MAJOR IMPRESSIONS FROM THE STONE #1
As I said below, I don't want to go over all the details of what Lead Pastor, Gary Lamb is doing right at Ridgestone Community Church in Canton, GA. Sitting here watching the Homerun Derby (David Wright of the Mets in the lead so far!), it's fitting to say he and his folks are hitting it out of the park down there.
But to see why the church is doing so well, you have to move away from the theater they use for Sunday morning services. The answer isn't at the new church office complex either.
I knew it already, but the secret to the phenomenal growth of The Stone and the reason it will become a mega-church was re-emphaszied for me at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant around 8 o' clock this morning. We were having breakfast with the man himself before heading south for the airport and home, and in the restaurant we were introduced to two people who love Gary and the church.
They were great people and I loved talking to them. Gill and I enjoyed their company so much that we invited them to come stay with us and visit New York. I'm not going into details here, sufficient to say that our new friends would probably feel unwelcome in most Christian churches. And the sad truth is they would have every reason to feel that way because most self-righteous, double-talking, judgemental, hypocritical (getting my drift?) congregations wouldn't want them.
But Gary does. He cares about them. He likes them and they like him. They trust him and look on him as a friend.
Listen, any church where the lead pastor follows Jesus' example and is a friend of sinners, is destined for great things.
Gary loves the people no one else loves. He welcomes those who would not be wanted elsewhere.
That was what impressed me most about Ridgestone. Not the band, the banners, the great preaching, the amazing kids' program, or remarkable set-up (best I've seen in a movie theater). I love that church because it loves people and I think Jesus loves it too - in fact I reckon he shows up there very, very often.
But to see why the church is doing so well, you have to move away from the theater they use for Sunday morning services. The answer isn't at the new church office complex either.
I knew it already, but the secret to the phenomenal growth of The Stone and the reason it will become a mega-church was re-emphaszied for me at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant around 8 o' clock this morning. We were having breakfast with the man himself before heading south for the airport and home, and in the restaurant we were introduced to two people who love Gary and the church.
They were great people and I loved talking to them. Gill and I enjoyed their company so much that we invited them to come stay with us and visit New York. I'm not going into details here, sufficient to say that our new friends would probably feel unwelcome in most Christian churches. And the sad truth is they would have every reason to feel that way because most self-righteous, double-talking, judgemental, hypocritical (getting my drift?) congregations wouldn't want them.
But Gary does. He cares about them. He likes them and they like him. They trust him and look on him as a friend.
Listen, any church where the lead pastor follows Jesus' example and is a friend of sinners, is destined for great things.
Gary loves the people no one else loves. He welcomes those who would not be wanted elsewhere.
That was what impressed me most about Ridgestone. Not the band, the banners, the great preaching, the amazing kids' program, or remarkable set-up (best I've seen in a movie theater). I love that church because it loves people and I think Jesus loves it too - in fact I reckon he shows up there very, very often.
posted by Roger Blackmore | 9:15 PM
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