Next Steps! So what will your next step be? Will you attend worship for three Sundays or three months of Sundays before taking the next step of involvement? Wherever you are in your journey of faith we want to help you along the way. We don’t twist arms or push people to be involved, but we do invite. We want you to join other people in a life-changing journey of faith that will help you grow stronger spiritually. Pick the next step that is right for you.
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Worship
At Worship each Sunday we reach up to experience God’s presence. Sunday worship gatherings are the cornerstone of involvement at The Orchard and we believe that regular attendance on Sunday is the foundational building block for all other participation in your journey of faith. So, make the commitment now for Sunday worship to be the place you are on Sunday mornings. You won’t regret it; we promise.
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Connections Newcomer Orientation
Connections is an informal meeting with Pastor Ben Cathey and the Connections hosts. This is a chance to get to know a little more about Pastor Ben and for him to get to know you a little better. Find out more about the history of The Orchard and what you can expect as you continue taking steps forward in your involvement. There will also be plenty of time for questions. Connections meets on the second Sunday of every month after the second Worship service. Upcoming date is: May 15th. Childcare is provided. To sign your family up click here
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Beginnings
Beginnings is designed to be your first Grow Group experience. Grow Groups are a great place to meet new friends, learn about the Bible, interact with others through discussion, and grow spiritually. Come see for yourself. The group will be made up of 12-18 people who are also new to The Orchard or who have never been involved with a Grow Group. It will last for six weeks and childcare will be provided if needed. Beginnings is led by Pastor Ben Cathey and meets on Sunday afternoons.
Weekly discussion will center around the Bible, the teachings of Jesus, and methods for growing spiritually. Never been in an Orchard Grow Group before? Wonder what group life is all about? Want to meet some new friends? Beginnings happens three times a year. Click here to see when the next Beginnings class will be held.
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First Serve
There’s not a much better way to get to know the people of The Orchard than to sweat with them a little. We think you will love being part of the team. There are three ways that you can jump in to serve for the first time.
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Group Life
Group Life connects us to the irreducible minimums for Growing Stronger as a follower of Jesus: God, Others, Me. The irreducible minimums are spiritual habits, experiences, actions, or involvements that help us connect to God, serve others, and grow spiritually. We relate to God in weekly worship and personal prayer times. We serve others by becoming active with a Ministry Group, Prayer Group, or Outreach Group. We grow our own souls by gathering with others in Grow Groups to discuss the Bible, discuss our faith, and learn more about God’s character.
One of the catch phrases around The Orchard is Worship + 2. The image for Worship + 2 relates to a tree. We Reach Up, Branch Out, and Grow Deep.
The Orchard offers dozens of groups, but there are two basic types.
GROW GROUPS
MINISTRY GROUPS
Find out all the details in the Growing Stronger section of the site.
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Start Following Jesus
Following Jesus is a relationship based upon trust and devotion to Jesus.
Following Jesus is an initial decision that allows God to create new life in you.
Following Jesus is and ongoing process that produces outward fruit.
Following Jesus is a lifelong adventure but it starts at a specific point in time. Every follower of Jesus recognizes a beginning point in their journey because following Jesus is about more than just being a good person; it's about handing over our hearts to God.
More . . .
John 3:5-7
We continue the journey by being in a relationship with God through the forgiveness of Jesus, presence of the Holy Spirit, and spiritual disciplines like giving, love, service, Bible study, prayer, and worship. We follow Jesus by responding to His primary directive.
Matthew 22:37-40
But how do we begin the journey of following Jesus? We have to trust Him with our whole life. Here is one approach to understanding how we begin:
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ADMIT that you have a sin problem just like everyone else.
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ACCEPT God's love gift of Jesus.
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ACKNOWLEDGE your new life before others.
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BEGIN THE JOURNEY by praying through the ADMIT, ACCEPT, ACKNOWLEDGE principles and scriptures listed above.
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Baptism
Baptism is not the end, it is the beginning of a lifelong journey of faith. Baptism is the primary way that we join the family of God, publically affirm faith in Jesus, and accept God’s grace and love. Baptism is not equal to salvation but is a response to God’s saving acts. For adults it is an act of obedience and public testimony upon accepting Jesus as Savior. For infants, baptism signifies God’s initiative in the process of salvation that will be fulfilled as a child grows, accepts Jesus as Savior, and is confirmed in the faith. Because baptism is a sacrament of God’s grace and a covenant that God has initiated, it should not be repeated. We might have broken our promise to God, but he did break his promise to us at baptism. The alternative to being baptized again is to reaffirm your baptismal vows and to claim God’s love and grace in your life once again.
