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

Sunday Remix

-great day with tons of guests several who I have met at different times in the community. way to go emc keep investing in people's lives and inviting them to come and experience what God desires to do in their lives.
-I invited another barista from the coffee shop and he came yesterday. that's always cool when that happens.
-music sounded great. the mix was hot.
-The God at the movies series ended great and we had the best attendance we've had all summer.
-there is definitely some buzz taking place. the next few months are going to be off da hook. I know it's labor day weekend but take off after church because I want to tell everybody what's going to be happening at the embassy over the next 8 weeks.
-we had a chic come last week as a guest of an emc-er. she then came to the 80's party Saturday which by the way was great fun. Loved the mullet and ACDC shirt on Rich it reminded me of 3/4's of the guys in my home town during the 80's. anyhoo, this lady shows up Sunday with her fiance'. I love this...after church I met him as he is nervously apologizing about his rock t-shirt and tattooed arms. He said if he knew he was coming to church he would have worn long sleeves. I told him, "two things, first I like tattoos and you don't have to worry about covering them up we have a lot of people with tats and we want you to come as you are. second I said laughing, "now explain to me what you meant by, if I knew I was coming to church I would have worn long sleeves." It's not like you accidentally end up at church.
He proceeded to tell me how his fiance' told him on Sunday, "let's go for a walk" so walk they did when they got to the theater she said let's go in." and they did that too. He then experienced the environment that I am always saying the emc-ers create with acceptance and dedication to making people feel valued by God and us. Well, the rest is history. The dude loved it and is planning on coming back, hopefully he'll come just as he is. I love to see people who bring people who bring people. Too Cool.
-one of our college age guys got a mohawk...holy pointy hair batman. actually it looked quite nice.
-Todd hooked me up with his ipod transmitter because his new car has one built in. Can't beat free swag. Thanks
-My oldest daughter Adalee actually beat me at a game for real. That's the first time one of my kids beat me when I was actually trying to win. No more air hockey for her. I'm only going tp play against grant from now on.
-I was beat from the weekend. Saturday I taught 2 one hour sessions on church planting to around 20 future church planters in Griffin, GA then attended the rest of the days workshops. got home just in time to get to the 80's party and didn't get to sleep until late. Went to lunch with some emc-ers and then I crashed Sunday afternoon taking a four hour nap. You got to love church planting.

New Group I'm Diggin'

Josh Brown tipped me off to a trio from Mount Pleasant, North Carolina that really have a great sound. This is what Wikepedia says about them: The Avett Brothers combine old-time country, bluegrass, punk, pop melodies, folk, rock and roll, honky tonk and ragtime to produce a sound described by The Washington Post as "post civil-war modern rock", or by other reviewers as "grungegrass".

Everybody that knows me knows I have a broad range of musical tastes. I like everything from rock to bach and from rockabilly to hillbilly. For some reason the music of the Blues and Mountain Music have always served to make me feel the most rooted. These guys do a great job putting a modern twist on mountain music so that it feels like I am listening to something fresh and new, but I swear Great Grand Dad A.J. Hatfield would have liked it too.

Flooding in my county back home

Here's a friend of mine who made the Mansfield News Journal. He has 4 feet of mud in his basement. I guess stories like this are happening all over Mansfield & Shelby OH. I'm glad Gary got his hound out. It's awful what he'll have to face when it's all over, but I know there's a bunch of good people at Mansfield First Assembly our home church that will be there to help. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Richland County.

80's Party Coming Next Saturday

This was something I was doing a great deal of in the 80's. If you have a photo from your 80's experiences e-mail them to me at ross@embassymetro.org

By the way, Pastor could shred back in the day. SX8 or Die poser!!!

Life Limiters

Someone who wants to lead in life has no desire to achieve status quo. They will do what it takes to find momentum and maximum potential. So at times evaluation needs to take place to discover what it is that is restricting or limiting that maximum potential.

In NASCAR there is a device called a restrictor plate. This device limits air flow into the intake of the engine decreasing the potential power from 700+ horsepower to a little over 400 horsepower. The goal is to bring the track speed down to a safer level and to create an equal level of competition. The problem is at a track like Talladega where the cars begin to run so tight it puts everybody at risk when a crash occurs. One of the best ways to stay safe is to get out ahead and lead. Every analogy breaks down if you take it too far, but I see in this the leadership lesson of doing whatever it takes to take the restrictor plates off of life and off of our organizations. We have to live to lead life, not allow things that limit to cause us to run in the pack risking our potential and success.

Life Limiters:

-Surrounding yourself with people who praise you but never challenge you.
-Ceasing to read, listen, and gather information from a wide variety of sources.
-Obsessing on things you can't do when you're not even doing what you can do.
-Making excuses for what you are not willing to do
-Failing to seek out resources for what you are unable to do.
-Thinking that success in life has nothing to do with spiritual principles.
-Doing life, business, or ministry alone.
-Continuing to repeat & maintain the same patterns, decisions, and relationships and hoping they will lead to a different outcome.
-Blaming everything and everybody else for the life or quality of organization that you currently have.


