Discovering The Adventurer You Are Meant To Be: Part 1

Inside each of us is a desire for adventure. A yearning for a life story filled with twists and turns, a touch of danger mixed with awe inspiring heights, mastering heroic feats where the unassuming become brave.

No two adventure stories are the same and neither are any two adventurers.

There are those who are bold and daring and those who are meek and timid. There those whose story take an unexpected plot turn and those who start off with what seem to be insurmountable challenges.

Adventurers come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes, from every imaginable background, but they all come looking for the adventure of a lifetime.

Every so often comes along a brazen trailblazer, ready for anything, prepared to go to the ends of the Earth so they can live out a story that will captivate generations to come.

Meet Peter. Peter was the kind of guy who when a seemingly ghostly haze across the lake called him to step out of the boat, onto the water and walk, he did. [Matthew 14:22-29] He was the one jumping head first into the journey Jesus invited him on. So much in fact, that at times, Christ had to ask Peter to dial it back.

When guards came to take Jesus away to his death on the cross, Peter drew his sword and sliced off the ear of one of them. I’m not leading a band of thugs, Jesus cried as he healed the guard’s ear.[John 18:10-11] Later after Jesus’ resurrection, as Peter, John and James sat alone with Jesus on a high peak and watched Christ’s face transfigured. It was a true mountaintop experience of his faith adventure and Peter’s response was, Let’s set up camp here forever. [Luke 9:28-33]

He was an all or nothing kind of guy. Peter was up for whatever pursuit Jesus was taking his crew on. Bold. Daring. All in. Yet faltering.

You see, Peter had fully committed to the journey. He wasn’t, in his mind, wavering at all the obstacles that laid ahead. He was sure he would plow through them as they came. But then he heard a cock-a-doodle doo and found himself backsliding on all the promises he had made and denying knowing Christ. [Matthew 26:69-75] Just proof that even trailblazers lose their way sometimes.

You may be the kind of voyager who has truly taken the plunge into following Jesus.

Ready to go, wherever He may ask. Always on the lookout for the next big adventure He has for you. And then suddenly, you find yourself backed in a corner you never expected to be in.

Perhaps circumstances have caused you to veer off the path or maybe, fear has started to well up inside you as the fingers of the crowd surrounding point out you are one of them, one of those Christ followers.

Jesus knew Peter was going to hesitate when the adventure got scary and He knows when you’re knees are going to quake too. But Jesus didn’t dwell on how bad Peter was going to fail. Instead, He was more concerned in telling Peter who Jesus was making him into in spite of all his weakness.

When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptizer, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?”

Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus came back, “God bless you, Simon, son of Jonah! You didn’t get that answer out of books or from teachers. My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am. And now I’m going to tell you who you are, really are. You are Peter, a rock. This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth is no in heaven.” [Matthew 16:13-20 The Message]

If you can say with certainty like Peter who Jesus is, then He will without a doubt tell you exactly who you are, not based on how you might trip along the way, but on His plans for you.

If you’ve said yes to this adventure of following Christ, He is ready to use your life as one of the many rocks in the building of His church.

A rock. Strong. Hard. Immovable. That is how Jesus describes those bold trailblazers who may at times get lost along the way, but that shamelessly join him on an adventure of a lifetime.

Here's something to think on: Are you a bold and brazen trailblazer like Peter? When have you found yourself faltering under pressure or circumstances?

Take time today, to pray this: God, make me bold on this adventure. Give me a desire to be all in like Peter and help me to follow you when this journey gets hard. Amen.

~Catherine Fitzgerald

Growing Simple And Complex

  Growth can be exciting and even sometimes overwhelming. It can bring about great clarity or great confusion; it can engage people or enrage people; it can serve as catalyst for exponential reach or exponential setbacks. To continuing growing as a church, it’s important for us to understand and know how to properly respond to GROWTH.

One of the greatest challenges for any new start up company, organization, or even church, is the ability to grow in a healthy way. The ability to move from simplicity to complexity. In fact, we can see the reality of this challenge in the growth of our personal family dynamics. When a couple unites together in marriage they have the simplicity of the honeymoon phase. This is when a couple begins to work out what it means to enjoy, serve and love each other. “Let the adventure begin!” they’ll say.

