A Kingdom Mindset...RCC/Mosaic Church Merger

Wow, what an exciting time at RCC! As Pastor Keith finished up his series on Destiny this month, he made an exciting announcement regarding the direction and future of RCC. If you know Pastor Keith at all, you know that his desire for RCC is that we operate with a Kingdom Mindset. A mindset that isn't interested in personal glory, but in being effective at bringing glory to God in all aspects of what we do. He began seeking God's direction as he reflected on Race City Church. He asked himself, are we being as effective as possible for the Kingdom of God. His conclusion - while RCC has certainly been effective for the Kingdom, we have been and continue to be limited in the resources needed (people/finances/etc.) to have a greater impact for the Kingdom. This assessment left us with only a couple of options...stay as we are and continue even though we knew our impact was not as great as it could be or find a way to put our church body in the position to impact the Kingdom in a greater capacity. Pastor Keith began praying and seeking out opportunities. That search led him to meet with Naeem Fazal the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Church, Charlotte, NC. God showed up and through a series of meetings and much prayer, both became confident of the fact that we were to become one body working together to affect the Kingdom.

Well, It's official! Sunday, October 7th, Pastor Keith announced that RCC was merging with Mosaic Church. The response of our church family has been incredible! We have the greatest group of people with such a heart to do God's will. With the exception of a couple of families whose drive would simply be too far (and who we will miss greatly), our entire body has made the transition. God has so ordained this transition that there has not been a single negative response. While it is most certainly an emotional time for us all, we are so excited about the future and what a wonderful opportunity this will be for us to continue growing and serving together.

Our first Sunday at Mosaic was October 14th. We were so blessed by the response of the congregation at Mosaic to the merger. In a world where so many churches close their doors everyday due to financial strain, disunity in the body, and more, we pray that God will use this merger as an incredible example of Unity in the Body and a true Kingdom Mindset.

Women's Discipleship - Fall Bible Study

We are excited to announce that Thursday, September 6th, we will begin our new Women's Discipleship study for the fall. You are invited to explore the Fruit of the Spirit as we walk through Beth Moore's study, "Living Beyond Yourself". The study will end Thursday, November 15th.

Using session titles like "A Composite of Peculiar Patience," "Gentle Giants," and "The Crucible of Self Control," Beth will walk us through each trait listed in the Fruit of the Spirit passage from Galations 5:22-23 and teaches what they look like in the day-to-day challenges of life.

The study will be held from on Thursday mornings from 9:45-12:00noon at the RCC building. Childcare will be available. Cost will be $14.95+tax for your member book. If you are interested in participating in the study, please sign up in the RCC Cafe'. Money for member books is due by Sunday, August 26th. Cash and checks are accepted and should be given to Mandy Devine. Please make checks payable to Race City Church. All ladies are welcome! Feel free to invite your friends to join us!

Questions?? Contact Ashleigh Andersen, Mandy Devine, or Jen Staring...

RCC Potluck Postponed

Unfortunately, the RCC Potluck scheduled for Saturday, August 18th, at Jack and Geri Gardner's home has been postponed. It will be rescheduled as soon as possible, Jack and Geri look forward to having everyone at their home. More details to come...

It’s Party Time!!!

You are invited to participate in the RCC Pot Luck, hosted by the Tuesday night Life Group. It will be held at the home of Jack and Geri Gardner on Saturday, August 18th at 1:00pm. Bring your favorite dish to share and don’t forget your swimsuits! Everyone is welcome. Sign-up sheets will be located on the information table in the café. Hope to see you all there!

Here is our new series in Youth Group. It has been a lot of fun so far, especially with a little fire sauce from Taco Bell added!

First Wednesday - August 1st, 7:00pm

Join us this Wednesday, August 1st, for our First Wednesday celebration. First Wednesday is a journey to the heart of God through the experience of powerful music, passionate prayer, and the observance of communion. We hope to see you there!

