Horizontal and Vertical

Sunday we began a new series entitled "La vida." The life! Jesus said "I have come that you may have life and life abundant." But what does that mean really? What does it mean to live "the life?" What is an abundant life? Despite what many would say, I'm convinced it is not a life of abundant possessions or self-indulgence. Those are actually a poor substitute for what Jesus really desires for us.

Over these next several weeks we will be talking about what "the life" really is and how we experience it. I've been thinking a lot about the foundational element we talked about on Sunday: relationships. Is there really anything more central to a rich, full and abundant life than great relationships? In case you missed it, I challenged us on Sunday to make a commitment in 2020 to invest in our relationships. I'm convinced that if we can build great relationships, it will become the bedrock of an abundant life.

Most of us have relationships in a wide variety of circles. But at the heart of it, they all fall into two categories; horizontal and vertical. The horizontal are the relationships with our family and friends. The vertical is our relationship with God. I want to challenge us this year to intentionally invest in both. I can tell you that in my own life, I have often found myself so caught up in the busyness of life and ministry that I have not invested the kind of time I would like in my horizontal relationships.  

I have great friends that I hardly ever spent time with. I often tell myself "when things slow down..." We all know that that never happens. So one of my goals for this year is to make time for those horizontal relationships. I believe this is the very foundation of the great life that God desires for us.

At the same time, we must not neglect that vertical relationship between us and God. If I'm honest, my investment in my relationship with God goes in waves. There are times, seasons, when I am very intentional in my time with God. There are other seasons when that investment is not all that I would like it to be. My guess is that I'm not alone. My prayer is that together we will commit to a deepening relationship with God this year that is the very foundation upon which we build this abundant life.

I believe we all want to live la vida. And I believe God desires for us a rich, full and blessed life. I pray you'll be with us throughout this entire series as we explore together what that really looks like. And I hope you will take the opportunity to invite a guest to join us, that they too may discover life abundant

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

Pray. Invite. Repeat.

On Sunday, the last Sunday of 2019, I shared in the message something that God has been impressing on me in recent weeks. I've been praying about the work of Rock Church in 2020. Over and over, these three words keep coming to me. Pray. Invite. Repeat. Our mission is clear. Jesus said it is to “make disciples of all the world.” It is to share the good news with every person we possibly can, so all the world can know the hope that comes only through him.

But when it comes to how we do that work, I think we have sometimes made it unnecessarily complicated. What I have heard God say is to focus on these three steps. Pray. Invite. Repeat. Invitation is at the heart of this strategy. But we must not forget to begin with prayer. Pray for God's guidance, in terms of who he would have us reach out to today. Pray for God to open doors of opportunity. And pray that we would have the courage to speak when those opportunities come. Prayer must be the starting point of our 2020 vision. With God, all things are possible!

Invite. Personal invitation is far and away the most effective tool we have for sharing the gospel. Technology, marketing and media can all supplement and support the work. But personal invitation is at the heart. It is the key component, the linchpin, of our strategy. There is nothing we can do that will have a greater impact on fulfilling our mission than personal invitation. And as a church, we are going to do everything we can to resource you for the work of inviting in 2020.

Repeat. After we have prayed for our friends who do not yet know Christ, we invite them. In God's perfect time, many will accept the invitation. Perhaps they will join us for worship or some other special event. What then? Repeat. Pray for them more. Invite them again. This word “repeat” reminds us that it is a process. People often come to Christ one step at a time. We want to continue to support and guide them step by step.

Pray. Invite. Repeat. This will be our rallying cry for the new year. Our 2020 vision. And this Sunday is our first opportunity to put it into practice. We are launching a brand new series entitled “La Vida.” The Life. In this series we will discover what it really takes to experience the full and abundant life God desires for us. I believe every person will want to hear this. I can't think of a better time to reach out to that friend or neighbor with an invitation to join us at Rock Church.

I pray your new year is off to a great start. And I look forward to us all being together this Sunday to welcome the new year in worship. 

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

The Perfect Gift

Still looking for the perfect gift?  I know just the thing.  One size fits all.  Everyone needs it.  It is free to give but priceless to receive.  You know where I’m going right?  For those of us who have come to know Jesus Christ as the leader of our lives and the forgiver of our sins, we have been the recipient of the greatest gift our world has ever known.  We are now the caretakers of that gift, free to share it with anyone we like.

There are many great gifts that we can give this Christmas.  But there is only one that can transform a life and change eternity.  Christmas eve is a wonderful opportunity to share the gift of Jesus with our friends and family who do not yet have an active relationship with Him.  Over the past couple of weeks we have been handing out, at worship, invitation cards.  We have also put out on social media a number of different posts that can be shared to extend the invitation.

If every one of us invites just one person, one family, can you imagine the impact that that could have?  Can you envision the ripple effect as they hear, and receive the good news, and then share it with others they know?  If you go to the church’s Facebook page you will find various posts that you can share.  And if you need more invitation cards, there are still a few available at all campuses.

