Planning the Future (Like that's possible!)

Join us for our discussion about the future of Broad Creek and in there, we talk about how to gauge future and prepare as best we can for it!

Our goal is never numbers, it is discipleship. But we know if we follow Jesus' commands and obey them the best we can (Matthew 28:18-20), then things grow. May God be praised!

If you have questions, please let us know! Love you!

Produced, edited and hosted by Scott Askew and Dan Daugherty

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Hey everybody, welcome to the Creek Cast. It is the week of July the 13th. That was yesterday. That was Monday the 13th. Isn't that right? Yeah. And today's the 14th. So Which isn't as spooky as Friday the 13th. No, it's not quite as spooky, but it's still a Monday. Mondays are Mondays. Mondays are Mondays. Lots of meetings yesterday. Yesterday was a long meeting day. And uh and that's uh and that's okay. We have meetings because we well, we want to get stuff done and we kind of like each other, and that's all right. When you like the people that you're meeting with, it's not so bad.

SPEAKER_03 0:48

So um Yeah, it it's it's we've all been we've both been in those meetings where you're thinking to yourself, is this really what they're talking about? Like, is is this even worth my time? Like I'm breathing oxygen right now, and I don't know that I should be because it's toxic.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

I love my cup that uh Brenda Tyndall gave it to me. It says, Um, I survived another meeting that should have been an email. You know, and that yeah, and that really kind of sums up a lot.

SPEAKER_03 1:15

I like that meme of the boxer, and it's like as per my email, and he's like punching. He's punching every time. We got to get a video because I talk with my hands too much.

SPEAKER_01 1:22

So yeah, he was just swinging at the mic. So it is good to be with you guys. Sorry we missed last week. That was mostly my fault. I could not figure out a way to schedule a time to be here. And um, of course, we took Aaron up to uh Tennessee and he's in Ireland right now. He's always after me at Echarms. Yeah, I tell you, he's something. You know, it's interesting yesterday, and and Dan knows this, but um yesterday I messaged Aaron. I said, Hey man, you having a good day? And he said, We're at a um it was 6 30 in the morning, so they're five hours ahead. And he said, We're at a parade. And I said, Oh, he says a national holiday. Well, you know, part of their mission trip was to go and speak to um um the the peace between Catholics and Protestants. They're they're hoping to salt factory sports kind of joins both together. And over here, we're kind of like, okay, whatever, but over there, that's a major deal. If they're segregated, it's not along racial lines, it's along religious and political. Um and and the religious unfortunately feeds into their political system, kind of like it does here. And so, um, but they're very segregated over there. And he said, uh, he said, yeah, he says a national holiday. And I looked it up, and it was the celebration of the Battle of Boeing, where King William of Orange um defeated King James II, who was the grandson of the guy who put together the King James Bible, and um King James II was Catholic, wanted to move Great Britain back to Catholicism, and King William was like, nene. And so they they fought. William beat James and the French, and so basically it's a Protestant celebration of um the victory years ago, and they have clashes during those parades. And so I thought it was funny that they were there, but then they were kind of it was kind of intimated to them later, yeah, you probably shouldn't have gone to the parade because by doing so you chose a side. And so they've really encouraged them yesterday afternoon, hey, don't don't choose sides in this. If someone asks you, are you Protestant or Catholic, just say, Hey, I love the Lord, you know, and things like that. So it's it's just it's a crazy world we live in. Yeah, and uh, we have our own craziness, but I guess everywhere has their craziness.

SPEAKER_03 3:24

A few years ago, our our uh Doherty family does a uh family reunion in uh Donegal County uh every I think it's five years now. Uh they change with COVID, used to be every four. Um, but um what they what they on our O'Dharty website um it talks about how um there's one point will you where you're gonna have to enter into Northern Ireland uh when you go to Derry, because we have some some family stuff in dairy. Yep. But uh Donegal County is right on that edge uh of Northern Ireland, northwest corner.

SPEAKER_02 3:58

Right.

SPEAKER_03 3:58

And so um anyway, and so they talk about that, but they talk about it in a way that um uh it really is real today, yeah. That um because you know that battle was against King James, yeah. That was 1690 of England, so that's that's Northern Ireland, um, which is a part of the UK and it's separate from the Republic of Ireland, right? And so that's just that battle. But the Republic of Ireland is a Catholic nation, that's right, and the Northern Ireland is a Protestant nation. That's right. And so there's a border fence around um and and you and you can go if you're an Irish citizen pretty freely go.

SPEAKER_01 4:35

And there is a visa that Aaron Aaron had to have as part of his passport, it was just a $25 visa, instant approval, but it's just kind of a sign that they are separate.

SPEAKER_03 4:44

And that and that's what and that's what they were telling us that you know, not only with you with your regular um uh passport that you have to have as American, um, you have to have that that visa to get in and out. And they and they recommend not not wearing religious attire, that type of stuff, because even today that that that hostility is still prevalent in Northern Ireland and in Republic of Ireland in that you know, Catholic versus Protestant. Yeah. Um and to an to an extent, we have that here in our country with a lot of Christians who refuse to recognize the Catholic as a as a Christian.

SPEAKER_02 5:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:19

Now, uh, you know, I the Catholic Church as a whole is really difficult for me. Yeah, it is. But I don't I don't bring that to individuals in the Catholic faith. No. Uh and so um, and it's it's a really hard, it's a it's a hard uh um uh navigation. It really is. That's right. Yeah. Uh but for a country that that's their identity and that's what they're fighting for. I mean, you we we've all we all know about Bloody Sunday and all those types of things. Um that that's it's very real. It is very, very real.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

It's still very Aaron Aaron called it very fresh. He said still he said it's still very much. He said there were some neighborhoods where they one was a Catholic neighborhood and one was a Protestant, and they built a wall in between them. And he said they kept, they were told that they kept building the walls higher and higher because they the both groups would gather at the wall, create like little bombs, Molotov cocktails, things like that, and toss them over the wall. And so Aaron said they eventually built the walls tall enough they couldn't throw bombs over them. Oh my gosh. And so um he said that if you're a Protestant fire um firehouse um firefighters, that you might not respond to a fire in a Catholic neighborhood. Yeah. And uh he said it's just amazing, Dad, because I always heard of segregation, but I never experienced it. And um, and he said uh it's amazing to see it from like an observer's point of view.