I'm sure we could all add to this list a hundred things. Why? Because we all have individual restrictor plates that try to limit us. Look at yourself, stop making excuses, and rip that baby off. Your life, business, and ministry wants to soar, to be lead to new heights, to achieve and maintain a speed that brings success. Don't be the restrictor plate in your family or organization. Do whatever it takes to lift your life limiters

Sunday Recap

-Thankful that our air conditioning is working at the theater.
-enjoyed the bottled cokes instead of coffee in the cafe'
-the band, you guys sounded great today, but the girls were amazing on vocals. Go Mary, Hannah, & Charla!
-We launched our God at the Movies series entitled "Searching for something reel" this week we looked at "Searching for Real hope". We used Spiderman 3 as our storyline as we looked at the thought that "there is hope for the goo in you". We dealt with the sin nature that every person has. You'll have to check the podcast out for details. Some weeks things just really click and this was one of those weeks.
-We had a bunch of guests and I was glad that a visiting family won the friends and family movie pack give away thing (4 tickets, coke and popcorn) We'll be doing a drawing weekly during the God at the movie series so there is still a couple of chances to win.
-Shout out to Terry & Monica Smith for bringing the guest family that won the movie give away.
-EMC we are on the verge of an explosion. Our attendance was great and we were missing a ton of our Cobb County folk who were most likely getting their last weekend away before school starts.
-I'm posting this from the Serene Bean and as I do it I look around at those who work here and realize that four people working today go to the embassy. Too Cool!!!
-The greatest thing that happened last night is that the dude who did the blues piece at the start of our crossroads series came to Christ last night!!! It was too cool he spent the afternoon with the sermon in his mind and his cousin talking with him about stuff. They called last night and showed up at the house. Pastor Jared showed up too. I was fishing down at the lake with my kids, my usual Sunday night unwind acitivity. Here they come down the hill. We sat on the rock, started to pray and I told the dude man you've seen this done if you want to begin this with God you just pray what you want. I loved it as he spoke to God about the "crap" in his life that he needed God to take care of. It was awesome. We all have spent a bunch of time together fishing off those banks and now my friend was allowing himself to be caught by the great net of the one who came to fish for men, Jesus. I loved the whole experience to because it was so raw and rough, not neat and sanitized. there was something very warrioresque about it as Ken full opened himself to God and put his foot on the neck of Satan. What so cool is, this is a guy that we have been doing life together with for months. All you emc-ers you have created an environment where a person can come and find themselves, find God, and find life. I'm just really proud of you all for making the difference in people lives for eternity. And Ken...Way to go bro!!!!!!!
-You know I don't talk about numbers much, but experiencing that with my friends last night makes me want to see that happen in the lives of hundreds in the next year!!! I want to see it happen in the lives of your friends and family members. You may not feel comfortable sharing your faith and until you are get them to the embassy and I promise we will do everything we can to point them to Christ.
-I can't wait until next Sunday only 6 days to go!

Grant's First Day of School

Here's my boy on his first day of kindergarten. He loved his first week at school and was so proud everyday that he stayed on green. Last year in preschool I got called in to preschool a few times...you know like father like son. I was asked to not come back to a Baptist elementary school after my fourth grade year. I was just a little hyper...oh and I liked to fight too. Grant is a lover not a fighter, but he is all boy and we are constantly helping him understand his parameters. Anyway, he was really proud of himself this week and I was proud of him too.

Time Flies

This week has reminded me how fast life really goes. Amie got her hair cut yesterday (Zoe you did great!)and as I saw her I did the typical husband stuff like..."you look great, wow, etc..."

It was the first time in probably six months. And so all the streaks and stuff (I'm not sure if that's what you call it) were cut out leaving Amie's naturally beautiful dark hair to be seen clearly. As I took her into my arms I got a close up look at her scalp and then I put my foot right in my mouth. I said "dang girl look at all those gray hairs" To which she pointed out the arrival of my first gray hair in my beard. I say all that to say time flies. I remember thinking how cute Amie was when she was ten...I was almost 13. I remember when she was 12 and the flirting began...OK I was flirting, she thought I was a dork, but a couple years later and the flirting became mutual. When she was 16 I took her into my arms for the first time and when she was 19 we gave our lives to each other until death we part. Now I find myself holding someone who I have admired for 22 years and to know that we will grow old together is very comforting. It's just strange how time flies, grey hairs come, and smile marks slowly begin to form into permanent lines (Amie quickly points out that I have more of those than she...can I help it if I smile alot?)

Another marker of time is the coming of a new school year. Yesterday we dropped Grant off at school for the first time. All our babies are in school now. That just feels weird. Grants in kindergarten, Aubrynn is in third grade, and Adalee is a fifth grader. Amie was taking it pretty hard so I took her to IHOP for breakfast before we started work. Looking across the table at her I realized how amazed I am that I have got to do life with this girl. She amazes me. Well anyways I wrote all this just to say embrace what you have every moment and live fully in each moment because time flies and you can never do yesterday again.

Sunday Recap

-My man Dale Stephens brought it. It was nice being at the embassy today, and being able to just chill. Dale did a great job talking about what evangelism is (doing life with people in such a way it points them to Christ) and what it's not (Christian T-shirts). It was great how he tied in embassy's theme "with you on the journey".

-The cafe team did a great job with set up!

-We are getting ready to completely redo the cafe area.

-19 months into this I'm realizing we have some maintenance issues. Time to replace some of the kids stuff, a few tables, etc...

-For being the last Sunday of the summer break we had great attendance... I love it when you see momentum building.

-I love what God's been doing in people's lives at emc recently.

-I love our band and what Jared is doing with the rotation of musicians and vocalists.

-We said bye to Josh who was going to be taking a job and moving 4 hours away. Man I'm glad I have to retract that good bye. Yesterday was very pivotal in his life and it looks like he's staying around. I got the call last night. too cool.

-God has always provided for us and He continues to amaze me at the faithful giving of those who get what we are attempting to do together for God. Thanks to those who have allowed God to touch their hearts in such away that they have financially engaged in the vision of what we are accomplishing at the embassy.

-I love seeing people back who have been gone this summer. Our college students are coming back. Our vacationing families are rolling in. It just feels good having the family home again.

