We need your HELP!!!

I would not normally do this, in fact it is the thing that I hate the most in life and that is ASKING FOR HELP. As most of you know Amica and I have been on this journey of planting a church in RTP area for the last 8 months. It has been amazing seeing how God has orchestrated all kinds of miracles throughout the process. We are few months away from our first service and still have so many things we want to do to communicate the truth about God’s love for the unchurched, uncommitted and undecided of our community. Within a few months out there are a lot of decisions and purchases that need to be made and that is where WE NEED YOUR HELP. We are believing God for an additional $50,000 which we do not have now to get the items we need, market our church to the community and reach out to the people around us in a practical and relevant way.

We are asking that you would prayerfully ask God what would be your part to play in this new church plant. We know that the local church is the hope of the world, and we would love for you to partner with us in this investment into the kingdom of God. Thank you so much for your belief in us and what the Lord is doing here in RTP area.

Bringing People to God with the Love of Jesus,

Raphael and Amica

If you would like to invest in this church, you can give securely through donation: 3413 Skybrook Lane, Durham, NC 27703

UP THE MIDDLE CHURCH

In The Up The Middle Church, Matt Keller offers an on-the-field playbook for pastors and leaders who need to know how to win their Super Bowl one yard at a time!

The church world today is inundated with stories of Overnight Success. The one percent of churches who have a long bomb story seem to make the headlines, but what about the other ninety-nine percent? Are we destined for failure? Are we left without options? Will we ever see our dream of doing something great for God come true?


In The Up the Middle Church, Matt Keller unpacks the myth that just because a church isn’t big, fast, doesn’t mean it isn’t successful. When Next Level Church began in 2002, it was anything but an overnight success story. However, by learning and implementing the principles that are in this book, that same church has grown from four people to nearly a thousand every week!

There is a new normal in the church world today, and it’s The Up the Middle Church. It’s possible to win in your church, but maybe God wants to show you how…one yard at a time!

Life Giving Life-Space

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Christ traded spaces with us on the cross. He died in our place, for our sin so that we could have life. But if you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins, you only believe one-half of the Gospel. The other half of the Gospel is the fact that Christ fulfilled God's standard perfectly. He was 100% righteous. So, had Christ been 90% righteous or 80% righteous, his sacrifice would not meet God's demands. He was 100% righteous so that we can have life and more the abundance.

So, once you bow the knee to Christ and ask him to come into your life to take residence, to come into the dwelling place of your heart, then the righteousness of Christ is imputed into your life. Thus, when God sees you, he sees Jesus and his perfect character. This is only able to take place because of the resurrection power.

That's the power that can renovate our minds and hearts today and that will one day completely renovate and restore our sin-torn bodies into glorified bodies that will live forever in heaven (New-Life). The resurrection is the final hope of every Christ-follower. It is the "final reveal" of God's design and renovation: the perfection of our mind, body, and spirit. On the other side of the grave, when God says, "Okay, open your eyes and see your new life-space," you will open your eyes in a resurrected, recreated body, a completely new life-space that you will inhabit for eternity.

It will be the perfect life-space, designed by the perfect Designer (God the Father), rebuilt by the perfect Carpenter (Jesus Christ) and purchased at the ultimate cost (Christ's precious blood). But you've got to make the choice: Are you going to keep trying on your own to rebuild the rubble left by sin or are you going to let the Carpenter renovate your life into the perfect life-space.

Launching Large

“Launching Large – Launching large is the ability of a new church to reach as many people as possible within the first six to eight months of existence. It’s an issue of discovering and fulfilling potential. Of course, large is a relative term. Launching large will look different for different church planters in different environments. Church is local, and launching large is as unique as the area to which God has called you. Areas that are warm to the gospel may lend to a larger launch than completely unchurched areas. We have also seen the reverse hold true. Don’t get too caught up in the numbers. Instead focus on the potential of your area.”
“Launching large is about cooperating with God to see his vision accomplished in an area. Don’t underestimate that vision.”
(excerpt taken from Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas of Church Leader Insights.com)
The idea of launching large has nothing to do with ego or numbers for numbers sake. The idea of launching large has everything to do with reaching as many people with the life saving message of the cross as we can! Our plan for NJC Church is to do everything we can possible to launch large!

Life Giving Community-A Community of Believers

How do you value community? In many cases we have to understand that our neighbor perhaps value community different than the Church Community. In some cases people base their vale of community upon what they can get out of it rather what they can put into a community.

List of Community Values:
• Resources
• Networks
• Commonalities
• Friendships
• Religion

Christianity means community in Jesus Christ and His body, the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ is His community. Nothing more or less than this. We belong to one another only through Jesus Christ. What does this means? It means that as Christian needs others because of Jesus Christ. He is the head of the community and we are the parts. He holds it together through the members of His community. Jesus committed to God‘s master plan of community to reach and transform a lost world to the Kingdom of God. Jesus came with the purpose of reclaiming the world with the Gospel. His plan is simple and profound he formed a community of twelve ordinary men and gave himself to train these men for three years through service.

