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Fall-ing Forward

Our last update described our summer of growth at Capstone Church. Our mission teams have all been instrumental in helping the church grow and impact the community of Helena. This summer momentum has definitely impacted us in the Fall season.  We are continuing to see new faces and familiar faces are getting more involved with serving and our new small groups.

Pastor Caleb just wrapped up a sermon series entitled “Abide”. Based on Jesus’ teaching in John 15, we looked at how the realization that Jesus is the true vine – our ultimate sustainer, provider, and life source – can and should alter our lives. We challenged the congregation to contemplate their “next step of faith” – whether that be baptism, serving, giving, sharing their faith, or following Jesus for the first time. Our prayer is that these truths will really take root as we continue to exhort and encourage over the coming weeks and months.

Now we are approaching our 3rd annual Candy Jam Halloween outreach.  We have moved the date this year from Halloween night to the Saturday prior (Oct. 27th). Nineteen days ahead of the event our Facebook event has already engaged over 5000 people. We are excited about the impact that this event could have on the church.  Four partner churches are coming to help with serving – this will give us about 35 extra helpers which will go a long way in relieving much of our burden. Pray specifically for gospel conversations that will take place on this night and that we will see lives transformed and people place their faith in Jesus. Pray also that our church will be able to display faithful service to their community for the glory of God.

One other exciting report we can make is that our Capstone Kids ministry is really thriving. A majority of our regular attendees have children aged 7 and under. Many weeks children make up 50% of our total attendance.  In my opinion this is a tremendous problem to have. It does give us a burden for more space and more volunteers on a weekly basis. Please pray that we will have more people willing to help in this ministry area so that our Kids ministry can continue to thrive.

A final prayer request is for Caleb and Courtney. They head to the hospital tonight to deliver their baby girl! Please pray for a smooth delivery and blessings over their family.

We love each of you and are thankful for the grace that God has shown us through your partnership in this ministry endeavor.

 Soli deo Gloria!

Andrew

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A Summer of Growth

A place of solitude provides clarity of thought for most writers.  We need minimal distractions to focus the mind on our clearest possible message. Naturally, I am using a three hour layover at  the world’s busiest passenger airport (Atlanta) to gather my thoughts on Capstone Church’s 2018 summer so that I can update you on all that God has been doing. Pastors, please don’t follow my lead the next time you are traveling and needing to prepare an upcoming sermon!

I tell friends that ask about the current happenings at our church that we are being intentional in combatting what many existing churches refer to as the summer lull. School is out, the weather is nice, vacations are on the calendar – it really is the perfect time of year to unplug and recharge. We experienced this lull during our first summer to a degree that was troubling. We had not yet established a solid core membership to sustain the natural decline that hits all churches in the summer months. The lull was bothersome to say the least.  We brainstormed for several months how we might avoid a repeat of this phenomenon in 2018.  I knew several things would help us avoid it, but we decided that we needed to communicate to our people in a way that showed them that we planned to stay busy through the summer, and we both wanted and needed their help.  We developed a calendar of events that we printed on refrigerator magnets and handed them out at our Easter service.  By God’s grace, I am able to report that our attendance has remained steady throughout the summer.  We have continued to see new visitors, and we continue to have successful community outreach events.  

Please don’t misinterpret me when I emphasize this. I know that both pastors and church members need rest. Our bodies and minds need a time to recharge throughout the year. Ministry can certainly take a toll on us all – both physically and emotionally. Rest is a healthy, biblical habit.  However, the mission of God never sleeps.  The message of the gospel never ceases to be urgent.  So our aim is to continue actively using the resources God has given us through our summer season. Summer is the only time of year in Montana where we can really enjoy the outdoors to the fullest. Montana residents are going to use this time of year to hunt, fish, hike, camp, etc. Even with the outdoors reaching for our attention, this is still a time of year when effective ministry can happen. Most of our church partners want to visit and assist us in ministry. Kids are out of school. Families are looking for opportunities to gather.

