Posts Tagged church
Reflection from Sunday May 16th
Once again we had an amazing Sunday at Thrive! I’m always so impressed with our team when Sundays are over. Here are the highlights:
-Started our new series “Cow Tipping”. We’re tipping over sacred cows in our lives and church. First topic about not being judgmental spoke directly to all of us, including me!
-The stage got a makeover as we headed into the new series. Thanks to all the guys that made it happen! Looks amazing!
-ThriveKidz started a new series this Sunday and had tons of new volunteers step up to the plate!
-Met with our Dream Team and shared some vision for the church. The conversation and feedback were great and we had an amazing bonding and sharing time. People are being real and sharing from their hearts, tears and all.
-One Youth.. what can I say? AMAZING!
-Sign up for Growth Groups started Sunday. We have 14 groups with SO many different activities and subjects. You gotta go sign up TODAY!
-The worship team that filled in for Jimmy rocked!
I’m sure there is more but my brain hurts! Looking forward to our Worship and Baptism night THIS Sunday night at 6pm! And our youth are having a special event called “Unpredictable”.. I’d tell you about it but then it would be predictable…
See ya…
Tom
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Reflection on Mother’s Day 2010
What an amazing Mother’s Day at Thrive Church! This will be one of my top 5 Sundays at our church.
One of our scriptures on Sunday was Psalm 82:8 “Pour out your heart to God”. I saw so many pouring their hearts out for God on Sunday!
I’m thankful for many things that happened this Sunday. Here they are.
- Thankful our Dream Team knocked it out of the park yet again with setup, greeting people, making people feel welcome and etc. You are amazing!
- Thankful I got to talk to my mom on stage via phone during the service! I love her SO much!
- Thankful the ThriveKidz team created a great Sunday experience for our kids through the lessons and burned off a lot of the kids’ energy with the bouncy houses!
- Thankful we could give every mom a rose to honor them. (You’re welcome to those husbands that forgot to get flowers for their wives!)
- Thankful that John Squyres from Blue Media Photography donated his time to take family photos for all of our families! For some this was the first family portrait ever!
- And I’m most proud and thankful that my wife Jackie gave the message with me for the first time in 17 years of ministry! She was amazing and knocked it over the fences! She may challenge me for my job now! I’m so lucky..
What a great Sunday at Thrive!
See ya next week when we go Cow Tipping! Bring your boots!
Tom
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GROW
Posted by tomelmore in General, Leadership, Thrive on May 7, 2010
Over the next few weeks I want to share some of the things I learned at the “All Access 2010 Conference” by the ARC in Baton Rouge as well as my Church Planting Coaching Network that met this week in Wisconsin. 
Here are some highlights from Chris Hodges. He is the Lead Pastor of Church of the Highlands in Alabama. They have grown to over 16,000 people weekly. Great Thoughts on “Growth”
Chris Hodges / All Access 2010
1. WE Grow OUR-self FIRST
- The Church began in Acts 1:4 with an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That was God’s way of growing the church’s initial leadership.
- Too many leaders want to see results without first developing themselves. All healthy church growth happens through the Pastor’s personal growth.
2. WE Grow for the RIGHT Reasons
- We need to remember to keep our hearts pure first – then realize that God has given us a JOB to GROW THE CHURCH!
- It’s is not for our ego, pride or to find our personal value (which should already be found as a son or daughter of Jesus Christ)
- Luke 17:8 (A powerful prayer from this passage) – Tells us to keep our hearts pure. We need to realize our motives will determine the value of our fruit.
- Growth is about GOD not your personal insecurity or identity crisis
3. JUST GROW
- I Cor 3:7-8 = we will be rewarded according to our labor – we are God’s workers – He needs us (the church) to get it together so the Kingdom of God Grows
- We have lost sight of our assignment – heaven and hell are realities that too many churches are ignoring by refusing to engage culture with God’s timeless truth.
HOW DO WE GROW?
1. Refocus on the GREAT COMMISSION
- We have an assignment from our king
- There is a lot of distraction / feel good / social justice flow / we are feeding bellies that are still going to hell….
- Social Justice is a TOOL to communicate the message of Christ not the end itself.
2. KEEP SCORE
- If people matter – we need to be willing to measure it
- Your team needs to know what matters – they need to know what is a “WIN”
- The numbers need to tell us if we are doing our job or not
3. If it’s not working - CHANGE IT
- Take responsibility for not being effective and make changes
- Remove programs
- Change styles
- Be willing to kill the SACRED COWS so people will WIN SPIRITUALLY
Tom
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What happens in the Margins!
