As a pastor in the Groups Ministry, my job often involves convincing people that groups are essential.  And convincing leaders that groups are worth giving their lives for, while waiting for Christ’s return.

But.  Do I believe groups matter?

As a closet-introvert, I prefer solace.  Selfishly, I would never choose to be in a group of people and freely give of myself.  This is obviously not a healthy perspective, but honesty is seldom a healthy dose of reality.  However, my group seems to want to know who I really am and be known in return.

For that, I am grateful.

Without them, an xBox, golf clubs, and a MacBook would be my platonic friends.  An xBox cannot challenge me to become a better husband (a better Jedi perhaps).  Golf clubs do not answer my phone call at 11pm when I must push a car onto a trailer (in the middle of no where).  And a MacBook never needs my encouragement during a difficult time.

Without a group, I could continue practicing my selfish ways uninhibited.  I could shield this practice with smoke screens like, “I’m too busy” or  “I had a bad experience” or “I can study the bible on my own.”  All of which are true for me.

I missed group last night because I was working late.  To my surprise, when I finally did arrive home (~10pm) cars littered my driveway and cul de sac.  My group was still at my house.  Waiting on me.  You know what?  After 3 years together, I would have done the same thing.

What’s happening to me?

Group, community, sharing life, or whatever you want to call it, has changed me.  Without my knowledge and without my permission, others’ needs have become more important than my own.  Their pain, is now my pain. And their victories are mine to celebrate.  And I would wager (were wagering allowed within the unspoken, yet well-codified rules of things pastors are not supposed to do) that I am not the only one.

Have groups (small, cell, life, interest, or on-line) actually made a difference in your life?  Are groups worth the trouble? time? transparency?

If no, why not?  If so, why?  One random commenter will receive a $10 gift card of their choice.

6 billion people.  6 billion stories.  This is just one of those stories.  People.  Life is better together.

In view of the predicted ice and snow storm for Friday and Saturday of this week, I wanted to let everyone know of some ways to stay informed regarding any changes or cancellations to our weekend worship schedule:

• The home page of our church website, faithpromise.org.
• WBIR & WATE post church cancellations and delays. Our information will be sent to them as well.

I would also like to remind you that even if our services are canceled, you may still connect via our Internet Campus, and you can always contribute online. Our online giving continues to increase, and we appreciate your faithfulness in furthering God’s Kingdom through Faith Promise Church as you give.

I am praying for a great weekend as we conclude our series, What’s In Your Closet? You won’t want to miss it as we look into God’s Word and learn how to “put on our dancing clothes.”

Love,

Pastor Chris

P.S. Our Internet Campus will be up and running regardless of the weather. Check it out at 10:00 or 11:45 am, or 9:00 pm.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Beginning this weekend, we’re getting into the Christmas spirit as we launch our new sermon series, Christmas Classics. If you’re looking for a church in the Knoxville area, we’d love to have you as our guest as we look at some familiar films and talk about the true message of Christmas.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In addition to 5 weekend services (2 on Saturday and 3 on Sunday), we also have two online interactive services.  For more information, you can watch the video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you missed it, you’ll want to check out the video from this past weekend as Pastor Chris Stephens addressed questions from the congregation on the topic of sex.  If you’re wondering, yes, he really did address topics such as pornography, masterbation, and what’s OK in the marriage bed.  Very candid discussion on a topic that has been often overlooked from the pulpit.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This post was written by Kyle Gilbert (kylesrandom.com), Pastor of Communications & Internet Campus Pastor at Faith Promise Church.

At the beginning of the year, I imagined the kind of impact Faith Promise could have by launching an online campus.  Today, after just 13 weekends on the Internet Campus, I’m blown away by what God is doing.

Let me share a few stories:

Sharon & George attended Faith Promise Church a few times, but with busy weekends, they hadn’t quite gotten into the habit of coming each week.  One Sunday morning, they were at home, and Sharon decided to check out the Internet Campus.  Once she watched a few minutes of the service and got a glimpse of the message, she knew it was something they needed to experience together.  So Sharon told the family to get ready, and they made it to our Knoxville campus in time for our 11:45 am Sunday service.

Eric serves in the military and was recently deployed overseas.  Despite the geographical separation from his wife and kids, he can share the same worship experience with his family, who attends at our Knoxville campus.  The shared experience helps them to stay emotionally connected through the separation.

Yvonne is a widow who lives out of state and is unable to go to church because of physical disabilities.  She found our iCampus through the recommendation of a friend, and this is what she had to say: “I am blessed to be able to praise and worship God and be a part of a church community in spite of my body’s limitations. My spirit has been set free!”