I also want to take a moment to share something else with you.  Just a week after Christmas Eve comes New Years eve.  This year, for the first time since 2000, Rock Church is preparing a church wide New Years Eve celebration.  We will hold it at our Plaistow location.  Come and enjoy a great evening of food, fellowship, fun and a time of joyful, uplifting music and worship.  Together we will give thanks for the year that is past and pray for God’s blessing in the year to come.

In order to be able to offer the event at no cost, we are inviting everyone to bring some food to share.  The evening is open to the whole family.  You are welcome to come for a portion of the evening or stay right through midnight.  We are asking people to let us know if you can join us and what you might like to bring (so we can balance out the food).  If you go to this link you will find the details and a quick and easy reply form.

I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we wrap our Advent series “Expecting” with a message I know you are going to find this message particularly helpful in this busy, sometimes messy, Christmas season.  And don’t forget to invite a friend for Christmas Eve (Sandown at 3 & 5 pm, Plaistow at 3 & 5 pm, North Shore at 3 pm).

 God Bless,

Pastor Steve

Spread the Word

I was reading the Christmas story as told in the gospel of Luke this morning. After the baby is born, angels proclaimed the good news to a group of shepherds who immediately rush off to see the baby, the one who would be the savior of the world. After seeing him, it says in Luke 2:17-18.

“When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.”

Once they had seen for themselves what the angels had declared, they immediately began to spread the word. How could they not? This was the fulfillment of what generations of Israelites had been waiting for. If you are like me, when you've heard bad news, you are in no rush to share it. But if you received good news, you can't wait to tell everyone. The shepherds had received the good news that the Messiah, the savior of our world, had come. And they couldn't wait to spread the word.

From that glorious night to this very day, the good news of the birth of Savior continues to be shared, as from person to person, generation to generation, the word has spread. now it is our turn. Like the shepherds, we have received the good news. Now we are the ones to spread the word, to share the good news, with a generation desperately in need of the hope that only Jesus can bring.

Christmas Eve will soon be upon us. Christmas is far and away one of the most effective times of the year for sharing the good news of Jesus. I want to encourage us to make the most of this opportunity to spread the word by inviting a friend, neighbor, coworker or family member to join us on Christmas Eve. Our world seems to be inundated with bad news. But in the midst of that, we have good news. How can we not share it? I believe people are more hungry than ever for the good news of Jesus. By inviting them to join us on Christmas Eve we are offering them the opportunity to experience for themselves this good news.

In worship this Sunday we will be giving out invitation cards. These are meant to help you extend the invitation to one of our Christmas Eve services. We will also be putting out posts on social media that can be easily shared. As a church, we can provide resources like these. But only you can extend the invitation to your friends, your family.

Our theme for Christmas Eve is “The Perfect Gift.” Jesus is the perfect gift that every person in this world needs. Help us spread the word! Christmas Eve services will be at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. in Sandown and Plaistow, and at 3:00 p.m. at Northshore. A simple invitation can make all the difference in the life of someone you know and care about. Don't miss this opportunity.

I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue our series "Expecting!"

God bless,

Pastor Steve

Mark Your Calendar: On New Years Eve Rock Church will hold a 2020 celebration. See all the details at this link.

Snow Day

Ladies, don’t forget the women’s Christmas brunch is coming up this Saturday. Reserve your space by clicking on the image.

It almost seems cliché to talk about snow at this point. After a 48-hour, 20-in dumping, many of you are already tired of talking about snow. And honestly, being more of a warm weather enthusiast myself, I'm not super excited about this early winter storm.  It certainly increases our chances of having a white Christmas. But aside from the pretty pictures and the Christmas mood that it sets, I'm just not that crazy about the snow.

However, there is one thing I do enjoy about a good winter storm; snow days. You know what I'm talking about. When we were kids it meant school got cancelled. But even as adults, when the storm is raging, and the only wise thing to do is stay home, it forces us to stay in, rest, pour a second cup of coffee and take a little break from our usual routine. There is something special about a snow day that even as an adult I still enjoy.

Tuesday morning I usually have a series of meetings. But when the second wave of snow blew in, it seemed prudent to cancel. Suddenly I had several hours open up that I had not planned on. I got up (admittedly a few minutes later than usual) poured myself a cup of coffee, sat down in my favorite spot and opened my Bible. After a little time in the Word, I closed my Bible and just sat quietly. I asked God to bring to my heart and mind those people he particularly wanted me to pray for that day.

I do this every morning, but I have to confess that I sometimes rush my devotional time. But because I had nowhere that I had to be, I was in no hurry. At first, I just sat quietly and listened. But after a few minutes, God began to bring people to my mind. One by one I prayed for them.  Before long, as I allowed myself the time, I found that people, situations, circumstances and needs begin to flood my spirit. For a while, every time I thought I was supposed to stop, another one of you came to mind.

Sunnie Andrews, one of the truly sacrificial servants in our ministry, is home following knee replacement surgery. It’s a little difficult for her to get around right now, so we would like to bless her by bringing some meals. If you would like to pick a day to prepare a meal for Sunnie, please go to www.carecalendar.org. Login ID is 287806. Security code is Sunnie.

