Posts Tagged “Beyond”

Jun 26 2009

10 Very Random Friday Thoughts

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, tags: , ,

#1 – Summertime in Georgia – It’s HOT….like Really, Really, Really HOT!!

#2 – I CAN’t WAIT for Sunday – My confession is “I taught MIchael Jackson every dance move he knows.” Seriously – we’re BRINGING IT this summer, so let me encourage you to BRING IT too by bringing a friend with you to church on Sunday. They will hear the Gospel, God will rock their world, and it will be the best day of your week!!!!

#3 – Ton of Requests for this past Sunday’s “Hidden Camera Confession” – normally don’t do this but here’s the link in case you missed it - ENJOY!!

PS – You WILL NOT want to miss this Sunday’s – I can’t believe I actually let them put it on film…….

#4 - My Mom & Sister & Niece & Nephew are visiting from Florida – GREAT to hang with all of them and especially mom after her year long battle with cancer – she’s doing AWESOME – she’s TOUGH and I’m PROUD of her!!

PS – they are double dipping Sunday and checking out both Campuses!!

PSS – thank you for ALL your prayers for Lisa’s Mom – we NEED EVERY SINGLE ONE of them right now!!!!

#5 – Tomorrow, SATURDAY June 27, we have the opportunity to SERVE this Community in a powerful way by helping to rebuild an elderly single lady’s home in Athens that was condemned through the Compass COMMUNITY HOUSE PROJECT. Our Rockin Volunteers will be on site from 9:00am – 4:00pm. Not to late for you to “Lend a Hand” - email Chase McKissick here and he’ll get you details & directions.

#5 – Compass-ERS – check out here the GREAT THINGS God is doing through BEYOND in our most recent update.

#6 – For those that are new to Compass,  BEYOND is our 18 month strategic initiative to ROCK Athens, NE Georgia, and Beyond with the life changing good news about JESUS! Here’s a Video Link that will get you up to speed with the BIG THINGS God is doing through Beyond.

#7 – Reminded once again this week that Death is no respector of persons – I hope you know JESUS!!

#8 – Celebrated Lisa’s Birthday on Tuesday – the specially made Caramel, Pecan, Chocolate Apple from SCOOPS in Watkinsville was OFF THE CHAIN!  She has some crazy friends, kids, & parents – they showed up at our house at 12:07 AM Monday night, woke us up from a deep sleep to sing Happy Birthday – they are lucky they brought cake & gifts with them!!!

#9 - Little League All Star Tournament begins SAT w’ Micah C. on the mound @ 12:30 – HEAT of the Day & HEAT of the Battle!

#10 - COMPASS VOLUNTEERS – God speaks through your time & talents in POWERFUL WAYS Every Single Week. THANK YOU for being Jesus with skin on in this community. Compass Church would not exist without you!! I can’t wait to go into battle with you on Sunday!!

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May 08 2009

CURIOUS, CURIOUS

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, tags: , ,

Two of my kids are very CURIOUS – they constantly ask questions – about EVERYTHING.  Yes, I try to be patient with them but it seriously gets on our nerves sometimes.

Curious people embrace the tension between the status quo and something new. They spur us to bridge the gap between what is and what could be. They will wrestle with an idea and through the struggle will either embrace the new idea or reject it.

As I read through the Gospels, it’s undeniable that Jesus makes time for CURIOUS people – people with questions. Sometimes it was to set an intentional trap and other times it was just to understand more about Him.  There was always time for curious people.

I have some friends who for five years were very curious about Jesus and the potential upside and perceived downside of surrendering their lives to Him. They had LOTS of questions. I’ll never forget the statement after her first time showing up unannounced at church – “Yes, I liked it but I’ve got lots of questions – it will take a couple of beers to get through.” We had those conversations – often uncomfortable – but after 5 years of curious questions they were both baptized several weeks ago.

We need to MAKE ROOM in our busy lives and schedule time for Curious People KIDS in our life, church, business, and circles of friends just like we do in our homes and just like Jesus did.

RANDOM SUNDAY PRE GAME

•BEYOND contributions making a DIFFERENCE. Friday, May 15th, will be a landmark day as we pour into the Fowler Drive Elementary Community!  The Food Bank of NEGA will drop an 18-wheeler filled with food and we get to pack it up in boxes and give it away to feed 500 families in need.  Help us POUR into Fowler Drive by VOLUNTEERING to be Jesus with skin on by Showing Up, Packing Boxes, and Distributing Food to 500 families. Click here to VOLUNTEER!!

•More pumped about this Sunday than any other week of DOORS – CAN’T WAIT!!  We’re bringing the Gospel BIG TIME.  I know I sound like a broken record BUT THIS SUNDAY would be a great SUNDAY to BRING a GUEST.

•We’re BAPTIZING in all 3 of our services on Mother’s Day – FIRED UP about that!!

