blog.arrowheadchurch.com

For the next several weeks we will be focusing on continuing great worship experiences on Sundays both for adults and kids. But, behind the scenes we’ll be laying the groundwork for what is probably the most important part of who we are as a church. That part is small groups, and that’s what I’m asking you to pray for this week.

Small groups are the place where people are able to be the church for one another. Some people like big churches and most like small churches, but the truth is that it’s really hard for anybody to really know and serve more than about 10-15 people anyway. That’s what we envision for small groups, and only God can bring that vision to reality.

It’s our desire for everybody to calls Arrowhead home to be a part of a group that meets regularly to pray together, share a meal, and talk about life. Group dynamics and purposes will vary, but the foundation is the same.

All of us should have friends who notice when we’re not around! Church isn’t just a place to get together and sing and listen to sermons. Church is people focused on helping one another grow to be more like Jesus.

Awesome first day at Arrowhead today! I just can’t quit thinking about how faithful God has been through this whole process and how amazing it was to see it all come together for the first time today. Great people to connect with, a great service, and great crowd. The Lord just simply blew us away with what He did. I got to reconnect with some people I already knew and meet tons of new folks. And the great part is that this is only the beginning. It took us six months to get ready for the first service. Now six days till the next one! Can’t wait though.

Huge thanks to Blount Community Church for all they did today with ArrowheaKids. All of our people got to be in the service and get a glimpse of it all. If anybody wonders if churches can still work together for the good of the kingdom of God, they showed us today that they can! Thanks to Kenny and everybody from BCC.

Huge thanks to the young adults from Sevier Heights who came up yesterday to blitz the community with flyers while we got to focus on the Gas Buydown. We pumped over 1200 gallons of gas in 2 hours at 4 pumps and got to have great conversations.

Huge thanks to everybody who has prayed for Arrowhead for the last several months. You were a huge part of this weekend.

Hugest thanks most of all (wow…grammar) to Jesus for His faithfulness in the launch of Arrowhead Church. The beginning was a blast and it’s getting better all the time.

So folks, it is time to start this thing whether we think we’re ready or not! We do feel ready and a huge sense of anticipation. If you check the blog this weekend, please pray these last minute prayers.

• Saturday’s neighborhood blitz. We are asking God to use all this publicity to bring people to church Sunday and over the next few weeks. And it’s like 10 degrees here right now so walking in neighborhoods is going to be a little challenging.
• Gas Buydown. Saturday we’re also serving the community by paying 25 cents/gallon at Crescent Car Wash.
• Details of Sunday. We don’t want to be distracted by things that are not people focused. Pray for setup, equipment, and all the other little things to come together.
• Selfishly I’d like to ask you to pray for me. I was up and down last night with a virus, hopefully of the 24 hour kind.

Thanks for praying.

Just so you can go ahead and put your Bible bookmark in the right place, the first Arrowhead teaching series will begin in the Gospel of John. It will be called Believe, which is the central message of the book, and of the entire Bible. Should be very simple, practical, and lots of fun. We’ll cover the first several chapters over the first several weeks of the church, and then take a break for a while.

As we enter the last 7 days before the launch, prayer seems like our only hope! That’s a good thing.

This week I’m asking you to pray for the message of Arrowhead Church to come through loud and clear. The message is Jesus Christ and the power of the gospel to change lives.

It’s the center of everything we do. That’s why we’re here. The message is not morals, religion, different music, different dress, casual atmosphere, or anything else. The message is Jesus.

More and more people in the U.S., and even in the Southeast, have little to no church background. In practically every area of our lives we are shaped by our background. I’m ultimately a Vol fan because my dad is. I love cheesecake (and practically every dessert) because my mom makes a great one. You’re the same way. Ford or Chevy, Braves or Yankees, Sweet or Unsweet Tea - all of us make those decisions based on our past. You may do things because you like the way they were done when you were growing up or you may do the opposite because you didn’t. But, we are all shaped by our background.

So, what do find yourself doing on Sunday mornings if you:

• Have no church background?
• Have a negative church background?
• Have a positive church background?

I don’t necessarily have a good answer to those questions. I just know God loves you and me and desires a relationship with us. Our background is irrelevant to Him. Maybe you’ve walked with Him for a long time or maybe you’ve been far from Him for even longer. The great thing is that it doesn’t matter! You and I have a history with Him. He made us. He knows everything about us!

Take a minute and read Psalm 139.

Arrowhead won’t be exactly like what you remember when you were a kid. I can guarantee that. Something about us will be different than what you remember or what you even like about a church! But, I can also guarantee that you will find a group of people who want you to experience everything He has in store for your future. If you’re in the Morristown area, join us.

If you are in Morristown, help us spread the word. On Saturday January 17 from 10:00-12:00, Arrowhead Church will be paying 25 cents per gallon for anyone to come fill up their tank. We’ll be at Crescent Center Texaco & Car Wash for those two hours to let the community know we feel their new year budget pain! We want to help people see that God loves them in a practical way. Invite everybody you know.

How did we all come to believe that we were different than everybody else? Why is it that we think if anybody really knew us they wouldn’t like or approve of what they saw? That mindset leads us all to either seek approval by being the person we think would be approval-worthy or to isolate ourselves while continually waving the banner that nobody has the right to judge us.

I appeal to what’s inside you that wants to be known by inviting you to Arrowhead Church in a few short days. We’re not going to ask you all your deepest darkest secrets in order to get in. We just believe all of us want to really be known, over time, and in a safe place.

You are not going to want to miss the story of Jill Sweet on Sunday morning at Arrowhead as we kick off the Real Change Campaign. Jill’s testimony of how the Lord has changed her life is nothing short of miraculous. Don’t miss out on what He wants to say to you and to our church!

I prefer the Toby Keith version to the Elvis version, but either way you slice it, it’s time for a little less talk and a lot more action. Tonight was the last time the group known as the Arrowhead launch team will ever get together before we start our weekly services and small groups. It has been an incredible past few months. I know I sound like a broken record by now, but…

To the launch team: I am so proud to be a part of this with you guys. It has been so much fun dreaming, planning, and praying together. The awesome part is that we’re just beginning. “Remember the days when…” is a fun thing to say.

To those supporting from the outside: Thanks for praying and giving to this vision. We have worked hard to get it kicked off and we will work even harder to reach people for Jesus Christ every single day. Again, we’re just beginning.

To Morristown and the surrounding community: We are here for you. We believe God loves every individual in this town regardless of age, race, income, past, present, or future. He wants to change your life if you will give it to Him. Join us and let’s begin this adventure together.