Over the course of the last eight weeks, Capstone has hosted five mission teams from supporting churches around the country. We want to send a special thanks to FishHawk Fellowship in Lithia, FL; CrossPoint Church in Duluth, GA; First Baptist Church in Camden, TN; Wake Cross Roads Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC; and our final team from First Baptist Church in Denton, TX.  These five teams have been crucial to helping us combat the summer lull. They have helped us maintain a focus on outreach to the people of Helena. We have hosted two community block parties which we hosted in some of our beautiful neighborhood parks. They were both well attended and we established many new relationships.  We have also been able to complete a lot of work on our facility, including laying new carpet throughout and building a portable stage.  We tell each of our teams how much they mean to us, and I really cannot understate this – THESE TEAMS ARE AN ENORMOUS BLESSING TO CAPSTONE CHURCH AND OUR FAMILIES! It really is like having an extended family in town for a season. The level of encouragement they provide is really immeasurable. We thank God for you and your willingness to come to Helena!

Now that summer is nearing its end, our focus is on continuing the momentum generated by our teams into a fall emphasis on Next Steps. We plan to formalize a membership/ownership process and relaunch our discipleship groups. Please pray for a positive response from the congregation and that we will be able to facilitate an environment that is conducive to great spiritual growth in the people of Capstone Church. We are excited to push each person toward their next step – whether that might be salvation, baptism, joining a group, or becoming a member!

Thanks for your prayers and your partnership! We thank God for each of you!

Andrew

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Celebrating the Good Times

As we close the book on May and officially head into Montana Summertime, things are still full speed ahead at Capstone Church! Over the next three months we will have half a dozen mission teams with nearly 100 total participants visit Helena. Please help us cover these teams with prayer – for travel safeties and measurable spiritual impact on the community of Helena and the team members. We have several exciting things planned while the teams are here, and our prayer is that the Capstone congregation will connect with the teams and gain a deeper sense of what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Two block parties at city parks, construction work at the church facility, landscaping at local schools, and care packages for first responders are just a few of the projects these mission teams will be undertaking. Again, pray with us that the work these teams engage in will have a lasting spiritual impact on our community. We hope they will create many new relationships with locals that we can foster long after the teams are gone.

As busy as Summer is shaping up to be, Spring was no slouch. We have several exciting pieces of news to share. First, our Easter worship gathering had 85 people in attendance. Roughly 30 of these attenders were first time guests and we made lasting connections with a few of the families that came. As you’ll see in the pictures below, our space was FULL! This service gave us a glimpse into what it will take to prepare for larger crowds we hope to have on a regular basis in the future. We are grateful to the Lord for crowded gatherings. It is further confirmation of our call to this community and reassurance of God’s faithfulness in our mission at Capstone Church.

Second, we have seen definitive growth in attendance over the last 2-3 months. We have been averaging about 35 people per Sunday. While we strive for a measure of growth that is qualitative and not only quantitative, we are greatly encouraged by this growth. A critical mass of people contributes to a hospitable church environment, and we are grateful for each person that is attending. Please pray as we prepare to add a “small group discipleship” program in August that will encourage a next level of spiritual growth and intimacy in our fellowship.

Third, we have had our first two professions of faith and baptisms.  A couple that has been attending regularly since last summer came forward a few weeks before Easter and we were able to baptize them on April 8. Kyle and Tesia have been such a blessing to get to know. Seeing true joy come to their faces and the gospel take root in their hearts has been an overwhelming source of encouragement and motivation for us as a leadership team. Please pray as we disciple them over the coming weeks and months. We want to model Jesus well to them.

Fourth, our prayers continue to be answered regarding help with music. In addition to our music leader Henry, we now have two other regular attenders that have prior experience leading worship. This is a tremendous blessing to have three people that are talented and willing to lead on Sundays. It definitely fills a need that we have had since the beginning.

In closing, let me just say a big THANK YOU. The support we feel from all over the country is magnificent. The fact that six different churches are coming to Helena this summer (and a few more this Fall!) is testimony to God’s goodness and it is such a huge encouragement to Capstone Church. We thank you for your prayers, your financial giving, and your time on these trips. Ministry is truly made possible – in large part – due to your generous hearts.

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Salvation at Capstone - READ TO THE END!

The million dollar question over the last several weeks in Montana has been, “Will winter ever end?” Each time the snow starts to melt and the roads begin to clear, a new storm comes to greet us! Finally, as Daylight Savings arrives, we have seen a few consecutive days of relative warmth (that means highs around 40 😉) and the snow melt seems to have begun in earnest.

It has been a few months since we last updated. Both our families were able to retreat south for about a week and visit family around the holidays. With the brutal winter weather this time of year, it truly is a needed reprieve. Montana winters are a dark time. Daylight is short and sunshine is rare. I talked to a pastor last week that said his town had reported six suicides in February alone. This is tragic, but it does not surprise me. This darkness breeds both spiritual and physical desperation.

