SUMMER 2011 VOLUME NUMBER
13 2
connection volume 13 • number 2
A quarterly publication, © 2011 Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, Texas. The material within this publication may not be disseminated without permission. All inquiries, comments, suggestions, and story ideas should be directed to Kenny Courtenay, Creative Director of Communications, by e-mail to communications@stonebriar.org.
SUMMER 2011
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senior pastor chuck swindoll senior director of resource ministries carol spencer managing director of communications andrea bagwell creative director of communications kenny courtenay writer amber mcdonald editor susan jacobson
ask the pastor...................................................................................... 1 building skills. building character. ..................................... 2
designer connie o’hara
finding info about stonebriar just got easier ............. 4
administrative assistant jeri kopp
reduce the debt................................................................................... 4
volunteer editor shelly king
not your typical men’s retreat................................................. 5 a dream comes true........................................................................ 6
encouraging all people to pursue
6
5
paying it forward................... 8 class of 2011 graduates................................................ 8
a lifelong, joyous relationship with Jesus Christ
4
home adult fellowship leaders needed............. 9
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did you know? . .................................................................... 9 summer calendar of events................ back cover
www.stonebriar.org
more stories at www.stonebriar.org
ask the pastor by roy williamson pastor of family and parenting ministries
is the Antichrist alive today? the answer is YES.
Satan’s man, the “Beast,” who will rise to power after the rapture of the church and, who with God’s permission, will attempt to establish a worldwide kingdom as a counterfeit to the coming perfect reign of Jesus Christ, is alive today. Now settle down— there is more. He was also alive when the reformers speculated that the Pope was Antichrist, when the blitzkrieg raged, and when every “last days” prediction since 1948 was made. He will be on earth 1,000 years from now if the Lord has set the date that far ahead. From Jesus’ ascension to the present, Satan has had his candidate “waiting in the wings.” This reality demonstrates through humor and irony that Satan’s claim of equality with God is unfounded. Let me explain. Of His future coming, Jesus said, “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone” (Matthew 24:36). The angels “who do not know the day and hour” include Satan. This is God’s sense of humor. He decreed that Satan will have unhindered opportunity to prove his claim of deity during the seven-year tribulation, and even describes the effort in Revelation 4–19. God dryly implies, “Be ready, Satan, only the true God knows when it will start!” God’s humor is purposely ironic: Satan the super creature must respond to changes the lesser creature—man—makes. The one true God decreed everything throughout all eternity into being, and therefore, never has any need to make changes. Satan, a false god, must depend on and respond to the creativity of man, the lower creature made in the image of God (Isaiah 44:6–17). He must find new and more sophisticated ways to justify and implement his plans, since mechanisms that would have worked last year are laughable today.
So, when you hear of the “signs of the times,” relax. What we are seeing is Satan adapting to man while God chuckles: “I decreed that man would do this. Watch the contortions Satan has to go through in order to respond!” (Psalm 2:4). Avoid speculation. It is a matter of obedience: Jesus commanded us to not speculate (Matthew 24:36; Acts 1:7). Further, history has taught us that previous speculations distracted Christians who were otherwise serious in their study of the Scriptures and zealous in their evangelistic efforts. Rather than being about the work of representing Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel, Christians pored over prophetic passages, correlating them to events to look for clues. Rather than reaching out in love to draw in the unbelieving world, Christians made bold predictions. When the predictions did not come about, we became punch lines. Satan scores tactical victories in our times when we veer from Jesus’ admonition that “It is not for you to know the times and the epochs,” but rather to focus on our assignment: “you shall be My witnesses . . .” (Acts 1:7–8). Or from Peter’s admonition regarding “the day of the Lord” when he wrote, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness . . .” (2 Peter 3:1–12). The bottom line: treat temptation to speculate which world leader or charismatic personality may be the Antichrist as motivation to grow in Christ and to evangelize. If the Antichrist that God decreed is alive today, then you may be standing before your Savior in the next moment, and your unbelieving friends are about to face a desperate time on earth followed by an unthinkably horrible eternity. If that doesn’t motivate us to conduct ourselves in a godly way and evangelize those around us, what will?
www.stonebriar.org | 1
Stonebriar Community Sports, our sports outreach ministry, is entering its ninth year of hosting summer sports camps for boys and girls, ages 8 through 13. The ministry’s mission, “Building Skills. Building Character,” truly describes what happens at our camps.
