Sun, Jul 4, 2021
Scott’s Thoughts – Sun, Jul 4, 2021
Note: I still need to finish a few things/links/words, so this is first draft. Sorry. Ugh… (And friendly reminder, Grammar Nerds, this isn’t a dissertation. It’s kinda free flow… just like me… very free flow.)
Need Some Catalyst Coffee Help with Lightbulbs – We need someone who can spend about half a day buying, replacing, and redirecting about one-third of our over 80 lightbulbs, of which there are at least 7 different types! So, it needs to be someone who can get up on a 10 ft ladder. (And while you’re up there, could you do some dusting of lights fixtures and fans, please?!) Let us know at office@fccgreeneville.org or on the Connect Card.
Thanks to Y’all Serving on Sun, July 4 – Have heard from a couple staffers that we’re hurting a bit for people serving today because of folks being gone for the holiday weekend. Don’t get me wrong, everything will work just fine and hardly anyone not serving will likely notice such a shortage, but just wanted to give an extra high five of thanks to y’all serving today. Wherever it is, whatever Team, however visible or not, you showing up faithfully to help is FCC secret sauce! So thank you. (Btw, if you’re not yet doing “Worship & Serve” on Sundays and you can, we could use you. Seriously, there are many places that need people. Let us know on the Connect Card, (on the “Home” page on the app, at fccgreene.org/cc), or by emailing office@fccgreeneville.org, dropping us a note somehow, telling someone with a lanyard, grabbing a staffer, throwing a piece of crumpled up paper at me with a message that says, “I’m willing to serve on Sunday mornings, and btw, your preaching is the best thing since sliced bread,” etc.)
Quick Updates – Buncha updates re buncha things…
- Mon Morn Missives – Am taking a break on my little 2-min video devos (that have been focused on the trustworthiness of the Scriptures so far) until August. Frankly, not only am I on vacation for a couple weeks mid-July… (“Puhraize Jeezus!” <— Wait, just occurred to me, is that me or is that you exclaiming praise there?! And is it sacrilege to intentionally misspell the name of Jesus like that? Anyway…) … but there are a TON of extra behind-the-scenes administrative things going on right now that need my attention (like a myriad of staff and organizational transitions, finishing our new website, etc.) I’ll get back to them at the beginning of August.
- C/YA/20s Game Night this Tue, Jul 6, 7p – Make sure you’re inviting the College students, Young Adults, and 20-somethings in your lives to Game Night this Tue at the Greeneville campus. We had over 30 young adults at our last gathering! David Bowlin’s doing a great job. Please pray for him and for that emerging ministry as we move toward a late August launch. Details on the “Pulse” tab on the app, under “Latest News”.
- Brown Bags & Bibles – BB&B is moving right along in our 10-part series in the (biblical/logical) “Order of Salvation” (as opposed to chronological and from our experience.) This next Tue we’ll finish up part 3 of “Sanctification” (which is part 7 of 10 in the overall series) and will take a 2-week break (bc of vacation, “Puhraize Jeezus!”) before resuming with “Perseverance”.
- Coffee Convos – We just had a really fun chat with Noelle Smith, FCCer and Asst Principal at Greeneville High School, on Wed, Jun 23, so go back and watch that. Sorry about tech problems that prevented us from this past Wed’s scheduled CC with Bob & Kelly Radank. Bob’s our new Next Steps/Missions Dir and Kelly works ¾-time in Admin/Comms. We’ll get back to them in August. But this week, make sure you join me this Wed, Jul 7, at 7:30p on Facebook Live to chat with my ministry friend Jesse Bible, Pastor at Encompass Church in Mosheim! He and his wife Lauren are doing a great job so I’m looking forward to y’all hearing about God’s work in their lives, ministry, and family! (Friendly reminder that, like just about all such media, all CCs go on the app under “Watch” for on-demand viewing/listening later.)
