There are too many mornings my mood changes upon a Social Media peek. It’s really why so many of us have gotten off these outlets. They saw their moods changing based upon daily posts. Sometimes we don’t even know why our mood changed. Other times, it’s clear.

• One friend wants to make sure you know his or her opinions on the political climate today.

• You wake up to a Facebook friend tagging you on a pic where you’re eyes are closed or on an opinion you don’t necessarily agree with.

• All your friends went somewhere last night. You never knew they were getting together. Now you do. Thank you Instagram.

• You’re having a terrible morning and want everyone to know it but won’t give details. People are concerned and then you go off Social Media without answering their concerned questions

I now see why my mood changed.

I really feel we all need to be tested before going on these Social Media outlets, like an IQ test of sorts. Questions on the test like:

1. Will your opinion really sway others?

2. Is doing your laundry important for all your followers to know.

3. How long is too long to be on Social Media in a day?

I’m not even sure I know the answers and if I should be on Social Media!

Here’s the great news. Something changed yesterday. School started! I know that’s bad news for many of the children and mixed feelings for parents. But it’s GREAT news for Social Media because we got to see all the pics of children’s first day of school and personally, I love it. It’s positive, it’s real life and it’s great to see kids growing up. It cheered me up right away and made me want to ‘LIKE’ everyone’s pics (although time wise I missed many). SO thank you for sharing those pics. I mean it. I love it and I feel many of you do as well.

Now back to our regularly scheduled rants.

Our new chairs arrive this week! In fact, we will be celebrating with a ‘chair party’ on Thursday. For those of you reading this who are not in ministry, a ‘chair party’ is a weekly event in church world (sometimes 2-3 times a week) that deals with moving chairs around in preparation for events or even Sunday service. A lot of fun….ok not really.

As we near the end of our NEXT Campaign (our building project) where so many of you have prayed for, given financially and helped physically with electrical, carpentry, painting, among many other things, we pause to think of all God has in store for these new seats.

As i shared on Sunday, huge decisions were made in these previous seats for so many who have attended here.

For me, I think of some of the bigger ones:

• My wife Vicki accepts Christ in one of those chairs and because of that decision, she invites her mom Cindy who brought her husband Bob. Bob went on to influence so many here including countless teens before he passed away. Cindy has served here in so many capacities, group leader, greeter, administrative, and care team.

• My wife decides to sing for God. It’s one Sunday where Vicki fills out a Connection Card and checks off an interest in serving on our Worship Team. It’s her, along with the other talented vocalists and musicians, who lead the service off by drawing our attention on God through music. This ‘sets the table’ for us to clear our head and hear what God wants to tell us through the message.

• I decide to enter ministry. It was in one of those seats where I decide to leave 20 years of managing 4 health clubs to enter a new career. Entering the complete unknown with a lesser income and young children was crazy! God had to make things pretty obvious to me. I felt (and still feel) unqualified. I look back and see just who God is by putting me (of all people!) into ministry and I’m so thankful!

My son and daughter say YES to Jesus It was in one of these seats where both Bennett and Sadie accepted Jesus into their hearts. It was also where they decided to go public with their faith and be baptized. It was in these seats where they ‘owned their faith’ and I am so thankful!

My children invite others It was because of my children’s decisions they made in these seats with their faith that they decide to invite their friends from a summer camp, Samantha and Marissa. They, in turn, invite their mom and boyfriend, Becky and Fabio. Samantha and Marissa, along with being here every Sunday, attend our teen environment (Living Proof) each week and continue to grow in their faith. Becky and Samantha were baptized last year (see photo below). Becky serves every week here as a greeter. Fabio is on our worship team as a drummer. God is so good!

Because of the previous generation’s generosity, my family and friends have been blessed with a church full of seats that are full of potential, full of future vital decisions and full of incredible stories. I can’t wait to hear the stories one day of all these seats we will be adding here on Thursday. Won’t you join us in being a part of this story by purchasing seats today? Your purchased seat may in fact contain one of the greatest stories yet to be told.

