Fasting Challenge – Pentecost

Over the last two Sundays, I introduced the discipline of fasting to Team Church.  This is a special time of giving up food or other meaningful things to seek the Lord for something you need.

I am really grateful that so many of the Team Church folks, and even those outside our community, are fasting.  God is answering!

Yesterday’s message came from Isaiah 58.  It gives many promises for those who will fast with the right attitude, but it also gives many precautions for those who practice religious things but won’t drop their pride and self-righteousness.  That persons fasting only results in an empty belly.

Part of the fasting that pleases God is for us to be actively taking away from ourselves and giving it to others.  One example may be to not just abstain from food, but to give away what you would have eaten.  It’s not a rule because there are many examples in the chapter, but that’s the idea portrayed in Isaiah 58.  How we treat others is so very important when we are trying to connect with God.

I didn’t mention it yesterday, but it was Pentecost Sunday which commemorates the day that the Holy Spirit came down to empower the Church.  Keep praying that the Holy Spirit will not only lead us in Kershaw but empower us!

Have a great Memorial Day and demonstrate the Gospel to others!

Also please make your plans to share this Thursday evening together:

Prayer and Strategy meeting Thursday, May 31st @ 7pm

Everyone is invited to the meeting at the Timmons’ home next Thursday night for a prayer and strategy meeting.  Plus, we have encouraged everyone to pray and fast for the church in three specific ways.

• Direction for the Church in Kershaw
• We see people come to know Jesus in Kershaw
• God send more workers for the mission in Kershaw

I encourage all of us to fast and pray during that day prior to the meeting and we will have food to share together at the meeting. ( heavy hors d’oeuvres).  Childcare will not be available, so please make  arrangements for sitters.

Series Summary…”What you bring to the table”

I believe that the Holy Spirit is leading a movement for the Church to unite over the issue of race.  Several pastors have recently highlighted the fact that Sundays are the most segregated times for the believer.  Several pastors are becoming unsettled about the fact that believers aren’t moving toward unity with other churches.

And these pastors, including me, aren’t conspiring with each other…it all just happened because we are led in that direction.  Of course the Holy Spirit is the One directing this movement.  I’m not claiming a prophecy here but I believe that something big in the area of race relations is building among the churches in our area.  The Holy Spirit is on the move.

We’ve come to the end of the collection of sermons for “What You Bring to the Table.”  For the next few days, I will review some of what we learned from the series.

First was the vision for Peter of the sheet coming from heaven in Acts 10.  He learned that “God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean.”

He found out that his prejudice against a whole people group was actually hindering what God was doing through the burgeoning move of God to take the Gospel to everyone, everywhere, and even to the ends of the earth.

Satan didn’t like it then, and he won’t like it now…but trust God and follow the directing of the Spirit in this area!

Spring-a-thon May 12-13… find out how to serve

***update:  there is a lot going on here so please choose where you’d like to serve.  In other words, you don’t have to do it all.  Thanks***  Go to our facebook page to let us know when you’d like to help:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Church-Lancaster-County/130550805890

Spring-a-thon is coming May 12-13.  It has become a joke that it always rains on Spring-a-thon, but there is a reason we’re always talking about rain…it’s because we’re always there.  You can count on Team Church pitching in and serving the town.    This is really what we love to do most in town…just serve the people we live around!  You can serve in at least three areas.

Fun Run 3k

Again this year we are leading the Fun Run 3 k.  Please come and enjoy yourself with this event.  Run or help direct the flow, pass out water, medals, and encouragement.

Check out the route starting at the First Citzens’ Parking lot here:  http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/88932743/

2011 Fun Run Participants

Bouncy House

Also we will be operating a bouncy castle and obstacle course (courtesy of Covenant Baptist in Lancaster :).  We could use plenty of help with putting up and down the equipment and supervising children.

Pro Tennis Exhibition

Team Church has also been asked to help out on Sunday evening at the Tennis event.  This will be such a neat experience!  We need some volunteers who can prepare brownies and have them placed in a snack baggie for the event.  This could be done ahead of time and we will need a total of 150.

Also, for the Sunday event we need folks to welcome and assist with crowd flow and parking and inflating helium balloons.  Get times and more info from the Tennis Exhibition Flyer.

Why we do community events

Yesterday I mentioned a couple of community events.  That got me thinking about the events that Team Church has conducted in the past.

