Southland Blog

Sometimes I catch myself worrying about all the stuff we have to DO over the next few months as we prepare to open our next campus on Richmond Road. The size and scope of it all is overwhelming. But I’m trying to break myself of DOING.

More than focusing on any specific task before us, I’m convinced the most imperative thing we can do is invest in people and build relationships. “Being” together gives us strength to keep going. If we’re just “doers,” at some point we run out of steam. “Being” together helps our roots grow down deep. Strong roots of trust and friendship help us forgive frustration, weather missteps, and hold each other accountable. We are positioned ready to take up for others when they need relief, and our teammates are there for us when we need rest as well.

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James Rutledge
Harrodsburg Rd. Production
Harrodsburg Road Campus

Are you willing to go anywhere any time and do anything as you follow Christ?

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My schedule involves a pretty long commute and a lot of times I try and use the time in my car as a time to mentally and emotionally prepare for my day. My day can fill up pretty fast with chaos and business so a lot of days the time in my car is the only quiet time I get!

One song that never seems to get old is called “Your Faithfulness” by John Thurlow. It is a really simple and repetitive chorus, but when it’s 7:00 in the morning, sometimes that’s all my brain can handle! It mentions God’s faithfulness to David, Noah, and Moses and how God is also faithful to us.

He has been faithful since the beginning of time, so why would he stop being faithful now? It reassures me and comforts me to know that He is faithful; He does not make promises He can’t keep, and He does it effortlessly because it is not just what he does, but who He is.”

Your Faithfulness

Amaris Blevins
Worship Leader
Harrodsburg Road Campus

I once read that Gladys Bronwyn Stern said, “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” It’s so true! Did you know that it takes over forty volunteers to make the weekend services happen? And that’s just for one weekend in Building E! Each weekend our amazing volunteers offer up their time and talents for God to use in an extraordinary and creative way. They have a huge impact on how we experience the weekend service. They are usually behind the scenes and prefer not to be noticed. They come in early, leave late and ask for nothing in return. I am humbled beyond measure to work with them and I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to one great example!

This is Michele.

She’s as sweet and energetic as her picture portrays. She has the gift to make you feel like you’ve been friends forever even if you met only moments before. Her positivity and desire to work as hard as possible is infectious and her love for people is immediately evident.

I asked Michele if we could do a little Q&A with so that we could share a little about her and she graciously agreed.

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Sarah Hopkins
Harrodsburg Rd. Volunteer Coord./Admin. Assistant
Harrodsburg Road Campus

No matter the worship venue, the goal of worship lighting is to connect the congregation to the worship experience, led by musicians, leader worshipers and teachers on stage. Lighting not only allows folks in the congregation to see who is leading or teaching, but also sets the visual stage for the comprehensive worship experience. From a big picture perspective, the measuring stick for success is pretty simple. Lighting Designers at Southland aim to illuminate the worship environment so that any person - a person with no experience in the church, or someone who has grown up at Southland - can clearly understand the desired focal point and see a visual representation of the theme or overarching message of a particular weekend’s services. 

Matt Cooper
Harrodsburg Rd. Production
Harrodsburg Road Campus

It's coming – one of the most anticipated middle school events of the year! The annual Middle School Carnival is happening on Friday, May 18 at 7pm. Building C is where the fun is at. 

There will be tons of games, prizes, inflatables, a slip 'n slide and food (Did you know middle school boys love to eat?!) all for just $5.

Oh yeah – Jon Weece will be in the dunk tank! He's been known to show his nerves a bit...

Bring some friends and come on out – see you there!

David Hausknecht
Middle School Pastor
Harrodsburg Road Campus

We’re introducing a new song this weekend called, “With Us,” by Hillsong, and it has been one of my favorite worship songs over the past few months. We introduced it at our 608 service a while ago and they loved it. I’m pretty sure you’ll feel the same way - let me tell you why:

I just finished the last part of my basement, which included a full bathroom and another bedroom so that we could move the guest room into the basement and allow my twins to each have their own room. I spent a lot of time by myself - framing, hanging drywall, painting, or just cleaning up my messes. In all that time, I listened to worship music on my iPhone headphones. I had just gotten the new Hillsong album, God Is Able, and the second track was this song called “With Us”. It starts out with this great drumbeat and then this ripping guitar riff comes in over that. It’s a great upbeat worship song (which are hard to find) but more than that, I found that I kept putting it on repeat and singing out loud with my headphones on, which I’m sure sounds great to my wife upstairs. The words are rich in meaning and really captured my heart as well as my mind as I sang them out:

“Before the world You knew the plans for me Before my heart believed You came to my rescue Now I’m found in love, there’s nowhere else to run You keep my life within Your mighty hands

There’s no end to Your love, there’s no end to Your love You’re with us, You’re with us There’s nothing in this world that could take You away You’re with us, You’re with us

