Meet The Team Monday

I've started a new blog post series that runs every Monday and introduces a new team member that serves at Timber Ridge in a leadership role. 

This week's Meet The Team Monday participant is Sara Sanderson. Sara is a Tarleton Student and currently serves in our intern program. While she serves in various areas, her focus in on our college ministry. Sara has been on the Timber Ridge team since August of 2014. Here's a part of Sara's story.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

French fries...or ice cream...definitely ice cream!

Describe what you do at Timber Ridge in your own words:

At Timber Ridge I am a College Ministry Intern. I get to work with awesome people on a daily basis and learn the ins and outs of how a church is run. For the college ministry side of things, I help to organize, plan and coordinate events to reach out to the students at TSU and Ranger College. I also serve on the worship team and lead a college LifeGroup.

What do you like best about your role at Timber Ridge?

I love that I get to work with such an amazing group of people and have an opportunity to have a big reach on campus.

What do you do for fun?

I love spending time hanging out with my friends, going to rodeos and taking pictures.

What's something you learned in the past year?

In the past year I have learned the value of good friends and the importance of asking for help when you need it.

What has God been teaching you recently?

God has been teaching me to love and look at everyone as He does. He has taught me the importance of the relationships He brings into our lives and to know that each relationship has a reason, a season and a purpose.

Tell us about when you committed your life to Jesus?

I grew up going to church but did not know what it meant to have a relationship with God until my junior year in high school. My friend, now my soon-to-be sister-in-law, took me to a church that is nontraditional and opened my eyes to a whole new world of “church.” At Christ Community Church I learned what it meant to have a relationship with God and how to begin that relationship. After attending the church sporadically for a few months I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was baptized last April at Timber Ridge and my life has been radically changed! God has definitely moved mountains in my life.

If you were stranded on a deserted island & could only have 3 things, what 3 things would you want?

Three things… Toothpaste/toothbrush (who wants nasty teeth!), iPod (I can’t go long without my music!), food (I wouldn’t last long without it!).

If you could have one talent or ability that you don't possess what would it be and why?

I would love to be able to draw. I love art and painting and all that creative stuff but I am just not the best with it.

Nothing would make me happier than spending a day......

Hiking with no one other than God.

You can find out more about Sara & connect via social media by clicking here.

Meet The Team Monday

I've started a new blog post series that runs every Monday and introduces a new team member that serves at Timber Ridge in a leadership role. 

This week's Meet The Team Monday participant is Tyler Gilbert. Tyler is a Senior at Tarleton State University and currently serves in our intern program, specifically with our kids and students ministries. Tyler has been serving and volunteering at Timber Ridge since just a few months after the church launched in the fall of 2011. Here are some interesting facts about Tyler.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
The one meal in Texas that would be worth fighting over… beef fajitas. 

What is your favorite restaurant in Stephenville?
My favorite restaurant in Stephenville would have to be Don Nico’s. 

What is your favorite Bible Verse? My favorite bible verse is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, “Declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse is my favorite, because it reminds me that God always has a plan for me no matter the circumstance I am going through in my life.

Describe what you do at Timber Ridge in your own words: I am a ministry intern.  That means you can find me doing all kinds of jobs. Although my area of emphasis where God has blessed me with a gift to serve is in Timber Ridge Kids. On a Sunday morning typically during the 10 o clock service you will find me in Kids Ridge, then during the 1130 service you will see me greeting and ushering. Then on a Sunday night you will find me with the youth leading a small group.

What's your favorite hobby?
My favorite hobby is watching football. I love to watch any level of football and any team. I love the game and what it teaches young men about life. In case you didn’t know my favorite college football team is none other than the Oklahoma Sooners! My favorite pro team is the Dallas Cowboys!

What's something you learned in the past year?
Something I have learned in the past year, that it is ok to fail as long as you learn from that failure and don’t let it happen again. Basically it is being teachable being able to learn from those who have been in a similar circumstance before you. 

What has God been teaching you recently?
How to have better self control. Over the past few months, God has helped me kick some terrible habits that I have had since I was in high school.

