They're back!

They're back! Every year about this time my lawn and driveway are invaded by geese. And I'll be honest, I have a love-hate relationship with them. They are a beautiful, powerful, majestic bird. When I see them flying in perfect formation high in the sky I can't help but be impressed. But when they choose to land for a rest and a snack in my yard, they are (let's just be honest) messy!

But it's not just the mess. When geese begin arriving in my yard in large numbers I know that it marks the beginning of the end of summer. And I love the summer. I love the longer days and the warm weather. I love that the sun is already shining when I wake up early. I love warm nights and backyard barbecues.

Group Picture from Day Camp 2021. Click to see the enlargement or to download

But I have to admit that there is a part of me that loves and welcomes the return of the geese. I love them because their returned is the harbinger of fall. It is the reminder that we are about to enter a new and exciting season. I love the special events of summer like Soulfest and Day Camp. But with the fall comes the start, or restart, of many exciting areas of ministry. This year, in particular, I am so excited about the fall launch. Over this year of Covid, many of our ministries have been restricted in one way or another. And so, for our church, this fall will be a season of resurrection.

Over the summer, in person worship has gradually reemerged and I believe will continue to grow into the fall. We have been hard at work redeveloping our children's and youth ministry. We have big plans for the fall to expand our adult discipleship opportunities. We are launching a brand new ministry entitled “Mastering Motherhood” which I believe is going to be awesome! We have our Men's Summit coming up in the fall and so much more.

I realize Covid is not entirely behind us. No doubt there will be another surge in the fall. We are already seeing signs of it. But I believe we have come to a place where, with appropriate levels of wisdom and precaution, we can enter into an exciting fall season of ministry. A season through which we can continue to fulfill our mission to reach those who do not yet know Jesus with the hope of the gospel and to help those who do know Christ to continue to grow deeper in him.

So as much as I sometimes curse the geese, particularly when I'm walking up my driveway, I'm also excited about their return. While we still have some challenges in front of us, I believe God has great things in store for us this fall. And I can't wait to see it all come to fruition.

Love you all.

God bless,

Pastor Steve

More than a generation

Savannah, Jordan, Eva, Nicole, Antonio, Lavinia, Trystan, Amelia, Maci.  I'm writing my blog from the middle of our week of day camp. I'm a crew leader this year. That means I've been given the privilege of spending the week investing in the lives of nine awesome kids. They are nine of over a hundred children that are participating in this year's Rock Day Camp. I share their names because often when we talk about children's or youth ministry, we speak in more general terms of reaching the next generation. But the truth is, when we talk about this generation they are not just an amorphic group of 67 million children that we call Generation Z. They are individuals. They are each someone's child or grandchild, niece or nephew. And each one is an individual child of God, deeply loved by Him. And each one is a young person for whom Christ died.

The tragedy is that this generation of young people growing up right now are, statistically speaking, further from Christ then any generation before them. And in light of the world and culture into which they are being raised, that is not surprising. Media, social trends, public education and more all seem to be leading our children further from Christ rather than closer to him. But at the same time, having spent this time with these extraordinary young people, I can assure you that there is still hope. These kids represent many in our world who have a wonderful heart, and a beautiful spirit, and actually desire a relationship with Jesus.

I know how easy it is to be discouraged when it seems like so much is against us in the battle to reach the hearts and minds of this generation. But I want to remind us today that this is a generation rich with hope and promise. And we must not be discouraged, and we certainly must not quit. This generation is worth investing in, and it is worth fighting for. After all, it is not just a nameless, faceless generation. It is Savannah, Jordan, Eva, Nicole, Antonio, Lavinia, Trystan, Amelia, Maci and so many more. And each one is a precious treasure that has been entrusted to us to watch over, care for and pour into.

Right now, in order for us to offer the kind of ministry that we believe it will take to reach children and youth in our region, we really need another 30 to 40 volunteers spread out over our three campuses. I realize that this is not the place of ministry for everyone, but it is God's calling for some of you. My goal for this fall is to fully staff our Nextgen and youth ministries to a level that allows us to offer a children and youth ministry at every campus. We also want to do it in a way that offers a rotation of volunteers so that no one person has to carry too much of the load, but together all the needs can be met.

If you think God may be calling you to invest some of your time, energy and love into our Nextgen children's ministry or our middle school/high school student ministry, please let me know by dropping me an email. I can certainly help you get started. This is not necessarily the easiest ministry. But it is important and it is rewarding. When we see a young person come to Jesus, see their hearts transformed, and see their eternity changed, there is nothing like it.

     But even if you are not called to serve directly in this area of ministry, I would ask all of us to keep our children and youth in prayer. I believe God is preparing to do something extraordinary in this area through our ministry here at Rock Church.

    God bless. Love you all.

Pastor Steve

I'm a planner

You may not know this about me, but I am a planner. I like to think ahead. I make lists. I think through the details well in advance. I've known people who equate a lack of planning with being Spirit-led. I think the assumption is that when we plan ahead, we are no longer leaving room for the Holy Spirit to work. But I have actually found the very opposite to be true for me. When I failed the plan ahead I often find I am forced to make spur-of-the-moment decisions that leave little opportunity to seek God's leading. But when I plan ahead, it leaves me ample time for prayer, reflection and the refining work of the Holy Spirit.

