ABS newsletter

Sorry I've been slacking on updating our blog, here is the latest News from Mark. Hope you all are having a great week.

We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank of angels -- everything got started in him and finds its purpose in Him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. Christ is supreme in the beginning and He is supreme in the end. - Colossians 1 (MSG) Christos will be a remarkable venture for our faith-family. Challenge and encourage your people to be in the Word. Pray for your group, that the Word will deeply penetrate our fellowship this year and that we will never be the same. I am praying that this will be a year that Christ will reign in an even more supreme way in the hearts of our people and throughout the life of our fellowship. Pray. Expect. Live.

Be Stoked....

- A new young couples class launched on Sunday. The Glover/ Nixon crew jumped out of their previous class and handed off the leadership to some amazing young leaders and they have launched a young couples class for those who are engaged/ newly married. The class meets @ 10:30 in E205

- If you are interested in partnering with our Royal Family Ministry, here is a great road-map for information:

*Training for Volunteers for Royal Family Kids’ Club

New training opportunity for anyone interested in volunteering in Royal Family Kids’ Club (on Saturdays once a month, a mentor program for children in foster care)

Training dates are Sept 21 & 28 and Oct 5 & 12

5:30-7:00 pm in Room E134

(this training can also go toward qualifying you to serve at Royal Family Kids’ Camp next summer)

- Discovering Valley View, which is the exploration and/or membership class for our faith family, will be offered THIS SUNDAY @ 9 AM in Room E134. If you have folks who have been considering membership, please have them sign up for our Discovering Vv course!

Transform. A life.. A Church... A City

Our fellowship is on the verge of adopting a growth plan that will involve our ministry, our facility, and our heart for this city. The theme of this process is Transform! We believe that God is inviting us, in unprecedented ways, to step into the hearts and lives of the people of Taylorville/ Tuscaloosa and to offer the depths of hope that we have discovered in Christ. I want to share with you the practical and spiritual steps that we will be taking in the next weeks. I am SO grateful that you are ABS leaders and that all of you share in the joy and privilege of being the leaven for our fellowship. In a nutshell, here are the steps for 'how' and 'why' of Phase 1.

Over the past few years, we have....

- Grown by approximately 450 people in attendance at our worship & ABS.

- Baptized over 225 people in the last 2.5 years (Your heart should erupt with joy over that sentence!)

- Seen multitudes of students venture our way in pursuit of hope in Christ. Our student ministry has grown by 700% in the past couple of years

- Unified in our ABS structure and study

- Experienced dramatic "Awakening" services that have been powerful for our fellowship AND have shown us what can happen on a week to week basis. We do not have to imagine what 2000 people look like in worship at Valley View. We have SEEN IT!

One year ago..

- A team was put together and explored and studied, at length, our growth, our current property, and our spatial needs.

- That team identified 4 Critical Needs:

- Space for our Students

- Space for parking

- Adult Bible Study Space

- A Clear Way to Navigate our Property

These 4 Needs were identified as critical. Critical = Immediate.

We also recognize that we will rapidly need to address our Worship Space and our Children's Space (That is Phase 2 and needs to happen in the very near future!)

Recently...

- This team tasked a building team to work on addressing these four key needs. This team moved into partnership with a Church Building organization named MG & A.

- Last Spring, this team presented a plan that would address the four critical needs. Valley View, by a 98.8% vote, compelled us to move forward with that plan.

- Through the Summer, plans have been finalized and bids accepted and we are fully prepared to address the four key needs of:

- Student Space

- ABS Space

- Parking Space

- The FIRST step in creating a navigational process for our campus. (Phase 2 will finalize this process)

We are EXCITED!

- I cannot print our Guaranteed Maximum Price at this moment because it continues to be worked and tweaked. We will be able to share that price within a week. However, it appears that we will be able to build all space BELOW the price that was presented in the Spring of 2011. What a great and joy-filled praise. It is VERY close, so hold out for a week or so until our business meeting to hear the final $ figure. We are SO EXCITED.

(As an ABS LEADER, you have a sneak preview of the brochure that will go out on Sunday AM. Open the attachment to this e mail and enjoy what God is doing among us!)

Today....

- We will be informing the church family of our impending plans via the brochure on THIS Sunday AM, PM and Wednesday, the 21st.

