We are planning on having a work day for rebuilding a flood damaged home on Saturday, July 31^st, 2010 for a member of Lifepoint and his family who suffered a total loss on their home.  We will be installing and mudding drywall.  Anyone willing to come out and help would be much appreciated, there is no skill required for this type of work. 

We would like to form 2 teams of volunteers:  One to hang drywall for about four hours in the morning and then a second team to follow up by beginning the finishing process, taping the seams and mudding. 

We will begin at 8 am on that Saturday and work until about 3 or 4 in the afternoon.    Anytime that you can give that day would be great.

The address is 504 Lake Farm Road in Smyrna .  If you are coming from Lifepoint Church or from I-24 and Almaville Road exit, go back toward Nissan on Nissan Blvd. , go past Enon Springs Road, Turn Right onto Lake Farm Road –  it is the first right past McDonalds and Sonic – , the house is on the right side of the road, it is a brick home with white vinyl siding, a white vinyl fence, and a green metal roof.   

 Thanks for all that you do,

 Ken Anderson

Lifepoint Church Disaster Relief

636-4169

Eddie Mosley

We asked the small groups at LifePoint Stewart’s Creek Campus to donate the items necessary to complete their missions project, and our small groups sure did step up to the task! I asked one of our coaches to send out a simple email asking for donations to his groups as well as the other coaches at our campus. A simple email… And donations started pouring in! We had more than enough donations! Our craft leader had the kids bag up our extra supplies to use as teacher packs for the missionaries. We had a 5 gallon bucket full of extra supplies in addition to our two 5 gallon buckets full of complete pencil packs. It was a blessing that we did not have to buy anything to complete our missions project!

Thanks so much to the small groups at SCC for really stepping up! Shortly some of the children in Africa will have some basic supplies that we take for granted here, thanks to our Small Groups and our kids at the SCC.

-Kristin Aune
SCC Kids Adventure Week Coordinator 2010

Billy was sharing how, due to health issues, he was not going to be working anymore. Frustrated, he wondered what God had in store for him. He loved his job selling sporting goods to the high schools and colleges in Middle Tennessee. He shared his feelings, fears and prayers with Pat, Kyle and me.
What was next? We came up with the idea of having Billy serve as our volunteer LifePoint Sports Chaplain. He will be leading and working with others to set up Chapel Services for local travel teams, sports leagues and talking with local schools about the services of LifePoint Church.

Here is a little info about Billy Wheeler, LifePoint Sports Chaplain:

I became a Christ follower at the age of eight. I was baptized at Saturn Drive Baptist Church in Nashville, TN. I have been involved in sports all my life I started playing baseball at the age of six. When I got into high school, my health issues starting catching up with my ability to play sports. So I became a sports manager for the football, baseball and basketball teams at McGavock High School. The summer after my junior year I attended a sports trainer camp at Clemson University. Then I attended Vanderbilt University on a basketball manager’s scholarship. During the summers while at Vanderbilt I worked as the Clubhouse manager for the Nashville Sounds baseball club. After college I got into the sporting goods business, first in retail, then team sales selling to high schools and colleges. The last five years I have been with Riddell Sports.

It’s amazing to think back over the last several years and acknowledge the obstacles we have helped each other through. Between all six couples recently purchasing their first house, two families with their first child, several job transitions, college graduations and countless other milestones, there has been no shortage of growth opportunities. In the course of these events the bonds that our group share have developed into something quite remarkable. There is no questioning the power and benefit to sharing life with believers who are in the same stage of their journey. Even so, the challenge has been placed before us to keep moving forward.

Sometimes taking that next step to becoming more like Christ can be tough. It’s even tougher without a strong living visual guiding you along the way. “Someone whose hindsight can become your foresight” as the Chinese proverb so aptly stated. For many of us this guidance comes from within our own families. For many others, we look to our church family to provide this all-important mentor relationship. By coupling ourselves with established Christians who have been walking the walk for years we can see what that next step looks like. We can see what it means to discipline our children with love, learn the true meaning of hospitality, and differentiate ourselves from the concept of worldly success that has so intoxicated our generation.

Luckily, our small group is not the only one who has sensed the importance in this model of mentorship featured in Titus 2:3-5. There is a group of older, wiser, reputable Christians who have made a huge impact in our community and our church. This group, led by the Fraizers, have graciously offered to demonstrate the next step for us. To date, we have not turned this into a science by breaking out the workbooks and debating topics of importance. What we have done is enjoyed a casual cookout in the park. Even something this simple afforded opportunity to ask questions as we got to know one another. Each of the younger crowd benefited from a special connection or some type of individualized take-away. For me, you can’t put a price tag on watching Godley men love their wives and raise their children to fear the Lord.

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. (Psalm 145:4)

- The Bartemus Small Group

What about your group? Can you mentor or be mentored by another Small Group?

