A few weeks ago I had the honor of traveling with a group of U.S. missionaries to Beirut, Lebanon to help train pastors from from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq. This was my first time to this special place in the world and honestly, I was a little uneasy about the trip. 

Everyone Has a Story

Meeting pastors and leaders from these Middle Eastern countries was deeply rich and meaningful. These are the pastors and leaders on the front lines of ministry – many literally risking their lives for the Gospel. Every pastor had a story. A story of persecution. A story of endurance. A story of God’s protection and His never-ending grace. These men and women have been shot at, run into by cars, had to flee their countries for a period of time and yet they continue to serve, to pray and to love “their people.” There is a passionate desire people come to know Christ, and they will understand God has them where they are for this purpose.

My Heroes

Kahli (who pastors the largest church in Jordan and just launched a church plant in Iraq), Camille (who leads Heart for Lebanon in Beirut), Mariaf (who leads Youth For Christ), and the list goes on. These are friends and brothers for whom I am most thankful!

Moved by the Spirit

One of my highlights was a special prayer time we had for pastors and leaders of the Church in Syria. Such a powerful picture of Christ’s love as pastors from other countries surrounded their brothers and sisters, laid hands and prayed over them. As I led this prayer time over these faithful servants, I asked God for His protection, peace, presence and purpose. People were praying in different languages, and yet everyone understood. Tears and sobs for loved ones who were in danger and yet resolve to stand firm in the Lord come what may. You could literally feel God’s Spirit. As one person said, “It is in times of persecution that the church truly grows.” God is Sovereign. Our faith, hope and future is in His hands.

Takeaways

Not unlike the other mission trips I've been part of, my time in Beirut reminded me when God calls you to go serve, you are the one who is changed. My understanding of the Middle East will never be the same. My respect for the Christians facing persecution will be more personal. My time in prayer will be more intentional. Also, I have a deeper appreciation for the power of investing in the same place over time. 

All In

This long-term commitment is something Kim Tone, a missionary from Rolling Hills, knows all about. Kim is serving God in Beirut and has just committed to a long-term appointment. It was so good seeing her and celebrating what God is doing through her ministry there. Whether a place like Beirut, South Africa, Moldova, Brazil, or other place, I encourage you to find a country in the world and invest! Be involved in what God is doing here in the U.S. and throughout the world! Lebanon is called the “Gateway to the Middle East,” as God transforms lives there so many other people are being impacted. It is not safe or easy, but God is our Protection and our Provider. He draws us to Himself and then sends us out for His glory! Let’s change the world together!

The kick-off celebration will be at 9:00 am on Saturday morning at the Warehouse and will end with a debrief and wrap-up time at 12:30pm. Any age is welcome as many of the sites are appropriate for families to serve together. Anyone under the age of 14 will need to serve with a parent or other adult.

If you have any questions please contact Jason Hale at jason@rollinghillscommunity.org or 615-861-3663.

To register for Saturday Serve visit: Saturday Serve May 19 Registration

Some of our sites for that day include: Graceworks Ministries, community home visits, WAVES, manual labor teams and more.

Also, there will be a Nashville site for this May 19 Saturday Serve, so if you live a little further out and want to serve closer to home, email Jason for more information!

There is something for everyone, so come out and be the Church in our community!

Join us on this journey in the month of May. Along with the teaching on Sunday Morning, we encourage you to read through the book of Psalms during this series. If you read five Psalms a day, you will complete the entire book in only thirty days. Let's grow and learn together as we mine the richness of God's Word and His Love! May this be "Our Heart's Cry!"

We’re excited to announce that construction began today on our new 6,500 square foot children’s space. As you can see, construction crews didn’t waste any time loading in materials and framing the first section of wall for what will be a large worship area and creative learning space for children.
Nic Allen, Family & Children’s Pastor, and his team of creative minds have been hard at work theming a space that will be inviting, engaging, interactive and fun.

“We're so excited about being able to utilize our curriculum to its fullest potential and our (already incredible) leaders to their fullest potential to give kids the space they need to really engage each other and God's word when they're here,“ Said Nic. "’New and improved’ is always motivating and it will catapult our growth in ways we can't imagine until we get there. We're gonna see God do wild things and wild dreams will come true as we make the move.”

The new children’s space is scheduled to open in August. Thanks to everyone who participated in the “Wildest Dreams 2” campaign in order to make this dream a reality. Check back often to see more building updates. If you’ve yet to take advantage of the opportunity to invest in the next generation through Wildest Dreams 2, you can give online through our secure giving page. Simply select the “Wildest Dreams 2” name from the “purpose” drop down menu. 

As Easter approaches we'd like to share some of our upcoming events that help us prepare our hearts for this amazing day of the year when we celebrate Christ's resurrection. Share this electronic invitation below with your friends or loved ones and let's all celebrate together! 

Last evening, Best Buddies and Rolling Hills Community Church Student Ministry paired together to further the campaign “Spread the Word to End the Word” through a carnival and concert. About 150 people came out to enjoy this evening complete with carnival-themed food, games, inflatables and live music.  The event was held to increase awareness and end the use of the R word, “retard(ed).”  Upon entering the WareHouse, everyone was asked to sign the pledge to “Spread the Word to End the Word” on a large banner. 

After signing the pledge, the attendees enjoyed typical carnival-themed games, balloon animals, and even a show put on by a magician. (The kids really enjoyed that!) Everyone then went into the auditorium where a live band was playing songs for everyone to dance and sing along.  

Following a few songs, a Best Buddies “pair” came to the stage to discuss their friendship and how the program has positively affected their lives.

Our South Africa Team is having a wonderful time of ministry as we minister to the people of Red Hill. 
Below is an excerpt from first-timer and Preschool Minister, Sara Ingmire after their first full day last Friday:
 
We are all feeling so blessed to be able to serve here!
Yesterday afternoon, we spent time at Living Hope's facilities, where we were trained on all of the different parts of their ministry. There are an incredible number of ways that Living Hope is reaching out into the community! We were able to tour their healthcare facility where the Living Care arm serves people from the community with chronic illnesses such as HIV and TB. We also had a chance to tour the facilities for Living Way, an arm of Living Hope that helps equip people with economic and job skills so they can learn to support themselves.
 
Today, our team was honored to host a retreat for all of the Life Skills Educators who work for Living Hope. We wanted to take time to pour into people who day in and day out give so much of themselves to the people they serve. So, we all took a trip to the Camp Bay Beach to spend the morning by the ocean. We were able to spend a lot of time in fellowship, including a soccer game on the beach. During the afternoon, Ethan and I also had the opportunity to take pictures of each of the Life Skills Educators and write down their individual prayer requests to bring back to Rolling Hills with us. That part of the day was most inspiring for me, as we heard from people over and over asking for prayers to do the best job they can for God, for inspiration in their work, and for the people that they serve. The Life Skills Educators we had the privilege of working with today are so passionate about serving people and helping make their communities a better place for this generation and generations to come.
 
Overall, this trip has already been amazing. I am learning so much from the people here, especially about what it means to follow God's call with my life. Please keep our team, the staff and volunteers at Living Hope, and the communities they serve in your prayers as we continue our journey.
 
Be sure to follow all their updates on the Missions Blog. There are some great pictures, too!