21 Day Daniel Fast!

The Rock will embark upon a 21 day Daniel fast beginning January 4, 2009. We hope all of those who want to go to the next level in God in the New Year will join us and participate. One of the great things about the Daniel Fast is that you are not limited to any specific amount of food, but rather to the kinds of food you can eat. The Daniel Fast is limited to vegetables (includes fruits) and water.

In Daniel 10:2-3 the Bible says, “In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.”

The thing we want to stress to you is that there is no power in the foods eaten or not eaten. The power is in consecrating our body, soul and spirit unto the Lord for a focused time of prayer and fasting. The Word teaches us that when we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. Below, we have provided a list of what you should and should not eat.

Special Note: if you have health issues, please be sure to contact your health professional for advice before committing to any fast including the Daniel Fast.

Foods to include in your diet during the Daniel Fast

All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Fruits include but are not limited to apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cantaloupe, cherries, cranberries, figs, grapefruit, grapes, guava, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemons, limes, mangoes, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, strawberries, tangelos, tangerines, watermelon
All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned. Vegetables include but are not limited to artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, chili peppers, collard greens, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, ginger root, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, onions, parsley, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, scallions, spinach, sprouts, squashes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips, watercress, yams, zucchini, veggie burgers are an option if you are not allergic to soy.
All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat tortillas, rice cakes and popcorn.
All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter.
All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans.
All quality oils including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame.
Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters.
Other: tofu, soy products, vinegar, seasonings, salt, herbs and spices.

Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast

All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.
All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs.
All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice.
All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods.
All refined and processed food products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives.
All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips.
All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.
Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.

Children's Christmas Program!

Our Children's Christmas program "Candles of Christmas" will be Sunday, December 21st at 10:30 a.m. Please join us as we allow our kids to minister to us as only they can. It promises to be a glorious day of music, drama and the Word.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our family to yours, we want to extend a blessed Thanksgiving! May God continue to bless you beyond measure. And remember the words of the Apostle Paul who said, "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." So don't forget to give the Lord thanks for all he has provided and all He has done through His son Jesus Christ!

God bless!

Pastor Gary, Amy, Courtney & Cayla

Fall Festival/Harvest Party This Friday!

Our Fall Festival/Harvest Party will be this Friday, October 31st from 6-9 p.m. There will be a dunkin' booth, T-ball batting cage, moon bounce, jousting, bungee run, a costume contest, other games, hot dogs, and lots of candy. You don't want to miss this night of BIG FUN and wonderful fellowship.

Hope to see you there!

Fall Revival This Weekend with Andy Mutter!

Evangelist Andy Mutter will be ministering at The Rock this weekend for our fall revival. The service times will be Friday & Saturday, October 17 th & 18th at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 19th at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. You don't want to miss these powerful services!

Reverend Mutter has served in the ministry since 1990. Right out of high school, Andy became the lead guitarist and vocalist for a North Carolina based Southern Gospel group, The Carroll’s. Andy traveled across the country ministering with The Carroll’s for 5 years. In 1995, he accepted the call to preach the gospel. Since then, he has served as both Evangelist and Youth Pastor. Andy is a Licensed Ordained minister in the Church of God and is a member of the Victory Tabernacle Church of God in Midlothian, VA. He’s been married for 11 years to his lovely wife Krystal, and together have 3 beautiful children; Kaylee, Gavin and Tavish. Through their personal testimony of faith, God has used Andy and Krystal to bring healing to many hurting people. They both count it an honor to be used by God in changing lives for His Kingdom.
For more information about Andy's powerful ministry, visit his website at: http://www.onesourceministries.org/

A Very Busy, Exciting Weekend Planned!

SATURDAY 10/11 - Festival of Leaves Parade!
If you're planning on marching in the FOL parade, please meet at the old Warren County High School at 9 a.m. sharp.

SATURDAY 10/11 - Neighborhood Gathering!
Calling ALL volunteers! It's that time again to hit the streets and share the good news of the gospel. We'll be gathering on the corner of McClendon & Parkview at 12 p.m. to pass out flyers and set up for our SWAT invasion. The Gathering will begin at 2 p.m. We're anticipating another outstanding day of ministry.

SUNDAY 10/12 - Church Picnic!
We'll be having our annual picnic at 2 p.m. at Fantasyland for a time of food, fun and fellowship. Hope to see you there!

S.W.A.T Neighborhood Gathering A Tremendous Success!

Our Neighborhood Gathering was a huge success and we had a great opportunity to share the love of Christ. There is no doubt that we impacted many hearts and lives through music, testimonies and the preaching of God's Word.We also provided approximately 60 boxes of groceries, free school supplies and face painting for the kids. Everyone from the neighborhood was extremely receptive and thankful for us being there. What a glorious day!