SPEAKER_03 6:38

So yeah, I I can't imagine. I and on top of all the and this is what been my prayer for Aaron before he even left, um, especially after the the upheaval of that's been happening in in Ireland in both Republic and the Yeah, with the immigration issues and the Northern Ireland with the immigration stuff. But you know, it's just been praying that that God would keep that group safe, yeah um, but also allow them to be seen in a way that that brings peace. Yeah. Um, and so that's yeah, that's it's it's crazy. It is really, really crazy. But, you know, again, uh in in our culture, like you know, like you were telling Aaron, that that's what it was like in the 50s and 60s for racial segregation. For racial segregation. That's right. And in some and at some points, it's still Oh, it's still fresh. It's still fresh for many because I mean they they lived it and through it, you know. Their grandparents lived it and through it. Um, you know, uh, it doesn't happen as bad today. Um, you know, if you're a racist, stop it for being stupid. Stop being a racist. Um love Jesus and love people. So anyway, that that's my that's my public service announcement for it.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

But that's an excellent PSA. That's an excellent PSA.

SPEAKER_03 7:48

It's not what we're talking about today, but you know, well kind of I guess we could spin it into it.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

And we and we could throw that in there because yeah, right, racism is stupid. Yeah, you should stop. And uh and that's that's yeah, if you take nothing else from this, that's right. I will take that. Um we're all one race. That's right. That's right.

SPEAKER_03 8:06

I I truly believe the more and more I study that, man, the the more I'm can I cause I used to be like, well, that's a that's a that's a cool term, you know, that's a cool colloquial type, you know. But I'm like, I'm looking at that and I'm really studying, I'm like, that that's biblical.

SPEAKER_01 8:20

Yeah, it is. Yeah, well, going to India for me opened my eyes so much to how number one, how big the world is. Right. And uh Rick's Rick Steves, who travels all around Europe and does the PBS stuff, um, he said uh uh travel is um travel is hard for many people because it battles it makes it makes racism harder to endure or or harder to proliferate on your own side. And uh he said, because you see so many people and the world becomes so big to you that you just can't be so small minded. And when you think about racism, I hate to say it, racism is very small-minded. It's very, you know, and to hear racists who would say, Well, I hate Jews and blacks, right, and then they're like, I love Jesus, and you're like, You're a you're a moron. That's a great amoron. You can't do both, and uh, and because Jesus is a Jew, right? Well, yeah, and so um, but they they just No, Jesus was a Christian, yeah. Oh my gosh. And uh and and if you're listening to this and you're offended, then please contact us. Yeah, we would love to sit with you, and we won't make fun of you and face to face. No, but but we would love to talk to you about it because really when it comes down to this concept of that we're different, we're really not.

SPEAKER_03 9:35

We're really not. There's one race, it's the human race. That's right. Now, I think racism is largely a construct of man.

SPEAKER_01 9:42

It is, I believe.

SPEAKER_03 9:43

And and uh it's an excuse to hate. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Because we need excuses to hate, and that's something we don't want to talk about either.

SPEAKER_03 9:50

But yeah, you know, I I get it. Maybe you've been wronged um before by by somebody who's a different color or whatever. Um, but again, just like we as Christians don't like people grouping Christians as one because one church is crazy like a Westboro Baptist, yeah, that is not indicative of all of Christianity. Absolutely not. No. We're not tied to the crusades, we're not tied to the abortion clinic bombings, we're not, you know, we we are we have to treat it as that. Like it it is, it is, yeah, it's unfortunate that it happens. Um, but the the solution is Jesus. That's right. That's right. And so instead of hating people, why don't we bring them a solution? That's right.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

I mean, what a novel concept. But we have to get out of our small little world, get out of your small head. You said it well earlier. You said look, cat Catholicism has issues, a lot of denominator, a lot of doctrinal issues that we of course would not agree with, but we can't take that to the individual. Right. We have to love the individual, and we have to walk alongside and help the individual, hopefully, you know, see see truth as best as best we can do it. But I I'm not going to condemn an individual Catholic. Um, I mean, you know, you're brought up in a system, you believed it all your life, but we do have a lot of Catholics who people who used to be Catholic who come to Broad Creek and they they read their Bibles and they pray and their eyes have been open to some things. And they're still working through some some things. They are. I mean, we've got some people who will who will gladly embrace Protestantism, really, right, but they still hold on to Catholic values, but they're they're moving, they're moving more and more toward Jesus in relationship. And and so we just walk alongside and love and and try to teach, and that's all we do. That's right. Love people, so yeah, okay, we're off our soapboxes. Um we'll uh so we're we're actually does have a little bit to do with us. We're gonna be tiny, but we're gonna talk a little bit today about growth and about um really if you're if you're of Broad Creek, hopefully this will interest you greatly. Um and if you're not a Broad Creek, maybe you can pick up some uh tips and some ideas about what we're thinking about as far as growing. Um because we really are growing.

SPEAKER_03 12:03

Disclaimer, we don't know what we're doing. No, we I mean we do, but like like we're not we're not speaking to you as the experts and authority of like, you know, so if if you're part of a different church and you're looking for some for some tips and stuff, guys, we're we're working through this in real time right now.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

The only thing I would say follow what we're doing is being very open, transparent, and honest about it. I I think that concept is excellent. But if we we'll probably make some decisions that even if the I mean they may not work for us, but they they may certainly not work for you. Right, right. And things we talk about today aren't necessarily um, hey, you should do this.

SPEAKER_03 12:43

Yeah, so yeah, because faith faith is an action word. That's right. Uh I remember my grandfather telling me that you know you can have faith, but if you're and this is James's concept too, uh, faith without works is dead. And so your faith should should should steer you in a direction. Yeah. Um, and so everything we're about to talk about today is really is as a leadership, we're stepping out in faith and moving towards a direction that we we think God may may be calling us to do. Yeah, and that's all we can do. That's right. And it and it may be a space where we we get to and we're like, well, wait a minute, I think we made the wrong decision, or it could be a space where we're like, holy cow, this is this is far greater than what we expected. I mean, but we've got to step out. That's right. You know, how many times do churches pray and pray and pray and pray and they talk and they talk and they talk and they talk? Yeah, um, you do it as individuals um in your own life. You know, I'm I've been praying about this. Well, how long have you been praying? Oh, about six, seven, eight, nine months. It's like, well, maybe just pray about it and give it to the Lord and say, okay, I'm gonna try this. Yeah, I'm gonna move in a direction. He is faithful, guys. He is faithful in telling you, uh wrong way, or keep going.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

Lord, open the door or close it.

