Access Church

This Easter is going to be an amazing celebration at Access Church. Not only will we celebrate the historic event by which Jesus conquered death on our behalf, but we'll hear specific stories from some of you at Access whose lives have been personally changed by Christ's death and resurrection.

Baptism is a great way of showing others that you have entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ. It is a public declaration of your trust in Christ, and a symbolic representation of what took place in your heart at that time.

It's when you get to tell everyone of your acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

It represents your sharing in His death and resurrection, illustrated by going under the water (dead to our old life), then rising again (new life).

In baptism, you are symbolically washed clean, your sins having already been forgiven by His death on the cross.

Because Jesus instructed us to be baptized, baptism is an act of obedience. While it is not necessary for salvation, it demonstrates submission to God.

Have you never been publicly baptized as an adult? Would you like to declare your trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation this Easter? You can go here to learn more and register. We'd love to have you be a part of this amazing day!

No matter when or where you hear the familiar "ding" on your cell phone, a text message gets your immediate attention. You're compelled to pull the phone out of your pocket and read it.

What if God sent you a text message?

In Text, Andy Stanley says that God has, in fact, sent you a message—it's called the Bible. In this amazing collection of writings, you'll find poetry, prophecy, biography, war, sex, and betrayal. And most importantly, you'll find the story of a loving Father who goes to incredible lengths to redeem his children.

Join us for this three-part series beginning March 14 at Access Church. See you there!

And help us choose the March 14 opening song! Text 99503 with the following to place your vote.

ACCESS1 - Beat It (Michael Jackson)
ACCESS2 - Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd)
ACCESS3 - Fly Like An Eagle (Steve Miller)

Join us this Sunday, February 28, as we begin a new, two-week series, Landmines, with John Woodall.

This series will help us recognize and avoid certain landmines so that we can successfully navigate our way through the relationships of marriage, family, and friends.

It's a practical guide to recognizing and avoiding anything that can blow up any relationship at any time.

See you there!

There's been a lot of talk lately about CEO salary caps. I certainly understand the sentiment. It's hard to believe that someone can receive compensation in the millions of dollars while apparently underperforming.

But as I look at scripture, I'm concerned that we might be missing a bigger issue. Let's recognize a few things:

1. We're all rich. If you're reading this on a computer you have free access to, you're in the top 5% of the wealthiest people in the world. Have a car? Live indoors? With running water? You get the point. You and I getting upset with the "richer" people must seem pretty silly to the family living on $4/day.

2. The pay system on this planet is messed up. Sure, some CEOs make a ridiculous amount of money. But so do some entertainers and athletes. If we put our money where our mouth is, it'd be teachers, stay-at-home moms, and caregivers that were the highest paid. So, determining a "fair" salary is kind of like chasing a rainbow. And really, don't we all make more than we deserve? Again, don't compare yourself to the person in the next cube, but rather the person halfway around the globe.

3. Okay, here's the Bible part: God doesn't seem to be mad at rich people. He doesn't seem concerned with how much money we make. There's no salary cap in scripture, even for God-followers. But he does seem concerned with how much we keep for ourselves versus how much we give away.

Look, there will always be rich people. And, you're likely one of them. So here's a great passage specifically for us:

(1 Timothy 6:17-19) As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

Want some more practical thoughts on balancing faith & finances? Join us this Sunday for the final part of our series, "Balanced." See you Sunday!

Every successful organization must have clearly defined goals and concrete ways to measure success when those goals are attained.

In 2009 Access Church moved into a new worship facility and welcomed many new faces. It was an exciting year! Having lots of people in the room on Sunday is exciting, but even more important to us is connecting people in meaningful relationships and strategic service. We feel that it's in the context of these relationships that real life change takes place.

As you can see, we reached our 2009 goal of connecting 60% of our attenders in community groups and far exceeded our goal of connecting 60% of our attenders in strategic service. Thank you for helping us reach these goals!

2009 was also significant because it was our first year of financial independence. As a start-up organization, we initially received funding from North Point Ministries. But in 2009, we were completely dependent on the giving of our attenders (reflected in the graph) and visionary givers who don't attend Access but believe strongly in our mission and strategy and believe Jacksonville needs a church like Access. It's our hope that in 2010 the priority-percentage giving of our attenders will exceed expenses and that visionary giving can be focused on strategic long-term objectives and capital acquisitions.

If you have ever wanted to experience North Point Community Church for yourself, and get a behind-the-scenes tour, join us for Sundays @ North Point! You will attend a worship service, take a guided tour of various environments, and participate in a day and a half of informal sessions and discussions. You'll get answers to your questions and enjoy face-to-face conversations with North Point staffers about how and why we do what we do. Space is limited, so please let us know right away if you would like to be included.

We'll head up on Saturday, February 13 and return Monday, February 15. Registration for the event is $50, plus the cost of your transportation, meals, and lodging. More details can be found at Sundays @ North Point.

To keep costs low we can carpool, help you find free lodging in the area, and provide you with a wicked-awesome recipe for PB&Js.

Interested? Shoot me an email or leave a comment here to let me know you want in and we'll start planning for transportation and lodging.

February 13-15. It could be the perfect romantic getaway!

The need in Haiti right now is great. This Sunday at Access, we'll be directing you to give through two organizations we know and trust, Compassion International and Samarian's Purse.

Can we be unbalanced financially and still be devoted followers of Christ?

In Balanced, a new six-week series, Andy Stanley makes the case that, in order to be free to truly follow Christ, we must have our finances in balance.

We'll learn the three laws of financial balance and how to apply them to our lives.

Join us Sunday, January 17, for the series kick-off at Access Church. See you there!

Success at Access Church is defined by how many of us move from large environments into community groups.

At Access, the community group is the best place for sustained life change to occur. In community groups, we study the Bible together and discuss the issues and challenges of life. It's also where we pray, care for one another, and are missed if we don't show up.

Practically speaking, there will never be a way for all of us to personally connect with everyone who attends a church the size of Access. That's why we place such a high premium on group life. It's how we develop meaningful relationships at Access. To find out more about community groups we encourage you to join us at our next GroupLink, January 17, 4:30pm.

Click here to register and get directions.

What if I can't make it?
The success of GroupLink depends on everyone's participation. The best groups start strong when everyone is present at GroupLink. If you cannot make it to the upcoming GroupLink, please contact me directly via email. Our next GroupLink isn't until March.

Organizations mature as they evaluate the effectiveness of their strategy and mission. By examining where they currently are and where they intend to go, churches can gauge whether they have stayed the course or strayed from their original dreams.

How is your church doing?

And how are you participating in what God is doing in your church?

Find the answers to these questions as Andy Stanley presents the two-part series, Just Ask, beginning Sunday, January 3, at Access Church.

See you there!

Merry Christmas!

Here's a sample of our Not-So-Silent Night. Thanks for inviting so many of your family, friends, and co-workers.

And thanks to all the great volunteers who made 2009 an outstanding year. See you in January!