Honestly, it was great. In fact when it was all said and done, it was one of the best times of personal prayer I've had in a long time. All thanks to a snow day! There was a takeaway for me. Sometimes there are circumstances beyond our control that impact our perfectly planned day. When we find ourselves being forced to pause our plan, let's make the best of that time. Let's use it to spend some time in God's word. Or to just sit quietly and allow God to bring to our hearts the people he would have us pray for.  Rather than be upset or disappointed about the interruption to our plan, we can embrace it as an opportunity to spend time with God that we might not otherwise have taken.  

This Sunday we will continue our Advent series "Expecting".   What are you expecting this Christmas season?  I believe God is desiring to do something great in your live.  I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue this journey toward the celebration of the coming of Christ.

God bless,

Pastor Steve

Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

She walked by me too quickly to get a picture, but I could read the shirt clearly. In bold script were written these words: Grateful. Thankful. Blessed. What struck me about the shirt was not just the positive message it conveyed, but the setting in which it was worn. It was in the medical oncology department at Exeter Hospital. The cancer center. In the midst of this space packed full of people battling one form or another of a disease that threatened to rob them of life was this beautiful, positive message of hope.

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul wrote "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. It is a day specifically dedicated to remembering our blessings and giving thanks to God. Sometimes when life is good and everything seems to be going well, we forget to stop and give thanks for God's many blessings. And sometimes when life is hard and we seem to be going through a time of trial or struggle, we fail to see the blessings in our lives.

Paul is reminding us that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. In the high times and in the low, in the ordinary days and in the exceptional moments, give thanks to God. There are seasons to life. Some of you are in a wonderful, joyful season of life. It is one in which it's very easy to see and celebrate God's manifold gifts. Some of you are in a difficult season. Often in these trying times we have to work a little harder to see the blessings. But I promise you, they are there. A beautiful sunrise. A call from a friend. Food on our table. A warm home. I've come to believe that no matter what season we are in, there are many things for which to be thankful. My prayer for all of us, at Thanksgiving time, and every day, is that whatever our circumstances we could see God's blessings and be thankful.

I also want to remind us that on Thanksgiving Day we will have a community dinner. If you or anyone you know doesn't have anyone to celebrate Thanksgiving with, or simply not able to prepare a Thanksgiving meal, I would invite you to join us. The dinner will be held at our Plaistow campus between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm. It will not only be a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, but a wonderful opportunity for community and fellowship.  You can get more information at this link.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving. I look forward to us all being together on Sunday as we begin the season of Advent with a new series entitled EXPECTING!

God bless,

Pastor Steve

I had a moment

I had a “moment” in Sandown last week. Do you ever have “a moment” when you suddenly feel overwhelmed emotionally, in a good way? It may be a moment of joy or pride or gratitude. It might be something breathtakingly beautiful like a glorious sunrise on a perfect summer morning. Whatever the catalyst, do you ever have those moments when you are overwhelmed by what Nehemiah described as “the joy of the Lord?”

I had one of those moments on Sunday. As we celebrated the baptism of Teddy Guilford, my mind rushed back decades to the Sunday I baptized Teddy’s mother Kate. Then I looked around me to see many other young people who have been raised up in our church, many of whom I also baptized, who are now serving in our ministry. That morning in Sandown we had young people serving in hospitality, directing the livestream, running the video projection, on the drums and in the music ministry.

In that moment, I couldn’t help but think “This is what it’s all about.” When we baptize a child, there is a congregational response in which we pledge to do all we can to help our children grow to know, love and serve Jesus. As I looked out on these great young people who ARE growing to know, love and serve Jesus, I began to feel overwhelmed by what I could only describe as the joy of the Lord. And as I prayed over the precious child in my arms I could not help but envision the day when he will know, love and serve Jesus.

We are in a series right now entitled “The Way.” We are investigating the early church and considering what it means for us to be the church today. There are many aspects to being the church as I believe God intended us to be. But I have to believe that, at the heart of it, the church is meant to be a place that helps to raise up the next generation to know, love and serve Jesus. And in these moments when we see it happening right in front of us, it is a beautiful thing.

I believe there are several important components to what God desires his church to be, and this Sunday we will continue to dig into that. But one thing I pray is that here at Rock Church we will always be a community with a passion to help the next generation have a life changing relationship with Jesus.

I look forward to us being together this Sunday. God has something great in store for you. You won’t want to miss it.

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

BTW, don’t forget to invite someone to the Thanksgiving Dinner coming up at our Plaistow location on Thanksgiving day. And ladies, but sure to mark you calendar for the Women’s Christmas Brunch on Saturday Dec. 7.

With the cold weather settling in, it’s time to take down the field of flags. We will do the work in sections, as people are available, on any sunny day when the flags have dried. If you would like to help, please call, text or email Pastor Steve

The Most Wonderful Time . . .

I'm feeling a little bit conflicted. As the temperature started to dip below freezing and the weather man uses the “S” word, I have to admit that I am less than thrilled. I've really never been a fan of cold weather. But I love this time of year! In some ways it is the wonderful time of the year. (Admit it, you just started singing to yourself!)

