mattfry

ARC Conf., “IT” and Riding Waves

This last week I was in Austin, TX at the ARC Conference. ARC stands for Association of Related Churches...a network of churches that partner together with a mission to plant churches. What I love about the ARC is the relationships. I have the privilege of serving on the leadership team with some amazing movers and shakers that have made me a better Pastor and person.

(hanging out with friends; Pastor Rick Bezet, New Life Church, Conway, Ark and Pastor Naeem Fazaal, Mosaic Church, Charlotte, NC)

(Martha with Lori Champion from Celebration Church, Austin, TX)
Pastor Joe and Lori Champion with Celebration Church did an amazing job of hosting the Conference this year. Pastor Joe also kicked it off with a powerful message. One of the highlights for me was getting a chance to spend some small group time with Pastor Craig Groeschel from Life Church in OK City. Outreach Magazine listed him as the most influential pastor in U.S. One of the things he shared with us was that to be a pastor of a large, growing church you must be willing to endure pain. That was painful to hear but so true! In the large group session he spoke about having “IT”. Churches that have “IT” are growing and making a difference. What is “IT”? You can go here and see the notes that Pastor Jeff Kapusta took.
Another highlight was Pastor Dino Rizzo’s session on Riding the Waves. He shared the 4 Rules of the Surf Club:
1. Never Surf Alone
2. You Will Hit The Reef of Rejection
3. You Have To Go Find the Unridden Waves
4. Let’s Surf the Globe
He also provided everyone with a free postcard of the ARC leadership team getting ready to surf. I’m the short guy on the left side that’s really cut.

To read the entire notes of the sessions you can go to jeffkapusta.com
Oh, by the way. The ARC has already started 10 churches so far this year with plans to start several more.

Walls, Roof and Pink Hard Hats

These are exciting days at C3. Our dream of providing more seats for hurting people is near the half way point. We are on target to be in our building for Christmas weekend 2007!
This past week they have been putting the walls up and the roof is near completion. Over the past few days, Martha and I have had the privilege of giving tours of the new building. Someone found her a pink hard hat. They knew that was the only way we were going to get her to wear a hard hat.


I want to thank Ken Stephenson, Executive Minister at C3, Steel Dynamics and the entire construction team for doing such a great job. Let’s keep praying, working and sacrificing together! The best is yet to come!

Notes From Dino

Are you at war, or at peace? Dan Ohlerking posted Pastor Dino Rizzo’s notes to the Healing Place Church staff. Check it out.

Dear Staff,
I wanted to sit and write something to each of you that I didn’t think could wait until our staff meeting. I felt the Lord download on me the last eighteen hours. Here’s the backdrop first. Over the last two months I’ve talked to some pastors in the body of Christ who have been fighting some unusual battles. These brothers are from different parts of the world. Some are discouraged, and some are dealing with disunity and rogue church members stirring up strife –even physical battles. Just in the last three days I’ve had one-half dozen conversations with buddies who are on various trials. I prayed last night - “God what’s happening?”, and He reminded me, “Son, you’re in a war”. I don’t know why He has to keep reminding me of this, but He does. It is a real war with real casualties and fatalities. We know it’s spiritual because the ground we take for the Kingdom and eternity are in the balance.
Here are three things to remember in this Holy war.
We’ve got to keep the objective crystal clear.
If you sway on the why we do what we do, our cause -the souls of men- can get so confusing.
Watch for friendly fire.
Remember who the enemy is and don’t shoot each other. This is the saddest tragedy of war. The other person reading this email at the same time as you – they are your body. If they are hit, they bleed. If they bleed, we all bleed. Make sure to bandage one another with Holy Ghost speech.
Guard your heart.
This shield is maintained through flow in the Holy Ghost and fervent prayer. If we lack there, we lack everywhere.
... Lastly, keep yourself healthy and pray for one another. This stuff is and will always be in the enemy’s crossfire. I’m never surprised by the stuff that happens against this team. God is our shield. Run to Him asap.
Much love, Pastor Dino

Join us for one of our 5 services as we continue our series...Organic. This weekend we will be looking at how to Live Out the Fruit of Peace.

Parking Cars, Next Generation and Easter 2007

What an amazing weekend! You could feel the power of God at all 5 services. One of the highlights for me was the baptism celebration... 2 of those that I baptized was a father and his son. I couldn’t hold back the emotions and tears as I thought about two generations that are being impacted and the legacy they will leave behind.

I want to thank all 800 of our volunteers that made this past weekend such a powerful and life changing experience. Special thanks to all of our First Touch teams... especially our parking team that stood outside in the cold weather parking cars for Jesus.

Another Big thanks to the Children’s ministry for doing such a great job of providing ministry for all 551 children that God blessed us with this past weekend (the most ever). You are doing an amazing job of leading the next generation.

Easter reminds me of new things... Jesus came to give us new life. I just sense that God is getting ready to do something new and exciting in and through C3! Can you feel it? The Best is Yet to Come!

Churches That Get It

Recently we had the privilege hosting Todd Rhoades from Leadership Network. Todd shared with our staff about the great things that Leadership Network is doing. Todd has been interviewing pastors and churches around the country (including C3) and wrote his observations.

In his blog www.mondaymorninginsight.com, Todd shares his "10 Observations of Churches That Get It..."

My favorite one is...
#5 Churches that get it “don’t have a clue about what they are doing.”

The most interesting observation is...
#4 Many staff or staff spouses are pregnant... If Martha is pregnant that would be a miracle!

He also mentioned 6 churches "that Get It" which includes C3 Church... Thanks Todd for coming to C3 and sharing with our staff!