Great E-mail I received from a fellow emc-er

Hey Dude,

I just wanted you to know how you have really upset my routine! Every time I'm about to yell "You moron!" in my customary road rage snarl; Every time I'm gonna show my rear at the drive thru at Mickey D's, etc.; Every time I see some weird lookin dude dressed like an american indian but with pale white skin and Red Man stuffed in his jaw, and I'm wanting to really do some old fashioned 'Judging'...
This guy named Ross Wiseman whispers in my ear..."Jesus died for them, Jesus died for them, Jesus died for them!"

Man I hope your satisfied!



I love it and hope to see hundreds more become real about living their faith out in real time day to day situations. No excuses, no shrinking back, just straight up livin' it the way Jesus would have 2000 years ago.

Proud of you Bro. Keep the revolution alive!!!!

*If any other emc-ers have experiences like this I would love to post them. shoot me an e-mail at ross@embassymetro.org

Can't Sleep

I am so jazzed tonight I can't seem to shut down. We had a great Sunday and today was everything you want a Monday to be. This was a fifth Sunday and our team like always did a great job getting everything ready for church. We actually had one less room to set up. We did a family day and had k-6th in the service with the adults. The kids did a great job leading us in worship with some of the songs they do in kids church. We then did a game show skit that went really well. Thank you Lela, Jason, Dane, and Chuck. The show was called "You're all Wet" by the end of the show Jason (a parent) was soaked, corn flaked and floured. His son dane was fine because he covered himself with an umbrella when the stuff was poured on him. We used the umbrella to teach the idea of staying under the authorities that God places in your life such as parents, teachers, bosses, God's Word, our marital covenant, and so on. The skit led us into the teaching reagrding staying under what God has put over us so that we can stay over what God has placed under us. (Thanks to Ed Young from Fellowship Church for the idea of using an umbrella to symbolize the authority of God)Yesterday we had several guest even a young girl that I have invited to church came and brought her fiance. Another young guy that I had invited came back for the second time in the past three weeks so that was cool too.

After church we went to Tom & Susan's house and had a party. Great food...great fun. Games were going on all over the place inside and out (Go Lawrence, king of Texas Horseshoes...you owned me) and the kids enjoyed the pool. By the way I got a new nickname out of the day, "Pastor Shark" we played poker and it was just my day. What can I say? A blind acorn will find a squirrel once in a while (or something like that) I think Mitch is going to take it out on me on the golf course. By the way, Marybeth showed that she could hang with the big dogs.

Robert brought his green glorious goo of gluttony again (This man can make some serious guacamole)He is now my best friend....ha ha, but I do love the stuff.

Now about today...I just had a very productive day concerning the next five months. God has really been bringing clarity to me in where we are headed as a church. Tonight it was exciting hashing things out and planning with my staff. I want to challenge everybody at the embassy to embrace your place! The next 5 months are going to blow our minds, but just like anything good we are going to have to go for it. I know you all are up for the adventure. So find a ministry and serve, find your wallet and give, find a friend and invite and when we celebrate our 2nd anniversary on January 6th we'll look back amazed at what God did through all of us together.

Thanks for allowing me to be your pastor. I look forward to being along side of you as you accomplish great things for our God!

Tallest & Smallest

You just have to love this picture.

Sorry no posts the past week. Family has been in and I've been spending all my extra time with my sister, bro-in-law, 2 neices and nephew. Had a great week with them. I even got to show my 14 year old nephew that I could still skateboard. Pulled off some shove its, olley 180's and a few other things he was surprised I could do. Frankly I was just happy I didn't snap my leg in two. Nothing will remind you that you are getting older than a compound fracture to the tib-fib.

After and hour of skating that still small voice in my head said, "OK Ross time to quit before someone gets hurt"...and you know I couldn't bear to see my nephew get hurt so we quit.

All in all (by the way, where did that expression come from?) anyhoo, all in all we had a great visit.

Upcoming Series

Those who go to embassy metro church or follow this blog know that we usually preach in series. I have found that it is the best way for us to focus in on a subject and really do some discipleship with the subject over the period of 3-4 weeks. At times I pull an audible after God's leading and change everything up. Like with our June "Dive In" series and this months "Crossroads" series. For the most part we stick with what God has directed us to do months in advance.

In June at our creative design meeting we decided to bump our God at the Movies series from July to August which will be a better fit for the series anyway. One great thing that came from this is that it has allowed us to work two full months ahead on series design. We have our series laid out through the end of the year, but work for a particular series usually never began until the month and weeks leading up to a series launch. It has been great being able to design our series so far in advance. In August the series is designed to make outsiders insiders when it comes to their relationship with God. You don't want to miss a week of the "God at the Movies" series Aug. 12th, 19th, & 26th. Invest in and invite like crazy your unchurched friends, neighbors, and workmates. Take part during the month of August in changing somebody's life by inviting them to hear teaching regarding "Reel Spirituality" during our God at the Movies series . August will be followed up by our September series dealing with teh subject of sex. We have been referring to this series since our Marriage series in May.

The next two months at the embassy will be life changing as we seek to reach people for Christ through our "God at the Movies" series and then as we cover a subject that each of us face in someway or another daily and uncover the lies of the Devil concerning sexuality and his corruption of it, and discover the truth in God's Word regarding the gift of sex that God has given to man.


*does anybody have a blackboard we could use during our series in September...and no it isn't for diagrams. That's not what the series is about.

As your pastor I want to say thanks to you in advance. You do want emc to be a place that tackles the tough subjects and you do want me to be a pastor who is willing to risk in order to reach. EMC-ers ya'll are great. Keep doing what you are doing and just watch the continued impact you will make in the lives of people in this area.

Ear Report

I went to have my left ear tested again today. They don't expect it to improve, but I know God is able. The doctor had me do testing with the audiologist. I found out today that they can do a type of hearing aid that will not make my left ear hear, but the sound going from my left will be transmitted to my right and some how the brain figures it all out. It means wearing hearing aids in both ears, but they said it will be a dramatic improvement in social environments. That's exciting! weird to be 34 and have hearing aids in both ears, but you know I'm a pastor and pastors aren't vain....so it's no big deal ha ha yeah right.