We will continue to be the light to this dark world that we live in each and every month in various neighborhoods. What a privilege it is to be a reflection of God and shine bright each and everyday to all those we encounter. It is our job as the body of Christ to continuiously reach out to this hurting, uncertain world that we live in and provide hope and help. A great big THANK YOU to all who helped!

S.W.A.T Neighborhood Gathering!

It's time to take the good news of the gospel to the streets! Our "Sent With A Testimony" team is going to do just that.

On Saturday, September 13th we will launch our first ever "Neighborhood Gathering" as we begin to invade communities here in Front Royal. The event will take place from 2-4 p.m. on the corner lot of McLendon & Parkview. We will provide boxes of food, praise & worship, the Word and face painting for the kids. We will also provide free school supplies.

This gathering promises to be an incredible opportunity to share God's love and to seek and save those who are lost. Make plans to join to us and you will definitely be blessed!

SWAT Team Meeting!

We will have a SWAT meeting on August 30th at 2:30 p.m. This will be our final meeting before we go into the neighborhoods to provide hope and help to our community. We will offer altar worker training as well as other training and a potluck dinner followed by a prayer walk throughout the area we'll be ministering in next month.

Hope to see you there!

Rod Propes Ministering at The Rock!

Rod Propes will be with us on Sunday, August 10th at 10:30 a.m. His anointed music ministry will touch your heart and encourage you in your walk with the Lord. He will also be preaching a timely message that will transform your life. You don't want to miss this special service!

S.W.A.T. Team Meeting!

We will have a S.W.A.T. team meeting Saturday, July 19th at 10 a.m. in the fellowship hall. This will be an organizational meeting to prepare for our community outreach invasion in September.

Sent
With
A
Testimony

is a ministry for everyone to get involved in as we prepare to go out into the communities of Front Royal to bring hope, help and salvation to those who are lost.

Hope to see you there!

Special Sundays and Events in June!

Sun. June 1st - Evangelist Andy Mutter 10:30 a.m. (More info below)

Mon. June 2nd - Leadership Prayer Meeting 7 p.m.

Sun. June 8th - Pastor Appreciation Day 10:30 a.m.

Sun. June 15th - Father's Day Servcice 10:30 a.m.

Sat. June 21st - Work Day 9 a.m.

Sun. June 22nd - Outreach/Evangelism Sunday 10:30 a.m.

*Every Wednesday we're offering the "Way of the Master" Evangelism Course at 7 p.m.

*Every Friday we have "Celebrate Recovery" classes at 6 p.m.

Evangelist Andy Mutter at The Rock on June 1st!

Evangelist Andy Mutter will be ministering at The Rock on Sunday morning June 1st at 10:30 a.m. You don't want to miss this special service!

Reverend Andy Mutter has served in the ministry since 1990. Right out of high school, Andy became the lead guitarist and vocalist for a North Carolina based Southern Gospel group, The Carroll’s. Andy traveled across the country ministering with The Carroll’s for 5 years. In 1995, he accepted the call to preach the gospel. Since then, he has served as both Evangelist and Youth Pastor. Andy is a Licensed Ordained minister in the Church of God and is a member of the Victory Tabernacle Church of God in Midlothian, VA. He’s been married for 11 years to his lovely wife Krystal, and together have 3 beautiful children; Kaylee, Gavin and Tavish. Through their personal testimony of faith, God has used Andy and Krystal to bring healing to many hurting people. They both count it an honor to be used by God in changing lives for His Kingdom.

For more information about Andy's powerful ministry, visit his website at: http://www.onesourceministries.org/

Mother/Daughter Banquet

On Saturday, May 10th we will have our annual Mother/Daughter Banquet at the church at 6 p.m. It's going to be a wonderful evening of delicious food, fellowship and a lot of fun. The men will be cooking dinner for the ladies, so pray that the food will be edible. :) I'm sure it will be just fine. We look forward to seeing all Mother's and Daughter's there!

Spring Revival Was Outstanding!

Oh my goodness! What a weekend! I knew our church would go to a new level after hearing Pastor Doc Shell's powerful messages, but I must say I didn't see this coming. I personally had a heart of expectancy and knew God would do a deep, life-changing work, but not quite like this. What a wonderful time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord.

I love the way Pastor Doc explained that God is continuously sending text messages to the entire world through His Holy Word. God is definitely the original text message sender. Have you received your text message? If not, then you're not reading the right text, because it's full of messages. All you have to do is read the text, the B-I-B-L-E. It will change your life forever!

What are you waiting for? Read the text, God sent YOU a message! Retrieve it, believe it and now RECEIVE IT! Hallelujah!!