I’ll start by saying that I am extremely proud of Team Church events beginning with the Easter Egg Hunt that launched the church in 2009.  By the way, Olivia Hann, our worship leader is hosting an egg hunt for children on Saturday, April 7th from 2:30pm to 4pm.    Bring a basket or bag.  

2011 Fun Run Participants at Kershaw's Spring-a-Thon ...0bviously caught in the middle of racing past me at high speeds 😉

I think it is helpful to express why we do what we do when it comes to community events.

• First, we try to pick things where we can serve the community.  Movie nights, Spring-a-thon Fun Run, Blood Pressure Check-ups, volunteer at Youth Serve, serving hot chocolate at the Christmas parade, back to school shoe give-a-ways, etc.  They provide a source of entertaining or needed activity.  By the way, we believe that giving a family something fun to do together for a night in Kershaw–like a movie–serves a great need, just like a pair of new shoes serves a need.
• Secondly, we try to offer an opportunity for the community to also serve in some way.  With every project, there should be a way that you can involve others.  For instance, when you come to see a free movie, ask people to donate school supplies.  I love giving people opportunities to feel blessed when they give back.  No joke.  People feel great when they contribute and I simply try to offer them a way to engage.
• Third, we avoid making it self-promoting.  I can’t deny that it is my nature to want to brag on my church and also promote it, but everyone smells what a church is cooking when a “give-a-way” becomes a bargaining chip for your contact info.  It is not wrong, and I waiver with doing it in small degrees, but basically I try to avoid it at events.  We believe it is refreshing to give away or serve others without any awkward strings attached.

Finally, I believe that Team Church has a reputation for being quick to serve others, including serving other churches.  But I don’t think that it has come because of the events we’ve done.

I believe it comes more from the people of Team Church being the kind and serving people that they are in their everyday and weekend activities outside of church.  Many of the folks at Team Church volunteer their time, help with other organizations and are typically active people in the community.  The church gets some credit simply because these people are so awesome…but really the church is the people, right?

Keep thinking about some community events that would be meaningful, and make some suggestions in the comments.  I am always open to your collaboration!

“GRacism”

Are you a gracist?

Not a misspelling.  The word “gracist” just popped into a conversation I was having yesterday.  I thought, “mmmhmmm, that could be a message series title.”  This was too clever of a word for it not to be used before, so I googled it and found that certainly other preachers and authors have used the word play.

Racism is a really negative and prevalent issue of showing prejudice toward others based on their race.  Put a “G” in the front and it introduces God’s Grace or unmerited favor.

David Anderson wrote a refreshing book entitled “Gracism.”  His point is NOT that color, class, or culture DON’T matter, but rather Christians are called to extend grace or unmerited favor on others precisely because of their differences.

Anderson put it:

The heart of a gracist extends a helping hand to those who are outside the positive norms of a particular society… gracists build bridges of inclusion for those on the margins.

I haven’t read Anderson’s book, but I’m intrigued by this idea.  Racism is a particularly ugly issue in this part of the country, but there are beautiful signs of reconciliation!  Team Church was planted here with the hope that it would become one of the few (only?) mult-racial churches in our area.

Perhaps this could be a sermon series where we can do some intentional things to bring people of different races together?  It’s kind of ridiculous that God can bring people from nearly 50 nations together in the same church in Charlotte, just an hour away, but we can’t hold many services where blacks and whites worship together.

Hey, I said it before, but we have to own it…”We Are Lanc…”  Well, you know.

What does “gracism” make you think of?  Ever read Anderson’s book?  I would love any feedback you have.  Hey you creative thinkers…time to collaborate.

Elevation in Kershaw…God’s Hand on Kershaw

Last week was really exciting for me at the prison.  I am one of the chaplains at Kershaw Correctional Institution.We had a very special service that featured several pastors from Elevation Church.  Elevation has “adopted” our prison chapel as one of their Extension campuses.  That means that weekly one of the worship services we provide is the same video that other campuses use.

What made this service so special is that Pastor Steven Furtick preached on Thursday at Kershaw.  He speaks at the largest venues in the world, so it was super cool of him to say, that he really wanted to come to Kershaw to see what was happening for himself.

If you’re reading this blog from anywhere else in the world, you simply can’t know what it is like to see God work in Kershaw.  There is some kind of special anointing about this place.  For Kershaw to be out in the proverbial nowhere, a lot of really neat things go on here–even in prison.

