First week of A Place for Everyone, and we talked about volunteers by using the analogy of a restaurant. Every great restaurant serves a great product, knows its target, is run by a great team, and eventually feels like family. LOTS of people responded to volunteer, and I can’t wait to get started getting people into places where God will use them.

Songs were I Will Give You All My Worship, Everlasting God, Glory to God, and Your Name.

It was Tyler Rhoton’s one year staff anniversary, and I bragged on him. Shoulda been here if you wanted to hear it!

We’re doing a Gas Buydown again on August 7. This event in January of ‘09 was the first time our community really heard about us, and I’m so pumped to do it again. If you want to help, send us an email at info@arrowheadchurch.com.

• God’s approval is based on perfection, not performance. Jesus came to give us His righteousness, and we live from that.
• Songs were Great and Greatly to Be Praised, Not to Us, The Stand, With Everything, and In Christ Alone. I sensed His presence in a greater way than I have in a long time as we worshiped.
• Still blown away by the number of first time guests each week. You guys are inviting machines. I love it.

Wrapped up the day at the park for Picnic Baptism! This is probably my favorite day of the year. There’s no way for us to visibly see the mission of our church like 2 hours of hanging out at the park and then celebrating new life for 9 people going public with their faith. I pray we never lose sight of the move of God among us. I love Arrowhead Church!

• Dan taught on Freedom from Sin from Romans 6:1-14, and I can’t wait to watch it online this week.
• Jamie McGregor led worship, and I heard he did an awesome job.
• Why do things go so well when I’m away???? Hmm.
• Tons of first time guests. All I know is we better hold on for the fall. It’s going to be fun.
• Next week is Picnic Baptism. Sign up now! info@arrowheadchurch.com

• Started a 3 week look at Freedom with a message on freedom from fear. The story of Gideon pretty much removes all excuses for us from moving forward in obedience despite our fears.
• Great worship set: I Am Free, Solution, No Sweeter Name, From the Inside Out, Our God.
• Talked for a minute about the panic and despair in our country. Our problems now run deep. The recession and events it has spun off are no longer new. We have to remember we submit to our government, pray for authorities, and serve a king of an unseen kingdom.
• 2 weeks until Picnic Baptism! If you’ve never been baptized or want more info, make sure to let us know. Everybody mark your calendar - 5:00-7:30 July 18.

• Generosity: giving until you notice it’s gone.
• We don’t teach a “tithe only” type of doctrine here, but we do teach that each of us ought to give until it hurts a little, and a tithe is a great place to start.
• Tyler Rhoton was out on he and Emily’s 10 year anniversary trip to the Bahamas. Pray for God to strengthen their marriage as they celebrate.
• TP and the band led us in: Let God Arise, Hosanna (Hillsong), Til I See You, and Give It All.
• Great crowd but a bunch of latecomers! At 9:35 and 11:05 I thought everybody was at the lake but me!
• I’m so encouraged with the number of first time guests each week. So proud to pastor a church who invites their friends. I love seeing new faces and love meeting new people every week.
• Remember that next week we’ll be on a normal schedule at 9:30 and 11:00.
• Mark your calendar for July 18 for our picnic baptism. You do not want to miss it!
• We also need you later that week as we love the Lakeway. More details to come.

Have a great week!

• We continued the One Prayer series with a look at Unstoppable Unity. Churches are so far from answering Jesus’ prayer in John 17 that it almost seems impossible to return to that kind of attitude and spirit in our relationships. I’m so glad Arrowhead is enjoying the unity described in Ephesians 4, and I believe with all my heart that it’s one reason God is using us like He is.
• We gave away a huge Father’s Day surprise…beef jerkey and Gold Bond. Hey, church plant budget!
• Songs were Your Grace is Enough, You Never Let Go (this messed me up after a week at the NICU), Mighty to Save, and Here I Am to Worship.
• I’ll just vent for a second to both release sadness and anger that Father’s Day is a day when a lot of dads choose to do anything besides worship with their family. If you choose to stay home on this day, it’s going to be really hard for your kids as teenagers to get why their faith and the local church should be important to them. Mild rant over.