The cheaper CROS (Contralateral Rerouting of Offside Signal) unit had both aids going over the ear and then a wire that connects the two being my head. All I could think of when she said that was that one kid on Barney years ago. So quickly I asked is there is another option for the mildly vain. There is! An aid in each ear that sends the signal wirelessly. They cost a little more and you might pick up mexican radio stations but it's better than looking like you are wired for sound. So that's where I stand on the whole ear thing. Soon I'll be functioning normal again in groups until then don't sneak up to me from behind on my left side cause I might punch you in the throat...just kiddin'...no really.

Sunday lived up to my anticipation

I enjoyed telling the story of the woman who poured out oil from an alabaster box upon the feet of Jesus as an act of worship and devotion. Charla did a great job with the song "alabaster box". We looked at the model that this woman set for us in worship. She came as an outsider and left as an insider. God welcomes us into this relationship with Him and something powerful takes place as we respond to Him in worship. Her action revealed to us four aspects of a heart full of worship for our God. She came to him in reverence, submission, adoration, and with a sacrifice she poured out all she was in response to all that He is. It is said of her story that it would be spoken of as a memorial wherever the message of Christ was told. That's amazing she would be known for all time because of her worship to God. I challenged emc to respond to God with everything they have asking them will we be known as a people that loves God extravagantly, worships him expressively, and serves Him explicitly. Then we need to be people who reverence, submit, adore and sacrifice.

We saw three come to Christ on Sunday. We don't have people come to the altar after giving their lives to Jesus, but we do have people fill out a connection card so we can follow up with them later. It's great when people have been coming for a while checking things out and then they take the step of faith and place their lives in God's hand. All three of these people have been at the embassy for more than a month. One person has been coming for over a year. Thanks church for doing what it takes to show Christ to people week after week. It does make a difference.

FYI (we talked about this on Sunday here's some details):

Since June our set-up crew has been kickin' and the physical preparation for Sunday morning has been getting finished by 9:00am. The tech/band stuff still is being finished right up until service time, but the rest of the areas of ministry are complete between 9:00-9:15. I told the church that we are going to make space available for prayer from 9:00-9:40 for those who would like to pray before service. Between that time come and go as you like. There won't be too much structure to it other than at 9:30 we will all pray together for the morning service. Bring your Bible and find a corner to be quiet in, walk around and pray by yourself, gather with a few friends and pray together. This might be just what you need to decompress from the week in the presence of the Lord. I know it is what we need to see God do what He desires with emc. Remember if you come to pray and it is your week to serve on a ministry team you need to be at your area immediately following our prayer for the service at 9:30 in order to receive guests.

God is getting ready to blow our socks off and it will take spiritual preparation to be ready for what He desires to do in and through us.

Also let's not make this a "we're the spiritual one's" club. "Oh, I am going to prayer, what are you going to do?...Oh just stand out here in the lobby and talk....tisk, tisk." I'm sorry I had to go there, but I've seen "spiritual people" act like this and make those who don't sense the draw to prayer as much feel like second rate believers. Man that's why it's called the body of Christ we all have different functions so get a grip and realize that this time is an invitation to quiet our hearts before God, seek His heart and will, pray one for another, and ask God to be with our worship experience. It is not a litmus test on who is really spiritual or not. Cool?

One other thing that happened this week we had several first time visitors that came who we saw at the concert in the park we served on Saturday night. One guy even helped us set up in the morning. Another guy I have talked with on several occasions at the Serene Bean came with his wife. We had a lot of emc-ers gone and attendance was still great. I love who God is drawing to the embassy!

Sorry for the length of this entry this morning.

Anticipating Tomorrow

Some weeks more than others I find myself hardly able to wait until Sunday morning. Here's a few things that I'm looking forward to tomorrow:
#1 meeting with God. I know He is always with us, but there is something about worshiping together that brings us experientially close to our creator. God is so going to visit us tomorrow I can't wait!
#2 I really do love digging into God's Word to see what He desires to speak to us and I love teaching His word to a room full of people hungry to know God
#3 I get to see the lights come on as they grab a hold of the teaching for themselves.
#4 I get to be with friends.
#5 I get the privilege of being your pastor. Thanks

And God Said Unto Abraham, "Look I Have Provided a Ram for You in the Thicket"

God provided for Abraham and Issac a ram in a thicket and God provided me a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab Pick-up Truck!

If you go to the embassy or you live in Woodstock you probably have seen me smoking in my old truck. When I say smoking I don't mean Marlboros, I mean 2-3 quarts of oil a week. My old truck over the past 18 months kept me broke. After putting five grand into repairs I decided it was time to pull the plug. I made up in my mind that I was done putting money into it. Well that decision was made 3 months and 36 quarts of oil ago and the thing keeps chuggin' along.

Here's where the story gets interesting. Over a month ago we had some friends down from Ohio. They took Amie and I to a great restaurant and when dinner was over gave us a sweet letter and slid a check over towards us upside down. They said they had wanted to give us a significant gift for a long time. Man it was huge! We all cried and I spent weeks in disbelief with a fog around my head...wait that was the burn-off out of my truck's exhaust.

Some people from church started asking me if I was going to get another truck and I told them the story about the gift from our friends. To make a long story short someone from our church decided to get involved. He found a truck said he wanted to through some money toward it too. (no way I can't believe this is happening to me)

Last week Amie and I were able to do a large maintenance item on our mini-van, get new tires, and fix it's sliding door. This week with what was left over from our friends in Ohio's giftand with the generosity from our friend at the embassy I was able to pay cash for my truck!!!!!!! Still can't believe it, but my head has definitely come out of the fog.