Saturday morning at Soulfest, Christian recording artist Paul Colman joined us for worship! Click on the picture to see it full sized.

Of course, for that to work we cannot be so tied to our plan that we are unwilling to make modifications as God continues to speak into our lives. In other words, planning can be a great tool as long as we invite the holy Spirit into that process and allow our plan to be shaped by God as we go along. One of the areas I have found this to be particularly helpful is in sermon planning. It is not uncommon for me to have a rough outline of our Rock Church sermon series a year ahead. So it is usually in the late summer/early fall that I begin to plan our next years sermon series. Knowing ahead of time what series we are going to cover gives me time to think and pray about how to best approach those topics. And it often happens that in moments when I least expect it, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind some insight or idea that is critical to a series that is still months in the future.

So, I'm just beginning to think about our teaching series for the next 12 to 18 months and I need your help. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. But to give us a little structure to that process, I would ask you to think about these four questions.

•   What series could we offer that would help you invite your unchurched friends and neighbors?

•   What topics could we cover that would help you grow deeper in your faith?

•   Where are you, or people you love, struggling and what series topics might help bring healing?

•   How could we inspire or better equip you to more effectively serve Christ?

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please share your ideas in the comments below or by emailing me at Steve@Rock-church.org.

Have a blessed week!

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

PS~We will be setting up tables, chairs, canopies, etc. for Day Camp on Sunday afternoon at 4:00 pm. If anyone is free and would like to help out, please join us at our Rock Church Plaistow location on Sunday at 4:00 pm.

I Feel Like Lazarus!

I am writing my blog this week in between gathering up supplies and making final preparations to attend Soulfest. By the time you read this I will already be there. This year we are taking our largest group ever, just over 120 people. I am so pumped! A week after we get back from Soulfest will be Day Camp, which is completely sold out with a waiting list! This past Sunday, despite being a beautiful day in the middle of the summer we had our best attendance yet since coming back from Covid. We are seeing first time guests every week. We are launching new initiatives. God is good!

I feel like Lazarus! It feels like God is resurrecting our ministry to new life. I am so excited about what God is doing through Rock Church that I can't even fully express it. I don't know if you have felt it, but I sure have. The Holy Spirit is moving in extraordinary ways in our midst. One of the areas where we are seeing new life is in our children's and youth ministries. Post-Covid, we are redeveloping both of these important areas and I am already seeing God at work in new and exciting ways. In order for us to grow these areas in the way I believe God is calling us to, we are going to need a lot of help. If you have a heart for kids, I would love to talk to you more about how you could get connected to this life-changing area of ministry. You can let us know you're interested by completing the quick and easy reply form at this link.

While I have your attention, I want to lift up a few other things that are coming up soon.

• Rooted. We will launch our next Rooted course on September 12. This is an amazing class that has been a blessing to all who have participated. You can find all the details at this link.

• Mastering Motherhood. This amazing new outreach to moms is coming to Rock Church this fall beginning September 14th. It will be hosted at our Sandown campus. You can learn more about Mastering Motherhood at this link.

• Men's Summit. I am super excited that the men's retreat is back. We have a great speaker lined up this year. The 2021 Men's Summit will be held at Camp Brookwoods on October 8-10. You can get all the info at this link.

Have a blessed day. Pray for us at Soulfest!.

God bless,

Pastor Steve

Back on Track

I know we are not entirely out of the woods as far as this pandemic is concerned, with new variants emerging and cautions about possible surges. But I just have to say how grateful I am to see our ministry begin to get back on track. Worship attendance is slowly returning to pre-Covid levels and we are seeing first time guests every week. After missing last year, we are going back to Soulfest next week with the largest group we have ever taken. For the first time ever, we completely sold out of tickets weeks prior to the start. Day Camp is also maxed out on its registration

I'm also excited to announce that the Men's Summit is back and better than ever. It will be held on October 8-10 at Camp Brookwoods. We have an amazing speaker coming that I can't wait to hear. Guys, if you haven't registered yet, you can get all the info at this link. We are also launching a brand new program this fall entitled Mastering Motherhood. I think this is going to be one of the most important and effective outreach ministries we have ever offered. Ladies, you will be hearing more about this in the near future.

Of course, there are some areas we still need significant help with. Right now I would say the area of ministry we most urgently need to redevelop is our children's and student ministries. Nextgen, our Sunday morning children's program, was hit particularly hard by the shutdown. While we were able to do a lot of adult ministry online, that's simply did not translate well to children's ministry. Unfortunately, the same is true of our youth ministry. So effective immediately, we are putting a significant emphasis on reimagining, redeveloping and re-staffing these essential areas.

To help us move forward in these important areas, I am announcing today a Family Ministry Campaign. Normally when we do a campaign, it is a financial drive around a special initiative. But this is not a financial drive. It is a recruitment drive. In order to offer well supported children's and youth ministry at all three Rock Church locations, we need at least 50 people who have a heart for children or teens who would be willing to serve in some capacity in this important area. If you think you might be interested in getting involved in some capacity in this essential, life-changing area of ministry, I would invite you to visit this link.