SPEAKER_03 13:56

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

And if it's open, I'm just gonna keep walking through doors until you close one. That's right. And then I'm gonna find figure out where I'm trying. And that that concept is one where, you know, God, God, we can't sit on the couch eating Cheetos and go, God bless my life and help me to be healthy and help me to, you know, who's the silver platter theology. Yeah, Jesus is like, go on a walk, dude, and drink some water. And um Go touch grass. Yeah, go touch grass, dude. And um we're like, oh, okay. It's one of my favorite Gen Z statements. Go touch grass. Yeah, it's probably out of the video gaming community. Yeah, out of the video. That you should go touch grass. You're too good at this game. Go touch grass. Um so so yeah, we we're trying to touch grass. That's what we're trying to do here with with these ideas. So um, so let's set it up. We talk a little bit about um Broad Creek as a church. We've been very blessed and to to grow, uh, have a lot of growth. And our growth schedule is weird because for most churches, a growth schedule happens during the spring and the fall. And the reason being because uh summer and winter tend to be what I always considered in church, and I've been doing church leadership now for almost 30 years. And what I always experienced before I got to Broad Creek was these lead these growth periods happened, and summer and winter were kind of dormant periods where people just kind of stayed where they were. It was more like a and that does kind of happen here to the to that point. We don't, it's not like we lose, but spring and fall are not our growth periods. The end of summer is our growth period, yeah, and it's weird. It is so weird, and I don't understand it, but I'm thankful for it.

SPEAKER_03 15:32

Yeah and uh yeah, I I can I can remember when I first got started here. Um uh I was doing the youth ministry and I was getting to about April, and and I had a a meeting with the the youth leaders, and I said, Okay, so here we go. We got summer and and we got camps coming up, and we've got you know all the all this stuff. I said, We're just not gonna have youth group for the summer because traditionally that's not a great time to have it because you're gonna end up you know losing people, and and they're looking at me like, um it's not how it works.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

That's not how it works.

SPEAKER_03 16:04

And I'm like, I'm like, it's an and I didn't believe them, you know. Uh, but uh fortunately for our church, um, I stepped out of that position and into the discipleship and and stuff like that, and the and the co-pastor type thing, and and uh and you took it on and cause you'd already experienced that. And it and if because if it had just been me, I would have shut it down. Right. And it it probably would have hurt us.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Yeah, it it well, and and you wouldn't have been the only one. I mean, it was I mean in our experience, yes, you shut down during summer and you go slow because people are traveling and they're you know, here it's like people are drawn to the church at near mid to late summer into August and September, right? We experience our biggest growth bumps of the year. I mean, we're you know, and and numbers, and guys, let's let's make it very clear. Both Dan and I feel this way. Right. When if we say a number, we're not it's not a brag. What we're talking about is capacity versus actual attendance. We're talking about parking spaces, we're talking about square footage and our just the amount of people. Right. It's not an amount of people, it's a it's a system of making sure that people are are growing relationally with the Lord, relationally with each other. There's a lot more to growth, and and guys, we've read most of the books. We we've yeah, we've read the church growth books. And the thing about church growth books is that we could recommend to you 10 books, and none of them would help you because your culture dictates what you do. Right. Our culture is we grow at the end of the summer, and so we have to adapt to that.

SPEAKER_03 17:38

Yeah, and because uh how many times have you heard uh even around eastern North Carolina, because because Broad Creek, I think, is a is an anomaly, yeah. In in a lot of ways, it is, yeah. Um, but even in churches, and I like what you know, I I've been in fellowship with a couple other pastors in the in the the area, uh, one really in particular, and trying to help him and his church. Um, but he we were talking and and I told him about the growth, and he said, Well, summers usually are you know, that's I mean you can just kind of more relax. I said, Man, we I I and I'm and I'm thinking about when is our relax time here? Probably the first half of January, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 18:15

And and we're usually planning during that time, but that is our it really is if we have a coast time, yeah. I would say the first two weeks of January are coast time. Yeah, maybe if D maybe if Christmas falls in a way that we have that last week of the year before New Year's, um, those two to three weeks are and I get and that could be for many churches where we're planning during that period, but at the same time it doesn't feel like we're we're not inundated. Right, right. Yeah. Every other part of the year, it feels like in a lot of ways we've got. I mean, guys, we when I tell people that we have new people every week, they they look at me like I'm lying to them, and I'm like, no, we really that is the God honest truth. And and I don't know that it's so much Broad Creek as it is our area, right, our growth, our demographics. Um, I know we get a lot of people from denominational churches that uh that um are are moving through and trying to find something, and I'm not all for proselytiding, but at the same time, if you come, if we always say if you come in the doors of Broad Creek, your family and and we try to welcome you in.

SPEAKER_03 19:18

Yeah, we we don't we don't uh Scott and myself don't actively seek out people from other churches and say, hey, you should come over to our church. Um in fact, I I quite the opposite. If people come to me and say, I'm really having an issue with my church, um, and and if you're listening and and you've had that issue and you've talked to me about it, what the first thing I tell you is have you addressed the leadership there and brought a solution.

SPEAKER_01 19:41

Yep. Because that's the first step.

SPEAKER_03 19:43

Right.

SPEAKER_01 19:44

Yeah, it's not running. It's not running. But we're in a s where our culture now is is hey, I've got a church, I've got six churches around me, yeah, and I can I can pick and choose and just you know, but that's not new either because in Beaufort County, there's where I come from, in Beaufort County, just north of here, if you ride down highway um 264, um, if you start, what is it? If you start on in the Washington County, Beaufort County line and you drive through and you allow yourself four miles in either direction driving down that road, by the time you hit Pitt County, you're going to have passed about 16 of our churches. Yeah. That's not counting the Baptists, the Methodists, the Episcopal Presbyterians. And and when you when you consider that at one point Maine had two of our churches in there. Yeah, Utah didn't even have five. Right. And here we have us and we have two rivers, and we have Live Oak, which is all the way down in both.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

And we've got um um they're in uh um Lowland. Oh yeah, and Lowland Church.

SPEAKER_01 20:44

Lowland Church, yep. So that's four in two counties that are actually our what we always call our flavor, you know, our brotherhood. Our brotherhood flavor. Non-denominational denomination. Yeah, yeah, exactly. And uh, you know, people will die on that hill, and we're like, dude, go die on that hill. We're not dying there. Um so um, but yeah, it it it blows my mind that we grow the way we do. Right. And and while we're not searching for numbers, we have to come up with solutions to to accommodate people. And this past week in our second service, I told our first service, I said, Hey guys, I said, You y'all really falling behind. And I'm not gonna say numbers, but I remember looking at the crowd in first service and going, Wow, we're really thin in first service.

SPEAKER_03 21:25

But really thin in first service now is not like it was and that's what I was saying.

SPEAKER_01 21:30

That's crazy. I mean, a year ago, thin in first service would have been 40 to 50 people less than were actually there. And when I was told the total of what was in first service, I was like, There's no way people but compared to second service, oh my god. So second service, we're sitting there and we've got people standing in the back, and we're pulling out white chairs from the kitchen and throwing them out in rows. And we came up with solutions last night. We're gonna make it better, and um, and and but there's so much excitement in first and second service.