If you right click to save this image, you can share it on social media.

One of the reasons I love this time of year is because it is a great time to share our faith by extending an invitation. This past Sunday we held our veterans service. I was thrilled to see how many of you invited guests to join us for that special service where we could honor our veterans and pray for our active duty military. In a couple of weeks we will hold our community Thanksgiving dinner. Another wonderful opportunity for invitation and outreach.

Then of course comes the Christmas season. Christmas is far and away one of our greatest opportunities to invite unchurched friends and neighbors to come and experience the love of Christian community and the hope of Jesus. Of course, there is never a bad time to invite people. But the Christmas season is a time when people are even often more open, more receptive, to that invitation. In fact, I read a study recently from LifeWay research that reported the 60% of Americans will attend church during the Christmas season. But more importantly, among those do not normally attend, 57% said they would be likely to attend if someone they knew invited them. Those sound like pretty good odds to me!

So I would like to ask you to do three things.

• Think. Who do I know that does not have a church home? Who among my family and friends would be blessed to connect to our church family and begin a walk with Christ?

• Pray. Begin to pray that God would open a door of opportunity for you to share that invitation. And pray that God would already be moving in the hearts of those people, that they would be receptive to an invitation.

• Invite. Be bold! Take a step. Invite them to be your guest for Christmas Eve, or for one of the Sundays leading up to Christmas.

As a church, we are going to do all we can to support you. We are going to provide resources for invitation (digital and print.) We are going to prepare great services so your guest will have the best possible experience. And we will provide great hospitality so they will experience a warm Rock welcome that will make them feel right at home. But the one thing that only you can do is extend that personal invitation. After all, these are your friends, your family, your neighbors and co-workers.

    Think. Pray. Invite. If you will follow those simple steps you could be a part of a life-changing experience for someone you love. Let's make the most of this most wonderful time of the year.

    God bless,

Pastor Steve

Fast and Pray

     Can I confess something to you?  I’ve never been very good at fasting.  Throughout the Bible, there have been numerous references to prayer and fasting.  The concept is simple enough.  By choosing not to eat for a set period of time, it can help to strengthen and reinforce our prayer times.  Spiritually speaking, when we combine intentional focused prayer time with fasting, a number of things can happen.

• The hunger pangs that accompany fasting can be a physical reminder to us to pray throughout the day.

• The sacrifice of going without food can help us remember and connect to Christ’s sacrifice.

• The time that is saved in not preparing food, and sitting to eat, can free up additional time for prayer.

• The money we save on the meals we don’t eat can be used to help others.

These are just a few of the reason I believe the Bible encourages us to fast and pray.  I’m not sure I can fully explain it, but our prayer life seems to be intensified when accompanied by fasting. 

     Often in the Bible, God would call his people to a season of prayer and fasting for a specific purpose, or in response to a difficult situation or circumstance.  Recently, a leader in our church shared with me that they felt called to a time of prayer and fasting for a particular person who was going through an unimaginably difficult season in their life.  As he shared his heart with me for this hurting friend, I began to think about a large number of people in our church family who are struggling in one way or another.  

      In that moment I began to sense that God was calling us as a church to a time of prayer and fasting.  The focus of this special time of prayer and fasting will likely be unique to each one of us.  There may be a person that God has placed on your heart for physical, spiritual or emotional healing.  There maybe someone who is far from Jesus that you want to pray opens their heart to him.  On a grander scale, you may want to pray for our very broken world, and for our church, that we might be a source of God’s healing and reconciliation.

       So here is what I am going to do.  For the month of November, I am going to set aside one day a week to fast and pray.  Of course, I will be praying every day.  But one day a week I am going to add that additional focus that fasting can bring.  The money I save from fasting I am going to have go towards Care Ministry to support our Thanksgiving outreach.  I have a list of folks, from within my own family and our larger church family, that I intend to pray for with greater intensity that I ever have.  And I will be praying for the mission of our church.  In recent months I have seen God move in extraordinary ways.  But I have a sense that as we move towards 2020, God has fruitfulness and blessing in store for our church beyond anything we have ever seen.

     BTW, fasting does not have to be going without food.  Some people will fast from television for a day and use the time freed up for additional prayer.  Others may fast from social media for a similar reason.  Some people will fast breakfast and lunch and then have dinner with their family.  What’s important is that the fast represents for us a form of sacrifice that helps to focus and intensify our prayer life.  In whatever form you chose, I invite you to join me in fasting at least once a week throughout this month of November.

       God bless,

Pastor Steve

Reminder: Don’t forget that this Sunday we will honor our veterans in worship.  If you have a friend, family member or neighbor who has served in this way, please invite then to join us.   Also, coming up on Thanksgiving day will be our free community thanksgiving dinner.  You can sign up to attend, or to volunteer, at this link.

Wish you were here

Greeting from the Dominican Republic. Even though Nicole and I are taking a few days away for some rest, I did want to take a moment to share a few things with you.     