- Sunday, the 25th our church family will have a vision (business) meeting and, hopefully, affirm to move forward with this first Phase. This will happen in the PM service

- Once the business is clear and complete, we will launch a campaign on October 2 and we will, as a church, pay for this phase. (God-willing, we will pay for this project over 3 years, which I am pretty confident that He is willing. The thrill and challenge will be our willingness to give with abounding joy and with believing sacrifice as we join with God in His will.)

Isn't that awesome! Now, hear me on this... Our building team and our pastor and I am excited about this project, NOT because it is brick and mortar but because we are making more space and improving current space to most powerfully be used by God as He transform lives.

We long to see our God transform a life and a city and our church!!

As an ABS leader, I am inviting you to be prayerful and excited and to be the key leader that God has ordained you to be in order that we generate tremendous unified vision for what He has in store. I love the idea of creating this space. I love the idea of lives changed (transformation). I think that God is honored by the idea of us paying off this space over the next 3 years. This will require sacrifice. I cannot think of anything more worthy of our sacrifice that the joy of moving the Kingdom forward through our local church.

Feel free to ask questions. Feel free to pray. Feel free to expect Ephesians 3.20 type activity as we ask God for more of His glory in His church.

The Next Few Weeks...

- On the 25th we will choose to adopt this project as a church in an official business meeting (If the Valley View faith family does not choose to adopt this project, the following is not relevant. Given the 98.8% affirmation in the Spring, we feel very confident that we are acting within the will of the Valley View body)

- From October 2 - November 6 you will hear MUCH vision for what we are doing and our common heart and hope for transformation

- On November 13 we will give an offering and pledge an amount of money toward this project for the next three years.

- Over the next 6 - 7 months, much work will be done on our campus and a good bit of hassle will happen for all of us.

- On or around Easter, we will open the door for a new and next step of ministry

- In 3 years or earlier, it is possible that we will have paid for this first Phase! That would be amazing!!

I hope that all of this information keeps you posted on where we have been and where we are going. You guys are our leaders and I want you to be as well informed as possible. Greater things are still to come....

What a joy to be your partner in this gospel. What a joy to pursue Christos together!! Have a wonderful and blessed day. I thank my God for you.

By Grace.... For Glory,

Mark

ABS Newsletter

Summer is winding down and the crisp cool breeze and the beautiful colors of Fall are beginning to arrive. (yeah, that is not happening but it sure feels good to type those words as 100+ degree weather with 100% humidity abounds in T-town!) I am so stoked about the Fall and about all of us returning to all things new. The return of school brings with it the promise of new relationships forged and new people and new opportunities to BE Christ to the greater Tuscaloosa. This Fall will be loaded with expectancy around Valley View. We will create new space for ministry to our students… new space for our people to park…. new space for our adult bible study…. new worship space for kids, students, and collegiates… an entirely new look on Hwy 69 Side and, God willing, we will see new people and new hearts and new worship and new zeal and salvation spring forth around us. After all, God makes ALL things new and He is constantly bringing new life. I love that about Him. It gives me so much hope!

As we head toward the Fall, we enter with a two things at heart… - A sense of God-expectancy must abound in our hearts, as ABS leaders - A willingness toward flexibility as we prepare to make many changes to our physical plant. Stay upbeat! Stay united! Stay focused on people! Never lose sight of the reality that the Cross of Jesus Christ is the ONLY supreme desire of your soul and the very heart of this fellowship. Change invites cracks for satanic division. Know that and refuse to allow that to happen!

A few things that you MUST know….

About Curriculum - DISCIPLE Leaders Only – Christos Books are available this Sunday, July 31. I (Mark) will be in the Gathering Area (Mall) throughout the morning and you can stop by my table and grab your 2011-2012 book. I can’t wait to see you and to high five as I hand you a book that is LOADED with promise and possibility. These are for Disciple Leaders only (sorry to my beloved Community and Mission folks!) - On-Line Curriculum study materials will be available by August 20 - Books for all classes will be placed in your rooms on August 21 - The Study of the Life of Christ (Christos) will launch on September 11!! o Now.. stop and consider this reality – our entire church will be united in the study of Christ for a year. Read that sentence again. Again. Now, stop and pray that God will flood our hearts with a passion for Christ-likeness like never before. Pray for a discipline in study that we have NEVER experienced. Pray for God to penetrate hearts as never before.