Thanks to the two families that allowed God to use you to put a Ram in my thicket!

What's amazing is their stories of how God blessed them right back. Our friends in Ohio sold their home, in a very slow market, before they even listed it!
The person from the embassy had a financial deal come to a close this week the day after I got the truck. They were blessed 30X's what I was given by them!!!

I wanted to say all that just to remind you God sees where you are at and He is making a way for you!

13 year Anniversary

July 9th 1994 Amie and I walk down the aisle now 13 years later we have 3 kids, years of serving the Lord together to reflect on, and a future that is sure to be great because we get to spend it with our best friends each other. There was a time that I thought that whole "my wife is my best friend" stuff was a bunch of pink panty wearing psychologist babel, but over the past two years Amie truly has went beyond being my spouse and the mother of my children...she has become my best friend. Well I'll write more about that later. It's late and I need to get a shower and go to bed...." hey Amie where did you put my pink panties...." HA HA!
Amie may be my best friend, but by goodness I still ain't going to relinquish my man card...now where did I put those wool boxers?

(Robby Nichols: Student Ministries, Jared Hager: Worship/Media, Micah Hildebreth: intern from Evangel University, Ross Wiseman: Lead Pastor)

We had a lightning strike last week and it took out our modem, wireless router, vcr, and playstation. I am finally back online and don't have to go to the Bean in order to use the free wireless.

I can't imagine what ministry was like before laptops, blogs, podcasts, and the net. Actually I have been in ministry over 15 years. I can remember cutting and pasting and blowing up clip art and cutting and pasting and then I would put my creations on transparencies and would use it to help get my messages across in a visual way (Oh yeah even in '92 I was tapping creative elements.

It is so much easier now, but if we're not careful it is also easier to get clogged up with all the technology and miss just being quite before God, hearing His voice, and responding in obedience. Next week i am taking a couple of days to fast from technology. There are 12 acres of land by our house and I just found out it belongs to my landlord. He said I could go on it if I wanted to. Amie, Aubrynn, & Grant are going to go see Amie's parents next week (Adalee will be at kids camp) so I am planning on camping for two nights. No power, no internet, only a book, my bible and my journal.

Having our intern Micah with us for five weeks reminded me of being young and just starting out in ministry. I find myself longing for those simple days.

Sunday Recap

-We were a couple people shy on our set up crew, buy the team picked up the pace and was three minutes earlier then schedule.
-Jared and the Worship Team did a great job. Jared's rotation seems to be working well. It's been great seeing new people involved on stage the past month. Ya'll are doing a great job.
-I had a hard sermon to deliver. We challenged people to step up and live life in light of being a Christ follower. That changes everything and when we come to crossroads of decision in our lives we need to take the path laid out by God in His Word. God has a better way to go and if we are going to go where we have never gone than we are going to have to live like we have never lived.
-Sunday night 12 or so guys came over and we caught combined 22 fish in about 2 hours.
-Jammed until late with the guys. We had guitars, bass, home made guitars and a dulcimer, we even passed a mandolin around. This was the first time all of us had jammed together so it was a little crazy everybody doing their thang, but boy it sure was fun. One of the non-musician guys said "man I didn't know we had so many guitarists at the embassy." I LOVE IT.
-Made new friends and had a great day...went to bed tired.
-God's Good.

July 4th Thoughts

-everything went great this year.
-we had over 40 people take part in helping on July 4th. Some helped line up floats for the city, we had a great group that walked with the float, we had two different groups that manned our booth doing face painting, handing out water, and balloons.
-We handed out 2000 invite cards attached to microwave popcorn packets.
-we heard along the parade route..."now that's a great idea"...."hey that's a church"...etc...
-One family that walked in the parade with us this year had received a invite card last year during the parade and the first time they came to emc was the very next Sunday. I hope in the morning we have a bunch of people in the house because of the parade. If you are thinking about coming for the first time in the morning...Just do it! We won't call you out, down, or show up at your house with brownies, but we will guarantee that it will be one of the best hour and 15 minutes of your week.
-We were going to crash the rest of the day, but then we decided to go see the fireworks at a neighborhood called Legacy park in Kennesaw. Amazing show only 15 minutes, but right over your stinkin' head. Jared & Charla's van got covered in debris.
-Robert Warnock made his way deeply into my heart...oh my gosh he made the best guacamole I have ever had. They pulled me from the kitchen counter after I grabbed a turkey baster and was trying to mainline the green goo of glorious gluttony.
-Laying out under the fire works on grass so thick it felt like a mattress with new friends all around and my family at my side and the thoughts of the day that point to a growing and thriving church was truly a great moment.

EMC-ers You Rock

I love the people at the embassy. They always seem ready to jump in and make a difference. From home make overs to showing God's love in practical ways to our community, and from creating an environment week to week that God uses to touch lives in a powerful way introducing people to Christ and helping people journey through life successfully.

Last night I was so proud to pastor this group. We had a work night at Jared's house to get things ready for the parade on the fourth. Upstairs there was a room full of people stapling 2000 invite cards to microwave popcorn packets to hand out along the parade route Wednesday. We even had a lady come to help that Sunday was just her second time at the embassy! How cool!

Downstairs there was a slew of people painting and getting things ready for the float. I was talking to one person who before moving to the area was a part of a church plant. He was amazed at the amount of people we have that get involved. Our percentage of volunteers at the embassy is off the hook. I am so proud that people come and quickly begin to get involved in creating the environments God is using to reach those who desperately need Him.

God is putting together a force not to be messed with. A group of people who are willing to do whatever it takes and give whatever is necessary to reach people for Jesus. I heard a guy say recently that he wants to see the church he pastors dominate their area for God. I feel like God is just beginning that with us. Step up and be a part of the revolution as we endeavor to impact our communities with the message of Christ's love, acceptance, and purpose for life!!!