GUEST BLOGGER: KRISTIN SARNO

“Look at the person next to you and give them an awkward smile,” says Pastor Stephen Furtick as he first comes onto the Elevation stage.  I spend a lot of time watching and listening to YouTube sermons where the pastors say funny things like this.  I believe there’s more to it than just trying to get a laugh from the audience, though.  How many times have you walked to your seat, sat down, and started scrolling through your phone without making eye contact to the people around you?  

There are about 1600 seats at Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Here, at Fellowship Church we have 300 seats.  It’s not nearly as many eyes we can chose to avoid, but still it seems intimidating to someone who may be experiencing their first time at our church. 

 I think back to when I first became Christian.  I was introduced to the Bible by a friend at work, and dove right into it.  I started looking into local churches with excitement to find other people like me, filled with love for Christ.  

The first Christian church I entered, not one person said hi to me, but I promise you that they knew I had arrived.  The other church goers glanced in my direction with what I took as judgmental stares.  I instantly questioned everything that brought me there.  What was I thinking?  I wasn’t ready for church.  I didn’t know enough about the Bible.  Was I even dressed appropriately?  When service was over, I put my head down, and hastily walked to the door to leave.

In reality, I’m almost positive that those glances were simply people noticing me as a newcomer.  We’ve all been there when we see someone new at church.  They more than likely had a feeling inside of them that was pushing them to speak with me and welcome me to their church.  Unfortunately, their own insecurities overcame them just as mine had overcome me.  Maybe if I had given them an awkward smile it would have been different.  Maybe if they had given me an awkward smile it would have been different.

 After a year of attending several churches, misreading far too many glances, and struggling to find a church family, I gave up.  Soon, I was led astray by unbelievers.  I found myself slowly wandering in a path of darkness and self-destruction.  The devil is creative like this.  He makes his move a little at a time.  Before I had even realized it, I began to rapidly fail in life.  To turn my back on Christ after knowing a life filled with His never-failing love is something I never want to experience again.  

Several years later, I turned my life back over to Christ.  This time was different, though.  This time I made a family.  I was blessed to find my future husband, and be introduced to Fellowship Church.  Still, I remembered we aren’t all lucky enough to walk into church for the first time, and walk out having felt like we found a new home.  I wonder often about where I could be now in my walk if God hadn’t led me to a welcoming church like Fellowship.

I’ve made a priority of serving mostly at the coffee bar. That’s not just because I love anything that has to do with a kitchen.  I also love the thought that at any moment the person who I am handing a cup of coffee to could be the same person who needs a friendly smile.  It could be that person’s first time at our church, and I want to let them know they aren’t alone.  When the coffee bar closes, I walk to my seat.  I look around me at the sea of faces, and I find that one I don’t know.  I still briefly hesitate by my own insecurities, but I no longer avoid that feeling inside of me that pushes me towards this new face.  “Hello,” I say, “it’s a great Sunday for church, isn’t it?”  This alone, can change someone’s life.  This alone can fill another one of our seats. 

GUEST BLOGGER: Randy Sarno

As the inaugural season of The Forge Series 6 comes to a close many things were impressed upon the men who attended. While we may struggle with different vices, the ability to become transparent and use our situations to help others is inspiring. The men that attended have had an overwhelming love and desire to know Jesus more. It is clear that none of us have it all together. We have admitted that and have laid down our pride to learn from others. The saying goes, “You can’t fix fake.”

We are all being refined by fire. The trials we go through not only can teach us, but can also allow us to tell others how we got past them. One thing I am convinced of is we do not, rather should not, do it alone. Rough edges of our personalities can be shaved smooth by a pure friendship. "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong by many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."(1 Peter 1:7). How hot are you letting your fire get?

Even if you have never attended Sunday school when you were younger, you have probably heard the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). We all want to be the hero of our story. We all want to be recognized or compared with David conquering our Goliath's. But did you ever sit back and think you've become your own Goliath to temptations, going out in front of them constantly parading around thinking you can overcome them no matter what they bring at you? All it takes is a small crack or a small stone thrown to make you fall completely. 

