This year, a card caught my eye.

In the top left corner, we asked volunteers for their name, service time, and location.

 

I noticed that for location, this volunteer wrote “closet.” As it turned out, she wasn’t the only one who filled out the card that way. Three different volunteers listed “closet” as their serving location. For the purpose of this post, we’ll call these Vols Alvin, Simon, and Theodore.

 

If you’ve visited BCCKids on Sunday AM, you know kids are everywhere. There’s little to no room to work. Every classroom is packed, so yes, the location where they work is actually a closet. That is where these students serve every week...a closet.

 

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore don’t hold babies. They’re not on the stage leading games or dancing. They don’t even get a chair. Not because they don’t deserve one, there’s just isn’t room. Instead, they sit on the closet floor, prep the props to teach Bible Stories, cut out shapes for Preschool activities, or create send-home treats for our kids. Most recently, they tied 200 color-changing spoons to cereal boxes to wish our kids a CEREAL-SLY Happy Valentine’s Day.

 

Alvin, Simon, and Theodore aren’t dreaming of a workroom, they are good.

 

BUT BCCKID’S LEADERS ARE !

 

I can’t wait for the day we have a space where they can continue to support the mission of BCC to love kids. Possibly it will have a window, or at least a chair. They are thankful to have their closet, but I know they will be more effective with a little room and work table. 

 

They are all in, and we’re better for it. And if you ask me why I am all in? You can add Alvin, Simon, and Theodore to my list.

If you were in service in mid-October, you heard Jeff talk about getting a midnight (a slight exaggeration) phone call from “Bubba.” Well, that’s me and I really am “ALL IN” with Blount Community Church! But, more importantly, I’m “ALL IN” with Jesus.Being “ALL IN” with Jesus has looked different throughout my faith journey. As a college kid, being “ALL IN” looked like answering the call to ministry with Young Life. I had a hard time wrapping my head around how Jesus planned to use me in the lives of high school girls when I was just a few years out of high school myself. Early in my career, being “ALL IN” looked like answering an invitation to interview for a teaching position at Maryville High School. I felt woefully inadequate to put my name in at such a reputable school!Early in our marriage, being “ALL IN” looked like trusting God’s timing during our infertility struggle. “ALL IN” has always insinuated “action” to me, but I have learned that’s not always the case. Sometimes God wants to use the waiting to prepare us for what’s coming.After having children, “ALL IN” looked very much like “NOT ALL IN” at all, haha. During this time, I had to take a supporting role to my husband in organized ministry because my ministry was being a mom to 3 little boys. During the pandemic, “ALL IN” looked like our family taking a faith step for Bartley to leave teaching and go on staff with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Read…leave a salaried position and take on the task of fundraising 100% of his salary. Did I mention this was during a world pandemic?Most recently, “ALL IN” looks like accepting the job as the BCC Preschool Director! When SarahBeth approached me, my initial response was “that doesn’t sound like me.” However, as I learned more about the job and I spent more time with Jesus, I realized that the job requires several of my gifts and skills, but packaged in a way I never expected. How cool is that? I’ve spent the last several years of my life thinking that God would use my leadership skills, patience, organization, empathy, and discernment as an educational leader in a school setting. Nope. He wants me to use those exact same gifts and skills to love on preschoolers and parents at Blount Community Church. What a surprise blessing! Of everything I’ve learned about being “ALL IN” with Jesus, my favorite part is that it’s never boring. If you’re truly “ALL IN,” be prepared for a wild ride! Natasha

The only land we’ve ever really talked about around here was the easement with our driveway on it that links Lamar Alexander Parkway (321) to BCC’s property. Yes, we have a road on it, but we don’t have a sign on it. We don’t have a sign because the city code does not permit a sign on any property not owned outright. So, until we own it, no sign. 

 

No sign on 321 is not an issue for those who know where we are, it’s problematic for guests and emergency responders though. We have stories to back it up. We’ve talked about this easementwith each other and God (in case He doesn’t know we need it 😊). This is the property I prayed about. Like the land promised to Israel, I hope we possess it someday. 

 

That’s why I was surprised one afternoon, a good while ago, when Gary pointed to the property directly in front of our church building in the Industrial Park and told me why that property was the most valuable to BCC. Just to be clear, he told me, “We need it!”

 

He wasn’t wrong. It’s 50 steps from our front doors and adjacent. I just wasn’t sure if he knew why that property wasn’t an option, so I told him.

 

Nine years ago, while standing on the land with the property owner and her contractor, I saw the architectural plans to develop that property. The owner agreed to meet there to calculate if we could run a water line for BCC and not impede their masterplan. This is the day I realized our front-door neighbor would be a manufacturer.

 

She never went through with her plan, then we heard she sold the property. Two years ago, the new owner developed another set of plans, hired a contractor, and had a long-term lease from a local business to rent the facility upon completion.

