Steven Gibbs

Daraja Choir

The Daraja Choir rocked our face off.  I wish we could all smile and live like these kids. They were incredible.  Thanks to all of you who hosted these kids.  What an experience.  

Alright, we're all busy, so I'll cut to the chase:  

Christmas Eve:  I want to tell you how full the services are, but you may not invite your friends.  Let's just say you better get moving.  Invite your friends, get your free tickets, and you'll see how full we are. 

Giving Table - We've got over 400 bags, representing 14,400 meals!  Nice start.  We're shooting for 1000 bags.  Get your bags and bring them Sunday.

We are having baptism on Sunday and it's not too late to get information and sign up. 

You can contribute to The Gift  and make other year end contributions online.  

Stay tuned, more to come.

Invite with iTunes

On September 7th we’re going to start a churchwide journey of Grace. I see so many people that need to understand why following Christ is unique. They need Grace. Our hope is that as we understand more about grace, God’s grace will capture our lives and our community.

As one way to invite people, we are providing Invite with iTunes. Music plays a large part in our culture because music has the ability to move our lives in a way that simple words cannot accomplish. Music has a way of evoking emotions in us that can transport us to a different place and a different time.

Invite with iTunes utilizes an iTunes invite card that we have created for a free song download to be used to invite others to Stonecreek. Simply pick up a card in our lobby on Sunday morning and give to a friend as an invitation to Stonecreek. The card contains all of the information about our series, as well as a download code and instructions for a free song.

The free download that we are going to use to invite people to experience grace is a song by U2, Grace. This song helps puts into music what mere words cannot communicate.

While U2 wrote a song called Grace, we know U2 didn’t create Grace. It is a gift of God. Invite those you know to not just hear about grace, not just sing about grace, but to experience transforming grace.

Mission Trip

I’m off on Sunday with the high school students to Jamaica. We’ll build houses, and serve with Won by One in Harmons, Jamaica.

Unfortunately, I won’t get any beach time! Please pray for us – that we would be a blessing and that all of us would come back changed by God. This will be an eye-opener for many, and I’m looking forward to how God uses it in my life, and the life of our church.

John Eldredge Event Added

ADDITIONAL EVENT ADDED!
Tuesday, April 15 | 2:30 p.m.
Stonecreek Church Auditorium
Doors will open at 1:30 p.m.
General Admission Tickets: $10 each
Tickets available only at iTickets.com.

This venue will sell out very quickly. Do not delay in purchasing your tickets.

Tuesday, April 15 | 7 p.m.
SOLD OUT
Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Tickets purchased for the 7 p.m. event cannot be exchanged for the 2:30 p.m. event.

Please carpool, as parking is limited.

Student Service

Normally, for Easter, our students come to the adult service with their parents. We do realize that students relate to things just a bit differently. I remember as a student how tough life could be.

Because of that, for Easter we are holding a special student service at the 10:30 hour. They will be kicking off a series entitled, "Free." They have viral marketed this thing all over the place. If you have a student, are a student, know a student, or can find a student, be sure you attend the 10:30 hour, and have your student go to the Student Theater. There are some very special things planned!

Pretty Cool

We’ve got a couple of pretty cool things happening this weekend.

Starting off, we’ll have a special musical guest with us. He was on the road with Little Richard for over 15 years, and has a tremendous turnaround story. I think he can sing a little bit (smile). He’s going to light it up for us.

Also, Argentina is getting baptized. Yes, that would be John Gibbs. Do you want to miss that?

July 4

My big question for the 4th of July is: Which weekend will people be gone for the 4th? Usually July 4 weekend is one of the lowest attended Sundays of the year – possibly 2nd only to New Year’s weekend. I have a sneaking suspicion that people will take advantage of vacation time for both July 1 and July 8.

This week’s topic is The Secret. It’s a best-selling book that has been featured twice on Oprah, as well as tons of other media outlets. We’ll explore how the Bible addresses these issues.

Many people you know have at least heard of this, if not read it. You probably have read it as well. Don’t miss what the Bible has to say. Also, invite someone along with you. We’ll have a great worship set, more of an unplugged feel. We’ll also see a preview of Ginny Owens, our guest for 7/15.

If you are gone for these two weeks, don't forget to check out the podcast and online giving from our website.

Sunday Night Ramblings

Sorry for no post last week. I was at the beach, and I have a no posting allowed policy when I’m at the beach!

Today we announced our Simply Summer schedule for July. In order to give our volunteers a break, and to build into them, we’re going to a special lineup for the 5 Sundays in July. We’ll have one service at 10:00, with some special speakers. This will allow our volunteers to have a no guilt summer, and will give us a chance to build into you guys.

On July 1, we’ll have Charles Lowery. Charles is a nationally known communicator and his topic will be the area of relationships. He will offer some great insight into how to improve your relationships across the board.

On July 15, Ginny Owens will be leading our worship, and offering insight into how God is using her. She's incredibly gifted and her story is amazing.

On July 22, Mike Foster will deal with how to talk to kids about porn. Yeah, it’s a difficult topic. And yeah, we need to be armed. Mike is one of the founding pastors of xxx church, and has been interviewed on many widely known news shows. Definitely a don’t miss event – plan your vacation around it.

We’re pumped to be doing something dramatically different for this summer, as we look towards an aggressive Fall. Thanks for all you do to make a difference. Today was evidence of that during our baptisms.

March Madness Update

Not too much damage to my bracket last night. I’m already out of the East region. I’m a Texas homer, and picked Texas from that region. I’ve still got UCLA from the West, Florida from the Midwest, and Memphis from the South. I’m regretting a couple of those picks, but you never know.

I can’t wait for Easter. Couple of things to note:

We are having a Good Friday Communion Service on April 6, 12 p.m. and three services on Easter Sunday, 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. The following are a few items of note for Stonecreekers.

YOUR PART IN THE MISSION
Based on the attendance patterns we've seen the past couple of years and how full the recent 11 a.m. services have been, we need help from as many people as possible to attend either the 9 a.m. or 12 p.m. service on Easter Sunday. This will help balance out the morning so hopefully all our guests can sit in the main auditorium, alleviating the need for an overflow theater at 10:30 a.m. Also, please arrive early, park at Publix, and ride the shuttle.

VOLUNTEER AT EASTER
We're asking everyone who calls Stonecreek home to serve the first two hours and attend the 12 p.m. service. Splash and Kidzu will meet only at the 9:00 and 10:30 service. We are planning special elements as a part of the 12 p.m. service and will have exclusive access for you and your family to food in our volunteer hospitality room throughout the morning. The 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. services are traditionally the times when newcomers and guests are going to check out Stonecreek and we need your help in making their experience the best one possible.

INVITE SOMEONE TO EASTER SERVICES
Finally, Easter Sunday is a great opportunity to reach out and invite those who are seeking a place to find out more about Christ. The mission we are engaged will only go as far as our ability to invite others. We’re launching a new series, Life In Suburbia. Easter’s topic will be Successful in Suburbia.

We're planning this Easter to be like no other Easter. Thank you again for your help in making the upcoming Easter services at Stonecreek a time when we will truly see our mission of connecting with people and bringing them closer to a relationship with Christ come to life.

Stonecreek at the Movies

This weekend begins “Stonecreek at the Movies.” It will be a great time to examine some topics that we all deal with. From decision making in National Treasure, to listening in Ray, we’ll examine what scripture has to say on these topics and apply our findings to our everyday lives.