If you were stranded on a deserted island & could only have 3 things, what 3 things would you want?
An airplane, fuel and a GPS system. If I have these things then I won’t be stranded anymore. 

Nothing would make me happier than spending a day...... 
Hanging out with my family. I know I am only 22, but my family has lots of lost time due to my dad’s deployments that I wish we could make up. I do not blame him however, because he joined the military to ensure his family was provided for. It was a hard time, but I think it has made my family stronger through it. 

Want to connect with Tyler on social media? Click here to see his Facebook page.

Meet The Team Monday

I'm kicking off a new blog series that will introduce a new team member from Timber Ridge every Monday here on the blog. This will give those who call Timber Ridge Church their church home a chance to get to know the different people that serve on our staff and leadership team here at TRC. These blog posts will cover full-time staff, part-time staff and volunteer staff that serve in different aspects of our church. Check it out!

Our first "Meet The Team Monday" participant is Jordan Speegle. Jordan & his wife Kaylen have been on our team from day one and we're blessed to have them and their 2 year old son Hudson on the Timber Ridge Team. Jordan serves as our Director of Life Groups.

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be 
Mexican food... I actually would do this willingly even with other options available 

What is your favorite movie or movie quote?
Hoosiers   Coach Dale: "Five players on the floor, functioning as one single unit...team, team, team...no one more important than the other"

What is your favorite Bible Verse? 
Psalms 27:1-3

Describe what you do at Timber Ridge in your own words:
A TON of behind the scenes stuff, helping connect people with our LifeGroups

What do you like best about your role at Timber Ridge?
Getting to be on the front lines of seeing God change lives!

What songs would be included on the soundtrack of your life?
I really love old school country music... give me a little Willie, Waylon, and Merle and I'll be good.

What's something you learned in the past year?
I'm a first time parent, so I feel like I learn something new everyday. It's amazing how a little person can change the way you look at things.

If you were stranded on a deserted island & could only have 3 things, what 3 things would you want?
An endless supply of Beans and Franks Southern Pecan coffee, a cup to drink it in, and fishing pole.

Nothing would make me happier than spending a day......
Either fishing with my dad or at DKR with 100,000 burnt orange clad Longhorn fans.

You can connect with Jordan on Facebook by clicking here.

Leadership Lessons From The Super Bowl

Everyone in America seems to be talking about "the call." And if you watched the Super Bowl last night, you know which call I'm referring to. The Seattle Seahawks were down by 4 points and needed a touchdown to win. With one of the best and strongest running backs in the NFL, they were a virtual lock to score. They had almost a minute on the clock, one timeout, and less than a yard to the end zone. 

And what did they decide to do? They threw it. And unless you've been living under a rock, you know the results. The Seahawks threw an interception and the New England Patriots won Super Bowl 49.

In my opinion there are two great lessons that leaders can learn from the Seahawks unfortunate fate.  Here they are:

Leadership Lessons From Super Bowl 49

#1: Play To Your Strengths. The Seahawks dominate teams with power running. Marshawn Lynch's nickname is Beast Mode. With the game on the line, they chose to run a play that went away from their strengths. And it cost them. BIG TIME. Too many times leaders and organizations try to do things they're not good at. As a leader, don't try to be something your not. Play to your strengths and you'll be more successful.

#2: Trust Your Team. Marshawn Lynch had over 100 yards rushing in the Super Bowl. Beast Mode averaged 5 yards per carry in the postseason. He consistently carried two to three Patriot defenders for extra yardage in the game. Yet with the game on the line, Pete Carroll and the Seahawks coaching staff didn't hand him the ball. As a leader, you have to trust your team to do their jobs. Train them. Equip them. Raise them up. Then release them to make an impact for your organization. Good leaders surround themselves with others who can get the job done. And then they trust their team by giving them the opportunity to succeed.

I've always loved sports because I believe the games and the competition teach us so much about life. Sometimes the lessons are fun. Sometimes they are painful. The same is true with leadership. Good leaders learn to avoid pain and loss for the organizations they lead by playing to their strengths and by trusting in their teams.

