summers. The bridges it has built for him have been incredible. He has been named principal for the day and was also asked to speak at one of the school’s graduation ceremonies. In fact, just today as I was walking into the school 3 police officers were at the front door who are assigned to provide security there. One asked why we were doing this. Once again, good works become the bridge upon which the good news can travel!

I feel our group is getting along well and it’s neat to be here with them. We’re getting ready to go eat supper so it’s time to go.

New York Mission Trip Monday Morning

We arrived for our first ever mission trip to New York Sunday morning around 8:30 am. We traveled all night leaving Saturday night around 8 pm. We went to Cross Roads Church on Staten Island. We will be working with Pastor Ray from Cross Road (a Southern Baptist Church plant) this week to help build bridges in his community. The biggest way we will be doing this is by helping paint IS 72 (that's a middle school as we know it in the South). We went into the big city last night and just walked arouind Times Square. Pictured above is all of us at Ray's pizza in Times Square. All of us were exhausted when we got back in around 1 am. But, we're fired up and ready to go do some work today! This has been a great trip already and we will be working alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ from Wilshire Baptist Church (Houston TX) and the college students from Germantown Baptist Church (Memphis TN). Looking forward to being a bridge of God's love this week also as we will be handing out water here on Staten Island in the name of Christ. More details and pics to come.

Alexis James

Yesterday I received a call bearing tragic news. I was told 10 year old Alexis James died in a car accident on I-26 in Columbia. She was heading with some family friends down to Savannah for a softball tournament. The van's tire blew and caused the vehicle to roll. She died on the way to the hospital.

I had the priviledge of getting to know young Alexis from the Good News Club our church sponsored at Mountain View Elementary after school on Thursdays. She always was so friendly to me and had a vibrant, glowing smile. She was also very competetive. Whether it was answering a Bible question or getting to help the teachers, she had a spunk about her! I had the opportunity of talking with her father yesterday. The family had moved to Knoxville recently. I honestly cannot imagine what the entire family is going through. I read this passage of Scripture this morning as I have been preparing for a sermon message next week. How appropriate these words in times like these.

8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Please pray for Patrick, Kelly, and Austin James and extended family and friends.