This is just another example of the hand of God resting on us in Kershaw.  (We also have had Norman Geisler preach at Kershaw’s chapel).

For many people, they won’t see it.  They say, “you got to go thirty minutes to get to a Walmart.”  That may be true, but God’s got his hand on Kershaw, and Walmart doesn’t carry that!

Team Church is in Kershaw because Kershaw is special to God!  I’m so glad that we were called to this mission.  I guess this would be the time to insert “We are Lancaster?”   mmm…. 😉

Team Church Media Blitz

I am beginning the big media tour!  I wish that you could see the smirk on my face as I write this because I am being silly.  It’s not that I’m about to hit all the major morning talk shows, Oprah or Steven Colbert; rather I’m trying to get the Team Church name out in Kershaw by newspaper, radio, and web.

From time to time we have used a few ads in the town’s newspaper.  But now I am doing a regular article for them.  It is a brief devotional thought a lot like a blog.  You can read the paper online at www.kershawnewsera.com.

And starting this week, I am hosting a new call-in radio talk show.  I am calling it “Connection Cafe,” just like our meeting area at church.  It doubles for a great title for a lunch-time show.  It’s not clear who’s out there listening in Kershaw just yet…but what a neat opportunity!  Thursdays at noon, you can listen live on the radio around Kershaw on 1300AM, or stream live online at www.wksc1300.com, and click on “Listen Live” at the top of the page.

Of course, our presence to the web is nothing new.  I would safely say we’ve mastered that media, wouldn’t you??  But recently, I’ve also placed on article on another website:  LikeATeam.com.  Continue to check us out on the facebook page too.

Feel free to join the conversation here on the blog, facebook page, or on the radio.

Porn Event Invitation

Now that we’ve broached the subject of pornography in the church, I feel so liberated to keep talking about it.  After all, as we expose this sin to light, it frees us from its dark bondage.  If we don’t talk about it men and women…christians will continue to struggle alone!

So, I’m blogging again to invite men to an informal follow-up this week.  7pm at Jim’s house (please email us at info@teamchurch.org if you don’t know where it is) we will watch a 25-minute presentation from http://www.xxxchurch.com.  See Monday’s blog for a better description.

Not sure that you need someone who understands??? Trust me, you are not alone.  Below, is a recent email sent in to the xxxchurch.com website.  It’s from a real person who just posted it Monday morning, and he is just one in millions who need help.  If you feel like this, please let’s talk.  Come Thursday, or open up because there is hope!

It happened again…..after all my promises and efforts and everything, it still came back.

The funny thing about it before I logged onto my computer to go to a porn site I thought that I really didn’t want to do it. Even in the middle of surfing through the pages, I thought that it was kinda boring and I didn’t really like it. Still, I went through it and finished and ended up at the exact spot I knew I would….temporary fantasy and passing time but now just empty. I dont know what to do. It felt like somebody else took control of my thoughts and my arms and forced me to look at it. It was like no matter what I thought about or did there was no chance of not being able to look. If that’s not addiction I dont know what is.

So now Im stuck. Im writing this confesion because I feel so guilty right now, like a failure. But tommorrow that feeling will be gone and replaced with that same feeling that takes control of me and like forces me to go look at it more. What else can I do? I feel like Ive been in a boxing match against porn and it has been completly kicking the s*** out of me….sorry bout the language but Im just so angry at myself right now. I know that I cant give up on God, but its times like this where he just feels so fake and far away and like his words arent really true. And I just want to give up. Sometimes it feels like if Im gonna lose this boxing match anyway why should I even fight it? Wouldnt it be less painful it I didnt put any effort in?
Gross…..what a mess Im in. And its all my fault. And Im so sorry. And I wish I could change but I dont think I can. And I wish God would freakin do something.
And Im going to bed, so scared that tommorrow will be another day of being controled by something I hate.

New Horizon Revival this week

this weekend I will be preaching for New Horizon Community Church Friday, April 30th, and Saturday, May 1st at 7 pm, and conclude the services Sunday morning, May 2nd at a 9:30 AM.

New Horizon is a church plant in Lancaster.  They are 5 years old and a contemporary worship style church.  When Team Church began last year the pastor of New Horizon, Dr. Steve Stewart, enthusiastically wanted to partner with us.  Early on, I preached there right before our launch, and soon after, their worship band led worship for Team Church on a Sunday morning in Kershaw. In addition to preaching a series of sermons over this coming weekend, the Team Church band will be leading the worship on Saturday, May 1st.

