Good day TRC.
August begins our planning cycle for 2023. We have an incredible team of Ministry Directors who plan a calendar of work that aligns with our vision of discipling the nations by being radical followers of Jesus.
The elders oversee the ministry directors, and we help them review their “charter” which is the guiding document that helps them to align their work with the vision and mission of TRC.
Each ministry does not exist as a service to TRC members. Rather our ministries exist as vehicles to make disciples and equip the saints to get after discipling the nations.
This reality helps keep TRC lean and focused.
We have a staff of people, one full-time, and the others part-time who lead and make sure we stay on point while working in their domains. Even I am officed up at Restoration Rome and help to play a part in the work of our city. I’m personally looking forward to teaching TBRI correcting principles to our community, partners, and school staff around our city.
We were able to send our first team back to India for the first time since Covid.
We have been able to begin finding our rhythm for Radical Kids as we settle into a new reality with a couple of hard years of loss and a post-Covid reality that many of our kids became used to attending worship. Brittany leads well, and our families are still partnering with one another to help prepare our children to disciple the nations. RK is one of our primary discipleship vehicles in equipping families. We will continue to steward that cooperation between families well.
Student ministry continues to send students off to college and reach new students. Student ministry takes new students they reach or reach out to us and our Radical Kids graduates, and “Through the Practice of Discipleship they equip Students to be sent in their Present and Future Domains by Creating a Foundation of Studying and Applying Scripture.” How awesome is that?
Worship ministry continues to work hard at adapting to a gym, weekly setup, and internet challenges to see that corporate worship happens each week.
Our hospitality team continues to make sure the gym is ready by mobilizing our RL groups to prepare to welcome folks to worship Jesus together.
Our Global and Local partnership folks continue to see that our partner’s needs are communicated and steward financial resources for our partners.
RL groups continue to work hard at the challenge of making time to practice the RL of UP/IN/OUT.
Live the promise continues to work with our foster parents and be prepared to work with our foster parents to see that Floyd County’s kids are served and the families that serve them are served.
All of this takes place under the leadership of your elders leading ministry directors and ministry leaders that mobilize TRC for effective ministry.
This takes time and financial resources to pull off, and I’d argue there is no church in Floyd County that gets more done with the stewardship of its people, ministries, and finances than TRC.
So, I invite you to pray for your elders, ministry directors, and ministry leaders as we enter the planning cycle of August through November.
As we usually do, we’ll share 2023 as we study through KDSC in January.
In the meantime, what can you do beyond praying, giving (and we need you to give), and attending?
LIVE ON MISSION! CARE FOR THE EDEN OF YOUR SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. CARE FOR THE EDEN OF YOUR FAMILY. LET THAT HEALTH SPILL OVER INTO YOUR CITY BY MAKING DISCIPLES AND BRINGING THEM INTO THE WORSHIP OF JESUS THROUGH TRC. IF YOU DO THAT, YOU WON’T HAVE TIME TO WONDER WHY SOMETHING IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE YOU’LL BE LIVING ON MISSION.
MAKE FRIENDS WITH SOMEONE WHO IS CONTRARY TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND ENGAGE THEM AS JESUS DID. INVITE THEM TO KNOW GOD, AND BRING THEM TO WORSHIP.
DON’T FOCUS ON THE SUNDAY EVENT. DON’T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME FRETTING ON WHAT YOU THINK YOU SHOULD GET ON SUNDAY.
FOCUS ON HOW TO OBEY JESUS DAY BY DAY IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE, AND THAT WILL ONLY INCREASE OUR INFLUENCE IN OUR CITY AND MAKE OUR MINISTRIES MORE ROBUST.
Ministry does not grow by giving more work to the already faithful and overloaded attendees. Ministry grows because we all make disciples and incorporate them into the life of our church.
I’m so excited to see the growth of our church with people who are passionate about the gospel, Radical Life groups, and see our city engaged.
Keep it up, and let’s go make disciples of the nation for the glory of God by being and producing radical followers of Jesus.
Have a great day ya’ll! Out!
Theology in the Dirt 