Good Tired

-Last week we had one of those vacations that was great, but leaves you playing some serious catch up. I didn't do Sunday Remixes for the past two Sundays, but we had great services with a lot of guests. This past week the two worship teams that rotate did a combined set. It was cool they rocked out, but added mandolin, banjo, & congas. It had a really rugged, homespun, and worshipful feel. I love what God's been doing in people's lives during this series.

-I went to visit Chris & Caitlyn in the hospital Sunday. They had a beautiful little girl. On the way into the hospital I started talking to a dude chilling outside who looked like we was in a lot of pain. He was really a cool guy. I ended up praying for him and then I went up the day after he had his ruptured discs fixed. I hung out along with one of his friends for over an hour. It was so cool to see this guy coming to the realization that there are spiritual needs in his life. We talked mostly about guy stuff old fights, stupid decisions, and movies. It was just real cool. since then he's called and said that he and his girl want to check things out. In his words he said that it's just "f&%$ing" cool how things worked out. I guess that's not quite a praise God, but it was definitely heart felt. I love it that God draws to us the rough and edgy. It's messy at times, but i wouldn't trade it for anything! I can't wait to have my new friend show up at the embassy. I know God has plans to blow his mind with His faithfulness.

-Spent one night looking for a girl on the streets in Atlanta. Her uncle's an old friend of mine from Ohio. He heard she was on the streets so I took Brantley and Hannah with me to find her. We came home at 1:00am, but could not locate her. Pray for this young girl that she'll begin to make the right decisions before she craps her life away.

-Tomorrow we finish getting out 15,000 door hangers. Tonight we placed over 2,000 invite cards on cars at WHS, EHS, and the movie theater.We are going to have a huge turn out next Sunday for our "Gametime" tailgate party. I'll write more about that first of next week. Plan to be there, bring a friend, we are going to have a blast!

-This week has been crazy and between now and Tuesday it's going to be even crazier. I want to personally ask you to pray for my strength the next couple of days. This week was 12-14hr days everyday. Thanks!

emc -T-shirt will soon be available so you can represent large to all your homey's :)

We wanted something that had our logo, and info, but wasn't over the top saying "hey look at me I'm wearing a church t." I'm sure we'll design some t-shirts in the future that have our name a little larger, but this was the feel we were going for for our first shirt. The actual size of the design is 8 X 13 so the picture makes it seem smaller than it is. The t-shirt is grey with creme printing. I would love some feed back on this so tell me what you think.

EMC's First Billboard Design

The billboard can be seen heading East on 92 and South on 575. It went up yesterday afternoon and already we have had people checking the website out and an e-mail from someone who had some great questions. I'll try to get a picture of the actual sign soon.

We found Timbuktoo

We left Monday afternoon to visit Amie's folks in South Georgia. They are living in Alma which lies 15 miles in any direction from nothing. "Well ain't that a geographical oddity" Finally we made it to Douglas so as the wife, grandmother and kid's are checking out the local WalMart I thought I would check mail, etc...

I am on vacation and forcefully have been de-connected on every digital front. Actually it's been kind of nice spending a few days in Timbuktoo. Looking forward to getting home and seeing everybody on Sunday. This week of the sex series is extremely important be sure to be there. I can't wait for you to hear what the band is putting together for the day and we have something hilarious to open the teaching time up with. You don't want to miss it. See you Sunday!

Getting ready for the Game

It's 7:20 and Grant is up and getting dressed in his soccer kit (that's his whole get up from jersey to cleats). I thought it was bad last Saturday when he was ready at 9:00 for his 10:40 game. When you are passionate about something it will get you up in the morning and ready to get at it. It looks like Grant's "getting his game on" and I love it.

I think that is kind of what we all feel like on Sunday mornings when we get up early and begin to set up hours before people arrive at the embassy. I love being a part of the team. I hope I always go at church planting with the same zeal that Grant has for his new found love soccer.