Have a great rest of the week!

• Josh Duncan from The Overflow Church in South Knoxville (launching January 2011) spoke about Unstoppable Faith in our One Prayer series. So pumped that we are going to be able to help out another new church so early in our existence. This is a testimony to awesome people and partners who’ve invested so much in us!
• This week a team from Roopville (yes, Roopville), GA is in Morristown to serve our community as part of a mission trip they’re doing. So grateful for these 20 HS students giving part of their summer to serve our area! Too bad I’m at the hospital and can’t be there (well, not “too bad” but you know what I mean!).

That’s all! Have a great week! I’m going to!

We kicked off One Prayer with a message called Unstoppable God. An unstoppable God working through obedient people produces supernatural results.

• Tyler Patterson led worship, and it was like old times but in a new place! Songs were Happy Day, Sing Sing Sing, Hosanna, How He Loves, and Unstoppable (Rascall Flatts, incredible job by the band).
• So excited to unveil some One Prayer initiatives we’re working on as a church over the next couple weeks.
• We’ve postponed our Picnic Baptism because someone (me…) can’t read a calendar, and the previous date was Father’s Day. So, July 18 is the big day. If you’ve recently come to faith or never been baptized before and are considering whether baptism is for you, the answer is yes! Contact us at the church (info@arrowheadchurch.com) for more info.

• We wrapped up our Punctuation series with this idea: When God wants to add something to your life, something else has to go away. If you want to add something this summer, something else will have to go. We’ll generally press the delete key on our devotional plan, our relational efforts, our professional life, or our moral boundaries.
• Worship set was incredible. Songs were: Salvation is Here, Everlasting God, Blessed Be Your Name, Glory to God, and Lead Me to the Cross.
• Kids are coming out of the woodwork at our new space! I think a bunch of them were just hanging out here waiting on us…ha. Love seeing kids connecting with God and the local church. Traci Bishop and her team are doing an incredible job.
• So ready for One Prayer next week! Stay tuned to the blog for more info.

• I’ve never been prouder of the work of God because He did it all through His people. Our contractors, Total Property Management, worked really hard to make it all happen, but it couldn’t have been completed without volunteers. Over the last 2 weeks we made memories painting, cleaning, sticking on vinyl baseboard in what seemed like mile-long rolls, and in just doing whatever it takes. I’m so humbled and blessed.
• Just the environment that has been created in the lobby is enough to help us fulfill our relational mission. Loved seeing people sitting in our lobby and hanging out before we opened the doors.
• Songs were Today is the Day (Lincoln Brewster), Awesome is the Lord Most High (Chris Tomlin), Hosanna (Hillsong), How Great is Our God (Chris Tomlin), and Reign in Us (Starfield).
• God changed the message on me on Saturday morning. We talked about milestones. Some milestones come naturally and some have to be chosen. Choose salvation, baptism, repentance, and connection to a church.
• We’re baptizing in the lake on June 20! If you know you need to do it, now is the time. Send us an email to sign up at info@arrowheadchurch.com.
• Huge kids crowd, and I think we laid out the space well. So glad to be able to add a class to our lineup starting today.
• Just a few odds and ends from today: the sign isn’t permanent (it’ll get bigger), we’ll get the lights right eventually, and there’s a student room for 6-12 grade that I don’t think anybody even went in!
• Largest non-Easter crowd we’ve ever had filled up the room nicely, but remember that Carson Newman is gone home for the summer. Stay tuned for talk about 3 services this fall (or sooner if you keep inviting!).
• Sara and I are getting some time out of town this week as I teach at the beach for FBC Sevierville’s College Ministry, so pray for us and for the rest of the staff as we recuperate from the madness of the last few weeks.
• Thank you for your commitment to help people take their next step with Jesus! And praise God that He’s moving through us!