Homecoming

As many of you know, I have recently returned from an extended renewal leave. Since coming back, there are two questions that I seem to hear most commonly. The first is “how was you leave?” The second is “how does it feel to be back?”

To answer the first question, the leave was wonderful. It was a time of rest and renewal. It was a blessing to have the time to pour into my marriage and family. It was a time of reflection on my calling and what the next season of ministry might look like. It was an opportunity to visit many other churches and see how God is at work in other areas of His kingdom. It was wonderful to see so many different expressions of worship and ministry . God is doing great work in many, many places in our world. 

How was coming back? It was like a homecoming. I can't begin to tell you how much I missed all of you and how wonderful it was to have the opportunity to begin to reconnect. This past Sunday we were in Sandown and North Shore. This coming Sunday we look forward to being at both services in Plaistow. Being away from Rock Church for a time helped to remind me what a wonderful gift we have in this faith community. And, as much as I loved worshiping in other churches, for me it just didn't quite compare to worshiping at home at the Rock.

There may be some of you who are reading this who have also been away for a time. Sometimes the busyness of life crowds out our time for worship. I want to remind you that no matter how long you been away, there is always a place for you in the family of God. There is always a warm welcome awaiting you when you return.

The same is true of our walk with Christ. Sometimes the circumstances of life will cause us to drift away from our daily walk with God. Perhaps you have not been as close in your relationship with Christ as you used to be. Maybe you haven't had as much time for prayer and scripture. But remember that like the Prodigal Son, God is always waiting with open arms. He is always ready to welcome us home when we are ready to return to him.

I'm praying for some of you who have been distant from God, or perhaps from the church, that this will be the week to reconnect. If you have not been walking closely with Christ, I pray that today you would renew that journey. And if it's been a while since you were in worship, I'm praying that this Sunday will be your homecoming. May it be your time to reconnect to the family of God and to experience again the joy of worshiping Christ in community.

    I love you all and I look forward to seeing you in the weeks ahead.

Pastor Steve

Resurrection day

Over the next several days we will be on a spiritual journey with Jesus. Holy Week is the time that we remember and observe all that Jesus experienced on our behalf. There are aspects of Holy Week that are beautiful and intimate. There are elements that are painful and heartbreaking. And of course, in the end is great joy and celebration as Jesus wins the victory over sin and death.

There is an expression that comes out of athletic training; “no pain no gain.” If we're working out in the gym or trying to gain endurance in a particular sport, we have to go through the pain and the struggle of the hard workouts, the extra reps, the two a days, if we want to gain strength, stamina and ultimate victory. In the same way, Jesus had to go through the pain of the “Via Dolorosa,” the way of suffering, before experiencing the victory of the empty tomb.

For us to fully experience the joy of Resurrection Day, we must also walk with Jesus through the pain and the struggle that preceded it. This is why Holy Week services are so important for us. As we experience Maundy Thursday and Good Friday special services, it helps us to understand and even share in the experience of what Christ faced on our behalf. So, I want to encourage us to attend the Maundy Thursday service at 6:30 p.m. at our Sandown campus tomorrow (April 6), and our Good Friday service at our North Shore campus beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Friday (April 7). There are aspects of these services that are beautiful and intimate, and there are elements of the service that are painful as we journey with Jesus to the cross.

The good news is that all of this prepares us for Easter, Resurrection Day! When we have gone on this difficult Holy Week Journey with Jesus, the celebration of the Resurrection is intensified and magnified. Furthermore, because we have walked with Jesus through the last supper, the betrayal, the arrest, the trial and the crucifixion, we can now fully appreciate the joy of the empty tomb.

I look forward to us journeying together through Holy Week and rejoicing together on Resurrection Day. As I'm sure you know, Easter is also a great time to invite a friend who may not yet know the hope of Christ and the joy of the resurrection. So, I would encourage us all to invite at least one friend. It could change their life!

I love you all. I look forward to us being together this Sunday as we celebrate Resurrection Day.

Pastor Steve

Holy Week

Based on the frost on the ground this morning it seems a little hard to believe, but Holy Week is nearly upon us. Holy Week takes us on a journey with Christ through the final week of his life. It begins with his triumphal entry into Jerusalem that we celebrate in worship this weekend as Palm Sunday. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, he sets in motion a series of important events that would ultimately lead to the cross.

The emotional highs and lows of this week are so extreme that it seems hard to imagine they take place within a few days of one another. On Sunday, he would ride into the holy city to the shouts of praise and acclamation of a massive crowd. By all appearances, everyone loved him. They took the coats off their backs and cut branches from the trees to create a red carpet welcome. They cheered him as the long awaited savior. He arrived like a conquering hero.

Unfortunately, the shouts of Hosanna would be short lived. It would not be long before the impressionable crowd would be easily swayed to cry out for his death. From the high of Palm Sunday, Jesus would soon be sharing his final meal with his disciples before facing his arrest, trial and crucifixion. But of course, the good news of our faith is that death would not have the last word. On what we call Easter Sunday, the empty tomb would declare the good news of our risen savior.