Of course, building the team is only a portion of what must be done. Once we get the team in place we will need everyone's help in getting out the invitation to families in our communities. We need your help in letting those around us know that children and youth ministry is back at The Rock, better than ever. I would also ask all of us to keep this in prayer. You might even consider joining us for Prayer For our Students on Thursday nights. This Thursday at 6:30 will be gathering at the Danville Elementary School to pray. We would love for you to join us.

While there is much to be done to get fully back on track, we know that God is with us. And with His help there's nothing we cannot do. I look forward to us all being together on Sunday for worship as we continue our series “Backstage.”

God bless,

Pastor Steve

Reminder: Don’t forget to take a moment and complete the annual pastoral survey for the Staff Parish Relations committee. You can do it right online at this link.

One last thing: Next Tuesday (Aug 3) we will be loading up the Uhaul for Soulfest. There is a LOT to pack and many hands make light work. If anyone is free and would like to help, please meet at the Rock Plaistow at 10:00 am. Look for the big Uhaul!

I Can't Shake it...

I can shake it. I can't shake this overwhelming sense that God is calling us to take a significant step of faith in the area of family ministry. By family ministry I mean the work we do to reach, disciple and support our children and students. This also includes the ways we support and resource parents as they seek to help their children grow up with a strong foundation of faith and a life-changing relationship with Jesus.

We are already taking some exciting steps in that direction. As of last night's Day Camp planning meeting, all 100 openings were full. Our registration for Soulfest is the highest it has ever been. We are already up to 120 registrants (many of them going as families and for the first time). And I don't know if you have heard, but in the fall we are launching a brand new program entitled “Mastering Motherhood.” It is a faith-based outreach program to support, encourage, equip and connect moms. This program has been running in other regions with incredible results and Rock Church will be the first to offer it in NH.

It takes a great team to lead our Rock Church Day Camp! We still have several opening to help!

Day Camp and Soulfest are wonderful, exciting, catalytic events that help us pour into our churched kids, and reach unchurched children and youth. But they are still seasonal events. What we really need, to follow up, is to redevelop our ongoing children's and students ministries. These help us connect young people to our church community, and to Christ, in an ongoing way. Following Covid, both our Nextgen ministry and our youth groups have struggled. We need to offer strong, fully staffed Nextgen and Student Ministries in order to reach our young people in an ongoing way.

So I'm not going to beat around the bush. We need help. We need people who are willing to invest themselves in the faith development and spiritual growth of our young people. In the short-term, we have a great team assembled for day camp (being held August 16th to 20th). But we still need some more folks to serve in this area. You could find out more at this link. Looking ahead to the fall, we need people who have a heart for the young who are open to serving in some capacity in Nextgen or Student Ministry. If you think God may be calling you to get involved in some way, you can email me at Steve@Rock-church.org. Also, there is a Nextgen volunteer meeting in Sandown this Monday (July 26) at 7:00 p.m.

This is an important area for us, so you will hear more in the days ahead. But for now I would ask you to keep it in prayer, and if God is calling you to get involved in some way, please let me know or speak with your campus pastor.

Have a blessed week. I look forward to seeing you Sunday as we continue our new series “Backstage.”

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Start with the Kids

As we emerge from this pandemic, I feel like we are entering a season ripe with possibility and potential for the work of Christ. I can hear the words of Isaiah echoing down through the centuries when God said to him “behold I am doing a new thing. Do you not perceive it?’ I believe God is doing a new thing in our church and in the Christian church overall. The truth is, I think God has been leading us towards new opportunities, and new ways of fulfilling the mission of the church, for some time. But this disruption brought about by Covid has forced us to pause and genuinely consider how God may be leading us into the future.

I'll be honest. I am at once excited, and nervous, about what God has for us going forward. I am nervous (actually frightened might be a better word) because I know that stepping out in new ways means change, risk and uncertainty. But I am also excited because I believe that if we will take those risks, if we will follow God's lead and step out in bold new ways, the potential is unlimited. I believe God is preparing us for what can be the most exciting and most fruitful season of ministry we have ever seen. Honestly, I don't know yet what all that will look like.  But if God is in it, I know it's going to be great!

     So where do we begin? I've given that tremendous thought and prayer over the past several months. And what I continually hear from God is this: start with the kids. Truthfully, there is much to be done, and there is great opportunity, in many areas of our ministry. But I believe our first giant step forward is to redevelop our Nextgen and student ministries at all campuses. We need to invest time, resources, energy and prayer into raising up a generation of young people who are passionate followers of Jesus. I think this generation is facing greater and more complex challenges than any before it. But I also see in this generation the potential to be world changers. What they need more than anything to navigate these challenges, and fulfill their potential, is a solid foundation in Christ.

   As we reemerge from Covid, there really is much to be done. But I believe the place God is calling us to begin is with our kids, pouring our love, prayers, gifts and talents into these precious young lives.

