Giving Away Teddy

September 27, 2011 in Global Outreach, West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

In the month of October every campus at West Ridge Church is proud to be partnering with Gleaning For the World to provide Teddy Bears to children in need around the globe. Gleaning provides humanitarian aid and disaster relief to communities when they need need it most. They provided more than 1 million dollars of goods to help Engage Atlanta provide flood relief to NW Atlanta during the floods of 2009, and continue to partner with us to serve families at Hope For Christmas (‘Hope’ on facebook).

Gleaning provides food, water, and shoes to children in need. They have also learned the incredible encouragement that a stuffed animal can bring to a child in the third world. Unlike my own kids, a stuffed animal to a child in need will be one of the only toys a these children have.

Please bring a gently used or new Teddy Bear to the Kidquest or Kidquest Jr area at your West Ridge campus any Sunday in October. This is a great teaching moment for us as parents to teach our kids to give up something they have for someone in need.

Below is a video that Gleaning put together to help describe just a little bit of this program.

Paul

U might have missed this 1

September 26, 2011 in Community Outreach, West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

My friends Tony and Skip led Last Saturday this past weekend. Outreach happens all the time through our Local Missions, but this is a once a month serving opportunity for anyone at West Ridge Church to get involved. Maybe next month you could join us for Last Saturday!

Cindy S- A widow that has been on a walker and somewhat bedridden for 20 years.  We had 10 volunteers from our Journey Group complete yard work which included mowing, trimming, edging, removing trash, planting shrubbery that had been purchased by Ms. Simmons previously. We spread 18 bales of pinestraw all around her home. We made plans to continue to serve her by organizing a garage sale at her home to help raise funds for some medical bills that are due. 

Sarah H- A single mom that has suffered a spinal injury in the past and lives with her 15 year old son. She was in need of a handicap ramp instead of negotiating the stairs outside her front door.  4 volunteers and completed the ramp before lunch. 

Barbara W- A single lady that has had a stroke recently and has no strength in one arm. She had asked us to help with some miscellaneous items including mowing lawn, moving some shrubbery, mulching a garden area where she sits outside, repairing a park bench, planting some flowers, restoring a bird bath, and painting handrails on the front and back porch. Skip Anglin led this project that included 11 volunteers, 5 of those 11 were young children.

The Path To Resurrection

September 26, 2011 in West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

I had some thoughts impressed on me when I was studying to speak at the Cartersville Campus of West Ridge Church on the ten year anniversary of 09/11.

These hit the cutting room floor before I gave the talk, but I thought I would share them here. One of the most beautiful truths in the Bible is that of resurrection. It is the truth that God can bring back to life something that once was dead. It is a great hope and a present reality for anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, the most difficult part of this truth is that before there can be resurrection something has to die. It is a step on the path to resurrection.

Over the last several months I have watched families go through some gut wrenching tragedy. I know families who have experienced the deepest level of loss any of us could ever endure. It’s more than natural for us all to ask ‘Why’ and to acknowledge we don’t have all the answers. I certainly don’t have all the answers, and I still have a lot of questions.The scriptures tell us that no one can understand the ways of God, but the Apostle Paul seems to give us something to shoot for.

Philippians 3:10-11 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

Moments of loss allow those experiencing hurt and pain and grief to know Jesus in a deeper way. Only with faith and trust in a risen Jesus can there be hope in death. More than that, only with hope in Jesus can there be hope to conquer the things that are holding us back in day to day life. Maybe there is something more to the truth that “To live is Christ. To die is gain.” than just what happens when you leave your physical body. Maybe this is part of what moments of suffering are trying to teach us.

At different points in all of our lives something some things pass away, while others are put to death. Both are an opportunity to know and trust Christ more, even if we don’t understand all of our circumstances.

What has to die in me today that the resurrected Christ might live in me the way he wants?

Paul

Staff Meeting With The Ugos

August 24, 2011 in Vision, West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

This morning Pastor Brian Bloye took some time in our West Ridge Church Staff Meeting to interview Ralph and Marie Ugo. This is an incredible couple that we have partnered with in Local Missions. They set a tremendous example of what a missional disciple of Jesus ought to look like, and they serve all over the world. We filmed the meeting and hopefully will have some video to share later. In the meantime, here are some of the nuggets they shared. All the quotes are Ralph’s unless Marie’s name is noted.