First I just wanted to celebrate two great outreach events that we held this past weekend. In both Sandown and Plaistow we had packed out trunk or treat events with tons of unchurched families joining us. What a wonderful opportunity to connect to our community and introduce people to our ministry. Please pray for the seeds that were sown. I also want to say thank you to everyone who helped make those events possible. We had amazing teams at both events. Thank you all!

I also wanted to remind you that coming up on November 10th will be our Veterans Day service. At all services we take time to honor all those who have served in the armed forces and to express our appreciation for their service. If you have a friend or neighbor who has served in the military or is a part of the military family, I hope you will invite them to join us. For those military families within our congregation, we will be doing a video as a part of the service. If you submitted a picture in 2018 for the video you are all set. If you didn't, and would like to have a photo added for this year, please email it to me at Steve@rock-church.org

One final reminder is that we are going to be doing our community-wide free Thanksgiving dinner this year on Thanksgiving Day from 11:30 to 1:00. If you or someone you know would like to join us for Thanksgiving dinner, you can find all the information at this link. We can use volunteers in all areas. If you would like to help with the dinner, please let us know at this link.

Nicole and I pray you have a blessed week. Wish you were here! See you Sunday.

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

While I slept

I have to confess that I did not stay up to watch the Patriots play on Monday night. But on Tuesday morning I discovered that while I slept another victory was won. Not that I was surprised of course. I didn't see the game. But I can only imagine by the score that our opponent was simply overpowered by what has been an extraordinary Patriots defense, combined with the force of nature that is a Brady led offense.

God gave us a beautiful day for the Rock Run Raiser. Thank you to all who helped make this a great event.

The game reminded me how God is so often at work in the ways we do not see. Monday night, while I slept, a battle was being fought and a victory was won. In the “Go Big” series we just finished up, we talked about how we will often face opposition in life. When we step out in big ways to do the work of Christ, there will be struggle, hardship and setback. But we must not forget that when the enemy comes against us, God is fighting for us. When we are in the midst of that battle, we cannot always see the ways that God is fighting on our behalf. Sometimes, even as we sleep, God is at work bringing the victory, vanquishing our opponent, crushing the enemy.

In different ways, and in varying degree, each of us will face opposition in life. And there will be days when it feels like we are in the battle alone. In those moments, I want to remind us that God is always there.  Often in ways unseen, God is fighting the battle right alongside us. We are never alone. In fact, there will be days when we awaken to discover that, while we slept, another victory was won.

I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we celebrate our victorious Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are beginning a new series this week entitled “The Way” where we will dig into what the Book of Acts has to teach us about what God really meant the church to be. You will not want to miss it.

 God bless,

Pastor Steve

 By the way, don't forget that this weekend we have two great outreach opportunities. Saturday is our Trunk or Treat in Sandown from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday is our Trunk or Treat in Plaistow from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.  If you would like to volunteer or prepare a trunk, please contact Kristen in Sandown or Karen in Plaistow. Or simply come and enjoy. And be sure to invite your neighbors.  It's a great way to help them begin to connect.

Waiting

I've never been great at waiting. I'm the guy who analyzes the lines at the grocery store to see which one is moving best.  If I walk into the town clerk’s office and there are more than 2 people in line, I’ll just turn around and come back another time.  It's not that I'm impatient. I just don't like waiting! But isn't it interesting how God often gives us what we need, not what we like.

Rock Run Raiser is this Saturday. It’s not too late to sign up to help, or to run. www.rockrunraiser.com

I guess God has decided that I need to grow in this area because lately I've been doing a lot of waiting. Just yesterday I waited in two different hospitals. In the morning as Nicole had her test and in the afternoon as my son Chris had surgery, I waited. Then, of course, there is waiting for the test results, waiting for the follow up, waiting for the healing. Did I mention I'm not great at waiting?

But here is what I'm discovering. Often God is in the waiting. The waiting sometimes forces us to pause long enough to just be present with God. The waiting sometimes quiets us enough to hear the whispers of God. The waiting slows us down enough to really see what God is doing in our lives. Slowly but surely I am learning to appreciate the waiting. I wouldn't say I've gotten to the point where I like it, but I am coming to realize that it is an important part of my faith journey.

I'm also discovering that, often in ways unseen, God is at work in the waiting. As we wait for that job opening, for that person we want to share our lives with, for the healing, for our miracle, God is at work behind the scenes. Yes I am discovering that when it feels like I am just waiting, God is at work in the spiritual realm. He is working for our good even though we cannot yet see it. In the waiting I am learning all the more to trust that God is faithful.

There is a good chance we will all have our seasons of waiting. Let's make the most of those times. Let's use the quiet times to listen for God's voice and to grow closer to Him. As the psalmist wrote “be still and know that I am God.”

I pray you have a blessed week. I look forward to us all being together this weekend as we finish up our series “Go Big.” God has something great for you this Sunday, maybe it’s just what you have been waiting for. You won't want to miss it.

