Yes, with all due respect to those of you that love other sports, I love the fall season because it’s time for FOOTBALL!!!! While all the other sports are great, my favorite is watching guys smash it out on the gridiron.

Just as football has a kickoff to the season, we here at RCC have a fall kickoff also. We tie our annual fall kickoff in with the National Back-to-Church Sunday on September 16. While the football season kicks off with heartthumping excitement for many of us, our fall kickoff is exciting in its own way also. Why? Because it’s a chance to begin again, and our beginning is all about Jesus.

Let’s face it, many of us let our guards down in the summertime. We like to get outside and enjoy the summer weather (and this summer has provided some of the best weather ever). But we’ve missed many of you when you went on vacations, visited places, or spent time with family. While I hope you attended other churches on those Sundays you were not with us, now we want you back, and it’s a great time to start anew.

Just like the new year when we get a chance to begin with a fresh year, our fall kickoff gives you the same opportunity. In what ways? I’m glad you asked.

1. It gives you a chance to recommit to Jesus.
2. It gives you a chance to volunteer to serve here at RCC.
3. It gives you a chance to refresh yourself to
4. a. Read the Bible more
5. b. Pray more
6. c. Help others more
7. It gives you a chance to commit to attending more regularly.
8. It gives you an opportunity to commit to an entire year of perfect attendance in attending church every weekend whether here or else where when traveling or visiting places.
9. It gives you the opportunity to not only be a fan, as in watching a sporting event, but it provides you the occasion to participate.

Okay, I stole that off of Kyle Idleman’s book, Not a Fan. The whole premise of his book is that if you are a Christian, God did not choose you to be a fan, but rather a participant of the Christian life. That means all of us have a responsibility in the game. All of us are important to the life of the church and to Jesus.

The opening kickoff of football can set the tone of the game. It often establishes the momentum, and our fall kickoff can do the same. Since our fall kickoff is like the new year on the calendar new year, we hope you can get excited about September 16. We’ll begin a new sermon series that will be relevant to you and our visitors. It will open the door for people not only to return to church, but more importantly, return to Jesus.

Just as every member of a football team plays a vital role in winning the game, you play a vital role in making our fall kickoff a success. If you don’t show up, our visitors will realize the day is not important to us.

On any given Sunday, we have the potential to have 160-170 people in attendance. We reach the 160 mark around once a year (outside of holidays) when everyone comes on the same Sunday. The reason we don’t achieve that attendance very often is that many of you are not here.

This National Back-to-Church Sunday, let’s all commit to attending here at RCC. Let’s pack this place. Let’s invite visitors. Let’s ask people back to church that have drifted away or have gotten lax in their attendance. Let’s tell them that they are essential and we miss them. We love them. Jesus loves them. It’s not about RCC. It’s about an exciting relationship with Jesus. Let’s all show up September 16 and then let’s do our very best to continue attending throughout the year. Let’s get excited about our kickoff!

Love you & God Bless,

Kenny