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Living All of Life in View of the Cross

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Helpful Quotes: Conflict, Community, Truth and Love

I have heard some helpful quotes this week and thought I'd share a few of them with you.

"In conflict, our hearts come to the surface."

"Authentic community is not the absence of conflict and relational funkiness. Authentic community is the result of living out the gospel in the midst of and through conflict and relational funkiness. Authentic community takes place as we learn to repent deeply and forgive completely."

"Hard circumstances do not create character; hard circumstances reveal character." Okay, circumstances do play a major part in the sanctification process. The idea is that how we react to our circumstances reveals where we are in the process and what the functional gospel of our lives is. It often shows us that we have a great opportunity to have the gospel become more of a living reality in our lives than it presently is.

"How we say something is as important as what we say." Thanks to Andy Woznicki for that one. In other words, as Paul said, speak the truth in love.

Andy claims to have heard the following equations at Campus Outreach training or something. I think he made it up himself and is just being humble. :)

  • Truth - love —> destroys
  • Love - truth —> deceives 
  • Truth + love —> develops / encourages / builds up

That'll preach. After all, it's the gospel.

  • Truth = I am more sinful that I would ever dare to admit.
  • Love = I am more forgiven and accepted than I could ever dare to dream.

New K-Group Plan

As we have mentioned already, after much discussion and prayer, the staff team has decided to redesign our K-Groups (K is for koinonia, the Greek word for fellowship). Rather than base these groups on age and stage, we are going to encourage groups to gather geographically.  This means that we likely will have groups representing the north, central, and south regions of our area, and maybe several of each where necessary.  The plan is for these groups, beginning in September, to meet on the 1st and 3rd Sunday evenings of each month. With each having a host home in which to meet and at least two equipped facilitators, the structure of the gatherings will be loose and flexible, yet probably will include a time of connecting, discussing the morning's message, sharing needs and prayer.  Our long range goal for these groups is that they will serve as churches within the larger church with pastor/elders overseeing the shepherding care for the folks in each K-Group Community and be the context where assimilation takes place naturally for new folks at Creekstone.  Thinking that this new model will serve our community well, we plan to unveil more exciting details at our Vision Banquet following the service on Sunday, Aug. 21. We hope you will plan to be there!

The Samson Society

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The Samson Society is the result of the ministry of Nate Larkin, former pastor and recovering addict. Over our vacation, I read his personal testimony, Samson and the Pirate Monks, in which he calls men to authentic brotherhood and community, something we guys rarely experience. Regardless of one's addiction, the truth is that men need men. We need an authentic community. A band of brothers. Gospel comrades. This book is a remarkably transparent look at the need for this kind of community and a proposal for the model of a viable solution. I trust that what he has revealed in his own heartbreaking, but redemptive story will become a reality among the men who call Creekstone home. If you are a man, please get and read this book. Please. Larkin's story will resonate with you. It did with me. Furthermore, it is very well written, appropriately humorous, serious and engaging. For more, see www.samsonsociety.com.

Lenten Service & Luncheon Information

Creekstone is sponsoring the Community Lenten Service & Luncheon on Tuesday, April 5, at Dahlonega Baptist Church. Our worship team will be leading the music, I will be speaking, and we all will be providing the meal. We would love for everyone who is able to attend. However, we also need folks to help with the meal following the service. For specific needs and ways you can volunteer, just go here to to our link on the City. Thanks! We are looking forward to this opportunity to bless our community together.
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Creekstone's First Sunday Pot-Luck (Photos)

Here are some pics of today's pot-luck lunch after the morning service. One word: "wow" — what an amazing time to connect in fellowship and enjoy some really good eats! Enjoy the photos. I'll post them on FB soon so that you can tag yourself. :)

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Side-By-Side Community Serving Day

Here is the promo commercial for Side-By-Side, a day when churches all over Lumpkin County will come together to serve our community. It takes place on Saturday, April 30. For more information, and to suggest a project, see www.dahlonegasidebyside.com. Creekstone's contact is our Compassion and Outreach Ministry Coordinator, Robin Howell. Contact her at andrearhowell@gmail.com.

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Get Ready for the City!

Hello Creekstone folks. Get ready for the launch of the City, a tool which we think is going to serve us really well. It will be a way to communicate on a large scale, within groups (without having to send mass emails) and individually. Not only will we be able to keep in touch between Sundays, but we also will be able to share and meet practical needs, announce events, follow a plan for spiritual growth, post job needs, as well as things to sell or give away. Yes, it is "online" and electronic, which to some could seem impersonal (like Facebook, where most of our "friends" are not really friends). But the City is only a means to an end—not an end in itself, nor our only form of connection. In the old days, folks used letters, or the telegraph... or even a phone. Today we use texting and email. So let's harness the common technology of the day and use this medium called the City (www.creekstonechurch.onthecity.org) as a tool to facilitate relationships within the community, providing us with ways to know and care for one another as we facilitate an Acts 2 kind of fellowship.

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