Time will pass and growth will be desired. Therein, the joyous announcement of a new addition comes. This next chapter for a growing family brings excitement yet complexity… and it doesn't end there. With it comes the possibility of more kids, pets, school, homework, practice for sports, time with the in-laws, you name it! The simplicity experienced initially in the honeymoon phase is replaced by the complexity of family growth and demands. The responsibilities of a growing family can hit you like a tsunami unless you understand and properly respond to that growth.

The early church experienced the same tension and pull of a growing family. The book of Acts gives us great insight on how the first church grew in a healthy way. It’s a great blueprint for moving from simplicity to complexity and it allows us the ability to keep the mission front and center.

In Acts 5, the numeric growth curve is off the charts. “And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women…” (Acts 5:14). Believers were multiplying rapidly and they weren’t exempt from encountering all the natural challenges that come with growth. The ability to move from simplicity to complexity was essential for the mission of reaching every man, woman, and child!

Here’s what we can learn from the early church as they thrived:

The early church grew both large and small (at the same time). See Acts 2:46. While placing an emphasis on both the gathering of believers in the Temple courts, they also encouraged the gathering of believers in homes, around the dinner table, where they knew true community would take place. We celebrate as a church family during our Sunday gatherings but we have to place an emphasis on authentic community that takes place in a home environment to grow on a deeper level. That’s why we will have Missional Community Groups launching in our near future.

The early church equipped and appointed new leadership as needed. See Acts 6:3. The leadership of the early church equipped and empowered people to carry out the vision. They knew it couldn’t be done by a few who did it all. They kept the duplication of leadership in mind as they appointed and invited others to join with them in the task of bringing others to Christ. We know that all believers can help in reaching every person with the message of the Gospel when they own the vision of living on mission. Which is exactly why the church has to be in the business of developing and reproducing leaders.

The early church got it—they needed a simple strategy that allowed the church to grow (increasing complexity) in a healthy, effective way. Through it, they engaged and equipped; they reproduced and served people wholeheartedly; and most importantly, they reached people... by the thousands. This is our hope too—It’s why we do what we do to reach our community for Christ.

Video Highlights

Videos can make a big difference when it comes to conveying a message, story, or truth. Here are a few recent videos that have been shown in this way over the last 6 months.

Stories

Craig and June's Story

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Hubert's Story

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Creative

Believe | Renovation Creative

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Grace Talks Great Commission

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Recap Videos

School Kick-Off Sunday

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Grand Opening

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Renovation Church Is Closing Its Doors

That's right... this coming Sunday, October 11th, we’re closing the doors at Topsail Middle School so we can open brand new doors by having a party in our community, for our community. A party that, we pray, will open the doors for conversation and authentic community so that ultimately lives can be changed by the reconciling work of the Gospel. So why on earth would we do something like that? Because...

Sundays aren’t for church anymore.

In fact only 25% of Americans actually treat Sunday like a Holy day. So what about the other 75%? They’re not at church. They're home enjoying football, napping, golfing, hunting, fishing (you name it).

Renovation Church is all about celebrating. It would be easy to count who is attending and get excited about how God is bringing new faces every week, but filled seats are not what motivates us — It’s the life-changing power in the name of Jesus. A vision and mission for reaching EVERY man, woman, and child with repeated opportunities to see, hear, and respond to the Gospel.

So what if we stopped counting those who fill our seats, and started counting those in our community who aren’t? If only about 25% are actually going to church, that means about 7 out of 10 people are NOT attending church on Sundays. For our area, that’s about 16,000 people. Let that sink in.

Now think on this: Hampstead is a thriving community FULL of families — some have been here for years, others recently relocated. It’s a community that will rally around building local business while also staying true to their fishing roots. They love their families, and they love a good event FOR the family—It’s no wonder why the Spot Festival draws THOUSANDS of people every year—because it both promotes a family environment AND their local business.

So if Sundays aren’t for church anymore, what can we do about it?

