Pastor Rick speaks to our Worship Team...

Dear Worship Team,

Thank you for sharing your time and talent as a singer, player and technician.

We are SO blessed at Argyle. God is awesome. You are awesome. Thank you.

It's very important that you guard your heart.

It's very important that you have personal guard rails in place.

It's very important that you pray and study your Bible every day.

It's very important that you remind yourself of exactly why you play, sing and tech

and who you play, sing and tech for!

When we forget that, 

then we show up late, unprepared, with a heart far from being open to worship...

We'll be tempted to complain, be jealous, feel sorry for ourself and develop a bitter spirit.

We might even begin to think it's all about us!

There is too much at stake for our efforts to be misguided.

There is too much at stake for us to be complacent.

As worship leaders, it is our calling and our responsibility to lead our people into the very presence of God.

We can't lead where we haven't been.

Each week, spend quality time with God. Acknowledge His greatness. Confess your sins.

Pray for God's anointing on our worship.

Pray for your pastor (God knows he needs it.)

Each week, spend quality time with your music. Rehearse on your own. Listen to the mp3's online.

If you're confident with the music, that will allow you to worship freely.

Come prepared to offer Him your absolute best. He's worthy. He's so worthy.

God has blessed The Church at Argyle.

This Sunday, we will begin two worship gatherings to allow us to minister to more people and allow our Children's Ministry Team to attend our worship gatherings every week.

This opportunity will require greater commitment from all of us. I believe we are up to the task.

If I schedule music at the end of the worship gathering, it will be a solo.

That will allow you to leave, if you choose, after the music at the second worship gathering.

Please always attend at least one of the complete worship gatherings.

This is our new schedule:

8:00 am       Arrive/warm up/tune

8:15 am       Downbeat of the first song

9:00 am       First worship gathering

10:30 am     Second worship gathering

6:00 pm       Christmas rehearsal

Please invite people. You are our most effective outreach opportunity.

Here we go.

God's up to something good. It's exciting to be part of it!

I'll see you Sunday at 8!

Love you all,

Rick

Why we do what we do...

We have said that we measure success here at Argyle a little differently. Our main "win" is a changed life. Everything we do is aimed at leading people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. When that happens, lives are changed, and you can see it.

We recently baptized Jennifer Thompson. We talked with her about her decision, and planned a time for her to come in and record her baptism video. To help herself organize her thoughts, she wrote us a note she brought with her. With her permission, here it is. It's a pretty good way to see a life being changed by the power of the Gospel of Jesus working through His people, the church.

Reasons I would like to be baptized now.

We moved to Jacksonville in January 2010. I remember Googling the church one day because I passed by and we were looking for a church. We began coming to The Church at Argyle in February right before Married Life Live.

I was raised Roman Catholic, and I was baptized in the Catholic Church shortly after I was born in 1980. My husband was not a Catholic although we baptized our daughter, Jianna, in the Catholic Church in 2008.

I knew I wanted to find a church where we would both feel comfortable. Once I looked at the web site for The Church at Argyle and saw what the church does for kids (KidStuf, Amazing Place and UpStreet) I was hooked. As I mentioned it was right around the time of Married Life Live 2010. We were able to hear to last two messages Pastor Ken was preaching in the series I Do – Again.

The first time we came to church and met the people walking in the door and watched everyone sing, fellowship, hearing Pastor Ken’s words, and meeting Pastor Hal I knew this was where we were meant to be. I am not a public crier by nature but I actually cried during services.

2010 was a hard year for me. My dad had just passed away five months before we moved to Jacksonville and I was struggling with many issues, so we were not consistent with going to church. I almost felt I was not good enough to attend. I felt like everyone in the church had something I did not. I have not worked since I was in the Navy from 01-06 – I am a disabled veteran. I have not completed my college degree I have wanted since 1998. I felt abandoned by my father as well as that I let him down by not being able to save him from passing.

I once busted into Pastor Hal's office and just said, “I don’t know what to do!” I was carrying so much guilt. He spoke to me in common terms and explained what the church was about and that God doesn’t want us to feel guilty. He helped me to understand that since my dad had accepted Christ that I would see him in heaven as long as I was a true believer and follower of Christ. I felt much better leaving his office than I did going in, but it still was not enough. I was not yet ready to commit my life to God.