Our Montana State Baptist Convention held its annual pastors conference in Helena on March 1-2. It is always encouraging to gather with these fellow Kingdom laborers and receive encouragement in our ministry. One of the greatest things about being a Baptist is the wonderful ways in which we cooperate with another. These conferences always offer great instruction and insight into effective gospel ministry in our context. One specific takeaway I had from this year’s conference was the need for churches to expect God to move and act among them in spectacular ways. It was said, “Why should we expect our churches to grow if we do not expect God to grow our churches? More specifically – in what ways do you see yourself as a minister conveying to the congregation a mindset that God desires this church to grow and thrive?” What a powerful message! The Lord loves to see His church taking action in the community in ways that reflect an eager expectation of divine blessing and ministry involvement.

Lastly, I want to share some exciting pieces of news involving Capstone Church. First, our new location has been a HUGE blessing! In our last update, I shared that there was some uncertainty about us being able to use the space and be in alignment with city building codes. We obtained a second opinion and all of these concerns were erased.  This is yet another instance of miraculous provision by the Lord. Great is Thy Faithfulness!

In our first four months occupying the space, we have been blessed abundantly by the owners. They have used their sign business to help us out with lots of marketing. We have a permanent sign on the road. We have a large mural with our logo on one of the newly constructed walls. They even made some Capstone Church bumper stickers to go on our vehicles. Thank you Greg and Janelle!

Second, we have lined up several mission teams for Summer 2018. As we are beginning to grow, we have more needs that arise. We are so grateful for partnerships that continue to develop, as well as some new ones that are just beginning. Let me slip in a plug here – if you are part of a church that is looking to expand its list of mission partners or maybe even start your first partnership, please contact us. We would love to share more about ways that you could be involved at Capstone Church, even from thousands of miles away.

Lastly – but most importantly – we had our first two professions of faith at Capstone Church TODAY! This is such a huge confirmation that we are being obedient to the Lord’s calling on our lives. We are thrilled about planning a Baptism service and praying that these first heart transformations would be just the tip of the iceberg. Please pray for us in the coming weeks as we disciple this family and plan an Easter Service that will plant more seeds of the Gospel here in Helena.

 Soli Deo Gloria!

Andrew

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Working Hard or Hardly Working?

Winter arrived early to Montana. The first few days of November greeted us with single digit temperatures and about 8-10” of snow! It didn’t stop the busyness at Capstone Church, however! October and the first week of November were certainly full and fun.

Paul wrote to Titus, “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works…”(Titus 2:7) The last several weeks have been both emotionally and physically draining for our team. Literal sweat and tears were required to complete Candy Jam preparation and we also coordinated a location change for the church the following Sunday. These long, hard days of work were spent serving the Lord and pursuing his mission for Helena through Capstone Church. In the midst of several consecutive late nights working on these things, I can attest that it was difficult to maintain a gospel-oriented mindset.  In these tough situations, your calling that pushes you forward.  God’s call has continued to be clear, and the response from the community was overwhelmingly supportive – a fact that has served to encourage us greatly!

Candy Jam was again a great success. We were privileged to have volunteer help from other local congregations as well as some from afar. If you chipped in with your time or with a donation, THANK YOU! Candy Jam would not have been successful without you. Attendance was similar to last year (about 2300 is our best estimate!), and the response was overwhelmingly positive. If you remember we did not have adequate space last year, so we expanded our event to the full 36,000 sq. ft. Exhibit Hall at the LCC Fairgrounds.  We had four inflatables, about 15 carnival games and food galore. The best part is that, because of your generosity, we were able to make everything completely FREE!  Our 30+ volunteers made it possible to have a church information booth and speak to guests about who Capstone Church is and what our identity is as a church. We had dozens of fruitful conversations with people who were amazed at our generosity and were curious about attending Capstone in the future.

We also have been in the midst of a location change.  For several reasons, we knew that our time meeting at the Electricians’ Union building downtown was limited.  The primary reason was visibility. Very few cars would pass on Sunday morning in the time I was out front to greet people. We have wanted to find a location that would market itself – and we knew this was not it.  Another reason was that the building was quite outdated.  The space was not attractive and we felt that visitors might not appreciate some of the displays and signage that came with meeting in a union building. A third reason to move was that we realized there were several other churches within a few blocks of where we were meeting.  While Helena is certainly unchurched, the highest concentration of churches is certainly in the vicinity of downtown.

