In a blog post, Carey Nieuwhof reviews some information coming out of a study done by Barna Group which shows only 21% of those identifying as Non-Christian have a positive perception of the local church. As a whole, only 44% of males and 49% of females surveyed have a positive perception of the local church. While the goal of the local church may not be to make everyone like it, what should the goal be? It’s likely not what culture at large suspects. This is what we will discuss in this week’s message.

We are excited to have Pastor Zach Bauer preaching this weekend as we continue our CounterCultural 2024 series.

As a world, we are more connected than ever. The internet, cell phones and other technology have helped make it possible. Unfortunately, in a connected world, division and fighting are prevalent. Many people are getting tired of it but can’t seem to get away from it. This weekend we will see what God has to say for the Church in a divided time.

Many people around the world enjoyed watching the Olympics this past summer. There were some amazing performances, including Noah Lyles and Kishane Thompson in the 100m dash finals. Both ran the race with a time of 9.79 seconds, but it was Lyles edging out Thompson in a photo finish. We all love a good ending! As we wrap up our Mentored Pt 2 series, Paul is approaching the end of his life with a message to Timothy about finishing well and not quitting. Join us this weekend as we talk about what it takes to finish well.

Dr. Henry Cloud and others have been advocates of healthy boundaries in life. He’s written at least four books on the subject that have the word “boundaries” in the name. This week we are continuing Mentored, Pt 2 and will see Timothy’s mentor, Paul, stress the need for healthy boundaries. We’ll see the type of people Paul instructs Timothy (and us) to avoid. We’ll also see how to not be or become those people who need to be avoided.

Productivity has been a buzzword for years. In training for the decades old Franklin Covey Planner, they encouraged a person to write down their tasks for the day and note the importance of completing them in descending order. Since then, and probably before then, productivity experts have taught about prioritizing tasks and then addressing them in priority order. The we don’t do this, we can find ourselves distracted by less important things and fail to accomplish the most important things. The same is true in many areas of life, including our conversations. If we want to make the biggest impact, we need to focus on the most important things. 

Jason Russell is a film director who helped start the organization Invisible Children in 2004. One of Invisible Children’s primary focuses is on bringing awareness and an end to the abuse and abduction of children in Central Africa. He was Las key to creating the (controversial) film Kony 2012 focused on bringing to light the horrendous crimes of Ugandan rebel leader, Joseph Kony. Kony 2012 gained rapid notoriety and in 2013 was called the most viral video ever. As Kony 2012 gained attention, Jason Russell, its director, experienced what was called a “brief reactive psychosis” and a naked Russell was detained by San Diego police walking and yelling naked in the street.

Since then, Russell has recovered and is back serving with Invisible Children and supporting work in Central Africa focused on local programs there. One of his worst and most well known moments, doesn’t appear to be who he really was. Thankfully, there were people in his life who knew that and walked with him through this challenging time. We need people in our lives helping navigate the hard times as well. We will see that from Paul’s example with Timothy from 2 Timothy as we begin Mentored Pt 2. 

In the book Strengths Finder, Tom Rath explores the idea of discovering one’s strengths and developing them. This week we are going to explore an area that has been a strength within The Rescue Church at different periods of time, including recently. We’re going to look at how God can use this strength to make our lives better while impacting our communities for their good.

We’re continuing to look at the Core Values of The Rescue Church, why we have them and if they really matter. Are these things that simply make us feel good or are they truly important for the lives we live today? The question has been asked of church leaders, “If your church was to close its doors today, would your community notice?” The idea this person was conveying is that the local church truly should make an impact on a community. It shouldn’t only be about the people who are part of that local church. Is that idea biblical and what could it mean to us and our communities? This is what we are talking about this weekend.

Oscar Wilde once said, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...” Flattery can make a person feel good, but is there any value in it? At the same time, do we want others to copy us, to imitate us. It’s likely we only want people to imitate the good stuff. If you have kids, you’ve likely experienced one of those moments when your kids say in public something you said in private and wouldn’t want repeated. Or you’ve heard someone say, they are a mini version of you. Or someone tells you your kids do something just like you. In those moments we cringe. This week we are going to talk about how we can leverage imitation for the good of ourselves and others as we continue talking about core values.