Southland Blog

Can you imagine what it would be like to walk around Walt Disney World knowing that you helped build it? Imagine if you’d been one the artists or construction workers who helped bring Walt’s incredible vision to life. Well, we don’t exactly have a Disney-sized budget, but over the next couple of months we are going to be creating some fantastic environments for families here at our Southland campuses.

As we prepare for the launch of our Richmond Road campus we are completely overhauling the large group stages for our three Children’s Ministry environments, and that’s where we need your help. We need skilled woodworkers, artists, painters and any adults willing to donate some time to help us to build the new sets for Children’s Ministry. We are going to be creating whimsical set pieces and theatrical props to bring our new themed environments to life.

Each week those interested can volunteer to serve at the Harrodsburg Road campus during one or more of our set building sessions from 1–5pm on Mondays and Wednesdays or 9am–5pm, Thursdays. All volunteers must be 18 or over.

If you’d like to be a part of the magic, please contact Tobi.

Tobi Florence
3rd-5th Groups Leader
Harrodsburg Road Campus

One of the things that I love most about my job in Age Level Ministries is getting to see how people at Southland respond to prompts to take their faith to the next level. They always come through in amazing ways and this weekend was no exception. How little did we know that our request to "Radically Invest Our Lives In the Next Generation" would touch the hearts of so many people this weekend!

I stood there each hour between services watching as people responded in two powerful ways: 

1. Hundreds of people dropped off their volunteer cards, signing up to invest their lives in the next generation.  What amazed me was the sense that so many people really get what we are trying to do – we want the next generation to know Jesus! Because of these commitments, our students will be able to continue to grow in their love of Christ while the volunteers will be able to take ownership of investing in the life of a child or student.
2. People took the opportunity to commit to praying for a child/student by name. Cards were available with the first name, last initial and age of every student that attends Southland. The amount of prayer cards that were taken was amazing. This experience became even better as I got to see how people reacted as they went to pick out a name. People looked for certain ages, names that they could relate to, families even pulled cards off together talking about what child they thought would be the best fit for their family. Another powerful scene was the amount of parents who would go to their child’s environment, pick them up and bring them back in, so that they could be a part of picking out a name.

This weekend's message was about generation after generation coming together to help another. How blessed we are to be a part of such an amazing place. I am sure that God is being blown away listening to all the prayers for our students and smiling as he looks down upon us.

Laura, Nursery Leader

How will you get involved in the next generation? If you have questions on how to get started, contact Nate.

I probably wouldn't be in ministry if it wasn't for Ryan. Ryan was my high school pastor over 10 years ago when I was in high school. I moved to Lexington as a sophomore and didn't really know anyone. From the first time Ryan met me, he intentionally spent time with me. He would tell me later that after only a few months, he saw something in me than not many others saw, a potential for vocational ministry.

Over the next 3 years, I spent a lot of time with Ryan. And by alot, I mean alot. I would hang out at his house several days a week. I'd drop by the office just to sit around with him and help him. He taught me how to play golf and we would play as often as we could. He also taught me much more important things. He taught me how a husband should love and serve his wife. He taught me that everyone matters. He taught me how to follow God.

I had been a believer for several years before meeting Ryan but he really taught me, for the first time, what a vibrant, living relationship with God looks like. He saw that potential in me for full time ministry and did all he could to kindle that flame. Eventually, as a senior in high school and while still part of his ministry, I understood God's calling on my life and I surrendered my life to full time, vocational ministry.

I went to college (the same one as Ryan attended), seminary and now I've been in student ministry for 8 years now. I am now Ryan to so many students in my ministry. Because of the time he took to invest in me, I am making a difference in the lives of teenagers. I still remember most of what he taught me over a decade ago. Ryan now lives hundreds of miles away but his advice and example lives on in central Kentucky. 

Jon, Danville Student Ministries Leader

How will you get involved in the next generation? If you have questions on how to get started, contact Nate.

I love my girls.  It’s such an honor to be a husband and dad.  Each day, I wake up excited to see them again.  I love to fix coffee for my bride in the morning.  I enjoy getting up a few minutes before her, letting her sleep a bit past the alarm.  I grind the beans, pull two shots of espresso, add a bit of hot water and, voila, the perfect Americano!  I also love getting the girls out of bed, hair standing at odd angles off their head, rubbing their sleepy, droopy eyes… then I love helping them in random ways from getting their clothes out to cleaning up their breakfast dishes so they can get rolling for the day.  It does also happen to be mildly entertaining to watch them try to muster the strength to get their breakfast eaten and teeth brushed.
 