In this lesson, a community was born?
1. The Believers Form a Community
Acts 2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper[i]), and to prayer.
What are the marks for a believer community?
• Love God through Worship: Prayer
• Show love for others through Ministry: Service.
• Share God’s message through Evangelism. Sharing
• Identify with his church through fellowship: Connection
• Created to become like Christ, so your purpose is to grow to maturity through discipleship: Teaching
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
In this text, we see an authentic conversion because the people were a deep reverence God.
2. The Believers Community has a deeper understanding because they fear God and His word.
• A believer community fears God vs. 43
• A believer community admit there sins:
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
We all have sin in our hearts. We all were born with sin.
We were born under the power of sin's control.
• A believer community understands, they deserve death for their sins.
Romans 6:2a "...The wages of sin is death..."
Sin has an ending. It results in death. We all face physical death, which is a result of sin. But a worse death is spiritual death that alienates us from God, and will last for all eternity. The Bible teaches that there is a place called the Lake of Fire where lost people will be in torment forever. It is the place where people who are spiritually dead will remain.

• A believer community understands salvation is a free gift from God to you!
Romans 6:23b "...But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

• A believer community understands that Jesus died on the cross and He paid sin's penalty. He paid the price for all sin, and when He took all the sins of the world on Himself on the cross, He bought us out of slavery to sin and death!
Romans 5:8, "God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us!"
• A believer community calls out to God in the name of Jesus
Romans 10:13 "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved!"

• A believer community believes with their heart and confess with their mouth
Romans 10:9,10 "...If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
• A believer community understands you must be born again John 3

• A believer community opens their heart’s door.
Revelation 3:20a "Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears My voice

We belong to one another only through Jesus Christ.
3. The believers’ community are united by sharing everything they have.
44 And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had.
45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.
46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity[j]—
47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

So this week, when you feel like there is no one that can grasp what you are going through; when you feel like throwing up your hands and giving up; remember there is a community of believers who understands and there is a Community Savior who wants to share Himself with you.

For more information about this and other subjects, visit the Raphael Yon blog:
http://raphaelyon.blogspot.com/

Life Giving Community: Community Builders

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. Romans 12:2-10
This past Sunday, we shared what a Community Builder should hold to as the proper pattern of behavior to relate to others.

* Community Builders live a life that God will accept


* Community Builders change their pattern of thinking


* Community Builders are body of believers


* Community Builders work together


* Community builders hold tight to the right behaviors

9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.

* Community Builders love others with genuine affection

10 Love each other with genuine affection,[e] and take delight in honoring each other.

* Community Builders are hard workers

11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[f]

* Community builders are confident in God and committed to God in helping others

12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

* Community builders know how to live in harmony with others

14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.
16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable.
18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
19 Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;I will pay them back, says the Lord.

20 Instead,"If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.”
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
This week, live a life as a community builder. Just say to him, "God, show me someone in my life that I need to invite to church or share you with." God wants you to be his witness. Look for the people in your life that need him, and then be a builder and witness to what God has done in your life.

Enjoy being used by God and become a Community Builder in His Kingdom. Please come out next Sunday and enjoy this new series: A Life Giving Community, during this teaching we will have breakfast and activities that will surely please all groups and ages.

Theater Church Interview: Carl Kuhl

May 14th, 2009 by Doug

Carl Kuhl is the lead pastor of Mosaic Christian Church in Hanover, MD. They meet in the Egyptian 24 theater, which has the distinction of being one of the busiest theaters in America. I sat down with Carl this morning and asked him a few questions about doing church in a movie theater.

If you were to give a church planter advice on doing church in a theater, what would it be?

Build a good relationship with the GM. That’s been something I’ve primarily done. We get along well. I like him and he likes me. We’ve build trust. When we first started, we asked to do our service at 10am. He told us no because he didn’t trust we could be out on time. After meeting there 9 months, we asked again. We have our first service at 10am this Sunday.

What have you done to build that relationship of trust?

We have a rule that we always leave the theater in better condition than when we arrived. One room in particular always needs swept and cleaned during setup. We also are honest and always ask for things. In previous ministries I didn’t always do that. I thought it was better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. That damaged relationships more than building trust. So if we need something from the theater we ask first.

Are people beginning to identify you as the church that meets in the theater?

Yes, we’ve intentionally marketed that way. We’ve done our baptism services in other churches with 24/7 facilities. They are hard to find. The nice thing about the theater is everyone knows where it is and how to get there. What has surprised me a little is that meeting in a theater has been an obstacle for some people from a more traditional denominational or Catholic background, even the younger ones. They have been unsure about a church in a theater. Once they come they get over that though. But for most people the theater is a great location and environment for church.

Thanks Carl for that great insight. If you want to learn more about doing church in a theater, check out National Cinemedia’s webinar happening today, May 14th at 1pm est.