The Art of The Invite

On Sunday we kicked off a brand new series at Timber Ridge called chURch. Basically, it's all about how the church isn't a place, but a people. It's not a cathedral, but a cause.

The message on Sunday was about how we are called to live out the mission of Jesus as individuals. If we are the church, we have a mission. You can watch the video of the message by clicking here.

One of the things I mentioned in the sermon is that we can bless others by being a person who invites others to church, where they can experience the love & hope of Jesus. At Timber Ridge, we've tried to make that easy by providing invite cards that people can use to invite friends & neighbors to join them at church.

In light of that, here are some easy ways to use an invite card & invite others to be your guest at church.

9 Ways To Invite People To Church

1. Bake some cookies for a neighbor and hand out an invite card when you deliver the baked goodies.
2. Leave a generous tip at your favorite restaurant, along with an invite card.
3. Tape an invite card to hand warmers and drop them off to a crew that is working outdoors on a cold day in your community.
4. Pay for the order of the person in line behind you at the drive-thru of your favorite coffee shop or fast food place and leave an invite card for them.
5. Have a free garage sale and hand invite cards out to people as they "shop."
6. Hand out bottled water to the parents at your kid's next sports game or practice and attach an invite card to each bottle.
7. Offer to mow your neighbors yard or trim there trees. When they ask you why you'd do such a thing, let them know you just want to serve them because Jesus gave us an example of serving others. And give them an invite card to join you on Sunday.
8. Drop off a box of donuts at a local business in the morning and attach some invite cards to the box.
9. Buy lunch for a co-worker and when you go to lunch, give them an invite card and ask them to join you on Sunday.

Let's be honest: It can be pretty intimidating to invite someone to church. But it can also be pretty impacting. You never know what God wants to do in the life of your friends & neighbors...and how he can use YOU to be a part of that!

The Faces of My Best Gift (Part 3)

(This is Part 3 of a 3 Blog Series. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.)

Each year at Timber Ridge Church, we receive a Christmas offering called My Best Gift. Basically, as a church we commit to giving our very best, most extravagant, most expensive gift to Jesus and His church. That means if we buy a $100 toy for the kids, we give $101 to the Kingdom. If we spend $300 on our spouse, we give at least $301 to the Kingdom. 

Our goal as a church this year is $30,000. 100% of the funds from this offering go toward church planting and global engagement. Through the My Best Gift offering, our church is able to make a significant impact for God's Kingdom in Texas and around the world. 

I wanted to share with you some people who are directly impacted by our My Best Gift offering:

Meet the children of San Sa Ho. San Sa Ho is the school we have adopted in SaPa, Vietnam. Through engagement and serving in SaPa and with these children, we are sharing life-changing love with these kids. One of the projects that My Best Gift pays for is to provide gate and fence to provide protection for the school from accidents that happen along the mountainside. Proper gates & fencing allows for the children to learn and live in a safe and secure environment.

As Timber Ridgers, when we give, we are raising the standard of living for these children in a very real and practical way. And we're showing them the life-changing love that's been shown to us in the process.

(If you attend Timber Ridge & would like more info on My Best Gift, or would like to contribute online, you canclick here.)

The Faces of My Best Gift (Part 2)

(This is Part 2 in a series of blogs. You can read Part 1 here.)

Each year at Timber Ridge Church, we receive a Christmas offering called My Best Gift. Basically, as a church we commit to giving our very best, most extravagant, most expensive gift to Jesus and His church. That means if we buy a $100 toy for the kids, we give $101 to the Kingdom. If we spend $300 on our spouse, we give at least $301 to the Kingdom. 

Our goal as a church this year is $30,000. 100% of the funds from this offering go toward church planting and global engagement. Through the My Best Gift offering, our church is able to make a significant impact for God's Kingdom in Texas and around the world. 

I wanted to share with you some of the people who are directly impacted by our My Best Gift offering.  