We can forego a Sunday morning gathering so that the 16,000 who wouldn't normally set foot in one of our environments can participate in a community-wide event that they will want to attend.We can work hard to be what we stand for—to create intentional, outside-of-the-box opportunities to engage those who would never step in our doors.We can do as Jesus clearly commanded — abandon the 99 to reach the 1 (see Matthew 18:22).

So come join us this Sunday, October 11th for our first-ever Party In The Park at 12pm out at Kiwanis Park. Food Trucks, FREE inflatables, face painting, crafts, music, and giveaways! Oh, and by the way — We’ll reopen the doors back at Topsail Middle School, 10:30am on Sunday, October 18th. It will be an incredible morning celebrating the wins from Party In The Park — So be sure to join us for that party too!

Indivisible

As a nation, we’ve just come off of celebrating one of the greatest holidays of the year—Independence Day. Our founding fathers fought long and hard for a nation that would be established on a new idea, a new principle of governance: "One Nation Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All.”

But here we are several hundred years later and we’re currently struggling to live indivisible, as one nation. Recently, this struggle was made all to real by the massacre at Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC. In a place of refuge, hope, deliverance, love and acceptance—9 brothers and sisters in Christ were shot and killed because of the color of their skin.

Evil has a way of finding its place—even in the church. At times, the church has stood in silence, or worse, allowed ignorance to dissolve its value in God’s people. But it doesn’t have to be that way any longer.

As followers of Christ, we carry the Hope of the world within us—therefore, we’ve had the answer to racism all long.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”—John 13:34-35

This is evident: People Matter to God, therefore people must matter to us. And because people matter, stories matter. On Sunday, we shared Hubert Graham's story: one that would tell the historical and present struggles of racism within the church.

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Watch Hubert's Video Here

It’s a story that forces us to think outside of our own perspective, so see the church through the lens of someone of a different race. It moves us to ask questions about our personal life and the responsibility of the church when it comes to race.

It’s stories like Hubert’s that show us how theissue of racism has kept our country and our churches divided for too long.

Here at Renovation Church we will do everything we can to do our part at ending racism and hatred of this kind. If we are really going to say that we are about “

Reaching Every man, woman, and child

” then we have to write a new history for our nation. That starts with the Church living out a new level of life that is truly indivisible—

Loving others 

just

 as Jesus loved us.

For more on Sunday's message, listen to the podcast

— 

A New Level of Life Commands a New Level of Love

Why We're Making A Big Deal About Father's Day

If you didn't already know, we’re making a pretty big deal about Father’s Day. Why? Because making a big deal about Father’s Day means making a big deal about fatherhood. God has given the gift of fatherhood—a unique and pivotal role for men as they lead their households. There is no doubt about it, fathers have and will always play a significant part in leading our families, community, and nation. Fatherhood is important to God, and what is important to God must be important to us. As the Church, we have the privilege of supporting, encouraging, and investing in this leadership role.

Fathers are difference makers. For better or worse. In fact, the bible mentions several times the effect fathers can have on their children’s future:

"Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Proverbs 22:6

"We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” Psalm 78:4

We not only love dads but we value their effectiveness as leaders in the home. This Sunday (Father's Day), we’ve designed Dad Fest to be a great opportunity for inviting dads, the difference makers, to join us as we make a big deal about celebrating fatherhood. Our prayer is that every dad that attends finds a sense of belonging, hope, and genuine community. All over a piping-hot plate of MISSION BBQ.

Father’s day has a history of being the lowest attended Sunday of the year for churches nationwide. But it doesn’t have to be, and we believe, shouldn't be.

Join us this Sunday at #RenoDadFest because #YouBelongHere.

"Party on, Church!"

Our belief is that christians should celebrate and celebrate often. Has there ever been a group of people with a better reason to celebrate than the church? So guess what? It’s time to party. But here’s the truth… we’re not actually throwing the party—we’re joining it. It’s a party that’s been happening since death was overcome by the work of Christ on the cross.

"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”—Luke 15:7

The misconception is that the Church shouldn’t party. There's a stigma that it's boring and lifeless.

