Watch this video that shows the heart behind a 242 Group

Sunday, September 11th will be the ten year anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on New York City, Washington DC and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.

As a church family, we will remember together during our 9:00 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.   We have a special memorial service planned to remember the tragedy, and to call upon the name of the Lord for our nation.

Make plans to attend this special Sunday for our nation and church.

This past weekend we launched our 242 Groups for the “Fall Season”, and it was a great success!  Our groups were well attended, and we had newcomers in every group.

If you haven’t tried one, there are plenty of chances to attend a group this fall.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is our 242 Schedule for the rest of 2011.

September 10 /11
September 24 / 25
October 8 /9
October 22 /23
November 5 / 6
November 19 /20

We started a new sermon series today in the book of Acts called Act Normal.  We looked at Acts 1:1-14, and I pointed out three statements that should be so “normal” to us, that it guides our speech, conduct and choices.  These statements are:

Jesus came (Acts 1:1-5)

The Spirit is here (Acts 1:6-8)

Jesus is coming back (Acts 1:9-11)

I’m praying these simple phrases will sink deep in your heart, and guide your life in every area.

It’s easy to think that there are tons of mega-churches out there (mega-church is defined as 2,000 or more in attendance weekly).   It’s true that we are living in the era of the mega-church, as new mega-churches emerge each year in the USA.    However, there are not as many mega-churches as you probably think.

Case in point is the Southern Baptist, the largest Protestant denomination.  Of the 46,000 Southern Baptist churches, 177 are mega churches (and two of them are in Hendersonville, TN).[1]

Personally, I love mega-churches and small churches.   Anytime God’s people gather in the name of Jesus, the world is a better place.

Two weeks ago I didn’t get to the last points of my sermon, so I want to share them now.

Often we encounter teaching on the family that is persuasive, but seems overwhelming.   I think it is great if your family has a daily rhythm of family devotions, a sit down dinner and a family board game.   I actually know some great families who accomplish this, but that hasn’t been the case for us.

Beth and I have intentionally chosen to participate in the public school system and community activities.  We love and support home-school families and faith-based extra-curricular activities, but we have chosen a different path.

So, we have a very complex schedule of school, church, football, dance and family time.

In order to set realistic goals, here is what we shoot for:

Practical Suggestions:

Monthly Fun:   As the budget allows, we try to do something fun and memorable together.   Last month, we went on a big vacation together.  This month, I’m taking the family with me to Gatlinburg during a speaking engagement.  Some months it may be a movie, or a memorable night at dinner.

Weekly Prayer:   We pray over each meal and at bedtime, but I love the weeks when we take time to specifically pray for each other and our needs.  This is also an important time to pray for the world.

Daily Love:  When the day is hectic and less than ideal, “perfect love” covers for our deficiencies we have as a family.

“One Sunday” was a success for several reasons:

1. We obeyed God.
2. This event created more prayer (dependence on God).
3. We had a record crowd (for a non-Easter service).
4. So many decisions were made for Christ, I lost count.   So glad God is counting them all.  Also, we did try to get cards filled out from as many people possible.
5. All of our guest services – parking lot, greeters, ushers, communication center – stepped it up!
6. We were able to initiate the first phase of our lobby renovation.
7.  We manned a 242 kiosk that will direct more people to the heart of our church – 242 Groups.
8.  People invited their friends, which is the primary way we’ll reach people for Christ.

Praying that One Sunday will become “every Sunday.”

This Sunday, August 21 at 5:00 p.m., we will have an ordination service for Daniel Robertson.

Daniel has faithfully served our church for over six years as an intern, and the church pastors will now recognize publicly the call of God on his life, and set him in place as a pastor at CIL.

You are invited to join us for this service and celebration.

Today would be a great day to invite someone to One Sunday, which takes place at CIL on Sunday, August 21, 2011.

“We’ve asked more than 50,000 people over the last 10 years why they came to church, and between 75 and 90 percent of respondents say, “I began attending because someone invited me. Those friends and relatives are critical to the growth of churches. They far outweigh factors like the facilities, music, preaching, or children’s ministry—people may stay because of these things, but they come because someone they knew invited them.” – Charles Arn[1]

 

We are 6 days away from One Sunday!

On Sunday, August 21, The Church at Indian Lake  is having One Sunday.  This special Sunday is a chance for us to re-gather everyone after the busy summer, and introduce or re-introduce our church to people who normally don’t attend.

We’re asking everyone who attends CIL to come to one of our two services that begin at either 9:00 a.m. or 10:45 a.m.   If you are a regular attendee, I would so appreciate you making this Sunday a priority in your schedule.

If you are a former attendee or visitor, I am inviting you to come back and see what is happening in our family.