Meet The Yang's. Daniel, Linda, and their boys planted a church a year ago in the downtown area of Toronto. God is using Pastor Daniel, the Yang family & Trinity Life Church to change lives throughout Toronto and to impact one of the largest, most diverse cities in the world. 

Through our My Best Gift offering, Timber Ridge currently pays for the facility lease for the building that Trinity Life Church meets in each week for worship.

Pastor Daniel & The Yang Family

A group of adults recently baptized who's lives have 

been changed by Jesus at Trinity Life Church.

(If you attend Timber Ridge & would like more info on My Best Gift, or would like to contribute online, you can click here.)

The Faces of My Best Gift (Part 1)

Each year at Timber Ridge Church, we receive a Christmas offering called My Best Gift. Basically, as a church we commit to giving our very best, most extravagant, most expensive gift to Jesus and His church. That means if we buy a $100 toy for the kids, we give $101 to the Kingdom. If we spend $300 on our spouse, we give at least $301 to the Kingdom. 

Our goal as a church this year is $30,000. 100% of the funds from this offering go toward church planting and global engagement. Through the My Best Gift offering, our church is able to make a significant impact for God's Kingdom in Texas and around the world. 

I wanted to share with you some of the people who are directly impacted by our My Best Gift offering.  

Meet the Koenig's. Pastor Dave, his wife Heather, and their awesome family planted NewBrook Church in Fort Worth, TX just a couple months ago. God is working in big ways through NewBrook and the ministry of this new church. Through our My Best Gift offering, we are able to provide monthly financial support to the ministry of this brand new church. When you give to My Best Gift, you are helping see lives changed at NewBrook Church and other churches like it around our state and throughout North America.

Pastor Dave & His Family

Pastor Dave baptizing Nicolas, who's live was changed by Jesus @ NewBrook Church.

(If you attend Timber Ridge & would like more info on My Best Gift, or would like to contribute online, you can click here.)

3 Things Great Leaders Delegate

President Ronald Reagan once said, "Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is being carried out."

But for many leaders, delegation is a real, actual struggle. So many times, we see delegation in two lights:

•  If I delegate this, people will think I am trying to get out of work or that I'm being lazy. And no one follows a lazy leader.
• I can't delegate this because it's too important and someone else can't do this at the same level that I can.

While there are times where these excuses might be valid, more times than not our lack of delegation is an issue with us as leaders, instead of the people, volunteers, or employees in our organization.

So if we're supposed to delegate, what should we as leaders be delegating. MOST leaders delegate tasks. They simply hand of something from their over-stuffed to-do-list to someone in the organization. But GREAT leaders delegate more than tasks. 

3 Things Great Leaders Delegate

#1: Authority. Great leaders realize that you can't just delegate a to-do list. If you want to put your people in a place to succeed, you have to delegate authority as well. A task list without the authority to accomplish the mission of the organization while completing those tasks is a recipe for disaster.

#2: Responsibility. Great leaders also understand that you must delegate responsibility. If we delegate tasks, but anytime failure is at the doorstep, we become a "run-to-the-rescue" leader, then we're not allowing the people in our organization to really grow as leaders. We have to be willing to delegate responsibility, and place that responsibility for success and failure in the hands of those who follow us.

#3: Praise. Far beyond tasks, authority, and responsibility, great leaders understand that the most important thing we can delegate as leaders is praise. When delegation takes place and the outcome is a win, great leaders are sure to pass the praise down, making sure those they lead receive credit for a job well done.

Pastor Andy Stanley puts it this way: Don’t strive to be a well-rounded leader. Instead, discover your zone and stay there. Then delegate everything else.

As leaders, we have to learn that delegation is dynamite that can explode our organizations to the next level by allowing others to take ownership. So don't just delegate "stuff"...delegate the right stuff!

3 Simple Ministry Reminders

There are times when ministry and leadership in the church can be incredibly difficult. And then there are times where we as leaders make it more difficult than it actually is. With that in mind, I wanted to pass along 3 simple reminders that have helped me in the past few months to simplify my ministry leadership.

