Refections from Sunday Feb 21st
Here are a few thoughts from the past week ….
* Had a great time locking into our new 2 service schedule….wow the 9:30 and 11:00 crowds are really different…I like them both for different reasons…
* Really enjoyed the “Thrive Backstreet Boys” …I had no idea people were still into boy bands…honestly it’s a little disturbing…
* LOVED that we talked about God’s dream for us is to be sexually fulfilled and how we need to realize GOD IS PRO-SEX when we are committed to our spouse (just read song of Solomon….) …
* The fact is…Better Sex Starts when we accept it has boundaries – talk about it openly and explore it often with your spouse!
* Reminded everyone that the act of Sex is really more about ”renewing our marriage covenant” – than just getting naked…got texts from some guys letting me know they were “renewing their covenant” – TMI!!!
* Our key VERSE for the day: Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage… Hebrews 13:4…
* After each service I met some cool couples that are now calling Thrive their home church….honored they are on the journey with us…
* Pumped that we have over 20 couples signed up to renew their marriage vows with us this Sunday….God is doing Big things in the marriages of our people…
* Excited for my Growth Group – we watched the Crazy Love DVD from Francis Chan…he makes riding a scooter look cool…
* Pumped for our “viral team” that is forming….got a good feeling about it…
* Reading the book “Success is not an accident” by Tommy Newberry – this guy is a stud!
* Bring a friend to church this Sunday – and go love your family!
Tom
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Check Out Thrive on KPRC Channel 2!
On Valentine’s day we had Ted and Gayle Haggard at Thrive Church. KPRC, our local NBC affiliate was cool enough to come tell our story. Check it out!
Working on your Marriage?
If you are interested in working on your marriage beyond Sunday mornings here are some resources that I think can really help….
1) Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman (great book on helping you discover how your spouse is wired)
2) His Needs, Her Needs, by Willard Harley (I like this book because it’s practical and insightful -Willard Harley nails it in this one)
3) Saving Your Marriage Before it Starts, by Les and Leslie Parrott. (Great book that I use in pre-marriage counseling)
4) The 7 Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John Gottman
Jackie and I have to chosen to trust God and work on our marriage everyday! I can tell you this…it makes a difference!
Tom
Why Ted and Gayle Haggard are coming to Thrive!
Posted by tomelmore in Everything Else, Thrive on February 10, 2010
Over the last few weeks people have asked me, “Why are you having the Haggards come to Thrive?”
At first, my answer was their story fits the DNA of our church. Over the last few weeks as I have read Gayle’s book and watched the documentaries on their life, and it’s become much clearer. Here are the reasons….
1. Thrive is a GRACE Driven culture – we are not a place that will judge you for your past but rather help you move forward in God’s incredible grace – which means you no longer have to HIDE your past – it’s a part of your God Story – embrace and grow from it!
2. We are not afraid of TOUGH ISSUES – some churches want to “play it safe” – you will consistently see us risk it all to reach people that would not normally enter the doors of a church. When we lean into the dark, uncomfortable areas – it is an opportunity for the light to chase away the darkness…..and that is the power of the gospel!
3. We are a church that TELLS OUR STORIES – everyone has them – no one is perfect – so why try and hide them. Again, what is hidden gains power over us – what is brought out into the light looses power over us! Telling our story is a big part of leaving the guilt, shame and pain of our past behind!
4. Life is Simpler – more meaningful when WE DON’T HAVE TO PRETEND! I hope by having Ted and Gayle this Sunday people will find the courage to be honest about their marriage – and discover the FREEDOM and JOY to be the person that God made you to be!
For by Grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8
Tom
R.I.P. – 10 am Service!
Did you make it out last Sunday? If you didn’t – let me tell you….you missed it. All I can say is if last Sunday was an indicator of where we are headed this spring- watch out – we are cooking! Because we have been growing and due to our limited parking, we have made the decision to go to two services starting this SUNDAY! Now there’s more opportunity, more room for our kids and more parking for our friends and neighbors.
The new service times are….drum roll please…….9:30 and 11:00.
Now you have OPTIONS (who doesn’t love options – that’s why the Golden Corral is still in business, that’s where I take Jackie on all our date nights)! So what that means is – if you come early or late – you will be right on time. It also means we all have the opportunity to SERVE at one and ATTEND one.
If you are interested in joining the FUN and getting on a Team – click here and let us know which team you’re interested in! Someone will get back to you within 24 hours!
Here are the team options; parking team / thrive kidz team / first impressions and production team. One thing I love about our teams is the energy and how friendly everyone is. Get plugged into one! You’ll love it!
I’m praying hard for our guests this weekend -Ted and Gayle Haggard. This is one Sunday you do not want to come alone! It’s going to be powerful. Click here to hear their story!
BIG Announcement!
Here is a picture of Jackie and I announcing our record
attendance on Sunday.
Can’t wait to see what big plans God has for Thrive next!
Tom
I STILL want a new marriage…
1) This Series has been a lot of FUN! We had our largest attendance last Sunday! It really seems like people are excited to see their marriages go to another level. Can’t wait to see what this Sunday will look like! Oh by the way…mark your calendar April 4th is Thrive’s One year anniversary -good stuff!