Holy Week is the most spiritually significant week of the year for us as Christians. So I want to encourage us to begin now to prepare our hearts for this important time. I hope we will all be together this Sunday in worship as we celebrate Palm Sunday. Then on the Thursday of Holy Week we will have a Maundy Thursday service where we will celebrate communion as we commemorate Jesus last supper, his betrayal and arrest. On Good Friday we will hold a special service that leads us through Christ's sacrifice at the cross. The Maundy Thursday service will be offered at our Sandown campus at 6:30 p.m. The Good Friday service will be at our North Shore campus at 7:00 p.m. These services are open to everyone in our church and community.

The truth is, we can never fully appreciate the victory of the cross if we have not also walked with Jesus through the struggle and sacrifice of Holy Week. So I want to invite you to set aside the time to join us for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. I would also encourage us to take extra time each day of Holy Week for scripture and prayer. I would not want us to miss the spiritual significance of this important time. It is a time to deepen our faith and grow stronger in Christ.

I look forward to us all being together this weekend as we complete our series The Gospel and celebrate Palm Sunday.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Renewal

Please watch this special video announcement from Pastor Steve.

Spur one another on

I was recently studying through the book of Hebrews in my devotional time. Hebrews has so much great content that we could talk about it for years. But there was one verse that jumped out at me as I was studying through chapter 10. As I worked myself through this rich and powerful chapter, verse 24 seemed to leap off the page at me. “Let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.”

If we were watching an old western, we might think of spurs as the things cowboys used to prod their horse to move a bit faster. But when the author of Hebrews uses this word, he is talking about how we cheer one another on to do all that God has called us to do. We might also hear that as “let us encourage one another to live lives of love and good deeds.”

The point is, as the church, an important part of our calling is to cheer one another on. The life of a Christian disciple can be difficult at times. There will be hard days and it could be very easy to become discouraged. But if each of us will see it as a part of our calling to be a cheerleader, encouraging fellow believers in their work, it can be powerful and transformative.

So how do we do that? How do we spur one another on in the important works of the gospel? Certainly, we do that with our words. A well-timed simple word of encouragement can make all the difference in a person's life. I know I have had times when I was feeling discouraged, but God put someone in my path with a word of encouragement that completely changed my outlook. Everyday you and I have the opportunity to cheer someone else on with a few words of encouragement spoken at just the right time. Of course, we won't always know when the right time is. So, my encouragement would be that we be as free and generous with our words of encouragement as we can be, to as many people as possible.

Often God will place a calling on someone's life that they simply cannot fulfill by themselves. When we try to do it alone it feels overwhelming, and we soon want to give up. But when you or I come alongside someone and share in a work that God has called them to, it is also a way for us to spur them on to love and good works.

In a thousand different ways, by word and deed, we can be the ones to encourage fellow believers to do something amazing for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. So, I want to challenge all of us to find someone that we can cheer on today! Let's all spur one another on to love and good deeds for the sake of Christ and the world.

I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue this great series “The Gospel.” Have a blessed week.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve.

Revolution

A few days ago Julie and I saw the new faith-based movie Jesus Revolution. I don't want to give away too much of the movie, but it is a powerful and inspiring true story of a revival, a movement of God's Holy Spirit at a tumultuous time in the history of our nation. Through the course of our nation's history we have seen several great revivals or awakenings. In 1734, Northampton MA was the launch point of the First Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening began in 1800 in Kentucky and quickly spread throughout the nation, lasting nearly 40 years. In 1857 a businessman's Prayer Revival began in New York City and spread quickly throughout the northeast.

In 1905 the Welsh Revival broke out beginning in Pennsylvania. About the same time on the west coast began the Azusa Revival which led to the start of the Pentecostal movement in the United States. In the 1950s the work of Billy Graham and other evangelists led to a great revival based on traveling crusades. More recently, in the late 1960s and early '70s the Jesus movement erupted among college students and young adults coming out of the drug culture of the 1960s.

Most recently, we have seen revival breakout on the campus of Asbury University which has now spread to other parts of the country. The consistent theme across all of these revivals is that they were completely Spirit-led. No one knows when, or where, the Holy Spirit will erupt. We can't force revival. We can't generate it. It is a sovereign move of God. But what we can do is provide an environment where the Spirit of God can move freely and powerfully.

I believe the first step in creating an environment for revival is expectancy. We have to believe that the Holy Spirit still moves in our time and actually expect that he will. When we live with expectancy, we are always ready to embrace the move of the Holy Spirit wherever, and whenever, it breaks through in our lives.

I think a second key to developing an environment where the Holy Spirit can move is to remove distractions. Most of us spend very little time in quietness, listening for the voice of God. And with all of the distractions that are present in our lives today, it is very easy to miss how God is moving. If we really want to experience revival, we must eliminate much of the noise and distraction in our lives.

Thirdly. if we really want to experience the movement of God's Holy Spirit we need to hunger for it. God spirit is never going to force its way into our lives. We have to want it. The prophet Jeremiah wrote “you will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” We create an environment for revival when we hunger for God with our whole heart.