However, Jesus made a big deal out of partying—celebrating abundant life given through the forgiveness of sins. Speaking directly to religious leaders, followers, and sinners alike He shared a few pivotal illustrations on celebrating what is lost, being found:

The Lost Sheep— “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’' Luke 15:4-6

The Lost Coin— “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Luke 15:8-10

The Prodigal Son— "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate." Luke 15:22-24

Then He said to the Church, “‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’” Luke 15: 31-32

To Jesus, new life was worth taking a time out to party. As God's people, we have abundant life given through Jesus. This means we should be the greatest expression of love, joy, excitement, and celebration that the world could ever know.

Renovation is all about lives being renovated by the love of Jesus. And we’ll celebrate often through recognition of God at work—celebrating every life that begins that renovation process, no matter where they are in the journey from being lost to being found. A heart of surrender is ultimately what we’re after. When that collides with the gift of love, fueled by compassion, it will always bring about a heavenly celebration.

So, in the same vein as Wayne and Garth from Wanye’s World, “Party on, Wayne! Party on, Garth!” So party on, Church! Turn the music up—Every new life is worth it.

The Gap Between Belief and Disbelief

[blockquote cite="ROMANS 1:20 (NLT)" type="center"]For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.[/blockquote]This past Sunday at Renovation Church was about the great creativity that Jesus used to reach people and convey messages in simple life-changing ways. Jesus used stories. So to tie into this concept we saw an opportunity to craft an experience that might help convey a very real struggle of belief and disbelief. So what did we do? We shot a video that told a story.

Using Romans 1:20 for the backbone, we found a culturally relevant song that the band played with the video which matched the story we were trying to tell. To summarize: the video is about a young man struggling to believe even though the world around him reveals God’s undeniable power and divine nature. Woah… kind of deep right?

[blockquote type="center"]Watch the video here.[/blockquote] Even if this concept wasn’t quite revealed to it’s fullest for you, that’s okay. When it comes to using creative elements our intention isn’t to be heavy handed or to force feed an idea but to invoke wonder to promote discovery of who God is.

[blockquote type="center"]We view creativity as a yet another tool for reaching our community.[/blockquote]

We are loved by the author of all creation, the ultimate creator. So followers of Jesus should be the most creative, innovative and thoughtful people on the planet. We're going to do whatever it takes, discover new methods, and speak in creative, thought-provoking ways to reach every man, woman, and child. Why? Because it's what Jesus has called us to do.

[blockquote type="center"]You shouldn't feel like you have to believe to feel like you belong.[/blockquote] To those of you whom may not yet believe or desperately struggle to believe: Our prayer is that one day you may see God’s plan of restoration. (2 Peter 3:9) His desire is to see every man, woman, and child come to the knowledge of the truth. So press on, keep digging, keep searching - it's worth it.

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[author title="About the Author"]

When serving gets uncomfortable, unpredictable, messy.

I hadn’t even scratched the surface on what God meant by serving the least of these. After God’s conviction that I didn’t even know anyone He considered the least, I began searching for local organizations that were truly serving those in need. I happened upon a little blip of a website with the word refugee emblazoned on it. Sure, I watched the news from time to time, but that word didn’t mean much to me until I was sitting on the floor of a dingy, low-income apartment. I exchanged awkward smiles and attempted to ask my new friend questions about her life. As a volunteer with Interfaith Refugee Ministry, I was going to be the mentor to a newly arrived refugee family and welcome them as they started over in our community. This sounded so exciting and out of my comfort zone that I completely missed the fact that I would actually have to interact with a refugee. I didn’t consider the reality that I’d be entering a world completely different from my own:

Uncomfortable. Unpredictable. Messy.

I spent the next year stumbling through building a relationship with a woman my age, whose story was nothing like mine. Escaping intense persecution from Southeast Asia, she and her family were relocated to America through refugee resettlement. She had nothing but a few personal items, I had everything I could ever ask for. Every week I showed up to take her to places that I felt represented “America.” Her English improved and we were able to really share and understand each other’s life. I learned about the horrors she endured and we built a friendship despite all our differences.