2) Our “I Want a New Marriage” series has been incredible. This past Sunday we talked about HIS NEEDS and HER NEEDS. Here’s the re-cap…
a) Key scripture: I Cor. 7:3 (GN) “A man should fulfill his duty as a husband and a woman should fulfill her duty as a wife, and each should satisfy the other’s needs.”
b) Ladies – your husband’s need the following to feel connected to you….Admiration / Companionship /Nakedness (yes I mean Sex) / Peaceful Home
c) Men -our wives need the following from us (let’s make a commitment to not just read these – but bring them into our marriage) Conversation / Affection (not the same as sex…) / Protection / Thoughtfulness
3) If you really want to focus on your marriage after this series is done, you need to join a Growth Group that focuses on marriage. We have two that you can sign up for right now….. (Mon 02) “It’s a LOVE FEST” or (Wed 01) Marriage 411. Click here to go our web site and read more.
4) I am currently reading Gayle Haggard’s book “Why I Stayed” – It makes me more confident than ever in having Ted and Gayle Haggard to our church on Feb 14. We need to fight hard to always remain a church that offers grace, hope, healing and forgiveness….
Exciting Happenings @ THRIVE Church
1. Life never slows down!!!
2. This Sunday, I’ll be taking 5 minutes at the end of our gathering to share with you the next steps for Thrive (and no, it’s not buying a building), but some pretty exciting stuff is right around the corner.
3. If you haven’t signed up for a Growth Group yet, better do it soon! They’re filling up fast. (I’m not exaggerating)
4. On Sunday, we’ll be talking about how to understand HIS needs and HER needs. This could have saved Brad Pitt a lot of headaches (sorry, that was a bad attempt at humor)!
On another note, here are just a few comments we received back from guests. Pretty motivating stuff!
“Put it this way, I’m actually looking forward to attending this Sunday!!!”
“Great programs for kids! It allowed my husband and I to enjoy the service. Thank you.”
“My impression was a great one. It was what I was looking for, but I didn’t know it until I was there.”
“My husband said right away that he would come back again!”
“We loved it. The music and message were both uplifting. I felt the pastor was sincere and very upfront, honest and being who he truly was. We really did enjoy it a great deal”
“I love the atmosphere of the church and people”
See you Sunday,
Tom
Thrive, you’re making a difference!
Posted by tomelmore in Thoughts from the Week, Thrive, Wrapup on January 27, 2010
Today I am still coming down from what I experienced last Sunday! I am nervous and proud to say that we broke our largest attendance barrier in the history of the church. I am truly in awe of every person in our church that stepped up and invited their friends – family – neighbors and co workers. Thrive – you made a difference for God’s kingdom! I am humbled and proud to be on the journey with you….let’s keep making it easy for people to Find and Follow Christ. Here’s to you – your courage – your energy and passion to for what God is calling us to do….I Love it and I love you….
Here are some of the snapshots that still are flashing through my mind from Sunday….
· Praying that God would bring 50 new guests as a result of our campaign – and watching God laugh at my prayer by bringing 150 new guests….my faith was weak!
· The moment one of our production team told me we could “run out of chairs”!
· Watching our Dream TEAM kick into guest mode, making people feel welcome and creating the “right environment” for people to experience church for the first time.
· Seeing so many people laugh at video we played behind the song “so happy together” by the turtles – yes the turtles my friend…we went old school and people loved it…
· Meeting all the new families from Sealy, Richmond and Katy and hearing their incredible stories on how they made it to a church that’s only 9 months old…
· Hearing the story of a guest that said she’s taking the idea of divorce “off the table” and making a new commitment to quit looking “over the fences” and “water where she is at” – Go GOD!
· Seeing people leave service with smiles on their face – knowing God has an incredible plan for their LIFE / MARRAIGE / FAMILY
Here’s what I am looking forward to this Sunday…
· Talking about HIS NEEDS / HER NEEDS….ready to help people see their spouse through a new set of eyes….
· Our band has something cooked up - something “really good” that will put a smile on top 40 lovers faces
· Hanging out with the dozens of people that signed up for THRIVE 101 this Sunday! It’s our story – mission – values – future all wrapped up with food and some laughter – sign up if you haven’t yet www.thrivechurch.cc
· Having the privilege of being a part of our first child dedications as a church – it’s going be historic – I love it when families take following Jesus serious…
· All the husbands and wives that think their marriage is “tanking” find hope and healing through the crazy love of God…..
Sunday can’t come quick enough.
Tom
I want a New Marriage!
Our teaching series, “I Want a New Marriage” kicks off this weekend! I’m a big believer that a series like this has the potential to have a huge impact on both single and married people!
One of the core beliefs behind this series is that the greatest thing we can give our kids is a healthy marriage. The reason for this is that our marriage determines the personal security of our children and it’s their personal security that allows them to say “no” to peer pressure and develop healthy relationships later on in life.
Anyone who is married will admit that it’s a lot of work! Marriage forces us to confront our immaturity and selfishness. It calls us to an entirely new kind of selfless living. It challenges us to focus on someone other than ourselves.
I love this quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, “If you treat a person as they are, they will stay as they are. But if you treat them as if they were what they ought to be and could be, they will become the bigger and better person.” This series is about learning how to treat the person we’re married to in a way that brings out the best in them.
I’m really excited about this series!
Special note: If you volunteer on our Dream Team – plan on parking around back of our building so we can provide our new guests the best parking option possible!
Please take at least 5 minutes today and join me in praying for Thrive Church… that we would continue to stay laser focused on making it easy for people to find and follow Jesus Christ! The longer a church exists, the easier it is to become distracted from this mission. May God help us always remember that Thrive does not exist for “church people”!!!! We are a church that exists for the 70% of people in our area who do not go to church.
Let’s Do it!
Tom