Missions 2007 - Dominican '08 Update

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the RCC Missions Fundraising event. All donations, support and hard work are very much appreciated. We had a good turnout and there will be more opportunities to get involved in being a part of our upcoming Missions trip to the Dominican Republic.

Team Schedule for August:

August 16, Thursday ~ Team Meeting - Team Unity @ RCC, 7:00pm – 8:30pm

August 18, Saturday ~ Team Project – Habitat for Humanity, 7:00am – 5:00pm

August 30, Thursday ~ Team Meeting - Spiritual Warfare @ RCC,
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Please make note of these dates and times and we’ll see you then!

Jamie Wells, Missions Coordinator
Matthew 28:19-20

What Part Do I Have?

Have you ever felt as though you weren’t good enough? Like you have absolutely nothing to add to those around you or to life in general? As believers, we learn that we are all many members of just one Body. Sounds a little strange doesn’t it? It’s easy to want to be the “important” part of the body. But what are the important parts? The eyes or the arms or maybe the legs. Have you ever tried to imagine your arms without hands, or your hands without fingers, or your fingers without nails? What about the ligaments, muscles and bones that enable us to move? What about our eyes? Not having eyelids would dry your eyes up and there would be no use for them. Eyelashes help keep your eyes safe from dust and things that may damage them as well. You see, these may seem like tiny things, but they are the parts that hold us together, they make us who we are.

Take a car for instance. You can have this beautiful, fully loaded, top of the line car of your dreams. There’s one problem; you can’t drive it. It’s missing a fuse. Or, you’re driving on the highway and all of a sudden your tires go flying off the road. Why? You were missing a couple of lug nuts. You may be wondering, how could this happen to such a great car? It has everything it takes to make the perfect vehicle. How could such small, insignificant parts cause it to not start or run properly? Well, it’s simple; it’s missing a very important element. It is what completes the car. The whole car suffers because it lacks those “small” components.

The same is true for us. We may feel that just because we’re not teaching, preaching, or singing, we have nothing to offer. That is completely untrue. It’s the small parts that keep us together. No one is unimportant or insignificant in the Body of Christ.

There are three things that are taught in 1 Corinthians 12:12-30:

1. God has set each member in the body as He pleases…(v.18)
2. We need each other…(v.21)
3. If one member suffers, we all suffer, if one is honored, we all rejoice…(v.26)

So, yes, we are all very different, but we all need each other to function just as God intended. It takes us “small” folks to make sure the “big” things are accomplished.

A Huge Thank You!

Thank you so much for the thoughts, prayers, and blessings that have been poured out on our family over the last couple weeks. We can't say thank you enough for the calls, visits, meals, and help we have received since Pastor Keith's accident. We are so blessed to be part of such a caring family here at RCC. You guys are great and we love and appreciate each of you so much!

Please continue to pray for Pastor Keith's full recovery as we move forward with doctors regarding his injuries.

See you all Sunday! All our Love - Pastor Keith, Mandy, & Ella Grace

Sunday Night at the Visulite

After having the opportunity to hear Pastor Naeem Fazal share his personal testimony at RCC May 20th, we decided to take a group to visit Mosaic Church for their Sunday night service at the Visulite Theatre in uptown Charlotte. Mosaic is currently doing a sermon series called "Religion for Dummies" exploring the world's top three religions (Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity). In this series, Pastor Naeem answers the questions: How are they alike? How are they different? and How do we know which one is THE ONE? Sunday Night he taught on the religion of Islam and Pastor Naeem and his sister shared about their experience growing up as a Muslim family in Pakistan. We had a great time , enjoyed the service, and certainly walked away with a better understanding of Islam.

If you did not have the opportunity ot join us and would like to hear Pastor Naeem's teaching on Islam, check out Mosaic here...the podcast should be available soon.

If you attended the service, we would love to hear your comments!

