God is moving in St. Louis! (an update)

Posted on by pastordavidturner

God is moving in St. Louis!

The first two weeks of October we held our Grand Opening services for The Rock.  We have met lots of new friends that God drew by His Spirit.  Over those two weeks we had over 30 visitors.  We could sense the presence and power of God, hearts were impact with His word, and we could visibly see a glimpse of the vision God has given us.  There is nothing like being in the center of God’s will and experiencing His hand upon your work.  He gets all the glory!

I remember the sorrow I felt 2 years ago as I stepped down from pastoring in Glendora, CA.  It was, without question, the hardest decision I have ever made.  And yet, now there is a new church in St. Louis working to fill this city with the word of God and great joy.  The sacrifice that our church, my family, and I made was worth it.  I know there is (and will be) greater fruitfulness in Glendora and St. Louis because Jesus is the Head of His church.

A big THANK YOU to those of you who sent us, who believed God with us, prayed for us, and supported us–keep it up!  We need it. 

Much of our walk with God and our partnering with Him to serve others is done by faith.  We don’t get to see the results first.  We have to believe first and then we see the results.  This requires that we add patience (joy-filled, thankful, perseverance) to our faith.  We are just at the beginning of this work of God in St. Louis.  When I say, “we saw a glimpse”, its like seeing the tiny green shoot of a giant oak tree beginning to grow. We have to continue to walk by faith.

The Lord has shown us what the next step in the strategy is as we continue to do outreach and prepare for a great Christmas harvest.  I choose everyday to believe that God has led us, provide for us, and empowered us up to this point and He will continue to do so.  I am convinced He will continue to cause us to increase–not for us but for others and for His glory.

I remember what God told Habakkuk:

Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry (2:2-3).

I encourage you to add patience to your faith.  Whatever God has called you to do, He has promised all of Himself and His resources to help you.  The Lord is with you. His word will not return to Him void.  He will perfect what concerns you.  So don’t give up.  In the end the vision (what He has spoken/shown you) will speak.

St. Louis is a beautiful city full of amazing people–people Jesus loves, purchased with His blood and wants to receive their full inheritance.  So many, however, have not experienced His great love for them nor ever understood the full gospel.  So many have been hurt by religion and turned off from church.  God wants to reveal and restore His purpose for the people and city of St. Louis.

God is using us to convince people of His love and promises; His power and their purpose.  He is using us to bring unity through a diverse, grace-filled community that shows value for every person.  He is using us to tear down spiritual strongholds keeping people from Him and their purpose.  The Lord has called us, along with other churches, to fill St. Louis with the word and with great joy.  We see God multiplying leaders and churches so that every neighborhood has a witness of Christ-light shining in darkness, blessing lifting up the city. In the end the vision will speak!

Please pray for our church and for the people and city of St. Louis.  We are especially seeking God and working hard to reach many during the coming Christmas season.  Among other outreaches, we are collecting presents to give to kids.  Please pray for the strategy, resources and favor we need.  And pray for God to draw people by His Spirit.

If you want to give a present or money towards us purchasing presents, here is some information.  We are seeking presents that are about $10-15 for elementary and high school kids.

1. Online: http://www.gototherock.com

  • Click on “give”
  • Choose “St. Louis English” from the drop down menu
  • Give through “heart for the harvest” (H4TH) to support our Christmas outreach.

2. By mail: send presents or offerings to 7109 Field Ave. St. Louis MO 63116.  Make checks payable to “the rock”. Write “St. Louis H4TH” in the memo to support our Christmas Outreach.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Our Church Granding Opening Is October 2&9

Posted on by pastordavidturner

God is faithful!  

A couple weeks ago we were able to secure an amazing venue to rent for our church services at an affordable price. God did that. The scripture says “The horse is made ready for the day of battle but the victory comes from God.” We prayed and searched but God provided.  

In the process I ran into a lot of obstacles and discovered a lot about myself. I am thankful that the Lord tests my faith and uses situations to refine my character. The Lord has a way of leading us into things that push us to our limit, exposing areas He wants to work on (like fear, offense, selfishness–to name a few). He has a way of making us honest. Before we had a breakthrough with the venue, I had a breakthrough in my heart. The Lord led me to confess my lack and His faithfulness. As a team, we continued to move forward in faith rather than changing our minds or goals based in sight. The day we secured the facility the Lord led me to 1 Samuel 17 where David declared to the giant, “THIS DAY the Lord will deliver you into my hand….” Faith rose in my heart and I declared, “This day the Lord will give us a place.” Hours later everything came together. Our testimony is: “They got the venue BY FAITH!” And that will continue to be our testimony because He who called us and promised is faithful.