Posted by tomelmore in Next Right Step, Series, Thrive on May 6, 2010
It’s been a busy two weeks! Last week I went to the All Access conference in Baton Rouge at Healing Place Church, attended a service at Jimmy Swaggert’s Church (seriously -no kidding-look for a blog soon on it) , preached 2x at Thrive then got on a plane and went to Kenosha, WI to sit with some of the nation’s best church planters in a coaching network…
The ironic part is the message I gave last Sunday. It was on Margin….the place between what you HAVE and what you NEED.
The last two weeks have reminded me that I need to exist with more margin – when I have a schedule or lifestyle that is literally to busy to stop, reflect or love my kids….I need to throw on the brakes. I am already blocking off time this summer to take a vacation and make sure my internal batteries are FULL so we can continue to make it easy for people to follow and find God through our church. I have also realized that when my batteries are full I am the best dad, husband, leader and pastor.
How do you discover TRUE MARGIN?
- REALIZE THIS REALITY: If Satan, our spiritual enemy, cannot make us really, really bad he will try to make us really, really busy. Some of us become so busy at doing lesser things, that we miss out on the most important things, we are distracted from the very best.
- Put space in YOUR schedule.
- PRUNE YOUR ACTIVITIES PERIODICALLY. 1 Corinthians 6:12 Paul says, “Everything is permissible for me but not everything is beneficial.” What’s he saying? God’s given you a free will. You’re permitted to do anything. You can go out and overload your schedule ten times and God’s not going to stop you. You are permitted to totally make stupid decisions. But it doesn’t mean that it’s the beneficial thing to pack your life full of. Proverbs 20:30 says, “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways.”
- DO LESS AND TRUST GOD MORE
Remember – the best things in LIFE HAPPEN IN THE MARGIN – go get it…
Tom
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How Do we BREAK free from the Mundane?
Posted by tomelmore in Next Right Step on April 16, 2010
Last Sunday at Thrive Church we talked about how we can live with true FREEDOM, the kind that starts on the inside and is not dependent on our work, home or any other environments. It’s easy to think our surroundings are the key to satisfaction. I love what the apostle Paul writes in II Corinthians about where real FREEDOM COMES FROM.
I challenge you to read though these and ask yourself the question, in light of this passage, “Am I really free”? If you’re not, read through the steps and put them into action – You were meant to live and your freedom is worth fighting for…
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (The Message)
“Whenever, though, they turn to face God as Moses did, God removes the veil and there they are—face-to-face! They suddenly recognize that God is a living, personal presence, not a piece of chiseled stone. And when God is personally present, a living Spirit, that old, constricting legislation is recognized as obsolete. We’re free of it!
All of us! Nothing between us and God, our faces shining with the brightness of his face. And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him.”
How do we BREAK FREE?
- Go FACE to FACE with God – Let it get Personal….
- Recognize the areas you NEED FREEDOM IN – Don’t take it personal….
- Take your NEXT RIGHT STEP toward GOD – Realize all Change that God brings – has to be personal….
Tom
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What I loved about last Sunday!
Every so often in ministry you have Sundays that stops you in your tracks and confirms you are going in the right direction.
I call these “God Sightings”…last Sunday was one for me…here’s why:
* God’s spirit drew people to HIM – 10 people committed their lives to Christ, LOVE IT!!!
* I saw people laughing and enjoying church as our guest -Real life Strong Man -Dennis Rogers broke, bent and mangled things that no regular human should be able to do. If you haven’t heard of him, check him out at Dennis Rogers.net. He’s the real deal – he loves Christ and he’s really freakishly strong. It was a joy to have him at THRIVE.
* Our band dialed up the energy and threw in into high gear for two services – love our musicians and worship leader Jimmy Savage…we are going places!
* Putting every chair we had in our building for our second service…we were standing room only…I guess it’s time to buy more chairs..People keep inviting friends, that’s a good thing; no it’s a GOD thing.
*Looking at the sign up sheets and seeing all the people that are signing up for Dodgeball: The tournament on April 24th -playing together is where we find community – I have my team…beware!
* My friend Anacarren Molina came out and took some pictures of our service, she is simply gifted.
* Talking with some of the new couples at Thrive 101 and realizing that God is sovereign and he can bring people to church in ways you can’t even fathom.
* Jackie and I leaving the kids at the sitter and going to the movies with Mike Nooney and Crystal Campise on Sunday night – so fun just hearing what God is doing in their lives.
Can’t wait for this Sunday as we continue in our series: THE OFFICE: thank God for work….it’s going to be good!
Go to our Flickr photostream to see some pics from Sunday!
Invite a friend to church – Be the difference
Tom
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Why do we do THRIVE 101?
Posted by tomelmore in Next Right Step, Thrive on April 8, 2010
People have been asking me “what is THRIVE 101” and do I really need to sign up for this Sunday’s session.
Let me be clear…YES IT’S IMPORTANT and YES YOU SHOULD BE THERE!
To show you this is more than just “my opinion” Here’s why….