Have a blessed day and I look forward to us being together this weekend for worship in person or online.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

The Elephant

Over the past several weeks we have been working our way through a sermon series on prayer. This Sunday we wrap up that series with what I believe is really the “elephant in the room” anytime we talk about prayer: what about unanswered prayer? My guess is we have all had the experience of having prayed for something that did not come to fulfillment. Why? When we have made the decision to commit our lives to Christ, when we have served him faithfully and sacrificially, why would he not answer our prayers?

Registration is nearly full for this year’s Rock Church Day Camp.

This is an issue that Christ followers have wrestled with for centuries. And yet, we don't really talk about it openly. We know that God is all powerful and we know that God loves us. As a result, on those occasions when our prayers are not answered, we don't know what to do with that. So we just don't talk about it. But we need to. We need to because it is an important part of our understanding of faith, and our personal theology, to be able to make sense of those times when prayer goes unanswered.

It is also important that we address this difficult topic because it is healing. Beneath the surface of unanswered prayer is often disappointment and hurt. Left unaddressed, these disappointments can eat away at the foundation of our faith. So I would invite you to be with us in worship this Sunday for what I believe will be a very important conversation. If at all possible, I would love for you to be there in person. If you are not able to do that, I would certainly encourage you to join us for online worship at RockChurchnh.Online.Church. This might even be an opportunity to share an invitation with someone that you know has struggled with this question of unanswered prayer.

Before I sign off, I want to take a moment to remind you of a few other items.

•   We will hold prayer tomorrow night from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Atkinson Academy. Anyone who would like to join us in prayer for our schools, our students and our teachers and staff are invited to join us.

•   Soulfest is just a few weeks away. If you would like to attend with us but have not yet registered, you can get all the information at this link,

•   Rock Day camp is coming soon. Registration is almost full, so if you have not yet signed up, I would invite you to do so soon. See this link for more information.

I look forward to us being together on Sunday for this important message.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Independence Day

This coming weekend we will celebrate the 4th of July, Independence Day. Independence Day began as a celebration of our freedom from the tyranny of British rule. And to this day it continues as a celebration of our ongoing freedom as Americans. There are very few concepts that speak more powerfully to the human heart than that of freedom. It is one of those rare things that people will fight for, sacrifice for, even die for. In fact, for those of us who live in New Hampshire, our state motto is “live free or die.”

Freedom can be experienced at many levels and there are many forms of bondage. On independence day we are reminded of the blessing of political freedom and self-governance. When we were young, we often looked forward to the day when we would be adults and have the freedom to make our own choices. When a person has committed a crime, the most common punishment is incarceration and the prisoner looks forward to the day when they will be set free.

But the Bible speaks of a different kind of freedom. The apostle Paul often spoke of the bondage of sin and the freedom that is found in Christ. In the gospel of John, Jesus himself said “if the son has set you free, you will be free indeed.” But Paul, and Jesus, spoke of a different kind of freedom. It is a freedom that goes beyond political oppression or physical captivity. Is it a freedom that goes beyond the right to assemble or freedom of speech or the freedom to make one's own choices. It is an inner freedom that overcomes the captivity of sin. This is true freedom. This is the freedom that only comes through Christ.

This weekend as we celebrate Independence Day, we are grateful to live in a nation that is rich with freedom. And it is appropriate to celebrate and give thanks for that gift. But let it also be a reminder to us that long before we declared our freedom as a nation, Jesus declared our freedom at the cross. And in a way, each one of us has our own personal independence day. The day we accepted Jesus as the leader of our lives and the forgiver of our sins we were set free.

The price of freedom is often sacrificed. There is no greater freedom any of us can experience than that which comes through Christ. And may we never cease to be grateful for his sacrifice that paid the price for that freedom.

I look forward to us all being together for worship online or in person this Sunday as we celebrate Independence Day.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Excited!

I'm excited. I'm excited because we had a whole bunch of people baptized and welcomed into membership of Rock Church at our North Shore campus on Sunday. I'm excited because they poured the footings for the pavilion yesterday (Have you heard how hard it is to get a contractor right now?) And I'm excited because I believe we are entering a season of opportunity. For a number of reasons that I'm about to share, I believe we are entering a season of increasing openness to the gospel and to the Christian Church.

For years we have been told that people just aren't open to the gospel anymore, particularly millennials. Over the last 10 to 15 years I've read more research studies and articles than I can count, all predicting the demise of the church in America. And many are assuming the Covid will accelerate the decline. But I have to be honest, that's not at all what I am seeing and it is certainly not the message I'm hearing from God. In fact, I believe the very opposite is true. I would be the first to admit that we are seeing an end to “cultural Christianity,” the idea that everyone goes to church because that is what is culturally expected.

But in its place I believe we are entering a time of genuine spiritual seekers who truly desire a relationship with God. And if anything, I think Covid has amplified that. Coming out of this strange season where so much, in worldly terms, was taken away, I believe more than ever people are seeking that which is eternal, that which is enduring and cannot be stolen from us.

