Praying everyone is doing good after the rough night.  Many have lost power and experienced damage to their homes.  If you need help with anything please let us know!

If you're day has been hindered or interrupted and you're now bored, curious what to do today, we've got you covered.  Below are some things we've got coming up as well as the video from last night.  So take a few minutes and catch up on everything The Rock SM has going on.

Thankful for each of you and the opportunity you give us to partner with you as we strive to help each student come to know Christ and make Christ known.  We're here for you and with you but will never seek to replace you.  Our heart is to simply come along your side as you disciple your children and seek to please God in this amazing journey that is parenting.  

Hallelujah Night (Drive thru style)  |   October 31st:   ​This great night of ministry will look a little bit different than years past but it is still going down!  The best thing to do is to get in touch with your teacher and see how you can chip in and help ministry to all those visiting the church that night.  There are plenty of ways to serve!

HAPPENING NOW | SS IN PERSON: We are now meeting in person for Sunday School!  Please be aware that students will meet together in The Rock at 9:30a for a few minutes and then go to their actual classroom.  We're excited this day is finally here and hope to see you all at 9:30a.  Don't forget to bring and wear your mask!

REFUEL |  Sign-ups are underway in the back of the Rock! For all the info click HERE!

INVOLVE BOARD |  Our students are busy!  We are so excited for the many opportunities they have to do what they do for the glory of God.  We want to not only celebrate that but support them in person.  The only way for us to do this is to know when they're doing what they do.  So get your student to list their "thing" on the involve board in The Rock.  You can also email or text us the info.  Help us celebrate and support you guys!

ROCKCAST |  The RockSM has a new podcast! Episode 6 just went out last week, you can find it and the old episodes wherever you listen to your podcasts! Or click HERE to subscribe and download!

Rock Feast |  We are currently discussing and considering what and how to do our RockFeast.  For some general information about Rock Feast, check out this page.  But we prepared for the sign up genius to go out soon to help us prepare to possibly feed our students.  

Last night we continued our series in 1 Samuel by looking at a very familiar story, David and Goliath.  I won't repeat all that you can hear or read below only to say this....Our God is Faithful and there is NOTHING TOO HARD FOR HIM.  We have the choice today to believe that and walk in that confidently OR we can choose to walk in our strength, thinking everything begins and ends with us.  Our choices reveal what we truly believe to be true about God.  I pray we all walk in the confidence that there is truly NOTHING TOO HARD FOR GOD.

Happy National Nut Day!  No really, it's National Nut Day.  Your random fact of the day.
Another fact is that our students are busy and all over the place.  We're so excited God gives us avenues to live out the Gospel.  We had volleyball yesterday, football and softball today.  We'll have another round of band competitions coming this weekend along with Cross Country and Golf the following week.  Not to mention the clubs, classes and other extra stuff.  Way too much to list.  All that to say, our students are busy which by default means you parents are also busy.  May God give us strength and wisdom as we wake up each new day.  Seeking to use each "packed" day for Him and His glory!

  Below are some updates we'd love for you to know about as we look back and look ahead.

Last night we continued our study in 1 Samuel, a series called Faithful.  It's a beautiful story that shines a bright light on the faithfulness of God. Throughout this story and throughout our story there are many moments of weakness from God's people.  There are many times when, if left on our own, we would surely fail miserably.  But thanks be to God, his faithfulness is well, faithful and sure and steady.  We see this last night in the story of God's people.  That God would be faithful in the midst of their choices going badly.   Below is the video and sermon notes from last night.

Thank you all for the opportunity and privilege to partner with you and your family in the Gospel.  God is faithful and our hope is to help students come to know Him and make Him known.  See you all Saturday night!

HAPPY FALL BREAK! Hopefully you are enjoying your fall break and have spent it recuperating and reenergizing!  (Yeah right... we never spend breaks resting, ha!) Regardless, I hope you are having a great week!
We had a great night last night and have a lot coming up, check the details below!

Last night we continued through our series, FAITHFUL, walking through the book of 1 & 2 Samuel. It's been great thus far! Last night we saw how God is faithful even when we choose wrongly. No doubt, daily, we make poor choices, we choose things over God, even though he has been graceful towards us - we still walk away. Though we are undeserving God is FAITHFUL to continue his pursuit of us. It is encouraging to know God will pursue us even when we don't pursue him. That doesn't give us permission to slack off. Rather, it gives us confidence that as we are pursing him when we fail, he is graceful! 
If you missed the sermon from last night, check out the video and notes below!

OCT. 18| ULTIMATE FRISBEE: we will be getting together this Sunday, Oct. 18th at Central Middle School football field to hang out and play ultimate frisbee together! We had a great turn out last time! If your not into frisbee, come and still hang! Grab a bit to eat after church and we'll see you at the field around 1:30p!
OCT. 24| TRUCK STOP MINISTRY: Saturday, Oct. 24th, we are headed to the the truck stop in Temple to hand out bags to truckers. This is a really neat experience and great mission. If you are interested shoot Chris or Andrew and text/email and they'll get you connected.
OCT. 24| ROCKLAB: Next Saturday, October 24th will be our next ROCKLAB! This is a time where we take a section of Scripture and take a deeper dive into it! Our last two went great and we know this one will be just as great! We are going to dive deeper into 2 Samuel 7! Invite a friend!
OCT. 25| SS IN PERSON: Starting Oct. 25th, we will finally be able to meet physically together for our Sunday School classes! This is great news and we are extremely excited! If you get sick or are out of town, don't worry - we will still have the Google Hangout option available! Feel free to invite a friend!
REFUEL: Sign-ups are underway in the back of the Rock! For all the info click HERE!
INVOLVE BOARD: for those of you that don't know, we have a board in the Rock where student can write down their events for the RockSM leaders to see how and when they are involved. This is a great opportunity for relationships to be strengthened. Just throw up your schedule on the board and will come and check it out!
ROCKCAST: The RockSM has a podcast! Episode 6 just dropped yesterday, you can find all of these wherever you listen to your podcasts! Or click HERE to subscribe and download!

Hope everyone is doing good today and excited about a packed weekend.  I guess if you don't have a packed weekend you're equally if not more excited about that.  We had another great crowd last night as we enjoyed our 4th week back together.  While church is not the only thing getting back to full steam, we're thankful for those who are able to join us in person.  And now we're thankful to be able to not only stream our service but to archive it on Facebook and Youtube.  Such a great way to make sure no child is left behind.  Little Bush throwback there.
​I know you're all busy so let's get straight to the goods.

We continued our new series FAITHFUL last night. It's a journey through the books of Samuel.  Our hope is to help students see the faithfulness of God through this book but then also in the overarching story of the Bible.  In doing this we are reminded that God is in control, not only in the story of the Bible but in our story too!   Last night was all about the counterfeit stuff.  We looked at how Israel forsook God and ultimately saw God's response to that forsaking.  A needed reminder of God's faithfulness and hope even as we pursue other things.  Below is the transcript from the sermon as well as the video.

I do want to remind you that we have 1 Samuel Scripture journals available for $5.  This is such a great way to trek through this amazing book with us on Wednesday nights.  What a treasure it would be to later go back and see notes from the 15 yr old you.  I know, a bit scary perhaps, but cool nonetheless.  Have a great weekend and we'll see you all on Sunday.

