Church Changes to Unite Families
If we are not careful, our churches’ programming will widen the division already present among family members. Here are some changes to consider regarding how your church can unite your family to pursue Christ.
Church
Waypoint (Fall 2023)
God has been so good to us at Rocky Creek. Here are some updates on what’s been happening over the last quarter, and we also want to share some important news about what is happening next.
Jesus Loves Us This I Know
Jesus loves me, this I know, but the Bible tells me that He loves us so. The widespread form of His love teaches something important about His heart and our need for one another.
We All Don’t Need the Same Type of Encouragement
While we all need to be encouraged, we all don’t need to be encouraged in the same way. Depending upon how we are wired and what is happening, we need something different from those around us.
Church Hurt Is a Real Thing
Being a part of a church is difficult because people are involved. We must learn how to be patient with others and pray they can be patient with us as we seek to follow Jesus together.
Seeking Community
In our age of pseudo-community provided by digital technology, we are missing out on the connection we were designed to meet and need. If you struggle to find your footing right now, it may be because you aren’t standing beside others.
Preparing for Easter
As much of the world pauses this week to remember Jesus’ death on the cross and celebrate His resurrection from the tomb, have you ever considered how to best prepare? Following these simple steps can help you grow and reach others this week.
5 Critical Values for a Church Staff
Your church’s health is not only significantly influenced by the maturity of its staff, but its effectiveness is primarily determined by the values that motivate them. Here are five values that can help ground your staff on biblical ministry as a church.
Stop Lying in Church
It’s OK if everything isn’t OK in your life, but it’s not OK to deny it. If we are honest with other believers about our struggles, we can find the prayerful support we desperately need.
How Would People Describe You at Your Church?
All of us are known by our dominant traits – even among our churches. Have you ever considered what your habits tell others about your commitment to your church family?
It’s Sunday (But Monday’s Coming)
Many ministry leaders know how to operate intentionally on Sundays but fail to capture the rest of the week’s potential. Be the most effective and efficient version of yourself for the sake of God’s Kingdom.
Waypoint (February 2023)
The February 2023 edition of Waypoint is a great way to summarize what God has been doing at Rocky Creek. Watch this 4-minute video, and discover what has happened and what is happening next.
When a Church Isn’t a Church
A church must be built on Jesus, just like our lives must be centered around Him. If a church is grounded on something other than Jesus, it might not really be a church.
Grow Up to Build Up
We often speak of the individualized side of following Jesus to warn others from a false belief of inheriting the benefits of another’s devotion, but we also miss something. One Christian’s growth should help build the rest of us up.
The Overshadowed Church
Jesus didn’t die so that we can have real estate with steeples on top. He died so that we could be reconciled to God and restored to one another.
2022 Annual Report
We are consistently amazed at what Jesus is doing through the Rocky Creek Church family. As we celebrate what He has done in 2022, we anticipate what He will accomplish in 2023.
Waypoint (November 2022)
Waypoint is a quarterly event intended to celebrate what God is doing through our church family. At the November 2022 gathering, we celebrated what God did in the past year and looked ahead at what we prayerfully anticipate doing in the coming year.
When the Commission Becomes the Competition
When the commission becomes the competition, all of our churches are in danger. We must consider how to strengthen those churches down the road as eagerly as we would for those around the world.
What Must a Church Do?
Jesus expects a local church to do their part in carrying out the Great Commission. Our activities, when we gather together, should originate from His call on our lives.
What Makes a Church?
Since a local church is a body instead of a building, certain necessary distinctives must be present. To have a biblical church, we cannot ignore biblical requirements.
Who Are the People of God?
We will never understand what the Church should do until we know what the Church actually is. The Church is the people of God united for the purposes of God.
Advice for Church Shoppers
If you are church shopping, let me give you some important advice: Do not come to a new church and expect it to operate like the one you just left. Perhaps the thing you miss might have contributed to its collapse.
Waypoint (Fall 2022)
As a church, we’re not there yet, but we are getting there. Check out this video update of the progress we are making as a church family.
Securing the Church
With the rise of gun violence and sexual abuse cases, it is important to know what we do as a church for precautionary measures. While no steps can guarantee the avoidance of such a tragedy, we seek to be diligent to minimize the possibilities.
Leaving Jesus Destitute
Matthew 25:31-46 – In The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Jesus taught that whatever we do for others, or refuse to do, directly correlates to our relationship with Him. By refusing to meet the needs of others, many of us have left Jesus destitute.
Why Your Marriage Needs a Healthy Church
We neglect real wisdom when we refuse to be intentional in learning from others. That’s why I cannot overstate the benefit of planting your marriage in a healthy church.
VBS 2022
We are having a great week sharing Christ with some incredible children. Here are some updates and recaps as they come this week.
Your Kids Need an Intentional Home & Church
If I consider all the homes that have created a spiritually-flourishing environment, there are common characteristics. With the challenges of our society, I believe a partnered effort between the home and the church is essential for success.
Waypoint (May 2022)
God is doing some amazing things among our church family. Hear about what has happened in recent months and some incredible opportunities that God has laid before us.
How to Be a Great Church Member
1 Thessalonians 5:25-28 – To be a part of a local church means that we give and we receive for the mutual benefit of all members. Discover what differentiates between a stagnate and supportive disciple within this church.
The Difference Between Dangerous Wolves and Misguided Sheep
How can you determine the difference between what Jesus would call a sheep and a wolf in a church? One hurts themselves; the other intends to endanger others.
God Hasn’t Given Up On You (And So Neither Have We)
As a church, we have a central belief about God and about you that changes everything we do. That rallying hope is that God hasn’t given up on you, and so neither have we.
There Isn’t a Perfect Church Formula
We often look at the successes of other ministries and attempt to copy and paste it into our own contexts. God doesn’t want you to replicate His work from another place; He has called your church to accomplish something specific.
Coupled Companions
Your marriage needs healthy support around it in the form of consistent, Christlike friendships. If you want your marriage to strive, ensure that you have people around you who desire the same thing.
Fulfill a Passion vs. Fill a Position
Within the many volunteer needs a church has, it is easy to fill a generic position, but it is better to fulfill a specific passion. Our churches need people serving in areas for which God has equipped them.
Embracing Your Church as Family
1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 – If we learn to embrace a church as a family, we can navigate all relationships and situations within. Jesus did not leave us on our own to follow Him, so we need to learn how to encourage one another to continue.
The Spread
In the first few years of the church, the gospel spread like wildfire. The Apostle Paul and other leaders continued to take the message of Jesus everywhere they could no matter the cost. The gospel spread due to a bold commitment.
That Good Idea Might Not Need to Be Your Church’s Strategy
You might discover a good idea that another church is using, but that good idea might not need to be your church’s strategy. Simply copying the latest trend may not help you accomplish the mission in your unique context.
The Church
After Jesus’ commissioned his disciples, he sent the Holy Spirit to empower them for the tasks assigned. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were transformed from unsure disciples into bold missionaries. The world changed.
You Are Not Meant to Remain Alone
God designed us to need a healthy community. Within a local body of believers, God provides the wisdom, friendship, and support that we all crave to find.