Habitat for Humanity Missions Project

A huge shout out to the 16 volunteers who traveled to Monroe for a Habitat for Humanity Project today! It was a great day filled with small projects for the retail store and then heading out to a homesite to help with the construction of a new home. Paint, foam board, Tyvek, plastic sheeting, trusses, nails, staple guns, knives, hammers...all part of the day. It was a blast and everyone did an awesome job! Thanks for giving of your time and reprensenting Christ and RCC so well!

By the way, if you couldn't make it this time, make plans to join us for our next missions project! And don't forget to ask about the dirty RCC t-shirt contest...be sure to wear yours!

TRACK 301 - Discovering My Ministry

God didn't design ministry for just the few with seminary degrees. We believe that every member of our church is a minister. In TRACK 301, you'll learn how God can use your SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experience) to minister to others.

From what I'm hearing, our current TRACK 301 seminar ROCKS! I've heard rumors it's giving TRACK 201 a run for it's money...If you haven't attended the 301 seminar, don't miss it next time it's offered. Come discover what God has for you!

If you are currently attending TRACK 301, we'd love to hear your comments!

RCC Q&A Mission Meeting Scheduled

If you have any questions about the upcoming Dominican Mission trip coming up next spring or about anything about RCC Missions in general, there is an informal meeting scheduled @ the church on Friday, May 11th @ 7:00 p.m. Call Jamie @ 828-638-8816 or contact by e-mail @ stinkysbaitcompany@yahoo.com for details.

He's Got Radioactive Blood!

Friday, May 4th at 7pm at Race City Church! Bring your bible and sleeping (yeah, right!) bag for a night of fun, games and your friendly neighborhood Spiderman!
You can even come dressed as your favorite superhero! (I think that Sleepyman or woman is a great option!)
Your bible will be necessary as we check out the powers God has given us. We don’t even have to be bitten by a spider to get them! We will be watching Spiderman 1 and 2 which are rated pg13 for Stylized violence. On Saturday, May 5th we will be attending the first showing of Spiderman 3 at the AmStar cinemas in Mooresville.
You will need money for the movie and snacks. All other food is provided!

Oh Yeah! This is a Youth event, so all of you adults who want to be with us meet us at the theatre Saturday Morning for the first Spiderman 3 showing!

RCC Missions

There's a lot to talk about!!! The dates for out next Dominican Republic (DR) Trip have been set. We will be leaving on Saturday, Jan. 19th of 2008 and returning on Sunday, Jan. 27th. The total cost of the trip will be $800 which will include everything but some personal spending money. It may seem like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it, and there are a lot of things to do to be prepared for this adventure. A RCC Mission Trip Team Application must be turned with a 10% deposit by Sunday, May 27th to participate on this trip. Applications will be available on the information table @ the church. Passports are required on this trip. A shedule of team member information meetings to prepare for the trip will be posted soon. If you need information about getting a Passport or have any other questions, contact Jamie @ 828-638-8816 or @ stinkysbaitcompany@yahoo.com.

On Saturday, May 19th- we are volunteering to help Habitat For Humanity do some work.
We will be leaving the church @ 7:00 a.m. that morning and traveling to Monroe, NC to work from 8:30 till about 3:30, putting us back home around 5:00. General tools such as hammers and gloves can be taken, but there are some tools there we can use. You will need to plan on buying lunch in Monroe. (Depending on the progress of the houses being built, we may be doing a variety of jobs such as landscaping, framing or working the the Habitat Resale Store )

There is intrest in doing an overnight outreach this summer while school is out that would be family friendy. (Leave Friday morning - work - stay overnight - work Saturday and drive back home ) If you know of a need within driving distance that RCC could help out with this summer, please contact Jamie.

Don't forget to bring items to put in the barrel in the back of the sanctuary @ church for the Christian Mission!!!!

RCC Rewind

What a great day at RCC!