Welcome to October!  There was a time I wasn't too sure we'd make it here.  But here we are and I'm thankful to God for yet again showing His faithfulness to us.  There's just a few things to remind or inform you about as we continue to ease back into some regular activities and events.

Last night we began a new series called FAITHFUL.  Faithful is a journey through the book of Samuel.  Our hope is to trace out the promise of hope God gave to us in Genesis 3:15.  The question of HOW will be big in this series.  How did God show His faithfulness to His creation?  How did God work out this promise of hope?  We know the story of King David is a big part of this plan.  We know the thread of the offspring is a big part of the Bible.  It is THE part of the Bible that ultimately finds it's home in JESUS.   But for now, in Samuel, how does God work this out?  I'm excited about the big picture students will get this year!

As we better understand the big picture of the Bible we also understand the intricate details of our lives.  You see, as we see God weaving this thread of hope through the Bible we're able to gain confidence and trust in a God who is also ever present in our situations.  Samuel presents many sticky situations, seemingly hopeless situations that we can relate to in our lives.  Maybe not a physical giant.....maybe not a lack of the Word in our lives....maybe not the fact that we're barren.  But you know we face some hopeless situations.  Adam and Eve left creation in disarray, in a seemingly hopeless situation.  But how did God respond?  With a promise of hope.  From the beginning until now, in the midst of an ever changing climate, God Is Faithful!

Last night we began this story in Samuel and then brought it home to us.
The sermon transcript is available below as well as the video of the night.

​We had many out due to school activities and other things but we are so thankful for the many who joined us in person....that's been such an encouragement to me.  Not the number per-say, but the fact that we can be together again!

Happy Fall Ya'll!   Hope you're enjoying the cooler weather.  I will remind you that this is 2020, so be prepared for a few more heat waves.  I'm sure it'll be back in the 90's with 100% humidity just in time for Thanksgiving or your family bonfire.

Only a few things to mention today.  Things to know and/or do.

Another great crowd joined us live and in person as we finished up our Imposters series.  This series centered around the question of WHY.  Why did we need freedom?  Why did we need saving?  Why did God need to act on our behalf?  Genesis 1-3 tells an incredible story.  The most amazing thing reality is that this was only the beginning.  Last night we saw this as the Plan to Redeem was unleashed.  All would not be lost.   Below are the notes and video from last night.

Hello!  Right out of the gate I just want to thank God for the opportunity to be together last night.  We had around 80 folks brave the elements and join us live and in person at The Rock.  It was so good to be together again although it did feel a little weird.  When we learned we would be able to meet again we counted back and realized it would be a span of 6 months in between our in person meetings.  That's crazy.   Needless to say, there was some kinks we needed to work out.  Overall, last night was good and felt as though we'd never left.  In some ways it really did feel like it had been ages since we met. It looked a bit different with chairs spanning all the way back to where ping pong tables usually sat. It felt different having live human beings in the room with us.  Remember, we have been doing the live stream for 6 months.  So I had to stop myself from asking why everyone was there!   So again, thanks to all those who came, we could not be any more excited about last night and the weeks to come!

The good news is that we are still able to live stream our services.  We are so excited to provide this way of staying connected when you're not able to attend in person.  We realize weather, sickness, and activities sometimes happen.  Isn't it great that you can still participate in the service when you can't physically be here?

And how about our leaders?  They were great last from the check in station, temperature checks, long distance hugging fests.  From the moment a student walked in the room they were greeted and loved.  You can train leaders but you simply can't re-create the canvas.  Thankfully we have leaders who need very little training.....they just need to be unleashed.
So thanks to all the leaders for making last night go as smooth as possible.

So now, we move on the next week and next steps to normalcy.
​With that said, below we have activities coming up as well as the service video and notes.

• This Sunday - We will be playing some ultimate frisbee at 1:30 at the football field at Central Middle School.  We learned last night that there is an alternative game called "razzle dazzle."  Either way, it's a great way to be together outside a bit.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to come hang out.
• Refuel - We began announcing this last week but are now making the plea for students to sign up.  You can sign up at anytime for either trip.  Unfortunately you'll need to fill out both forms if you have a student in each age group.    

                MIDDLE SCHOOL FORM
​                HIGH SCHOOL FORM

• The RockCast has another new episode.  This can be found on the front page of this website or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
• Masks - Just a reminder that masks are encouraged at The Rock.  Better safe than sorry.
• YouVersion App - This is a free Bible app.  We put our outline and any verses we'll use during the night on this app.  It can be found under "events" within the app.  We can be found beginning 6pm each Wednesday night.

I want bore you with too many details. Last night we continued our Imposters Series.  Below you can find the sermon notes along with the live stream recording of the entire service.  

We hope everyone has a great rest of the week and weekend.  We look forward to seeing everyone Sunday morning as we worship the victorious King together, in person.  I doubt we'll ever again take that for granted!

​Chris/Andrew

Rock Students, Parents and Leaders!  Hope you're all doing well today.  It seems we're slowly getting back to the school schedule.  If I'm not mistaken we now have all our Rock SM students back in school.  Of course that means band, sports and homework are also in full effect.  All of this just in time for us to be back together on Wednesday night for The Rock SM.  More on that below but I pray to see all the students back in the seats beginning this Wednesday night.  We know most everything has started back up, but we pray you'll notch out some time as we gather again as a student body.  But before we get into Wednesday, here are some things to know and also some things to consider as you plan.

We mentioned this exciting news last week but want to remind you of any precautions as well as instructions as we prepare for the return of The Rock in person service.

I will attach the plan again below.  Here are a few highlights and procedures details.

• If your student feels sick, is sick or sick of being sick....they need to stay home.
• If they have been exposed to Covid, they need to stay home.
• Students will/must check in on the front porch.  Leader actually checks them in on iPad.
• A leader will check the temperature of any person entering the building.
• Students head in.  Once they are in, we are asking them to stay inside.
• Once inside, students will be ask to head straight to a seat, staying there until we dismiss.  Remember, we are starting at 6:45pm.
• The seats are spaced and marked.  We have more seats set up than we need or can fill, but this is done in order to keep chairs spaced out.  Seats with tape will not be used.
• Mask are recommended but not required.
• Bible are recommended but not required.
• We will be streaming the service on Facebook and YouTube live.

Again, here is our official document for a more detailed look at preparations/procedures

We began our first official sermon series of FREE entitled "Imposter."   This series will mainly answer one HUGE question, "WHY WAS FREEDOM NEEDED."  This may seem like a simple question but I think it's important to understand that from the very beginning there has been a thread running throughout all of Scripture.  That thread was there to remind us that God has been in control the whole time.  But how did we get to where we needed to be FREE'd?  I could go on and on with explanation so I'll just link the service below as well as give you the notes from last night.

BUT AGAIN, NEXT WEEK YOUR STUDENT CAN JOIN US LIVE AND IN PERSON!
Until then, have a great rest of your week and we'll see you all Sunday and then together, for the first time in 6 months, worship as a student body in THE ROCK.  I'm excited!

Hope everyone is doing good on this sunny Thursday!  If you're reading it on a day other than Thursday, hope that one is equally as sunny and good.

By now you have heard the exciting news that The Rock, along with other Wednesday night discipleship opportunities will begin meeting together again, in person on SEPTEMBER 16th. 

We've included an initial plan to ensure we approach and enjoy this special day in a safe and right way.  Attached below is our plan.  There are things we have and are doing on our end.  There are also some things for you to keep in mind as you come back to The Rock.