These are just a few of many little things I love to do for and with my family.   To let a few of you off the hook - it probably helps that I’m a morning person.   In fact, only 55% of us are morning people, according to a recent poll.  The rest of you are groaning right now…  But – hey – I’d be just as excited to see my wife and kids in the evening if I was a night person, OK?
 
Encompassing this and other aspects of the way our family dynamic plays out, one of the values we lift up in prayer as a family is to ask God to help us to be at home what He wants us to be outside the safety of this haven.  We don’t want to be people who pretend publicly to be something we’re not trying to be in private.  Bottom line:  I want to be like Jesus and see Jesus in our home.  I pray everything from our actions to our reactions bring a smile to our Father’s face.  We don’t always get it right.  We all have our moments of missing the mark.  But then, we discover yet another opportunity:  teachable moments for all, myself included, as well as the chance to show the grace of God in forgiving one another - guarding, maintaining, and restoring relationship like He does.
 
I thank God regularly for giving us to one another.  And for His work in our family to help us live in ways that bring Him, us, and others joy.

Will Briggs, Connection Pastor

This weekend Jon encouraged all families at Southland to make spiritual growth as a family priority.  We had a chance to chat with some families recently that pray together daily as well as incorporate other pathways of growth into their rhythm.  Take a minute to check these examples out and see if there is anything you can try out as we chase Expression 2 together...We Sacrificially Serve Our Families!

We've been collecting stories from our staff of what Expression 2 has looked like for them this week. We thought we'd share a couple with you.

I love my family. They are my favorite group of people to spend time with. I've got a lovely wife that makes me laugh and challenges me with dynamic conversation. I've got four kids that keep me busy with wrestling on the floor, reading stories together and doing special art projects. I love every minute I get with them. But there is an easily identifiable deterrent of family time. (Cue scary monster music) ...The Dreaded Screen!

That's right. Computers, video games, TV shows, movies and iPhones come between my family and me more than anything else the world throws at us. It's so easy to plop down on the couch and check Twitter on my phone. Turning on a movie often sounds like a better alternative than actually investing time. The screen option is often easier than just about any other option. And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that all those things are evil. They serve many great purposes in our lives. My iPhone has bailed me out of several I'm-lost-and-I'm-too-stubborn-to-ask-for-directions arguments with my wife. Technology can certainly help families :) But the reality is, it often steals quality time away.

So what do we do? I challenge you to a fast. Could your family fast from screens for a day? Could you do it for three days?

Start small and see what happens. Ditch the screens for one night and see if your family time becomes a little more fruitful. See how God works through conversation, doing projects together or sharing a meal when no devices are buzzing and humming at the same time.

Try at tech fast and let me know how it goes. I'd love to hear back from you.

Derrick Purvis, Communications Director

During our DNA of a Dangerous Church series, you’ve probably heard Jon talking about the “Expressions” that will define our church—every Jesus follower at every campus. And Expression #2 says that “We will sacrificially serve our families.” For a lot of us, “sacrificially serving our families” will start with a healthy marriage. That’s why we’re offering our Wellspring Marriage experience again! We’ve hosted this experience four times in the past two years and watched Southland couples grow tremendously, whether they were already in a great place or needed a little relational CPR.

Here’s a glimpse at the kind of things you’ll learn at Wellspring:

• Everyone is wired to think and act a certain way. That’s called personality. We’ll take a look at how understanding individual personalities can make your marriage stronger. 
• You’ll learn about conflict resolution...including who should always win in an argument!
• We’ll speak frankly on sexual intimacy and on the importance of “dating” even after you’re married.
• You’ll be able to ask our teachers any questions you want about marriage and get honest answers. We’re an open book!
• You’ll get to hang out with other married couples, make some a new friends, and enjoy some good food together.

We know you want to come. And we want you to come! Tell you what, we’ll even watch your kids for you. That’s right—childcare is provided (up to 12 years old). We'll just need a heads up that they’ll be coming! So, if you’re interested in attending Wellspring, please complete the online registration. The cost is $30 per couple, which will cover materials and breakfast/lunch (please be prepared to pay online when you begin the registration form). The class will be held on Saturday, April 28th 2012 from 8:30am-3:30pm in Building B. If you have any questions, contact Stephanie.

Rebecca Hatton
Couples Ministry Leader
Harrodsburg Road Campus

God wants us to know Him... this just blows me away.  And God knows us, yet He doesn’t force us to open up to Him.  Instead, He invites us.  It’s this invitation into a give-and-take, a conversation, a knowing and being known.  