New Children Church Team Leaders

Most of you know that my wife Amie runs our children's ministry. She has done an amazing job leading Embassy Kids. Although she loves the children she misses interacting with me and others on Sunday in "Big Church" we have had our eyes on a young couple that we could mentor into the leadership of our kids church. Beginning in August Brantley & Hannah Johnson will be leading Embassy Kids church K-6th grade.

They will be in charge of staffing, preparing materials that go with the Kidmo lessons each week, and taking our Kids church to the next level. Amie will still be overseeing all of the children's ministry birth-6th grade, but Brantley and Hannah will serve as Children's Church Team Leaders and will lift the weekly responsibilities from Amie for K-6th graders. These two have tons of energy and a heart for children they are going to kick!!!

To begin with they will run the Kidmo program the first and third weeks of the month and Amie and Lela will fill in the other two weeks of the month. Parents we are working hard to provide a place that is the highlight of your child's week and we believe that Brantley & Hannah will help us achieve our objective in the lives of children to provide a fun and planned environment where children can learn character development, Biblical understanding and grow up loving God, themselves, others and the church.

Thoughts about EMC and Summer so far

-Our Journey groups are on a break starting this week until August. Attendance at the past session of journey groups was great.

-Camping went great with everyone pitching in to make killer meals (thanks Jody and Lawrence for the fresh Halibut), the guys didn't do so well fishing, but we all had a great time tubing. Thanks Jay for bringing the boat. And thanks Kevin for letting me be the last man standing at poker.

-The "Dive In" Series went great. It was a simple series (no video, no props) but something that God used to challenge us to go deeper. I want to be a church that meets people right where they are, but definitely doesn't leave them there. Let's challenge ourselves as Christ followers to live like that changes everything.

-God is bringing more musicians and vocalists our way. I love our worship team you guys are doing great. Others with talents and giftings are making their way to the embassy. it will be awesome to see how Jared mixes Sunday mornings up with some of these new musicians and vocalists.

-For it being summer attendance has been great, but finances have been rough. I guess that's part of summer.

-I am blown away at the percentage of people that serve during the month at emc. We have enough volunteers that most of our areas to serve in are just one time a month. We are still a little weak on week four of the month so if you're not doing anything yet at the embassy let me know and we'll get you hooked up.

-We are all going to miss Micah our intern. He's been a great addition to the team.

-We need to get our signs back out in the community on Friday nights-Sunday nights. If you want to volunteer to place a sign each week just let me know.

New EMC Invite Card

I think Jared did a great job on this invite card. We plan on passing out 2000 of these attached to microwave popcorn packets during the fourth of July.

Great Weekend

This past weekend couldn't have been any better. Amie and my parents were all in for the weekend. They came to see Adalee in the Wizard of Oz and to celebrate Aubrynn's B-day. I can't believe how fast my kids are growing up. Sunday night we had a bunch of Aubie's friends over for her party and when things wound down all of the dads went fishing. Man we tore the lake up. Props go to Bill who possessed some serious fishin' mojo that night. He couldn't keep from catching fish all night. He even caught a snake....crazy.

It was also great meeting Shane the father of one of my daughters friends. He was quite the fisherman too. With my dad being down I got to pilfer his tackle box like old times too. Anytime I can stand on the bank of a lake with my dad is a good time.

I think Sunday night felt so great also because Sunday morning went so well. It's summer and we had great attendance. The past few weeks we have had several new people and families coming to the embassy. This week a guy I invited came and recommitted his life to God. Sunday nights always seem complete when I walk the 75 yards to the lake and throw a line in...this Sunday night just felt even better.

"The Embassy...a church for all people?"

I recently received this e-mail from someone who God loves deeply. How would you have replied? I have changed the name to give the writer anonymity. Following the e-mail is my reply.


E-mail:

Hello,

I recently heard good things about your church. We're currently attending __________ (the name of a church in Atlanta), and feel like we're being led to a church home that is a little closer to our home and somewhere that we can be more involved. However, there's a challange for us, most churches in the area are not welcoming, based on sexual orientation. My partner and I have been together for over seven years, we're laid back, comitted, professionals and most importantly Christians. Is your church a place that's welcoming and understanding?

I totally understand if you think your church might not be the best fit for us.

Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing from you,

John Smith (Name changed)


My Reply:

John,

Great to hear from you and I am glad that the reputation of our church is getting out there. We are a group of people who love God and love people right where they are. I would say that we are accepting of all who come into the doors of the embassy. I like to tell my staff and church that we are to be a redeeming community. Christ shed blood for our lives puts value on us whether we have appropriated it by believing on Him or not. I am not saying that brings salvation to everyone, but that does bring value to everyone, and we endeavor to treat people according to the treasure they are in God's eyes.

I also encourage our staff and leadership that in addition to being a redeeming community we are also to be a sanctifying community. A community that seeks to lead people into a living life changing relationship with Christ that causes us to be more like Jesus and to live a life progressively more like what God's word prescribes for us. God loves us and wants the best for us and out of His desire to bless us He challenges us to lay down our desired will to take up His revealed will. This is difficult for all of us, but God is with us on the journey challenging and empowering us to rise up to His revealed will (The Scriptures). I would say that God's word would reveal to us many things that we are to allow Him to lead us into and other things that God would lead us out of further separating us to Himself for His best to be seen in our lives. Our sexual preferences and physical relationships apart from marriage, eating and drinking out of moderation, gossip and discord are all things that God desires to line up with His word. God loves us for just being and we love everyone coming into the embassy the same way....No hate.....No fear....no bigotry.....just love; but God also loves all of us too much to leave us where we are if where we are is not what He has revealed as what's best. Man, we all have our stuff that God is perfecting us in, but thank God He has our best interests at heart even if it goes against what I want, desire, and find satisfaction in. With that said... I would love to see you at the embassy, sit down with a cup of coffee, and begin a journey with you both, as we all as a body allow God to bring our lives into His best for each of us according to His word.