Before you read the letter know this:

• We will still make The Rock SM Live available online.  You can find this on our Facebook page and Youtube channel.  You can also find it on RRBC's Youtube channel.  Links to The Rock's social platforms can be found on almost any page of this website. 
• Things can quickly change in our culture. We are constantly checking the status of local schools and Carrollton in general.  As of now we are a go for September 16th but please keep in mind that could change quickly.  We pray they won't and we're able to stick to this plan!
• Most importantly, if you or your student is sick or experiencing any symptoms, it's best to stay at home.  This really goes for any sickness but especially now with the threat of Covid and the reality that while many can endure and recover, many simply cannot.  
• Any parent wanting to help us in The Rock as we open again can contact Chris.

Last night we went in to depth on our new theme of FREE.  I won't go into too much detail here.  But I'd encourage you to watch the service from last night.  I've also included two things below that may be helpful just to read through.  One is our series direction for the year and the other is the rough transcript for last night.

We are very flexible in our series and plans as we move throughout our year. But we also think it's important to have direction, a plan.  Each year we have a one word theme that provides this direction.  Our hope is that each student will have a comprehensive view and teaching of the entire Bible by the time they graduate High School.  We won't teach through every book bu the hope is we touch the important themes that God's Word brings out.  We do this through many avenues and events.  But no event or activity can replace our time together each Wednesday night.  So we give much thought to our series and how they tie together.  So this year we walk through the idea that we are FREE.  Through Christ we are free from sin and free'd to live.  Why we needed this, How God brings it, and What it means for us now is what this year is all about.

Welcome back to another weekly update.  Praying all the "back to school" folks are off to a great start to school.   Wanted to give you a heads up as to some things going on in and around our student ministry this week and in the weeks to come.

Last night brought to close our 4th series in the Covid Era.  It's hard to believe we've been doing this thing, thing long.  But I'm thankful for the resources we've had to NEVER MISS ONE WEEK OF TEACHING.  That's big to me.  At the end of the day that is the most important thing we can do for our students, teach/lead them to Christ.  I'm proud of our team for making that happen and for our life group leaders for remaining in community with our students.

I won't go into much detail regarding last night but simply give you the night notes and the video.  Praying you'll dive in with us as we finish up the series, This Changes Everything.

Good morning, afternoon or evening!  Whenever you're reading this we hope you're well, healthy and ready to kick the kids out of the house during the day!  Seriously, we are praying for a great start to the school year.  The administrators, teachers and staff have been working hard to create a safe environment for our students and all who will flood the school campus, all school campuses.  Some will begin virtually, some will have a hybrid option while others will actually put feet to pavement on their campus.  However each student returns we are praying for a great year!  Returning has been and will continue to be a tough decision, with needed adjustments.  Above all it will require wisdom that we believe will be given by God.  So we pray.  I hope you'll join us here at The Rock SM in this prayer for our students, teachers, custodians, administrators and parents.  

Here are a few things we have coming up, currently going on or ideas we'd like to run by you.  These are mostly resources or avenues for us to remain connected during this time.    

• Our Website - We have been adding and cleaning up therocksm.org.  I'd encourage you to go, look around at the many things we have to keep students and even parents engaged in their pursuit to know Christ and make Christ known.  Many of things mentioned below can be found on our website.
• The Rock SM Live - This is our weekly way to worship together on Wednesday night. Can't make it?  Haven't made it?  Want to make it again?  This is very easy and can be done by visiting our Facebook page, Youtube page and can even be found on the Roopville Road YouTube page.  This is something we will continue to provide once we do get back together.  So now no student will totally miss Wednesday, even when they miss Wednesday at The Rock!
• The RockCast - This is our podcast which now has 2 episodes.  The hope here is simple, provide a resource where we simply have conversations about life, culture and Scripture.  It's funny, goofy and seasoned with the truth of God's Word.  The RockCast can be found on most all podcast services.  But for your convenience it has also been placed on the front page of our website, therocksm.org.   You should check it out and share it!
• The RockList - This new addition came about as Andrew and I were walking through our latest Rock SM Live while discussing growth.  Music is a huge influence in our lives.  We felt guilty encouraging students to listen to Godly music without giving them some resources to actually find this music.  Enter The RockList.  It's simply a playlist on Spotify, which you can have with a free account.  But you can also enjoy some snippets on our website or by CLICKING HERE. If nothing else it will provide a sample of what we would consider a solid influence to our daily life.
• LINKS from Last Night - Here are two great links for books students could and should read.   Therebelution.com and thegoodbook.com.  These are also great resources for us as parents and leaders.  We've also included a "Rock Reads" link that has a list of recommended readings for students, parents and leaders. This link can be found under the resources tab on our website.
• Sunday School - If your student is not connecting with their group on Sunday mornings I would strongly encourage that to happen.  It's such a great way to experience that smaller setting of discipleship and belonging.  Students need connection in this way.  You can find the link to each SS class on our church website.....CLICK HERE.
• Breakfast & Bible with Dads - There are many more resources and outlets we have to stay connected to The Rock SM. This last thing is an idea I had a few weeks, have been chewing on it and seeking wisdom on the "how" part.  So I've settled on throwing out the idea and seeing the response we might have. Breakfast & The Bible with Dads.  Yeah, we'll work on the title but the premise is simple.  I desire to share a meal with dads of Rock students.  We'll eat together, read together, and share with one another.  There's much to share as a dad of student.  Struggles, burdens, victories, wisdom and even pain.  This group will simply be an outlet for dads to experience community.  As iron sharpens iron is the thought but specifically for dads who seem to share the same season of life. Schedules are tough and it seems the time many have to be at work differ.  I'm not sure if this is a once a month thing, every other week or every week.  Once we have a core group of dads we'll begin to work through some of those details.  So I'd love to hear from you.  Would you dads mind responding back and answering a few questions? Moms, resist the urge to voluntell your husband.  If he doesn't read this, take the phone or computer to him and from there you can voluntell him to at least read it.  So, two easy questions.

1. Is something you're interested in?   
2. What time would you be able to do this?

I won't keep you long here.  Below is the recording from our time together last night.  We had an audio issue once the camera comes on, so be patient, it works evenutally.  If nothing else, you should watch just to see the "Help the Old Person" segment.  Some good flashes from the past for all you old people, like me.  We've also included the transcript from our service.  It's in raw form, nothing fancy, just the notes we would actually take to the stage.

Hello!  Really hope everyone is doing good today. If perhaps today has found you in a tight spot or maybe a rough situation, I pray God will comfort you and remind you that He has given to you a peace that passes all understanding.  Honestly, I believe we all stand in need for that reminder!

Just to remind you as parents/leaders, The Rock hopes to begin meeting again very soon.  We are currently waiting to see the impact or results of our schools beginning.  So we obviously have a few more weeks before that becomes more clear.  We thank you for your patience and prayers during these new times.  No one wants The Rock to meet live and in person more than us.  We are working and planning towards that day.

With that in mind, we do have numerous opportunities to meet in person as well as online.