I think many of us long to see revival break out in our time. The movie Jesus Revolution reminds us that God is still moving and His Holy Spirit can break out in the most unlikely places. Even though I've seen the movie, I would like to see it again. If any of you are interested in going as a group, we can coordinate getting a block of seats for us, or perhaps even a whole theater. If you think you would be interested in going as a group, email me (steve@rock-church.org) and let me know.

Have an awesome week. I look forward to us being together this Sunday as we continue our new series “The Gospel.”

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Leave room for God

Over the past two weeks we have spent time in worship talking about the mission and vision of our church. As you may have heard me say, our vision is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who love God, love others and do good. As we seek to fulfill that mission of making disciples we have developed five North Stars. These North Stars are the areas that we intend to focus on in the years ahead. They include things like being agents of change in our world, expressing excellence in hospitality and discipleship, raising up people in service and leadership and being generous as a church.

Within those five North Stars we have developed five big, audacious goals for 2023. If you haven't heard about that I would encourage you to watch the video of Sunday's message at this link. I believe that God is leading us into some great work in the coming year. Among our goals include greatly expanding our discipleship opportunities, providing ways for every member to be involved in mission and outreach beyond our four walls, developing an intentional pathway to help people become engaged in volunteering and leadership and much more. I am super excited about the goals we have set. They are big goals, but I believe in the power of God we can see them come to fruition. And when we do, I believe the impact will be amazing.

I'm a planner. I love setting goals. I love developing the plans around fulfilling those goals, but as we dream about our mission and vision for the future, I want to remind us of this important thing. We must always leave room for God. At the ministry celebration dinner on Saturday I reminded us that any victories we see as a church, any goals that are fulfilled, any lives that are changed will ultimately be the result of the movement of God's Holy Spirit.

And so I want to encourage us to be engaged in the goals to the very best of our ability. There are things here for all of us. But I also want to remind us that we must leave room for God to move. It will never be in our own strength or ability that we achieve great things. It will be the result of the movement of God's spirit, in power, that make it all possible. In fact, I believe that if we will leave room for God, he will bring us to greater heights than we ever imagined. We will see greater fruitfulness in our ministry than we ever dreamed of.

So I would ask you to do three things out of all of this. First, if you didn't hear about the five goals for this year, please go and watch the message and make note of those goals. Secondly, think about how you might become engaged in each of these areas. And thirdly, please begin immediately praying for God's Holy Spirit to move in our midst. The prophet Zachariah wrote centuries ago “not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the lord.” I am praying for a mighty movement of God's Holy Spirit in our midst as we seek to fulfill his work to make disciples who love God, love others and do good.

Have a blessed week. Today we begin the season of Lent. This Sunday we will share our first message in a new series entitled “The Gospel.” This is going to be a very significant and engaging series that takes us into a deeper understanding of what we really mean when talk about “The Gospel.” I promise, you are not going to want to miss a single week between now and Easter!

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Celebrating Love

Did you ever wonder where Valentine's Day came from? As with many traditions, it is a long and somewhat complicated history. It goes back to St Valentine, a third-century Christian martyr who, as tradition holds, healed the blind daughter of his jailer before being put to death. It is also reported that St Valentine performed weddings for Christian soldiers who were forbidden to marry. But it was not until later in the 14th century that a poem by Chaucer connected Valentine's Day with romantic love.

Whatever the origins, next Tuesday is Valentine's day. A day we celebrate love. There will be romantic dinners by Candlelight. Flowers, candy and cards will abound. And I think all of that is wonderful! But it strikes me that as Christ followers, every day should be a celebration of love. Jesus said that all the law and the prophets can be summed up in this, love God and love your neighbor. To be a Christian is to celebrate and share God's love everyday.

So, here is my thought. Rather than wait for Valentine's day, let's celebrate love today. All day today I would encourage us to look for ways that we can express the love of Jesus to the people around us. It doesn't have to be a big thing. Bring you coworker a cup of coffee. Offer an encouraging word to someone who's struggling. Hug your kids one extra time before they head off to school. Check in on an elderly neighbor. Be kind with your words. Then, after you have expressed love in whatever ways you can today, get up tomorrow and do it again.

It is great that we have a date dedicated to love. But as followers of the one who called us to love all and to love unconditionally, let's not limit ourselves. And let's not wait for special day. Even in terms of romantic love, tell your spouse you love them everyday, many times a day. And don't wait until February 14th to bring them flowers or leave them a card that expresses how much you love them. We can celebrate love everyday.

Just a quick reminder that this Sunday at our Plaistow campus we will celebrate baptisms. If you have never been baptized and are ready to celebrate your faith with your church family, please drop me an email at steve@rock-church.org. There is still time to “jump in.”

Also, don't forget that the registration deadline for our ministry celebration event is coming up this weekend. The event will be held on Saturday February 18th beginning at 5:00 p.m. The event is open to all who have serve, young and old, from all Rock Church locations. You can see all the details and sign up at this link. This is going to be a wonderful evening of food, fun, testimonies, vision casting and more. This is our opportunity to express appreciation for all the ways that so many of you have served over the past year and to look forward to what God has for us in this coming year.