•Praying for the DUDES to show up this Sunday and make the mom’s and wives in their lives proud  - there’s nothing so sexy as a spiritual dude. Guys, the Women LOVE IT when you get up and come to church with them. This would be a great Sunday to MAKE THEIR DAY!!

•Congrats to all of the Grads walking tomorrow!!  Go For It – God’s got huge plans for your life!!

•My MOM is one of the strongest women I know and believes in me more than I believe in myself – I just wish she didn’t live so far away (Florida Gulf side for you curious people).

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May 06 2009

SUNDAY POST GAME

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, tags: , , ,
•Couple days late…sorry, I’m sure everyone has been clicking on every 5 minutes for the Sunday Post Game!!!!

•NEVER a bad time though to CELEBRATE  the AWESOME things God did on Sunday – He showed up BIG TIME!!

•The DOORS series has kicked my butt praying, preparing, and planning for – been having to gut it out EVERY week to get from my heart to my head to paper what God is asking me to say.

•BUT – more than willing – what God has been doing through this series is ABSOLUTELY OFF THE CHAIN.

•In the past 4 weeks – we’ve seen 118 people inviting Jesus into their life during our Sunday Services and we’ve given away 59 Come Home packs – that NEVER gets old.

•5 students have prayed to receive Christ at the 706 during the past 3 weeks – that ROCKS!!

•You’ve welcomed 157 First Time Guests over the past 4 weeks as well – BLOWS me away!!

•SERIOUSLY, I’ve NEVER been part of something like this in my entire life and we ain’t seen NOTHING yet – there’s so many more people in this community that God wants to use us to rock their world with the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

•Been LOVING our worship even more (is that even possible) since Matt Ammons came on full time Easter Week.

•Still singing the new song, OVERCOME, we learned on Sunday – POWERFUL moment listening to people’s fears and then passionately singing together “WE WILL OVERCOME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!!” – made me ready to do ANYTHING God asks!!

•Sunday’s NEWCOMERS AC Lunch and OC Dessert was a Huge Day…19+ people sign up to be PARTNERS with Compass Church – to pray for, invest in, serve with, circle up, invite people to, and rock their community for JESUS. – a very LONG but really GREAT Day. That pushes us over 300 insane, crazy, do whatever it takes to make Jesus famous in Northeast Georgia COMPASS VOLUNTEERS!!!!

•We also have 40+ people praying about what part God would have them play in BEYOND – they will be praying over the next 2 weeks and responding to God’s Big Ask in their life by making their commitment on May 17…God is building a stinkin’ ARMY to rock this area for JESUS!!

Click here for a BEYOND update and learn how you can become part of the movement to connect Athens and Beyond to Jesus!!

•The chicken roasted tomato lasagna – let’s just say DePalma’s better get THAT recipe for their lasagna of the day.

•Special thanks to SCOOPS Ice Cream Store in Watkinsville for the killer barrel of one of a kind Belgin Chocolate – you gotta get some of that!!

•Thanks to the Tolbert family for opening their home for the OC Dessert – they came on Jan 11, been there more Sundays than me already, serve every Sunday – I love seeing our new OC attenders taking ownership of their campus!! To be part of the greatest move of God in the history of NE GA and VOLUNTEER @ Compass click here.

•Received several notes and emails from First Time Guests commenting about the friendliness of our people – THANK YOU for reaching out and connecting with EVERY SINGLE PERSON who walks in our doors at Compass – Compass Volunteers ROCK.

•We had a man who had been living in his car for some time attend a service in Decemeber – it was during the POUR series. One of our Host Team Volunteers followed him to his car and gave him $20.  Just heard about it this week. Whoever you were – THANK YOU!! Let’s continue to go above and Beyond the call of duty to IMPACT this community by Uncommonly Accepting, Unconditionally Loving, and Unselfishly Serving EVERYONE and ANYONE God brings through our Doors. His note said he’s now landed with family in Texas.


THIS SUNDAY

•Do EVERYTHING you can to INVITE and BRING with you EVERYONE you can this Sunday. We’re wrapping our Doors series and I’m more excited about this message and what God wants to share than any in the series.
•We get to baptize in all 3 services on Mother’s Day – Can’t Wait – FIRES me up!!!

•Please be in prayer big time for Sunday – I am going to present the Gospel in an incredibly strong way and make an incredibly BOLD ASK for those who don’t know Christ – get people there who are far from God – we’ll help them find Him this Sunday.

•I just know some DUDES are going to make their mom’s day by showing up – I’ve been praying Big Time for the DUDES to be there this week.

•I can’t wait for our MARRIAGE series to begin on May 17….you will not believe what the creative team came up with this time – still holding out on the Big Reveal – maybe Friday…only Compass!!

•God has given us the most powerful teaching calendar EVER for the rest of the year – Get Your READY SHOES on.