C. Mitchell

Here is a story from a lady who attended Servology put it into practice moments later.

“Great night!! I prayed most of the way home for an encounter with a neighbor. So, I decided to water my plants around my mailbox. Guess what, two neighbors that I don’t know came walking down the street (amazing how God works). Anyway, I made eye contact with them. Although they were on their cell phones, I said ‘hello’ and they responded. I asked how they were doing and they responded again and then they keep walking.
I have decided that I need to water my plants every night and pray that they leave their cell phones at home next time! Also note to self…put on mosquito repellant next time.”

Author Eugene Peterson says, “Christian hospitality is the new word for Evangelism.” What are you planning to do this summer to be the presence of Jesus in your neighborhood, on your street, tennis court, ball field or place of community?
When was the last time you prayed for your neighbors by name?

Take time this week to notice your neighbors. Drive slower than usual and watch for opportunities to interact with them. Maybe walk your dog, work in your flower beds, wash your car or sit a little longer on the bleachers; all in order to give God time to work through you to show his love, be the his presence.

Meet at LifePoint, FBCSmyrna Campus at 7:30am (enter by the Office/Preschool Entrance)

To Volunteer for the Workday, please register here through the Town of Smyrna database. We will doing general clean-up work at homes in the Smyrna community impacted by the flood.

Work day details:
Required Dress: Work Gloves, Work Boots, Hat, Jeans/Long Pants, Long Sleeve Shirt (to wear over a short-sleeve shirt depending on work)
No shorts or opened toed shoes
Water Bottle
Updated Tetanus shots are recommended. If you are not sure or if more than 10 years, contact your doctor or health department. Participation in the Work-Day is not recommended for those with a respiratory condition or difficulties.

Flood Relief Needed
If you are in need of Flood Assistance, these resources may be of help:

First Step: If you have flood related damage, please report it by calling Rutherford County EMA at 890-5519 or 890-2957. You can read more at the Town of Smyrna Flood Relief Website.
You can also email our relief coordinators to request assistance.
Flood Cleanup Guide

How to Help
You can make a monetary donation below to the relief efforts.
Email for other ways you can help beyond Saturday’s Workday.
Volunteer opportunities are available in the Nashville areas through Samartian’s Purse

To Donate to the Relief Effort, Click Here

By Chris Berkey

This year we decided to hold our neighborhood’s second annual Easter Egg Hunt at the neighborhood playground thinking it would be a better draw than our yard.  We have also had a few more families that attend LifePoint move into the neighborhood so we recruited them to help.  One of the families is in our small group.  So we all donated the eggs (over 200) and candies.  We stuffed and invited.  The morning of the event, our neighbor’s girls helped hide the eggs.  Their mom also donated the prizes we gave out (we had 3 special prize eggs).  The families that did attend came from all ends of the neighborhood, which was cool.  The family that came last year came again this year and brought the family that lives next door to them as well.  We discovered that another neighbor has become a foster parent, so she came and brought her 2 boys with her.  Apparently everyone was having a good time; they all hung around to play and chat after all the eggs were found.  There were mothers talking about coupons and who had the best grocery prices, and dads talking about the state of the economy and how some houses in the neighborhood had actually sold.  We asked that everyone empty the goodies out of the eggs so we could keep the eggs to use again next year.  Although the hunt started at 9am, it was after 11 before everyone left.

Three LifePoint families and neighbors came together to host this event. This year’s Belmont Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt a success!

Bel

For leaders and members who were not able to attend, here are some of the highlights of the luncheons:

*Free giveaways

*Childcare: adopt a newly trained babysitter and pay their way to youth camp this summer.  Let them come to your food/meal at group meeting, service. socials, and celebrate their birthday. They have been trained by UT Extension and are ready to serve your Small Group. Call Charity Smith (459-3311) for more info.

*The next 6 months of info on the Discipleship, Community, Service Cards

*Stories were shared by SG Leaders and discussion on the new series “Exposed, Life On the Inside”.

*One group is mixed with couples and singles.  Learning how to share life issues has been challenging.

*Another group fasting one day a week for a friend who was in accident. Another group started four new Small Groups from their group for the Exposed series.

*GroupLife has a new name for the attendance report that is completed each week by Small Group Leaders…the new name is “Community Report”.

*PLEASE share what is happening in your group via this report.

*Tell us about your socials, parties, service projects, prayer needs and info on what you are  studying.

*Please be sure to visit the Service tab on groupleader.org often for new service opportunities for your Small Group…new opportunities are posted monthly

*Small Group is much more than attendance, it is doing life together.  Let us pray, celebrate and journey with you and your group via the “Community Report”
Next Luncheon will be in August after school starts back.  See you then.

Eddie Mosley
Executive Director of GroupLife