We believe that water is the appropriate ritualistic symbol for baptism and can be used three different ways. We baptize by immersion, sprinkling, and pouring.
Want to know more about baptism? Click here to email Pastor Ben our Lead Pastor and Ministry Coach.
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Membership
We dream of a church where membership is defined by one particular thing – it will be a commitment to carry out the mission of The Orchard with others. Membership will not be about special rights, privileges, or status. Membership is not just about attending The Orchard on Sundays; it is about joining with others to become a local missionary every day of the week. Together, we will follow the lead of Jesus wherever He guides us. Click here to find out when our next Orchard 101 class will be held. Alissa Rothschild, our Group Life Pastor, will get back to you quickly.
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You don’t have to commit a year of your life to serving in a certain group just to try it out. Just pick and interest area and sign-up here. We will hook you to a one time serving opportunity within the next couple of weeks. A couple of times a year we reach out to the community together by sharing practical acts of kindness in the community. In the past we have given out free pumpkins, shared cold Gatorade with sports teams after practice, and led the yearly Love Loganville effort. Look for opportunities on Sundays in the weekly bulletin or sign-up for Enews. There are a few Big Events every year where we need tons of volunteer help. At the 2010 Great Egg Hunt we spread 33,500 eggs, hosted about 3000 people, and it took over 175 volunteers to make sure everything ran smoothly. We also need help with event like the Back To School Block Party, and Summer Back Yard Bible Camps. We Reach Up to experience God’s Presence. | (Worship) | (God) | We Branch Out to illustrate God’s Love. | (Group Life One) | (Others) | We Grow Deep to experience God’s Character. | (Group Life Two) | (Me) |
Grow deep in faith through bible study and discussion.
Mixed Adults
Young Couples
Grief Share
Financial Peace University
Women Only
Men Only
Youth Grow Groups Branch out by serving others and illustrating God’s love.
Worship Support
First Impressions
Behind the Scenes
Children
Youth
Outreach
Prayer It's about trusting in the birth, life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We trust him with our past, our present, and our future. Everything we have belongs to him. Our past failures, wounds, and sins. Our present circumstances. Our future dreams, hopes, and achievements. To follow Jesus we must have a fresh start. Jesus called it being born again. John 3:5-7 - "Jesus replied, 'I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again." Matthew 22:37-40: "Jesus replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” ADMIT that you have a sin problem just like everyone else. You are not wise enough, powerful enough, strong enough, or spirit l enough to earn God's favor by being good. You need God to free you from the sins in your life and give you a fresh start.
Romans 3:23 - "For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard."
Romans 5:8 - "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners."
John 3:16-17 - “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."
ACCEPT God's love gift of Jesus. God's offer is universal. It is offered to everyone no matter their past. We can't earn God's favor or love. He had already given it to use through the life, sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus. You simply need to accept God's love. One you accept it the walls in your heart come down and you allow him to live inside you. God then begins to change you from the inside out now that you are spiritually alive. God never forced his way in. You have to invite him into your life.
Romans 10:9 - "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
Acts 3:19-20 - "Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus."
Hebrews 2:10 - "God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus,through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation."
ACKNOWLEDGE your new life before others. You are a new creation when you accept God's love through Jesus. Your identity is no longer wrapped up in the fame, wealth, or accomplishments of this world, but with Jesus. Those inside and outside the church need to know. When you accept Jesus as your Savior and Leader you don't do it alone. You join a family of believers who are working together to change the world and you have the opportunity to invite others into that family by letting your light shine.
Matthew 5:14-16 - “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."
BEGIN THE JOURNEY by praying through the ADMIT, ACCEPT, ACKNOWLEDGE principals and scriptures listed above. As you do, hand your heart over to Jesus, and invite him to live with you every day in every circumstance. Place a seal on your commitment by letting other people know about your decision or by asking someone else to pray with you as you invite Jesus into your life. Let the Pastor Ben know about your decision here.
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Orchard folks have been instrumental in helping Mission Latina, a new church for hispanic populations, get started in Athens, GA. through several Saturday trips to distribute free food.
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Saturday, May 19, 2012 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Sunday, May 20, 2012 (All day)
Sunday, May 20, 2012 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Friday, May 25, 2012 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Monday, June 04, 2012 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM
“Being at The Orchard has changed me in so many different ways - it isn’t about wearing your Sunday best - it’s about serving and giving of yourself. It’s about action and helping others. There’s no pretense or false fronts - it’s real.” LJ Owen |