Capstone Church

This past Sunday we had a low key morning,  We decided to end 2008 the way we started Capstone Discovery in September. The kids met in the gym area, while the adults met in the Actitivies Center meeting room.  We spent much of our time debriefing our Christmas Service last week.  We celebrated what God did through us and acknowledged areas where we still need improvement to reach the lost in our city.  This was our last Sunday of no major set up and tear down.  Next week 2009 comes and we will begin a new chapter of Capstone Church as we go through a dress rehearsal to prepare for our public launch January 11th.

This Christmas Eve Capstone brought Hope to a family in a big way.  The Franklin Family had never heard of Capstone a month ago. This afternoon they received a car full of gifts from a small group of people who are passionate about sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The Franklins thought this Christmas might not have much joy in it because the lack of resources.  But Capstone provided in a great way.

Not included in the photo: Pre Lit Christmas Tree, Decorations, Girl Bicycle, Bilo Gift Card, and a Smoked Turkey from Bucky’s BBQ.

Stay tuned for some big official news in our continued quest to bring some more HOPE to the Franklins.

Sunday night was Capstone’s first public service with our Christmas Service. The atmosphere was both warm and welcoming.  The smell of fresh made cookies mixed with hot chocolate and coffee filled the Fountain Inn Activities Center. We had a great crowd of new faces, excited spirits, and tons of great supporters. The evening’s music was lead by Kelly Shealy and some of the pieces from the Brookwood band.  Our exective pastor, Chris Barrineau, shared our mission and what we had been doing to bring HOPE to those in our community.  We had had teaching from Walt Tanner, lead pastor, on the Hope that came in a manger.  

This was a huge night in the history of Capstone.  We were able to reveal a little bit of what we are planning to bring to Fountain Inn every Sunday Morning.  It was great seeing our families (Plant Team) that have been with Capstone over the past three months put some action to what had been all theory until Sunday night. God has brought together a special team to launch Capstone in January.  We are so excited to see how God uses Capstone to transform live, families, our city, our nation, and our world. Sunday night was a glimpse of what He has planned.

Yesterday Capstone delivered over 250 gift cards to all the teachers and staff at Bryson, Fountain Inn, and Rudolph Gordon Elementary Schools. Most of the gift cards were $5 to Starbucks.  Each card had a note from Capstone that said:

“Thank You for all you do for our students. We want your next cup of Starbucks to be on us. 
Merry Christmas - Capstone Church ”

For most of us $5 at Starbucks doesn’t really mean that much.  But to a teacher or someone in the office who has had a bad day - a simple Thank You goes a long way.  The reaction from the staff of all these schools was bewilderment that a church would do all this for them.  We say - Why wouldn’t a church say Thank You to some of the most important people in our culture? 

Many times HOPE comes in small packages.  Maybe a gift card, a simple smile, a pair of shoes, or even a baby in a manger.  Don’t forget about Capstone’s Christmas Service this Sunday evening at the Fountain Inn Recreation Center at 6 p.m.

come experience the hope that came in a manger.

Capstone’s first public service will be our Christmas Service on Dec 21st.  We know the time most people who don’t go to church are open to coming is during the Christmas season.  And since Capstone’s mission is all about those who may not have a church home or know Christ, this is a perfect time for our first service.

 Christmas means a lot of things to a lot of people.  Many people love this time of year, but others see Christmas full of loneness and despair. On December 21 we will be sharing the HOPE of the world that came in a manger.  We often get so caught up in what we get, we forget what what Christ came to give - HOPE.  Hope to the hopeless.  Hope the lost. Hope to the lonely. Hope to those who long for something more.

Come celebrate Christmas with Capstone at the Fountain Inn Recreation Center at 6pm on December 21.  We have both worship and Christmas music with a modern sound.  The dress will be causal and the refreshments will be hot.  Hope to see you there.

The first three months we have worked hard in casting our vision and explaining our mission at Capstone. December we turned the corner and are now making it happen.  We have spent months building the skeleton we are now begining to add the meat.

This past Sunday we didn’t have any fill in the blanks or teaching.  The time has now come for us to roll up our sleeves to get Capstone up and moving.  We took our time Sunday morning to break into discussion groups for our four main areas [ pebble beach / camp rock / hospitality - first impressions / production ] to get ideas and comments from everyone.  We had a lot of great participation and comments.  We really believe  in ownership and buying into what we are doing as a team. This was a great day in creating that atmosphere.

If you missed out - you will get to experience all the great ideas at our Capstone Christmas Service Dec 21st.

This past Sunday we held our first Capstone Partnership meeting.  This was a time we talked about what it means to take that next step and partner with Capstone.  We had a great turn out and a majority of folks said they were in 100% for the ride with Capstone.  This is a huge win for us at Capstone to know that we have a solid group of people who get the mission and vision of Capstone.  If you weren’t able to make this meeting and would like to hear more about Capstone Partnership -email or call Walt. Here are few of the things we discussed:

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,”                                           Philippians 1:3-5

What is Capstone Partnership?

The early church consisted of a committed group of believers who partnered together to become more like Christ.  Capstone believes commitment and partnership are key components to our body of Christ even today.  A Capstone Partner is someone who is committed to be a partner in Capstone’s mission to reach the lost and build Christ-like disciples.

What is the purpose of Capstone Partnership?

Capstone Partnership has two purposes.  The first purpose is to hold believers accountable to the local church.  Capstone Partners will work together to make sure that we are all becoming more like Christ.  The second purpose is that the group of believers will hold Capstone accountable to its original vision and mission. 

Who can become a Capstone Partner?

Any Christ-follower who commits to the vision and mission of Capstone Church can become a Capstone Partner.  Capstone’s goal is not to have a bunch of names on a partnership list.  We don’t take partnership lightly.  Capstone wants to know if you are a partner in the ministry and that we are a unified team in our beliefs and vision.  

Today starts December. It is hard to believe that it is already that time of year. Many people are excited to start playing their Christmas music and stringing up the lights around the tree. But for some this Christmas there isn’t much joy in this time of year. Whether it is the lost of a loved one or the lost of job - Christmas seems like a time filled with hopeless.

Our mission this Christmas is to bring HOPE to as many people as possible in our area. We will have several ways that we will be accomplishing this mission.

The first will be by providing an entire Christmas for a family in need in our area. This Sunday we will be taking up a special offering for helping this family and bringing them HOPE by providing for them this holiday season.

The second project we will be doing is taking up coats and blankets this Sunday for a local Food Pantry. There are over 75 families who receive bags of food each week from this Food Pantry. These families are also in need of blankets and coats as the weather gets colder.

This week PLEASE remember to bring your Christmas offering and any coats or blankets to help Capstone bring HOPE to the hopeless this year.