RAD Thank You Video

Each year, we thank our student leaders at our Rock Appreciation Dinner. Here is a video we made to thank the students that you might enjoy!

What's Coming in April

It's Spring Break now, but we're on the verge of one of the busiest months of the school year here at The Rock. Here are some things hitting our calendar soon that you can be praying for.

Rock Appreciation Dinner
Each year, we Rock staff take a night to serve a nice dinner for all the student leaders in the church. It's a fun time to dress up (in costumes, of course. Our theme this year is Decades - we are the 20's) and celebrate the life of the church while thanking those who serve. Pray that those who serve us would feel appreciated and encouraged.


Equipper Retreat
Those who are looking to be a student leader in Canvas Groups next year will be taking a weekend away to dream about the fall and have a couple mini-workshops for building ministry skills. It's an awesome time to connect with those students who have caught the vision of bringing the kingdom to their campus. Pray that it would be a time for us to become more kingdom-minded and that new students would raise up as fully-devoted followers of Christ.


GCM Staff Conference
Missionaries from across the country will be heading to Ann Arbor, MI next week. I'm looking forward to seeing friends, hearing how the ministries are doing and being challenged in my service here. Pray that we would be refreshed and revitalized in our mission here.


Baptisms
Twice a year, The Rock has baptisms. Our next will be in a couple weeks. Please be praying for those students who have come to know the Lord to have the courage to share that publicly and participate in what the Lord calls us to after salvation. Also pray that we as a church would join in raising these young men and women up in the the faith as disciples.

March 2011 Prayer Letter

Hey everyone!

I just sent out my prayer letter for the month, recently. In it, I talk about the changing of seasons and how it affects ministry here at The Rock. Also, Aimee discusses women in Canvas Group. I hope it is a blessing to you!

Take care,
Chris

Honest to God

We just wrapped up a sermon series entitled Frames. Essentially it was a series to show the church how the Psalms frame how we relate to God. During the second talk of the series, I was asked to share one of my own psalms, an honest cry from my junior year of college.

Below is a link to audio streams of our sermons. I began the Feb 26th talk, "Honest to God" with my journal entry. It comes right off the bat if you'd like to hear it. I'd also encourage you to hear the sermon and any others that strike your interest.

I'd love for you to hear how we present the gospel through our main worship services here at The Rock. And, if you're ever in Columbia, please look me up as I'd love to invite you to one!

http://www.columbiarock.com/wordpress/rock-talks

Enjoy,
Chris

Prayer Walks

My day began earlier than usual for a Wednesday. Typically, this is my one day during the work week that I don’t have to wake up at 5:30am. My habit has been to stay up late on Tuesday and wake up Wednesday just in time to shower and make a mad dash for The Rock Office Hours at 9:30am. Today, however, I was up and on campus by 7am for what has potential to become a new habit. But first, let me back up a bit.

Last Saturday, our Core Group was supposed to meet at Memorial Union at 9:30am. Again, it was a small miracle that I was getting up early and making my way to campus on a Saturday morning. I don’t sleep till noon or anything but to be out of the apartment that early is not something that usually happens.

Unfortunately, I found myself at an empty table. Somehow all four other guys completely forgot that we had scheduled Core Group just two days before. That was a small lesson in communication right there, but that wasn’t the major opportunity that came from this small disappointment.

Any other morning, I might have gone back to the apartment to hang out with Aimee. However, she was in St Charles the past weekend and I had nothing but time on my hands that morning. Also, I had the presence of mind to bring my bible with me that morning. So, in preparation for an upcoming Bible Survey class, I cracked it open and continued reading through Genesis. I read Genesis for an hour sitting there in that quiet student union with a tall cup of Starbucks coffee keeping me company.

As I read my heart was tugged to do something I rarely do – go on a prayer walk. The Lord pressed this on me as an opportunity to meet with him and to regain some perspective. Once I finished the coffee I decided to make a path for the Plaza dorms: Excellence, Responsibility, Discovery and Respect.

Along the way, I felt flooded with things to pray about.

I prayed that we would not be overwhelmed with the size of campus but seize the unique opportunity that such a high concentration of people in a square mile brings. 

• I prayed that Christ followers would be strengthened in their confidence and that they would be bold in sharing their faith.
• I prayed that the broken-hearted would be reached and that the Lord would draw them close as they found hope in the Gospel.
• I prayed that our church would be unified and devoted to bringing the kingdom of God to this campus.
• I prayed that our young men would step up and not waste their time in foolish talk but that they would pursue godliness and righteousness.

 

As I came upon the Plaza area, I had a powerful moment as the Lord really placed the students in this area on my heart. It wasn’t a “burden lifted off my shoulders” moment but rather God handing me that weight. I was reminded again that my heart should be burdened for these students and troubled that the kingdom is not represented very well there. He showed me the hope that we have seen and he showed me the fight that is ahead. My heart ached for students who did not know the Lord as I passed by areas that we’ve tried for outreach. I walked past our meeting place and He challenged me to dream and pray over the spiritual direction of the group from here through the end of the semester.

The rest of my walk was an encouragement as well. I’m toying with the idea of having these more consistently. As I said, I was up again early this morning. I was joined this morning by Travis this time, a student leader in our group, on another prayer walk. We took a similar path and I was encouraged once again by the way the Lord spoke to us along the way.

Laboring in prayer with students is something that brings my heart joy and this morning was no exception. As Travis spoke truth along our walk, I began to feel that the Lord wants me to pursue more of these moments. Not only was this another great start to the day but it was simultaneously a time of discipleship.

I think I could get used to prayer walks.