SPEAKER_03 21:58

Yeah, we're a lot of families. Families that normally come first service were out of town this week. Yeah. Yeah. But we had several visitors.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

That's right. We had a bunch of visitors. We had we had uh families come in, and and I it's always so exciting to me because the feeling that you get, and I and we don't base everything on feelings. Feelings are feelings will lie to you. Oh come and go. Oh my gosh, they're they're such they're such lies to you. That's exactly right. And um that's a good analogy. And um but I help but I tell you but I tell you, during that first service was great, second service there was something it was electric. There was something there, and it really it really is I don't get em and I know this might sound bad. I don't get emotional during church services about worship like I used to. I I get emotional by myself when I'm when I'm worshiping God or when I'm praying and and um I'm overwhelmed by his love or or his presence or his grace or whatever. Um during church as a leader, I I I tend to try to keep my mind and wits about me and maybe a little emotional, but man, there was emotion in it. Yeah when we experience those things, we're just happy people are coming. Right. But we've got to make concessions to say, hey, we've got to grow. Our nursery is packed. Yes, it's awesome. Our special needs is packed. Yes. Um, and so and our kids, thank God, have plenty of room upstairs. Yeah, but we're just but they're huge.

SPEAKER_03 23:26

They're they're I mean, they're huge compared to five years ago. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

Oh my gosh, five years ago.

SPEAKER_03 23:30

I mean, uh you you you tell all the time when you first got here, like the couple, the couple, one, two kids maybe that that day, that first day. Yeah, yeah. And and guys, just to be realistic, we're looking at 45 to 50 every Sunday.

SPEAKER_01 23:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:44

Easy and easy.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

I think we were probably over that this week. Yeah, yeah. And that's not counting special needs, and that's not counting nursery.

SPEAKER_03 23:50

Right, right. So And it's difficult because they're upstairs. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

So buildings have to be in the conversation. Right. Extra services have to be in the con in the conversation. And um, and so yeah, it's it's been uh it's been a lot of talking and praying, a lot of communicating and staff meetings, a lot of discussions and elders' meetings.

SPEAKER_03 24:11

And and what and what we get to see about growth too is not only just the you know, the butts and seats and the capacity type things, is we get to see the growth in people's lives. Because there's a lot. Oh my goodness. It's it's unbelievable seeing people serve uh where just three, four, five, six months ago, you would have never seen them in that position. Just the growth that just the growth in their spiritual walk and the conviction of the Holy Spirit to to be who Jesus has created them to be.

SPEAKER_01 24:41

And to see the Lord working in that way. And and because we can't, we're not catalysts to it. No. We often think as leaders of the church that we're catalysts, that we get that we're the ones that it's going through. It's not our job is to create open paths, our job is to create systems and programs that allow people to come closer to the Lord, grow in the Lord, be discipled in the Lord. Our job is we don't, I don't save people. I don't I don't I I I mean I I'm not I'm not a savior. Right. Those those kind of things as leaders of the church, we're our position is that we lead people to Christ and then we do our best just to stand beside them and support them. And they support us and we love. I love that we've instituted um kind of our core beliefs. Uh what Dan did is Dan went and took our core beliefs and he wrote them into four lessons. And um, those four lessons where now once somebody accepts Christ, is baptized, and they start on their Christian walk, what we want to do is we want to take them for those four weeks. And um, you did a great job. Well, I I really enjoy that curriculum reading through it and looking at it. And so um, and we've recently had a fella who was baptized. We assigned him to an elder, and the elder is taking him through that. And uh, they had some weeks that they missed, one had to miss for this, or one had to miss for this. But as they came to their last lesson, the elder told us last night that he actually inquired and said, Man, I really, you know, does this have to be the end? Right. Uh can we continue? And that's so amazing, you know, because I you know, we were really praying that this would impact, but it's so much biblical truth packed into those four weeks that he's become hungry for it and he just wants more. And so the elder was like, No, this doesn't have to be the end. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 26:23

I just get goose the goosebumps when we talk about it. I mean, it's awesome. That's just cool stuff. And and that and that's the growth we get to see. Now, I I I I I you know, I'm understanding that the the average attender um doesn't see those things all the time. Um, so when we're talking about growth, uh please know we're not just talking about numerical or even capacity. We we we are uh indicating in growth in the growth talk, we're also indicating the lives that are being changed. That's right, that are growing. And and so what we what we can't do as leaders in in this church is is um with lack of better phrase in my mind, you probably have a better one, but it's me. Um we can't be caught with our pants down. No, that's a pretty good when when when growth when growth happens. That's right. Because oftentimes, and we've we've seen it in churches before where um uh it happened in my Idaho ministry. Um we experienced a lot of growth, yeah, but we didn't know what to do with it. Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:25

And if and then it stifled. That's right. And I think there's many ways to grow a church. Yes. We could do themed Sundays, we could do Cowboy Sunday, we could do Dragon Sunday, we could do dress up like a you know fairy Sunday. I mean, honestly, churches do all kinds of crushing. I'm out on that one. Yeah, I'm not doing the fairy. Um you can do the fairy, I'll wear I'll do the kilt Sunday. Yeah, there you go. There you go. I'd have to buy a kilt. Um I've got an Indian um I forget what it's called, an Indian road. Yeah, yeah. That'd be good. I've got one. I could wear that. And I'm probably we could do International Sunday. We can do that. That would be really cool. Those kind of things are make excitement in a church, but they don't always make excitement. Elmer Towns, who was with um oh the um the Thomas Road Church. Yeah, Thomas, yeah, Falwell. Fallwell church, yeah. Yeah, and uh he was with Falwell for years. Elmer Towns had 52 weeks of themed Sundays to grow your church. And I highly respect Elmer Towns, but but it was it was not what you can grow a church many ways. The it if you I got 66. The Bible, the Bible, yeah. Anyway, go ahead. But that and that's how it should be grown. Yeah, what you grow a church on is a spiritual foundation. When you grow the people past that spiritual foundation, then you hit your growth, and you hit your growth mark. And that's that so the key to growth spiritually is the key to everything. And if you're building disciples, if you're educating people in the Bible, if you're growing them up, if you're creating relationships between or you're helping facilitate relationship growth uh between people and the Lord, if you're doing all those things, then your spiritual foundation grows and it gets bigger and bigger and bigger. And then what happens is you don't even have to come up with any growth concepts, like all the book, church growth concepts, church you don't have to even worry about them. Yeah, they're the I they and they and they basically all say, Well, you can do this, and they're all methods and stuff. It's not about methods. What it's about is you you disciple people in the Lord, right, and it grows the spiritual foundation, right? And then your church just grows because growth happens when God is the foundation of it. That's right. And so I I'm not interested in numbers. I don't, you know, uh numbers don't thrill me. What thrills me is people wanting to know God and wanting to grow in discipleship and and to join in in our efforts to reach the community, yeah, and and seeing them serve.