John, I Hope to meet you soon!


"with you on the journey"


ross wiseman
lead pastor
embassy metro church

VOTE FOR JOSH

Don't forget to go online to South107 to vote for our very own Josh Brown! If his song "Texas Stars" is picked in the Battle of the Bands he will be placed in rotation on the radio with some of your favorite country starts like Montgomery Gentry, Alan Jackson, and Brad Paisley.

EMC-ers Rock the Vote!

Father's Day at the Embassy

I think most of us who are father's remember an arcade game in the eighties called Dig Dug. Well this Sunday get your gaming thumb ready because there will be a "Dig Dug" Tourney in the lobby before service. We have a great prize package available that will give you and your child a full day of fun this summer.



From 9:30-10:00 sign up put a minute on the game with your wife and kids cheering you on and see how your high score measures up with the other fathers at emc. I am going to come ready to kick all ya'll's butt!

Fuel For the Journey

Podcasting has begun!!!!!! We want to help provide you with resources to propel you on the road of life. We hope that the podcasts can be fuel for your journey. We will be uploading our weekly teachings and getting past series uploaded over the next month.

"Fuel for the Journey" will be a great resource for personal growth and for getting info into the lives of your friends and family all over the country. Through this medium we will be able to reach many times more people than we do in our weekly services at our Woodstock location. E-mail this link to friends and family and they too can experience what you encounter on Sundays at the embassy. Who knows it maybe just what they need to get them coming to check this whole "God Thing" out. You can make a difference pass this info along to others today!

Intern used to help bring fresh appreciation for the embassy

Our intern Micah arrived a little over a week ago. For the past 12 days we have poured into him info regarding the life, focus, and mission of church planting. Going into this I wondered how much he would get from his experience with us. All I can say is it's been incredible downloading info into the hard drive of this guys heart.

We are a 1 1/2 year old church plant and having this guys around has made us revisit a great deal of what it took to get to where we are currently. When you are neck deep in it you forget the journey and all the amazing things that have led you to this point.

Rehashing things has really giving me an appreciation for all that we have done as a church in our short history. Our emc-ers have worked faithfully to bring about a great environment that is reaching many for Christ. Just this Sunday we had three more people come to Christ and as we asked for a show of hands of those who have come to Christ at emc or their lives were radically changed since coming to emc hands went up everywhere.

Having Micah here has helped us appreciate in a fresh way what God has done with all of us since January 8th, 2006. Not only are we being able to birth a fire in a future church planter, we also are being able to rekindle a freshness in planting as we talk to Micah about the journey God has led us on up to this point.

I recommend highly to any church planter to have an intern for a month just to remind you of how far you have come.

June Series

During the month of June plan to wade out of the shallow end and go deeper each week as we dive into the depths of some of the greatest personalities of the Old Testament.

Like the first time off of the high dive, this series will challenge, inspire, and help you realize "you can do it"

See you in the deep end!!!

Last week of our marriage series

I know it is Memorial Weekend and a lot of families will be gone, but if you are in the area you don't want to miss tomorrow's service. We could have laid back and said let's coast this weekend, but we have a great day plan. My wife Amie will be co-teaching with me which will ensure for an entertaining experience. Actually my wife is the one who gives me the best stuff I put in my talks every week any how.

Also we have a 1st edition video installment from three emc-ers that will have you rollin'. you guys tore me up. With the band kicking, a little Hendrix memorial music, and God showing up in a powerful way we are going to have an amazing Sunday. I can't wait!!!

See you tomorrow. If you can't be there be safe and have a great weekend with your family and remember to take some time to reflect on our service men's sacrifice for our freedom.

The Intern Cometh

Last month I received a call from the U.S. Missions department of the Assemblies of God. Evangel University had contacted them looking for a church plant to place one of their students with during the month of July. The student will be doing his practicum with embassy metro church. His name is Micah and will be with us from June 1st through July 8th. He has to have a work project that he is focusing on that church planters organize often so he will be working with us on everything it takes to pull off an event like the July fourth parade and park ministry and the promotion and design of our July series. Everyone make Micah feel welcomed on Sunday June 3rd and if you want to include him in any events you are doing throughout the month just let me know.

Amazing Staff Meeting Tonight

Tonight we put everything on the table nothing was sacred. We laid out every area of Embassy Metro Church and dreamed of how we can take it to the next level. The last couple of months we have all become busy working in the organization, but not necessarily on the organization. This the major reason organizations get stale, stagnant, and eventually atrophy. We refuse to allow stale & stagnant to become adjectives that will ever characterize the embassy.

Tonight we made a giant punch list that goes beyond maintenance and into the realm of fresh vision. Churches or business that only focus on maintenance, or merely working in the organization, will eventually lose the drive and fire they began with and will eventually become caretakers of the status quo. With that in mind as we go into the summer, a time often embraced by status quo churches to just lay back we have decided to charge ahead. The next three months will be an amazing time to be a part of Embassy Metro Church.

Hold on to your seat and get ready....I don't do this very often but I am going to ask you to serve like you have never served before, give like you have never given before, and invest in your friends and invite them to come experiencing what God is doing at the embassy like you have never done before!!!

You know I don't talk about numbers very often. I have never put numeric goals on our church, because I fear we'll focus on people as digits instead of souls desperately in need of a loving God. Well I just want to tell you that we are getting ourselves into a position as a church that we could have 300 people coming to the Embassy by January. That's huge I know, but God is able to do this as we give him our best in service, finances, and connecting with and inviting others.