• Bible Studies - We currently have two live, in person Bible Studies going on.  Our girls have an opportunity each Tuesday night at 6pm at The Altman house.  The guys are currently meeting on Thursdays.  To learn more about the guys Bible study please email andrew@roopvilleroad.org.
• Sunday School - We are and have been meeting together online for our Sunday School.  You can find your classes link on our church website.
• ​The Rock SM Live - Each Wednesday night at 6:45p we meet together online.  This can be found on The Rock's Facebook or Youtube account.  It can also be found on the Roopville Road Youtube channel.  WE ARE ALSO hosting small groups on Wednesday night.  Each week we can have one small group join us.  To do this please inform your leader and have them contact me.  If your small group is not interested please contact us.  This is a great opportunity to be here in person, along with others, diving into the Word together.  But you can't simply show up, we must know you want to attend. 
• Sunday morning Worship - We are of course meeting in person on Sundays.  It would be great to see you there for that!
• The RockCast - A podcast of the ROCK SM.  We currently have one episode with another set to be released next week. The podcast is a way to model spiritual conversations.  Each episode will have a theme where Andrew and I simply have conversations about life, culture and Scripture.  It's meant to be light hearted but also challenging. We'd love for you to give it a listen.  You can find the podcast by searching "THE ROCKCAST" anywhere you listen to a podcast.  You can also find it at therocksm.org.
• WE NEED YOUR HELP - We need a student to join us for the next RockCast podcast.  It'll be simple and definitely not live. Simply put, we'd love to run some fashion ideas by them and just pick their brain.  If your student is interested please have them email CHRIS@ROOPVILLEROAD.ORG.    If they don't have email they can use yours or also just text me.

We continued our new series last night by looking at Disciplines.  It was a great time together with some new folks that joined us live and in person.  Below is the transcript from the night as well as the video, in case you missed it!

​Have a great weekend and we'll see you Sunday Morning!

Happy Thursday! Hope you've had a great week! There's a lot to talk about!

Last night, we began our first series of the new year, This Changes Everything! This is a book written by a teenager to teenagers. The books is just what is says, a look at how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes everything in the life of the believer! 
Last night we started with a look at how the gospel changes our IDENTITY. We are radically changed by the gospel inside and out! We were in Philippians 3:8-11 as we looked at 6 aspects of a Christian's life - treasure Christ, devalue everything else, put faith in Christ alone, Know him, suffer for him, and become like him. 
If you missed the episode, check the bottom of the post for the stream! 

Meeting Status – Unsure right now… we are still waiting to see how everything goes with schools regathering. However, we do have the VIP sections set up for you and your family or even your life group to come and hand with us! All you have to do is email chris@roopvilleroad.org and let him know you want to come and hang!  We do for next week, August 12th, we will hosting a Middle School girls group, so the couches are officially full for that one week.

Girls Bible Study – Tuesday’s at 6pm, at the Altman House. The girls have been working through different things each week. If you have any questions shoot Suzanne or Laykin a text!
HS Guys Study - Thursday mornings, the time and place varies, if you're interested shoot Andrew a text!

Devotions – So... as you have noticed we haven't had any devotions this week. The question is this - is something you want/need us to keep doing. Give us some ideas/feedback on the devotions and if you want us to continue them!

Podcast – Something brand new to the Rock SM is a podcast! You guys asked for a podcast and its here! Every 2 weeks we’ll throw a podcast out there as we center our conversations on ​life, culture and Scripture! Check it out on the front page of our website or on your favorite podcast app.   You can get the MP3 RIGHT HERE.

NEW THEME and YEAR kickoff coming in September – FREE.... we'll announce more soon but the hope is this - to know and believe that we are FREE... FREE FROM SIN AND FREE TO LIVE..!

We love you, see you soon!

Hello!  Hope you're all well.  Just a warning that this could get a bit long.  We just have a few things to share with you and there's no way around using more words to do so.  

Before we get to the "news" I'd really like to offer encouragement.  Some of you are like "I'm good" or "wait, I'm discouraged?"   Maybe this is more of a challenge to be alert or steadfast or sober minded as Peter would say.  This season we're in has a tendency to wear on you, maybe without you even knowing it's happening.  With that mind I'd love to challenge you to read Psalm 63 at some point this week.  I ran across this Psalm through a daily email and it jumped off the phone screen.  I won't add much only ask that as you read, see it as a reminder of all our soul is to do as a child of God.  These are not orders but reactions.  Reactions to a holy God who has snatched us from the pits of hell.  In light of that we should seek Him right?  But so often we get distracted, discouraged, dissatisfied with who God is.  So the encouragement is to refocus, remain stedfast and sober minded.  We are living in something new for all of us.  So much uncertainty.  If we're not careful we'll slowly make our way to a life of ho-hum or boredom.  Our zeal and passion for Christ will slowly dim and our faith in this Savior will become one of many things rather than the main thing.  All that to say this, we must guard our hearts and souls during this season.  Yes, we should be guarding these things in all seasons but we all know and realize that this season is just different.  Be on guard.

As you read Psalm 63 do so with eyes that are looking, sounds crazy because you'd think your eyes are always looking, that's the purpose of eyes right?  But we know better.  I also want you to read this text with a soul that is longing. 
The Psalm is a response to God, a promise to God.   Look for the attitude and response of David's soul.  What is it he is hoping, desiring to do?  Find those things and you find what are eyes and souls should be looking for and thirsting after daily.  But above all...let this serve as a reminder of that which our soul is to be doing, daily.  I love you all and am praying we remain stedfast and encouraged.  God has won but we must fight!  So fight on!

We wrapped up our Elevate series by looking at 1 Peter.  I have enjoyed this series so much as it's a great baseline for when we dive deep into the book in the future.  It may be a reminder of a previous study.  This series may not bring the flash and glimmer but that's ok.   Our hope has been simple, what do students most need in the midst of a very uncertain time?  The Word.  Guidance, assurance, confidence and clarity in the world.  Why?  Because when all else fails, the Word of God remains.  We would do well to give much time to this treasure.

The video for last night is below.  We hope you'll watch it for the first time or watch it again.

You received information regarding our students "moving on up" on Tuesday in our church-wide email.  So let this serve as a reminder and then let me offer a little more information.

Our hope for doing this within the student ministry is mainly to give our 5th graders an opportunity to begin this transition.  Moving into the student ministry is a big deal, sometimes a very scary thing.  So why not use this time as a transition in a very non-threatening way.  We also realize that Google Hangout Sunday School is not easily done within our Children's Ministry.  So this will give them an opportunity to be fed as well.  We will be working hard to reach out to all our upcoming 5th graders to let them know how to connect to their class.

We also realize many of our seniors will be moving off to college soon.  Even if they're staying at home and attending school or joining the workforce, they are in a transition of their own.  We want to provide a way for them to begin this new transition and begin to be with "their" people and ensure a connection to the 831 College Ministry begins smoothly.  This transition is a bit easier due to them seeing many familiar faces but still, it's a transition.

Our 8th graders have a transition themselves... so our hope in sticking with this original move-up date is simple, let's have some form of normalcy to life, especially when there is an opportunity to be together as a ministry and as a Sunday School class.

We realize this was a bit sudden, we apologize for that.  But it honestly snuck up on us a bit, even though we've discussed it off and on for the last few weeks.   We are trusting that this will help bring a bit of a spark and also a glimmer of new to our ministry and their lives.