This year, around January, my husband and I were unhappy living in Jacksonville. We had not been attending church. We really had no social life and wanted something more. We decided we needed to get back into church. What would you know, this was the "year of the Life Group"! We signed right up even though we were both a little scared since we hadn’t been regularly coming to church. Also, we have two kids (4 and 7) and we were scared of the commitment. We were put in the perfect Life Group for us. Dan and Jean Mulvaney are our Life Hosts and Home Hosts and each member of our Life Group has played a major role in getting me to realize that God does not expect me to be perfect, and that God uses people’s imperfections to help others and to glorify Himself.

Through listening to Pastor Rick (who explains everything as if he is talking to me personally), meeting with my Life Group faithfully, asking questions and sharing parts of my life, and realizing how much God loves me and just wants a relationship with me personally, I finally realized – I owe it to God to show him my love, obedience and my thankfulness to Him for all the blessings He has given me and my family. I now know peacefulness over things I once felt would haunt me forever. 

One of the major things that made me realize Jesus does hear my prayers was when I came to church and saw that a new Grief Share Connecting Point was starting on Labor Day. Not only had I lost my father in August of 2009 but I also lost my biological mother in 2007. She and I had never met but we had started a friendship a few years before she suddenly passed away from a brain aneurism. I had been praying and praying to find someone who would understand the grief I was feeling without burdening them with my grief or making them feel uncomfortable if they haven’t dealt with the loss of a loved one. That day I opened the Argyle Connection and saw the announcement about Grief Share I knew in my heart God had answered my prayers. Donna Painter and Becky Dyal lead Grief Share. They have both been so sweet and kind to me, and models for the type of Christian women I want to become. Connecting with them about a topic that is so painful and be able to meet with other people going through the same unfortunate pain, I realized again that I may not know God’s plans for us, but I know he does have a plan for each of us, as imperfect as we are. I know that the more I pray and open my heart to Him that he will reveal His plans for me.

My husband and I also realized this year that we wanted to be more involved in the church, not just at service on Sundays but in any way we could. We started hearing about the different places to serve and how important giving to the church. We both came home and felt our hearts had changed so much. We decided we wanted to do more in both giving and serving.

I felt led to the Children’s Ministry. I was so scared where I would be assigned, but I told Children’s Ministry Director Amy Gieger that I would volunteer anywhere she could use me. I prayed and prayed, asking God to just put me somewhere I wouldn’t mess up! Wouldn’t you know, I was assigned to the registration team, the perfect place for me! I was scared that I didn’t know enough to lead a small group yet, but the registration team lets me meet other members of the church and their children, and has just been such an amazing example of how God knows exactly where we need to be and when to be there.

So here I am – ready to accept Jesus Christ as my savior and to grow in my relationship with Him – regardless of the fact I don’t have a job, that I’m still working on my paralegal degree and that I am not a perfect wife or mother, daughter or friend. But with all that I know and believe with all my heart that through Jesus all things are possible and while I can never be perfect, I can always try to be better with His help.

Answering Prayers...

God is answering the prayers of His people as He gently and slowly heals our broken hearts. The ministry and work goes on as we bring people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ, increase intimacy with God, community with insiders, influence with outsiders and create irresistible environments that encourage and enable these things.

Now is the time to be faithful. Now is the time to give your time, talents and treasure. God is in control.

Thank you for all that you do to make Argyle a loving, caring and very special place.

Rick Painter

Worship Arts Pastor

Why We Do It... A Guest Post

What a great service Sunday. Thanks so much to all of you for all you do!

I am guilty of taking for granted that our church will be there and will be great. Pastor Rick will have great music. The Worship Team will be great. Pastor Ken will have a moving and inspiring sermon. The KidStuf actors will rock.

I'm thankful that I can do my little part and serve as a baby toe in the church body. I tried doing "Word" in KidStuf and was sick with worry about remembering my lines every Saturday night. I tried being a lead teacher; again, I was sick with worry every Saturday night, and dreaded it, and knew that wasn't right.

But I can DANCE and smile. So I am happy to dance on the KidStuf floor and serve as the STAIRMASTER, keeping kids off the stairs and stage and go shhhhh to the noisy ones during the show.

I can dance in UpStreet too (its like a free aerobics class). And I CAN easily be a friend and listener and provide Jolly Ranchers to kids in UpStreet and assist crazy fun Don Eldridge in his kids small group. I'm so thankful to him for figuring out the curriculum and lesson, which boggles my mind many times. I'm happy to say shhhh while he speaks and to play the games, especially those boy vs. girls competitions that can be so riveting.

It's EZ to hug, smile, chat and encourage little ones and listen to their stories about a lost tooth, good grades, winning a soccer game, and to meet their friends and relatives.