This is a great partnership and an example of teaming up with other local congregations.  One of our four shared responsibilities at Team Church is “Serving the Church.”  That means that we intentionally lend ourselves to helping local churches in the Kingdom of God.

Team Church is committed to partnering with other local congregations because we’re on the same team!  Pray for this special series of services that New Horizon Community will be refreshed and revived!

New Horizon is located near the corner of Airport Rd and Hwy 200 in Lancaster (map)

Meanwhile, back at the AJ Rec Center, Scott will be preaching the conclusion of “Not So Random” series with the message “No Random Acts of Kindness.”  And remember the top secret mission you have to spread some kindness this week.

An Easter blessing – contributed by Olivia Hann, TC Worship Leader

For those of you who read this blog, I’d like to give a public “shout out” to fellow Team Church member, Doug Murray. Yesterday, being Easter Sunday, I had family in town attending our service with plans to eat lunch together afterwards. So you can imagine how discouraged I was when I found out my house was having plumbing problem Sunday morning. Backed up sinks and showers while planning for a large family gathering is just the thing to stress me out! Anyway, before leaving our service yesterday, I mentioned, in passing, that I was going home to plumbing problems that had arisen before church. Doug quickly responded, “do you need some help?” I answered, “No” by explaining that my stepfather was in town and he was going to look into the problem for me.

Around 3:30, while my stepfather was working under the kitchen sink, I looked out the window to see Doug pulling up in the driveway. He was there ready and willing to lend his assistance in any way he could. By the time he left (several hours later), our plumbing problems had been washed down the drain (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun!).

Anyway, the plumbing isn’t even the point. The point is Doug took his valuable time on a holiday to help me with a messy, difficult task. I am grateful and humbled by his generosity. So, if you are reading this blog Doug, thank you! Thank you for helping me with my plumbing problems and more importantly, thank you for showing me (and those of us reading this) a Godly example of service.

-Olivia Hann
Worship Leader

You’ve found the right place

If you’re reading this, you’ve found the new blog home!  There aren’t many changes, and you’ll find all of our past posts.  Only the web address has changed to www.teamchurch.wordpress.com and is hosted publically with WordPress.com rather than through the private website of our launching church in Matthews.  If you’ve got us bookmarked, please note the changes.

As Easter approaches, we are celebrating our one year anniversary and completing the launch of Team Church in Kershaw.  Last Easter, through the great efforts of Team Church in Matthews, we hit the ground running with a super Easter egg hunt for the community.  It made a big splash.  For this year, we’re gearing up for some post-Easter plans that will also greatly impact the community.

We’re always looking for the best possible ways to introduce ourselves to new folks, and also make real practical changes in the community.  When people meet Team Church for the first time, or they think of Team Church, I hope  they’ll say, “Those people really come together and make a difference.”

Keep teaming up every Sunday and let’s follow where God is leading.  I promise…you’ve found the right place!

Valentines for Team Church

“i Heart my Church” began Sunday.  Over the past year, i keep hearing people say great things about Team Church.  There have been times in the past when I would have thought repeating that was selfish, boastful, and prideful.  But now I see it very differently.  The only way it can be prideful is if I am trying to take the credit for the good that’s been done.  I’m not interested in taking the credit, so then, I asked myself,

“Why not share that sentiment with others?”

“Why not celebrate that God is doing something awesome in us and through us?”

“Let’s celebrate God and how He is inspiring others around us.”

So this series of messags is all about promoting the message that others are saying about God and their experience with the family of God.  To give everyone a chance to put it in their own words, we asked people in the service Sunday to make Team Church a valentine.  Each person made a homemade valentine and completed the phrase “i Heart My Church because…” Here is what they said: (and I ever so humbly left in the personal compliments about me…and no I didn’t write them myself!!)