God bless,

Pastor Steve

BTW, I’ve been trying to share updates on Nicole on Facebook, but I know not everyone sees that. So I wanted to share that we got the results of her first CT scan since she began chemo and the tumors on her liver are beginning to shrink. So while there is a ways to go, that is a positive step forward. Thank you for your continued prayers.

I Love October!

I love October! Cool nights and comfortable days. The beauty of the New England foliage. And some amazing outreach opportunities!

• This Saturday, October 12th, we will be setting up the Field of Flags. We set up this display as an expression of support for all who have served in the armed forces of the United States. If you can help, we invite you to join us at our Plaistow campus at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.

• The following Saturday, October 19th, is our Rock Run Raiser. The Rock Run Raiser is a 2 mile challenge course (mud run) with 15 obstacles. Not only is this a fun event to help us connect to some of our “not yet churched” neighbors. It is also a very effective fundraiser that helps support great mission and ministry in our community, our region and across the globe.

• The following Saturday and Sunday are our community-wide Trunk or Treats. Saturday October 26th will be the Sandown Trunk or Treat from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Then Sunday October 27th will be the Plaistow Trunk or Treat from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. These events are meant to be a family-friendly option for our church and community kids. They are particularly great opportunities to connect to families with children.

 As you might imagine, it takes quite a team effort to pull all these events together and we can use your help. Here's some ways that you could participate.

• Just show up this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. With a decent group we should have the flags all set up before 11:00 a.m. Bring a hammer if you have one.

• Volunteer for the Rock Run Raiser. It takes dozens of volunteers to run this event. If you go to this link you will find an online sign up where you can see all the volunteer opportunities. Simply choose the place you would like to serve and submit the form. It is quick and easy. By the way, you can volunteer and still run in the race. (I plan to!) To register for the race click on this link.

• Volunteer for one of the Trunk or Treats. For these events we also have an online sign up. When at the registration page, click on the link for Sandown or Plaistow. The big areas of need are for people to decorate trunks, serve in a volunteer role or donate snacks, supplies or candy. If you want to bring candy, that can be dropped off at any campus beginning this Sunday.

These events provide us which several great opportunities for community outreach. Our ultimate goal is to connect with family and friends in a way that build relationships and helps them to take a first step towards Jesus. If we all pitch in, these are going to be great events that will sow seeds of faith for a great harvest.

I look forward to us being here this Sunday as we continue our series “Go Big.” I pray you and your family have a blessed week.

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Steve

New Life!

Pastor Beth holds her new grandson Teddy!

There are few things in life more difficult, and at once more joyful, than the birth of a child. When the struggle of labor gives way to the first little cry, when you first hold that swaddled child, there is no joy like it. Some of you may not know that we are in the midst of a baby boom here at Rock Church.  We’ve had two babies born into our church family in the past few weeks and two more coming in the next few weeks.  How exciting!

So yes, new life is one of the greatest sources of joy in our world. But new life is not limited to physical birth. There is also a new life that comes from spiritual rebirth. When a person welcomes Jesus into their heart, the apostle Paul tells us that they are born anew! There is new life in Christ. I also find this to be one of the greatest sources of joy in this lifetime. Of course there is joy for the person who has experienced the forgiveness of sin and this new life in Christ, but there is also joy for the one who shares.

This work, the labor, the investment of time, energy and love that we often pour into a person to help them come to know Jesus can be significant. But when the uncertainty and resistance gives way to openness and acceptance, there is a joy that is beyond measure. When that friend, family member, neighbor or coworker opens their heart to receive Jesus, all the effort pales by comparison to the joy of that moment.

I am excited beyond words about the new babies being born into our church family. I am equally excited about all those who are finding new life in Christ within our church body. And I'm grateful for every one of you who help to share the hope of Christ with all those around us. Remember, everyone needs Jesus. In all seasons and at all times, may it always be said of Rock Church that we are a place of new life.  

I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue our series Go Big! Together we will talk about what it means to live a life of impact and significance.

God Bless,

    Pastor Steve

Geese!

    I have a love/hate relationship with the geese in my yard.  Apparently, for reasons unbeknownst to me, my back yard is an official gathering place for Canadian geese in preparation for migration.  Around this time of year it is not uncommon for me to find a few dozen to several hundred geese in my yard, my driveway and the church parking lot. 

     These birds are bigger than you might realize until you get up close.  They can easily weigh 12 to 15 lbs. (that’s bigger than my dog) and have a wing span of 4 to 6 feet.  Because of their size and number, they are not easily intimated.  There are days when they block our driveway and refuse to move.  They can even be a little aggressive when you try to push them along.  But worst of all, after a couple of hundred have been in your driveway for a while . . . . well let’s just say it’s a mess.

     On the flip side, when they take flight, it is majestic.  Those large powerful wings will carry that bulbous body off the ground and into the air in a way that seems to defy gravity.  In a few days times, they will travel 2000 to 3000 miles.  Under ideal conditions, they can travel at up to 70 mph and cover 1500 miles in a day.  How is it possible for such a big, heavy bird to make such extraordinary time and distance?

     The secret, as you may know, is in the formation.  When they fly, they naturally fall into a “V” formation that allows the birds to draft off one another.  By pulling together in a common direction, and supporting one another as they go, they are able to cover more ground, at a greater speed, than they ever could alone. 