Have a wonderful week. I look forward to us all being together in worship this Sunday.

I love you all,

Pastor Steve

The beauty of baptism

Within the Christian faith, there are certain acts we call sacraments. Sacraments are sacred acts that were first practiced by Jesus and his disciples. These sacraments have been carried on through the centuries to this very day. In our tradition there are two sacraments; communion and baptism.

Each of the sacraments have great significance in the life of a Christ follower. Communion, of course, is a remembrance of the last supper. It is meant to remind us on a regular basis of the sacrifice of Christ for our sin. His body broken for us. His blood shed for us. Here at the Rock we practice communion once a month, generally on the first Sunday of the month. We have an open communion. This means that all people are welcome to receive communion as a celebration of the grace of God.

Baptism is a celebration of our new life in Christ. When parents have their children baptized, it is a dedication of that child to God and a welcoming of the child into the family of God. It also marks the beginning of that child's faith journey. From that point forward, the parents have promised before God to raise the child immersed in the Christian faith so that they may grow up to have a relationship with Jesus.

 Believer baptism, when an individual chooses for themselves to be baptized, is one of the most important and beautiful expressions of our faith. Believer baptism is generally done by immersion. When, in the act of baptism, the believer goes beneath the water it is symbolic of dying with Jesus. Our old nature dies and we become a new creation in Christ. Then as the believer emerges up from the water, it symbolizes being resurrected into new life with Christ. Baptism is one of the most meaningful and powerful expressions of our faith that any of us can't experience.

This past Sunday we celebrated baptisms at our North Shore and Sandown campuses. On Sunday February 12th we will offer baptism at our Plaistow location. Anytime baptism is offered, at any of our locations, it is always open to everyone. So whether you generally attend and Sandown, Plaistow or North Shore, if you have not yet been baptized but are ready to celebrate this new life Christ has called you to, you are invited to join us for baptism on February 12th in Plaistow.

If you would be interested in baptism, I would simply like more information please email me at steve@rock-church.org. this Sunday we will continue our series “Superheroes” with the study of one of the most important and influential characters in the Bible. And his superpower is one we all can apply. You won't want to miss it.

  Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Time to Celebrate

In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon said there is a time for everything. There's a time to plant and a time to reap, a time to laugh and a time to cry, a time to mourn and a time to dance. I would add to his list that there is a time to celebrate! We have an amazing team of leaders and volunteer servants at Rock Church. Month after month throughout the year, so many of you serve sacrificially in the work of Christ through our church. Speaking for our entire pastoral team, I want you to know how incredibly grateful we are for all you do.

On Saturday, February 18th, we will hold a special event meant to celebrate the great work that has been accomplished in 2022 and express appreciation to all who have served as a part of the ministry of Rock Church. This event will be open to everyone who has served in any capacity over the past year. Guests are also welcome to bring a “plus one.” We will begin with apps and fellowship at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner and a time to celebrate our ministry. Oh, and the evening will end with my favorite dessert bar ever!

As a part of our time, I will also be sharing a vision for what I believe God is calling us to in 2023. I believe God has great things in store for us and I can't wait for this opportunity to dream together about some of the amazing work God has for us in the year ahead. We will also be sharing several testimonies of some of the ways that God has been so powerfully at work at Rock church. This is going to be an amazing, fun and joy filled event that you will not want to miss.

Because we will be preparing food, we really need to know who was able to join us. To help us plan, we have set up a quick and easy online RSVP at this link. So, if you have served in hospitality, children's ministry, music ministry, care ministry, youth group, Mastering Motherhood, deaf/ASL ministry, led a life group or Bible study, been involved in leading men's or women's ministry events, served in technology, administration, on a team or committee, participated in a For Our Community event, helped with caring for our facilities in any way or served in any other form or fashion, we invite you to join us!

Additionally, if you have not yet found your place of service, but are ready to jump in this year, we also invite you to come to help us celebrate the work of the past year and hear how you can use your gifts and talents going forward. You can also register at the same link.

You've all worked so hard this year and God has done amazing things through the ministry of our church. Now it is time to pause, celebrate and express appreciation to all who serve. And it is time to look forward with great anticipation to what God will have for us in the year to come.

I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue our superheroes series with another great character. Can you guess who it will be?

Love you all,

Pastor Steve 

Build a boat

Colton Dixon has a song on the radio entitled “Build a Boat.” The first line of the chorus says “I will build a boat in the sand where they say it never rains. I will stand up in faith, I'll do anything it takes.” Every time I hear that song I can't help but think about Noah. Noah's faithfulness, courage and most of all, obedience, allowed him to do something that seemed crazy, but actually saved humanity. Had Noah not been obedient to God when he was told to build a boat, all life would have perished from the earth.

We are in the middle of a new sermon series at Rock Church entitled “Superheroes.” We began the series with the story of Noah as the world's first superhero. His superpower was obedience and he used it to save the world. Since sharing that message, I've been thinking a lot about obedience to God. How would our lives, and our world, be different if we all chose to be as radically obedient to God as Noah was?