About Training and Equipping - Disciple, Community, and Mission Leaders –August 28 from 4:15 to 5:45 PM. ALL in training. We will kick off in August and January each year with an ALL training. Every leader MUST make this meeting. It will be so good and so filled with vision and so loaded with potential that you will deeply regret missing. Book this date and cherish it with all your little heart! - Disciple Leader’s Only –October 2 and December 4 from 5 – 6 PM - ALL IN (Disciple/Community/ Mission) Meeting – January 8, 2012

About Room Assignments - Many of you will have NEW rooms beginning September 11 in preparation for our building/ renovation. I will share your room assignments within 10 Days via the transformed e mail. STAY UPBEAT! You are the leaders and your class will follow your lead. We are making space and flex is key.

A few things to know and pray about…. - LOST Weekend is here and launches tomorrow… Our students will be venturing to an island on Lake Tuscaloosa and having much fun. In the midst of the fun is tremendous opportunity for God to grab their hearts for the sake of His name. - 4.32 Tuesdays is an on-line resource to gather our church in reflection and in prayer. Each week (Tuesday), your staff team will post thoughts from the prior weekend and opportunities to unite in prayer. You can find this on the Vv website on the ‘Blog’ (www.valleyviewtuscaloosa.com) and we will soon utilize Facebook and Twitter in order to post the link to these thoughts. - Our last night or Renew 2011 is this Monday. We will share in worship with the our choir and the Brooklyn Tabernacle singers. This promises to be a wonderful night of worship. - No activities on Sunday evening, August 7 and normal schedule resumes August 14. - Sunday, September 4 (Labor Day), we will have a single united service @ 10 AM and no ABS or evening activities

Christos: God’s Transforming Touch is an in-depth study of the life of Christ. Each of the next 48 weeks will include one moment in which Jesus will become clearer to you and to our faith-family. To say that I am expectant is an understatement. Pray with a sense of expectancy and unity and let’s watch as God unfolds His life and a taste of heaven on this earth. Let’s expect that Jesus will be MORE clear to those around us in days to come. Hallelujah!

I thank my God for you and for your partnership in the gospel.

By Grace… For Glory, Mark

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Mission update

Easy Mission!

As a class, we are going to collect aluminum cans and use the money (55¢ lb) to go towards funding our kids in Honduras. As a class, I feel like we can add one more child. So to help with the cost, collect all your aluminium cans and I will come collect them and take what we have collected to the scrap yard and put the money towards our adopted children. Also, if you wish to adopt one as an individual couple, let me know and I can help you find a child to adopt. Its 35 dollars a month. Get all of your friends to collect cans too so we can have more money to support those precious children in Honduras! If you have any questions, call me (2057927332) or email me.

God Blesd and thank you, Wes Chapman
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Mission opportunity

Valley View is partnering with the Tuscaloosa Backpack Coalition to help distribute backpacks to students in need. There are two ministry opportunities to help the students.

First. you can help distribute backpacks to students. Our distribution site is Englewood Elementary School on Saturday, July 30 from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Shayla Smith (h: 799-1935; c: 792-4307) from Brad McMichael and Wes Chapman's ABS group is coordinating this at Englewood Elementary. Volunteers are needed to help pass out backpacks. The backpacks from this site will help students who attend schools in our area: Duncanville Middle, Englewood Elementary, Hillcrest Middle, Hillcrest High, Maxwell Elementary, and Taylorville Primary.

Second, you can help sort school supplies any day next week. Supply Sorting will take place Monday through Friday, July 25 - 29 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Lloyd Wood Middle School in Northport.

If you would like to volunteer please respond to this e-mail (JimandLeesa@aol.com), or you can sign up by clicking either of these links.

Supply Sorting Sign-Up

Engelwood Event Sign-Up This link tells you a variety of things you can do to help, from set-up/clean up, backpack helper, food server, games/entertainment, general helper, prayer ministry, sign-in assistant.

