Preview of Coming Attractions

I am on vacation - and glad to be - but I had to check in and let you know how excited I am about the next stretch at Next Level.

Bottom line, our next six to eight months are going to be the most important in our history, hands down.

You'll hear much more in days to come, starting on Sunday, but here is just a little of what is coming:

* Ground-breaking for our new auditorium in Matthews. We've all loved (not so much) being in the bat cave with its weird sight lines, bad acoustics, retro 70's basement feel, and crowded conditions, but it is time to have a place where we can unleash the kind of creativity God has given our musicians and other artists. We'll be breaking ground for a 600 seat auditorium in the next few weeks and I am excited to see the space God will give us to create an amazing environment for disconnected people to hear about the God who loves them so much.

*The launch of our third campus in October, in the Johnston Road/Ardrey Kell area of Ballantyne. We are in the final stages of securing our site (please pray for that!). Just to confuse you a bit, we are renaming our current Ballantyne campus the Stone Creek campus - because that is the area we are trying to reach, and the new campus will be called the Ballantyne Campus, because it is right in the heart of Ballantyne. Bill Babson is going to be the campus pastor - and I am excited about that as well. Some of you - hopefully many of you - are going to follow God's leading to be part of the launch team for the new campus and be pioneers in the next stage of our adventure to plant a campus near every exit of I-485.

*Expanded Home Makeover ministry coming in the spring. Nearly 100 of our folks experienced first hand the amazing spiritual returns when we give ourselves away, and we'll get the chance to transform more families' lives in days to come.

That's a lot in just a few months! More than a few folks are telling us we are stone cold crazy to try to build an auditorium, launch a new campus and run hard after other ministry at the same time in a struggling economy.

Good. I just love being told God can't do something!