As much as I was pouring in to her life, I was receiving back threefold. My heart was changing and I couldn’t go back to where I had been. God kept propelling me forward, finding more ways to get involved, more refugees I could befriend. Eventually, I just couldn’t contain this passion He had inserted into my heart. Only our God can take a white, middle class, stay-at-home, homeschooling mom and turn her world upside down. All I could think about is how to get everyone I knew involved in helping persecuted people rebuild their lives. It started with my own family, watching them fully put their energy in to serving refugees. Then, I started to bring my friends in to this passion by organizing events where they could come serve. God wasn’t only changing my life, but He was working in the lives of those around me.

When we determine what matters to God must matter to us, something happens. Slowly, we begin to open clinched fists holding on to what we believe to be ours and God reveals the cost to truly obey Him and answer His call in serving the least:

1. It costs TIME. When we start doing the things God says, we quickly learn that step one is showing up. There is no way to “virtually” serve people. FaceTime can’t serve a meal to someone who is hungry. We can’t Facebook our way in to a prison to love on people. We have to actually, physically be there. This means, schedules get rearranged. A lot of “no’s” must be said so that I can say “yes” to what matters to God.

2. It costs RELATIONSHIP. God is a relational God and while there are times it’s great to swoop in and do a project for someone in need, He is really calling us to something bigger in terms of our investment. Paul said it best when ministering to the Thessalonians,

“because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

God wants us to put in the relational deposits that will really give us the leverage to ensure that every man, woman and child have repeated opportunities to see, hear, and respond to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

3. It costs COMFORT. It is awkward to try to communicate with someone who doesn’t speak the same language. It can make us feel weird to sit in a home that looks nothing like our own and strike up a conversation with someone, whom on paper, we have very little in common. People’s lives are messy and it can be unnerving to enter in their messes. BUT, the more we are willing to give up our own personal comfort, the more opportunities God presents us with opportunities to be a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. When we give up our own comfort, we get to be a part of HIS story unfolding before our very eyes in our local and global community.

It is hard to let go of our time, relationship, and comfort. We can all convince ourselves that staying within our church walls is enough. However, there is an entire world around us aching from genuine hunger, thirst, loneliness, nakedness, sickness, and imprisonment—Physical needs that need to be met in order to even have the opportunity to address spiritual ones. The question remains for each of us: are YOU willing to pay the cost to hear Jesus Christ himself say, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”?

This week’s blog is a continued story from guest writer, Catherine Fitzgerald. Read the beginning of her story here. For more information on getting involved in any of our React Mission Opportunities, please email react@renovationonline.org.

Here's to 6 Weeks Post Launch....

We’re 6 weeks into launching Renovation Church and today we’re focusing on wins we’ve seen as a result of God doing big things in our community! #AllYouNeedIsMom, our Mother’s Day celebration, was a great display of God’s provision. God has given Renovation Church an incredible team of people who have worked hard, prayed continuously for our community, and given generously to the mission of reaching every man, woman, and child. Sunday, our team welcomed and loved on over 500 individuals from our area. Celebrating with several hundred moms laughing, crying, and being encouraged was an incredible memory we will always have for our first Mother’s Day.

As a church that honors the important role of parenting, we’ll work to see that every Mother’s Day and Father’s Day champions the pivotal role parents play in the family. And while we’re on the family, that’s our next measured win at Renovation.

When we began laying out the foundation for Renovation Church, we knew we wanted to reach our community through renovating families. Today, our family ministry is growing. On opening Sunday, we kicked off our RenoKids environment with 40 kids. This Sunday, our kids environments were filled with 38 volunteers who sang, jumped up and down for Jesus, and creatively taught biblical truths to over 100 children ages birth thru 5th grade. We’re at work, looking to duplicate those volunteers within the next 2 months—that’s 40 new volunteers for RenoKids and Camp Renovate combined. That will allow the current team who've given every Sunday to serving since launch, the opportunity to begin attending Renovation gatherings. Interested in being a part of the new RenoKids and Camp Renovation volunteer team mentioned above? Simply email Emily@renovationonline.org.

These wins are great reminders of why we do what we do. We value people because God puts a priority on people. That’s displayed in the way we cultivate great environments so that relationships can deepen within our Sunday gatherings and we can continue building relational bridges into our community. Relationships are the leverage in which we teach God’s word so that every man, woman, and child will have the opportunity to respond to the love of Jesus.