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Offered for baseball/softball, basketball, and football, each camp is designed to teach valuable sports skills specifically tailored to the skill level of each camper, from beginner to advanced, while also attending to the spiritual needs of each child.
Our camps are staffed by experienced coaches, adept in assessing the skill level of each child—from recreational players, those who have never played sports before, and the more experienced and advanced—who work with children to stretch their skills to the next level.
Through numerous stations, drills, and scrimmages, campers gain comprehensive knowledge of the games by seeing how each piece of the puzzle fits together. Sports outreach ministry leader Roger Campbell states, “My philosophy is: ‘Tell them clearly. Show them practically. Then, let them do it repetitively.’ In short, tell, show, do. We break down each element, each step of a skill. We repeat this process each day. By the end of the camps, the campers are able to talk about what they’ve learned, and more importantly, can demonstrate how to carry out each step of the skills they’ve learned.” Though we take the skills portion of our camps very seriously, as a church the primary purpose of this ministry is to lead the children into a personal relationship with Christ. Each day of camp, Roger conducts a Scripture-based “chalk talk,” teaching lessons that apply to the sports arena as well as other areas of life. The climax of the “chalk talks” at each camp is a presentation of the Gospel. This strategy has been very effective. Since 2003, more than 1,670 boys and girls have participated in Stonebriar Community Sports camps, and of those, 255 trusted in Christ for the first time after hearing the Gospel at camp. This means 1 out of every 15 children who have attended our camps throughout the years has placed saving faith in Christ! These are real people—not just numbers, but the numbers prove that God is doing a mighty work through this ministry. To learn more about Stonebriar Community Sports, visit www.sc-sports.org.
Summer Sports Camps for boys & girls ages 8–13 Baseball/ Softball
Football
8:30 a.m.–Noon
8:30 a.m.–Noon
8:30 a.m.–Noon
Cost: $75 Register by June 14
Cost: $75 Register by July 5
Cost: $75 Register by July 19
June 21–25
July 12–16
Basketball July 26–30
(Boys Only)
register online at www.sc-sports.org www.stonebriar.org | 3
by kenny courtenay, creative director You have probably started to notice those strange-looking little black-and-white checkered squares that have recently begun to appear on retail store displays and advertisements. These little boxes, called QR (short for “quick response”) codes, function similarly to barcodes that are scanned when we check out at the grocery store, except QR codes have the capability to contain a lot more information. Though they have been around since the mid-90s, QR codes have only recently gained a widespread presence with the rise in popularity of smart phones—many QR code scanning applications for smart phones can be downloaded for free. The beauty of QR codes is that they can contain information to take the user to a specific URL when scanned, so anyone with a properly equipped smart phone, iPod, iTouch, tablet, or PDA device can simply scan a QR code to immediately open the webpage associated with it. The codes can also be used to convey other information such as telephone numbers and text messages. Just think of how handy this can be . . . you can now scan a QR code on a poster or direct-mail piece to register your child for VBS or to learn more information on-the-spot about an event seen advertised at church. Look for QR codes in our promotional materials, signage, and video monitors. In these busy times, at least one thing in life just got a little easier!
QR codes can be scanned with most smart phones to gain instant access to information.