I also believe that after this extended time of isolation, more than ever people are seeking the kind of human contact and community that the body of Christ provides. I think we are all discovering more than ever how important true community is. I'm also convinced that coming through the intense division of the past few years, people are starved for a place of kindness and unconditional love. The kind of love that is experienced in Christian community.

For all these reasons and more, I believe we are in a time of heightened receptivity. In other words, now more than ever is the time to invite, the time to share. In the words of Jesus, the fields are ripe for harvest. More than ever, people are seeking what the church alone provides. Don't be fooled by the naysayers. We are seeing first-time guests every week at every campus. There are people all around us that are just waiting to be invited. Be bold. Extend an invitation. Share the hope of Christ. Now is the time.

I pray you all have a blessed week. I look forward to us being together in person or online this Sunday as we continue our series on prayer.

Love you all.

Pastor Steve

Prayer for our Students

It dawned on me the other day that it has now been over 40 years since I was a student in public school. The 60s and 70s were certainly a turbulent time. But when I think about what our students deal with today, I'm not sure it begins to compare. I don't think I have to go through the litany of challenges our kids are facing to make my point. I think we all know that our young people are having to deal with issues and concerns that I certainly never faced 40 to 50 years ago.

We are in the middle of a new teaching series on prayer. There are so many things we can be praying for that sometimes it's hard to know where to begin. But one group I am certain we should be praying for is our young people. Every day our kids face temptations, risks, stresses and challenges beyond what any child or youth should have to confront.

Registration is now open for Soulfest at this link.

Recently, Ed and Sherry Lucia shared with me that God had placed it on their heart to go to every public school in our region to pray on site for our students. They also shared that with our Rock House of Prayer Thursday night group. So, for the next several months, every Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 our Rock House of Prayer, and all who would like to join them, will be gathering at a different public school to pray. Tomorrow, Thursday June 17th, they will gather at the flagpole in front of the Timberlane Middle/High School for prayer. The invitation is open for all to join us in person. However, if for any reason you are not able to be there in person, I would encourage you to pause where you are and join your hearts in prayer with so many others.

Over the coming weeks, in the newsletter we will highlight one school that we will be praying for that Thursday. I would invite you not only to join in person if you are able, but to remember that school in prayer throughout the week. With all that is going on in our world, I can't think of a better time for us to come together and lift up our children and youth in prayer. I'm certainly planning to be a part of this effort, and I would invite you to join.

I look forward to us being together, in person or online, this Sunday as we continue our series “Lord Teach us to Pray.” Have a blessed week.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Awesome God!

Yesterday I did something I haven't done in a long time. I sat by my window and just watched as a storm rolled in. I had been out a few hours earlier and it was nothing but blue skies and blazing sun. But then, as I sat at my desk working, I noticed the skies begin to go dark. I looked out the window and just beyond the church I could see lightning in the distance. Then the wind picked up and the leaves on the trees begin to flip. A few minutes later massive drops began to hit the window. A few at a time at first, but soon the skies would open up.

It was by no means the worst storm I've been through, and it passed relatively quickly. But it got me thinking about the power that can be manifested in a storm. Destructive winds, driving rain, fierce lightning and the crash of its accompanying thunder. In the midst of the wind and rain it struck me that even the worst storms any of us have ever been in still only reflects a fraction of the power of God. I think sometimes we forget what a powerful God we serve. A God that commands the wind and the rain and the lightning. The God who put the stars and the planets in their proper place and who created all life.

We had an awesome Children’s Day on Sunday. Thank you to everyone who helped make it great.

I think it is important to sometimes pause and reflect on the power and majesty of God. When we recognize how great a God we serve, it puts within us a holy reverence and awe of God. There is an intimacy with God, a closeness that comes from a daily walk with him. But there is also a greatness of God that is humbling and inspires awe.

But recognizing the power and majesty of God not only inspires awe and reverence. It also inspires confidence, because as Christ followers we recognize that this God of all power and might is “for us.” He is in our corner. He is our rock, refuge and strength. In fact, not only is he for us, but he is in us. If we have welcomed Jesus into our hearts, then the holy Spirit dwells within us. No wonder the apostle Paul said “if God is for us, who can be against us.”

I'm sure over the course of the summer we will see our share of thunderstorms. The next time that happens, pause for a few moments and observe the power of the storm. Then be reminded that our God is infinitely more powerful. Like me, you might even find yourself humming that praise song from years ago “our God is an awesome God.”

Have a blessed weekend and I hope to see you all this Sunday in person or online as we continue our series “Lord teach us to pray.”

I love you all,

Pastor Steve

Note: We would like to celebrate all of our Rock graduates. If you, or you child, is graduating high school or college, please send Lynette an email with the full name, degree and school from which the student is graduating.

Lord Teach Us...

