We have been praying for months now for God to bless us with a name for our church plant. He has answered our prayers!

Revolution Church
Changing Hearts, Changing Lives, Changing the World

Revolution literally means: A total or radical change; as, a revolution in one's circumstances or way of living.

God has called us to plant a church; that is, to be missionaries to our culture. (video link)

We are called to reach the pre-Christians (to steal Jay's term). This is not going to be a church for the already churched to attend because they are not happy where they currently attend. We are on mission to impact the culture to show Christ to those that do not know Him.

Please add Revolution Church to your prayer list. We will share more in the weeks to come! ...Hang with us!!!

With all the buzz about our big announcement (and for the last time, Susanne IS NOT PREGNANT)... Susanne and I realized that we had never had a sit down with the two oldest kids to tell them about the church plant.

We feel at age 8 and 6, they are old enough to understand what is going on. It was truly an awesome family time where we explained that God has called our family to be missionaries to Florence, SC... Just like the ones that they learn about in R.A. and G.A. class. They were both so excited about it. (and a hint... they both were SOOOOOO excited about the big announcement...)

Emilee blessed me so much! She said "Dad, does that mean you are going to be a preacher?" I told her yes. She then told me with a gleam in her eyes and smile on her face... "Dad, you are going to be the best preacher in the world!"

Talk about melt your heart!!!

This morning was church (Men's Day). I enjoy hearing the testimony of men where Jesus Christ has ROCKED THEIR WORLD!!! Then Mike Blackmon shared a message on how the Holy Spirit is always there for us... to carry our baggage, just like a Porter does when boarding a train. Wow... Did I need to hear that!

We went to get Sam from Columbia and while there, decided to stop in a check out Dustin over at MidTown. We even participated in the Lord's Supper! Thanks Dustin for such a wonderful message... Even if it was the NyQuil talking! BTW: They have such a cool kid's area!!! My three young'uns did not want to leave! The amazing thing was, the teachers did not want them to leave either. Emilee had to hug several girls she met tonight before leaving!

It is 10:42 and fast approaching bed time... so to wrap up a wonderful weekend, I want to leave you with this...

I PROMISE!!! PROMISE!!! Tomorrow you can find out the big announcement right here at ChrisReeder.com.

I am reading another great book by Andy Stanley called Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication. I am getting close to completing it and wanted to share a few WOW statements!!!

• You can learn a lot from a truck driver named Will.
• ME, WE, GOD, YOU, WE (Read the book to learn what in the world that means...)
• "An audience has to buy into the messenger before they buy into the message. You know from your own experience that if there is something that bugs you about the communicator it's difficult to engage with their content. This is especially true if they don't seem genuine. A lack of genuineness makes it difficult to trust a speaker."
• "Before we stand to deliver a message we must OWN it."
• "I find something very disingenuous about the speaker who says, "This is very, very important," and then reads something from his notes."

I really enjoy reading Andy's books. Trying to decide between one of these books to read next... Any thoughts?

• Creating Community: Five Keys to Building a Small Group Culture by Andy Stanley and Bill Willits
• unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons
• The Purpose-Driven Church by Rick Warren
• Making Vision Stick (Leadership Library) by Andy Stanley
• Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller

Which book should be my next book for a very early in planning Church Planter? If you have a great list or recommendation, please share. I want to learn and get the most BANG for my time reading!

I really wish there were more good books on CD/Tape!!!

I will fall in with Jay and Michael for this week's Friday Five.

Here are Five Pastors I'd love to meet:

1. Craig Groeschel would have to be my #1. He has challenged me with sermons and these two quotes that totally changed my life! We should all ask ourselves these questions.
1. If money were no object, and I could do anything I wanted for the rest of my life, what would I do?
2. Besides loving, caring for, and ministering to those most important to me, what is the number one thing that I believe God wants to accomplish through me?
2. Perry Noble: He is a must meet. I must confess though... I did meet him at Unleashed for about 30 seconds (that does not count). My boss asked him how he was doing before his first session to which he replied... "I am fixin' to throw UP!" As much as I talk about him and share how he challenged me with these two quotes, he is definitely on my list...
1. What is the one thing you know God wants you to do–but you constantly refuse because, in order to be obedient you would have to be willing to get uncomfortable?
2. What would you be willing to attempt for God if you knew you could not fail?
3. Michael Lukaszewski: His blog has challenged me and continues to do so. I shared about Michael last week in my Friday Five. (Man Michael, I must be your Tony Morgan or something!)
   
4. Mark Batterson: He appears so humble and so in love with his family. I can so relate with that. Be sure to check out his Lion Chasers Manifesto! And if you have not read In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day: How to Survive and Thrive When Opportunity Roars you are missing out! That is a MUST READ!!!
   
5. Andy Stanley: He is also one of those humble leaders that get the job done. What would be really neat would be to sit and talk with both he and his dad about how their methodologies are so different but the message is the same.

Maybe I will meet a few of them at either ChurchPlanters.com The Conference or Unleashed 2008!

I wanted to take a quick sec to address a thought that I know a lot of you are thinking after the post yesterday....

The announcement is...

Susanne is pregnant!!!

Just kidding!!!

Susanne is most definitely NOT PREGNANT!!!

Stay tuned for the real announcement...

We have a big announcement to make!

I do want to caution you though!