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by carol spencer, senior director of resource ministries Because of God’s faithfulness, Stonebriar Community Church finds itself in a unique position to accelerate the reduction of our debt. We are in the process of repaying two loans concurrently. The balance of the larger loan is approximately $20 million, and the balance of the smaller one is approximately $3 million. Over the past two years we have paid down the smaller loan from $4 million to $3 million and anticipate being in a position to further pay another $1 million from our General Fund this fiscal year ending June 30. That would leave the smaller loan with a balance of $2 million. The larger of the two loans is hedged against inflation, while the smaller loan has a floating interest rate, and is subject to a potential interest rate increase which has been predicted by our bankers. Our church is in solid financial shape, blessed to have a very favorable debt-to-equity ratio of 73 percent. Our elders have a fiduciary responsibility to guide the church in all matters; therefore, they believe, due to the economic condition of our country, the health of our church, and the projected economic
Men, have you ever attended a retreat at a beautiful facility out in the country, only to feel locked up in a room as you listened to someone talk for two days? Stonebriar’s Men’s Fall Retreat is much different. Our 11th annual Men’s Fall Retreat will be held at The Shores of Pine Cove on beautiful Lake Palestine, October 14–16. But don’t worry men— you won’t experience cabin fever at our retreat. Here’s why:
downturn, it would be in the interests of good stewardship to pay off the $2 million loan this year. Please prayerfully consider what you can give, over and above your usual offerings, toward this $2 million campaign to reduce our debt. In lieu of accepting pledges, we have placed envelopes in the Worship Center hymnal racks for your convenience in making contributions by cash or check. You can also give online at www.stonebriar.org/helping-others/giving. Gifts will be accepted through Thanksgiving 2011. Thank you for your consistent generosity. It is through God’s leading and your giving that we were able to pay for our Children’s Building without incurring any debt. It would add to our many blessings to have only one outstanding loan, saving our church approximately $450,000 over the life of the loan— money that could be used in ministry. That is our goal, to support the Church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please prayerfully consider making this part of your giving and write “debt reduction” in the memo line of Scan with your smart phone your check. to contribute online
First, Dr. Steve Farrar, founder and chairman of Men’s Leadership Ministries, best-selling author, and leader of our Wednesday night men’s Bible study, will be this year’s speaker. Those who attend Steve’s weekly Bible studies can attest you will not be bored! Known for his no-nonsense teaching at men’s conferences across the nation, Steve’s compelling words have been used by God for more than 30 years to convict many to become more effective spiritual leaders in their homes, churches, and communities. Second, the rocking worship at this year’s retreat will be led by Ivan Flores and our Hispanic Worship Band. The musical selections in combination with the voices of 100-plus men singing praises to our Lord in unison will help draw you before God’s throne. Finally, you will have time to enjoy the great facilities and bond with other guys from our church through a six-hour block of “play time” on Saturday afternoon, plus additional opportunities for fun Friday and Saturday nights following the evening sessions. Each year, grown men seem to revert to their childhood as they whirl through trees on zip lines, enjoy great fishing, play basketball, Frisbee golf, and soccer, go mountain biking, play board games, watch movies, and more! Registration begins Monday, August 15 at www.stonebriar.org [keyword: mens retreat]. Register before September 6 to save $30 off the regular price of $150. All meals, materials, activities, a retreat T-shirt, and 24-hour drinks and snacks are included. A limited number of scholarships are available. If you do not have internet access or would like to request a scholarship, call 469-252-5337.
www.stonebriar.org | 5
by amber mcdonald staff writer
After four months of weekly practice, which encompassed 22 hours of vocal rehearsals and 25 hours of drama rehearsals, the Children’s Choirs’ hard work came to a crescendo as they debuted their spring musical, The Ultimate Question. Unbeknownst to many, the performance of The Ultimate Question was the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream by Francey Kelso, Director of Children’s Choirs, who has always wanted to direct a musical that incorporated Scripture into all of the songs. This inspiration
250 children participated in the Children’s Choirs’ spring musical, The Ultimate Question in May.
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was derived from music’s ability to easily instill words in memory. Years ago, Francey began reviewing thousands of musical pieces in search of encouraging selections to feature. Last year, after compiling a list of her top 125, she was given the green light to proceed with her vision and recruited the help of Bonnie Leicht, Kindergarten Choir Director, and Jayne Patterson, Lower Elementary Choir Director. Together, they narrowed the list down to the best 19 songs.