Before I call I know You’ll answer me You’ll make a way beyond what I could imagine What could separate from the love You gave I put my hope in everything that You are

You reign in our hearts, You reign above all, be lifted on high”

A lot of that springs from Jeremiah 29:11 which says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I think it also references Jeremiah 1:5,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

The great thing about knowing that God has a plan for us and even knowing that He has always had a plan for us, even before there was an us, is that He intends to fulfill that plan. Now, I don’t necessarily always think that plan is specific - I think God’s plan for us sometimes is just to live our life for Him - to make the most of Him in whatever station in life we find ourselves. It’s allowing God to reign supreme in our hearts - above everything else. And no matter where we find ourselves, we can always know that God is With Us, and nothing can take that away from us.

The Weekend Set

These songs can be downloaded on iTunes.

Kelly Jennings
10:10/608 Producer
Harrodsburg Road Campus

Farrah Mahan is one of our 608 production volunteers. She has been serving on our team for a couple of years. She is a senior at Tates Creek High School and lives with her parents and 6 year old sister Trinity.

I asked her a few questions recently and I wanted to share what she had to say.

What brought you to Southland?

“I had a friend my sophomore year of high school drag me to church. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with Southland so quickly. I remember the next weekend, I was the one dragging her to church.”

Why do you serve on the 608 Production team?

“I love seeing the way people are moved in a service by God’s presence. To know that I am a part of that brings me joy.”

What led you to Christ and what has He been teaching you lately?

“The ever-lasting love that He gives to His people let me to Him. I have made too many mistakes, but He still loves me. What else would you want in a Savior?

What has He been teaching me lately?

Definitely patience. I’ve always had trouble with that, and He’s been showing me lately how to slow down in life and really enjoy things.”

Farrah will graduate in May and will work in Seaside, Florida during the summer. This fall she will be attending Huntingdon College. We will miss having her on our team this summer and next year. She has been a great volunteer to work with and I personally will miss having her around. I wish her the best in her college career and hope that she finds another church to serve as well as she has served Southland.

Ruth McGuire
10:10/608 Volunteer Coord./Admin. Assistant
Harrodsburg Road Campus

So we’re in this series Twitter Confessions and I’ve heard more than a couple of you out there saying, “What-ter Confessions?” I get it. We’re not all plugged into the mainstream of technology and media (the irony of that would be the fact that you’re reading this on a blog right now). But whether you’re a newbie to the endless possibilities of social media or an expert, I wanted to let you know of some ways we’re using it at Southland.

Derrick Purvis
Communications Director
Harrodsburg Road Campus

When you participate in Assurance for Life's Baby Bottle Blessings, you enable Assurance to: 

• Provide free ultrasounds and pregnancy testing to nearly 1,000 girls and women a year.
• Save well over 200 babies each year, and their families, from the devastation of abortion.
• Offer healing and hope to men and women suffering the agony of post-abortion pain.
• Share the grace and love of Jesus to all who enter our center.

It’s so easy, here's how it works: 

1. Pick up a baby bottle or two as you leave services on May 12/13.
2. Fill the bottle with any cash, change, or check.
3. Bring it back to church on Father’s Day weekend, June 16/17.

Assurance for Life, Inc. began right here at Southland 27-years ago, through the amazing efforts of former pastor Wayne Smith and several members. Over the years, hundreds of Southland members have served at Assurance as volunteers, board members, on project teams, as staff and many other ways. In addition to your bottle blessings, Assurance has ongoing needs for volunteers, both men (especially men) and women, in a number of roles. If you would like to know more about ways you might be able to make a difference at this unique, life-giving ministry, go here to see the opportunities.

When you invest your time, talent or treasure in Assurance you have a direct impact on shaping lives and souls.

Karen Bowman
Community Partnerships Coordinator
Harrodsburg Road Campus

Wow! Just Wow! If you were in Worship Center on our Harrodsburg Rd. Campus last night you know exactly what I mean. 1,200 of this church's most passionate singers gathered in one room to do one thing - proclaim Jesus! And that is exactly what happened as we poured out our hearts in adoration and praise to the One who reigns over and in our lives.

Mike Vandemark
Programming Director
Harrodsburg Road Campus

Several years ago I began to experience headaches often. Usually by the end of the work day I would have a dull ache in my head that I would try and shake by taking some sort of pain reliever or a nap. One day it occurred to me that I should have my eyes checked (ok - being honest my wife made me an appointment). Begrudgingly I went to the eye doctor and sure enough within just a few minutes the doctor was telling me I needed glasses. 15 years ago I would have been mortified to have to get glasses, they always carried a stigma of being nerdy and uncool. Lucky for me I now lead worship at a church and I became eligible to get me a pair of really trendy black rimmed “worship leader” spectacles! I just knew this was going to take my ability to connect with people in worship to a whole new level (or at least make me feel cool).