I think the first thing that would happen is we would take a lot more risks. As I look back over my own life, I wonder how many opportunities I've missed because I was not obedient to God; fearful of the risk. Risk is scary. Risk can sometimes put us in uncomfortable situations. But many of the greatest things we will experience in this life require the greatest risks. I believe that this principle is true not only for us as individuals, but collectively as a church. I wonder how many times God has called us as a church to step out in some courageous way, but we have failed to do so for the fear of the risk.

I would also say that if we were obedient to God's leading, we would be more generous. I am certain that there have been times when God was nudging me to be generous in a certain situation, but I failed to be obedient. Let's be honest, generosity is sacrifice, and sacrifice is hard. But God has entrusted resources to us for the very purpose of giving us the capacity to be generous. And the more generous we are as individuals, the more generous we can be as a church in obedience to God's calling to share with those in need.

Finally, if we would allow ourselves to be fully obedient to God, we would be more loving. Jesus summed up all the law and the prophets in this: love God and love One another. That means love everyone. And he said “as I have loved you, love one another.” Obedience would be to love unconditionally. That means even those who are not like us. It means loving the peculiar and the hard to love, loving the strangers, even loving our enemies. To live in full obedience to the teachings of Christ is to love all and to love unconditionally.

For Noah, obedience meant building a boat of such proportion that it seemed impossible, but in the end save humanity. For us, obedience means, among other things, taking more risks by stepping out in faith to follow God's lead. It means being more generous, even when it is uncomfortable. And obedience to Christ teaching means to love others as he has loved us. I hope we are all inspired by Noah's example to live lives of radical obedience.

Have a great week. I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue our series superheroes.

I love you all.

God bless,

Pastor Steve.

Encourager

In my First 5 a few days ago we talked about a man named Onesiphorus. I have to be honest, up until this point in my life, I had not given much thought to Onesiphorus. He's only mentioned briefly in Paul's second letter to Timothy. But it turns out that he actually played an important role at a critical moment in the life of the apostle Paul.

II Timothy was written by Paul while in a prison cell in Rome. At this point, Paul was near the end of his life. He had lived through tremendous persecution and trial. Many of those who had once supported him, or worked with him, and now abandoned him for fear of being persecuted themselves. During one of the lowest times in Paul's life, Onesiphorus was one of the very few who stayed by his side. When Paul was arrested and imprisoned, Onesiphorus went to Rome to seek him out so he could help and support him.

To Paul, Onesiphorus was an encourager. And in his letter to Timothy, Paul calls him out by name, asking God's blessing over him and his family. There wasn't a lot that Onesiphorus could do for Paul, but he was there when Paul needed him most. He lifted Paul's spirits and kept him going in spite of his circumstances.

I want to be Onesiphorus. I want to be an encourager. There are so many things in this life that can be discouraging. We will all, at times, go through difficult circumstance, receive bad news or face daunting challenges. And there are days when it is easy to become discouraged. We all need encouragers in our lives. People who come alongside us to cheer us on and help us to continue to move forward when we feel like quitting.

And I believe we can, and should, all be encouragers. Each of us can be an Onesiphorus to someone. We can be that person who comes alongside someone who's having a rough day (or a rough year) and be a voice of encouragement to them. We can be the one to offer hope in a way that builds up another. And the truth is, it's not even that hard. First, we have to show up. We just have to be present for that person who is going through a rough season.

Simply being there for someone, particularly when others are not, can be a point of great encouragement. And then we have to speak words of life. Remind people that God is still with them. That the hard season will pass and that God will bring good from bad. Sometimes it is as simple as a smile or a hug at the right moment.

Onesiphorus was an encourager to Paul at a time when he particularly needed it. And I know that if we are willing, we can be encouragers in our world for those who need a word of hope. So, my encouragement to all of us is to find someone that we can encourage today.

 God Bless,

Pastor Steve

BTW, if you missed the Christmas Day online service I would encourage you to check it out. It was awesome. It is currently still posted on the front page of our website. I would encourage you to check it out at this link.

Endings and Beginnings

It has been my experience that life is a continuous cycle of endings and beginnings.  We go through seasons in our lives; childhood, teens, young adulthood, first jobs, new jobs, advancement, retirement. For some there will marriage, parenting and eventually an empty nest.  One chapter of life will eventually give way to a new chapter. 

Sometimes the transitions can be difficult. When a season has been particularly good or joyful, it can be sad or even painful to let go. But regardless of how much we may resist it, virtually all seasons of life have beginnings and endings. And when one season ends, it makes way for a new season. Not every season will be our favorite, but I believe God has something important for us in every season.

Over time I have discovered that one of the keys to experiencing the fullness of what God has for us in this life is to embrace each new season as it comes. I believe the way we do that is to see each transitions as an opportunity for two things.  First, we can celebrate the season that is passing for the blessing that it has been in our lives. We can take the time to give thanks to God for all of the good things that come from that season of life. Then, we can joyfully anticipate what the next season will bring. We can enter into the new season eager to experience all that God has for us in this next stage of life.   