Last summer, Francey came across the original Ultimate Question musical written by Susie Williams, David Ebensberger, and Luke Gambill. While its foundations were good, she ended up rewriting the entire program with the help of Bonnie Leicht. “Bonnie added all the funny,” Francey humbly stated, “I brought the granola, she brought the milk.” Featuring game-shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, The Price Is Right, Family Feud, and Wheel of Fortune, the revised program provided an energetic and fun outlet for the children. The musical also featured three primary contestants, Grayer Edwards, Abby McGill, and Makenna Thomas. When asked where she came up with the contestants’ names, Francey replied, “Grayer is my grandson’s name. Abby and Makenna are my nieces’ names.” Francey attributes the success of the spring musical to several people. “Greg Luttrell and Chris Whitson constructed the set. Paul Thompson prepared the arrangements. Jason Webb and Chuck Swindoll Jr. controlled the lighting and all things technical. Terri Tipps served as drama coach, Kevyn Robertson served as choreographer, 12-year-old James Boyer conducted and coordinated some music and all of the sound bites, and ministry assistant Amy Stamps worked behind the scenes to help make the entire production a gentle and positive experience for everyone involved. The program included 250 children, 4 choral directors, and 8 band members. The success of The Ultimate Question was
truly a team effort.” To Francey, the highlight of the program was the performance of the finale, “To the King,” which conveyed the most important message of all—the fact that everyone is born of God. With a joyful heart, Francey stood in awe as she watched the children perform this song. When reflecting on the performance in its entirety, from inception to fruition, Francey explains that it was a dream come true. After 14 years as an elementary school music teacher and 7 years serving as our Children’s Choirs director, it is apparent that Francey has both the gift of music and the passion to work with children. We are truly thankful and grateful for Francey’s committed and dedicated service. With future plans to travel and spend time with family, Francey revealed that she is resigning as the Children’s Choirs director. It is with heavy, but grateful, hearts that we say good-bye. Having positively impacted so many children throughout the years, Francey leaves behind some big shoes to fill. We will sincerely miss Francey, but wish her the best as she begins a new season. We are incredibly happy that Francey was able to see her dream play out through The Ultimate Question.
Francey Kelso, Director of Children’s Choirs, plans to travel with her husband and spend more time with her family.
www.stonebriar.org | 7
Eric Collins began working for our facilities team in December 2005. As a result of his employment, coupled with much encouragement, he began to visit our worship services and adult fellowships. Growing up as a Southern Baptist in Mississippi, Eric was not a stranger to Christianity; however, he had been taught that Christianity was simply comprised of “being good and reading your Bible.” It was not until coming here that he realized it is deeper than that. “In coming to this church,” says Eric, “I have learned that it is about more than just reading your Bible every day and going to church every Sunday—it is about a daily walk, a personal relationship with Christ.”
Eric explains that our church staff served as his first accountability group. Under the guidance of Marge Ditka, Director of Special Events and Housekeeping, he became a regular attendee of our Wednesday night men’s Bible study led by Steve Farrar. In reflecting upon the Bible study, Eric states, “These men really helped me grow spiritually and understand the Bible.” In finding our Coffee House Adult Fellowship, Eric explains that he found a “very inspiring and encouraging community.” In becoming a part of Coffee House, he came to realize the importance of Christian authenticity. “The best part about Coffee House is that they’re authentic, they’re real, and they hold you to the same standard.” Through Coffee House, Collins was inspired to serve
congratulations to the class of 2011 Please join us in recognizing and congratulating the 2011 high school graduates who participated in Senior Recognition Sunday. In addition, we congratulate all other high school graduates who may or may not have been a part of our Student Ministries. This year’s participants were: Sarah Bailey, Michael Burchfiel, Robert Byrd, Shelby Layne Carter, Ashley Dane, John Galyen, Paul Gorman, Emily Hiott, David Hogue, Derrick Jeter, Joshua Jimenez, Alexandra Luttrell, Ryan McElheney, David Pajela, Brandon Patrick, Nathan Pritchett, Kevin Roy, Diana Roy, Sarah Stiles, Victoria Sun, Jarred Toups, Paulina Trinh, Abel Trujillo, Tyler Vaughn, and Alaina Weiss. If you are currently a junior and would like to participate in Senior Recognition Sunday next year or have your name listed in the 2012 summer program, please e-mail kathyg@stonebriar.org.
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Did You Know? in Junction56 (our Junior High ministry) and Mosaic (our ministry for singles in their 20s) as well as sing in our Sanctuary Choir. “It helps to take what you are getting and pour it back in.”
Eric looks forward to his summer dance classes, which begin June 20. “I want to share the Gospel and help equip other Christians through hip-hop dancing and song lyrics.”
Eric married the love of his life, Mallory, in April this year. In their spare time they love to cook, eat, and take walks outside.
When reflecting upon the past six years, Eric states, “Stonebriar was key in equipping me. I want to say ‘thank you’ to the entire Stonebriar staff for holding me accountable and helping me grow and mature.” He continues, “Teachers like Chuck Swindoll, Steve Farrar, and Derek Jeter have all inspired me to go beyond—to go further.”
In addition to working on the SCC facilities team full-time, Eric is a recording artist, dancer, and choreographer of Christian hip-hop music. His personal ministry is called “Kingdom 150.” When asked why he chose the number 150, Eric explains, “It stands for 150%, giving it all you got.” Through his ministry, he teaches dance classes and conducts workshops and camps.
