If I had to choose a top reason that Christians leave Oak Leaf Church, it would be “you’re not deep enough.”

Our church is three years old, and in the past few years, we have seen a bunch of people who didn’t go to church at all come through our doors. I believe we have a God-given mission to lead people from WHERE THEY ARE to where God wants them to be.  We have to start where most people are, not rush out in front of them.  Most people currently attending Oak Leaf Church weren’t going to church regularly before, and there’s a good chance they might not be Bible-experts.

So I don’t set out to confuse people with a 45-minute sermon that they don’t understand meaning they won’t DO ANYTHING as a result.  I want to challenge people with Biblical principles so they live a life that honors God.  I don’t think we need more Bible information (though information is not bad), I think we need more transformation.  One of my greatest fears as a pastor is that we will have a church full of hearers of the Word who to nothing but sit on their blessed assurance.

If you do want to go deeper in your faith, don’t let me stop you. There is a WEALTH of information on the Internet (Thank you Al Gore). There are hundreds of great books by Christian authors who will challenge you. You can download podcasts and sermons from great preachers. I do all of those things (I listen to sermons from preachers like Matt Chandler and read books by smart people like N.T. Wright)…because I know how to feed myself.  There is nothing but pride or laziness stopping you from getting in a Bible study or learning about God on your own.  The minute you think that the church’s sole job is to feed you is the minute you miss the point of the church. And if you’re depending on my sermon to provide all your spiritual depth, you’re in trouble.

Now there’s nothing wrong with wanting to know more about God…the Bible says his mercies are new every morning.  That’s why we offer classes through Oak Leaf University. I just wrapped up teaching a Theology 101 class where we talked about The Word of God, Revelation, the Trinity, Substitutionary Atonement and the virgin birth.  That’s pretty deep in my opinion.  (And we’ve got plans to roll out more courses on Christian History, specific books of the Bible, and more.)  This why, three years into our church, we’re moving towards connecting teenagers into small groups led by adults who love Jesus.  We couldn’t start with that, because we weren’t ready.

You’ve also got opportunities to put your faith into action.  If you come needing more Bible studies and you aren’t serving somewhere, then you’ve got a spiritual eating disorder…too much in and not enough out! I think the deepest people in our church are the ones serving others. True depth is measured by how many people you lead to follow Jesus, and by how much you serve and give…not just how much you know.  There will be a lot of smart people in hell.

Finally, if you let depth keep you from developing a relationship with non-Christians, then your priorities are different from the priorities of Jesus.  The Bible clearly describes a Jesus who passionately pursued people who were FAR FROM GOD.  It’s the sick that need a doctor.  It’s the lost that need the church.  This church unashamedly desires to reach people who do not go to church.  I think that’s a pretty compelling mission, and one that is worthy of our full attention and devotion.  This does not mean that we don’t care about discipleship, but it does mean that discipling others starts with CREATING disciples, not just inheriting them.

I hope our church is full of deep people…people who deeply care for the lost and the mission of this church to rescue the lost.  People who deeply want to lead people from where they are to where God wants them to be.

This weekend, we’re finishing off God at the Movies with a bang.  But I wanted to let you know where we’re going after that.

• In August, we’re doing a series called Contagious and it’s based off the book of Acts.  We’ll all re-engage as school starts back up and a new ministry year begins.  We’ll also celebrate our three year birthday on August 16 with an old fashioned pot-luck get-together and outdoor baptism at Riverside Park.
• In September, we’re doing a three-part series called Break Free.  This series is straight up The Gospel, and we will make a huge push to get people here that need Jesus.  Break Free will be based on the most pivotal event in the Old Testament…the Exodus.
• In October, we’re going through the Song of Solomon in a five-part series called Storybook Sex.  You might remember the last sex series we did, which yielded these complaint calls.
• In November, we’ve got a series designed to help you grow in your faith as a Christian.

This fall is going to be amazing, and I am praying some huge prayers for our church.  If you’re sitting on the sidelines, now is the time to get in the game.

Here’s a short recap of a part of last weekends service, where we all gave more than 1,600 pairs of shoes. They were delivered to Souls 4 Souls. This video is featured on the Soles 4 Souls website as well, right before Kelly Pickler and Chili’s.  Souls 4 Souls is a great organization, and we were proud to help them “change the world…one pair at a time.”  I’m so proud of everyone who went home barefoot last weekend and who brought shoes by throughout the week.

After talking about unleashing a culture of generosity, I asked the people of Oak Leaf Church to give the shoes off their feet.  Hundreds of people came forward and did just that, and the shoes will be donated to Soles4Souls.  Above is a short video where we asked for people’s shoes, and you can watch the entire message here.

Jake had a meeting with some of our student ministry volunteers last week, and gave a list of a few things adults need to know to be a great leader.  Here’s a few, with some additional commentary.

• We need committed people. The Church has enough marginally interested, sideline-standing people.  We need people who will get in the game.
  