So began my new era as a worship leader where I fight with my glasses as they slip down my nose during every song. It hasn’t exactly helped me a whole lot in the area of leading our church in worship but at least I don’t experience those daily headaches! Why tell you all this?

Well this past Sunday as we were preparing to kick off the service I was adjusting all my gear and I looked over the the top of my hipster glasses and watched a man walk across our worship center to his seat. I know this guy and was fairly certain this was one of the first times he had been to church - it had at least been years. God spoke to me right there and then reminding me that there is a reason for every part of the body of Christ and in that moment my part was to not be a distraction to God revealing himself to my friend or anyone else in that room that day. God reminded me that my perspective of a “great service” or “tight band” isn’t the true measuring stick of what we do. We are measured by our availability, our faithfulness and our submission to God’s leading in those moments.

As I walked off the stage I wondered who in my friends life had had some influence on him that week and had helped him in deciding to check out God. I was reminded how in 1 Chronicles 23 the Levites were separated into distinct roles in worship - everything from orchestra members to security guards - and how each of our parts are so important to God reaching out to people. I was able to view my role in a proper lens, knowing in that moment that my part was just a small piece of a much larger picture. I needed to be obedient even in the smallest details while God continues move among His people.

We are able to be a part of God’s moving when we are living in our sweet spot and being submissive to his leading. He gives us a great promise in Hebrews 6:10-11 where it says “10 For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.”

Let’s all continue to search for God’s perspective in everyday life. Keep on serving in that place God has designed you for. Keep on being obedient on the small things. Keep on loving people so that the hope you have received can be passed on to others. “

Mike Vandemark
Programming Director
Harrodsburg Road Campus

When I think of the time I spend serving with a great group of woman and men several times a month, the word that comes to mind is simply LOVE. Everything Jesus does comes from his heart. He died on a cross for YOU and for ME and For EVERYONE who graces this Earth. The unfortunate truth is that some of our brothers and sisters have never heard of Jesus; some have strayed; and some feel they are not worthy of his love or his light.

For me, the realization that there are people who truly feel unworthy and unimportant is what led me to step out of my comfort zone and listen to the voice that kept telling me, “This is what you need to do.” I told myself I couldn’t possibly take on one more commitment. That worked until God simply opened more doors and I realized some of the things filling my time actually didn’t need me as much as I thought. There’s a huge difference in being busy and actually spending time with someone and truly being the only light they see that day.

We are all sinners. We all make mistakes. We all fail. We were all created beautifully for God’s purpose and most importantly we’re all deserving of love and capable of giving love to others. When I think of a woman having little hope, little money, kids to feed, no one looking her in the eye, and no one hugging her without expecting something in return — my heart aches and my eyes are no longer dry.

The only difference between me and those I serve is the fact that I have found Jesus and I know he loves me! God gave to me so I could give to others. I am blessed he gave me the voice, the strength, the heart, and the compassion to go to these women I would probably never cross paths with otherwise — to simply LOVE them.

I began in this ministry believing I would be able to bless and help another mother find her way. Through serving, I have also gained spirit-based friendships, and a true realization that until you meet someone where they are it is impossible and unfair to assume making any choice is simple. I have witnessed the love of Jesus all around me. Serving is not something I do. Serving is giving Jesus praise for all he has given me.

Carolyn, Bruised Reed Team Member

Psalm 96:1-2 says Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, praise his name; proclaim his salvation day after day.

Lately, I’ve been trying to understand the concept of a new song. It’s mentioned in Scripture in Psalm 40:2-3 where it says, He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. In Psalm 149:1 the command reads, Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. And finally, in Revelation 5, we read a description of a scene where a new song is composed by the creatures and elders before the throne of heaven. Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders…He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb…And they sang a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation (verses 6-10).

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Amanda Carter
Worship Leader
Harrodsburg Road Campus

“Let me be singing when the evening comes…”

Psalm 113:3 (NIV) says, “From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised.” The Message version proclaims, “Hallelujah! You who serve God, praise God! Just to speak his name is praise! Just to remember God is a blessing-now and tomorrow and always. From east to west, from dawn to dusk,keep lifting all your praises to God! The song “10,000 Reasons” puts it this way, “The sun comes up, it’s a new day dawning. It’s time to sing your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me. Let me be singing when the evening comes.”

Did you catch who’s song we’re singing everyday? God’s song. I feel deeply moved by this song, because something in my own soul deeply agrees with every lyric. The song we sing every day belongs to God. The prayer that regardless of what the day entails, please let me still be singing YOUR song when the day is coming to an end! What a great reminder that God is still God, no matter what happens. And as God, He is always worthy of our attention and affection.

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Amanda Carter
Worship Leader
Harrodsburg Road Campus