This Sunday we are beginning a new series entitled “Lord Teach Us to Pray.” On the surface, I suppose that might sound a bit elementary. After all, many of us have been Christ followers for a long time. Surely we know how to pray. And yet, the disciples, who had grown up in the Jewish faith, very likely praying every day, made the same request of Jesus. In Luke 11, they saw Jesus praying and directly asked of him “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Prayer is at the very heart of our spiritual lives. Like worship, prayer brings us into the presence of God. Prayer is our connection, our communication, with God. And I believe we, like the disciples, want to grow in our knowledge and practice of prayer. On the one hand, prayer seems very simple. Some of us grew up saying our prayers as soon as we were old enough to speak. It was a humble prayer that began our journey of faith. But it is also possible to grow deeper in our prayer life, stronger and more confident. And, as Jesus did for the disciples, I believe He can teach us to pray as He prayed.

I believe this is going to be a powerful and practical teaching series. It is the kind of series that you are not going to want to miss a single week. If you are able, I would love for you to join us in person. But if you are not able to be with us in person, or if there are any of the weeks that you will be away, I would definitely encourage you to join us online.

On Pentecost we celebrated 7 baptisms with more to come in the next few weeks.

Also, as we head into the summer, there are a couple of special events I want to make you aware of. First, I am super excited to say that Soulfest is back! The dates of Soulfest, New England’s premiere Christian music festival, will be August 5-7 (with student camping beginning Aug 3). For more information or to register for student or family camping, go to this link.

I am also very excited to share that Rock Day Camp is back. This year we will re-introduce the program with one combined week at our Plaistow location August 16-20. Because we are combining into one week, I am certain the program will fill out very quickly. So even though it seems to still be a ways off, I would encourage you to register immediately. Also, this is a great outreach opportunity So if you have friends or neighbors age 5 through 8th grade, be sure to send them this link and invite them to check it out.

Have a great week and God bless. I look forward to us being together this weekend in person or online for this great new series “Lord Teach Us to Pray.”

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Strong and Courageous

During my morning devotional time I was reading from the Book of Joshua. After Moses’ death, Joshua is appointed leader over Israel as God is preparing them to enter the promised land. In verse 9 God says to Joshua “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Even though that was written thousands of years ago, I felt as though God was speaking those words to us for today.

Registration is now open for Soulfest. www.rock-church.org/soulfest

As we come out of Covid it feels to me like we have been through our own season of wandering in the wilderness. And I do believe that God is leading us to a new and better place. But like the Israelites entering the promised land, that will not come without its struggles and challenges. The world around us is changing. That change has actually been going on for a long time. But Covid has accelerated that change. And if we as a church are going to be effective and fruitful in ministry to this changing world, we will have to change. Let's be clear. God does not change. The Great Commission to share Jesus with the world does not change. But methodology does change. So we must be prepared to adapt how we go about this mission that God has called us to.

I think we all know that change is not easy. But as I consider the challenges that we will face, I hear that promise that God gave to Joshua. “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you.”

The exciting part of this story is that after all those years in the wilderness, God was leading them to the promised land. A place of abundance and blessing. And I believe if we will courageously face the challenges before us, God will lead us to a place a promise, a blessing. God has blessed us in so many ways, and we've had some great years of ministry in the past. But I believe that the best is yet to come.

So I want to encourage us today. Transitioning from the desert to the promised land is not easy. There will be battles to be fought and challenges to overcome. But do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged. For our God will be with us wherever we go.

Have a blessed week.

Pastor Steve

Rain Down

There was a praise song we used to sing years ago “Holy Spirit Rain Down.” This Sunday is Pentecost. It is the day we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples and the birth of the Christian church. During the early years the church fulfilled its mission to reach people for Christ in powerful ways, leading people to faith by the thousands. Christianity spread rapidly, even during times of persecution and soon thousands of believers became millions.

How did that happen? How was the early church able to reach so many people in such a powerful way? Certainly there was a passion among the early believers like that “first love” we talked about a few weeks ago. And certainly they had powerful preachers like Peter and Paul, who were continuously sharing the gospel. But in truth, the difference maker was the Holy Spirit.

Thank you to all who helped with the Blessing of the Bikes. We had our best year yet and got to pray with dozens of bikers.

 It struck me the other day that Peter was a fisherman and Paul was a tentmaker. I'm not sure that prior to their decision to follow Christ either of these men were world-class orators. But they had both received an anointing of the Holy Spirit. The early church was not made up of people of fame or influence. They were common folk like you and I. But they were empowered for the work of the Great Commission by the Spirit of God.

As we emerge from this pandemic and re-establish the work of our church, this is what we need. More than ever we need the power of the Holy Spirit to be poured out on us. This is not a work that we can do effectively in our own power and strength. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to open doors and touch hearts. And so, this week as we prepare to celebrate Pentecost, my prayer is that God would rain down his Holy Spirit over us. That we would experience that same fire of the Spirit that the early church knew. And that under the power of the Holy Spirit we could fulfill our calling to share the gospel in this generation.

I hope that this Sunday, in particular, you will be with us in person or online as we celebrate Pentecost. Together we will pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in our lives and in our church. Holy Spirit rain down!

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

COVID PRECAUTIONS UPDATE: Taking into account recent changes in both CDC recommendations and state guidelines, Rock Church is making the following updates to our Covid policies.

• For our Sandown and Plaistow campuses, masks will now be optional in all areas effective immediately.

• For our North Shore campus, masks will be optional effective Sunday May 30th.