I love my church …

• because I go through a lot and it helps me
• because it is awesome!  I always enjoy the music and the fellowship with other awesome people.  And the messages always speak to my heart & soul
• because of the love of God, the people, & the feeling I walk out of church with
• because the idea I feel behind the church is outreach and adding to the family, not keeping the family the same
• because my church taught me to drink coffee
• because the mission for people is real
• because this church is so funny and great.  The pastor is super funny
• because they make us feel very welcome
• because God lives here!!!
• because Jesus loves me!
• because it’s real like me
• because its the one place I can truly be myself.  I’ve never been to a church where I feel so comfortable
• because the pastors are cool.  And I met my true valentine and future wife
• because it’s fun and everybody always helps out
• because they brought me closer to God.  the family and love is all here
• because I can be real
• because it cares about the lost, the worship services are GREAT, & God moved us here!
• because they love me no matter what!
• because they keep it real.  These people are a team, a family.  They are here for the wins & the losses
• because they have shown me the true meaning of good people
• because I love God, & they love God, and the diversity is great
• because it is the coolest
• because it is very compassionate
• because Steve is awesome.  The people are awesome.  The music is awesome.  god is always felt here, and we have FUN!

The 24 valentines above express a pretty common theme.  I take this as some confirmation that we’re on the right track of our ONE PURPOSE:  to reach out to others where they are, and lead them to full devotion in Jesus Christ.

Share a clearer view of Christmas

Sunday was all about sharing your Christmas Experience.  We called it Sharing the Window Seat.

If you’ve ever traveled by plane or train, you know what it is like to hold the ever-sacred window seat…it’s the best place to receive the full effect.  But if you’ve already had the pleasure, and you’re traveling with a novice who’s never sat in that seat before, you would gladly give it up for them.

That is an image of our Christian Christmas experience.  If you have received faith in Jesus, if you know the joy that Jesus brings, then this Christmas you should offer someone else a seat that displays the landscape of eternal life.  You may say that others around you know about Jesus, and there are plenty of churches that can help.  But, you are the best guide to help your friend see more clearly.  In fact Jesus has you in their lives for this reason.

When you get together with your friends and families, remember that not everyone around you has a clear view of Jesus.  You may also wonder if they have eternal life.  Share your experience of knowing Jesus with them.  This could be their first real Christmas knowing Jesus.

We want to share a beautiful Christmas Eve service with Kershaw.  I hope you’ll come and bring someone close to you.  You can find out more about us or pass along this website to others that may be interested at www.teamchurchkershaw.com/christmaseve.html

Christmas Eve is coming

Next week is our first ever Christmas Eve Service!  Christmas is a great time to reach out to people in special ways.

This is a perfect service to invite people you know.

• You can invite families looking to do something meaningful with the kids before Christmas morning.
• Or, or you could invite the couple with an empty nest, and looking for something to do.
• You can invite those dealing with grief because the Christmas season is a tough one to do alone.
• You can even invite those who may be hardened towards God, but would come with you because you asked.

This may be the best opportunity you have to invite your friends, families, and co-workers to a special event.

Dress warmly, but we’ll have plenty of warmth from the fireplace and heaters.  You can expect about a 45 minute service with singing and the Nativity Story.

Volunteers can start arriving at 3 pm, and we’ll need about 45 minutes to tear down at the end of the service.  This will be a memorable mission to add to your Christmas festivities.

I hope you’ll share this invitation with your friends on the net, but a personal invitation will always be appreciated.  See you this Sunday where the music and message will be focused on Sharing some of the most important things with others.

We Stuffed the Bus! Way to Go!

donations of school supplies for Kershaw Elementary School

Part of the game plan for Team Church is to reach and impact the community. As I was delivering the school supplies that we’ve collected through the month of August to the Kershaw Elementary School, I was thinking of the ways we’ve tried to reach and impact our community in Lancaster County.

We started off with a bang by providing a huge community Easter egg hunt.  We’ve served the town with the Springathon, and provided support to Youth Serve during its two weeks of community service project.  Also, we’ve volunteered for other youth events with the community ministry called YIELD.  Just last month we provided another large event with the free outdoor community movie.  And as we’ve entered into the fall, we are sponsoring the Andrew Jackson High School sports program, plus we weekly provide the football players with small treat before each game.

And today was especially gratifying as Grant, David, and I delivered the school supplies that were donated for the Kershaw Elementary School.  The principal and school counselor were elated over the donation, and knew that the supplies were really needed.  Back when we asked about the needs of the school, Principal Jennifer Etheridge was moved when she thought of the increasing financial need of our area.  Extra supplies are crucial for the increase of students that can’t afford even the basics.

If you think about what connects all the things that we’ve been about since the launch, you’ll find a couple of words are key:  community and serve.  Our game plan is to reach out…to the community…and do what?  impact…make a difference, and we do that by serving!