We found a couple of spaces that we explored, and in early October we settled on Fast Signs business on Montana Avenue. It is arguably the busiest street in Helena – so our marketing and visibility problem has been resolved! The left side of the store front was being used for storage and it became available for rent.  We spent several days renovating the space and moved in on November 5.  Our attendance increased significantly in the first two weeks which has served as another source of encouragement. However, last week we did receive word that our original renovation plans with the owner may not meet building code standards. We are working to seek other opinions and find out what is in the church’s best interest moving forward. Please pray with us over the next several weeks as important decisions need to be made that could be very expensive. We want to trust in the Lord completely and seek his will in all of this. He is faithful!

Below are some pictures from Candy Jam and our work in the new building. God bless you! Please continue to pray for our ministry efforts here in Montana!

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Focus on God’s Kingdom

August 28, 2017

I have spent a good bit of time today thinking about my grandpa. He passed away my freshman year of college, but he would have been 94 today.  Anniversaries and birthdays always allow us time to reflect on our loved ones and the legacies they pass on to us. “Pop” was probably my largest hero in the faith. His spiritual impact on my life cannot really be measured. He was a bi-vocational Baptist pastor for over 40 years—and he just happened to have time to be a school principal for many of those years as well.  

When I consider Pop’s legacy, my mind is moved to a conversation that I have had repeatedly over the last several months.  This conversation revolves around “kingdom-oriented ministry”.  Pop exemplified this idea almost perfectly. He was a pastor, but ministry was not about his church. Ministry was about loving people in ways that advanced the kingdom of God for the glory of God.  He was a consummate leader, yet he was one of the most humble and unassuming men I have ever been around.  He was a passionate man whose unconditional love for all people was one of the first things you noticed.  He always stood for Christ and his Gospel, even when it was unpopular.

As Christians, we must move past the temptation to accrue a fine reputation and build our own kingdoms that will never last.  We are to always be on mission for our God – the King of Kings, the Creator and Sustainer of all things.  These are the hard lessons of church planting. As we continue to pursue a critical mass for our Sunday meetings, it is very easy to pour all our energy into Capstone Church.  Don’t get me wrong – we should pour sweat and tears into forming a Christ-exalting congregation that serves its city well. But we must never forget that our church is an integral part of something much bigger. If we are moving Capstone in a direction contrary to where God’s Kingdom is moving, then we have missed the boat altogether.

Going one step deeper, we realize that we have received and inherited our ministry from the Lord.  I am currently reading a book by O.S. Hawkins that highlights this point. We do not have a ministry. Ministry is a gift to each of us from the Lord. How humbling and grounding is this thought! If we do not come to rest in this important truth, then we can never be focused on kingdom-oriented ministry.

I just wanted to share that as a brief devotional, but I also want to highlight some of what has been going on at Capstone:

(1)    We had two great mission teams this summer. Crosspointe Church in Duluth, GA and Lakeside Baptist in Birmingham, AL, each helped us throw a community block party that we called “Party in the Park”. We did these at two different neighborhood parks on opposite sides of Helena and had about 200-300 in attendance for each. These mission teams were so helpful and encouraging to us.  We are grateful for the help and support they provided us this summer.

(2)    We are adding some new families to the mix of regular attendees.  We are excited to see the beginnings of Gospel transformation taking place in some lives and we covet your prayers for these as we continue to share Jesus with them. We hope to report soon that we have had our first salvation. Pray that prayer for salvation with us!

(3)    We are looking to change locations yet again as we head into the Fall.  We have prayed much about this and feel we need to find a more strategic and visible location that will help the city become more familiar with Capstone Church.  Pray for wisdom and guidance from the Spirit as we seek this new location.

(4)    We have had a hot, dry summer in Montana, and it’s now taking its toll. Fire season is at its peak, and much of the state is being impacted. Here in Helena the air quality is dangerously poor.  Visibility is less than half of what it is on a clear day, and it smells like there is a campfire in the yard any time you step outside. New fires have broken out in recent days in the mountains surrounding our city. Please pray for the firefighters and the people in the communities closest to these fires.

