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Please Pray for Our South African Mission Team

A team from LowCountry Community Church leaves tomorrow, November 6th, for Cape Town, South Africa. They will be working with our mission partners there: Living Grace, Living Hope, and Living Way Centres. The team will be conducting health screenings, life skills education, and working with many, many children who live in the Red Hill township.

God has really brought together some of LCC's finest to share in His work. Please consider being a part of it all by praying for them now and over the next two weeks. They will be working with LCC's own Al Allnoch, who is currently serving there full-time.

To receive updates on the trip and team along the way, kindly email Mark Howard. If you'd like to view some great photos from previous teams, click here. Thanks!

Beach Baptism This Sunday!

We will meet at Chaplin Park on Hilton Head Island at 5:00 p.m. this Sunday for our final beach baptism of the year. Over 30 of our church family will be baptized.

Our BBQ Krew will provide hot dogs or pulled pork sandwiches, slaw, beans, chips, and a beverage for $5/person or $15/family.

If you desire to be baptized this Sunday, it's not to late! Adults, contact Pastor Bob; middle and high school student, contact Aaron; and parents of children may contact Pastor Vinnie.

This is always one of the coolest things we do as a church. Don't miss it!

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Yesterday I incorrectly linked Jen Denton's email address. If you want to serve ONCE A MONTH with the Moppets, you can reach Jen here.

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Image: Pastor Rob Jacobs, Tyler Chisolm, and Aaron Friesen, 2009.

What is a Moppet?

LCC has a ministry called MOPS. It's a fantastic ministry and one that God is using all over the country.

MOPS stands for "Mothers of Pre-Schoolers" and for us, it's open to all moms of pre-school children in the lowcountry region. Our goal is to provide a welcoming, safe, and relaxing environment in which mothers can build solid relationships with one another. It is designed to support mothers through the trials and triumphs of raising small children.

That's what MOPS is. Now, what in the world is a moppet?

A moppet is the name we have given the hilarious, spirited, loving, and cute children of these moms. And they can really use your help.

Our moppets are in need of some loving adults - both men and women - to care for them once a month while their moms are at MOPS. For every volunteer we have, another three moms can attend MOPS. It's just once a month in the morning (the second Tuesday of each month). And did I mention it's just once a month?

If you would like to serve Jesus by serving His little ones, please contact Jen Denton. She will help get you plugged in and started. It will be one of the best experiences of your month! Thanks.

Monday Morning Reflections

Only two areas I want to touch on this morning ... really unusual for a Monday Morning Reflection. I could mention football - college and NFL - the beautiful weather we're having, the lunch I enjoyed with Tiff and Lauren yesterday, how nice it is to have Darlene home after her weekend trip to Orlando with Lauren to attend a Beth Moore conference ...

(Well, I guess I did mention those things and now this post isn't about only two things ... but here are the two things I want to mention...)

1) Over 40 people prayed to receive Jesus Christ at both of our campuses yesterday! Really, does it ever get any better than that? My answer is NO! LCCers, thank you for inviting friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors. I honestly believe that there are hundreds of people who are ready to attend church if someone will simply invite them. And there are hundreds of people who are ready to submit their lives to Jesus if they can just hear the gospel communicated to them in an understandable way.

I spoke with a man after one of the services who had prayed to ask Jesus to take over the lordship of his life. He told me he hadn't been inside of a church in years. I asked him how he came to attend LowCountry. He said, "My friend. She invited me." Wow. The power of a simple invitation!

2) Baptism is one of the coolest things we get to participate in at LCC. To see and hear of changed lives, spend some time together as a church family at the beach, and chow down with vittles from our BBQ Krew. That totals up to an awesome afternoon! Plan to attend ... this coming Sunday, 27 September, Chaplin Park, Hilton Head Island, 5:00 p.m.

God is good! Lives are changing!

God Wants to Use You in a Big Way

We have been encouraging everyone at LCC for the past few weeks to invite and bring someone  who is far from God to church with you this Sunday.

We believe in a simple invite to church. Studies show again and again that most people would attend church if they were simply invited. It's not the only strategy for evangelism; it may not even be the best. But we have seen hundreds of people over the years place their faith and trust in Christ at our Sunday morning worship celebrations.

Let me personally ask you again: don't come alone this weekend! Jesus will be preached ... lives will be changed ... we're partners in the gospel ... let's continue doing this together.

God wants to use you in a big way through a small sentence.

"Will you come to church with me this Sunday?"

You can't imagine what kind of impact your invitation could initiate in someone's life.

See you this Sunday for the fifth message in our Pursuit of Happiness series, "Will I Be Happy When I've Reached the Top of the Ladder?" 

And for the first week of New Life in Christ for dozens of people.

Some Sad News

Rev. Prabhakaran George, Executive Director of India Youth for Christ, and dear friend of LCC, passed away yesterday due to a massive cardiac arrest.

We are doing all we can to gain more information. As details become available LowCountry Community Church will communicate through its blogs. You may subscribe and view the Bluffton campus blog here; view the HHI campus blog here.

Prabha was a very dear friend to me. He has been with us many times and I have spent months with him as a ministry partner in India. His quiet yet effective leadership was mightily used by God to bring many in his native land to Jesus...and many as laborers for the kingdom of God.  Our brother has now seen the Lord whom he has served for many years face-to-face. And I am very confident Prabha has heard, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your rest." In the end, it's not really sad news except for those of us who will miss him terribly. Prabha is the most alive and fulfilled he has ever been!