Way to go, Team Church!  That’s showing Christ to those around us…and it will make a difference in the lives of those families that we’re reaching and impacting!

Susan Hammond,School Counselor; Jennifer Etheridge, Principal; Steve Miller, Teach Church Pastor

Sign-up for Home Teams

Home Team sign-ups went well Sunday.  We’ll continue signing-up more over the next couple of weeks.  As of now, there are five groups that you can be a part of.

People keep asking what our group is doing.  Actually, our group is going to do the same thing that each group is doing.  For this semester of Home Teams, we’ll be following the themes of the Sunday morning messages.  For instance, if Kenny and I are preaching about loneliness, our Home Teams that week will be talking about loneliness.  Rick Faulkner, our Executive Pastor is preparing our Home Team curriculum for each week through the fall.  He already has our first series done that will coincide with the message series called, “Balcony.”

The Balcony series is all about seeing things from a higher perspective with topics such as

• Sept. 13…Better view (interpreting life from a better vantage point)
• Sept. 20…Sitting alone (seeing loneliness from the top)
• Sept. 27…Best Seat (managing finances for the “Better Things)
• Oct. 4 …In the Dark (overcoming temptations in life)

Home Teams will be starting on the week of Sept. 13 and I know they’ll be the perfect way for you to Activate In!

And by the way, Scott will be preaching the first part of this series on September 13…yeah!  Scott’s the Home Team guy, Set-up Czar, and now for the first time at Team Church…the preacher dude!  Well actually his title is “Pastor of Spiritual Development.”  Begin looking forward to this great series.

If you haven’t already signed-up for one of the most exciting, life giving, awesome groups, please sign up this Sunday.  You won’t regret it, because as I talked about reaching inward toward one another …we were designed for community, and Jesus desires it for us. If you would like to know more about home teams, you can read up on it at http://teamchurch.com/hometeams

I'm in the In-crowd…don't you wish you were too

With the popularity of Facebook, people are reconnecting with old friends from High School, colleges, old stomping grounds, and work places.  Just yesterday I went back to Bishopville, where I went to High School, and met an old friend who I worked with during my Waffle House days. We didn’t meet on Facebook, but of course now we’re friends on Facebook together.  For your viewing pleasure, here’s some old photos of the coolest people in the business back in 1993.

At first, my friend and I had a hard time remembering some of our old co-workers’ names.  But then all of a sudden, we got on a roll.  At first it was, “Who was that one girl…you know the loud one?”  or “Gosh, what was his name…the guy with that face…?”  And then it became, “Yeah how about Jackie…you remember Carrie…do you still hear from Tony…oh Jennifer has four kids now?”  As we reminisced, feelings also came back to me.  That sense of being together, working side-by-side, the fun, friendship and warm sense of self-worth came back.  Truly, it is very cool to feel like part of the “in” crowd, isn’t it?

You may or may not have ever been part of any in-crowd, but probably you wanted to be.  Whether you’re willing to admit it or not, everybody wants to be accepted whether it’s with friends, family, co-workers or the cheerleader squad (well maybe not the cheerleaders for me personally).

Sunday, I’ll tell you how getting in a Home Team is one way to be part of a terrific in-crowd in the message entitled “Activate IN”.  Home Teams are small groups that meet during the week in homes.  This isn’t the kind of overly critical clique that judges everyone else who couldn’t possibly make the cut.  This is the crowd that is based on the groups that formed the first church in the book of Acts.  Acts 2:42-48 describes a group that did things together like

• learning about God,
• having fun together,
• sharing resources,
• caring for one another’s struggles,
• praying with and for each other,
• worshiping together, and
• serving one another and their community.

That’s a great in-crowd to be a part of.  As the three-week “Activate” series (UP, IN, & OUT) suggests, this is one way to activate faith in your life.

This Sunday, you’ll be able to sign-up to join in a Home Team that is beginning in September.  I hope to see you then.

Movie Night… and now Joining "IN"

The outdoor movie event was a smash last Friday!  I was afraid that we might get rained out, but the weather was awesome for the event.  The ball field was packed with movie-goers, and I’m really glad to say that everything came off without  hitch!  Already people are saying, “When are you going to do it again?”  Well, I don’t have plans right now, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t do it again real soon.  There are great pictures of the event on our Facebook page.

