Do List

Write letter for Church Directory.
Develop "The Plan"
Plan Mission and Ministry Night
Prepare for Men's Bible Study
Prepare for Wednesday Night Bible Study
Work on Sermon
Write Article for Newsletter
Do Andy's Update
Blog
Promote Spring Bible Conference
Call  L.I.
Call C. L
Call M.W.
Call J. P.
Prepare for Staff Meeting

To Save A Life

Last Friday night our new Young Adult Sunday School Class was out on a group Valentine’s date. While we were laughing it up - about to eat our dinner, a lady at the next table began to choke. She was turning purple, and without a doubt dying quickly. Three of our guys, Josh, Kyle, and Desmond rushed to her aid, and thanks to their fast thinking she is alive today. In fact Kyle (an officer on the Tulsa PD) talked to her a few nights ago, and she said she was 95 years old, doing fine, and thankful to be alive.



I used this as an illustration last Sunday in my sermon to drive home the point that we all need to be ready to step in and save a life. My thoughts however don’t just end at saving a physical life. I am thinking more in line of sharing Jesus with our friends, family and neighbors so they might believe in Him and have eternal life. The lady who was saved on Friday night will like all of us someday knock at deaths door again.


What if our three guys would have said:


• No, saving that lady choking is not our responsibility.


• What if Kyle would have refused because he wasn’t on duty?


It would have been unthinkable to let her perish because we were busy doing our own thing.


What a great snap-shot what is happening in many of our churches today. We are busy having our parties, events, and programs, and people around us are dying without Christ…every day.

I am sure God will give you the opportunity to share your faith this week.  Be bold and courageous, and sieze that opportunity.

aj

Unity

And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said,
"Sovereign Lord"...

Acts 4:24

Let me just say...and I can because it's my blog...I am excited about many things at Riverview right now, but the one thing I am most excited about is the sense of unity and harmony in the church.  Even though we have gone to 2 Worship Services and 2 Sunday Schools UNITY is increasing.  Why?  Because unity in the Body of Christ is not about proximity to one another.  It is about relationship with Jesus, and His people.

Philippians 1:7

It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

Paul loved the Philippian Church like no other, and even though he was in prison in Rome their live did not diminish.  In fact it grew.

Philippians 1:8

ForGod is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

An old friend of mine at my church in Blackwell...whom I love with great affection, used to always say, "It's about the love Andy, it's all about the love."  THE LOVE is the love of Jesus we have for one another.

On top of this please know that it begins with the pastoral staff at RBC.  We love each other.  I am so blessed to serve with the people God has placed in our fellowship.  Each of them are gifted specially for the ministry God has called them to at Riverview, they are committed to God and this church to the Nth degree, and they love you too.

What an awesome church.  Not because we have the best programs, buildings, or events.  It's because we got the love baby...we got the love.

Love,  Andy

PS - I didn't make the connection to Valentines day until right now.  Cool.

Pressure

Today I feel pressure.  It seems I have much more to do than I have time...pressure.  It is easy to get caught up in the "busyness" of life and ministry, but I have to discipline myself to not neglect the MOST IMPORTANT THING:  Time with Jesus.

Luke 10:41-42

But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

I know many of you can relate, and the truth is...we can't wish our way to a quiet time, and focusing on God and the things of God won't fall into our laps like an apple falling from a tree.  We will have to work for it.  I am going to stop everything right now and seek the Lord.  Everything I HAVE to do will be right here on my desk when I get back, the world will still be spinning, and I won't be any further behind than I am right now.  The only difference is, I will have quenched a thirst that is only satisfied in Christ.

Slow down, and have a great day.

aj

Looking Ahead at Riverview

I’ve tried to think of an analogy to accurately reflect my thoughts on 2009, and Riverview’s potential in 2010. One person called 2009 the ‘Perfect Storm’ of change for our church. An entirely new staff, a building project, and a programming change all culminating in January 2009. That’s a pretty good analogy, but I don’t want to give the impression that what happened at RBC in 2009 was bad. God has used all we have gone through to prepare us for future ministry, and challenges.

Someone else related to me that from their ‘insider’ experience at Riverview, RBC is more like a schizophrenic church; meaning there were five different churches trying to meet together in the same building. I could see a lot of truth in that, but from our study in Ephesians, we know it never works that way. We (the church) are one body in Christ, and to divide the body is to kill it. (Ephesians 2:16 & 4:4)

Instead of these two analogies I would like to suggest that Riverview is more like a person who is maturing and growing, and who sometimes goes through what my mom used to call ‘growing pains’. Riverview was born in 1954. When we were a young church we grew like a young child…fast. Within ten years the church had grown from zero to over one hundred. In the next ten years it grew by another hundred. In the adolescent years of the church it stayed much the same, but in its young adult life RBC grew tremendously. By the end of Pastor L.M. Woodson’s tenure the church was turning forty –five years old, and had grown to average four hundred in attendance.