- Missionary Update from Jeff & Michelle Champlin (Spain) – Bob Radank Zoomed (<— That’s apparently a verb now.) with the Champlins this week, which was cool! (I jumped in for a few minutes. Good to see ya, Champlins!) Check out the blog post on the app (under “Pulse” > “Latest News”) and pray for their ministry.
- Darrell’s Video on the App – Thanks for using your gifts in that super cool way, dude! So. Cool. See it and the “Sandy Celebration” Interview (below) by choosing “7H: Tell the story” at the top of the “Home” page of the app.)
(Close to Done With our) New Website! – Sorry. I said something (once) last week that was fake news, i.e., it won’t be ready by this past Thu, Jul 1! But we are closing in on our new website, hopefully by next Sun if you-know-who can get some verbiage done. Those of you who are new (and maybe many that aren’t!) probably don’t know that we are making a change in comms tactic by directing our new website primarily at guests, visitors, folks looking for a church, (and we’re directing the app to be ongoing engagement and info FCCers), and so the website will be primarily one big huge presentation of our mission and vision, so… it will be a really helpful thing for all of us to read through when we’re done! (<— Note italicized parts there. Seriously, the new website will be an important mental refresh as we move toward a 3rd campus late this Fall.) Honestly, part of why it’s taking so long is because, as I’ve been working on it, (to finish up what Nathan Dickerson, (temporarily former Comms Dir?) started), I’ve become very excited about how helpful it will be for letting folks see the heart behind this awesome church! I’m praying the Lord uses it to communicate how faithfully so many FCCers are (and are becoming people who are) Helping people find and follow Jesus! (through “7 Habits for Discovering God’s Vision for Your/Their Life/Lives!” <— Some new and helpful verbiage bringing together the 7 Habits and Next Steps. You’ll see… when the website’s done… in 2022…) Also, thanks to those of you who have responded to our ‘New Website Name?” survey. Got some helpful feedback, (which largely goes to show that people are wildly different), but that also helps us eliminate a couple options and confirms we’re headed the right direction. So thanks for that! Go to bit.ly/fccwebnamesurvey to participate.
Next Steps: 7 Habits, First Steps, NS Helpers, 7H Growth Plan – A small preview of emerging upcoming plans… Bob Radank, new Next Steps/Missions Dir, has been meeting with people, writing down ideas, reading and watching and listening to all kinds of documents, videos, and sermons related to Next Steps and the 7 Habits. We’re a couple(ish) weeks away from version 1 of something that will be a really innovative and helpful way to connect with people, connect them to us, connect them and us to the 7 Habits and all that good stuff. More soon…
Sandy Celebration – As many of you know, Nathan Dickerson, (temporarily former Comms Dir?), has taken over as General Manager at Catalyst Coffee Company downtown, but we want to continue to celebrate Sandy Nienaber, former GM (though mercifully a phone call away to help Nathan!) so make sure you check out this blog post with some brief words of thanks and a 5-min convo she and I had: (link to blog post goes here… Ugh… For now, choose “7H: Tell the story” at the top of the “Home” page of the app.)
Please Pray With Us – Please be praying with us about church and staff and organizational transitions. Things are fine, (quite good, in fact), but we have a lot to manage, folks are tired, we need a new Youth Ministry Director, we’re taking over Catalyst (from the volunteer Board), we’re launching a revamped and agile (and I think, super innovative) Next Steps (on Sundays again) , we’ve got many new folks we need to connect with and connect to our 7 Habits vision, we’re needing to launch new pop-up Life Groups (and another couple such LGs), we’re launching a new Young Adults ministry, we’re working hard behind the scenes toward a 3rd Campus Launch at South Greene High School late Fall, we are going to likely need around 100 (mostly) Greeneville campus people to go to that new campus, we are likely needing have a small congregational capital campaign (of something like, still a guesstimate here, around $125,000ish) in order to ensure we launch strong, (and that daggone new website still isn’t done!), so just pray for us all–from paid leaders to lay servants within FCC to newcomers considering coming on-board with our crazy vision–to listen closely to the Lord’s leading. (I’m still considering going into ice cream. Pray I don’t need to do that.)