As much as we may want to, we can’t keep the seasons from changing.  Endings and new beginnings are a necessary part of life. But I believe if we can embrace each new beginning as a gift, we will discover that God has great things for us in this new season.  This week we will say goodbye to 2022 and will welcome a new year. I would encourage us to take the time to pause and give thanks to God for the blessings of this past year. I know I have much to be thankful for.  And I would encourage us to launch into the new year with joyful anticipation, trusting that God has even greater things for us in this next season of life. I, for one, cannot wait to see what God has in store for us!

Sunday we begin a brand new series entitled “Superheroes.”  This is going to be an insightful and exciting series that you will not want to miss.  Being together this Sunday will also allow us to launch the new year in the best possible way, in community with our church family worshipping God! I look forward to us all being together this Sunday for in person worship.

I love you all,

Pastor Steve

Reminder: it is not to late to share a year end gift in support of God’s work here at Rock Church.  Donations can be made online at this link or by mail to Rock Church PO Box 435 Sandown, NH 03873.  To be included in your 2022 giving statement, online donations must be in my midnight of Dec 31. Donations sent by mail must be postmarked by Dec 31.

All most here . . .

Can you believe that Christmas is only a few days away! I think I am more excited for Christmas this year than ever. With my newly expanded family, this year will be a beautiful combination of traditions old and new. If you are like me you probably have many wonderful traditions that you celebrate around Christmas. But through all the seasons of life, and through so many changes, there is one tradition that always remains the same for me. That is the celebration of the birth of Jesus in the Christmas Eve Candlelight service.

In my home church growing up as a child, and now here at Rock Church over these past 36 Christmases, this has always been the very heart of the Christmas celebration for me. And so I just want to invite you to be with us this Christmas Eve at any of our Rock Church locations. I don't know if there's anything more beautiful than to hear the story of the birth of Christ told through scripture and song. And I don't know that there's any moment more precious than when the Light of the Christ Candle is past from person to person Illuminating our darkened room with the glorious light of Christ. It is truly beautiful.

If you have not heard, we will be offering four Christmas Eve services over our three locations. Sandown and North Shore will hold their candlelight services at 4:00 p.m. Plaistow will offer services at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. These are all going to be beautiful, joyful celebrations of the coming of our savior. Leading up to the services on Christmas Eve I would invite you to do two things. First, click on this link and let us know what service you think your family will be attending. This will help us to plan for seating and other preparations. And secondly, invite a guest. I cannot think of any time better suited to inviting an unchurched friend or neighbor than a beautiful Christmas Eve service. I promise you it will be a blessing to them.

You probably know that Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year. Since we are all gathering the night before for Christmas Eve services, our Christmas day service will not be in person. But we have prepared a beautiful Christmas Day online service that incorporates all five of our pastors. I would invite you and your family to share in that service at any time Christmas Day at our live stream link where it will be broadcast every hour on the hour. Or you can catch the rebroadcast on demand on the front page of our website. I would also encourage you to share these links on social media. You never know how God might use it.

Looking ahead, I do want to let you know that we will be back in person on New Year's Day for all services. We will be launching a new series entitled “Superheroes.” This is going to be a great series that you will not want to miss. And I cannot think of a better way to start off the new year than together with your church family to worship and praise to God.

Have a blessed week. I look forward to us all being together on Christmas Eve. I love you all.

God bless,

Pastor Steve

You are a star

As we approach the celebration of Christmas, I find myself reading and rereading the story of Jesus' birth. Today as I was reading once again the story of the Magi, something struck me. I had never really thought much about the role of the star. It was the star that signaled birth of the messiah. It was the star that led the wise men to Jesus. Were it not for the star, they never would have found Christ.

Did you know that you are meant to be someone's star? Every one of us has the opportunity to help someone find their way to Jesus. Every one of us is meant to play a key role in someone else's eternity. Remember that ultimately churches don't bring people to Christ. Neither do programs, marketing campaigns or special events. Any of these things can create a setting in which God can work, but in the end, it is people who lead other people to Christ.

Maybe you've never thought of yourself as a star, but you are. Each one of us has the opportunity to shine the light of Christ in a way they can lead others towards Jesus. It is really not as difficult as we sometimes think. It can be as easy as a statement, or a question, that leads to a spiritual conversation. Sometimes it is offering to pray for someone who's going through a difficult time. Sometimes it is simply exhibiting a heart of joy that leads others to want what we have, and to know what we know. For some it will be an act of kindness that displays the love of Christ in a way that draws others to him.

In a little over a week we will share in one of the most beautiful and moving services of the year, our Christmas Eve Candlelight service. This service is a wonderful opportunity for someone you know and love to hear the good news of Jesus. But it won't really be the service that leads them to Christ. It will be you. It will be the life you live that makes the claims of the Gospel believable. It will be your invitation that brings them to a place of being able to hear the story. And it will be your love and kindness that will shine the true light of Christ in a way that draws them near.

This Christmas, be the star that you were meant to be. Let the light of Christ shine from you in such a way that it helps to lead others towards Jesus.

