Curious George

We were blessed with 24 adult volunteers and 6 children from Mountain Valley and Westwood that helped with our door to door canvassing today!  We were able to place 850 information packets on the doors of Montevallo residents.  The packet included a brochure and a packet of seeds that said “Grow With Us.”  Many of the volunteers came back with positive reports of people that they visited with.  The mass mailout card was well received and we have allready gained some name recognition because residents said they had received the card and heard about our church.  Please pray that the “seeds” planted through this effort will result in lives given to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

We are continuing to pray and prepare for our public launch scheduled for April 1st. We are evaluating every aspect of our worship service, children’s ministry, and guest services so that we can give an excellent first impression to our guests on opening day.

We need your help to make our public launch a success. Please pray about the ways you might participate in this incredible opportunity to impact our world for Jesus Christ. Here are just a few of the service opportunities that are available:

Short Term:
1. Children’s Ministry – We appreciate any amount of time that you can give to help us prepare for our launch. We especially need help with the children’s ministry. Your commitment to rotate in as a teacher or helper will give our core group a much needed break and will give you the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a child. We especially need help on opening day and for a few weeks after that.

2. Door to Door Canvassing – We want to try and place a small gift and information packet in the hands of every resident in Montevallo. This means we need to visit approximately 5,000 homes. We will be working on several Saturdays in March. Lace up your tennis shoes and get ready to get the word out!

3. Greeters – Do you love to smile? We could use your talents on opening day and for a few weeks after to make our guests feel at home. Grab a breath mint and head to Montevallo. You’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that someone enjoyed their visit because of you!

4. Service Evangelism – We want to preach the Gospel and live it out through acts of compassion. We will be organizing several events to help those in need. You can participate in activities like handing out quarters at the local laundry mat or washing cars for free. Let your imagination soar. Stop by my house if you need some practice.

5. Warm Bodies – So you can’t do anything but sit… Great! Nobody likes to visit a church full of empty seats!! Come and enjoy worship at Mountain Valley for our opening day and the next few weeks. You’ll make our guests more comfortable as long as you don’t stare at them too long.

Long Term:
1. Prayer – Please pray that God will send laborers to help us reach this community for Christ. Pray that God will prepare the heart of every resident in this community that needs to receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Pray that we will persevere through the spiritual battles that we are facing and will continue to fight. Pray that God will continue to provide the necessary resources to complete our task. Pray that many will accept Christ and that we will be a witness in the community that cannot be ignored.

2. Membership – Perhaps God is calling you to be a part of something new. We understand how difficult it is to leave the comfort of a wonderful church, but God commands us to get out there to spread the Gospel. It’s a proven fact that new churches are more likely to help unbelievers cross the finish line of faith. I can tell you from my experience so far that your life will never be the same!

3. Service – We need people who are willing to use their spiritual gifts and talents to accomplish an incredible task for God. Has your gift gone dormant? Are you using the talents God has given you to their fullest? Join us and exercise your faith.

4. Finances – Your financial gift will allow us to meet the needs of this community and will be an investment that helps to further God’s kingdom. Please prayerfully consider how God might lead you to contribute to our ministry.

After three months of prayer and planning, we held our first worship service on January 14th at the Parnell Memorial Library in Montevallo. Our core group consisting of ten adults and six children attended the service and we also had our very first guest.

The theater wasn’t complete on the 14th, so we held worship in one half of the conference room and used the other half for the children’s ministry. Our group shared the Lord’s Supper and experienced an incredible time of praise, preaching, and fellowship.

We moved worship into the theater on January 28th. We could not ask for a better place to meet. The theater has ample room for us to grow (140 seats) without making us feel overwhelmed with emptiness. The stage and sound system were incredible. We are very blessed because we haven’t been forced to purchase any expensive sound equipment. The projection system was unfinished at this point, so we used a portable screen and projector to view the lyrics and sermon notes.

February 11th was a special day in the life of our church. We called Garland Stansell as our Worship Leader and welcomed his wife Anne and son Oliver. We experienced a wonderful time of worship and sensed God’s presence in a powerful way.

We also began our Wednesday night prayer meetings at a home in Alabaster. We have been meeting at 6:30 pm for fellowship and prayer from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. We have been using Sunday nights for small group Bible study and fellowship. We have been meeting at 5:00 pm and spend an hour discussing the morning’s sermon and an hour for supper and fellowship. The children participate in a Bible study and join us for fellowship.

We are continuing to prepare for our first public service on Palm Sunday, April 1st. We now have all the major pieces in place. Our music ministry is on the move and we are worshipping in the theater with sound and video projection. Our children’s ministry is in full swing with an excellent curriculum called “Living Inside Out”. This fun time combines high-energy, fun-filled large groups and authentic, relationship-building small groups to inspire kids to live out their faith everyday, everywhere… in front of everyone.

Our core group is also working hard to provide a warm and inviting place for guests to visit. Our hospitality team serves hot coffee and wonderful snacks each Sunday morning. It’s been fun to experience the close fellowship that comes from being a small church, but we look forward to the day when we see many more people come through the front door!

We have had the privilege to share in three baptisms since we’ve begun. God continues to show us that He is in control as He works in our lives and opens doors of opportunity in the community. We are looking forward to exciting days ahead!

We are officially on our way toward the launch of our new church!  I’m sorry it has been so long since I’ve posted.  We held our first worship service as Mountain Valley Baptist Church at the new Parnell Memorial Library in Montevallo.  We are blessed to be able to use such a wonderful facility.  We will be using the 140 seat theater for worship and the 75 seat conference room for our children’s ministry.  God continues to open doors for our church and we look forward to the exciting things that will happen in the future.  We are pressing on toward our public launch that is scheduled for April 1st.  Please continue to pray that God will send laborers to work the harvest that is to come.

We’re getting there!  I ask God each day for strength and wisdom as we continue our preparation for starting the new church.  I am finding that one of the most important qualities for a church planter to possess is persistance.  I am facing the challenge of locating resources (people, money, facilites, equipment) that don’t come easily.  I am grateful for Westood as our sponsor church.  They are providing much needed assistance through finances and guidance.  It’s the other thousand details that keep us looking to God for help.

We have been meeting with our core group for the last several weeks to pray and prepare.  We are working on a name, vision statement, core values, and mission statement that will guide the church as we grow.  I am searching for a place to meet and someone to lead our music.  These are two critical items that must be resolved.  Please pray that God will meet those needs soon.

I’m excited that Westwood will hold an Ordination Council for me this Sunday, October 15th.  I know that this will be a special time of evaluation and encouragement.  I look forward to being challenged as I take the next step toward being a pastor.  My ordination service will be held on Wednesday, October 18th at Westwood in our 6:30 pm evening service.

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