Renovation, we have much to celebrate. And this Sunday night we’d like to invite you to an evening of worship and celebration of all that God has done and what He is going to accomplish through Renovation Church. We’ll share in our first communion together and look at what it means to take the next step in being an active participant in the life of Renovation Church through membership. You don’t want to miss it!

#renohampstead

From First Steps to Next Steps

Ever experienced a child’s first steps? The uncertainty and excitement as he or she steps forward— a wobbly motion—and then, with realization, a determination to seize every opportunity and any terrain! The possibilities become endless as one step after another, a child discovers the beauty of mobility. First steps always lead to next steps.

The first step at Renovation is a discovery phase: learning a sense of belonging as we gather together. We invite people to come and discover what we’re all about. It's the phase that gives us the opportunity to provide clarity and alignment for the vision and mission of Renovation Church. It should give each person absolute clarity of what we’re all about as a brand new church in the community.

Our goal is to move every individual from the discovery phase to the alignment phase by taking Next Steps.

The alignment phase moves guests from weekly attenders to participants in the mission. It’s the where and how of personally contributing to the mission of Renovation Church. Next Steps gives the opportunity for individuals and families to steward their time, talents, and treasure for the mission of the Church: seeing people reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. We make a big deal out of Next Steps because it shows full ownership of the mission of Jesus and being a part of Renovation Church!

Our current series, Anything Is Possible, looks at the words of Jesus and how our mission is built upon His example here on earth. It’s designed to mobilize people for the mission and vision of Renovation Church.

It's time for first steps to lead to Next Steps.

God’s got a future full of endless possibilities. The crazy thing is next steps are often the scariest and, yet, most exhilarating steps we’ll ever take. They'll take us to a new place in our faith journey where God does the greatest things. Here are a few next steps that we believe are great opportunities to engage in the mission of Renovation Church: 

1. New Volunteer Orientation

2. React Outreach Opportunities

We celebrate every next step a person takes towards trusting God. Whether it’s surrendering their life to Christ, giving for the first time, serving our community, or going on a mission trip; we hope to cheer every person on as they take their next step!

#renohampstead

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God Sized

On the outset, anyone might look at our goals for November and think, "that's crazy," or "who asks for money like that at this time of year?" But we know this: Our goals are big, and our God is bigger.

Let's take a quick trip down Renovation's (short, but sweet) memory lane:

• September 21st Jon met in his home with 7 couples for prayer and a charge to share the vision of the Hampstead church plant.
• By October 12th, at the first interest meeting held at Scotts Hill Baptist, the previous team had already grown to 25 committed families and individuals.
• Fast-forward to our first core team meeting at Hullabaloo on October 26th, and we were already 60 team members strong.

Today we're celebrating 71 committed individuals and we recently received our first large donor of $20,000 bringing our total support, including tithes and offerings to almost $25,000. That's 1/4 of our financial goal raised before the end of the very first week of November!

Let's champion these wins because God makes the seemingly impossible, possible. "Look at the nations and watch - and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told." - Habakkuk 1:5

#renovatehampstead

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Starting Strong

It was an incredible first week for Renovation Church. We launched our official name, sent out the first newsletter, and had our core team meeting at Hullabaloo (with 60 in attendance including adults and kids - can I get a, "woohoo?!"). At Sunday's core team meeting; tables were filled with laughter, new friendships, and conversations of what God has ahead.

We gathered around not just as individual families, but one faith family - embarking on a new journey together. And this is just the beginning...

Hopefully you were able to take a mental snapshot of what we experienced Sunday night because with each team meeting our group will grow. The vision of Renovation Church will spread, adding driven, like-minded members to the team. People with stories like yours. There's no better claim to God's fame and the message of Renovation Church than your own personal story of redemption.

Within each person on this team, young or old, is a magnificent and beautifully crafted story and Jesus wants you to share it.

Keep these things in mind as you tell others about the good news Renovation Church will be bringing to the broken community of Hampstead. Every face, every name, every story will count. One by one we'll see the Gospel of Jesus Christ transform hearts, restore families, and therein, renovate a community.

#renovatehampstead

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