     This, of course, is also the beauty and power of the church of Jesus Christ.  When we pull together in a common direction, supporting one another along the journey, there is no limit to what we can achieve for the work of Christ and the kingdom of God.  I am convinced this is why Jesus initiated the church.  He intended for us to live lives of great impact, making the most of the gifts we have been given.  But the secret is in the formation.  By pooling our gifts and talents, working together for a common mission, we are able to do more than we ever could on our own. 

     I am grateful for you.  You play an important part of our church family.  We could not nearly achieve all that God is calling us to without you.  When we are called by God, empowered by the Holy Spirit and working all together as the body of Christ, there is nothing we cannot accomplish for His sake.

     God Bless,

Pastor Steve

BTW, speaking of pulling together for a common purpose, one of our biggest outreach events of the year, the Rock Run Raiser, is coming up on Saturday Oct 19th.  This great event draws many unchurched people, and raises thousands of dollars for local and region missions.  The Run Raiser takes a big team of volunteers.  If you can help, please click on this link to let us know.

A Sacred Trust

There is something about September that always makes me think about kids.  I guess it is the combination of the start of school, a new season of NextGen and the barrage of Back to School shopping ads.  Even though my own boys are long since grown up, I am still forever mindful of the needs of our children and the importance of this ministry area.  As a church, I believe our children are a sacred trust.  These beautiful young lives have been entrusted to us by God to care for, watch over, protect and raise up in faith. 

Those of you who, like me, are working your way into one of those older age brackets, please don’t misunderstand me.  I love you all.  But there is something about the vulnerability of a child at this most formative stage of life that I believe places a great onus upon us.  And with the new challenges that this generation is facing, I’m convinced that the church has an even greater responsibility to pour into these young lives.

This Sunday we will be doing something new.  For the first time, we will incorporate into worship a “blessing of the backpacks.” We are encouraging kids to bring their school backpacks with them on Sunday where during the service, they will be invited to come forward.  This is really just a way for us to pray over our children, and to remind them as they head off to school every day that God is with them.  We have a cross key chain that we will be attaching to every child’s backpack.  My hope and prayer is that every day as they throw their back pack over their shoulder, they will be reminded that there is a God who loves them and a church that cares about them. 

The blessing of the backpacks will only take a few minutes, but I believe it will be incredibly important.  I hope that everyone will be able to be with us in worship this Sunday to share in praying God’s blessing, guidance and protection over our children.  This is also a great opportunity to invite a “not yet churched” neighbor.  Let them know we are going to be praying a blessing over the kids, and it is open to everyone.  We’ve also got a little surprise gift for the parents. 

This Sunday will also be the concluding message of our “Fight My Battle” series.  This has been such a great and powerful series. You won’t want to miss this final message.

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

Getting in Shape

      So the Rock Run Raiser is just over 5 weeks away.  About two weeks ago it hit me that it was coming up soon and I inwardly shuttered.  Not that I don’t like the event. Just the opposite, I love it.  I’m just not in shape for it.  If you are not familiar with the Rock Run Raiser, it is an event we run every October.  It is a 2 mile challenge course race with 15 obstacles along the way.  Honestly, it’s a blast and many people do it for the fun and the challenge with little concern for their time.  

      But if you know me, you probably know I’m a little more competitive than that, and I want to do well.  In fact, my goal is to improve my time every year (And yes, perhaps to beat Pastor James who beat me by one second last year!)  But the thing is, if I am going to run the race well, I’ve got to train.  The Apostle Paul, in a letter to Timothy, reminded him that physical training is good, but spiritual exercise is even more valuable as it blesses our life today and for eternity.

     Thinking about the upcoming Run Raiser, and the fact that I have allowed myself to fall into “less than ideal condition,” caused me to reflect on this idea of spiritual training.  I’m amazed how easy it is to allow the busyness of life to keep me from getting out for a run or hitting the weights.   And sadly, the same thing can be true in our spiritual training.  It is easier than I care to admit to allow the busy pace of life to cut into my prayer time, my worship, reading and studying God’s Word, and the other things that build my spiritual strength.  

     We are in a series right now entitled “Fight my Battle.”  As I have thought about the series, it struck me how important it is that we stay in good shape, good spiritual shape, if we are going to fight our battles well.  When it comes to physical training, I tend to go through seasons when I train well and other times when I hardly train at all.  How much better off would I be if I just kept my training consistent. The same is true for all of us as we try to stay in good shape spiritually.  I would encourage us make our spiritual training a part of ever day.  Stay in great spiritual shape.  Because this is how we fight our battle.

       By the way, if any of you do want to join me for the Rock Run Raiser, you can get all the information at www.rockrunraiser.com.   Have a blessed week.  I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue our series.

