mattfry

Going To The Next Level

Yesterday at our C3 All Staff Meeting I shared some points about taking our church to the next level. Churches and organizations go through natural growth and decline, up and down, eb and flow, challenges and breakthrough. It’s like a wave but you want the wave to be going in the right direction. You want to be moving up and forward and not back and downward. You want to be impacting your culture and reaching hurting people not becoming a holy huddle with an inward focus.

Here are 5 hurdles that you'll need to cross in order to go to the next level:

1. SPACE NEEDS - Three critical areas are Worship Center, Parking and Children's space. It's something you have to constantly evaluate so that you can continue to provide seats and room for people who need hope.

2. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT - We we stop recruiting, training and developing leaders for the future it will hinder our growth. We can't recruit and train for today we need to recruit and train for tomorrow. 

3. RELATIONAL ASSIMILATION - Our goal is not to build a crowd but to build a church. We've had hundreds of first time guests this year but we must follow through and get them connected relationally.

4. LACK OF RESOURCES - There will always be more vision than resources. When you are reaching the unchurched, it takes resources. We have to continue to help others even if they don't give back. We must continue to train disciples and be good stewards with what God has blessed us with but we must remember He is our source and our provider.

5. LACK OF FOCUS - We can't get caught up in the daily routine and forget the big picture. Ministry cannot become routine and passionless.

To listen to the C3 Leadership Podcast, click here.

5 Star Church

This past Wednesday we had an awesome First Wednesday Service. The worship was amazing, we celebrated with baptisms and we talked about what it means to be a 5-Star church. I often remember Dr. Jerry Falwell saying, "If it's Christian it ought to be better. If the church is doing it, it ought to be better." Here are a couple of the points I shared on what it takes to be a 5-Star Church:

IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS - The church is not built on a man but on Jesus. We thank God for how He uses pastors and leaders in our lives but we must remember it is HIS church. It's about His glory and His fame.

IT TAKES A TEAM - The strength of our church is that it is built on a team. We call it the Dream Team. We are blessed to have hundreds of volunteers that serve faithfully every week. 

ONE VISION - C3 has one vision from God that is carried out in our Children's Ministry, Student Ministry, Connect Groups and all of our other ministry teams. Our vision is to provide Real Hope for Real People in a Real World. 

FIRMLY PLANTED - A healthy church family has people in it that are firmly planted. They aren't easily tossed here and there. When you are firmly planted you will bear fruit. To be firmly planted:

1. It takes time - It takes a tree time to grow strong and tall
2. You have to be near nourishment - Make sure that you stay faithfully involved in church and resource yourself.
3. Surround yourself with lifegiving people - Negative people will drag you down.
4. You will bear fruit - Remember, the fruit is more beneficial to the others than to the tree. Fruit is a sign of health and it blesses those around us.

To listen to the full sermon night click here.

Let's Get Ready To Celebrate!

Join us for one of our 5 Easter Celebration services this weekend. Saturday at 4pm, 6pm or Sunday at 8:30am, 10:30am and 12:30pm. I can’t wait to celebrate with you that Jesus is alive.

Our team has been working hard getting ready for this weekend and I know that many are going to find real hope this Easter. That’s what the resurrection is all about! Finding real hope that only comes from Jesus. 

Let me encourage you to…

1. Consider coming to one of our Saturday Night services at 4pm or 6pm. Not only will these services be the first of the weekend but it will also free up more seats on Sunday morning.
2. Invite Your Friends! Did you know that 96% of those that do not attend church  said they were likely to attend if someone personally invited them? So spread the word, invite and bring your friends. You never know what God might do.
3. Pray. Pray for our team, pray for those who will be attending, pray that God would give me strength as I preach for all 5 services. 

See ya this weekend!

 

EASTER CELEBRATION THIS WEEKEND

 

A TRIBUTE TO A RENEGADE FOR GOD

Yesterday a friend and partner in ministry passed away. Pastor David Foster preached his weekend services at The Gathering Nashville, went for a 7 mile run, laid down to go to sleep and woke up in heaven.

Please join me in praying for his wife Paula and their 3 daughters and family. Pastor David started 2 churches in the metro Nashville, TN area which is where I grew up.  I first met David when I was in my early twenties when he had just started Bellevue Community Church and we have been ministry friends through the years. I thank God for him and his impact on my life.

When we started C3 Church BCC was one of the churches we looked at for inspiration and a model that was making a difference reaching people today. In fact our passion to provide Real Hope for Real People in a Real World was inspired by Dave’s passion to reach hurting people.

Here’s a portion from one of David Foster’s book’s called Renegade For God. This shows his heart and passion for life and ministry.

“I’m calling for the creation of a renegade nation where love is the ethic and freedom is the goal. Declare your independence from lazy legalism, feeble faith, and domesticated religion…You can love God passiona…tely and with deep conviction without becoming an arrogant, self-righteous know-it-all.

… forget the rigid rules, religious agenda, and force-fed guilt scripted by many churches today, and become an R4G—Renegade for God—one whose freedom is limitless, whose joy is immeasurable, and whose vision stretches to the sky.”-Dave Foster

I will miss you Dave. I thank God for you. See you in heaven bro. But you are going to have to wait a while to see me! Till them I will be passionate to continue to provide real hope for real people in a real world.