3 Simple Ministry Reminders

#1: Remember Your Mission. As a church planter, pastor or leader in the church, our mission is what should drive everything we do. And in a culture obsessed with catchy vision statements and overloaded with the next new way to convey your mission to your team, our mission really is very simple. In Luke 19:10, Jesus lays out His mission, the reason why he came and lived among us with this statement: "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost." That's the simple, clarifying mission of Jesus. And if we're following Him, it ought to be our mission as well.

#2: Remember Your Calling. Before you were ever called to a ministry, a church, or a mission, you were called to Jesus. Our primary calling is not something to do, but something to be: Children of God. One of the fastest ways to lose sight of this calling is to begin to listen to all of the criticism and complaints about your ministry/church/program/whatever. I've heard it said that listening to what others say about you is the fastest way to forget what God thinks about you. And that simply sidetracks us from the calling God's placed on our lives. Remember who you are and whose you are.

#3: Remember Romans 12:15. In Romans 12:15, Paul simply states: "Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn." There are tons of helpful ministry tips, tricks, and tools of the trade available in our culture. The opportunity for growing in your skills and ability to minister to, lead, and reach people are endless in the Western church framework. But don't miss out on the basics. If you'll learn to practice Romans 12:15 with the families and people God gives you to steward, you'll make ministry investments that are life-changing and kingdom-impacting. It sounds simple, but it's incredibly powerful.

As church leaders, our battle is fierce and our enemy is relentless. Let's not make it more difficult by missing the basics. I'd love to hear from you, so feel free to leave a comment and share your top simple ministry reminder!

3 People We Should Listen To

A few days ago I wrote a short blog titled 3 People You Need To Ignore. If you missed it, you can click here to check it out.

But that begs the question: Who are the people we should listen to? 

Jimi Hendrix once said, "Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens."It's important that we not only listen, but that we listen to the right voices. Here are some people who are helpful to listen to.

3 People We Should Listen To

#1: The Truth Teller. We all need people in our lives who will speak difficult truth to us. One of the greatest myths of our culture is that when someone confronts us about a personal shortcoming or area that needs growth, they are overstepping their bounds. Proverbs 27:6 says, "Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy." Simply put: It's better to have someone in your life who cares enough to challenge and confront you when needed, rather than people who just flatter us.

#2: The Encourager. Life is hard. Life is messy. And no matter how smooth our life might be, there will be some point where it seems like there is no way we can win. That's why we all need people who encourage us. Don't forget to listen to the people who will build you up.

#3: The Investor. When it comes to giving unsolicited advise, it seems like we all have more than we need...or want, for that matter. But we always need to consider the source. If a person is deeply investing in my life and in who I am or what I'm trying to do, I always consider what they have to say. Why? Because they're investing in making me a better person. They have "skin in the game" so their words matter.

Winston Churchill said, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." May we all have the courage to take time to listen...and the wisdom to know which voices to listen to.

3 People You Need To Ignore

Steve Jobs once said, "Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your inner voice." 

Edward Gibbon, an English historian & Parliament member from the 18th century, said "I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect." 

John, a disciple of Jesus said, "My dear friends, don't believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you." (1 John 4:1)

Jesus said it this way: "Pay close attention to what you here." (Mark 4:24)

Basically, they all agree on this: It matters who you listen to. The voices we listen to affect us. The people we regularly listen to shape our thoughts, opinions, attitudes, and life.

So who should we avoid? Here's a few suggestions.

3 Voices You Need To Ignore:

1. The Negative Nancy. Negativity breeds negativity. It spreads like wildfire. Be careful about being around people who are consistently negative. Negativity is a virus that is quickly contagious.
2. The Constant Complainer. These are the people who ALWAYS have something to complain about. You know these folks. The guy you could give $1,000,000 to and he'd complain that you gave it to him in $100 bills and not $20s. These people can quickly drain the joy, happiness, and hope out of your life.
3. The Gossip. The best definition of a gossip I've ever heard is this: People who talk about you, without you. Gossip always hurts people. It never leads to good. So don't be a part of it. In fact, here's a great test of whether or not you're listening to a gossip. Do the people you listen to consistently talk about others when they're not around? If they talk about them when they're not present, you can bet that they're talking about you when you're not around.