I have often become my own Goliath walking back and forth in front of temptations. I flex in front of these temptations to show off until, before I know it, I am in sin again. Thankfully, I get encouragement from the family I have grown in, being a part of Fellowship Church. I have made stronger bonds with many in these men here the past few weeks based on our spending Monday’s with them. The setting is so comforting and filled with men becoming more like the Biblical version of a real man. Whether you are going through taking a slight detour to pass that bar flexing "I don't need that drink" or passing that bakery flexing "I don't need that doughnut", before you know it, you have a bottle in your hand or sprinkles stuck to your shirt. Whatever your temptation lies, wherever you like to flex, you need to know there are so many men at Fellowship readily available and more importantly willing to pray over you to help you through.

We as a church are so lucky to have men that pour into us. I have many friends constantly interested in having a more complete faith but will turn me down or think the topic is not relevant to them when invited out. I continue to pray for them. I also pray for those that do not yet know Christ or feel too busy to get into a group of men or women in your church. The uncomfortableness will last only a moment before you will be showered with love.

Series 6 was just a start. Can’t wait to see where these men of FC go!

“What you have to say should help people get better and feel better. If you can't figure out how to do that, you're not ready to post. “ Carey Nieuwhof

This Social Media thing is astonishing. I cannot imagine all it is doing inside of us daily. I feel for the next generation and am so hopeful that we all can figure this thing out before all the damage is done.

When Facebook came out in 2010, I saw this enormous potential for so many great things. We can get in touch with a high school friend who now lives in a different state, we can share family photos, we can inspire people with encouragement or we could make people laugh. What we all didn’t imagine when it came out was how often we’d state our opinions, debate others, unfollow, unfriend and start to dislike some that we’ll never actually see. I often run into someone I haven’t seen in a while and already have an opinion about them due to their Social Media pages. I don’t think that’s fair but I do.

I have said over and over again that our political rant, our religious comment and our many opinions have yet to sway anyone else’s. If anything, we lose influence. I know for me, my opinions have changed greatly throughout the years (I’m so glad we didn’t have Social Media when I was in my 20’s!).

So what can we do? How can we make this social media a more positive experience? For starters, we can stop pretending we’re not on Social Media. Too many of us act as though we’re in a confessional booth when we admit to going on Facebook. It’s ok to check in on everybody. For me working in ministry, I love to have a bit of access into those who I am friends with. Because of my lack of watching the news, I sometimes actually get it from these outlets.

Secondly, we can have a Social Media accountability partner that can ‘ok’ your post before you post. Ok, that may be a bit much but I may be on to something. Maybe a new Social Media app that needs 2 different passwords from 2 different people to actively post anything? Run with it if you’d like.

Lastly, we’ve heard it before…the pause before the post. Really think about who this affects and how it affects them. Are we losing friends because of posts? Are we posting things we’d never say in person? Are we even using spellcheck!?!?

I hope all of you who read this see Social Media in the way I’d like to……..opportunities to reconnect, ways to encourage and a stop to laugh. Please LIKE this post………

GUEST BLOGGER: Amy Swanson

Sunday morning, we sang a song declaring this truth, and it was powerful. Did anyone else feel it?

The song is called “King Of My Heart”, and part of it goes like this:

You are good, good, oh-ohh

You are good, good, oh-ohh

You’re never gonna let

Never gonna let me down

It’s a great song, glorifying the goodness of God. 

I really hope you caught it, the magnitude of power, truth, and love that came off the stage during worship. Beyond that, I noticed something wonderful, and I just HAD to share it with you!

For those that don’t know me, my name is Amy. FC has been my home church, as an adult, for the last 11 years. Though, I first attended as a young teen over 24 years ago! I am in awe of what the Lord is doing here, and caught a special glimpse of it during that worship set; a side we don’t always get to see, but one I feel is important to recognize.