* If you’re going to be a part of a local church…it’s important to know if you actually agree with its’ values, beliefs, systems and strategy, right? If you’re not sure of the answer …it’s YES!
* At Thrive 101 you will meet people that are all asking the same questions…that gives you something in common and could be the beginning of a significant relationship within our church.
* You will find out why 17 months ago my wife and I “pushed in much of our life savings” as we pursued God’s call to start a LIFE-GIVING Church.
* It’s a chance to find out where we believe God is taking THRIVE and how each of us play an important role in it.
* Discover your next right step on how to move beyond being an “attendee” and into a “Partnership”. It’s a significant difference….come find out why….
* You’ll laugh, eat and have more fun that you would imagine.
If you haven’t signed up yet and want to…no worries! Click here- info@thrivechurch.cc and let us know how many are coming. Child care and desert bar is provided and the cost is free. The next Thrive 101 session will be in June. Try your best to make this one. The times are 2-4:30 this Sunday. Sign ups are filling fast….get on it.
See you there – Tom
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5 Reasons the Devil Hates Easter
Posted by tomelmore in General, Next Right Step, Thrive on April 3, 2010
1. People “Go To Church” that normally never do…..the result? People think about God’s love, the gift of forgiveness and rediscover how church can be relevant and helpful to their life.
2. It confuses small children that think Easter is all about colored eggs and a fluffy Bunny. Kids actually hear about Jesus….not as a cute story or fable – but as truth that can change their life!
3. Churches around the Country are Praying HARDER THAN EVER! Prayer moves the hands of the one that holds the world. God sees His church actually “GO FOR IT” and ask Him for BIG THINGS!
4. Families Spend Time Together! They spend time growing closer to God and eating together…..two things that actually HELP families get STRONGER.
5. People give their LIFE to Christ! People all across the country come face to face with the truth that GOD has something GREAT for their LIFE. They realize that it’s not about religion but about a RELATIONSHIP with the God of the Universe…and it’s more about LOVE than Judgment!
Remember – INVITE and PRAY…it’s going to be AWESOME
Tom
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WE ARE FAMILY!!
One of the Things we say around THRIVE is …the church is not “like a family” – it IS A FAMILY. One of the things I wholeheartedly believe is God never intended for us move toward him by ourself. We grow and discover God’s heart in direct connection to others. At Thrive I have seen it happen tons of different ways, in Growth Groups, couples having dinner together, signing up for thrive sports (Our Dodgeball tournament is on April 24th baby….mark your calendars and checkout THRIVE SPORTS) or doing life on one of our Dream Teams…… These are places that make our Family STRONGER!
Last Sunday was the One year mark or Thrive Church. I’m still amazed that how in just a few short months God has helped us look , act and even smell like a family (don’t ask what that means). One thing I have learned about GOOD FAMILIES is….when you see one, you want to be a part of it. That’s one of the reasons we have seen people being drawn to THRIVE. The result is jobs, families and neighborhoods are beginning to look different. When I meet with people and hear their stories, I get excited. Our family is growing closer to God and learning how to reflect Light in dark places.
Here is a video of our Kids on stage last Sunday at our One Year Birthday party……it was 100% us….
Praying for all the people you are inviting to church on EASTER Sunday
Tom
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The Office -Thank God it’s Monday
Thriver’s, take a second to read this…pray through it…and then take action.
April 4th at our Easter services here at Thrive Church…we are launching a brand new series entitled, “The Office -thank God it’s Monday” and I am praying for God to save over 125 people during this five week examination of how our work life and spiritual life are CONNECTED!
Read the above paragraph again…and if it doesn’t move you then read it again!!!
For some you may can read that and be indifferent…
But for others THIS could be…
* Your mom or dad
* Your child
* Your friend at work
* The person at the grocery store you always see
* Your spouse
I am SO PUMPED about what I believe the Lord wants to do in our church over this time period. AND…I am asking you to step up and BRING as many people to church with you as possible.
Eternity is real…heaven is real…hell is real…and people do spend an eternity without CHRIST!!!! THAT CAN’T BE FORGOTTEN!!
We promise that we are going to do all we can on Easter weekend (and the following weekends as well) to present the Gospel in the most clear and concise way possible…but this only works if you will partner with us like you have so many times before and BRING PEOPLE WITH YOU!
Let me say this…every time I have made this plea as the pastor of this church you guys have STEPPED UP BIG TIME…but I believe that THIS SERIES is going to be the most fruitful and impactful we’ve EVER experienced in our church.
Seriously, let’s do all we can to get people here. Use your “LIVE INVITE tool box” to help you overcome your fear and pump up your faith…and lets all PRAY like crazy that God will do something undeniable in our church that weekend! Every time we’ve gone all out on something like this God has honored it in an incredible way…
WOO HOO…can’t wait!
See you at Church tomorrow – it’s our ONE year Birthday!
tom
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