• We need you to be who you are.  Don’t try to be cool.
• We need you to be a leader, not a friend. This is so good…teenagers don’t need adult friends…they need leaders.  That’s why we don’t let anyone and everyone volunteer with Oak Leaf Students.
• We need you to be at student ministry functions consistently.   This is so important.  Consistency is a key…you can’t just show up and expect to speak truth into a student’s life.  You need to be there and earn the right to be heard.
• We need you to give your best.  This is the Church, the thing that Jesus said he would build, and His plan for advancing the Gospel.  This is not a hamburger stand.  So, yes, there are expectations and this thing deserves your best.
• We need you to communicate with us regularly.  My favorite form of communication is email.
• We need you to uphold Biblical principles in your daily life. This is probably the most important one.  This is a Spiritual thing. We’re not entertaining students…we’re leading them to Jesus.
  

Jake is right on the money with this list, and I’d say this stuff applies to any volunteer at Oak Leaf Church.

God at the Movies 3D continues this weekend.  We’re using The Dark Knight and talking about leaders.  6pm on Saturday or 9:30 or 11:15 on Sunday.  And if you can help it, come on Saturday night or at 9:30 on Sunday and leave those seats at 11:15 for guests.

Oak Leaf Church is driven by God, but fueled by volunteers. Every weekend, hundreds of volunteers show up early and stay late because they want to lead people from where they are to where God wants them to be.
Here’s a few special needs that we have. I’ll call them ODD JOBS, because they aren’t your normal tasks. Maybe you could help us out?

1. Hang insulation in skylights. There’s about 6 skylights in the House of Rock. They are blacked out but they are not insulated, which means they add heat to a few of our kids environments. I need someone to get some insulation, put them in these skylights, and then paint it black. Probably 3-4 hours, and a little Bob the Builder experience would probably be helpful. Could be done anytime the building is open.

2. We’ve got two U-Haul trucks and the sides need to be painted. I actually painted one side of each truck myself, so I just need someone to roll white paint on the other sides. Probably an hour or so and could be done on your schedule.

3. In our green room (which is not green, it’s just a term for the room that the band and people hang out in before the service starts), we have a really loud, hot and ugly ice machine. I’d love to build a wall (the opening is about 90 inches) and put a door there. Right now, we’ve got a shower curtain. This is probably 3-4 hours worth of work and some construction experience would be helpful.

4. During the month of July, we’re doing God at the Movies, so we want to put out road signs, inviting the community to our services. We haven’t done this for a while, and I’ve got 100 signs. You could help one weekend. We’ll start around 5pm and it would take about an hour. You’d need to pick them up on Sunday night and bring them back to the House of Rock during the week.

5. Data entry. We’re trying to get our database cleaned up, which is really not that fun. I’m looking for someone to come in and take excel sheets and make groups in our church management software. This is an ongoing project, but you could do it for 2-3 hours anytime during the week.

If you’re interested in helping out in any of these areas, email Tracy and she’ll get you in touch with the right person.

Oak Leaf Church is one unified body, not a federation of sub-ministries. We have one purpose, one mission, one staff. Volunteers don’t serve a particular ministry….they serve the church through a particular ministry. Each ministry does not need it’s own website…our main website should have all the content. We are not trying to build a house of brands…we want to be one brand.

For this reason, we are rebranding two of our ministries to keep the look consistent with the look of the church. KidVenture is now Oak Leaf Kids. Fuel is now Oak Leaf Students.

We’re choosing clarity over creativity. We’re choosing unity over identity. Nobody really knows what Fuel means, but if you say Oak Leaf Students, there is understanding. KidVenture is cool, but it’s not connected to the church.

A teenager isn’t a part of Fuel…he is a part of Oak Leaf Church. A child doesn’t come to KidVenture…she comes to Oak Leaf Church.  We’ll use some different colors, but the look is staying consistent.  One day, the leaf will be just as recognizable in Bartow County as the Golden Arches of McDonalds.

Here’s the new look.

I confess. I’m a bit of a dreamer. Here’s just some of the crazy stuff that I dream and pray for the future of Oak Leaf Church.

• I want to have another campus, reaching a new segment of the North Georgia population.
• Sometime in the next few years, I want to add a Hispanic service, with a spanish-speaking Pastor teaching our weekend messages.
• I want to be a place that trains church planters…through coaching, internships, residents, etc.
• I’m praying that someone would GIVE us a house so we could fill it with interns. There’s nothing like learning by doing.
• I dream of partnering with a city in the United States and a country in the world, taking repeated trips to those places to see lives changed.
• I’d praying that someone would give us some land.  Not sell cheap…give.

Some of these sound crazy, but I bet God thinks they are too small.

I’m teaching a 4-week course called Theology 101 at the upcoming semester of Oak Leaf University. The idea is to dive a little deeper into a topic that we hit on the weekends. The classes are designed to be a little more informational…think college.  We’ll meet on Tuesday nights from 6-8pm (with a break in the middle so you can hang out and get drinks from The Coffee Bar), and childcare is included with your registration.

Here’s chapter one of student book that I’m putting together to let you know what the class will be like. You can register here.

Our volunteer leaders gathered last night for a quarterly leadership summit.  The goal of last night was simply say thanks for serving.  I reminded everyone of just how crazy our mission is (Yea, we’re THAT church) , and thanked them for being a little crazy too (Ooo…you go there!?)

