Check out The Stone Church Website

Today we'd like to announce that The Stone Church website is up and active!

www.thestonechurch.tv

Thank you to Russell Brown and Jono Ramey for their work in getting it off the ground.  Our hope is that this will help us communicate effectively to our community and our church. 

The reality is that someone will make a decision about attending based on what they see and read on our site and that for that someone that decision will change everything about their life.

Yet Another Reason to Stop by Open House at The Stone Church Tomorrow 5-7 pm

As if you needed yet another reason to come by the Open House tomorrow night!  

Well, you need to hear about how we believe in your children and want them to grow up to love God fully, live vibrant lives and lead others wisely.

Here's what Jesus said:  

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of god belongs to such as these.  Mark 10.14

At The Stone Church we believe that children matter to God and that God should matter to children.

So, hopefully we'll see you tomorrow evening for some homemade pies and sweet tea, we can sit on a bench and talk about your story and we'll tell you a little bit about us and what we see God doing in our church and community.

Reason #5 for Checking out the Open House this Sunday from 5-7 pm

Construction creates curiosity.

In case you haven't noticed we have been doing quite a bit of reconstruction around The Stone Church--and we still have a ways to go.  The good news is that we are making progress. 

Walls have been painted, closets and sheds have been organized, limbs have been trimmed, and work on the roof will start later this week. Yeah, there's still a good bit to be done and our goal is to have everything completed by the middle of December.  

So, reason #5 for stopping by the Open House on Sunday is that you'll be able to get an inside look at what we're doing.  

Reason #5 1/2:  You can see Shane Harper (seen in today's picture) and hear his story (see Reason #4 in yesterday's blog.)

Open House: Reason #4: "So, What's Your Story?"

Several years ago I started asking people a simple question when I wanted to get to know them better:  "So, what's your story?"

I remember sitting across the table with a couple of teenagers in a McDonalds while on a ski retreat in West Virginia when I asked this question for the first time. I had never met the young girl who had come with her friend and so I sat there with my Quarter Pounder with Cheese and asked her that question. 

The story I heard was heart-breaking. She told me that her father had died from cancer in the last year and that her mother was doing her best to raise `her daughter and siblings. Though it was a difficult story to hear it helped me to see that girl in a different light. She was no longer just an awkward teenage girl wanting to hang out with her friends and ski. She was a young woman who needed to feel the love of God and to have hope that in the future God will make all things new again.

Reason #4 for coming to the "Open House" on Sunday:  You will meet some interesting people with intriguing stories.  Don't be surprised if someone asks:  "So, what's your story?" 

Disguises and Distractions

We take a break today from "Reasons to Attend the Open House" for Tracie to share a story...

By definition, an adventure is an exciting or very unusual experience or hazardous action of uncertain outcome. So far, we have had excitement - new house, new friends, misplaced items in mislabeled boxes. We've had unusual experiences - lightening strike wiped out the internet for five days, two crashed computers in one week, three dental trips involving broken teeth for me and two for John within a month of each other. 

Then the hazardous presented itself a few days ago when we arrived home shortly after dusk to discover a three-foot plus rattlesnake crossing our driveway.... it was just a random sighting though, right?




Well, our "random" experience took a turn when the EMC guys who were fixing our fried transformer said our neighbor was experiencing an abundance of rattlesnake sightings this year. Suddenly, all I could think about were kids, dogs, and a yard full of snakes disguised as sticks.

I researched safety - back away slowly. I researched what to look for, what to avoid, what to do "in case of". I dreamed about snakes - I lost sleep. Within 36 hours, I was obsessing.

Finally, I prayed. Interesting how prayer can change one's perspective, isn't it?

When I took the time to listen, the Lord reminded me of I Peter 5:12 "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Suddenly, the Lord was redirecting my thoughts as he began teaching me... Satan is real and dangerous, and he is destroying lives.

In 36 hours, I became a self-taught semi-expert on rattlers in Georgia, ours are called Canebrake Rattlesnakes by the way, but have I ever been that intense with sharing my faith? Have I ever obsessed over how to share God's love better? I look others in the eyes, yet I've never lost sleep over their souls.

I'm still going to be alert in our yard but as our journey continues, I'm also going to consider the last part of adventure's definition of the uncertain outcome. We each have a choice before us - the enemy is active so when you look that next person in the face, will you take a chance to be used by God so that their future outcome will be changed or will you slowly walk away?

I am praying for boldness for you and for me!