Can you
believe that June is over? I hope and pray that everyone is enjoying their
summer with family and friends. I just wanted to take a minute and update
everyone on an incredible month of ministry. Here are just a few highlights of
summer, 2013:
Summer Attendance:
While a
summer drop in attendance is normally expected, it has been amazing to see our
average of 600 people stay strong in the summer months! While vacationing,
family time, and other activities are going on, people are still coming through
the doors at GC. Father’s Day is considered one of the least attended Sundays
of the year and we still had over 600 people. We baptized 14 people in the
month of June! I can’t wait to see what God does this fall!
Ministry Opportunities and
Travel:
I have
had the privilege to travel and speak at other places this summer. Starting
with our very own student camp in Panama City Beach, Florida. Pastor Steven
asked me last year if I would be the camp evangelist and I accepted with
excitement. For our first camp that we’ve ever put together, we saw nearly 120
people make the trip including our friends from Dexter, Missouri. That week,
God did something amazing in our students. A movement started. Nearly 30
students were saved and the week was capped off with 14 students being baptized
in the ocean early Friday morning at sunrise. It was a once in a lifetime
experience!
Just
two weeks ago, I spoke to nearly 1,000 students and youth leaders at the
General Baptist National Youth Conference. Students from all over the country
gathered for the annual conference. 101 students/adults gave their hearts to
Jesus!!!! It was an INCREDIBLE experience! I am still getting emails/messages
from people whose lives were changed that weekend. It is incredibly humbling to
be a part of something that is bigger than myself.
I have
been able to network with other church planters from all over the country as
well as we gathered for our 2nd annual Church Planter’s Retreat.
Jess and I had the honor and privilege of planning, dreaming, and networking to
plant more churches and continue to see a movement happen all over the world
with church planting. I absolutely LOVE doing life with other leaders who are
helping build the Kingdom!
Refuge Church:
Part of
being Kingdom minded is building friendships and relationships with other
leaders and allowing them into our church lives. While Jess and I celebrated 10
years, Pastor Dustin Thompson came and shared a powerful message of hope and
purpose. And we were able to invest in their future work in Cookeville, TN with
a financial gift. I pray that we are always a church that gives and gives
generously. May we be the hands and feet of the gospel not only in our city but
in our region, state, country, and ultimately the world!
10 Years of Marriage:
My
wife, Jessica, and I were able to spend the weekend in Gatlinburg celebrating
our 10th wedding anniversary. I am grateful that we have an amazing
leadership team that can lead things back home and see the importance of giving
us time away. We miss our church terribly when we are away, but recognize that
strong marriages need investment time. Thank you for allowing us to do just
that; invest in each other with personal time away. What an honor to celebrate
10 years by looking back and seeing a God sized dream come true in Generation
Church!
I can’t
express to you what an honor and privilege it is to be the lead pastor of such
an amazing group of people. As we continue this summer season, let’s not lose
sight of our mission at hand: to reach our city with the gospel of Christ and
help people discover their God given passion. We love you, church…heart and
soul.
Pastor
B
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