SPEAKER_03 29:48

I mean, because really it's biblical biblical foundation coupled with service. Yes, absolutely. Yeah, it's beautiful. It is.

SPEAKER_01 29:55

I mean, it's yeah, I I love what we do here. I I I don't believe God, I believe God knows what he wants us to do. I know he does. And I know that he has numbers in his head that he knows that will reach. Our thing is is trying to figure out, okay, Lord, you've sent us so many people, and we don't want to lose any of them that you've sent to us. We want to help grow them in discipleship and and grow them to you. So help us to understand how to accommodate more people while discipling these. And we have a good staff, we have a good leadership, we have good volunteers, we have good ministries, we have good programs. Um, so it makes us start having to look at other things. And um, one of the other things that we've looked at is adding a service. And last night the elders um decided that because we believe we have people who do not attend church for various reasons on Sundays. Um maybe they were hurt, maybe there's church hurt there. Um, we are going to start in September a service on a Saturday afternoon, evening. Um four or five o'clock. Um we've we we're still working out details, but um, we are going to begin a Saturday service and we're going to run it for a trial of four months up through Christmas, and then we're gonna evaluate it. And um it's not gonna I I'm not again, we did mention numbers earlier, but it's is it growing people relationally in discipleship with the Lord? Is it helping people come to Christ who may not uh may not be able to or may not want to come on a Sunday morning? Um, those are gonna all be valid questions that we have to ask about it. Right. And I know that if you're listening to this and you're a regular volunteer, you may say, Oh my gosh, now I got to give up my Saturday evenings and my Sundays. No, that's not what we're asking. What we're saying is choose one.

SPEAKER_00 31:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:51

And if you want to come and be a part of Saturday, then great. Uh you can take Sundays off. Or you can just come hang out on Sundays and go to church and I can do it.

SPEAKER_03 31:58

Or if you want to serve on that Saturday, just come to church on Sunday and vice versa. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_01 32:03

Yeah. I mean, however, it works out for you, that's fine. And like we say, the alternative is adding a third service on Sunday mornings, which we're not against. And if we feel like that would better alleviate everything, we'll look at that in January. Right. Um, we would not do jars of clay on Saturday evenings. We would have a nursery, we would have hopefully kids programming, and we would do regular church service or in a or a little bit briefer church service. Um, we would fit it well within an hour. And um, and then, you know, maybe people would go out to supper afterwards. Maybe just some organic community that would happen out of it. And then on Sunday, um, you went to church on Saturday. And if that's not a week to serve for you, right? Um, and and I don't know, go to the beach or go hang out with your family or go see your in-laws or you know, whatever. Um, go do something as a family and spend that day with them. And so we we're trying to create an alternative that people will connect to, that certain people will connect to. And again, we're not trying to proselyte out of the Sunday service necessarily into Saturday, though we think some will. Yeah. Um, we we are hoping that this can reach new people and that as that happens, it can grow. The best possible scenario to me, and I and I've I'm I'm still processing most of it, the best possible scenario in my mind is that Saturday works well enough that we decide to keep it and we have to add a third service on Sunday morning. And while preaching four services a weekend um would be daunting, leading worship for four services and doing what Dan does would be daunting. Um, if that's what the Lord calls us to do, then that's what we want to do.

SPEAKER_03 33:45

So and we've all, I mean, we talked about it last night, we talked about staff meeting, we took, you know, all that thing. Um we we we've all had the conversations with people in the community in passing. Um one of our elders said that he was getting getting here on Wednesday for for something, and uh a lady pulled up in the drive and said, Hey, do you have do you have church tonight? And um he said, Well, well, no ma'am, we don't. We just have it on Sundays. And she was kind of disappointed because she can't make church on Sundays. That's right. Um, and so we've all had the conversations with people who'd say, who said, Do you have a evening service? Do you have because I just can't make it on a Sunday morning. Um, we all know those people. Sure. And when I say we all, I'm talking not just us right here, but everybody listening. We we you all know those people.

SPEAKER_01 34:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:31

Um, and this is a great opportunity to say, listen, no excuses. Yeah. You there's a church service on Saturday night at my church. That's right. And as far as I know, I I haven't done deep research in it. It'll be the first one in Pamlico County.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

Yeah, I think it'll be the first one in Pamlico.

SPEAKER_03 34:46

I think.

SPEAKER_01 34:46

And it'll be one of the only ones that I know of around Craven. Right. Um, and but and even this side of Beaufort. So I'm I'm really excited. I think, you know, just sitting here thinking about it, um, what a good opportunity to be a missionary to your community. Absolutely. You know, and say, hey, you we've got to kind of scale down, you know, because um I joked last night, I said, Yeah, I might even wear shorts to preach in. And and of course, one of the elders said, Well, you can do that on Sunday. You can do that on Sunday. And I said, and I turned around and said, if I have your permission, I'm gonna start wearing shorts. And me, I kind of dance in between going, yeah, I really want to wear shorts to preach in. But on the other side, I'm like, I don't know, pants lend an authority. What one one time I woke up.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

And I and this just an admit just Dan just clearing off, clearing his chest here. I woke up one Sunday morning and I was like, you know what? I'm gonna do it. Because I already did the hat thing, like, you know, and and I'll do it again. Um, but I already did the hat thing. I'm like, you know, I'm breaking barriers, baby. And I'm like, I'm I'm really excited. I put on a pair of shorts and I put on a shirt and I put my shoes on, and I'm like walking into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee and I drank my cup of coffee and I sit out there and I go, I'm gonna put pants on. Too much tradition.

SPEAKER_02 35:59

It's like, wait a minute, I can't do this. Somebody's gonna shoot me.

SPEAKER_01 36:01

I can't do it, I can't do it. Well, I mean, now when I tell people I preach in I preach in jeans, and it doesn't come off as too surprising because they may have seen the video, you know, or whatever. And um, or they may have seen us online, but um, they're like, uh, yeah, you never wear a suit anymore. I said, I'm I wear suits at weddings and funerals.

SPEAKER_03 36:19

Yeah, I have a Marian suit and a baryon suit.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

That's what I've got now. And um, and sometimes they're the same. And so uh, but no, it it really is funny to me to um because this Saturday, I don't I this Saturday service, I don't know what it'll turn into. It may, it may morph into something. Sometimes, in my experience, the best thing to do is follow the Lord's leading with the best plans like we talked about earlier, walk through doors, and then when you get there, God says, you know what, this is awesome and you're doing good, but let's do let's tweak this and let's do this and let's make this. What does it turn into? I don't know yet. Right, right. And but we are going to glorify God, yes, and our goal is to And we're gonna do it with excellence. That's right. We're gonna do it. Oh, we're gonna do it really well. Yeah and um and we're and we're gonna do it with with the goal to bring people uh into a a relationship with Christ so that they may be discipled and grow in Healing.