I want to remind all of us that we will offer four Christmas Eve services at Rock Church this year. At 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. there will be services at our Plaistow campus. At 4:00 p.m. there will be services in Sandown and North Shore. It would help us to prepare if you would take a minute to let us know which service you and your family plan to attend. Follow this link to the signup genius and let us know. Christmas Eve will be our in-person services for the weekend. However we will offer an online service on Christmas Day every hour on the hour beginning at 9:00 a.m. at this link. Or you can see the rebroadcast on front page of our Rock Church website.

I pray you all have a blessed week. I look forward to us being together in worship this Sunday for our final Sunday of Advent.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

Extraordinary Generosity

I never cease to be blown away by the generosity of our church. Over the past couple of weeks, we've had two families in our church have significant house fires. This past Sunday we put out a special offering to try to help them get back on their feet. Would you believe that on one Sunday we raised just under $8,000 to support those families. What an incredible expression of generosity and love! I am so grateful to be a part of a church family that takes care of one another in our times of need.

And speaking of generosity, you may recall that a couple of months ago we did a series on generosity. At the time we talked about how coming out of Covid we had begun to fall behind financially as a ministry. Since then we have taken great strides to get back on track financially. You may recall that our weekly goal in order to fully fund our ministry is around $15,000 a week. Coming into the fall we had fallen quite a ways behind that over the course of the year. But I'm excited to say that almost every week since then we have exceeded our weekly need. I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone for your extraordinary generosity. Your sacrificial giving is making a big difference in the work of our church.

On top of all that, the response to this year's giving tree has been amazing. At all locations virtually all the gift tags have been claimed and together we are going to be able to bless hundreds of children with a joyful christmas. Thank you so much for sharing in this important work. Don't forget that Giving Tree gifts should be returned this Sunday so we have time to get them organized and distributed to the families.

As we get closer to the celebration of Christmas I want to be sure everyone knows what our schedule is for Christmas weekend. On Christmas Eve we will have four services over three locations. In Sandown and North Shore we will have 4:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Candlelight services. In Plaistow we will offer services at 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. Each of these will be beautiful joyful celebrations of the birth of the Christ child. Christmas Day this year falls on a Sunday. Because we will be together on Christmas eve, we are not going to hold in person services on Christmas day. But we are preparing a very special online service. That online worship will be offered every hour, on the hour, beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Christmas day. I certainly hope you and your family will take the time to join us online for that special Christmas day service.

Have a blessed week. I look forward to us all being together this Sunday as we continue our series “Home for Christmas.”

I love you all.

Pastor Steve

Not to be missed

This past Sunday I shared in the message that there have been a few times over the years when I “missed” Christmas. Of course, I didn't forget to observe the day or fail to show up for Christmas Eve worship, but inwardly, I missed it. I did all the external preparations. We put up a tree, set out some lights, bought and exchanged gifts, even put up a nativity. But I didn't really prepare my heart for the true celebration of the birth of Christ. The truth is, in those years I allowed the busyness of the season to consume me and to usurp Christ.

It has always been my intention and desire to make Jesus the heart of Christmas. I imagine that is true for many of us. If I'm honest, I have to admit that sometimes it's a struggle. So many things of the world can pull us in different directions. So, what I've discovered is that if I really want Jesus to be front and center at Christmas, I have to be intentional. I have to make hard choices about what things, and how many things, I will try to squeeze in during advent. I have to be particularly diligent in my daily scripture reading and prayer time. Whenever possible, I immerse myself in music that feeds my soul and fills my heart and mind with the good news.

In my mind, Christmas is one of those “not to be missed” experiences. It is the celebration of the greatest gift the world has ever known. So, my prayer for myself, my family, and all of you, is that this year we would all experience the true joy of the coming of Christ into our world. I pray that all of us allow Jesus to be born anew in our hearts this Christmas.

One of the most important ways that we stay centered on Christ during this Advent season is to come together with the family of God for joy filled worship. I would invite you to be with us in person this Sunday and every Sunday through this special season. There is something wonderful and powerful that happens when God's people come together in worship that is simply not to be missed.

I look forward to us being together this Sunday. I also want to remind you that at every Rock Church location we have a Christmas photo backdrop set up. These are an opportunity for you to get a great family photo. I would also invite you to share those on social media as a way of extending an invitation for others to join us this Christmas season at Rock Church

Love you all. Have a blessed week.

Pastor Steve

Thankful every day

The Apostle Paul wrote in his first letter to the Thessalonians “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.” This would say to me that every day we should rejoice and be thankful. But if I’m honest, I don’t always remember. So I’m grateful for days like Thanksgiving where we are given that extra reminder to count our blessings and give thanks for it all. Thanksgiving is a time to pause and reflect on all that God has done in our lives and all the ways he has blessed us

As I have done that very thing over the past few days, I am more and more cognizant of the many, many blessings God has poured into my life. So I thought I would share a few with you. First, after nearly 2 years of disruption, I am thankful that the world seems to be returning to some degree of normalcy. I don’t think the world will ever be quite the same as it was prior to Covid. But we have greatly gotten past the isolation, and begun to see the restoration of in person relationships. Praise God!