Please pray for his wife, Nilo, son Andy and daughter-in-law Dipti, and daughter, Joanna.

The Pursuit of Happiness

America's Declaration of Independence from mother England in 1776, was primarily penned by Thomas Jefferson, and edited - with argument and compromise - over the course of several sweltering days in Philadelphia. (It was later signed by 56 men between August 2, 1776 and January 22, 1777, including two future presidents [John Adams and Jefferson], three future vice-presidents, and ten members of the U. S. Congress.)

The cadence and beauty of much of the language is readily apparent. The Declaration contains what is perhaps one of the best-known sentences in English: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

In signing their names, the Founding Fathers placed their lives in tremendous danger. They were now bound together against a tyrannical King and there was no turning back. As Benjamin Franklin said, "We'll either hang together or we'll hang separately."

About 2,000 years ago the apostle Paul also wrote a revolutionary document known as the Epistle to the Philippians. He wrote from a Roman jail cell, chained to a guard twenty-four hours a day. His ministry had been attacked on every front; his character had been maligned; his body was weary from years of travel and hardships; his message was opposed at every turn. Yet the man was happy. Strike that: he was joyful.

The gospel message answers the question that is in every human heart: When will I be happy? It was important to the framers of the United States of America, and it is no less important to us today.

We begin a brand new message series this weekend at LowCountry Community Church that will answer the following:
- Will I be happy when my circumstances change?
- Will I be happy when my problems disappear?
- Will I be happy when I understand who God is?
- Will I be happy when I'm free to complain?
- Will I be happy when I've reached the top of the ladder?
- Will I be happy when I run the race?
- Will I be happy when I win?
- Will I be happy when I'm "all in"

As we walk through Paul's letter over the next eight weeks, we'll be unpacking how we can find lasting joy - which goes beyond just superficial happiness. See you Sunday!

What's On at LCC

Just a couple of reminders to our LCC peeps ...

- This coming Sunday, August 16th, at or around 12:45 p.m. we'll be celebrating the kick-off of Revolu$ion with a church-wide picnic. Bring your own food and we'll provide the fun with some crazy water games and large blow-up water rides for the kids. Bring your lawn chairs, shade tents, and plan to just hang out with some friends (old and new!). The kids will have a blast!

- Financial Peace classes start next week and there is still time to register. You may do that here.

- There is still room for our next New Orleans trip, September 28 - October 3. Find more information here.

- I'm looking forward to bringing a message to both campuses this Sunday called, "A New Kind of Normal." See you then!

Captivate Tonight!

TONIGHT - Friday, August 7 @ 7 p.m. at LowCountry Community Church's
Bluffton campus. 

Come experience the wonder of God through an evening of worship as our worship team leads us through your favorite songs, moments of prayer, and teaching.

Child-care will be available for infants through four-year olds.

Revolu$ion

If you're upside down in your house or car payment(not literally-financially), have no rainy day funds set aside, have no savings to speak of, are worried about your retirement, are confused by insurance, have creditors calling your house, or just flat broke, then I have good news for you!

Revolu$ion begins in a just over a week at LowCountry Community Church. Part of Revolu$ion is Financial Peace University. You can register today - right now - right here.

I hold a firm belief that God wants His people to experience freedom in every area of life - including their finances. But that doesn't happen for many - and it WON'T happen for many - until we sit up and take personal responsibility for our financial lives. God gives us the jobs we have, God gives us the finances we have, and God tells us how to handle those finances. But too often, we don't listen, we don't know, or we simply ignore Him.

This has to stop! I am only grateful for this weakened economy for one reason: it's making people realize they can't keep going the way they have been going. But how do you change?

Darlene and I, a few years ago, suddenly found ourselves looking at a consumer debt load of $35,000. I was shocked! This thing just crept up on us. How did this happen? We took some steps and got out from under it - but we did it all wrong. So, seeking wisdom, (as Proverbs exhorts us to do), we sat through FPU earlier this year, learned God's financial principles through Dave Ramsey, and are in the best financial situation of our lives (and we've been married for 26 years next week). Are we completely debt-free? Not yet - but we will be. And we can pretty much tell you when that's going to happen. Are we set for retirement? Not yet, but we're working the plan - and we will be.

We've made changes for the better in our spending, our saving, our present insurance, our major purchases, and so much more. You see, we got on a plan and we're working the plan. You can do it, too.

And men- a word if I may. For many of us, our wives are just waiting for us to say, "Honey, we need to do this. I'll sign us up." C'mon guys, cowboy up!

At LCC, we're offering multiple FPU classes all week long at both campuses. We've tried to remove as many barriers as possible. But you know the one we can't remove? Your own pride. And pride will keep you from bettering your financial situation. It sounds stupid because it is stupid.

We don't want anything from you; we want something for you. Financial freedom and peace. Yes, you'll have to face some hard facts about your present situation. Yes, it will take discipline. But there is hope! And when you place God first in your finances and receive the freedom that His principles give you, you will sense a tremendous load being lifted in your life! Come on...DO IT!

Click here and register today. You will be SO glad you did!

STILL UNDECIDED? If you'd like some additional information go to www.mylamebankaccount.com. You'll find encouragement, class schedules, and three great personal story video's from our own LCC peeps.