For the children,
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Mission Update

This is an email I recieved from Shayla, if you can volunteer there is an email address in the letter that you can respond to in order to set up what time you can go out. Thanks, Chris

Hi Chris,

This is Shayla again. I just received this message concerning the community backpack drive so she still needs volunteers. If you don’t mind, would you send this out to the class and see if anyone is available to assist with the drive. If they are interested, they can e-mail Melissa, (mdrogers88@gmail.com) and tell her what shift they want to work. It will be at the University Mall and they don’t have to stay the full shift, they can volunteer 2 hours if they can.

Thanks so much!

Hello all,

Just wanted to send out a slightly urgent call for volunteers to help with the Tuscaloosa Backpack Coalition School Supply Drive going on at University Mall. There is a donation center set up near center court in the retail store between Gymboree and Life Uniform. We need volunteers to help receive and sort supplies for the following times:

7/12/11 – 10am-2pm

7/13/11 – 10am-2pm

7/14/11 – 2pm-6pm

7/15/11 – 10am-2pm

7/18/11 – 4-6pm

7/19/11 – 2-6pm

7/20/11 – 10am-2pm

7/21/11 - 10am-2pm & 2pm-6pm

7/22/11 – 2pm-6pm

If you are able to help, please let me know ASAP and plan to show up at University Mall at that time.

Thanks so much!!

Melissa Rogers

Tuscaloosa Backpack Coalition

Volunteer Coordinator

Transformed...ABS News

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-----Original message-----

From: Mark Seagle <mseagle@valleyviewtuscaloosa.com>
To: 'A Appiah-Opoku' <auggyab@yahoo.com>, 'A Ezell' <aezell01@bellsouth.net>, 'B Freeman' <freemansheetbob@bellsouth.net>, 'C Allen' <carlamallen@comcast.net>, 'C Gillespie' <carla.gillespie@tuscaloosanews.com>, 'C Singley' <csingley4936@charter.net>, 'C Wilson' <cindyhwilson@charter.net>, 'C Wilson' <aubrey.w.wilson@nucor.com>, 'D Mims' <wdmims@comcast.net>, 'D Nix' <dnix@sheltonstate.edu>, 'G Gray' <gaygray48@aol.com>, 'J Herndon' <jayhunts@yahoo.com>, 'J Mosley' <jmosley@sheltonstate.edu>, 'K Estes' <krestes1@hotmail.com>, 'K Kamplain' <kristikamplain@bankoftuscaloosa.com>, 'K Morrow' <shawnkristi@bellsouth.net>, 'Karen Ramos' <coosa@att.net>, 'L Brasher' <abrasher@bama.ua.edu>, 'L McGahey' <lmcgahey@bellsouth.net>, 'M Howard' <jhwd@novonordisk.com>, 'R & S McCluckey' <rockyandsharon@msn.com>, 'R Holmes' <rholmes@dchsystem.com>, 'R Layson' <renate.layson@graphicpkg.com>, 'R Morgan' <r_morgan@comcast.net>, 'S Eiland' <sneiland@gmail.com>, 'S Kirkwood' <kirkwood3@charter.net>, 'S Ray' <sandcray1@aol.com>, 'T Freeman' <bfreeman10414@charter.net>, 'T Nix' <bamatiff@gmail.com>, 'A Guillory' <guilloryfish@yahoo.com>, 'C Bell' <cathy_bell@att.net>, 'C Colburn' <cherric@charter.net>, 'C Hill' <chill@ingramsaccounting.com>, 'C Morgan' <cmaxfligo@comcast.net>, 'C Ramey' <carol.dawkins@va.gov>, 'C Ramey2' <carolramey@mound.net>, 'D Guy' <dguy913@comcast.net>, 'D Kyzer' <donkyzer@bellsouth.net>, 'D Mills' <dmills@tcss.net>, 'H Strickland' <mhstrick@bellsouth.net>, 'J & T Bridges' <livetogive7@gmail.com>, 'J Hajek' <hajekh@bellsouth.net>, 'J Hajek2' <jhajek@tusc.k12.al.us>, 'J McCluskey' <jasenmccluskey@yahoo.com>, 'J Naramore' <naramore2402@comcast.net>, 'J Snead' <john_snead@comcast.net>, 'L Evers' <lalaevers@yahoo.com>, 'L Hardwick' <linda.hardwick@alcc.alabama.gov>, 'L Smith' <jimandleesa@aol.com>, 'L Snead' <lsnead@dchsystem.com>, 'M Hartley' <mlhartley@crimson.ua.edu>, 'M Tubbs' <mtubbs4@comcast.net>, 'R Mccluskey' <nayandbub@yahoo.com>, 'R Pierce' <rdp78@aol.com>, 'S Glover' <sbglover@crimson.ua.edu>, 'S Young' <syoung@hannasteel.com>, 'W & L Beall' <mrbigwayne@charter.net>, 'W Chapman' <havagreatday@gmail.com>
Sent: Thu, Jun 23, 2011 18:02:40 GMT+00:00
Subject: Transformed...ABS News