(5)    We are celebrating one full year being in Helena. Can you believe it?!?! Marisa and I left Huntsville on August 27, 2016, so this time last year we were traveling across the heartland to our new home in Montana. Time really flies! We are so grateful for all the prayers and support through your giving. We are even more excited about year 2. Candy Jam is only 2 short months away and we truly believe that God has even bigger plans in store for our encore this year!

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Four Mission Teams, Two Baby Boys, and a New Meeting Location

And these were just the most noteworthy of blessings that Capstone Church experienced through Spring and Summer 2017! I realize we have not updated in a few months and many exciting events have transpired which we would like to share with you.

Capstone launched its weekly services at Easter (April 16) with 58 people in attendance.  This was a monumental accomplishment considering we were only in Helena for 8 months at the time.  Several visitors joined us and momentum was at its peak.  In the midst of hours of planning and preparing for this kickoff, Grayson Groteluschen decided he was ready to enter the world. Courtney gave birth to Grayson on Saturday, April 15, just one day before the launch.  We had considered the possibility of our launch being close to the due date, but certainly had not fully expected Grayson to arrive three weeks early. It certainly gave us all a weekend to remember, especially new parents Caleb and Courtney. To top it off, Caleb’s family was in town to help with the launch. We could not have made it through without their assistance and willingness to selflessly serve in many areas during the service.

With the spring time and good weather came the opportunity to host mission teams.  The Lord blessed us with church partners that desired to take an active role in God’s plans for Capstone Church in the Helena community. Due to our schedule with the new babies, we decided it was best to take just 3 mission teams for 2017.  However, in March, we were blessed to learn about another team that wanted to work with us and bless us with some invaluable resources. Creative Missions, a missions organization focused on assisting under-resourced churches with their digital marketing presence, sent a team to us in May. They listened to the vision that we projected and crafted a strategy to meet many of our needs in this area. Their impact was both deep and enduring.

Our second team came from Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, GA, this past week.  They were also a tremendous blessing to us. This team of 25 high schoolers helped us to serve a few local schools and our local first responders. They also helped us staff a community block party at a neighborhood park this past Friday evening.  This was basically an outdoor, scaled-down Candy Jam (our blockbuster outreach event from Halloween).  The weather was perfect and everyone had a great time mingling.   

We still expect two more teams this summer – from Lakeside Baptist in Birmingham, AL, and First Baptist Denton, TX.  These mission teams allow us the manpower to undertake some service projects and events that we could not otherwise accomplish. They really are irreplaceable and will continue to be a vital part of helping us grow in the years ahead.

The last major headline from this season of transition was that we found a new location for our worship services.  We knew that our time at the museum was drawing to a close. Caleb found out about a building in downtown that originally functioned as a church, but now serves as the home to the Electricians’ Union. When we found out about its availability, we knew it would fit us well.  We were given permission to store our equipment in the building which helped to significantly reduce our setup and tear-down time each Sunday.  

The first week we had services at this new building was the week that our son Luke was born.  That’s right! Our leadership team has grown by two baby boys since April. What a blessing Grayson and Luke are to us.  They will certainly be partners in crime for many years to come!  God has really blessed us with the opportunity to make connections with several other families walking through the same stage of life. In addition to Grayson and Luke, our church family has added another baby boy and we have two more families that are currently expecting.

Needless to say, the last three months have been a real whirlwind.  We are tremendously blessed by all that has transpired and we are excited for the season to come as we continue to forge our identity and make additional contacts here in Helena.  Here are a few of our current prayer requests:

·        The mission teams remaining on our calendar.

·        Further development and growth of our core volunteer team

·        More church partners

And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

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Anticipation Is Half The Fun

I will never forget my trip to the Masters in 2013.  Going to Augusta National and walking the most famed fairways this side of the Atlantic has always been at the top of my sports bucket list.  Changes in ticketing procedure the prior year had created an open lottery for some of its tickets. Otherwise, I might never have found an opportunity. But my Dad won two tickets to a practice round, and our golfing dreams were coming true.

Each year, my anticipation of the Masters grows. It is the pinnacle of my favorite sport.  Watching it each year on TV is a brand of excitement I find unparalleled in almost any other sporting event. (Yes, I know it is a golf tournament and they make many people’s Sunday afternoon naps a bit easier!) When pollen season arrives, that signals to me that the Masters is quickly approaching. It truly is, as they say, “a tradition unlike any other.”