Speaking of soccer...that is my goal (pun intended). Next summer I want to play in a Tuesday night league just to blow off steam. To do so I have to lose a lot of weight or frankly I'll snap my ankles off at the bottom of my tib/fibs. When the train get's moving it ain't easy to get it to stop when cutting. Trust me I know last year I did a doosy on my ankle during a coaches scrimmage. It's like I think I'm 175 in my head so I play like that, but the body says, "boy are you freakin' crazy....this is where this ends" and snap I'm laying there with a ganked up ankle. Well I am on track now.

I will put these numbers in just to make me accountable. I began 4 weeks ago when I realized I was an official fat cow. I was just shy of 270 pounds. Dang! at 5'8 that equates to you are a fat cow. Now everybody says...."Oh you carry your weight well" that's nice tell that to my body because all my body was telling me was, "hey Ross...guess what... you're a fat cow." I want to be able to play soccer with my boy when he's 16 and at the rate I was going the only soccer we would have been playing was EA sports FIFA 2007 on the playstation. I refuse to be a 40 year old "use to be an athelete" guy who can't relate to his son because he's obese. OK so what am I doing about it. Well I haven't been dieting. I've been going to gym and eating a lot of meals. 5 or six small meals a day each one just until I feel satisfied. It's hard to crave junk when you feel satisfied all day. That's about it. So how's it going you might ask. I was 252 this morning which means I have lost 17 pounds. That's 3 sugar bags and a half down, 15 and a half to go. I want to be 175 again. When Aubrynn was born 8 years ago I weighed 165 pounds. A month ago I realized I had to "get my game on"

I am laying these figures out mainly to keep myself accountable as I work to loose nearly 100 pounds. I'll throw the figures up here about once a month and if you see me out and I have a coke and chips in my hand just holler out...."fat pastor fat pastor get your game back on!"

EMC's first person that has got a head start

Tonight I spent several hours at the hospital with a dear family as they said goodbye to their mother. Most of you do not know who Luella Harris was but she was the oldest person that considered herself to be and emc-er. We were her church and I was her pastor. I say that with a sense of pride and affection. Luella was 91 years old and although she made it to our first baptism (it was held at the home where her daughter Sharon lives) we never had the privilege of having her at the theater. She may not have been able to get to the theater, but in the early days before we launched we had a small group that met at Sharon's and there Luella sat as pretty as can be dressed to the nines and taking it all in. Being that we have a pretty young church I miss some of the old stuff I was raised with. So when I would visit with Grandma Harris she always let me get my fill of playing and singing some old gospel hymns and choruses.

To be honest it was a little selfish of me because she reminded me so much of my Grandma Bobbie. With her I always felt like I was at home on a Sunday afternoon smelling cornbread cooking and waiting to get into the soup beans. I guess I'm trying to say she always took me back. Well now she has jumped well ahead of us all and while we'll mourn our loss for some time to come we know she is at peace and waiting on us just as pretty as she can be.

Grandma Harris I'll forever be proud to say that you were the first person's home going that I'll get to be a part of here in Georgia. Don't worry a thing honey....we'll make you proud. Love ya.

Sex Series E-mail

I received this today from a parent:

Hey, Ross,

Thank you for taking on such a sensitive subject. Any help we can get as parents in teaching our kids the morally accepted view of sex is always appreciated. Parents tend to keep this subject in the closet while the media outlets parade it in front of our kids, almost mocking the values parents try to instill in their kids. The sad part is still that most kids want to do the right thing, but peer pressure and society pushes them into compromising what is right for the feeling of being accepted.

Anyway, I'm glad you are being such a great leader in making us deal with the tougher parts of our faith.

See you on Sunday!

I told everyone Sunday I'm sorry but we can't just be some church that will never face the tough issues. We have and we will continue to look to God's word for answers to life's everyday concerns, hurts, and struggles. Sometimes that might get a little messy and uncomfortable, but who ever said finding the best in life would ever be easy.

A Salute to Woodstock's Finest

Tuesday night I was asked to give the invocation for our cities 9-1-1 memorial. The Jaycees hosted it and it was attended by our local representatives and mayor. This morning I was thinking about our men in blue here in the city and just taking a little time to pray for their safety and their families. We are a growing community which will continue to put these guys and gals in greater positions of risk. The police force under Chief Moss and the Fire department led that evening by Deputy Chief Doumas couldn't have looked sharper. As I looked at these civil servants some very young, some aged with years of experience shown on their faces I thought these are the living. Those who passed away on 9-1-1 we should never forget to memorialize their commitment to man and country, but equally we should strive to honor those in blue who work faithfully to protect us and keep us safe every day. WPD & WFD May God bless you all greatly!