“We are not teaching you to the live your culture. We are teaching you to live the culture of the Word of God.” (Marie Ugo on Missions)
What’s your philosophy? “Everybody ought to know about Jesus.” (Marie Ugo)
“As long as I know God is with me, I’ll go anywhere.” (Marie Ugo)
“When I first went on a Missions trip, God broke my heart for the nations.” (Marie Ugo)
Ralph on being released from his previous church – “Ralph was wearing the shoes he wasn’t supposed to be wearing.”
On Marie not coming to WRC right away. “Marie did not just move, because I said move. God wants to speak to her too.”
“I don’t go looking for miracles. I am the miracle. I know what a mess I am.”
“If you are a part of any church because you know that is where God asks you to be, it is much easier to get through difficult circumstances.”
“I realize every day that my life does not belong to me. My life belongs to God.”
“Our problem is that we don’t want to be slaves to Jesus Christ. We want to be Christians.”
“Why are you in this church? Because of Pastor Brian or because God called you here.”
“Whatever you seen in me it is because of the favor of God.”
“Whatever you are doing today that is your ministry.”
“You have impacted people you don’t know who are impacting people right now.”
“God is not going to tell you what you are going to do in the future, because you will mess it up.”
“Get rid of self desires.”
“If we cannot advise each other we should keep quiet and pray to God.”
“God has deposited something in us, that is not for us.” (Marie Ugo)
“We are in that time where people are hungry for authentic Christianity.” (Marie Ugo)

A Spiritual Vitamin For Kids

August 9, 2011 in West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

I know that there are some Parents who have the gift of teaching their children to eat massive quantities of vegetables. God bless you. I’ll download your ebook. Our boys have done ok eating in this area, but not great. In fact, sometimes it has been a huge challenge. For my guys, a lot depends on the environment and the way things are presented to them. Because of that I remember a day where my boys were having their annual physical and the Doctor very kindly looked at us and said, “You should probably give them a multi-vitamin.” My guys needed a little something extra to achieve the kind of health we wanted them to have.

As Christian Parents, it is our responsibility to teach our kids the scriptures so that they will make their own decision to be a devoted follower of Jesus. We try to do that through a variety of ways, but we need a little something extra. For that we make their Sunday time in the Kid Quest area at West Ridge Church a priority. I sat down with my good friend and our Children’s Pastor Brent Moxey yesterday and listened to his heart for kids, parents, and volunteers. I’m very thankful my kids get to learn under his leadership.

According to Barna Research 85% of parents ask their kids the same question when they pick them up from their Sunday School, Children’s Church, or whatever you call it, “Did you have fun today?” When a child is picked up from Kid Quest the answer is a resounding yes! But as Pastors and Leaders we want the kids in our church to be learning and absorbing scripture and Biblical Truth when they know it is happening, and when they don’t. Brent and our Kid Quest Team have developed a plan to encourage kids to learn a memory verse every week, and to share what they are learning with others. Brent has also made this scope and sequence available to the families at our church so that you can be confident of what they are learning each week. Every week each child brings home material that can help Parents follow up and reinforce these truths as well.

Churches get a fraction of the time that Parents do to invest in kids. We spend a ton of time preparing for one or two hour windows of time so that we can supplement what you are already doing at home. Hopefully, you are being intentional about that as well.

Click on the link below to see what your kids will be learning each week at Kid Quest at West Ridge Church,

August-December 2011

Re:Creation

August 9, 2011 in Amazon, Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

When I saw this album was coming out today it made me very happy. Steven Curtis Chapman seems to write and sing from a place of honesty and humility as much as any other artist that I know of. I have been encouraged by his music since I was in High School.

I normally go to iTunes to find new music, but I have learned that Amazon runs new releases at least a couple dollars cheaper if not more. This album has a great collection of ‘Re-Created’ Songs and a few new ones as well.

Click on the picture below and download your copy.

Innovation: The Sequel

August 8, 2011 in Leadership, Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

I love going to the movies. I love watching a good movie at home with my wife and boys. We watched Soul Surfer at my house the other night. It has some great themes, but for my 8 year old and 5 year old boys all they wanted to see was a shark and some blood.

I love a unique story line that is not predictable. But my favorite movies are ones where the story is being built on and more of the story will be revealed later. I love when there is a larger story taking place that gives you something to look forward to, like Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter.

What gets annoying are sequels. A sequel typically comes along after a movie has made a lot of money and now a duplicate can be made to capitalize on the success. Sequels are typically not very creative. Normally there will be a repeat of several jokes, or action scenes, or relational tension. The formula for success has supposedly already been determined because of how much money was made the last time, so why mess with it?