SPEAKER_03 37:13

So so our challenge to you who are listening and you're a part of Broad Creek, and if you're not a part of Broad Creek and you're around the area, yeah, this might be a great opportunity if you don't have a church family. That's right. Um but if you're part of our church, what we what we would ask you to do between now and in the in the start of this service and uh first Saturday in September, um please pray.

SPEAKER_02 37:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 37:36

Please pray. And don't don't our prayers should reflect the heart of Jesus, which is to reach people. And so pray that people would uh see an opportunity um to plug into a church family that um that may have not ever done that before. That's right. Um pray that that the Holy Spirit works on the hearts and minds of people before they even enter into the building. Yes. Um, so that um uh you know, our our our whole concept of of church in in in in in a small rural area is is a lot of times it's very traditional and very, you know, which there's nothing wrong with tradition. No. Um you can't worship it. Right, right. What we have to do though is we have to be we have to be faithful to scripture as as we teach it, but the methods don't have to be old.

SPEAKER_01 38:26

No, and and we don't mind trying new things.

SPEAKER_03 38:29

Yes, and that's what I'm getting at. Yeah, yeah. We don't mind trying to do that. For for the sake of the gospel, uh, we will never give up the doctrine. We will never give up the the good theological um concepts and teachings. Um, but I think we're willing to kill some of the things that um we've never done before.

SPEAKER_01 38:45

Sure, yeah. Seven words that kill a church is we've never done it that way before. Right. And and that's that's something that we're just not going to do. And he and and I'll let me add to that, and this is not meant to be facetious or cutting. If you don't like the idea of a Saturday service, then don't do what many immature people would do and badmouth it, rightmouth it to other people and and short stick it and whatever. Um, if you don't like the idea of a Saturday service, don't don't come. Don't just keep coming to Sunday. Yeah, just keep Sunday.

SPEAKER_03 39:15

And that's okay. And pray for it.

SPEAKER_01 39:17

And please pray for the people who know. Um, we we joked yesterday that only our staff are required to be there, but um, we have the elders have committed to coming as well, and and I'm thankful for that. But um, yeah, and it it's is it gonna be harder on us? Oh, yeah, of course it will. But I think that what we do as as as paid ministers, what we do is we get to experience these things through fresh eyes and to see what is working. And if we get one family that comes and comes into a relationship with the Lord, then isn't that worth it? It was worth everything. And that's and that's what we have to see. Yeah, and so um, if we give people a chance to, you know, maybe well, I go to and maybe this has been you, and I've heard it before. I go to church on Sunday, so I can't drive the two hours to see my mom like I want to go and whatever. Well, come on Saturday and then go see your mom on on Sunday. Yeah, yeah, and um, I mean, maybe, maybe that'll work out for you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 40:13

Um and I'll also I I think too that um it might open up some some opportunities for you to serve. Yes. Um, because you know, uh worship's gonna be that that's yeah, we were talking this morning. That's gonna be my main challenge, yeah, is is worship and scheduling.

SPEAKER_01 40:30

Because we have to we're our worship volunteers are incredible.

SPEAKER_03 40:33

So and they are incredible, and I already ask a lot from them. Yeah. Um, and so maybe maybe you're you're one of those people that like, you know, I really want it want to be on the worship team, but I know there's a lot of people. Right. This is this opens up new new horizons, new possibilities to where um we're gonna have to add people to the worship team. Um, and it and if it's only you, if if if you're like, yeah, I want to do that, but I can only be on the worship team on Saturdays, yeah, fantastic. Yeah, then you're gonna work out great. Then you're gonna sing with me a lot or you're gonna play with me a lot. Yeah. Um, and so I I think I think there's a lot of uh um, you know, if if you if you have you don't have the ability to serve in the nursery on a Sunday morning or to, you know, be a part of the children's ministry, you have an opportunity now to come and serve. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:16

You you can you can come serve on Saturday and then maybe you come to first service on Sunday.

SPEAKER_03 41:21

And just come to a worship service and and then go home. Because that's that uh honestly, guys, that's our philosophy. And if you're not doing this, shame on you, but serve one set one. Yeah, you need you need to be learning. So if you're only coming to do your service and you're not going to church, we're gonna find out. Yeah, and we're gonna ask you to stop.

SPEAKER_01 41:39

Yeah. I mean, we really we really need you serve one set one. That that that idea of service, and we look, we could read the whole book of James about faith and deeds, but our our actions are products of our of our belief and our faith. I mean, that's why what we say and what we speak matter because they are fruit of the heart and fruit of the mind. And so, you know, we have to be willing to say, okay, if I love Jesus, then I'm going to love the things that Jesus loves. That's right. And I'm going to work towards those things. And let me tell you guys, Jesus loves people. He really loves people. And so we get to serve people, and that's important.

SPEAKER_03 42:11

And I want every child, every person who leaves this building on a typical day, now Saturday night or a Sunday morning, to have been taught how to love Christ and how to love others by somebody who loves Christ and love other and loves others and is growing in their faith.

SPEAKER_01 42:31

That's right. And is willing and is able to speak it and do it in in front of others. That's right. And so what we I feel like we're raising the bar, guys. I feel like we're really saying, hey, this is you know, this isn't something that we're just going to be able to slide into and do easy.

SPEAKER_03 42:45

Yeah. Um it isn't going to be easy and shouldn't be.

SPEAKER_01 42:48

No, it shouldn't be. Nothing that we do for the Lord should be easy. And um, man, I'll every time I flash back to Tom Hanks, right? Lecturing Gina Davis in a league of their own. And uh, she's like, it just got hard. He didn't she doesn't want to play baseball anymore. And she says, it just got hard. And he said, It's supposed to be hard. It's the hard that makes it great. And uh, and that that phrase is is really important to me because I feel like there's a lot of Christians who just think, hey, if I just show up and punch my card and just man, I've got it made, you know, and I've I went to church, yeah, I fell asleep, or yeah, I didn't really care about the music. But it's about this relationship with Christ that's never ending. And so I get to serve, I get to do these things.

SPEAKER_03 43:28

And um, yeah, and I I think I think it's fantastic to to realize too that that um the the potential, um, just just understanding the potential, um, not even knowing, um, but understanding what could be. Yeah, it to me it's exciting.

SPEAKER_01 43:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 43:45

Um and and yeah, I I I'm with you. I think I think you know, the opportunities it creates for people to step in and serve, um, you know, uh and don't think that we this is not a this is not a reactive decision.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

No.

SPEAKER_03 44:01

If we're honest, we've been talking about a third service for about a year now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:04

I and I and I honestly, the more we talk about it here, I'm glad you said that, because a reactive decision would be adding a third service on Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Right.