Oak Leaf Church has amazing volunteers…the best on planet Earth.  If you put them in charge of GM, it would be back on it’s feet in a few weeks.  While our church is driven by God, it’s fueled by these amazing people.  So I just said thanks, read a few emails, and tried my best to encourage everyone.

As a part of the night, I gave out the first two Leafys.  These are custom made awards to recognize special people.  Ralph got the first one, and Suzy got the second one.  Both of these people go above and beyond, and do an amazing job.  It wouldn’t be Oak Leaf without them.

Every weekend, when I see so many people serving, it fires me up.  Our people encourage ME.  I’m proud to be the pastor of an awesome church.

Here’s five things you need to know.

1.  I’m starting a new series this weekend called Uncomfortable.  It’s based on the life of Abraham, and it will challenge and encourage you.  You should invite someone.

2.  If you’re a volunteer or a leader at Oak Leaf Church, then you need to be at the Leadership Summit this Sunday night at 6pm.  Childcare is provided, and The Coffee Bar will be open.  I’ve got something special planned, and the band will be leading some worship as well.

3.  Registration for Oak Leaf University is underway.  We’ve got four great classes, all meeting on Tuesday nights in July.  Childcare is included in your registration and The Coffee Bar will be open and serving food as well.  I’m teaching a class on Theology, which is the study of God.  Register here.

4.  Fuel is taking the month of July off, however, all the adult leaders are meeting durig the normal Fuel time to ramp up for August.  This fall is going to be amazing for students.  This week, I’m teaching at Fuel, and the next week we’re putting on a block party for the Cartersville Housing Authority.  Then we’re off in July.

5.  I’ll be honest…I’m praying for several new people to start tithing.  Summer is always tough, and while we’ve learned to operate on the tightest of budgets, we’ve got some major expenses.  We just had to ad an additional AC unit upstairs for our kids.  Giving is a form of worship, and a tangible way to show our trust in God.  If you’d like to give online, you can do that here.

There you go…five important things for you on this great Friday.  Have a great weekend, and I hope I see you Saturday night or Sunday morning at Oak Leaf Church.

The Coffee Bar opens to the public on Monday morning. You can stop by from 6am – 10am, Monday thru Saturday for coffee that’s better than Starbucks.  I know…better than Starbucks is a big claim.  But here’s why it’s a fact.

1. It’s fresher. Your fresh ground coffee beans were cherries on a tree just a few months ago.  It’s literally roasted when we ordered and shipped to us in 2-3 days.   And if you don’t like coffee, you can get fountain Coke products or Italian Sodas (carbonated water mixed with flavored syrups…try something like Strawberry Lime)

2. All of the net profits are given away to local groups in the community. So when you drink a latte, or a cup of coffee, or an Iced Mocha…you are literally helping other community organizations.  That’s why the motto is drink coffee and serve the world.  Our community partner for the month of June is The Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter.

3. The WiFi is free. No gift card registration or monthly plan required.  There’s also a private conference room that you can reserve for your meeting, and that’s free.  Free is better.

So there you go.  Proof that The Coffee Bar is better than Starbucks.

Here’s a quick glance at Oak Leaf Church news.

1.  Sign ups for Oak Leaf University begin this Sunday.  We have four classes:  Theology, the Bible, Parenting and Finances.  Classes meet on Tuesday night during the month of July.  Space is limited.  You can register at the House of Rock or online.

2.  Beginning a new series on the life of Abraham in a couple of weeks.  Then in July, it’s God at the Movies.  In 3D.

3.  We baptized a bunch of people last weekend.  If you missed it, and want to be baptized next time, contact Jody.

4.  The Coffee Bar opens to the public this Monday at 6am.  Yep, it’s a legitimate coffee shop with a health inspection and all that jazz.  The coffee is better than Starbucks and the wifi is free.

5.  One of the best ways to stay up to date with all things Oak Leaf is by subscribing to the weekly email.  It’s sent out once a week, and we keep your information safe.  You can unsubscribe easily at any time.  Just enter your email address below and click join.

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Next Monday, June 8 at 6am the Coffee Bar will open to the public.  We’re serving espresso-based drinks, great coffee, fountain Coke products, Italian sodas, and pastries prepared every morning by Agans Bakery.   The Coffee Bar will be open from 6-10am and additional hours will be added soon.

When we renovated the House of Rock, we wanted to do more than just have a place for church.   So, we put in a Starbucks-quality coffee shop.  All of the net profits are given to community organizations and non-profits.  In June, The Good Neighbor Homeless Shelter will be the recipient. So not only can you get a great cup of coffee, or an Italian soda,  a fountain coke, or a latte…you literally help local organizations in the process.

There’s also a small meeting room that is available FOR FREE to any group that would like to use it during Coffee Bar hours.  The rest of the facility, including the 400-seat auditorium, can be used for special events as well, with a big discount given to non-profit groups.  Here’s details on renting or using the facility.

Stop by on Monday, June 8 from 6-10am…I’d love to say hi.