Empty Chairs

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Whether you are a member or a guest of Rocky Creek, we want to keep you informed during this time of transition in the Fall of 2018. Rocky Creek continues to celebrate spiritual and numerical growth, and the church must provide space for current growth and plan now for continued growth in the future.

As we look forward to our future, here are some helpful pieces of information to keep you informed and equipped.

In order to provide the capacity to make more disciples, Rocky Creek currently needs these three things:

  1. Open Doors,
  2. Empty Chairs, &
  3. Willing Hearts.

Let’s unpack why we need empty chairs.

EMPTY CHAIRS

Our Gospel Groups at all hours are growing. Some groups have multiplied into additional groups, and some groups are currently running out of space. With limited room to grow more on Sunday mornings, we wanted our schedule to provide flexibility for those currently in groups and for those not in groups yet.

We have asked for groups to volunteer to either split through multiplication and/or consider moving some groups to switch their worship and group times to level the playing fields.

  1. Facilitate Further Growth. If both 9:00 and 10:30 hours have worship and discipleship opportunities for all ages, we can further facilitate growth.
  2. Multiply Meeting Times. For those willing to join a Gospel Group on another day and get the same content on a time other than Sunday morning, it frees them up to serve in an area on Sundays.
  3. Double Sunday Morning Space. By multiplying groups and using rooms twice, we are doubling the amount of people who can join Gospel Groups on Sunday morning at all ages.
  4. Unite All Ages. By providing options at all hours for all ages, we are ensuring that we don’t segregate by age or family situations. This model will provide all morning services to reflect the entirety of our church body.
  5. Reach the Disconnected. We need to provide some empty chairs in our Gospel Groups. Each week, God is sending people our way who need to be discipled and we don’t want to be hindered by classroom space. By multiplying groups, we empty some chairs and provide Gospel Groups with which to connect.

The Need to Prune

If the branches from bushes and the limbs from trees grow too much too fast, the base will be unable to carry the weight. Due to the pressure, they will snap. That’s why the discipline of pruning growing things is so important. Unfortunately, after you prune something, it doesn’t always look as good as it did before. A good gardener knows that a temporary eyesore will provide long-lasting growth.

The same is true with us as individuals and as groups. Jesus said it this way, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:2). Pruning our groups may look unhealthy at first. What once was full is now smaller. But to continue growth, we aren’t taking away, we are simply pruning back.

  • Adults– Would you consider who you could ask to join your group this Fall?
  • Students– We know not seeing all your friends at group can be challenging, but could you bring some new friends along while continuing to develop all relationships at the Storehouse on Wednesday nights when you gather together?
  • Kids– Would you do your part to welcome in our guests to your groups and make sure they have a friend?