We launch with such a small handful, but look what you have accomplished in a year and four months. With us moving together with passion and commitment we can double our church body by January. Well why should we do that? I can tell you it's not so we have bragging rights because I have been a major part of a church that grew to nearly 1000 people and if I wanted that I could have just stayed their telling our story for years to come. It's not so we can build our own kingdom frankly because building quasi-spiritual kingdoms for man's glory sucks and stinks in the nostrils of God.

Then Why!!!??? It's so that 100's & 1000's of people in the North Metro Area of North Cobb & Cherokee County can find Christ and find His better way to journey through life through the ministries of Embassy Metro Church.

If you are a Team EMC-er(member)at emc then join with us in the next season of our church and let's endeavor together to make an impact on our region.I think the Devil will fight us, the gates of hell will not relinquish victory easily, but we are going to kick his teeth in through our faithfulness and we are going to see lives changed like never before. Get your addict friends to the embassy, get your neighbor who feels like life is meaningless to the embassy, get your own rear end to the embassy, because God is getting ready to blow our socks off (never quite understood that expression) We will be the ones who can say "we were there being used by God when God blew our minds"

I'm sorry this was a novel, but I feel like God is ready to pour out increase on our church. Get a fresh vision of your role in this explosion and embrace your place at the embassy and watch as our efforts together serve to change the lives of those who are near and dear to you.

Can't Beat Free Stuff

This week a friend of ours from Ohio had a cosmetic denistry conference to be at in Atlanta. He brought the whole family in an RV and they have used our house as home base all week. It's been great being with old friends and it's been great getting hooked up on some awesome entertainment and grub. Monday we took the kids out of school and they took all of us to here, and tonight we are getting sitters and they are taking Amie and I to here. I guess you could say we've had a "surf & turf" week.

Man I could spit!

Last night we had a great Creative Design Team meeting. So today I took all the info we came up with and began to compile and add to it. With that accomplished a great deal of our June series is now slated.

After 2 hours of work I decided I would turn it into a pdf file and upload it to our CDT google group so we can add more thoughts to it etc. Well somehow I killed the file and all I can get it to say is mumbo jumbo computer talk.

If you are a preacher you know how frustrating this is, because the whole time you are feeling directed in your prep by God and He was adding some great stuff. Then it's all gone and you have to start over, but you know you won't remember everything you had written, so you feel like you're leaving something out. Well anyways that's life. I retrieved my crumpled notes from last nights meeting from the trash (thank God I hadn't thrown them out yet) and it's back to getting everything compiled and added to again.

I'm so frustrated I could spit.

Jerry Falwell August 11, 1933 – May 15, 2007

I admire deeply what Dr. Falwell has accomplished
for Christ through out the years. Welcome Home Dr. Falwell...good and faithful servant enter into your rest.

New Series begins this Sunday

Tomorrow is mother's day and we are launching a new series called "Just Married?" I can't wait as we begin to unpack some of the stuff we all deal with in our marriages. We're going to kick it off right as we look at resolving conflict in the home in a teaching called "Fight Right". If you are single you need this series too. See you all in the morning!

Project Hero makes the Atlanta Journal Constitution

Communities of Faith: Home makeover with heart
Embassy Metro members aid woman

By Candice Hannigan
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/10/07

There were no network camera crews filming the extreme home makeover near downtown Woodstock last weekend. Buses weren't needed to bring in throngs of volunteers for the job.

Yet members of the Embassy Metro Church hope the work they did on the home will change the life of the woman who lives there.

"This is going to make a big difference in her life. I know she appreciates what this church and these people did to help her get her house and her yard in order," said Sara Blalock, a friend of the woman, who asked not to be identified.

Blalock said the woman is 66 years old and single, with no family nearby to help her. She faces multiple health challenges, including diabetes, and lives on a small monthly income.

About 40 volunteers spent the weekend painting inside and outside her home, installing new flooring, landscaping, repairing appliances, lights and cleaning from floor to ceiling.

Some church members are taking her to lunch, and out for a new hairstyle and a manicure. Her two dogs are even being sent for grooming. And for the next month, church members will keep the woman's refrigerator and freezer stocked with healthy meals suited for a diabetic's needs.

This home improvement project wraps up a Hero series that pastor Ross Wiseman started on Easter Sunday.

Services have featured public safety workers and other "real-life heroes," as well as challenges from Wiseman to "position ourselves and stand for something that's worth standing for. Our families, our integrity, the lives of those who are lost in our communities, those things that are right and good. We need to be heroes in our communities, and you can't be a hero if you don't take a stand."

Members also raised $1,000 for a firefighter whose son has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor.

"There's something powerful when people unite together to do something that's bigger than they can do on their own," said Wiseman. "We want to go into the community and let people know they're valuable to God, whether or not they've stepped into the four walls of our church. We want to be a body that's focused more outward than inward."

Embassy Metro Church: Sunday services begin at 10:02 a.m. at Cherokee 16 Cinemas off Towne Lake Parkway in Woodstock. Contact: 678-384-4919 or www.embassymetro.org.

Project Hero Before & Afters

Most of you know that we are doing an extreme makeover on a ladies home in Woodstock this weekend. She has been through a great deal of hardship and health issues. Those of you who were not at the embassy this weekend didn't hear the announcement that we are canceling church Sunday to go be the church. Actually the entire weekend will be full of opportunity to love like Christ and be a hero to Miss Ann. This is going to be an amazing weekend for our church, our community, Miss Ann, and our God!!!!! Is it going to be tough OH Yeah, but we can do it! Yesterday was the first day of cleaning and removing flooring. Everyone blew my mind on how hard they worked. I'll throw some pictures up and tell the story Sunday night when we are finished.