When I think of Expression 1, two words come to mind: OPPORTUNITY and OBEDIENCE.
 
In an effort to provide a tool for us to read through Bible in a year, the church I attended as a new believer in Boca Raton, Florida encouraged our entire church body to purchase and read The Chronological Daily Bible. Reading this Bible along with my friends at church transformed my walk with Jesus in so many ways. For the first time in my life, I understood the foundation of the Bible, the historical backdrop of each book, and the contexts in which each author was writing. I discovered the joy of talking about the Word with my brothers and sisters in Christ, of digging deeper and discovering new truths. I was soon navigating a concordance to look up original meanings of words that I did not understand and looking up commentaries. I fell in love with the Word because I took advantage of this OPPORTUNITY.
 
But by reading the Bible I also became aware of areas in my life that were falling short of standards God set forth in His Word. I had to choose to obey what I read or what my fleshly desires wanted me to do. I learned to obey the still small voice that was giving me direction, even when it didn’t make sense or when it required sacrifice—like when I obeyed the Lord’s prompting to sell my home, not knowing at the time I would soon be using the profit to fund a two-year adventure serving in urban and international missions! Jesus says, “If you love me you will obey my commands.” I learned the joy and intimacy that comes from an obedient walk with the Lord.
 
OBEDIENCE, says Pastor Doug Stringer from Houston, is the highest form of worship.  Without it, we are like the man who looks in the mirror then walks away, forgetting what he looks like (James 1:23). But without the OPPORTUNITY to read, hear, and study God’s Word, there is no mirror for us to look in.

Will Briggs, Connection Pastor

This past week myself and 9 others from Southland had the opportunity to travel to Grand Goave, Haiti with Lifeline Christian Mission. We were able to see, first hand, the impact of the over 1,000,000 meals that were packed during our 316 Series.

It was my first time traveling to a 3rd world country. From the moment we stepped off of the plane, we were in complete shock. The poverty over there is an overwhelming experience. People are living in tents that have slowly deteriorated over time. The streets, the sidewalks, the rivers, are covered in trash. There are children whose hair has turned red from malnutrition and there stomachs are swollen. I felt small.

You can't help but think to yourself, "Whats the point?" For every person we feed, there are hundreds starving.

But then I was reminded of what Jon Weece said last Christmas, "Do for one, what you wish you could do for everyone."

There was no way that I could feed every person who needed a nutritious meal. But I could feed one. I couldn't take care of every child whose parent had been stolen from them in the earthquake two years ago, but for a brief moment I could provide them with a bowl of rice and a shoulder to rest on.

For some of the people in Haiti, those meals that Southland packed will be their ONLY meal of the day. And for some, it will be the only nutritious meal of the week. Its not a matter of not having enough food, its a matter of having enough money to buy the necessary food.

We may not cure hunger in Haiti, but we have changed the lives of thousands forever and in the name of Christ.

We packed those meals for the one. The one that was hungry and in need.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what's coming to you in this kingdom. It's been ready for you since the world's foundation. And here's why: I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.' Matthew 25:34-36 (MSG)

- Neil Gregory

Many years ago the Lord kept placing a scripture in my path.  It was from 1 Kings 19.  I was living in St. Paul and I was puzzled because I could not understand what the Lord was saying.  Almost every day I was led to read from this same passage. The Lord had spoken to me many times through His word before and it was usually easy for me to understand what He was saying.

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

To know and follow hard after you
To grow as your disciple in your truth
This world is empty, pale, and poor
Compared to knowing you, my Lord
Lead me on and I will run after you

Song: One Pure & Holy Passion

A friend told me once, “The people that I want to be like are men who are disciplined.  They begin every day by reading God’s word and praying.”  Transformation is the result of many small steps of pursuing God.  It’s a marathon.  The pursuit is a long term commitment.

I have been in the word every morning (with a few exceptions) the last several years of my life.  I've read in all sorts of ways and methods.  I wanted to share a new one that is almost too easy.  Youversion is a website a and mobile app that works really well.  (Important to me it's FREE!)  On it are over 100 different Bible reading plans.  The one I'm using right now is the Gospels in 30 days.  Each morning I open my app and read the portion assigned for the day.  Some days I will open the app and go online.  My app and online account sync automatically.  One of my favorite features is the audio reading.  I will pull the reading plan up on my MacBook and then have my phone play the audio.  This engages my mind by reading and hearing at the same time.  

If you are struggling to find a good way to be in the Word let me know.  I'd love to help you sort it out! Give me a shout!

Nate Head, Age Level Pastor