"Camping"

We loaded up the pickup truck, packed our bags, and headed to the mountains with the popup in tow. Pulled in to the campground and setup camp...two days of junk food, xbox, movies, cards and risk. That's right - Garren and I "roughed it" for two days last week. We did nothing productive for two days. Unless you count Daddy-son time as productive - which I do. We had a great time. He beat me at NCAA football on the Xbox. I beat him at risk. We had a great time together.

When's the last time you had some good old fashioned quality time with one of your kids?

Progress

We had a good turnout Wednesday night for painting. Here are some pictures:

Southbrook:Monroe Campus Update 11.19.08

Prayer Time - Join us Thursday evening at 7pm for a time of prayer. We'll meet at the Monroe building. We'll spend some time praying for the building, finances, and God's will and direction for Southbrook:Monroe. Will you be there?

Got Turkey? - Our Thanksgiving outreach to the Monroe community is in full swing. We are distributing the meal boxes this Sunday at Benton Heights from 4-6pm. If you can be there to help we'd love to have you there.

We also need some help getting turkeys. If you can make a donation to help purchase turkeys, let me know ASAP - we've got a lot of turkeys to purchase before this weekend!

Construction Work - We'll be painting at the new building this Saturday. Bring your paint supplies and some clothes you can get messy in. Again, we need all the help we can get! We've got a Christmas Eve service to plan!

Monroe Christmas Parade - 2pm on Sunday. I know several who will be going to the parade on Sunday. We will have Christmas Eve invite fliers to pass out. Pick some up on Sunday and feel free to pass them out at the parade, or in your neighborhood for that matter.

I am so pumped to be heading up our ministry in Monroe. I hope you are as well. We are moving as quickly as we can to get into our building by Christmas Eve. Please remember to pray about this. Also, consider how you and your family will contribute to the Christmas offering on Dec 7. The collection will help fund the construction in the Monroe building.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Geoffrey

Sunday @ Southbrook:Monroe - 11.16.08

We had a great service this weekend:

• Our attendance is holding steady. I see new people drop in - but a lot of these are people from the Weddington Campus who just want to see what's going on. We have started to see people from the community start popping in.
• Sara Scott did a great job leading worship. I can't wait till we are able to build up our worship teams. It must get lonely for Zach and other up there by themselves.
• Pastor Rob's teaching on the Son of Man was dead on. Jesus, being fully God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped - or clung to. Instead He became a man, wrapped in human flesh, so that He could live a perfect sinless life, die on a cross, and rise from the dead - all because He loves us so much. It is because He did this that we have the right to become children of God.
• We stopped after the first worship song to video tape a short announcement message for the Christmas offering that will be taken in Weddington on December 7. We are praying that God will provide the funding we need to get into our building.
  
• We celebrated communion. I can't wait till we get into our building and can celebrate baptism as well!
• Our volunteers are doing an amazing job. They are stepping up in every area. They are putting in lots of extra time - going above and beyond in every area to make this happen.
  

Praise God for all that He has done and is doing.
Have a great week!

Got Soccer Cleats?

CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET AND HELP A GIRL AND GUY SOCCER TEAM IN ETHIOPIA!!

Two years ago we traveled to Ethiopia were we met some special girls.  Some of them play on a soccer team and are in need of soccer cleats.  If you have some used cleats that are just taking up space in your closet, maybe you can help!

Please bring any soccer cleats size 5 1/2 and up and/or shin guards you have outgrown or no longer use to church on Wednesday night (11/12) or Sunday morning (11/16).  Kara and Garren Janes will have a box at the entrance of the Student Ministries building for you to put these in.  These cleats and shin guards will go to two soccer teams in Ethiopia that are made up of disadvantaged street kids.

They will truly appreciate your old soccer equipment!
If you have any questions email me.
Thanks for your help!!

Sunday @ Southbrook:Monroe - 11.09.08

As we continue to look forward to launching in the Monroe building, there are already a bunch of cool things happening. Leaders are rising up. Volunteers are continuing to step up. Yesterday was another great day in Monroe:

- Our worship leader Zach had a bass player with him today; our worship team is growing!
- Pastor Rob spoke on Growing Small - a big push to help people get connected in Home Groups
- We have several outreach opportunities coming up: block party on Saturday, Thanksgiving dinner outreach
- We will be painting in the new building this coming Saturday

What to volunteer?
We are looking the following volunteer positions immediately:

- Children's Ministry - work with infants, preschool or elementary aged children
- Production and Sound - learn to "run the show" from the back of the room
- 1st Impressions - smile and greet those coming in the doors each week

If you would like to serve - let me know - I will get you plugged in.

Saturday Work Day - Monroe

Wow! We had 16 hard workers show up this morning to help out in Monroe - Thank you all! And thanks to all who responded to my email letting me know you couldn't make it today!

We got piles of trash cleaned up and moved outside to the dumpster. It is really starting to look great!
















For those who couldn't make - and would like to join us the next time - we will be gathering Wednesday evening around 5:30 to get started on hanging some doors and working on some other miscellaneous things. Then on Saturday morning, grab a friend and come on out - it's time to start painting! I know you want to be a part of that!

See you there!

Monroe Prayer Night

Last night a few of us gathered at the Monroe Campus to pray. Here are the things we prayed for:

1. 1st Impressions Ministry
- Pray for the impression we will make as people enter this building.
- Pray that we will have the attitude of Christ Jesus -that his love will shine through each of us.

2. Children’s Ministry
- Pray for the children that will be taught in these classrooms.
- Pray for the teachers that will teach them.
- Pray for volunteers to serve in Children’s Ministry.

3. Worship & Production Ministry
- Pray for the production and sound equipment that needs to be installed.
- Pray for those who will be working behind the scenes to make the services a success.
- Pray for volunteers to serve in Worship and Production.

4. Worship Services
- Pray for those who will sit in the worship services.
- Pray for the worship leaders who will lead these people.

5. Teaching/Preaching
- Pray for the messages that will be taught from this stage and on this screen.
- Pray that God will use this stage for His glory – for the growth of His kingdom.

6. Community Outreach
- Pray for the outreach in the community.
- Pray for the Thanksgiving outreach.
- Pray for the Christmas outreach.

7. Finances/Building completion
- Pray for the finances that are needed to complete the building.
- Pray for the hearts of those who will be giving to God’s work.
- Pray for the volunteers who are doing the construction work.

Sunday 11.02.08

After celebrating the grand opening of Southbrook's new building in Wedding, we got back to our regular schedule in Monroe this week:

- Zach did a great job leading worship (again)
- We had a visit from a group of student missionaries from Youth With A Mission
- Pastor Rob taught part 1 of his God Sized Dreams series called "Growing Big"
- The outreach team passed out lots of boxes for our Thanksgiving dinner outreach
- We have had several people stepping up to serve in different areas - very cool!

I am looking forward to the message this weekend - "Growing Small." One of the things that makes Southbrook so great is our Lifegroup ministry. Every member needs to be in a group-in community with other believers. We will have a big push to make sure everyone is plugged into a group this Sunday.

See you then!