 

So, tongue in cheek, I told Gary he’d better pray hard. Then we saw the large sign go up.

 

“INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE Coming March 2023”

 

I thought Gary was a better pray-er than that, but I didn’t say anything.

 

With our new neighbor inevitable, conversations turned to the sight and sounds of a business on top of us. How close would it be? What if they manufacture on Sunday? When should we plant BIG trees? Should we add a privacy fence? When they excavate, maybe we can convince them to work on the unsightly bank and create a barrier? Will we hear annoying beeps of heavy equipment backing up?

 

Turns out, I was right, Gary was a better pray-er, but I didn’t say anything. 

 

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. An unknown man rings the front door intercom.

 

“Hi, my name is Jay. I own the property right there (pointing to the land just up the bank with the Industrial Warehouse Sign on it just like Gary did long before). Would the church be interested in buying it? I’d love for a church to own that property.”

 

If you heard Gina’s land announcement, now you know the rest of the story.

 

If you didn’t hear Gina’s land announcement, watch the service on September 24th.

 

Pastor Jeff

A few weeks ago, I was asked by some church members from a Knoxville congregation to come take a tour of our building.  You see, they had heard someone say that our building was designed to be multifunctional, and they wanted to see it for themselves.  This group of people are getting ready to build a facility and wanted ideas for their project.

What I wasn’t prepared for, and never will get used to, is the wow factor when people walk through our doors.  So many times, I get comments of how amazing our church building is.  How roomy it feels from the inside yet how it doesn’t seem to look that large from the outside.  

It made me start thinking about how blessed we truly are as a church to be able to come to our church building each week, have such a crowd on Sunday’s, host small groups, ministry groups such as student’s and college, have event after event, all in a facility that God has seen fit for us to use.  It’s His, we all know, but man, what a great feeling for us to get to utilize it week after week, month after month and year after year.  

It's not lost on me, that after 7 years of having a place to meet and not set up each week, we are truly blessed.  Not just blessed but a God size blessing that never loses its WOW factor.  The Lord truly is good.  

As we start focusing on our “Next Phase” of our building, I am positive that God has another blessing in store for us.  He has used this building to reach people, to tell others about Him, to love others to Him and we are just getting started.  Are we getting a little “snug” in our kids’ hallway, in our gathering area…does our auditorium seem to be filling up more and more each week.  Yes, yes it does.  We wouldn’t want it any other way.  Right!!

I can hardly wait to see what is in store for us.  I can hardly wait to see how God will continue to bless Blount Community Church.  I can hardly wait to see the new parts of this plan come together to make more room, to give us more space, and space we don’t even know we need yet.  I can hardly wait!

I hope you too are as excited about the future as I am.  I hope you are looking forward to the many blessings we will see and witness through this place.  I hope you will be ALL IN with me and our church to see this through to bigger and brighter days with more space to fill up loving on people who need Jesus.  Let’s get ready to see the amazing things happen that only God can orchestrate.  Let’s get ready to be wowed once again.

Blessings,

Gina

Initially, I wasn't all in on All In.

Several of us were discussing BCC's future, which included the facility and overcrowding. We were on the same page because God already made it clear to begin working toward Phase 2. What was open for discussion was a theme, a rallying cry to keep us focused.

Solid ideas around legacy and finishing what was started were pitched. They were good. I was leaning toward legacy. All In was then pitched. I immediately assigned it last place on my list. And I was vocal about it. 

"All in is a poker term!" Not that I know much about poker. "We've done All In in the past!" Eleven years ago. Easter 2012. You remember, don't you? If not, I'll post a promotional mailer at the end to prove it. "All in...small in! Can't we be more original?"

They let me rant. Not much else to do when someone is popping off and refusing to listen. They didn't even remind me of messages I taught on James 1:19. Then we broke until the next time.

What I think happened after this meeting is they ganged up on me in prayer. I think this because All In naturally became the idea we all began to lean on. Even me and I didn't realize it was happening. 

God began reminding me of past BCC'ers who had gone all in to follow Him and start this church. BCC'ers who gave so much time, so much money, so much faith. There's no better way to describe what they did than All In.

God reminded me of the present. Current BCC'ers going all in with passion to Love Him and love others. Sacrificing what they want for the mission of Jesus. Many in this camp are old enough and thinking about legacy. I'm one of these.

And we know what's required to leave a legacy. Going All In. 

All In requires faith and sacrifice. These make God smile. Neither faith nor sacrifice hangs out with comfort, and I enjoy comfort. But I love to make God smile even more. I've learned I can't let comfort trump faith and obedience. When I do, I regret it. 

God demonstrated going All In, so it's no wonder that He expects the same. Complete commitment glorifies God. It also makes us more like Him. Since the disciples, there's always been Christians who gave their all. BCC joined this endangered species of Christ-followers years ago. It's our story. It took a minute, but I get it now. I'm all in on All In. 

Pastor Jeff