Is it time?

In 1969 The Beatles released a song entitled Here Comes the Sun. The first verse begins “Little darling it's been a long cold lonely winter. Little darling it seems like years since it’s been here.” I think those lyrics reflect how many of us are feeling about Covid. But little by little, we see signs of hope. Case numbers continue to decline. Restrictions are being eased. People are returning to family gatherings, sporting events, travel and even church.

The thing that I've wondered about all through Covid is “how will we know?” The shutdown began in a moment. Decisions were made. Closures were announced. Virtually overnight, life as we knew It came to a screeching halt. But clearly the return would not happen overnight. It would be a gradual process. And, in truth, each of us must decide when we are ready to re-engage.

There are many ways to serve at Rock Church; hospitality, tech, children’s and student ministry, facilities team, care ministry and much more. Go to rock-church.org/serve for more information.

I ask this question particularly in regards to our faith life. An important aspect of being a Christ follower is community. That community can be created online. And during this past year we have worked hard to try to maintain Christian community digitally. But there is something about in-person community that is important. So I guess the question I would like each of us to ask is “Is it time?” Is it time to get back to in-person worship? Is it time to rediscover our places of serving Christ in ministry? Is it time to reconnect to an in-person life group?

For some of you, particularly those who are at higher risk because of underlying health concerns, the answer to that question may be “Not quite yet.” But for some of us, maybe it's time. With reasonable precautions, maybe it's time to come together once again as the family of God for in-person worship. Or for some, maybe we are not yet ready for that larger setting, but it's time to get back to in person lifegroups.

I realize that each of us must make our own decision based on our unique circumstances. But I would encourage us to think about, pray about, this question: is it time? For some, online worship is the right decision and we will continue to offer a great online service every week. For others, it's time to come back together in person. In whatever way God is leading, I look forward to us being together this weekend, in person or online at Rock Church.

Have a blessed week. Love One Another!

In Christ,

Pastor Steve

Building a Future

I'm not really a numbers and statistics guy. But numbers do reveal trends. One of the statistical trends that we have seen overall in the Christian church in America is that we are reaching fewer young people. Children, youth, young adults and young families have been a decreasing portion of the church for a number of years now. And now we are finding that Covid has accelerated some of the trends that we have seen in the past. And so now, as churches are coming back together in person, the trend across a country is that we are seeing fewer young people engage.

I don't share that to be discouraging or to sound defeatist. To the contrary, I want to raise our awareness to this area of need so we can be proactive. Every challenge we face in life is also an opportunity. I believe God is giving an opportunity to the Christian Church overall, and Rock Church specifically, to begin to re-envision how we can more effectively reach the next generation for Christ. This is important for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I believe that this generation is in desperate need of the hope of Christ and the support of a loving Christian community. Jesus is still the hope of our world, and this emerging generation needs what Christ alone can offer. But I also believe that the church needs what this generation has to offer. If we are to build a future for our church, we need the gifts and talents, insights and innovations, that this generation brings.

As we come out of Covid, I believe we have an opportunity right now to reverse this trend. This generation of young people are seeking spiritually. We have the opportunity to help them find Jesus and connect to a Christian community. That may require change. It will certainly require an investment in areas of ministry that can help us engage our young people. But most of all, it will require love. I believe the most powerful thing we can do as a church is to demonstrate to our children, youth, young adults and young families that they are loved. That there is a place for them in the church today.

Now more than ever I believe we are being called pour into this next generation. It is a call to sacrificially give the best of who we are and what we have to offer in order to share our faith with this next generation and to build a future for our church.

Have a blessed day. Don’t forget that tomorrow is National Day of Prayer. There is still time to sign up at this link for a 30 minute prayer time as a part of our day of continuous prayer.

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

Call to prayer

Next Thursday, May 6th, is the National Day of Prayer. This year it seems like we are more in need of God's help and blessing than ever. In our nation, in our communities, in our families and in our church family we need the power and presence of God's Holy Spirit. And so, I would like to call us, Rock Church, to a day of prayer. Along with Christians from throughout the United States, I invite us to pray for a move of God in our nation. Additionally, as this pandemic lingers on, I would ask us to pray for a wave of God's healing to wash over our communities.

We continue to make great progress on the lower level of our Sandown Campus building thanks to some amazing servants!

And I would also ask us to intentionally pray for the work of Christ through our church. The disruption to our ministry brought about by Covid has put us in a position of having to rebuild many of our ministry areas. We are having to redevelop our serving teams, strengthen our financial stewardship and relaunch a number of our ministry programs. There is much to be done, and the place to begin all of this is in prayer.

I believe with all my heart that there is power in unified prayer. So on May 6th, our National Day of Prayer, I would like to invite all of us to set aside some extra time for intentional prayer for our nation, our communities and our church. Our Rock House of Prayer has put together a framework that includes a prayer signup. From 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. the day has been broken into 30 minute time slots. We are inviting everyone to choose at least one half-hour time to be in intentional uninterrupted prayer. We've set up a Sign-up Genius where you can let us know what time you have chosen to pray. Our hope is that every time slot will be chosen and we can be in unbroken prayer from morning until night on that day. You can find the sign up at this link.