I guess I'd like to inspire those folks who think they don't have a place at church that they do! Even if you aren't as comical as Kenny, eloquent as Mr. Dwight and Mrs. Linda. Even if you aren't a musician like the amazing Bass family and that awesome teenage drummer girl Cameron or you don't sing like Arlette (ssss..Stepping Stone). Or you are not actors or actresses who can remember lines and get on that KidStuf stage without vomiting.

Keep searching till you find your spot. Try things and if they don't work. Try something else until you find a comfy space, like I have.



Mary Maragy

What Am I Waiting For?

Pastor Ken just finished his series on community and asked me to speak at the Wednesday Night Connecting Point to tell my story about being in community. I made notes, prayed for God to guide and use my words and then shared from my heart what God has shown me........

I knew I needed community and still didn't jump in. I prayed about it and God surrounded me with powerful examples of community.

First the staff- a community of people I had on a pedestal (and still do to be honest), that I put so far ahead of me in wisdom and faith and their relationship with Christ. They speak to each other and listen to each other and are humble and kind and honest and welcomed me into this community with the same respect they gave each other. Remarkable and overwhelming to me still.

Then I took on my first big project as Children's Ministry Director- to build a new UpStreet environment for our kids. I was surrounded by community. The team that created it (that I did not give them credit as a community until just now) and the Karpf's wonderful community group, all of whom showed up for weeks on end to paint and organize and clean and sweat (cause I would forget to turn on the air in time to cool the big old place) and create and build and cut and nail and paint and sweat some more. We laughed and worked and prayed, made a mess and got the job done! A family in Christ, working and serving Him and growing together.

By the time we were done, I could not wait to get into a community group. I missed them and knew that community was where I needed to be. I stepped out on faith and became a facilitator for a ladies community group. God rewarded my faith by placing me with an amazing group of women and opened a way to use me to connect and grow and lead and follow with them in a real and wonderful community!

That was pretty much what I was led to share this past Wednesday. I was thankful to be allowed to share and pray that it encouraged any and everyone there that was not already in community to run out and get in it!

What didn't get said that night was that I just left my wonderful community group. It was a beautiful, supportive, caring, loving group and I walked away. We have been in community going on 2 years, have prayed and supported each other through financial trouble, family stress, cancer, surgery, recovery, birthdays, medical and emotional crisis, shared joy over answered prayers, eaten very well, loved,laughed and cried together. Staying in community with each other would be the easiest and safest place in the world. BUT, over the last 6-8 months the Lord had been talking to me consistently about why being uncomfortable was the better choice.

Community is meant to grow new leaders and hosts. Community is meant to grow faith and courage and love so that we step out and share those beautiful gifts with others. I spoke about those things but couldn't make myself get uncomfortable. I had lots of good reasons for not leaving my group. What if I didn't stay in touch with my beautiful sisters and we lost that connection? What if they were mad at me? What if I never found another community group like them? What if they wouldn't join another community group? We kept welcoming new members, wasn't that enough to share this gift with others? Bottom line, I just didn't want to leave. I love my community group! They are good for me and to me and I would miss them too much! We are good for each other! I was following God enough by being facilitator and even host home too sometimes.

Why would God want me to leave something so great? Why would He expect me to do more?

Well, I know the answer to this but, like a kid with my fingers in my ears, singing lalalalalalalalala, I don't want to listen.

The answer is, it is not about me.

So what if I'm scared of being uncomfortable, making people I love uncomfortable, or even mad at me? It is not about me. God is so much bigger than that and has always taken care of me. He brought me into this community group and blessed me beyond measure.

How can I not trust Him to take care of this next step if He is leading me?

So, trust Him. Be a leader, be a host home, step out on faith and I promise you He will be faithful to be there with you and hold your hand, speak through you, love and live through and with you. God is faithful in all things. Look to Him for guidance and provision, not to yourself.

In our weakness He is strong. Be sure to remind me of that the next time I'm struggling to step out in faith.

Courage and Peace in Christ,
Amy Gieger
Children's Ministry Director

Another reason we do what we do...

I just spent a few minutes, along with Children's Ministry Director Amy Gieger, with a mom who was in the office with her two daughters to discuss baptism.

Mom was raised in another faith, but as an adult felt an emptiness, heard the Gospel, and came to faith. Recently coming to Jacksonville, she was attending a church that was meeting her spiritual needs, but was boring her children stiff. She was looking for a church that would speak to her kids; a friend invited her to Argyle and KidStuf.

This is a Christian family, the kids are in a Christian school, and there was never any doubt that the kids were going to hear the Gospel, and see it demonstrated daily. The question was- were they going to hear it in a way that excited them and engaged them and gave them an age-appropriate approach to life change.