As many of you know, our church family recently suffered some huge losses. One particular family lost their 18 year old daughter (a beloved friend of many, here at FC) and another family lost their home and pets in a devastating fire. 

Two things, very few of us can relate to! 

What has inspired this writing is the living testimony of these families, in the face of tragedy. The faith and strength of the women in particular, during this time, has touched my heart in a big way! 

It’s hard to imagine experiencing such loss and still showing up on Sunday with hands raised in praise and worship over the goodness of God. But that’s exactly what I’ve seen over the last couple weeks from these two ladies.  

I’m proud to call them friend and sister, as I know many of you are as well. They haven’t let the broken world we live in, or their trying circumstances, sway their opinions of the goodness of God. And neither should we.

Personally speaking, in the past, it’s taken less in my life to question that goodness. I bet, many of us, at one point or another, have even had the thought, “If God is so good, why do bad things happen to such good people?”

Questions like that, though valid in reasoning, misrepresent just how good, our good, good father actually is.

I’d like to address that train of thought real quickly, just in case you’ve also found yourself questioning God’s goodness at such a time. 

It seems to be pretty easy to trust God and to acknowledge His love and goodness when all is right in the world. Not so easy when something undeserving and outlandish takes place. 

Here’s the thing, early on in the book of Genesis, and again in Psalms 8:6 and Psalms 115:16, we clearly see that the earth and everything on it, was given unto the authority of man. 

Psalms 8:6You have given him (man) dominion over the works of your hands;you have put all things under his feet,

Psalms 115:16 The heavens are the Lord's heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.

So, my short and sweet answer to the “why” question falls on the corrupted state of man, and has nothing to do with the goodness of God. 

With that being said, I just had to bring to attention what understanding the goodness of God actually looks like. 

In the presence of pain and uncertainty, these particular ladies get it. They understand that not only is God so good in the good times, but His goodness transcends the tough and downright gut wrenching times as well. 

When you walk through the fire, with this revelation in your soul, it’s impossible to deny the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father, always at work for the good of is children (Romans 8:28).   

Spend a couple minutes talking to these women (and many others like them) to see for yourselves just how true this is!

I’d like to share a particular scripture that came to mind as I was thinking about all this.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair;9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Here’s the thing, we’re never promised an easy, trouble free life. Even the best of the best will face afflictions, perplexing situations, and persecution. It’s part of the package this side of Heaven. 

But take note, though we face trials and tribulations of all kinds, due to the nature of the world we live in, we can stand tall on this specific encouraging word. 

As Christians, yes, we may be afflicted, but we won’t be crushed!

Yes, we may be perplexed, but we won’t be driven to despair!

Yes, we may be persecuted, but we won’t be forsaken!

Yes, we may even be struck down but we won’t be destroyed!

Yes, we live in a fallen and broken world, one where sickness, death and destruction run rampant. All due to the will of man, not the will of God, because 2 Peter 3:9 tells us, the will of God is that none shall perish! 

It’s the whole reason God came to walk in our shoes as man; to redeem us out of the kingdom of darkness that sin brought and to transfer us back to heavenly places (Colossians 1:13).  

I can tell you, from listening to the stories of these 2 families that we serve a good God. 

They easily could have lost hope and started blaming instead of trusting. Instead, they stood upon the faith that had been built in their lives. As a result, God has shown up, in a big, big way, to carry them through the fire and to love them through it all.

That’s what we, as a church, want for you too. 

It’s why we so often encourage you to step up and serve, and to plug into the small groups and events. Doing so is a great way to build your faith and to witness the goodness of God, firsthand. 

We’re all in this together, and I promise you, when you look for the good, surely you will find it! It’s for this reason, we stand, with arms wide open, acknowledging the love and goodness of God, even on the darkest of days. Because He who is in me, is greater than he who is in t

Guest Blogger

Amy Swanson

Is bragging on your church a lack of humility?