Word Worship - Chris did an awesome job teaching on prayer from an Ephesians 1 perspective. What hit me most was that our prayers for one another need to be geared toward spiritual growth...not so focused on the circumstances in life, but more so on how we can come to know God better through each circumstance. Questions to ask...Do I know God more today than yesterday? Am I connecting with Him through prayer or just going through the motions? Am I striving to connect with God and am I connecting with others and praying for them to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ?

Musical Worship - Simply stated...It ROCKED! It was great to have Jason, Donna, and Jesse jammin' with us! Sounded awesome, but most importantly it moved us right to the feet of Jesus. I walked away celebrating this incredible freedom I've been given.

Freedom comes through salvation and,

"There's only one name under heaven, whereby you must be saved".

JESUS!

M. Devine

GORCC (Youth Ages 11 - 18)

Come hang with us!
5-7pm Sundays

God.Others.Relationships.Character.Community.

For more information, contact our Youth Pastor, Chris Andersen.

Missions 2007 - Africa Missions (update)

God is certainly a God of provision! Alan & Tywonn Davidson have reached the $4500 mark in fund raising for their upcoming trip to Nairobi. They are still in need of an additional $500+ to cover some final expenses. Check out their website for their recent update and the new blogs they have posted. www.thedavidsonmission.com Continue to keep Alan & Tywonn in your prayers.

Ephesians Series

Over the next couple of weeks, Chris Andersen will be continuing our current sermon series "Ephesians - Beauty & the Believer". This series focuses on the beauty God has placed in all of us. When we obey God we can fulfill the potential for our lives. In the weeks to come, Pastor Keith & Chris will lead us in the discovery of the beauty of God's goodness in our lives, as we walk through the book of Ephesians.

Missions 2007 - Dominican Republic (update)

Pastor Keith & Jamie will be returning from the Dominican on Monday, April 16th. Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they work with Paul & Sharyn Branson on plans for a future partnership with Race City Church. Pray for safe travel home and for times of reflection and revelation for them both throughout the week.

I'm Every Woman! New Testament Study (reminder)

The new study begins Thursday, April 19th and Sunday, April 22nd and runs for six weeks. If you have not yet paid your registration fees, please contact Lori Ahuna to confirm your interest in the Study!

Cost is $15.00 for new participants and $12.00 if you already have a binder from Session 1. Registration fees are due by Sunday, April 1st. Thursday Morning Group meets 9:45am - 12:00noon at the Ahuna home. Sunday Evening Group meets 4:45pm - 7:00pm at the Race City Church building. No pre-requisite required.

See you there!!

Easter Rewind

Easter Sunday was a great service walking us through Old Testament prophecy of the death and resurrection of Christ. Scripture, video, monologues by Peter and Mary Magdalene, awesome music...what a great way to reflect on the incredible work of grace and reconciliation God provided so that we could be in right relationship with him. I've been reminded all week of what an awesome and loving God we serve!
M. Devine

Seder Meal Reflections

Wow! Easter was awesome at RCC this year. We started with our First Wednesday celebration of the Passover as we experienced the traditional Jewish Seder. The Seder, a reminder to the Jewish community of their deliverence from slavery, is especially celebrated for the children. How interesting to experience the response to God's command, "On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt"(Ex. 13:8).

The question I have come to ask in reflection is, "How are we as parents sharing with our children all that the Lord has done for us?" I want my child to know the Lord and all his goodness. I desire to reflect that goodness to everyone I cross paths with, but most importantly my children. We, as individuals and the Church as a whole, (whether we have children of our own or not) have been entrusted with the spiritual growth of our children. How seriously do we take that responsibility? What are we doing to teach them the love of Christ and how to share it with others? I look at myself, realizing that it starts with me at a personal level, and say, " I could do so much more." I think I'll start today! Will you join me?

M. Devine

Financial Seminar - "Out of Debt in Seven Years"

Sign up Today!!
Saturday, April 28th, 2007...9am-1pm. Financial freedom CAN be a reality in your life! Find out more at RCC's upcoming seminar, "Out of Debt in Seven Years"! Take an honest look at your financial situation, better understand the power of debt, and discover how to make your finances work for you by setting a budget that will allow you to achieve financial freedom. Email rccnews@windstream.net to sign up today...or sign up at church Sunday!