Because of this being a bit sudden we totally understand if your student would rather spend another week in their "old" class.  They may be itching to move as well, so we will by no means be standing at the door and rejecting people into a certain class.  We're simply letting you know that we would love for everyone to "move on up" and begin this new season of life.  One thing is for sure, our teachers and I will not be asking folks to leave a class.  We just wanted you to know a little bit more about why The Rock is promoting.  Many times knowing the "why" greatly helps understanding the "what."  In this case the "why" is for 5th graders to have an opportunity for a Sunday School gathering, begin the season of transition, and for a sense of normalcy to be brought to the craziness of 2020.

Our teachers will be working hard to reach out to those that are new in their class.  I will be reaching out to these groups as well.  But this update should reach everyone affiliated with our student ministry, so we're hoping to best inform you of the why and when.  Making the connections between teacher and student is important to us and you can trust we are working hard to make this transition as smooth as possible.  

The Google Hangout links for each class we offer at RRBC can be found on our church website.  You can access that link by clicking HERE

We appreciate your understanding and help with this.  And again, we're hoping this will bring a sense of newness and a spark to our time together on Sunday mornings!

The Covid pandemic has brought many things our way.  It has caused us to be stretched in ways we never would've chosen.  While we as a church ministry were equipped to "do church" over the internet, our student ministry solely relied on being together physically.   That changed over night and we are so thankful that transition was smooth....or sort of smooth.

One opportunity that has presented itself is The Rock SM Podcast.  Many folks have requested this and as we mentioned it last week we had even more people express interest in it.  So what would this podcast be about and how would it be useful?  Great question.  

The Rock SM Podcast would cover many aspects of life.  From the funny side to the culture side, to the serious life side and the Biblical side, The Rock SM Podcast would attempt to color in some grey areas and provide an arena for us to dive into topics we simply have run out of time for in our normal gatherings.  It'll be fun and serious, Christ-centered and clean, spontaneously planned and most of all God glorifying.   We'll have special guests and special segments.  We'll have student highlights and leaders catch-ups.  

We're not quite sure if this will be a weekly or monthly thing.  One thing we know for sure is we want to provide yet another resource to students and parents.  Our heart is to present others mature in Christ Jesus.  So this podcast will have that as it's ultimate hope.  We hope you'll join us but at the end of the day, we're doing this for the sake of Christ and His Church.

Be on the lookout for the premiere.  We'll make sure we send you all the information of when and how to connect.

The RockLab is an opportunity for students to come and walk slowly through a book or section of a book over the course of 3 nights.  We originally had one planned for August and have decided to carry on with this gathering.  We will be letting you know these dates.  We are currently thinking through that as well as seeking feedback from students/leaders.  So be on the lookout for that information!

Hope everyone is doing good this Thursday.  Also hoping you all were able to join us last night for The Rock SM Live.  It seems this new normal is not so new anymore.  Our heart has been to do our best to provide content and resources that would help students and leaders stay in the Word and be discipled in their faith.  From week 1 we've done this and will continue to do this until we're able to be together again.  We're praying that we don't have too much longer to be together but until then, you can be assured that we will provide daily devotions, SS opportunities as well as The Rock SM Live as opportunities to dig deeper.

Speaking of last night, we spent time catching up with the panel of guys, having a little fun.  After that we jumped into the book of Acts.  Acts is an incredible book that seems to be a major player in the New Testament.  So much of what follows this book in our Bibles finds it's home in Acts.   We hope you joined us last night but if not, we've got the link below for you to join us in this elevated walk through of Acts.

Praying you all have a great weekend.  We look forward to seeing you all this Sunday!

Hope everyone is doing good this fine Thursday!  Hope you all able to join us last night for the live stream.  If not, you'll see the video below.  It's so important that we continue to "be together" during a time we can't actually be together.  We love providing the content and opportunity to worship together.  We just pray you'll take advantage of it each week.

Ok, it's coming and it's coming quickly.  Focus Camp is happening next week.  While it may look a bit different than previous years, we know God will still be leading and turning hearts to himself.  We pray you'll be a part of the week.   Here's a rundown of our time at Focus Camp.

• 10:30 am - Devos will be on the website, therocksm.org.  They will be right on the front page, just click the picture that says something like "FOCUS CAMP DAILY DEVOS."  The hope is we'll all do those at the same time, in our own houses of course.  So plan now, 10:30a, devo's, therocksm.org
• 11:oo am - Andrew and I will be leading a morning Bible Study.  We'll take some time each day to Re-Focus on the past year.  What is Focus?  Where did it come from?  Why does it matter?  How can I actually live a life with Christ in Focus and with Christ as my Focus?  Good questions.....we've got some answers.
• 7:00 PM - The big one.  This is where we are all coming together, in person, like really in the same building!   We still must be careful and we will have some guidelines.  But the cool thing is we get to be together.  WE WILL BE MEETING IN THE CHURCH GYM.   I would plan to be here no later than 6:45pm in order to help us get everyone seated and ready for a 7p start.  While we hope to make it feel like camp....we know everyone is actually having to drive here rather than walk over from the room.  We'll also need to plan the time out a bit better since parents will be picking you up each night.  BUT....we GET TO BE TOGETHER!

To help us plan, would you mind completing this short form.  This will let us know you're coming.  If you've purchased a shirt and checked off that you were coming, no need to do the form again.  THIS WILL BE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE NOT LET US KNOW THEY'RE COMING.
THE FORM.

Some Specifics for the night:

• If you're sick, stay home.  If you feel sick, stay home.  
  
• If you're coming, fill out the form (see above.)
  
• While here, understand there is to be no gathering within 6ft.  Help us with that.
  
• Seats are not to be moved unless moved by a volunteer.
  
• When you get here, you'll be greeted at the door.  A leader will take you to a seat.  Yes, we'll try to get you close to your friends...but keep in mind...each chair is 6 ft from any other chair.  So maybe shoot for the general area of your friend and then you can talk after the service, outside the 6 ft bubble of course!
• We know this will be tough.  We know you want to hang out and be close.  But we simply can't do that at this point.  We are trusting you all to be mature, responsible and cooperate.  We know you got this....our leaders/volunteers will be here to help you with that.  Temptations will be looming!  ha
  

If you reached out to let me know you would be willing to help with Focus Camp, please arrive at the church at 6:15p each night.   We will have some jobs for everyone that shows up.  Just be sure to be here by 6:15p to find our your role and get to volunteering.  It's not too late to help, just let me know you plan to be here.

​I believe that's it for now.  I'll be texting and emailing over the weekend with any other details that may come up.  But begin now praying for next week and preparing your heart for what appears to be a great time together to FOCUS on all that God is and all that He's done for us through Christ.

As mentioned above, here is our video from last night.  We continued our series through the books of the Bible.  The plan is to visit 10 books during the 10 weeks of summer. We're going high elevation, big, broad thoughts for each book.  Last night, Isaiah.  How does this book fit into the story of the Bible?  How is the book important for us today?  Why even read it or have it?   Well,  we invite you to watch or watch again.

Happy Thursday all! If you haven't been outside yet go check it out - it's beautiful!

Last night we continued our work through our summer series, ELEVATE. It was another great night as we worked through the book of Psalms. This summer we have chosen 10 books of the Bible to overview each week in hopes of understanding the Bible as a whole better! Each book of the Bible is it's own piece to the whole story! 
Last night we saw how the book of Psalms is separated into five separate books. The book of Psalms is a type of wisdom literature made up of songs, poems, and laments. The Psalms in some ways is a hymnal (a book of songs) that believers can sing in any season of life, good and bad! The connect us with followers that have gone before us! It was a great night that led to great encouragement knowing that God is faithful to his people and he is worthy of our praise!
Next week, Isaiah!