Too Cool!

Talk about buzz! Have you ever heard of a Muslim evangelist! Well we have one. She has already brought one person to emc and today I found out she is out and about inviting everybody she knows to church next Sunday! I hope my new muslim friend has a great hand in introducing many to Jesus. That just sounds weird. God's at work...what else can you say!

The Buzz is On

I can't wait for you to see the 14X48 billboard that will go up at 92 and 575 South in less than three weeks. It's all a part of our commitment to go all out in reaching people for Christ!

I am still amazed at everybody who was at the embassy Sunday and the stories I have heard the past two days have been great as God has been speaking to people regarding their faith and sexuality.
This fall is going to be great as we reach your friends, family members and co-workers with the message of Jesus and His hope for their lives!

There is a B in buzz I want to say that means "Be" if you want to see people reached by this message of hope, love, acceptance, and the power to change then you need to "Be" engaged (what can I get my hands into that will futher the message of Christ), "Be" doing your part (investing and inviting)and "Be" there Sunday not just at 10:02am, but join the revolution and find your place on the team. If you have been at emc since the beginning or if last week was your first time you can have the privilege of being a part of this movement as we see God's plans unfold in the lives of those around us. Shoot me an e-mail if you want to "Be" a part of the Buzz!

Sunday Remixed

-Today was incredible we had more e-mails and phone calls regarding the impact of todays service than we have ever had. It was amazing to see what God is doing in people's hearts as a result of yesterdays emc experience.
-It was literally the hardest teaching time I have experienced since launching the embassy. I was sweating, losing my train of thought, frankly I was a mess. It was actually kind of humorous but at the time felt like crap. I have been preaching long enough to know you just keep pushing through because God is in the middle of it all and He is getting the message across to hearts and lives that will be changes by His words even if the preacher is feeling a little hyperventilated. Ha!
-Everybody knows that I get hot when I preach and my hanky was no where to be found...the water cup ran out in no time. I've been doing this forever, but ever so often God will throw me a reminder that "boy you ain't got this figured out yet so just trust me." OK so maybe God doesn't use double negative's in his dialogue, but that's just how I hear Him saying it.
-It was funny that the day I felt the worse in delivery we just so happened to have the most responses ever and the highest regular service attendance since we launched.
-20% more worship guides were made this week than normal and we still ran out.
-We did some vision casting Sunday about all the opportunities that are coming up in the next 6 weeks. Do your part to make a difference in the life of the person that soon will be sitting next to you in a seat at the theater. That empty seat is your responsibility....Own that thought that ever person you have a relationship with is your responsibility to help them have a seat in heaven someday. That begins here and now by getting them to a seat at the embassy where I promise you they will have an experience with God and God's word that they will not be able to deny!
-OK so how many people not numbers, but people....not numbers, but lives valued by God. We had 150 people Sunday. There is definitely a buzz taking place at emc. Invite your friends and family be there during this series, and get involved in the things we are doing going into the fall.
-Finally, I love it that embassy is a place of doers not talkers, servants not slackers, lovers not haters....keep it up guys you are so making your God proud!!!

My Boy's a Playa in the Beatiful Game

This is Grant's second season of soccer and today was his first game. The "Blue Rockers" a name the kids came up with came away with the win. Not that that's what it's all about, but like I've said before I'd rather win then lose any day. Grant was a force... at least in my eyes. I'm trying hard to not be an obnoxious soccer dad, but I loved how he went right at the ball no matter what. All he could think about was get the ball, shoot, score. We'll have to work on team play and sharing, but today was all about everybody going at it and my boy came away with a bunch of goals. When it was over I was so proud of him because he said he thought he had scored a goal or two (it was 3 times that) but all he could say was dad our team scored ten goals. It felt good that he knew he had done well, but that individual play was lost amongst the accomplishment of the whole team. OK Ross you're making a big deal out of a stupid game. No I'm making a big deal out of what the game can do in the attitude and growth of a boy. Odd's are Grant will never play pro soccer, but he'll carry excelling in your area of interest and being a team player all his life. It was neat to see in his head he's beginning to get that. Now I just got to get it out of his head and into his feet so he'll pass the stinkin' ball sometimes, but I guess that's just how they play at this age. Go Blue Rockers!..... and from a proud dad go Grant.

