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
Rivergate Church
Chris@WeAreRivergate.com
© 2016 Chris Liotta
No comments:
Post a Comment