Hang on tight...

Brace yourselves...

Hold your breath...

Ok... might better not hold your breath...

Now that you are on the edge of your seat...

You will have to wait a while longer...

I just had to do it... could not resist.

Seriously, we will be sharing with the world a big announcement within the next couple of days! Stay tuned!

FYI: If you are not already subscribed to my wife's blog... you need to be! SHE IS DA' BOMB!!!

You heard me! He can have his I-V!

I will take one of these!!!

Happy Birthday to the most Beautiful EIGHT year old girl in the world! Daddy's very proud of you!

Jason and Donna Foster, two of our dearest friends, continue to need our/your prayers.

"Please pray that she learns that the bottle is no longer her enemy! I have to praise God for all His faithfulness and all of His blessings. We have been through the fire but Jesus has been that unfailing "fourth Man in the fiery furnace" once again." --Donna Foster

Please visit Rachel's Story for the latest on their journey.

I am sure they would appreciate your encouragement and prayers for Rachel and Samantha (Rachel's big sister) very much.

1. Great Quote from Erwin McManus, from ChristianToday.com, on why churches are declining in America... because they are self-centered.:
   “My primary assessment would be because American Christians tend to be incredibly self-indulgent so they see the church as a place there for them to meet their needs and to express faith in a way that is meaningful for them... there is almost no genuine compassion or urgency about serving and reaching people who don’t know Christ."
2. The Chart on the right is very eye opening. The SBC is losing the younger evangelicals (18-39 years old). More details and graphs here. I will leave it up to you for the reasons... (credit: Ed Stetzer)
3. http://www.dumpyourjunk.net
   What a great idea from Steven Gibbs & Staff @ StoneCreek Church!!!
4. I am really diggin this guy (Michael Lukaszewski) and Oak Leaf Church. I gotta plan a trip down to Cartersville, Georgia. Here's a few reasons why...
• Current series... "Google". How awesome is that... they are addressing fame, sex, politics, and money.
• Last weeks message was titled "Great Sex". Oh no! He talked about SEX in church!!!
• They share their resources at their church blog: http://behindtheleaf.wordpress.com
• And where they get "stuff" to make ministry excellent.
• Involve the youth (Student Ministry @ Oak Leaf Church)
  "the main reason that teenagers leave the church after high school is because they were never part of the church in the first place."
5. It is an awesome site to see how God has taken willing servants of God and grow His Church... Check out this site for a great testimony of what God is capable of doing...

If you are in South Carolina: Don't forget to vote in the Republican Primary this Saturday, January 19th (a special day... for special someone... more on that later). Or, if I must, the 民主党主要 on January 26th. (hint... that is Chinese!)

Here is a great post about mentoring:

Mentoring is a more formalized way that believers can help each other. A mentor is a tutor, somewhere between a friend and a teacher. A mentor offers the wisdom of his or her experience to another, helping them to mature.

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance (definition: the look or expression of the face) of his friend.

Thanks Dean!

Saturday, January 12th, 2008, 11:07 AM: Chris & Susanne Reeder FINALLY WAKE UP and GET OUT OF BED!

Can you say... "Thank you GiGi and PawPaw (my mom & dad) for keeping the kids this weekend! This was much needed rest.

So now... off to a busy day! Now where is my coffee!

Wow!

“Don’t just plant a church - transform a city!”

This is exactly what God has called us to do! We pray that we, through Christ, will transform Florence, SC and the entire Pee Dee Area of South Carolina! We don't just want to plant a church... but show the love of Christ so He can transform their lives!

Not sure who said it originally... Thanks J.R. sharing.

It is 1:33 AM, January 11th, 2008. Susanne and I just completed our PLACE assessment for the SC Baptist Convention (the next step in our church planting process).

Yeee Haaaaa!!!!

I will share more later... Off to bed!

Please pray for us... We  both have to get up early in the morning and have full day ahead of us...

I know... it is Thursday night... Close enough... tomorrow will be busy...

Thursday nights are Family Night. Nothing but family on Thursday nights. (Schedule is clear)

I have to share the top 5 items that happened during our family night devotion (They have been about God's Promises all week).

1. When asked, How does this make you feel: "God watches over people who do what's right? (Psalm 1:6)
   Jake responded with a mouth full of garlic bread... "That don't make me feel so good because sometimes I am BAD!"
2. When asked, How does this make you feel: "God will help you." (Isaiah 41:13)
   Jake responded... "That's not always true, because when I am cleaning up my room.. God doesn't even pick up one toy!"
3. When asked, How does this promise make you feel: "You will live with Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:11)
   Jake said, "That makes me feel fantastic... because I'm going to be real surprised when I get up to that Heaven!!"
4. After I prayed... Sam said he wanted to pray too... "Dear Jesus, please help... " and he went down the list... then again... then again... Needless to say... Our family is prayed up!!  Mrs. Russell (his teacher) took home the trophy... he prayed for her EIGHT times!!
5. After our time of devotion was over, and Sam finally finished his marathon of a prayer, Emilee exclaimed..."YES!!! Now we can play the Wii!!".

If you and your family do not have a family night... I encourage you to set aside a single night (more if you want), to spend time to study God's word and pray as a family. If you do not already have a devotion book... Day by Day Devotions: A year of character building devotions for kids by Karyn Henley is a great one!