Robert and his wife normally attend our Knoxville church campus, but due to issues with his Parkinson’s, there were several weeks when he was unable to attend.  Through the Internet Campus, he was able to stay connected and receive personal connection and prayer in the midst of his recovery.

We’ve also had missionaries overseas that connect to our Internet Campus, and people traveling or on vacation often join us online.

Although these names have been changed to protect peoples’ identities, each story represents at least one person whose lives have been touched through Faith Promise’s Internet Campus.

Here are some quotes:

“I attended Faith Promise for over a year, but due to the economy we are no longer able to drive 50 minutes to church. I am so happy that you have started this service! I have missed Faith Promise, and look forward to learning and growing online!”

“I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to hear Pastor and worship with you guys today.  I am home with a sick child, and this allows me to participate!  Thanks again!”

“Thank You! My family and I moved [into the Knoxville area] in November of last year, and we have really been lost since we have been here. We came from a church much like Faith Promise and have not found church home. I just veiwed your service online and know that we will be attending next week without a doubt.”

This post was written by Josh Whitehead (joshwhitehead.net), Executive Pastor at Faith Promise Church.

Each year at FPC, our Senior Leadership Team sets church goals. It has been a part of our culture since the beginning of the church. Pastor asks each of us to pray daily for our ministry and for each of the goals. We’re often asked, “Where are we at in reaching the church goals?” Here’s a mid-year update:

*  3500 in Attendance – We are currently averaging 3079 in total attendance for this year. The fall will play a huge part in reaching this goal as we re-open Satellite I to accommodate those coming to FPC.

* 50% in Small Groups – Groups ministry continues to create new opportunities for connecting with others in relationships. We continue to see 50% of adults attending small group.

* 400 New Servants – VolLink has been a tremendous help in connecting people to ministry this year. Through May, we have seen 195 people begin serving in a ministry.

* 13 Mission Trips – There have been trips to all different parts of the world. Through July, teams have visited Costa Rica 3 times, New Zealand, Thailand, England, South Africa and Houston. There are other trips planned throughout the end of the year.

* 200 Baptisms – 109 people have followed Christ in Baptism this year. In 2008, FPC was 4^th in baptisms in the state of Tennesse. God is awesome!

* Compassion Ministry – Susan Troop is organizing the Kid’s Hope ministry to begin mentoring at Beaumont Elementary School. We are also pursuing hiring a Pastor of Missions to oversee all compassion ministries, local and global.

* 15.5% Budget Increase – to date we have fulfilled 10.5% of our 15.5% increase. God continues to do financial miracles at FPC and I expect that we will finish the year funding the entire budget!

* The Journey Campaign: 4.7 million pledged – We’ve received $1.11million to dates with $2.89million left to begin construction. Continue to pray for The Journey!

* 2 New Worship Services – Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 8:30am have helped us make seats available for guests at both the 10 & 11:45am services. This will become even more critical as we enter the fall.

We are absolutely spoiled at FPC to see God move in such amazing ways! Each of you plays a significant part in our ministry impacting people’s lives for Christ. Continue to reach out to your family and friends. Invite them to FPC so that they can experience the true living God and grow in their relationship with Him!

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This post is reprinted from the blog of Dr. Chris Stephens.

Starting April 12, 2009, Faith Promise launched a new worship service.  Now, in addition to the five worship times that occur on our physical campus, we now have two online interactive broadcasts of our worship service.  Each Sunday at 10:00 & 11:45 am, people from all over the world gather online at our Internet Campus (iCampus) to worship, chat, share prayer requests, and even do ministry online.

A few cool things we’ve seen happen on the Internet Campus:

• Family members who are geographically distant from one another can worship together online.
• People attending the iCampus are inviting their friends and family to attend through Facebook and Twitter.
• People are requesting one-on-one prayer through online prayer chat with one of our prayer volunteers.
• Families with new babies or dealing with sickness are able to stay connected from home.
• People looking for a church in the Knoxville area have been able to get acquainted with the ministry of Faith Promise.

If you’re looking for a church in Knoxville, TN, then we would love to have you as our guest.  You can visit our church website by going here.

To find out more about our church and get an overview of our ministries, look here.

We received notice a couple of days ago that Faith Promise will likely be listed in Outreach Magazine’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches which comes out in September.  In 2008, Faith Promise had 360 person increase in average weekend attendance (15% growth over 2007).

May God receive all the glory as he continues to impact lives for His kingdom here in Knoxville!