The voices we listen to help mold us into the people we become. Guard your ears...because in doing so, you are actually guarding your heart and life.

Confucius Was Wrong

I've heard this quote hundreds of times in my life: 

Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life. 

The quote is credited to the uber-wise Confucius. And while I typically don't make it a habit to blatantly disagree with people considered to be some of the smartest humans to ever live, let me just say this: Confucius was wrong.

That's right. Confucius was wrong. Because here's the truth: If you choose a job that you love, that you're passionate about, that is your life's dream, you should work harder at that thing than anything else.

If you are really doing something you love, you will work your tail off because it means that what you are doing MATTERS and MEANS SOMETHING to you.

When you are doing something you love, it's not just a job. It's not just a career. You're working out your dream. You're doing something your passionate about and that you know makes a difference.

So don't buy into the lie that one day you'll stumble upon some dream job that won't take any work and you'll live the rest of your days in a state of bliss.

If a dream is really a dream, it will take work. 

If a dream is really a dream, it will be WORTH the work.

So don't just work. And don't just dream.

Work the dream.

4 Things Leaders Must Be Willing To Do

I've been thinking lately a lot about leadership. To be honest, I'm striving to grow in my own leadership, as well as work through what my leadership development of others looks like.

I think leadership development is crucial in any growing, life-giving organization. As I've thought about it recently, it seems there are certain things that any given leader must be willing to do.

Here's the 4 things:

1. Leaders must be willing to be first in the water. - I was watching Shark Week a while back and in one of the shows, a rookie crew member mistakenly left the anchor rope in the water when the motor was started. That led to the rope getting tangled in the motor in the midst of shark infested waters. There was no safe way to deal with the situation. The only solution? Dive into the water and get to work. What I noticed was in this life-or-death, crucial situation for this team, it wasn't the rookie that got thrown into the water. It was the ship's captain who jumped in. The task was crucial and deadly. So the leader went first. Leaders have to be willing to be the first in the water...especially when there are sharks!
2. Leaders must be willing to be misunderstood. - If you lead in any way, you WILL be misunderstood. People will misunderstand your motives, your decisions, your vision, and your direction. Leading others means making hard choices, which are often misunderstood by the crowd.
3. Leaders must be willing to make tough decisions. - Leadership requires a commitment to the good and the vision of an organization above anything else. That means, from time to time, there will be hard decisions and tough choices that must be made. A real leader is willing to DECIDE, not delegate in the toughest of situations.
4. Leaders must be willing to act before they are comfortable. - Leadership means navigating waters that are often unexplored. Leaders often are called to act before they, or others, are comfortable in order to continue to chart a course for the vision and future of the organization.

Leading is tough. It requires a certain amount of courage to lead well. But if your willing to put it all on the line for the vision and mission of your organization, leading can help you leave a legacy far beyond your life.

21 Day Fast

Hey Timber Ridgers,
If you missed our weekend worship experience last Sunday, we announced that, as a church, we're entering into a 21 day fast. You can check out the message from Sunday as well as the explanation of the fast by clicking here.

Basically, fasting is making a personal sacrifice in order to ask God to move in and on our behalf. We've decided that we're each choosing something to fast from in order to pray and ask God to move in three ways:

1. In Us - Asking God to move in our personal lives in a new and fresh way.
2. In Others - Asking God to use the Easter season as a tool for us to invite our friends and neighbors to Timber Ridge and for them to respond to the message of Jesus' love.
3. In Our Church - Asking God to guide our upcoming move and to show us as individuals how we can personally be involved with investing in this new facility.

In case you didn't know, our first Sunday in our new facility is April 13th. That gives us a chance to "kick the tires" prior to Easter Sunday. Then, on Easter Sunday, we're committing to go all out in inviting our friends and neighbors to join us as we worship God together. We'll also be taking our first offering going toward our new facility that day.