SPEAKER_01 44:13

Um, and that's probably going to have to be a a reaction that we make at some point. Again, that would be ideal.

SPEAKER_00 44:19

Right.

SPEAKER_01 44:19

Um, but this is more of a proactive um approach to what we're doing. And um, and while I'm I'm honestly, guys, let me be transparent. I'm I'm afraid. I'm afraid that it's not gonna work the way that well, I know it's not gonna work out the way I want it to work because nothing ever works the way I want it to work. I'm I'm too stupid to know what God wants to do.

SPEAKER_03 44:40

It's like when my family asks me, Dad, what do you want for Christmas? I'm like, well, what I want and what you actually get me are never the same. So and that's God teaching you. That's right. You don't know what you want. Just tell your kids whatever you want to get me, I'm gonna cherish because I love you. Anyway, good. Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 44:57

No, but you're right. That's my analogy. That that is a good one because we don't know. And I don't, you know, all I all I can do is walk through a door and say, Lord, is it here? Do you want me to serve here? Is there another door? Close the door. What do you want me to do? And and we show up and we do it. And so I'm excited about it. Um, and you may be saying, um, as we we're we're about 45 minutes in, I you may be saying, well, how does this help really with Sunday mornings? Okay, well, let me go through a couple of things really fast. Number one, wait, there's more. Yeah, wait, there's more. We um we are, and I'm not gonna give away all the details because we have some details that still have to be worked out, but we are we have space for two and three-year-olds um that we're talking about possibly in the nursery moving, separating out birth to one and two to three. That would alleviate a lot of pressure in our nursery. And so that is something that we're fixing. Um, with jars of clay, we are trying to uh utilize the space that we have right now only for the younger jars of clay folks, and so our older jars of clay folks would move to a separate safe area to be a part of things. And that's a real challenge for us because we have to work on compliant bathrooms and we're we're trying to figure out how much money do we want to put into the building that we're in right now, the the big white building on the corner. Um, how much do we want to sink into this, knowing full well that in a couple of years we may not have this building anymore? It may have to become more if we grow and expand um those things. So, right now, guys, um those those things are happening. The other thing is is um we can fit 60 more chairs in our worship center. Um, and by by Jack was talking about, and Jack's a genius, one of our elders, Jack Brooks, is a genius when it comes to this. And Jack was talking about moving our chairs four inches closer together, and that allows us another uh space in the back for 30 chairs for 30 more chairs, and then we already have space for more chairs in there. So he's we're talking about adding 60 chairs, and so all of those things are fixing the growth problems that we have, not problems, the growth opportunities that we have on some of the things.

SPEAKER_03 47:09

It makes better opportunity. Good. Yeah, because because if we go in it with like, well, this fixes it, we don't have to have any more. No. So what what we're asking you to do as a congregation, please hear me on this. Scott and myself are not going to spit on you. Move forward. There's nothing wrong with setting the only joke that it's the splash sign up from.

SPEAKER_01 47:32

Yeah, it's only a joke.

SPEAKER_03 47:33

I mean, so far in our life, we've we've got a pretty good control over where the spit goes. Yeah, yeah. Um, but for the most part, for the most part, yeah. I mean, there might be times where you get a little get excited. I I know I I'm saying so. But scoot up and scoot in.

SPEAKER_01 47:49

Yeah.

unknown 47:50

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 47:51

Unless you absolutely have to be on an in chair, yeah, scoot in. Scoot up, scoot in. Because on Sunday, on second service specifically, um, we had a couple that has been coming to our church for about a month, month and a half. Um, and they were they came in and there was a whole row up front wide open. Yeah. But they didn't feel comfortable even after being here for just a a month.

SPEAKER_01 48:16

They were afraid to walk in front of other people worshiping. Right, right. They they were afraid to walk all the way up. Because they have sat near the front. They have. But they were they didn't want to be able to do that. They didn't want to do it at that point at that time. And it wasn't that they were embarrassed, they they were thinking about other people. Yeah. Which is awesome.

SPEAKER_03 48:29

And then then they get the concept of, you know, and they start talking about, you know, I'll just we just need to get here earlier. And you know, all of that is true. But the the point is, is that as people who are regulars at the church or members of the church, um, we can help the process of people who have not been here very long, yeah, or who just step in for the first time. That's right. Because I've seen it on stage as leading the music, and I'm looking out and I see couples that I've never seen before, or individuals I've never seen before, or families I've never seen before, coming in and they're looking around. And and you know, Kevin and and uh and uh Brian do an excellent job of like taking taking control and saying, okay, here's where we can go and here's where we um but what if we didn't have to have to have our ushers actually like make you move? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 49:15

What if what if you saw someone come in, especially if you're in the wings on the far right, far left, and you see someone come in and you don't know them from you know Adam, yeah, and you look at them and you go, Hey, come sit with me. Come sit with me. You know, come come on, we got space. I mean, that would be beautiful. That would be absolutely beautiful. Yeah, and if you don't have room, we understand. That's fine. But um, scoot up, scoot in is gonna become you're gonna hear us say that. We're gonna have a I'm getting Joy to create a screen this week, and um, it's gonna be on part of our announcements and it's gonna go out and all of our stuff. And right, and uh, we're just gonna ask people to scoot up, scoot in, and and um, and to create space because you know, guys, again, it's not about numbers, it's about putting people in seats so that they can hear the good news of Jesus Christ. And that's and that's what we want them to worship, we want them to experience communion, we want them to know Christ. And so um, that could be honestly, maybe you're scared to death to serve, maybe you're scared to death to work with kids, maybe you're scared to death to greet people at the door, maybe you don't want to do any of that. Maybe your service is honestly, maybe it's just scoot up, scoot in. Maybe it's just you go and nowhere talk. Come walk, come sit with me. And uh, hey, my name's so and so. What's your name? Oh, yeah. Well, if you need anything, let me know. Yeah, and that's if we got everybody in the church doing that, oh my gosh, that would be beautiful, man. It would be awesome. We're not telling you to do something you can't do because I know the nature of this church.

SPEAKER_03 50:36

This church is absolutely amazing.

SPEAKER_01 50:38

It was better, it was good when we got here. All we're trying to do is help you express it. Right.