One of the most creative, visionary minds to walk the planet was Walt Disney. Disney didn’t believe in making sequels. He said he didn’t want to waste creative talent and money on old ideas. Yet for many people the goal is to find something that they feel secure in, and repeat it.

For many organizations, (I operate in the world of a local church) if there is a successful event (most often judged by attendance #’s) a common practice is to do that event over and over again. You only try to refine the formula ever so slightly because of the belief that you have already found what works, why change it?

Often the same people work on the event over and over. They have truly married themselves to it, and if the church or organization threatens to stop doing the event they threaten to leave…

…money and creative talent on old ideas.

From a spiritual perspective I don’t find God making sequels. In the scriptures, God loves to make things new and unique. Anyone or anything created in His image should be able to do the same.

As I work on my own ability to innovate and create new things I’ve jotted down several steps to making that happen, and some things I should stop doing because they are preventing me from doing anything new.

I’ll share them in the days to come.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul

 

Transfer or Transform

August 4, 2011 in Leadership, Personal thoughts with 0 Comments

I know I am being way too simplistic, but lately it seems as though I am encountering two different types of people in the church. I’ve also come to believe that leaders typically come to a crossroads as to which one of these groups they are going to try to reach. Let me try to describe the first group. They are the Transfers.

They say things like:

  •      We want pure worship
  •      Deeper teaching
  •      They have brought their preferences with them, and occasionally, their agenda.
  •      They don’t trust leadership
  •      They always find something to criticize
  •      They have a lot of pride about their own opinion
  •      They get real excited when someone they encountered in their previous transfer comes to the place they have currently transferred to.
  •      They transferred to your church, and eventually they will transfer away and be replaced by other transfers.

Unless at some point they become a part of this group. I should really put more time into this, but for now I will just call them Transformers.

  •      They love the worship. They sing loud, and to be honest not very well.
  •      They are hungry and are applying God’s word to their lives as best they can. No matter how many times they hear the same passage, they seem to get something new out of it.
  •      They trust God’s leadership in the church (that’s why it’s important not to violate that trust)
  •      They are honest and forgiving, and willing to deal with their own sin.
  •      They get real excited when they see someone they know being transformed.
  •      They will multiply themselves in the form of other transformers.
  •      They are humble, and look for ways to serve and add to the transformation.
  •      They are in an ongoing state of transformation

You can have the largest church in town with just transfers. In fact, transfers normally line up on the first Sunday of a Church Plant. They love to sample different coffee.

The churches that make the biggest difference in the community are the ones made up of transformers.

It doesn’t take a very strong leader to lead transfers. Don’t worry. They will tell you what to do.

You can be in church your whole life and remain in a state of transfer. You can’t have an authentic walk with Jesus very long before you start in transform.

You can choose which you would like to be. You can choose which you want to lead.

 

This Post Is Not About Obesity

August 3, 2011 in Personal thoughts, West Ridge Church with 1 Comment

Does anyone else have an employee at your gym that is seriously overweight? I’m not trying to be mean, and this is not a post about obesity or gluttony. It’s just I’ve been in several gyms over the years where this has been the case. I’m sure they are valuable employees. They are probably great at PR. They are always very jolly people. However, I’ve never seen these people work out, no matter what time I find myself making it to the gym…when I make it to the gym. Like I said, this is not a post about obesity. Day after day there they sit, smiling, welcoming spandex of every color and size. It just seems odd to me that a person would regularly show up at a place, and not even attempt to reap the benefits.

It’s kind of like church. Week after week thousands of people all across the country stuff their faces on sermon after sermon, Bible study after study, and never attempt to put the truth they are listening to into practice. I wonder if people outside the church look in and think, “There lives are supposed to look different. They are supposed to have all of this amazing truth at their disposal, but at the end of the day I can tell they are really not practicing the preaching they are listening to.”

But what if we did? What if we took the consumeristic culture that has infiltrated the church and turned it on its head? That’s a little of what this Super Size Series is all about. It’s about turning the apathy that has infiltrated the church into a passion to live the life that God makes available to us every single day.

Join us this and every Sunday at West Ridge Church for a series that could change not just how you approach church, but how you approach every day life.

 

 

 

Super-Size Me

August 2, 2011 in West Ridge Church with 0 Comments

We are starting a new Series this weekend at West Ridge Church. This series will be filled with vision and messages that everyone needs to hear. Bring a friend, or maybe three. ~Paul

Super Size Me from West Ridge Church on Vimeo.

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