I hope you'll join us in this fast as we ask God to move in us and through us in our community. To download the MAKE ROOM Fasting Guide, just click the image below. And feel free to contact me if you have any questions!

Timber Ridge Volunteer of the Week

This week's Timber Ridge V.O.W. is Sabrina Carter. If you're ever looking for Sabrina on Sunday mornings, you'll most likely find her loving on kids and teaching God's Word in creative ways to our elementary aged kids in our Timber Ridge Kids worship experience. Sabrina uses her talent and time each week to make a difference in the lives of our children and to help them know they are loved by God. We're blessed to have Neely and Sabrina and their awesome girls as a part of the Timber Ridge family. THANK YOU Sabrina for all that you do to serve at Timber Ridge Church!

Pastor Nic & Sabrina Carter

(If you're interested in volunteering at Timber Ridge, click here to get more info and sign up!)

Timber Ridge V.O.W.

This week's Volunteer of the Week at Timber Ridge Church is Clayton Iley. Clayton and his wife Jenny are making a huge impact at Timber Ridge. Clayton serves as a host in our worship experiences, helping people feel welcomed each week. He also serves on our Guest Services team on Sunday mornings. Thank you Clayton for all your investment and service at Timber Ridge!

Clayton & Pastor Nic

(You can make an impact by serving at Timber Ridge too! Click here for details on how to get connected on a ministry team.)

Timber Ridge V.O.W.

This week's Timber Ridge Volunteer of the Week is Leslie Killingsworth. When I think about young adults who are making a huge impact at Timber Ridge, Leslie is at the top of that list! Leslie serves on Sunday mornings as a leader and teacher in our Kid Ridge ministry for elementary kids. Each week you'll find her loving on kids and teaching them God's truth. She also serves during the week by hosting and leading a LifeGroup for college girls in her home. Thank you Leslie, for using your time, talent, and ability to make a difference for the Kingdom! 

Leslie & Pastor Jordan

(If you're interested in making an impact by volunteering at Timber Ridge, you can get more info here.)

Timber Ridge V.O.W.

This week's Timber Ridge Volunteer of the Week is Ashley Lindsey! Ashley has been faithfully serving on our Guest Services team for almost as long as we've been a church. Each week you can see her smiling face serving in the Cafe, serving up some great coffee and tasty donuts. Ashley and her husband Matt also serve each week by hosting and leading a LifeGroup and are fantastic leaders, who help minister to others within our church family.

Thanks Ashley for all that you do to serve & make an impact at Timber Ridge! You're helping others connect with Jesus! You ROCK!

(If you'd like to find out more info about using your time, talent, and energy to make a difference by serving others at Timber Ridge Church, click here.)

The Art of Timing

I must confess: I am growing to absolutely love the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Why, you ask? Because it is jam-packed full of practical, put-into-action wisdom for our daily lives.

This morning I read this:

If anyone loudly blesses their neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse. - Proverbs 27:14

Immediately it hit me: So many times in life WHEN we do something is just as important as WHAT we do. In short, timing really can be everything.

Think for a moment about what this proverb is teaching and you'll see it's completely true! No one likes a neighbor who loudly and obnoxiously blesses them with a way-too-early wake up call. The proverb is saying that even if you're trying to bless someone or encourage them, it can be done at the wrong time.

Consider this:

• You need to address a failure or misstep on the part of a co-worker or staff member. It's probably not best to do it in the immediate aftermath of the mess. Give the situation some time to cool down.
• You want to encourage your child to do better at a specific task. That's great! But having that conversation 2 minutes after they've just failed that task is probably not the best time for the rah-rah speech.
• You want to call and have a long conversation with an old friend. It's probably not best to call during family dinner time.
• The list goes on and on....

Here's what wisdom is: It's doing the RIGHT THING in the RIGHT WAY at the RIGHT TIME.

It's not just about WHAT we do. If we're really focusing on blessing others, we'll also consider the WAY and the WHEN of how we go about it. That ensures that the blessings we want to pass on to others stay as real blessings and aren't taken as something else altogether!