Then came the MLC…the mid-life-crisis. Pastor Brad, Bro. Aaron, Mike, and Charles all arrived at Riverview at an awkward time in the life of our church and community. God placed them as Pastors at Riverview during a difficult time of transition, and they did a great job leading RBC into the new millinea, which I think is pretty symbolic of their ministry years at Riverview. They led Riverview from one distinct phase in life to the next. Also during this time, up through the present, Bixby has been growing like crazy, so we have had to discern who we are in our fast changing community. We have had to answer questions like, how do we keep the older folks who have been here for thirty years happy, and at the same time reach all the new young people moving into our area? Or, how do we keep up with the new and exciting churches that are being planted all around us without sacrificing our core values? Grappling with questions like these and hundreds more have led me to understand Riverview has simply gone through another stage in the life of a church. Over the last several years RBC had a church-wide mid-life-crisis.

A mid-life-crisis is an identity crisis. When men go through this they are trying to figure out who they are, and it often leads to a career change, a gold necklace, and a corvette. When a church goes through it, we imitate the churches around us, adopt ministry methods that don’t fit us (in an attempt to be relevant), and we usually alienate church members on both ends of the spectrum. Riverview has had it’s MLC, and now we are ready to move forward; accepting who we are, as God intended us to be, to be used by Him and for His glory to reach our community for Christ.

So where do we go from here?

Get Comfortable In Our Own Skin. Let’s just be happy with who we are in Christ. Riverview is God’s Church, and He loves His Church. He is building His Church, and the gates of Hell cannot prevail against His Church. Instead of trying to be something we are not, Riverview will simply be the Church God has called us to be.


Commit to Sound Doctrine. Preach the Bible. Teach the Bible. Live out the Bible.


Commit To Being The Best. Let’s be the best Door Greeters, Sunday School Teachers, Hand-Shakers, and Meal Takers out there. We should be the best at welcoming new people into the flock, and we should be the best ministering to the needs of others. I want Riverview members to be the best at a participating in worship, not just showing up to watch. If you are a Youth Sponsor, give it your all. If you teach in Children’s or Preschool Sunday School, do it whole-heartedly. If you are an Adult Director, please realize how important your job is. To everyone else - get involved, find a place to serve, and give God your best.

NO GRUMBLING. Please don’t complain to the people in your circle of influence. Be a positive influence with them. If you have a genuine concern talk to one of us pastors about it. Maybe we can explain why we do what we do. Getting mad and grumbling never does any good. It doesn’t make you feel better, and it doesn’t solve any problems. Not to mention grumbling and complaining are not the Christian way to handle disagreements.


Embrace Evangelism. Evangelism is one of the keys that will unlock the future of Riverview. Pray and ask God to place people on your heart to pray for them to be saved. Then pray and ask God to give you opportunities to share your faith with the people you are praying for.


Live Missionally. Living missionally goes hand and hand with evangelism. People will most likely not hear you message if your life does not back up what you say. Living missionally means to always be watching for opportunities in your daily life that will open a door for you to serve another person in the name of Christ with the hopes of sharing your faith with them on a personal level.

God Bless You Riverview.  You know I love you, and I love being your pastor....Have a great Year!!!!     aj

This Preacher's Life

I feel like a Bible Dictionary. Probably...more like the Cliff's Notes version, but a source for Bible facts and data none the less. But that is not what I am supposed to be doing. I am supposed to teach, no, scratch that, I'm supposed to show people how to live. My teaching should be an overflow of my heart, and my time with God.

I feel like an 'Ambulance Chaser'- No offence any friend I might have who is an AC. My flock - like most - think my highest calling is to know who is sick, who is in what hospital, and to be there before anyone else. I love my church family, and want to be there when they are hurting, but I can't seem to make it happen. My pastoral care should be the overflow of my heart, and my time with God.

I feel like a CEO. I really struggle with being the Administrator of a religious organization. Instead, I want to be a part of a living organism. A Body. The Body. All I can say about this is, I may not be the best, but I could be a whole lot worse. Anyway - my administration should be from the overflow of my heart, and my time with God.

So...if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go spend some time with God.

aj

Choir Rehearsal

Just got through practicing for the Christmas Musical. I really enjoy singing in the choir. I always have. When I was a kid at the First UMC Church in Lamont, Oklahoma I would sing with the adult choir. Me, Gilly (He was the preacher), Glenn Webster, and Rod Reese made up the men's section. Diana Reese, Syble Webster, Cynthia Waddell, and Ada (The preacher's wife)...and some other made up the ladies section. Those are some awesome memories. There was an old guy named Merle Hardwick too. He used to call me...never mind...I would never hear the end of it if I told you. He sang too. I know I'm forgetting some people, but we practiced every Sunday Morning at about 9:00. I was usually a few minutes late, and a little under pitch, but I loved it...

Anyway. I just got out of Choir practice, and I am so thankful I get to sing for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

aj