I guess we know the answer- they were here to discuss baptism. Just another reason why we do what we do here at Argyle.

Hal Hunter

Winning...

What does it take to score a win with adults? What do we celebrate?

For years we have cultivated an invest and invite approach. We want our people to spend time and energy becoming involved in the lives of their friends, neighbors and coworkers. We want them so excited about being here they want to invite others to share what they are experiencing. So, one win is seeing people bring their friends on Sunday morning.

We think community is important. Another important win is seeing people getting involved in a Community Group. True involvement and engagement is difficult in a large gathering, but natural in a small one. We believe that spiritual growth is most likely to occur in our Community Groups.

An important win is seeing people getting involved in service. It takes a lot of people to make the ministry here at Argyle. People need to put their faith to work. Like our bodies, our faith needs exercise.

Mid-Year Checkup...

Well, it’s that time again – time for a mid-year health check. The first half of 2008 has been a time of great spiritual growth in our fellowship. We have been baptizing, Children’s and Student Ministries are busy shaping young lives, and adults are growing and serving in many places.

Let’s see how our financial health stacks up. Our 2008 budget anticipated receiving just over $309,000 through June; we actually received a little less than $270,000. The income shortfall is just over $40,000.

We know that our country is in difficult economic times; we know that some of our Argyle families are feeling a pinch. Even with this challenge, God has work for us to do in our fellowship and in the community and world around us. Every week we see lives being changed forever by God working in the ministries your giving supports.

We have a vision of where God wants us as a church. If you missed the message on July 13th, we encourage you to listen to it online (click here to listen online). It will help you understand our vision and some of the financial obstacles we face getting there.

We encourage every family to prayerfully consider our giving, and decide if we are being faithful in managing all that God has entrusted to us. We are not asking more from those who can answer that they are being faithful, but we do challenge those who are not yet trusting God to do exactly what He promised in Malachi 3:10.

Hal Hunter
Ministry Pastor & Administrator

From Momentum...

These words are from a new study that Momentum is doing. Just thought I would share them....

"Creation. Beauty. Perfection. Simplicity. Freedom. Life.

All of these, God freely gave to man, His prized creation, placing him in a perfect world designed to reflect His glory.

Yet, in an instant, all of life was corrupted. The beauty of everything God so beautifully birthed was tainted by creatures who willingly rebelled against their Creator. Suddenly and tragically, life was covered with death, freedom was bound by sin, and beauty was lost. God's glory on earth had seemingly been scarred forever.

Then, when all hope of restoration was lost, history took an altogether unexpected turn. In the midst of death, God came in human form---not to punish or destroy the traitor race, but to weave even the darkest of sins into a tapestry of His glory.

History truly is His story. The greatest story ever told. Find your place in the adventure and discover amazing life that never ends."

David Bass
Deacon Chairman

YMCA...

With apology in advance to Reggie McNeal and his book, The Present Future.

My wife and I are thinking about joining the local YMCA. It's a wonderful modern, clean, family-friendly place not far from our house. They have a pool, exercise equipment, and trained staff that can help us learn how to use all that great stuff to exercise and maybe lose a few unwanted pounds, tone up, and be healthier. Great idea- right?

How about if we went once a week and hung out in the equipment room for an hour or so. What if we watched the people using the equipment and maybe clapped a little when they finished a set with the Nautilus machine? What if we never got wet, but became great critics of the swimming styles of the people in the water? What if we never broke a sweat? Would we benefit?

That's the approach some people take to church. They spend a little time once a week hanging out with people who are exercising spiritual muscles and hope something rubs off on them. They watch from the sidelines and never actually get engaged. They never break a spiritual sweat and wonder why their spiritual muscles are flabby.

Hal Hunter
Ministry Pastor & Administrator

Welcome...

During the past few weeks, Pastor Ken's messages have been about The Little "c", the local church. One of the goals for this series has been to call people's attention to the importance of being associated with a local church.

People in our post-modern society seem to have little desire for association, commitment and accountability, but Scripture seems to tell us that is not the way God intends us to live. The Bible indicates humans function best in close community, with a high level of mutual commitment and accountability.

Joining a local church shows commitment, makes close community available, and provides accountability. This past Sunday, 44 people joined our fellowship, and we have at least a dozen more in the process of counseling and baptism preparation.

This is exciting! These people are all showing they want to be a part of what is happening at Argyle, and want to do it in a way that shows their identification with Jesus as the head of the Church. After all, it really is Jesus the Church is all about- not the pastor, staff, or members. But we do get to work side-by-side with God in doing His work.

Hal Hunter