Q4-2016

DETAILS:

1. Specific Items:  It has been a whirlwind six months since our last update, but oh, so fruitful.  Eric and I have really gotten into our stride, regularly witnessing each other's strengths and working together to enrich the whole house.  Let's bulletize this for quick consumption:

• Complete overhaul of the Rivergate Constitution and Bylaws.
• Unanimous acceptance of the same by the voting membership. (Oh, yeah, baby!)
• Eric's gifts in team building have been put to use and a relaunch of a phenomenal Children's Ministry is right around the corner. 
• Our newly formed Board of Directors has met twice, our new Elder Council meets for the first time on December 17th, and our Ministry Advisory Cabinet is solidifying with prospective additions being discusssed by the Apostolic Council. (See this document for details about that supportive role in RGC life.)
• Designs for a new Hospitality Ministry are underway.
• In just three months, we will help finalize the launch of our collaborative church plant with the A/G - "Mountain Valley Church" in College Station.
• Our identity as an Apostolic Center is really developing, as we have seen a great increase in our networking relationships this year.

2. Corporate Focus:  Goals for 2017 remain consistent with what we released this year as "Mission 8-58" - to reach the 8000 unchurched families and 58,000 students of our region by hosting and encountering the tangible presence of God and then carrying who He is in us to where they are.  This is "Gulliver's Year" (feel free to respond via email if you are curious about that prophetic reference) and we will be shaking off hindrances and gifting our Saturday mornings to Papa by intentionally carrying the essence of His presence to our neighbors in simple expressions of power and love. As mentioned above, the church plant with the A/G launches in March; and the RGC body has now raised now nearly $40,000 toward the $55,000 pledge.  On personal notes, Eric and I are also students again.  I will graduate in May with a Bachelor's in Pre-law/Paralegal Studies, while Eric completes an MBA.  Yeah, we're nuts.  ;-)

DISPATCH:

Please continue to pray for a maximizing of impact through all that we are accomplishing right now.  In some ways, it is as if we are relaunching the entire church around the constant of a supernatural culture of commitment to presence and community.  Pray for energy and continued grace and wisdom for change.  Pray for an increase of God's presence and power.  Pray that we will remain faithful to "commanding our Sabbath."  Pray for a financial blessing that would enable us to fulfill our pledge without draining our savings. (You all know how challenging it can be to raise 55K above a typically 250K budget).

Grateful for your leadership,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

Q2-2016

DETAILS:

1. New Things:  Having brought the Dombach's into the role of Co-Pastor, you can imagine the shifts and changes that have been taking place.  It is a true labor of love.  The labor and the love are both very real!  LOL!  No worries, the challenges are FAR outweighed by the blessings.  Eric and I are very complimentary and God is using the best of us individually to bring out the best of Rivergate corporately.  We have had a series of strategic planning meetings with our leaders (about 30 of those consistently in attendance) and we have truly honed our vision, mission and framework of goals.  This has resulted in some great excitement and enthusiastic movement.  We are truly sensing, experiencing, and operating in a stronger level of authority this year.  There is some evidence of this as well...our local network of churches is getting stronger; more leaders are rising up; marriages and families are strengthening; we have seen a few added to the Kingdom (believing more to come); pre-service prayer has increased, with nearly 20 attending; and we are getting requests from the community to bring ministry into typically "secular" places.

2. Corporate Focus:  We are continuing to learn more about what it means to grow as an Apostolic Center and we are still using the Book of Acts to develop that.  Ministry endeavors have been fruitful.  Stuart and I had a great time of ministry in Lindale and hope to bring that same fruit into our own region.  The plans for the cooperative church plant with the A/G are moving forward; and the RGC body has raised now over $22,000 toward the $55,000 pledge.  We are continuing to make progress on governmental structure changes, as well.  Our new Constitution and Bylaws are about halfway finished with an August target date.  Those will be voted on September 25th.  I will be sure to share those documents when things are complete.  Other than that, our summer schedule kicks back a little, with a VBS as our only main event.  Alex, the kids, and I are going on vacation in mid-July and the Dombach's will do the same later in the summer.

DISPATCH:

Please pray for our continued progress.  Pray for energy and continued grace and wisdom for change.  Pray for an increase of God's presence and power.  Pray for peace, understanding, and fearless acceptance of our new Constitution and Bylaws.  Continue to pray for abundant finances as we still have three GOD sized goals/commitments that require big cash.  1. The church plant with the A/G.  2. Our Spanish ministry launch church of 2013.  We would love to surprise them with a big offering.  3. We are considering a church plant in Mexico.  Also, there are some stirrings about a local interest purchasing our property.  I think it would be GREAT for us!  Until next time.... 