God bless!

Pastor Gary

Spring Revival!

In the month of April, Pastor Doc Shell from Florence, AL will be coming to The Rock for a weekend revival. Pastor Shell is a mighty man of God who is heavily anointed to minister to the total person. He will be with us Friday, April 11 - Sunday evening April 13. We're looking forward to experiencing a mighty move of God in these four powerful services. On Saturday evening, the Williams Chapel Choir will be ministering in the service. Please take a moment to learn a little more about Pastor Shell by reading the article below.


Doc Shell has frequently been described as "a pastor's pastor" because of his love and compassion for them. He has been a pastor since 1967. After serving in the United Methodist church for twelve years, he and his family moved to Florence, Alabama, and founded Christ Chapel in 1979 where he has served as Senior Pastor. Encouraging and helping other pastors has been a significant, though not visible, part of Pastor Shell's ministry for the past several years. With his wife, June, Pastor Shell has traveled abroad to Kenya, East Africa and Sierre Leone, West Africa, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Ireland where he taught and ministered in pastors' conferences, and to the churches. He has also ministered in Mexico and the Caymon Islands. Pastor Shell is a frequent guest minister at churches all over the Southeast. Pastor Shell's ministry is characterized by love, compassion, and sensitivity: Love for the Lord Jesus Christ and compassion for His people; sensitivity to the leading of the Holy Spirit and to the needs of those to whom God allows him to minister. LifeLine, the radio and television ministry of Christ Chapel, features the teaching ministry of Pastor Shell on stations throughout North Alabama and Southern Tennessee.

To learn more about Pastor Shell and his congregation click on the link below.

http://www.christ-chapel.org/

March Special Services & Events!

The next few weeks are going to be extremely exciting as we celebrate the triumphal entry and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

3/16 Palm Sunday

3/22 Easter Egg Hunt

3/23 Easter

3/30 No Excuse Sunday

Welcome!

Wow, there is so much going on at The Rock, it's hard to keep up! Therefore, that is the sole purpose of this blog, to inform you of upcoming events and important news so you can keep up and stay connected. We want you to get plugged in and be involved in our church. We have something for everyone.

The month of February promises to be an exciting month. Reverend Vernon Adams got us off to a great start by preaching a powerful, anointed message on 2/3 in the a.m. service. He talked about God having a "NOW" Word for all of us and how that the Lord is looking for new wine skins to pour new wine into. He also talked about Jesus being the bread of life and the fact that we all need fresh bread. We need to position ourselves to hear God's voice and allow Him to speak a "now" Word into our lives. Amen!

Listed below are other important events, so check them out and get ready to participate. This list is in addition to our regular monthly mens, womens and youth meetings and services.

2/3 Youth Super Bowl Party - 6 p.m.

2/10 Membership Sunday - 10:30 a.m.

2/16 Couples Valentine Party - 6 p.m.

2/17 Water Baptism Service at Marlow Heights Baptist - 6 p.m.

2/24 Rock House Youth Service - 6 p.m.


Be sure and check back often for further updates!

Building Dedication

What a glorious celebration we had on December 2, 2007. We dedicated our new facility to the Lord and we now plan to utilize every square foot of our new building for ministry. God has been so very faithful to us and in return, we want to be faithful to Him!

God gave Pastor Gary a vision shortly after arriving in Front Royal in May of 2002 and assured him that He would provide property for the church. God directed him to Habakkuk 2:3, which states “for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” He continued to embrace those words of confirmation and maintained an unwavering faith and trust in God through the years of waiting for this day to come. God has now blessed The Rock with a 13,500 square foot facility, which provides a sanctuary, offices, fellowship hall, food distribution center, and a thriving daycare. “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.” Pastor Gary stated, quoting Psalms 118:23.

Dr. Michael L. Baker, Administrative Bishop was the keynote speaker and reminded everyone that this particular property had been chosen by God and that each individual had been chosen as well. He challenged the congregation to position themselves to serve in the ministry and to be the “House of Refuge,” which is who The Rock declares itself to be. After his powerful message Dr. Baker led the assembly in the dedication of the building.

Pastor David Price, Member of the National Pastoral Advisory Committee and State Council Member shared scripture and reminded the church that they are the ekklesia, “the called out ones.” Pastor Teachey read from Habakkuk 2:3 and acknowledged the fact that God was the one who brought the vision to pass at His appointed time as He had promised. He closed the service with Haggai 2:9, which says, “the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former” followed by Reverend Ronald Teachey (his dad) praying the benediction. At the conclusion of the service the Mayor of Front Royal led the congregation in the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open their new facility.

To God be the Glory for the GREAT things He has done!