While our church has inspired Eric, we would like to thank him for inspiring others. In the end, we are all paying it forward for the glory of God.
every sunday at stonebriar: • 50 gallons of coffee are consumed • 150 youth are involved in service • 300 diapers are changed in our nursery •
over 500 people participate in adult, youth, and childrens’ choirs
every year at stonebriar: home adult fellowship leaders We offer several Home Fellowships around the Metroplex that focus on Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. These groups offer a great opportunity for people to get “plugged in” to our church. Learn more online [keyword: fellowship groups]. We are currently in need of Home Fellowship leaders. If you feel led to be a group leader, please e-mail tonyc@stonebriar.org.
• 125 gallons of paint are applied to walls • •
2,112 air conditioner filters are replaced 2,414 light bulbs are changed
• 10,034 different events are hosted www.stonebriar.org | 9
where has connection been?
SUMMER 2011
take a copy with you and e-mail your photo to communications@stonebriar.org
sundays
tiempo de oración y testimonios
6/13–17
vacation bible school 6–8:30 p.m.
7/20
jr. high summer crash course
mondays
servicio en español
6/19–25
high school ministry bigstuf camp in panama city
7/23–8/5
high school mission trip to honduras
6/20, 7/18, in His time 8/15 6:30 p.m., A129
7/24, 31, 8/7
children baptism class
tuesdays
frisco connect (meets 1st & 3rd tuesdays)
6/21–25
stonebriar community sports baseball/softball camp
7/24–30
jr. high tennessee mission trip with leader treks
6/22–7/27 6/22, 7/27, 8/17
women’s bible study
wednesdays, 9:30 a.m. & 7 p.m.
7/26–30
stonebriar community sports basketball camp
family experience night
7/30
summer escape
8/2, 9
preteen baptism class
8/3
jr. high summer camp remix
8/5
meet the missionaries: jason & mandy post
9 a.m., B203
10:30 a.m., multi-purpose room
celebration singers rehearsal 6:30 p.m., choir room
9:30–noon
reengage your marriage
6:30 p.m., B241-242
thursdays mosaic for singles in their 20s 7 p.m., HUB (B181)
8:30 a.m.–noon
6:30–8 p.m., multi-purpose room
registration required
8:30 a.m.–noon
fridays
reach up, reach out
6/22, 7/6, library story time for 7/20, 8/10 4- to 6-year-olds
10:30–11:30 a.m., library
6/3
jr. high ministry summer kickoff pool party
6/23, 30
jr. high r12 bible study
6/4
celebration singers concert, “precious memories”
6/24
meet the missionaries: caleb & nicolette hutcherson 7 p.m., B241–242
8/5–6
jr. high lake overnighter
6/5, 7/10, 8/7
stonebriar prays
6/24
jr. high scavenger hunt & movie
adult baptism class
5 p.m., A129
6/27–7/1
preteen camp
8/7
6/5, 7/10, 8/14 6/6, 7/11, 8/1
high school ministry summertime ultimate frisbee
6/28
high school evening of ten-pin & supper
8/10
high school last hoorah at the ballpark
cancer encouragement group 7 p.m., B203
7/4
church offices closed for independence day
8/11
sanctuary choir open house
8/11
freshman guys’ huddle
6/10–17
jr. high estes park summer camp
7/8
high school hanging out to dry pool party
8/14
ordinance of baptism
6/11, 7/9, 8/13
books and bagels women’s book study
7/11–15
krazy kids kountry kamp for elementary kids
8/19
8th grade girls’ dinner high school girls’ fish bowl
father’s day
stonebriar community sports football camp
6/12 6/12
7/12–16
8/19
marriage live
7/19
high school all-day movie blockbuster
8/20
family fun fall kickoff
8/26–27
women of faith
7 a.m., B200-201
4 p.m., multi-purpose room
9:30 a.m., guest center (A104)
reengage your marriage this sunday!
10:45 a.m.–noon, port. D.
8:30 a.m.–noon
7 p.m., B241–242
12:30 p.m., A211/213
1 p.m., multi-purpose room
sunday worship 9 & 10:45 a.m. Chuck Swindoll, senior pastor
4801 legendary drive, frisco, texas 75034 • 469.252.5200 • www.stonebriar.org