Grateful for your leadership,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

Q1-2016

DETAILS:

1. New Things:  We are hungry to fulfill our mandate as an Apostolic Center and increase our spiritual footprint in our community.  With our shift to a non-denominational status pretty much complete, we have been freed up to focus on this question, "Father, what do You want to change to take us to the next phase of our assignment?"  One of the ways He has answered that question was through a word spoken by a trusted friend who leads ministry in Nigeria, Tunde Bolanta, during his visit with us in May of 2015.  The word was simple, and it was given to me directly, as the apostle of the house:  "There will be three streams coming into the church (Rivergate).  The first one is order....and I don't know what the other two are."  I instantly groaned and recognized this as the LORD.  Lol!  Order doesn't come naturally for me, but I know it's a slice of Jesus that we have needed to see manifested in our house.  As part of the answer to that word, the Lord brought Alex and I into relationship with a couple who has now come on staff (as volunteers) to join us in this venture.  You may even have been praying for them in response to our request in the previous blog (those "seasoned leaders").  Eric and Deborah Dombach are world class folks.  They moved to our area about two years ago.  For about 12 years prior, they were on the board of Life Center in Harrisburg, PA, from whom we received glowing reviews of both their hearts and their hands to lead. After about six months of exciting and intense relationship building and discussions about vision, mission, philosophy, doctrine, etc., we all felt very confirmed about the Lord's direction for joining forces.  Eric has come on as a co-pastor to my lead.  We welcomed the Dombach's officially into the body on February 14th and it has been a wonderful fit.  He is very gifted and geared for structure, but with a great hunger and appreciation for the flow that makes us so...Rivergatey.  ;-)  Feel free to contact me directly if you want more details on this.

2. Corporate Focus:  We are continuing to learn more about what it means to grow as an Apostolic Center.  As a house, we are tweaking/building on our 4 M's (see last quarter's blog) and I am speaking the entire year from the Book of Acts.  Although not limited by the experiences of the first century church, they are a barometer we are using to raise faith for an increase of our own.  We are also becoming more visible in the community.  Our local ministry network is strong.  The Horizon Home is growing.  The Medical Clinic is stable.  We are looking forward to Robert Henderson's visit with us during this year's Intercessor Refresher, which is expanding to offer multiple sessions this year.  Stuart Quartemont and I are conducting a Men's Conference in Lindale at Community Christian Fellowship that is literally pulsing with anticipation and destiny.  The plans for the cooperative church plant with the A/G are moving forward; and the RGC body has already raised over $18,000 toward the $55,000 pledge.  We are continuing to make progress on our governmental structure changes, as well.  I am very excited about how we are adjusting leadership to adopt a much more Biblical model, while still meeting legal requirements and addressing contemporary issues.  I will be sure to share those documents when things are complete.

DISPATCH:

Please pray for our continued progress.  Pray for an increase of God's presence and power.  Pray for smooth and effective growth, as we make the most of our recent changes.  Continue to pray for abundant finances as we still have three GOD sized plans that require big cash.  1. The church plant with the A/G.  2. Our Spanish ministry launch church of 2013.  We would love to surprise them with a big offering.  3. We are considering a church plant in Mexico.  Also, there are some stirrings about a local interest purchasing our property.  I think it would be GREAT for us!  Until next time.... 

Grateful for your leadership,

Chris Liotta

Lead Pastor
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com



© 2016 Chris Liotta

Q4-2015

DETAILS:

1.   Relationship with the Assembly of God

a.   As you know, in the beginning of 2015, we officially disaffiliated from the A/G.

b.   Things were challenging in the beginning, but the RGC family kept a great spirit about the whole thing.

c.   The A/G was grateful and responded to our proposal (both attached).  They referred to this as “unprecedented”.  What a blessing!

2.   Corporate Focus

a.   From April 2011 to January 2013 we were healing the body.

b.   From January 2013 to mid 2014, we were building a culture of honor and laying the groundwork for 5-fold ministry.

c.   From mid 2014 to October 2015, we have been walking through our alignment change and kind of wondering, “What’s next, Father?  What do you want Rivergate to be?”

d.   We now feel we have a handle on what He is wanting of us.

e.   OUR 4 M’s

                                         i.    Mission - “To close the gap between God and man, wherever you may find it.”  This has been the same since 2012.

                                        ii.    Mandate - “Rivergate is an Apostolic Center for the Brazos Valley.”  Helpful text in defining that is Apostolic Centers, by Alain Caron.  Rivergate would love to sow a copy of that into our Apostolic leaders.  Just tell us where to send it.

                                       iii.    Measure - We will measure our corporate health using Acts 2:41-47 and our individual health as leaders according to Psalms 78:67-72.

                                      iv.    Methods - Programs are just our vehicles for fulfilling our mission, being faithful to our mandate and bearing the fruit of our measures.  If they cease to serve these purposes, they will be eliminated.

3.   Leadership Team

a.   We are shifting from traditional church government to an apostolic model; but that is only in the works.

b.   God is raising people up in ministry leadership.  We have many capable leaders in RGC, more per capita than any other church I know.  The benefits far outweigh the challenges.  We also consider this evidence of our call to be an apostolic center.

c.   Key leader lists can be obtained by calling or emailing the office, if you would like one.

DISPATCH:

Please pray for our continued progress.  Pray for wisdom and discernment in some key decisions we are making to receive some seasoned leaders from the community, one as part of the house and the other as part of the leadership team.  Pray for abundant finances as we have three GOD sized plans that require big cash.  1.  The church plant with the A/G.  2. Our Spanish ministry launch church of 2013.  We would love to surprise them with a big offering.  3.  We are considering a church plant in Mexico.

With love and honor,
Chris Liotta