    God Bless,

Pastor Steve

A Family Reunion

   Have you ever been to a family reunion?  Over the years, I’ve been to several. It is often challenging to work out the logistics and timing to get everyone together, but it is SO worth it.  There is a joy and excitement that comes from reconnecting with people we love that we have not seen for some time.  Recently my wife Nicole got together with her 3 sisters (one of whom still lives in Belgium).  It was the first time they had all been together in 20 years!  What a blessing that was for her.

    For many of the same reasons, I love the first Sunday after Labor Day.  Our ministry is coming back into full swing.  LifeGroups get fired up.  NextGen, our Sunday morning children’s ministry, launches a new year.  And when we all gather on Sunday morning, it feels to me like a family reunion!  Let’s face it.  Summers in New England are short, so we try to squeeze in any vacation time we can.  And when we are not away, others are.  It begins to feel like we haven’t seen one another in forever.

     But this Sunday is our family reunion.  The kids are back to school. We are coming into our fall rhythm.  This is the perfect time for us to all be together for worship.  So I want to extend to you a special invitation.  This Sunday you are invited to the Rock Church Family Reunion!  This is going to be a great week to reconnect with people we may not have seen much over the summer.  Since we’ve just launched a great new series “Fight my Battles,” it is also a perfect time to invite new friends.

This Sunday our North Shore campus makes its big move into the Vision Max Cinema!

      I’m honestly so excited about this Sunday that I can barely contain myself. It is going to be wonderful to reconnect.  We have a great service prepared. This will also be our first Sunday at the Vision Max Cinema for our North Shore Campus, so that is going to be super exciting!  This is definitely a week you will not want to miss.  I look forward to us all being together this Sunday.

     God Bless,

Pastor Steve

How I Fight My Battle

Have you ever been in a battle?  Some of you may be active or retired military and you have literally been in a battle, a war zone.  But you don’t have to have taken up arms to be in a battle.  Battles take on many forms in life.  I’ve heard more than one parent say to their kid “why is everything a battle with you?”  Some of you may have come up against some unexpected expense and now your find yourself in a financial battle.  Some have known the pain of a custody battle.  Many today battle addiction. 

Nicole and I are currently in a battle that I know many of you have also fought.  It is the battle that comes with a significant health crisis. Some of you have fought those health battles in your own life.  Others have fought the battle alongside someone you love.  Life is a beautiful, precious gift.  But life can also be a battle.  The truth is, virtually all of us will face one battle or another in life.

So the question becomes, how do we fight our battles?  What weapons do we carry into that battle?  What resources do we have to help us fight our battle?   This Sunday we will launch a new series entitled “Fight My Battle.”  You might recognize the title as coming from a worship song “This is how I fight my battle.”  In this series I, and our other pastors, are going to be honest and transparent with you about the battles we sometimes face, and how we choose to fight our battles. 

It is only a 4 week series, but it is going to be very impactful.  Trust me when I tell you that you will not want to miss a single week. 

One more picture from Day Camp. What a great program we had this year!

On another note, this coming Sunday will be our final week in our Amesbury downtown building.  On September 8th at 10:00 am we will be moving our North Shore Campus into the Vision Max Cinema on Rt. 110 in Salisbury, right off routes 95 and 495.  The first few weeks will be a bit of a “soft launch” as we work out the details of a new space.  Then on Sept 29th we will do a big Grand Opening of the new location that we will be promoting broadly throughout the North Shore region.  Please pray for this great and exciting transition.  And please invite your unchurched friends and neighbors.

See you Sunday.

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

A Big Step Forward

     In just over 2 weeks, Rock Church will be stepping out in one of the greatest and most exciting ventures our church has ever embraced.   As you have probably heard, our North Shore campus is selling its buildings, and on September 8th, will be moving into a new location.  On that Sunday, our North Shore campus will begin worshipping at the Vision Max Cinema in Salisbury MA. 

      I am excited beyond words about this move.  Let me tell you why this new location is going to be awesome!

·         Ample parking!  There are literally hundreds of parking spaces surrounding the theater.  For some time now, we have known that the lack of parking has limited our growth in the downtown Amesbury location.

·         Handicap accessibility.  Our Amesbury building was constructed long before anyone gave a thought to accessibility.  This space is all on one level and fully accessible to all.

The Vision Max has over 250 parking spaces!

·         Amazing location!  Less than a minute off Rt. 95 and Rt 495, this could not be a better location for the truly regional campus as we intend our North Shore campus to be.

·         Climate Controlled. It may seem like a small thing, but having AC in the summer and dependable heat in the winter will be a big step forward.

·         Seeker friendly.  For many people who have never been to church, stepping into a traditional church building can be an intimidating experience.  But most unchurched folks go to the movies from time to time.  Being in a theater makes it a much easier first step to take.

      I do want to let everyone know that even though we are moving into the building on Sept 8th, we are not doing our “Grand Opening” until Sept 29th.  Because this is a brand new, and completely different, location for us, we felt it was important to have a few weeks to work out the details.  Then when we have our grand opening on the 29th, we can provide the best possible hospitality and worship experience to our guests.

     So let the count down begin.  We will have two more weeks in our downtown Amesbury building, and then we are off on this great adventure! Please keep it in your prayers.

God bless,    

Pastor Steve