SPEAKER_03 50:43

So um, yeah, it it's it's good stuff. I I just wanted to read um just as an encouragement to us as we as we wrap wrap up. Um we all if you're if you're in church culture, you know Acts 240, uh 42 through 47. Um and and you know, I I know there's a lot of their church plans in Midwest, there's a there's a church called Acts Acts 247, and you know, there's uh all this, you know, we we can make scripture cliches, but I think we need to we need to allow the cliches to set aside and because it's still the word of God. And I think for us, and I'm gonna read this out of CSB, uh, this for us, we need to keep this in mind. Um, because if if we're honest as a as a leadership, this this is the the reason we want to grow. Yeah, this is why we don't do smoke machines and lights, and um, this is the reason. Not that those things are necessarily bad, right? Um, but this is why we don't consider ourselves to be seeker-friendly churches, because we want to be true to what the early church was. Yeah. And because we believe that's when that's when God truly grows a church, not just numerically, but grows a church in the spiritual sense. Exactly right. Um, it says they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching. And what did the apostles teach? Exactly what Jesus taught. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 52:05

This is verse 42. This is verse 42.

SPEAKER_03 52:08

In the fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer, everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all as many had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. If we can keep the main thing the main thing, and be about the the teaching and the prayer and the fellowship, uh, and and we can take care of help take care of each other's needs. Um, and I think that's one of the things that a lot of modern churches have missed is especially specifically that is the is the you know, there should be not there should no there should be no people in our church wanting. Right. If if we're if we're honest. Um if we if we can do those things, the the promise of the of the early church is still there. God added to those numb the numbers daily, those who are being saved. Um saved. Not proselyzed, not right saved. Yeah, and that and that's what we're want. We we want the people who've never experienced the grace and peace of Jesus Christ to come to our place, to meet our people, the family of God, and to say, I want that. That's right. And that's how it's gonna happen.

SPEAKER_01 53:44

I agree. So what a beautiful passage to read. Because that is the that is the the the it's not even a blueprint. That's just what happens when a church is doing what it's supposed to be doing. And and God does incredible things among them. Right. Um that's beautiful, absolutely good stuff. Cool, man. Um well again, if you have questions, if you have comments, reach out to us, uh, hit the fan mail, um, or just email us, uh dandy at bccchurch.com or Scott A at Bccchurch.com. You can email us and uh shoot us an email. Just let us know if you have questions and and uh we'll we'll we'll throw them in the in the queue. And um and uh we'd love to talk about stuff like that. So yeah, just let us know.

SPEAKER_03 54:29

And get us get us some questions too that we can we can really uh um do some podcasts on and stuff. Uh it was so funny before the podcast, uh, and we still get a lot of questions, but it doesn't come through uh the fan mail, but before the podcast, we were guys, we were inundated with question after question after question. And like we that we couldn't really just sit down and answer at that moment because they they always always come on a Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_01 54:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 54:53

Um, and so uh so we're like, hey, a podcast would be a great way of answering some of these questions and and you know, indirectly discipling some people and and what they guys There's sometimes when we're like, hey, what are we doing this week?

SPEAKER_01 55:06

And yeah, have you had any questions? No, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 55:10

I know you have questions. I mean, I don't care what they are, as long as they're related to scripture. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, you know, ask them and and if if it's something that we know we can handle on a podcast, and and or that it would be a good good way of handling it. Yeah. Now I know some of your questions are very personal and very important. Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_01 55:27

And we're and we're not gonna we're not going to impede upon any personal questions or anything.

SPEAKER_03 55:31

But if you know somebody else might have this question too.

SPEAKER_01 55:33

Yeah. I was asked a great question on Sunday about about um um forgiveness. And it's funny because um Saturday I actually did a funeral, um, a funeral for my best friend growing up, his dad passed away. And his dad was a sniper in Vietnam, and he had many confirmed kills, over 50 confirmed kills. And um he was he was a sniper, but he actually um sat in a in a in forced position in a tree, and um um when the enemy troops came over a hill, he he would he would they would be in his range. And so anyway, he spent a lifetime trying to figure out if God could forgive him. And I hope he found it at the end because um when uh Lewis Hall, one of our great, great preachers in this area, did a revival at my home church, and I remember he talked about forgiveness and Ronnie is his name, Ronnie was there, and Ronnie went out on the porch, and um somebody was telling me, but I remember that night, and um some he went out on the porch and he asked Lewis, he said, I did this and I did this and I did this, and you're saying God for can forgive me. And um Lewis, without knowing all the details, looked right at him and said, Oh, I am a hundred percent sure Jesus can forgive everything you've ever done. And it was just that concept. So maybe you have a question about forgiveness, or maybe you have a question about the extent of the grace of God or the mercy. We would love to talk about stuff like that. Yeah, and um, and maybe you know, we just um otherwise we're just gonna start doing doctrine and none of y'all are gonna listen. Doctrine or just pick a book of the Bible and go through it. That's right. And we may try to, yeah. And we may. So uh, and that's not a threat. We know that you have questions, we know that we we can answer them um because the Lord has given us his word.

SPEAKER_03 57:16

And so um I mean we can fill a whole episode with just dad jokes. Oh, we mm-hmm we could we could do that. I wish we had a camera because Scott's face was fantastic.

SPEAKER_01 57:25

I know it's I know it's near the end of the um uh podcast when Dan pulls his phone out now and starts looking at dad jokes. So yeah, I have a good one this morning. All right, here we go. Uh let me set up the hold on the applause or whatever.

SPEAKER_03 57:37

And this actually could be a spiritual application as well. Oh goodness. So Oh, sorry.

SPEAKER_02 57:42

I we hit that accidentally.

SPEAKER_03 57:45

Accidentally. All right. Where are average things manufactured? I don't know where. The satisfactory. Oh my lord. Which brings me to my spiritual point of the day.

SPEAKER_02 57:58

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 57:59

We should never be satisfied as Christians because that's just average. It's okay to be content, but we should never be satisfied.

SPEAKER_01 58:08

That was an outstanding that was really you did really well with your allegories and your comparisons.

SPEAKER_03 58:14

I normally don't do well with illustrations because you know, I just don't think that way. I'm more of a straight to the point. Here's what scripture says don't be stupid, do it.

SPEAKER_01 58:22

Man, I'm really proud of it. I know Nina will be proud of me.

SPEAKER_02 58:25

I know Nina's just gonna be so proud. Oh, yeah. She's gonna be proud of it. I'll no longer bring shame to my family. On that note.

SPEAKER_01 58:38

Oh, Dan, I appreciate you, buddy. Uh guys, it's been a pleasure as always. Uh, we hope that you have a wonderful week. And uh again, send us your questions and and pray. Pray for the new service, pray for what we're doing, pray for all of our groups, pray, just keep praying. And talk to people about it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:56

Say people to all of us. Come to church and offer to sit with them.

SPEAKER_01 58:59

Yes, please offer to sit with them. Yeah, good. And and uh and just just continue to grow in Christ, guys. The good news is good news for a reason. Right. And uh Jesus has done incredible things, and um, we um we benefit from it, whether we know it or not. Let us live as thankful people who who praise him. Dan, I appreciate you, buddy. All right. All right, y'all. Y'all have a great week. We'll see ya. Love ya. Bye.