If you missed last night, check the bottom of the post for the notes and the recorded session!

If you tuned in last night you are aware that we officially meeting in person for our Focus Camp Evening services.  We will be sending out some guidelines next week.  We will be following the same set up as our Sunday services.  There are a few immediate things you can know about this cool opportunity.

• We will need parents to help us.  We will need an army of volunteers to ensure the health and safety of all who attend.  If you are interested in helping any or all of the nights please EMAIL CHRIS.  These jobs will be simple and easy.  Greeters, clean up, roamers and such will be the task at hand.  For now it would be good to know who all is willing and able.  I'll be sending detailed assignments once we know who can help when.
• Schedule for Camp - Online only for devotions (10:30a) and Morning Worship (11:00p) with Evening Worship being in person and via live stream (7:00p).
  
• Limited Seating - We are not sure how many we can seat right now but it will important that we know if you plan to come.  If you did not want a shirt but still plan to attend we will need to know.  We will have limited seating but should be able to accommodate all who have already signed up.
• Shirts are being ordered today, sign up is closed but we may have a few of each size/color available to purchase later.  Keyword, a few.
• Be looking for an email early next week with more information and details. I'm excited!

REGATHERING - It's finally here! As a church, we can finally gather again this coming Sunday! We are extremely excited and hope you are to. You should have received all of the information communicated through an email from the church. we can't wait to see you on Sunday!

SS - Hopefully, you have been plugging into our SS classes via Google Hangouts! We've loved still being able to connect with you in this way. If you aren't connected with a SS class, shoot us an email and we will get you fixed up!

SENIORS -  We are excited for our seniors and have loved celebrating them on Wednesday nights on the Rock Live. Another way we are planning to honor our graduates is on June 28th. We will recognize all of our seniors on Sunday morning as they step out of the Rock Student Ministry and into 831 College Ministry. Check out this link for the senior questionnaire; fill it out and email it to chris@roopvilleroad.org

WEDNESDAY NIGHT OPPORTUNITIES - Two ways you can be with us during the Rock Live on Wednesday nights is by coming and hanging out on the blue couch with you and your family. If you want to come and hang with us, send an email to chris@roopvilleroad.org and we'll put you down! 

We love and miss you guys and can't wait to be with you again! 

Grateful,
Chris & Andrew

Good morning, afternoon or evening.  Whenever you're watching this we hope you're good, healthy and following hard after Christ.  I'm so excited to be just a little over a week away from being able to see you all again.  June 14th is coming quickly!  

We only have a few updates today but one will take a little explaining. So let's jump into it!

As of now we're still unsure how the evening services will look for Focus Camp.  We do know we will gather.  This will either be in person or online.  There are still a few things we are working through to make an in person meeting possible.  We do know a few things for certain.

• We will have a designated time for students/leaders to do their morning devotion.
• Following that we will have an online, live stream Bible Study with Andrew & myself.
• We will have some sort of evening gathering with music and a sermon from Brian.
• WE WILL HAVE A SHIRT.  (THE MOCK UPS ARE BELOW with the various color options)
• There will be no cost for camp unless you plan to purchase a shirt.  If you have already paid a deposit you can choose to use that towards a shirt, ask for a refund or donate it!

Here's where you can help.  We have a form on our website but also HERE.  We are asking that every person that would plan to attend a possible in person meeting complete the form.  This will give us an idea of how many to expect should we have an in person meeting.

The form will also serve as a pre-order for our camp shirt.  This will be the only way to get a shirt.  We will not have any extras.  So please order your shirt by next Wednesday.   If you are unable to pay online please email Chris with your shirt order and payment arrangements. 

We will communicate our plans for the evening camp service as soon as we are completely sure what we're doing!  Thanks for your patience.  In the meantime, please let us know if you plan to attend if we do have in person meetings during the evening of camp week.

We continued our Elevate series last night by looking at the book of Samuel, both of them!  This is a great series that simply takes a high elevation look at various books of the Bible.  This series will give us a broad view of how God is working in His creation for our good and His glory.  Below is the recording from last night.  Please watch, share and join us for next week as we dive into the book of Psalms.

Thanks so much for hanging in with us during the pandemic and again, we're so excited to see you all real soon!  June 14th can't come soon enough.  Until then, we love and miss each of you.

​Chris/Andrew

It's Thursday again! Hope your summer break has started off awesomely! 
Hopefully you miss us as bad as we miss you... not more of course because you couldn't miss us more than we miss you!

Last night we continued our series - ELEVATE! It has been an awesome series and we're only two weeks in! Last night we did an overview of the book of Exodus! 40 chapters and an hour later and we barely scratched the surface! Exodus continues the story of God saving a people for himself, redeeming what was lost in the Fall. If the main idea of the entire Bible is God working in his creation  for our good and his glory by the Spirit, ultimately through Jesus, Exodus plays an enormous role! We see in the book of Exodus God delivering his people out of Egyptian slavery, providing for them in the wilderness and establishing a covenant with them giving them 10 Commandments  to live and love by, and giving them guidance as to how they can be in his presence through the Tabernacle! A few themes God shows us through the book of Exodus is his presence, his grace, his power, his judgement  and so many more. If you have never spent time in Exodus, please do - start today! If you missed last night check the bottom of the post for the video and the notes sheet!
Next week we will tackle 1 & 2 Samuel, hope you will join us!

​Hopefully we can be together soon! Parents, students, leaders know that we miss you guys and you are loved very dearly! If you need anything, we are here for you! 
​
Grateful,
Chris & Andrew

Happy Thursday and happy summer break! By now I guess everyone is out of school! Exciting! Know that we miss you so much and can't wait until we can be together again!

Last night we began our summer series - Elevate!
The heart of this series is to help students and leaders understand their Bible better and even more than that to see and understand the narrative of the Scriptures! This summer we have chosen 10 books of the Bible to overview each week! Understanding the Bible is one big story is essential to understanding the Word!

As we work through each book of the Bible we will ask four questions:
What is the context?
What does the text say? (OBSERVE)
What does the text mean? (INTERPRET)
What do I do in light of the text? (APPLY).

The hope is for this series to be our summer series for the next 5-6 years! We are super excited for this series and hope you will will connect with us! 

Last night we looked at the book of Genesis... the beginning of the Bible and the beginning of the story of the redeeming plan of God! It was an awesome night as we saw - creation, the fall, God promising to preserve for himself a people as he makes all things new!
Genesis is a great book that helps us learn that God cares for his creation and he is working in our lives today! The book of Genesis should bring you great encouragement, comfort and hope  today!

Click here for the notes from last night and check out the night below from our YouTube Channel!  We did have one connection issue that split our night into two separate videos. We hope you'll check both of those out!  Again, they embedded below and also available on our Facebook and YouTube pages.

Again, we hope we can all be together very soon! But until then, know we love you and we miss you!
 - Chris & Andrew

Happy Thursday or as one leader put in a future devotion, Happy Friday jr.!   I love that and have officially stolen it!  But we all love Friday right?  And now it seems the Covid restrictions are beginning to be lifted just as we enter into the summer schedule.  So Fridays may begin to bring a little more excitement, along with the rest of the week.  Hopefully everyone is being smart and will be able to enjoy being outside and traveling a bit.  The cool thing is that no matter where you are, you can still join us at The Rock SM Live!  That's exciting and I pray you'll all take advantage of this new avenue God has given to be still be together.