Lately, every week that I venture into Yahweh is an opportunity for a spiritual tail whipping!    For instance, in this week’s study Josiah discovers that the Word of God is dormant among the people of God!    In fact, the Word is not just dormant, but it has been ABSENT for an extended season.  Wow!!  The people of God walking around and taking up space on the planet without the Word of God being shared among them.     What a tragic account?!   What an epic response by Josiah!    He calls the people to move their hearts and minds toward the Word and invites them to fall in love with the Word and leads them to devour the Word and stakes their lives upon the Word.       I know that the Word of God, at times, becomes dormant in our own personal lives and in the life of our fellowship.    We don’t intend for that to happen, but life chokes truth at times.   May we be like Josiah, and respond with passion and persistence when we find that we are slipping away from the only thing that really matters.   God’s Word is beautiful!  Revel in Him.  Lead your group to value the Word AND to radically adjust our lives to the truth of His Word.

 

 

A few important nuggets…

-         July 3^rd (the week AFTER next) Valley View will have a single service at 10 AM and no ABS or evening activities.    9:30, we will be serving light snacks and enjoying some sweet community prior to the service.

-         I (Mark) will be venturing away for a couple of Sundays.    I will miss you guys, BUT I will surely love, love, love being with my wife and kids for a season.    I will be praying for our fellowship while enjoying my family.

-         Renew 2011 launches July 11 @ 6:30 PM     In the month of July and the first week of August, we will have NO Sunday or Wed activities, but we WILL have amazing Monday night services.    Loads of information is already coming your way via our worship folder and posters and hand-outs….

-         4.32 Tuesdays to launch on Tuesday, July 12.    4.32 Tuesday’s will be one more way to unite and expect as a church.    Your staff team will be providing an on-line opportunity to pray, unite, reflect, and expect.   Each Tuesday, we will reflect on the prior weekend and how God was speaking to us – perhaps via our ABS groups or in Bro Billy’s teaching or in a unique experience that God is doing among us.      The ‘how’ of 4.32 Tuesday is that we will post on the blog each Tuesday (and also on FB) and think, provide focused prayer, and invite our body to unite even more in our hope in Christ.    I think that this will feel or be a bit like 18 Days (from The Awakening), but will be offered once a week rather than daily.      4.32 Tuesday launches July 12.

 

As we pray…..

-         Our Honduran team is gearing up and preparing for a God-sized week.    Last night (Wed), Stan Gray shared that 125+ people were saved last year by the use of a visual tool that shares the gospel.   This year, 11 people are trained to use this same tool  He asked us to pray for an outpouring of God’s grace in response to the presentation of the gospel!       Pray for a God-sized week.

-         Our Royal Family Kids have returned to their homes and are considering the implications of camp.   Continue to pray for this ministry and these children.    The monthly mentoring ministry will launch as school returns.   How exciting to be in the middle of God’s move as He completely changes the trajectory of the lives of these children and their present and future families.

-         This weekend, our recent graduates and college students will head to Doublehead for a retreat.    Ask Christ to rest among them.

-         Renew 2011 is on the horizon.   Pray, expect, and invite.

 

I thank my God for each of you.  I hope that the Word of Christ is alive in your heart.  I pray that the Word will not be dormant among us.   I am asking God to bring us alive toward His Word and that His Word will flourish among us.      Thank you for being a partner in the gospel.    I look forward to seeing you guys in the near future and the Word of God PROSPERING among us.    The Word of God is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me; it has hands, it lays hold of me. —Martin Luther

 

By Grace…. For Glory,

Mark

 

 

 

 

mark seagle

pastor, spiritual formation

valley view bc

tuscaloosa, al

205.752.0977

 

New Event

The calendar has been updated with events so please check it out

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