Get ready EMC is going large the next few months!

This Sunday I'll be talking a little about what we can expect in the next few months. If you are a part of EMC get ready!!! If not what in the world are you waiting on get to Cherokee 16 Theater Sundays at 10:02am.

This coming Sunday we launch a series called "Satan's SexEd" you don't want to miss this Sunday for anything. (Special thanks to LifeChurch.tv for the use of the short clips that we will use to bring these teachings home) Don't hate yourself in the morning because you skipped this Sunday (Pun Intended)Be there!

The last week of September our first Billboard will go up it can be seen from 92E & 575S. We will be inviting 15,000 homes to come Sunday October 7th to the launch of our series called "Gametime" This will be a sports themed day complete with a Tailgate party. We will have Williams Bros. BBQ several inflatables one that even the teens and adults can enjoy, music, prizes and a drawing for a Wii gaming system and games with a Madden 08 game included. Begin telling friends now so they can plan on being there. Event begins at 10:02 in the theater with the band rockin'. We'll do the drawing for the Wii at 10:50 as we dismiss to go to the food and entertainment outside. I think we can pack out our theater and give many people a taste of what Jesus and emc is all about.

The rest of October we will be doing the "Gametime" series. Which will challenge people and give people skills to be a success on the field of life.

On Halloween night we will be partnering up with the City of Woodstock again to help serve at Kids Fest. we will be doing something special that night to invite the kids and families back to emc on Sunday for the start of our November series

In November we are launching a discipleship series called "Wild Wild West" this is a five week series designed to face the outlaws that at times threaten our hearts. We will have several journey groups that you can choose from and each weeks small group time will center in on the previous Sunday's teaching. I'm hoping I can get Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, or Montgomery Gentry to stop by but we'll have to see about that. No we won't do country the whole time because Jared would go into convulsions, but we will have a little each week if there's anything I can do about it!

Finally at Christmas time we will be doing a two week series called "Peace on Earth" that will serve to give us a better global picture of what God is doing in the world and how we can be a part of a world changing movement to make a difference! Then on December 23rd we will have our Christmas service!

As you can tell we have some exciting months ahead of us. Jump in, get involved and let's together make it hard for people in the area to go to hell, make it difficult for them to see their marriages fail, make it impossible to see their lives lack purpose and direction. Let's let the people of this city know that we are "with you on the journey"

Where Does Time Go?

Some thoughts from the past 10 days:

-Labor day weekend was great. Had incredible attendance for a holiday weekend. The band was incredible and the teaching impacted people's lives powerfully. We talked about the stuff in our lives that get's in the way of God's best for us. As I spoke I built an altar out of 50+ stones scattered over our stage. We looked at what an altar before God meant and what it means today. Then people came and placed their stones that were given to them when they came into the theater on the altar. Laying their "stuff" before God. It was really a beautiful thing to see.

-I performed my second wedding since being in GA. I think it's my 78th wedding since I began pastoring. Drea & Tracy Looked great and the wedding was so cool. It was outside up at Red Top Mountain.

-We had two Mackey powered speakers donated to us.

-Echo Students went to a climbing Gym on Labor day with the majority of their students and the one kid that get's hurt at every emc event made it through safely! Alright two events in a row for him. I think the curse is broken :)

-I have wireless again at the house. Thanks Lawrence for hooking it up. Now I can work out on the back deck again. Love the view of the Lake back there. Got to get sometime out there tonight. The temp is only 73 degrees right now. Amazing!

-Have had people all week telling me and e-mailing me about what God is doing in their lives through the embassy.

-Last week was crazy with appointments, surgeries, planning sessions...etc