Below are a few things we think are important for you to know.  We'll mention it below, but if you missed last night we've attached that service at the bottom!  Follow us on Facebook and subscribe on Youtube to ensure you never miss a service!

• Summer Camp - We announced last week that while we will still be having summer camp, it will look a bit different.  Our plan is to still have devotions and a Bible Study in the morning through an online experience.  The evening service will be live and in person.  That's our goal but as of now we're not exactly sure how that will look.  We're still wading through those details and waiting to see how things are in the next weeks.  If you watched our service last night you heard a familiar voice from past summer camps.  We spoke with Brian and got his "commitment!"  So though things may seem and look different, we can still experience some part of summer camp.  I'm excited!   There will be no charge for camp this year but we will be selling a camp shirt.  We will have some renderings in the next few weeks.  So for $20 you will get a shirt and camp book.  Two great souvenirs and reminders of the camp that was but kind of wasn't?  We'll be letting you know how you can place your order next week.
• Summer Series - Next week we'll begin a new series called "ELEVATE" that will go through the summer.  This series is real simple but may sound daunting.  We'll plan to pick 10 book of the Bible and simply spend each week in one book.  We'll "elevate" and look at the big parts.  We'll answer a few questions for each book and ultimately get a big sky view of the book.  I think it'll be a neat way to see the big picture and hopefully guide our in depth reading for the future.  These are great because each week is essentially a stand alone.  This means that if you miss a week, no worries, the next week is fresh and stands on its own.  BUT, with us having each week on Facebook and YouTube, you can always go back and catch up.  Either way....next week.....ELEVATE.
• Senior Highlights -  We are hoping to honor our seniors each Wednesday night at The Rock.  If you haven't submitted the senior highlight you can CLICK HERE and do that.  Keep in mind, this is a bit different than what we'd do on the regular Sunday Recognition.  We hope to get a little more personal and ROCK specific on the Wednesday Senior Highlight.  So help us do that by completing a form and returning it to Chris or Andrew.
• Series Wrap Up - Sorry, I just wanted to keep the "S" theme going.  Last night we wrapped up the series "Jesus & People."  This series dug deep into interactions Jesus had with various types of people.  I loved seeing Jesus respond to the same people we often see and are around each day.  Last night we finished with "friends."  Ultimately we took away 4 characteristics we can use to apply to those close friendships we have.  The video is below and we'd encourage you to check it out, share it, and then the prayer is that we all apply and live changed lives.
• Special Guests - Again, the "s" theme has got me.  We've been announcing it and two families have joined us.  We have set up a blue couch VIP section for the Rock SM Live.  If you and your family are interested in coming to The Rock and being a part of the Live service email Chris.  
• Sundays - Hopefully it won't be long until we can be together as a church body. In the meantime please be taking advantage of all the opportunities to be together.  Each SS class has a google hangout opportunity and then we have a Sunday stream of our morning service.  Then at 7p we unveil the night service sermon on Facebook, our Website, or our Vimeo page.

We love you all and are thankful to serve the Lord along your side!
We can't wait to see everyone and be together again.  Until then we hope to take advantage of every opportunity to be together in some form or fashion.

Happy Thursday! It's a beautiful but chilly day! We hope your family is doing great and are staying healthy! We miss you guys dearly! Just finished a ZOOM call with some of you guys, were so glad we get to still kind of see you!

Last night we continued working through our Jesus + People series!
We looked at the gospels to see how Jesus reacts to the bullies in his own life.  Bullies are everywhere... sometimes in our families, at church, at school and at work. Jesus helps us understand how to deal with them. Jesus himself faced the ultimate bullies as they despised him so much that they crucified him on the cross. Thankfully, Jesus gives us a beautiful example in how to deal with them - we always need take heart knowing that we don't suffer alone, we need look heavenward remembering our spiritual family, and sometimes we need to just walk away! 
If you missed the talk last night check the below for the video and the notes!

FOCUS CAMP - Unfortunately, camp is going to look a little different this year. Though we will not be able to travel together to Laguna Beach for FOCUS CAMP, we will still be together in someway! As the time gets closer and hopefully the health conditions get better and restrictions are lifted we can be together. Be on the look out for info regarding camp!
SPLASH - Great job for those who helps with SPLASH on Monday, we knocked it out! From this point on we will be doing SPLASH missions on a needed basis. The schools will let us know their needs and we will gather the crew! Keep your ears open for announcements!
ROCK DEVOS - Don't forget you can find daily Rock Devos in the devos tab! These are short, weekly devotions written by the Rock Staff! Enjoy!
BLUE COUCH - Want to join us live at the Rock? If your interested in having with us during the Rock shoot Chris and email at Chris@roopvilleroad.org!
VIDEO ANNOUNCEMENT - Want to be featured on the Rock Live? Send us a quick "Hey welcome to the Rock" video! 
SENIOR HIGHLIGHT -  Want to be recognized for being a senior on the Rock Live? Check out the senior sheet on the website, fill it out and send it to us with a picture of yourself and we'll give you a shout out!

We love and miss you guys very much and can't wait until we can be together again!
Always here if you guys need anything.

Grateful, 
​Chris & Andrew

Happy last day of April!  How many of you still think we're in February?  Here's a good one, how often in the last 5 weeks have you asked, "What day is it?"  Not sure you're answer but I've asked myself that question multiple times, daily!  The days are blending together but it seems there may be a light at the end of the tunnel.  In the meantime we continue walking with God through Christ.  We continue engaging with Him through His Word, together, as a family and as a church.  That's the hope and prayer!   Please know this....the leaders and I are doing all we can to make sure The Rock SM doesn't skip a beat during this time, even if we're not sure what day it is or what month we're in.

Here are a few things we think are important for you to know.

• Senior Highlight - Last night on The Rock SM Live we begin highlighting our seniors.  This is in addition to our normal Sunday graduate recognition service.  We're still planning on the official recognition but just not sure when that will be just yet.  In the meantime, we hope to do a little something special for our seniors. To do this we need your help.  Simply CLICK HERE to get an updated form.  Have your senior fill it out and then return it to us.  Print it out, simply email, send a pigeon, it really doesn't matter.  Just get us the information along with a photo.  We hope you'll help us!
• Summer Camp - The leaders and I met this past Tuesday to begin the discussion regarding camp.  Of course it's been on my mind for a while but we're getting in the time frame where a decision must be made.  We're hoping to be able to share with you some exciting news regarding our time together at Focus Camp this year.  Know this....we will have the opportunity to be together for Summer Camp.
• Splash - Currently it looks like Splash will be done on a "as needed" basis.  That simply means there may be some needs but the time frame could be last minute.  We're ready and willing to serve.  As needs come up we'll text everyone the amount of people and time/date needed.  It will be first come, first serve for each task.
• Devotions - Don't forget, we have daily devotions, written by our leaders, ready each day on our website.  Another great option to be together in the Word!
• Blue Couch VIP - We added another new thing last night at The Rock SM Live, PEOPLE!  Continuing this week and until further notice we will allow one family a week to attend the Rock SM Live.  Of course there will be some guidelines that we must follow. But I know this, it seemed to minister to the family in attendance last night and it sure was good to "be" with people again.  You may be reading this and thinking "that's crazy."  If so, that's totally fine.  But we were thinking there may be some families that would love to come. So what's the next step?  To begin, you simply email CHRIS and say, "our family wants to come to The Rock SM Live!"  We'll compile the list and do a random drawing and then notify the family that will attend.  We'll go over the do's/don'ts and have a great night together.  Again, we're not sure what to expect but wanted to give you an opportunity to be in attendance if you desired.  We have a great section set up and believe you will experience a little more home when here than you can on a couch, with a phone, and the chance of a bad connection.  So if you're interested email Chris.               *disclaimer - you cannot just show up.  We have a grizzly bear guarding the door.
• Q&A - We partnered with 831 for a Q&A this week.  We ask the students for any questions they had and then attempted to answer them.  It'd be great if you could watch.  We even had some special guests join us. You can WATCH HERE.
  