The Rock House of Prayer team has also put together some resources and areas of prayer focus that will be made available to everyone. We've set up a webpage where those resources and the link to the prayer sign up are easily accessible at rock-church.org/prayer.

I believe we are a point in the life of our church of great challenge and even greater opportunity. I am inviting us to pray for God's power, his provision and his direction through this pivotal season. As James writes in chapter 5 verse 16 of his letter “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” I believe that when we unite together in prayer as the body of Christ we see that power displayed in our midst and in our ministry.

I look forward to us begin together this weekend, online or in-person, as we continue our series “Love One Another.”

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Another step forward

Slowly but surely we seem to be making progress in this battle with Covid. Infection rates and deaths are going down. Restrictions are being eased. And as a church, we continue to move forward step-by-step. Through the pandemic, as your leadership team makes decisions regarding our church's response, we have prayerfully sought to address two questions. What is wise? What is loving?

The state of New Hampshire eased its restrictions on masks a few days ago. The governor is still encouraging the use of masks, but it is no longer mandatory. This means that every store, restaurant and gathering place, including the church, must decide for itself how it will respond going forward. For Rock Church, the standard by which we make our decisions remains the same. What is wise? What is loving? I believe many of us are eager to get to the place of not having to wear masks everywhere. Personally, I long for the day when I can see people's smiles again!

I, and the rest of the leadership team, have been in prayerful consideration over our next step. It seems that the wise and loving thing would be a staged transition to a “masks optional” gathering. The first step was really the return to in-person worship. The next step was the discontinuation of preregistration for worship. And now we take another step forward. Beginning this week, when we gather for in-person worship, masks will be optional once seated in the sanctuary in Sandown and Plaistow. We would ask that you still wear your mask as you walk through the lobby. It is wise because a crowded lobby is higher risk setting. And it is the loving thing to do, particularly for our hospitality team (whose service puts them in close exposure to every person who comes in).

Assuming this goes well, and the trends continue in the right direction, my hope is that we can soon make masks optional in all spaces. But this seems like a wise and loving next step. Our North Shore campus is still under a mask mandate through the commonwealth of Massachusetts. So we will continue to offer higher precaution worship at North Shore. If you are not yet comfortable with the more moderate precaution approach of Sandown and Plaistow, the team at the North Shore campus would love to have you worship with them at 10:30 on Sunday.

I recognize that this is a very controversial topic and many of us have strong feelings about it on either side. Particularly in light of our current series “Love One Another”, I would ask us to be kind, gracious, respectful and even loving as we interact with people who think differently than us. As we talked about on Sunday, we are the family of God and we are called to love one another as Christ has loved us

As we take another step, I look forward to us being together in-person or online this Sunday as we continue this important series.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Ladies, don’t forget GROW this coming Monday at 6:30 pm. We have a very special guest coming to speak. You can find all the details at this link.

Someday

Over the past several weeks we've been slowly cleaning up my wife Nicole’s art gallery.  As we've done the work, I thought to myself on more than one occasion, “someday this will make a really nice Bible study space.” Yesterday, as I was reading in the book of I John, I thought to myself “someday this would make a great five week Bible study.”  Do you ever do that? Do you ever look at something and think “someday?”

As I was thinking about the “someday” of allowing the gallery to become a beautiful space for small group, and as I thought about the “someday”  of leading a study in I John, I am quite certain I heard the Holy Spirit say “why not now?”  Sometimes I think God is trying to lead us, and we find ourselves saying “someday.” Someday I am going to go on a mission trip. Someday I am going to talk with that coworker about Jesus. Someday I'm going to get connected to a small group.

In-person worship is back at all Rock Church locations!

I have definitely come to the conclusion that our time on this Earth is too short for “someday.” Personally, I want to get better at not only hearing the voice of God, but responding. I want to take more risks. I want to step out in faith more often. I want to experience all that God intends for me in this lifetime. Not just for the sake of experience, but for the advancement of his Kingdom.

The only way to move forward is to take the first step. So guess what? Next week I'm going to launch what I am calling a “pop up Bible study” in the gallery on the book of I John.   I'm calling it a pop up Bible study because I'm not taking months to schedule and promote it. I’m just gonna start...next Monday at 7:00 p.m.  I am not telling you this story because I am hoping you will all come to this Bible study.  Certainly I would love for some of you to attend. But the truth is I only have space for about 20.

I am really sharing the story with you because I am hoping it will encourage you to take some risks. To step out in faith. To follow God's lead when you hear his voice. Maybe it will be tomorrow at work when you feel God's nudge to invite a coworker for coffee and begin a relationship that could lead to them coming to know Jesus.   Or maybe God is going to lead you in some entirely different way. The point is to be open to his leading. To listen for his still small voice. And to have the courage to respond when he speaks. “Someday” is so far away. Why not now?

I look forward to seeing you all this Sunday, either in-person or online, as we continue our important new series “Love One Another.” And if any of you are interested in the I John study, there is a sign-up with all the details at this link

God Bless,

Pastor Steve