Welcome!

Welcome to the Race City Church Staff Blog. Our goal is to keep you up to date on what's happening at RCC. Feel free to check out our website at www.racecitychurch.org as well. Join us for our morning celebration service on Sundays at 10:30am.

Current Sermon Series

Join us for Pastor Keith's new sermon series "Ephesians - Beauty & the Believer". God has placed beauty in all of us. When we obey God we can fulfill the potential for our lives. In the weeks to come, Pastor Keith will lead us in the discovery of the beauty of God's goodness in our lives, as we walk through the book of Ephesians.

TRACK 201 - Discovering Spiritual Maturity

RCC's L.A.P. Institute is offering the TRACK 201 Seminar in a new format. The Seminar will be held on Sunday mornings, prior to our Celebration Service, and will run for 5 weeks. Join us beginning on Sunday, April 1st, at 9am. See you there!!

Women's Discipleship Bible Study

"I'm Every Woman!" - [New Testament Women] studies begin on Thursday, April 19th and Sunday, April 22nd and run for six weeks. Cost is $15.00 for new participants and $12.00 if you already have a binder from Session 1. Registration fees are due by Sunday, April 1st. Thursday Morning Group meets 9:45am - 12:00noon at the Ahuna home. Sunday Evening Group meets 4:45pm - 7:00pm at the Race City Church building. No pre-requisite required.

First Wednesday - a praise, worship, prayer, & communion celebration

Wednesday, April 4th, 7pm...First Wednesday is a journey to the Heart of God through the experience of powerful music, passionate prayer, and the observance of communion. Join us in April as we celebrate Passover and discover the Jewish tradition of the Seder.

Missions 2007 - Local Missions

One of the ways RCC reaches out to our community is by partnering with the Mooresville Christian Mission. The Mission provides assistance to families in crisis; providing food, clothing, furniture, appliances, prescription drugs, and utility assistance while also assisting clients to obtain the skills or resources needed to become self sufficient.

For more information about the Mission, check out the website at www.mooresvillechristianmission.org - it contains updated info on their services as well as suggestions for donations.

Missions 2007 - Africa Missions

Race City Church has partnered with Alan & Tywonn Davidson in their mission to reach Africa. The Davidson's have been a part of the RCC family from the very beginning and we are so excited to see God blessing the desires of their hearts. As many of you know, they are currently preparing and believing for God's provision for their upcoming trip to Nairobi, Kenya. Alan & Tywonn have been working toward full time missionary service in Africa for some time and God has recently begun opening doors for them to use their gifts (counseling, nursing, and so much more!) in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Davidson Mission websiteis now up and running, so check out their latest updates and find out more about how you can support Alan & Tywonn as they walk out their call to Africa. www.thedavidsonmission.com

Missions 2007 - Dominican Republic

Pastor Keith & Jamie leave April 8th to begin working on projects with Paul & Sharyn Branson in the Dominican Rebublic. Thanks to those who have had a heart for missions, everything seems to be in place. If you think you may be interested in participating in future trips to the Dominican, please let Jamie know prior to April 8th, so he will be able to inform Paul and Sharyn of your interest. Donations of Lemon-Lime Gatorade Mix to be taken to the Bransons are being accepted Sunday, April 1st. Keep Pastor Keith, Jamie, and their families in your prayers.

GORCC (Youth Ages 11 - 18)

Come hang with us!

5-7pm Sundays God.Others.Relationships.Character.Community.

LIFE GROUPS

Coming Soon...RCC's Life Groups are going to get "Rooted" in the New Testament. "Rooted" is an exciting overview of the New Testament. Don't miss the "Word" time as we explore the New Testament in a new way and discover it's history and role in the development of our faith.