Our Grand Opening
Our Grand Opening is October 2 and 9 at 10am at Moulin (2017 Chouteau Ave. in St. Louis). We are preparing everything now: praying, inviting people, buying lots of equipment, making sure we are ready for kids and adults. We are ensuring that the presence of God is welcomed, people are loved, kids are blessed, the word is preached with anointing, and people are impacted. We are preparing and the Lord will give the victory!

Please pray
Please pray with us for the hearts of men and woman, young and old, to be impacted by the Lord, to come to our Grand Opening, and to come to Jesus, enter discipleship, and be transformed. This is the beginning of a work that will bring restoration to St. Louis. Along with many other amazing churches and ministries, the Lord has called us to start a church that is fruitful and multiplies-that impacts people and empowers them to bring life to others, that fills St. Louis with the word, with discipleship, with many small groups and churches. I see God’s people rising in faith and love to take authority in the spiritual realm and to serve people. Help us prepare by ‘preparing the way of the Lord’ through prayer.  

Spread the word on social media 
If you know anyone who lives in the St. Louis metro area, please let them know about this awesome opportunity to grow and to serve. Invite them to our Grand Opening.  You can also go to http://www.facebook.com/therockstl.  Then like our page and share our Grand Opening post to help spread the word. 

Missions trip to St. Louis 
We have a few friends coming out to help us invite people (by passing out fliers and door hangers on homes) and launch services the first weekend of October. If you are interested in going on a missions trip to St. Louis, please contact us at saintlouis@solidlives.com. 

Thank you for your prayers and support!

  

We made it to St. Louis! An update

Posted on by pastordavidturner

Hey friends, family, and prayer warriors: 

Now that we are getting settled in St. Louis and moving forward I thought an update is long over due.  

In April: we crammed (almost) everything in a truck, took a 5 day road trip, visited the Grand Canyon for the first time, played lots of games and watched lots of movies, unloaded the truck.

In May: we started meeting with our team, gave roses to moms at the park on Mother’s Day; we are getting to know people, inviting people to church, starting small groups, and exploring the city–the arch, the cardinals, free world class zoo, city museum (it’s a crazy fun place), great parks, free science center, and the best ice cream at Ted Drewes.

Loving it!
The kids are doing well.  They are happy and have met a couple kids.  Their biggest desire is more friends.

God has brought an amazing team to St. Louis to partner with us. We have 8 adults and at least 4 more coming. It’s been fun strategizing, praying and working with like-minded Christ followers who have laid it down for the work of advancing God’s kingdom in this city. God is providing jobs and places to live for the team, giving us favor, and leading us in building relationships.  

Thank you for praying. Like Paul, I (and each team member) ask you to pray “that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” ( Colossians 4:3-4).

We need open doors of opportunity, we need boldness, we need words from God to fill our mouth, we need favor, we need the power of the Spirit.
Jesus has sent us here because people need Jesus. We were created for a great purpose. And yet that purpose can only be discovered when connected to our Maker. How do you know how to use something? The owner manual. How do you get it to work? Trouble shooting question #1: is it plugged in? We need to hear from our Maker, through his word-the bible-and we need to be connected to Him in order to operate in our God-designed purpose. People need hope, people need joy, people need purpose, people need love…and all of this is only found in Jesus. He is the source of life. So we want to bless people with the truth that they really do matter to God and were created on purpose. 

We want to let people know the truth about God’s love that shed blood to bring us back to Himself. We want to empower people to live at the level they were created to live at.  That is why we are starting a church this Fall that will bring people to Jesus, disciple them in the powerful truths of God’s word, and connect them in life giving community. 

So this summer we are inviting people to a few small group bible studies (Rock Groups), Sunday house gatherings, and a discipleship class-Operation Solid Lives. We are also preparing for our church’s Grand Opening this Fall.  
If you want to support this work of God, you can give by going to The Rock’s website, www.gototherock.com.  Click on “GIVE”, log in, and choose the St. Louis campus.

If you want to help us invite people you may know in St. Louis to one of our small groups, you can find out information and spread the word on our webpage, www.gototherock.com/STL or on Facebook.  Visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/therockstl

In late September or early October we will host a “missions” team from all over the US to help us invite people before the grand opening.  If you are interested in coming to St. Louis for a few days, please contact us: saintlouis@solidlives.com.