•I asked our staff on Monday how God was speaking to them and where they we’re hanging out in the Bible – very cool stuff – share tomorrow.

•Can’t wait to hang out THIS SATURDAY MORNING at LEADERSHIP COMMUNITY with our VOLUNTEER Leaders!!!!

•Have a Rockin Day, TELL somebody about Jesus, LOVE your family more than ever before, and INVITE someone to Mother’s Day at Compass – I know I’m going to.

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Nov 17 2008

Sunday Post Game

Posted by: jcarpenter in General, Uncategorized, tags: , , ,

SUNDAY POST GAME

A few random thoughts about today before kicking off a new week…

•Not sure if Sunday ENDS the week or BEGINS the week…maybe the Post Game is the Pre Game.

•I do know I’m already PUMPED about what God has laid on my heart to share this Sunday.

•I LOVE Pastoring Compass Church – today our services ROCKED!

•My wife called me “THE MAN” today – I’m still not over that!

•Lis did a GREAT JOB casting vision for volunteers for our Athens and newly opening OC campus. Right at 30 New Volunteers Signed Up Today – that ROCKS! Sign up here to volunteer at our Athens or OC campuses and be part of rocking this city for Jesus!

•We talked about making the most of our Life’s “DASH” (you know, that thing that appears on everybody’s tombstone between the dates).

•I’m still stuck on,  “Does my Dash reflect the kind of life God could trust with a LOT or just a LITTLE?”

•I’m realizing the LOT (which is what my heart wants) requires a dying to self, daily attitude adjustments, and a ton of changes.

•I want to make sure I’m MY VERY BEST to things that LAST FOREVER and are not just temporary.

•Sunday’s 30 Days Story from Larry Damerval (listen here) quite possibly was one of the most POWERFUL MOMENTS ever @ Compass – We were ALL in TEARS at the end – tough, but life changing moments!

•There were 16 people that “Flipped The Switch” this morning. That season of life change that God began during Switch is NOT slowing down!

•We have baptized 12 out of the last 13 weeks – stories of JESUS changing the old to new is ALWAYS a highlight and NEVER gets old!

•Chris had 3 new Christ Followers walk up to him today ready to be baptized.  It’s what they would do it if they only had 30 Days to Live so they are taking the plunge. LOVE It!

•Guess what? WE ARE BAPTIZING this coming Sunday too!! (If you are ready, click here)

•We also had THE MOST GENEROUS MOMENT in our church’s history today – on Thursday one of our Compass families gave an $80,000 check towards BEYOND.

•Yes, all the staff touched it, kissed it, hugged it, prayed over it before we deposited it.

•Two Words – UNEXPLAINABLE yet UNDENIABLE!

•That is THE LARGEST GIFT Compass Church as EVER received. They were more excited about WRITING that check than RECEIVING the BIG check that made that one possible. I’m BLOWN Away by God and blown away by their obedience, trustworthiness, and generosity! God will use that to reach THOUSANDS in this city.

•God REALLY Does have our back. I’m feeling very small, incredibly humbled, exceptionally Grateful, and unbelievably Blessed! Going to blog more about this tomorrow.

•Alex Maeland has a gift leading worship. I love going into battle with this kid. He’s only 21. God’s got BIG PLANS to use this generation to take this world for Jesus!

•SHOUT OUT to our VOLUNTEERS – I’m BLOWN Away right now by your passion and commitment to do WHATEVER it takes to pull off a Sunday and CONNECT Athens to Jesus!

A. You get your butt out of bed EARLY on really cold Sundays!

B. It seemed like there was two feet of pine needles in the parking lot early Sunday – it was clear by 8:15 and ready for people! Great Job Athens Campus Set Up Team.

C. We tested new technology in our services today – the PRODUCTION TEAM (ALL Volunteers & all ages high school to adults on camera, lights, graphics, computer, backstage, onstage) knocked it out of the park! Words fall short to explain what this will mean in the future to our ability to tell people about Jesus!

D. We have a ton of New VOLUNTEERS and MINISTRY TEAM LEADERS Test Driving different ministry areas  - WELCOME to the TEAM – God’s going to use you to Rock Athens for Jesus!

•HUGE THANKS s to those who have made the switch to the 9:30am service for opening up chairs and children’s spots for guests in the 11:15 service.

•There’s a HUGE BUZZ about what God is doing in this warehouse, our city, and getting ready to do in OC.

•Quote of the week from an OC Campus Leader - ”Two of the families that I have been praying for told me that they had no excuse not to attend church starting January 11th…especially since the OC service will be at 11:15!!!!!“

•168 hours and we GET to do this all again – What are you going to do THIS WEEK with those 168 hours that MATTER! I pray it involves REPRESENTING Jesus WELL and TELLING people about Jesus BOLDLY.

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