Fire ants and other crazy stuff

We've Arrived at Georgia!

Churchplanters.com - 5 Best Practices

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO CLIP.
This week I will be taking my family on the final leg of our journey from Brisbane Queensland Australia to Cumming Georgia. This year I will be undertaking a Church Planting Fellowship with churchplanters.com
My coaches will be David Putman and Shawn Lovejoy who are pastors of Mountain Lake Church.
The year will primarily be focused on developing me in these five key areas:
1. Nurturing vitality
2. Being mean about the vision
3. Financing the mission
4. Thinking team
5. Redefining discipleship
I am so excited and humbled that God has opened the way for this Aussie boy to have this awesome learning experience.
I pray, Heavenly Father may you grow me and change me this year to be the man, husband, Dad and person you want me to be in your Son Jesus. May this year be a year of growth, change and joy as I see you work in my life and my families life as we seek to reach out to those who are far from you for your glory. In Jesus Christ's Mighty name, Amen!

Church Plant - New River Fellowship

L-R : Issac, Will, Will Jr., Michael W. Smith, Fergus, Archie & Nerida.
Today the Henderson Clan visited Mary and Matt's Church, New River Fellowship, Franklin Tennessee.
It was an great church of a couple of hundred that meets in a converted Movie Theater Complex that they lease.
The church was envisioned and planted by the singer songwriter Michael W. Smith and it was obvious that although Michael has recently stepped back (he remains an elder) and handed the point leadership to Pastor Steve Garrett the congregation noticeably reflects his mark:
1 * Awesome musicians and singers playing in a contemporary yet relaxed style
2 * The service was middle of the road contemporary, thoroughly evangelical
3 * Like Michael the congregation was a happy outgoing and relational fellowship, very welcoming and warm. The Congregation mixing and laughing etc before, during and after the service.
It was great too that we could hang out with our new friends Bryan and Amber for church and afterwards at Panera Bread it was really nice!! No sugary sauces!!
Anyway today has been great and God's message was : "Jesus be my vision, and from knowing and following Him flows amazing power to live a life of relationship and worship of God that truly satisfies no matter what circumstances we face."

Driving to Nashville Airport!

Yesterday I actually drove for an hour along the 65 and through Nashville to the airport to pick up Matt, Mary, Caleb and Isaac. It was crazy!! Can't believe the speed limit is 70 Miles and hour!! Anyway thanks to my mate 'Tom' I made it safe and sound, I sure owe him a VB... Anyway it was great to see the Smallbones after Matt's work trip playing for Michael W. Smith on a Carribean Cruise. That's not work!!

Jetlag Update

BTW for everyone who thinks this is all a walk in the park...
the kids woke up again last night at midnight wanting breakfast, so I guess they're still jetlagged or something. Nerida actually made them sandwiches and stuff... can you believe it? She is crazy... now she'll be doing it till they get married and leave home!!! I'm gonna have to take some leadership with this now. Just kidding. Kinda.

Everything seems BIGGER

Since arriving in the United States we've been blown away by the size of everything.
Big cities.
Big roads/highways.
Big meals and drinks (the boys go berko on the fizzy drink cause a small is like a litre).
Big trucks, cars and utes.
Big hair and other accessories.
Big churches everywhere and massive shopping centres.
The Americans generally have also been BIG on HOSPITALITY too and have really helped us alot. At least twice someone's made the comment, "Well that's what living in community is all about." Nice and freaky at the same time.
Speaking of everything BIG... Fergus has been stung by one of the thousand SUPER SIZED BLACK DEATH HORNETS living in Isaacs play gym!! It was really bad his leg is still swollen, two days afterwards!! After he finished crying Nerida was commenting something about the poison, Fergus overheard and said, "Mum I don't want to be DEAD, I don't want to be DEAD!" Classic. BTW we did reassure him he would be okay.