• Last night - Last night we continued our Jesus & People series.  I'm loving the live stream!  Obviously us all together is the best option.  But it has been so great to still be able to be together!  I believe we figured out our audio issues but last night the connection was a bit unstable at first.  The good thing is all of these nights are recorded and available on our Facebook and YouTube page.  What a great tool this is!    The video to last night is below.  We hope you enjoy and dive into the Word with us.

We love you all and miss you terribly.  Hope you'll take in all that's been said and connect with us as we continue to pursue Christ together!

 Hello!  Hope everyone is healthy, and doing well in your house!   There is much to share with you today in our update so I pray you'll stick it out to the end!  Also, due to us not being together as we typically are I'm including our students in these weekly updates.  May be good to continue to do that moving forward.

The class of 2020 may have the cool year  to graduate (2020) but it sure hasn't been "too cool" to them.  They are missing some things we often take for granted or possibly even wished we didn't have to endure.   I believe we're all realizing just how special these special moments really are, especially our seniors/parents.  In an effort to brighten their day and honor them we will be highlighting a few of our seniors each Wednesday on The Rock SM Live.  To do this we need your help.

We lean on you as parents and students to provide details for the yearly Sunday Graduate Recognition Service and we are asking for that again for this Wednesday highlight.  So, if you have a senior you'd like to see highlighted on Wednesday nights, please send us a photo and a have them answer a few questions.  WE HAVE A FORM ESPECIALLY FOR THIS HIGHLIGHT.

You can email or return the form to Chris@roopvilleroad.org 

We are currently praying through and discussing our summer plans such as Splash, Summer Camp, any weekly outings as well as a few mission trips.  Unfortunately there are so many variables at play and uncertainties still looming.  Please pray with us as we consider the options and ultimately seek to do what is both safe and God honoring.  We'll do our best to keep you as informed as possible.  Thanks for your patience during this process!

For the last several weeks we have provided devotions on our website to help bridge the gap between us during this time.  Those are available HERE.

Also, we're still looking for more leaders to jump in and help us with the writing.  Please respond to Andrew as soon as possible.

The Rock SM and 831 have combined for a Q&A session... What are your questions? What's something that confuses you, you have a hard time grasping? Scripture? Life? Post it HERE! We'll drop it Wednesday after the Rock!

Last night we were able to incorporate videos into our service.  This opens up some doors to have student/leader participation during the Rock Sm Live.  We are excited about this but need help in order to make it happen! All of this to hopefully make our online experience feel as much like home as possible.   Here's where and how you can help us as students/leaders.

• ​"Welcome to the Rock" Shout outs - Simple. Record yourself saying "Welcome to The Rock" and then send it to us.
• Bible reading & Prayer - Read a passage of your choice or we can give you a passage.  Read it and then pray for our time together in the Word.
• Get in the Hot Seat - We'll be sharing more about this but our plan is to invite a student or leader to take  seat in the hot seat and answer questions on the fly.  Just a way for us to have some fun prior in the beginning...like we typically do in The Rock.
• Leader Catch-up on Zoom - We'll need some leaders to play catch-up with me and Andrew on Zoom.  We'll record it, edit it, and play it on Wednesday night.  We want our leaders to take a part in the service.  This would be you catching up with the students prior to The Rock on Wednesday.
• Join us for the Lunch Hang on Thursday at Noon - Each Thursday we get together on Zoom and simply hang out.  We had a great time today and want to do something special for a service.  So join us next week and be a part of it with us!
• Devotions from Leaders - Mentioned above
• LASTLY - There are many things we have learned and refined during this season, one of them is our communication.  In an effort to best stay in touch with your student we need your help.  If you could ensure we have their cellphone number and carrier as well as their email we would greatly appreciate it.  This will allow them to be informed moving forward.  This goes for you as parents as well.  To help us keep track of this, let us know if your student is NOT receiving emails and texts weekly from us especially if they desire to receive those things. 

Last night we kicked off a new series,  Jesus & People.  This series will follow Jesus and various interactions he had with various types of people.  Through this we will see the greatest example of how we too can deal with the bully, the forgotten, those who aren't like us, and even ourselves.  I'm so looking forward to learning from The Master.

We had some audio issues last night but please know we stayed late, until those were fixed.  Hopefully this week will be much better from that standpoint.  BUT, we know technology can cause many obstacles. 

We've included the video from last night below.  Please take some time to watch it, watch it again and then share with others!    As you watch it, go ahead and subscribe to the channel.  We'll be live on both Youtube and Facebook Live each Wednesday until we're able to be together again.  Instagram TV will have the video a day later.

As always, we love you and miss you all terribly!
We can't wait to be together again but in the meantime we'll thank God for the ways He allows us to be together, even when we can't be together.

Chris/Andrew

Happy day 2,524 of isolation! What's that?  It hasn't been that long?  Oh, only like 3o days?  Wow, I guess I'm expecting to see the Tom Hanks character holding his volleyball friend emerge from houses nationwide.  Long hair, beard, clothes made from scraps found around the house. Ok, maybe a little overboard there.  I may be the only one who is beginning to feel like this new normal is just flat out normal now and we'll be stuck in this way of life forever.  I was thinking yesterday...how long will it take before we get out of some of the routines we're now in.  What if we never did?  What if someone deemed it necessary that we always live in this way.  Hmmm, to be continued...

Life is definitely moving at a different pace now.  As a ministry we are attempting to stay connected and make the most out of this new normal.  We would love to connect with the students and as of now have a few ways to do that. All an attempt to be together even when we can't be together.

• TODAY - 12p - Lunch Hang on Zoom - Take a break from school and say hello! Here's the Zoom Link.    Meeting ID: 608 723 576   Password: 007493
• The Rock Daily - Devotion written by Rock Staff. 
• Sunday School & Worship - Find your class at Roopvilleroad.org later today.'
• The Rock Sm Live each Wednesday on Facebook/Youtube Live - more on this below.

 
THE ROCK SM LIVE is our main point of connection each week. 
I pray you're tuning into this night.  Sure, it's different but it's such a joy to still be together on Wednesday nights.  I mean what else could you possibly be doing on Wednesday night?   I could tell you a million things you're not doing!  God has cleared our schedule for us, how will we honor him with what's left?

We wrapped up our WE BE series last night.  Such a great time together looking at the various relationships we have in this life.  Namely our hope was to seek God for wisdom in how we approach these relationships as Christ is in Focus and as Christ is our Focus.  Below is the video from last night.  Each night/sermon is on YouTube or Facebook if you'd like to catch up on the series or The Rock in general.

Hope you have a great weekend and we see each you online this Sunday!
Chris/Andrew