I am thankful for our Rock Church family and all the ways God is working through us to accomplish His will and advance His mission. Every week I am seeing extraordinary ways that we are fulfilling our Rock Church mission to make disciples who love God, love others and do good. Our children’s ministries are growing. Mastering Motherhood has grown dramatically this fall. This past Sunday I had the privilege of being a part of the Rooted celebration dinner. We’ve had great participation in Rooted this fall and we are seeing lives transformed in so many ways. Choir has relaunched. We are working hard to reach young people through our youth ministry. Lifegroups are multiplying continuously. Men’s Ministry and Women’s Ministry are continuing to grow and expand. I am thankful to be a part of such an amazing church.

I am also thanking God today for my family! As I think all of you know, I was blessed to meet and fall in love with an amazing, kind, beautiful, godly woman named Julie. So, this year, along with being thankful for my sons Chris and Sam, my Mom, my brother Bill and his family, I am thanking God for the gift of my newly expanded family! Julie, I am grateful beyond words that God has placed you in my life. And I thank God for Joshua, Mathew, Clifton and Lilly.

And most of all, I am thankful for Jesus. More and more, my hearts desire is simply to serve him and lift him up. I am thankful to know Jesus as my Lord and Savior. And I am thankful that I can be a small part of the work of his Kingdom. I believe that as Christ followers, we should be the most thankful people in the world, on Thanksgiving day and every other day of our lives.

Love you all,

Pastor Steve

A New Season

I wasn't awake to see it, but I heard we had a little snow last night. Another sure sign that we are entering a new season. Most of the time I love the seasonal changes. When, after a long cold winter, we have our first spring-like day, I rejoice. And when spring gives way to summer and we have that first hot day, I drop the top on my car, go for a ride and enjoy the weather. Then when summer melts into fall with is warm days, cool nights, and beautiful colors, I love it.

But the one transition I've never particularly enjoyed is when we go from fall to early winter. The first snowfall, the icy cold wind that chills to the bone, the shorter days. I know many people love it, but I've never been a big fan of winter. However, I'm trying to see it differently. I know there is beauty in every season if only I will open my eyes to see it.

Sometimes transitions will come in life in such a way that we find ourselves in a new season. Sometimes it will be a season we look forward to, or are excited about, like leaving for college, a new job, the birth of a child. There may be other seasons that we dread like the empty nest, retirement, or the loss of a spouse. But Jesus is in every season. While some, like the coming of spring, might seem to be warm and full of promise, others will feel cold and harsh like they dead of winter.

Or sometimes a new season won't seem good or bad, it will just be different. I love the warmth of summer and I love the cool of fall. They are different, but they are both a blessing. The secret, I believe, is to see God in all of it. He is there. He is with us on those beautiful, warm summer days and He is with us in the midst of the coldest winter day.

Even as a church, we go through seasons. There are times when so much is happening we can barely keep track. And we have seasons of relative calm. Even in our own spiritual lives we will go through seasons. There will be times of growth and times of pruning, times of busyness and times of rest. My prayer for all of us as we prepare to enter this Advent/Christmas time is that it will be a season of spiritual blessing for you. I know God has something for all of us in this wonderful season which we are approaching. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Celebrate it!

I look forward to us being together this Sunday as we finish up our series “God is…” After Thanksgiving we enter a new season, the season of Advent, with a new series entitled “Home for Christmas.” I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

Love you all,

  God bless,

Pastor Steve

The privilege of prayer

On Monday, at the men's gathering at our North Shore campus, I had the privilege of praying over two great godly men. These two men, Pastor Frank and Bill, are both going through significant health battles. At a certain point in the evening, we invited the men to come forward so we could pray God's help, strength and healing over them. As I led the prayer, dozens of men gathered around, laid on hands and joined in prayer over these brothers in Christ. It was a truly powerful and profound moment as we united our hearts in intercession for these men.

Later that evening, as I reflected on the experience, it struck me what a privilege it really is to be able to pray. I think I sometimes forget that in prayer we are coming into the very presence of God with the cries of our hearts. To think that the one who put the stars in place and established our world in it's perfect balance, would take the time to hear us it's just mind blowing. To imagine that we could come into the throne room of the King of Kings, have an audience with the Lord God Almighty, almost seems impossible. And yet every time we pray, that is exactly what happens.

I fear that far too often I have failed to see prayer as the privilege that it really is. I confess that at times I have prayed as if it were some perfunctory or ritualistic task. But it's not. It is the gift of opening our hearts to the great I Am, the Lord of all and savior of the world. So today, as you spend time in prayer to God, I would encourage you not to see it as a task, an obligation or even habit. Instead, I would urge us to see it as a privilege, because it really is.

On another note, I want to remind us that this Sunday in worship we will take time to pray over our veterans and active service personnel. If you currently serve or have served, in any branch of the military, I hope you'll make a special point to be with us. Also, if you have a close friend or family member who is currently serving, we would invite you to be there as well so we can pray for those active duty service members.

Have a blessed week. I look forward to us being together this Sunday as we celebrate our veterans, and as we continue our great new series “God is . . .”

Love you all,

Pastor Steve