Setting up just before dusk in the Kershaw Ballfield. Soon 450 people will be in attendance!

The luminaries made it so festive...and there's Deeda, our picture-taker! Thanks

Take a look at the movie night photo album…you might be in there.

The only thing is how could we beat the popularity of such a family-friendly exciting movie like Race to Witch Mountain?  I know…we can make it a whole night of Betty Boop cartoons!  Just kidding, Scott!  We’ll just have to see what else might be a good time and choice.  Regardless, Team Church will be up to something in the community.

At Team Church, we believe in reaching and impacting the community, but events aren’t the only thing we hope to inspire people to participate in.  Our desire is to continually point people to an active faith in Jesus.  That is why we began our latest message series, Activate.  Sunday I explained that one area is to Activate Up…with transformational worship.  This Sunday we’ll be learning about Activate In…joining “in” a community of people who care, who will love, who will love enough to confront, who will help with accountability, healing, growing, learning, …living a faithful life.

Team Church will be having Home Team sign-ups this weekend.  Home Teams are what we call our the small groups that meet in homes during the week.  This is where we do most of our discipleship, fellowship, and have lots of fun together.  I hope that you will be ready to sign up to join in a group as you Activate IN.

1 Church, 2 locations…ONE night of Reach & Impact

As I plan for the Aug. 14 Free Outdoor Movie night, I’m thinking of how we’re going to “reach and impact our community.”  That phrase is part of the philosophy or game plan of Team Church.  And it’s not just about the community right around us.  Team Church is one church…in two locations, therefore two communities.

While we’re making a difference in Lancaster County, SC, Team Church is also reaching and impacting the community of Matthews, NC.  And in fact, on the night of our Movie event, Friday Aug. 14, the Matthews campus is hosting a free concert.  This is an awesome evening for two communities to invite friends.  Plus, we’ve planned the events for the Friday just before a great new sermon series called Activate.  In both locations, this is a great event to bring your nonChristian friends.  Here’s a facebook invite for the Movie night to share with others.

I’ve just watched the movie we’ll be showing at the ballfield beside the Kershaw Elementary School, and it was really fun and exciting.  It’s perfect for families.  You’re seriously going to love it.  We’re not charging a thing for admission, and even throwing popcorn in for free!  But we are asking attenders to bring a lawn chair for themselves, and bring some school supplies to donate to Kershaw Elementary School.  Through generous donations of school supplies, we’re hoping the movie night will make a big difference for the kids who need the help getting ready for “back to school” the following Monday.

This is just one more way Team Church reaches and impacts its communities.

As I said, we’re one church…in two locations, so you may want to know more about what’s going on in both communities.  www.teamchurch.com gives you the ability to find info on events, faqs, messages, or keep up with the latest blogs of the Matthew’s pastors, including our head coach Kenny Hibbard.  In fact, check out the post from Tuesday which describes his vision for Team Church Lancaster County and beyond.

Exciting Events for August

We’ve had some unique and awesome Sundays these past two weeks with a poolside talk on baptism and sharing the Lord’s Supper together for the first time at Team Church. We’re soon approaching the end of our first semester of Home Teams (we’ve got just two more meetings), and the launch of our Fall Teams (Aug. 20). Yep, that’s right, fall’s just around the corner and that means SCHOOL’S back.
To usher in the first day of school (aug. 17) Team Church is throwing the community a movie party! In just two-1/2 weeks we’re going to show an outdoor movie in the baseball field next to the Kershaw Elementary School. This will be a lot like our Easter event where our mission is to provide a fun environment for families. We want people in Kershaw to relax in their lawn chairs, have a bag of popcorn on us, and enjoy a movie. The movie is pretty exciting too and will start up at 9pm. It will have just come out on DVD, “Race to Witch Mountain.”

I’ll be asking for volunteers to sign up to help us on Friday August 14. So I hope you’ll help make this great night. Plus, you’ll hear more about how you can donate needed school supplies to the Elementary School kids.

As the Fall comes quickly we’re staying busy with Team Church because we really expect God to help us reach out to more people. Once school starts I believe God will begin multiplying some of the efforts we’ve put in during the summer. Teenagers are going to be sharing their experiences with Youth Serve and Team Church, and we could see a lot more of them on a regular basis. Teens will be talking to their parents about coming to visit, and we will see God transform lives as He leads people to salvation and full devotion. It’s really exciting what’s coming up soon.