I am so proud of my church family. I do not, for one second, take it for granted that we have a church full of pretty spectacular people. We, as a staff, feel extremely blessed.

In the last several weeks we have had quite a bit of heartbreak and trials. We had a family lose their daughter, a family lose their home to a fire, a few families going through a horrendous season of unanswered questions and anxious thoughts, and plenty of spiritual attacks. But let me tell you about their response. I have never been more inspired by a bunch of people than I have in this season.

Losing a daughter is unimaginable but the perspective of a God-fearing, Christ-loving family changes everything. In our conversations, I have seen their clarity of God at work. They have seen some of it but know they haven’t seen most of it. Their daughter has impacted more people in her short time here on earth than many of us ever will. They see that. They see the evidence and it is inspiring so many others.

Losing a home overnight to a house fire is a nightmare come true. It was upon reaching out to this special family that we saw God doing things that only He can. One day I believe they will share all of it. In fact, I believe some of it will come out during the leadership at our Women’s event called Born to Lead coming up next week! I certainly don’t want to give the story any injustice so I will let her share.

Being a believer with anxiety and stress doesn’t seem possible. It’s almost an oxymoron. Anxious Christian!?!?I thought if we truly believed and lived out our faith, we wouldn’t have anything to worry about. I wish. We are humans. Our lives (especially today) are chaotic. Everything is grabbing at us. The world is trying to convince us of what’s important and we (I know me) fall for it every time. We cannot control our mind all the time. There are studies that show things going on in our brain that we cannot control. I know that on a dime, everything can change. I’ve seen it in my life where out of nowhere, I feel anxious and overwhelmed. I do not attest this to a lack of faith. But what I see here is people pushing through, being here on Sundays, reaching out to other believers, surrounding themselves with people who love and care for them, avoiding isolation…..all of this, not easy.

I thank God today for all of these people around me that have inspired me more than they’ll ever know. I thank these people for living for Him even when it feels as though He’s not paying attention. I thank these people for their clear faith knowing that in the end, it’ll all make sense. Lives are being changed. People are accepting Jesus into their heart. People are fighting battles and not giving in. Leaning in instead of fleeing. Living out their faith daily and showing others who Jesus is by their actions.

I’m inspired and forever grateful that God has sent these special people into my life. I forever different because of them.

Endgame

-Pastor Andy Eiss

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Next week the long-awaited superhero movie, “Avengers Endgame” will be out in theaters.  Those who are fans are counting down the days — their long wait is over!

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There is something about anticipating big events…

I think God has created each of us with a sense of excitement toward big events.  We love countdowns and long-awaited reveals. In just a matter of a few months, we’ll be wrapping up our full campus expansion and renovation - the NEXT Project. We’ve been at this a long while.  This project actually began three years ago behind the scenes with a lot of prayer, faith and love. 

Many of you have been involved in praying faithfully and giving generously. I want to thank you and let you know that it is all worth it! I believe our best days are still ahead of us. That from this spiritual journey we’ve taken together, we’ll launch into a new day. I’m asking you to pray with me that Easter will be the beginning of a year filled with miracles and changed lives.   

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We’re doing all this because we want to attract and engage unchurched people…

1. We recognize that the gravitational pull for churches tends to be toward insiders. We are committed to focusing on people we are trying to reach (outsiders).  We believe church should be the safest place on earth for people to ask questions and talk about anything.

2. We think Jesus was irresistible and, therefore, his Church should be as well. So, we are committed to creating irresistible environments that serve as steps to community.

3. Each week, we strive to create relevant weekend services that make people want to come back and take next steps. To us, relevance is an engaging presentation with helpful content given in an appealing context.

4. We believe life change happens best in the context of intentional relationships, and small groups provide a healthy on­ramp for intentional relationships to form. That’s why we believe circles are better than rows. 

5. We want this generation of young people to be the next generation of church leaders, so we continue to invest heavily in them.

6. We believe that the church, as the body of Christ, carries the message of hope to the world.

| Will you join me in praying for our future?!  |