This particular year the anticipation was taking on a life of its own.  I have met people over the years who have been to the tournament in person and, without exception, they emphasize how special it is and that I should find a way to go some day.  Well, here we are.  From outside the gates, Augusta National is the most unassuming venue.  In fact, if you drive by on the highway, you would never know what lay on the other side of the fence under the magnificent magnolias. But you enter the premises and discover golfing paradise. There is literally not a blade of grass out of place on the entire property. The smells of spring surround you. The birds chirp. The squirrels run. The “ping” of professionally struck golf balls echo through the Georgia pines. Immaculate. Incredible. Unforgettable. Beautiful. Green. Fresh. These are some words that come to mind to describe that day.  The anticipation is surpassed only by the experience itself.

Anticipation can either be very enjoyable—as is the case for our day at the Masters—or it can breed a great amount of stress and anxiety.  At Capstone Church, we are walking through a season of great anticipation and we are experiencing all of these emotions to the fullest! We are less than two weeks away from our Easter Premier – the launch of our weekly services. There are still some significant uncertainties as we proceed, but even now God is continuing to answer our prayers. Our previous two services have had between 40 and 45 in attendance, and we hope for many more on April 16.

In our launch team study, we are reading a book called It. It is a phenomenon that coincides with many aspects of the Holy Spirit’s activity in and around a given congregation. These two particular chapters were discussing innovation and failure and they really hit home for me.  In ministry, we will almost never have all of the resources at our disposal to proceed with a new idea.  But if we have a healthy passion to pursue and a belief and trust in God to provide us with the resource which is limited, then amazing things can happen. Furthermore, we have to have a healthy view of failure.  We don’t expect to fail, yet we know that at some point we will fail.  Failure, though, often leads us to greater success because it teaches us something very valuable about ourselves and that thing we are trying to accomplish.

Please pray for Capstone Church in the days ahead. You can pray specifically in the following areas.

·         Volunteer/Launch team – ideally we would like the committed serving team to be a bit larger.  Pray that we would connect with people that have a desire to join our team.

·         Meeting space – we are excited about a temporary option that has been presented to us that may give us our own space for a while. Details of this are still being worked out, so pray that the discussions would go smoothly.

·         Visioncasting – we are very excited about what God is already doing here in Helena. Pray that the team and the community would continue to catch our vision.

·         Gospel transformation – both in our lives and those we are ministering to. It is easy to get consumed by the “nuts and bolts” of church planting. Pray that we would remained focused on the Gospel heading into this Easter season, and allow it to transform the lives of those around us.

Finally, please pray Paul’s words in Colossians 1 with us:

               9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.     Colossians 1:9-12

 We love and thank the Lord for each of you always. Thanks for praying and partnering!

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Brrrrrrrr...ing it on,2017!

Keep us in mind as you enjoy your year-round summer in the south.  While the last two weeks have been mild and enjoyable, the first 40 days of 2017 were quite harsh.  Helena only got above freezing on nine of those days, it dipped to sub-zero temps 18 times.  We (Hardimans) sure are glad we moved in August to give our blood some time to thicken up and get us ready for winter!

Time is really flying by.  We are now less than two months from our Easter Service, the official launch of Capstone Church.  Already in 2017, we have been blessed abundantly by the Lord in many ways. In church planting lingo, we call these blessings “wins” – not that we have accomplished any victory but that we can clearly see how God is bringing victory to us. We would like to share with you some of these wins.

THE LAUNCH TEAM IS GROWING

One prayer that many of you have prayed along with us has been for us to find a suitable worship leader.  Praise the Lord for Joel Helenbolt and his wife, Misty, who have really exceeded all expectations in this role.  Caleb and I first met Joel the week after our November preview service. Joel had actually seen some of our signage advertising the service and he contacted us via social media.  We had several things in common from the start, and he has prior experience leading worship. Joel and Misty have been a huge asset to our team.  They are such an encouragement and a help to have on board! We praise the Lord for them and their willingness to serve beside us at Capstone Church.

We have also developed a solid nucleus of about 5 or 6 couples that are meeting weekly on Sundays as the Capstone Church Launch Team. We are currently studying a book by Craig Groeschel called It which explores the phenomenon of “it”. Some churches have “it”, and some do not. You can get “it”, but you can also lose “it”. It has been fantastic to get in the habit of meeting weekly and seeing our friends and team members on a regular basis. This has really helped us grow our relationships and develop a stronger sense of vision and unity in these early days of church ministry.

PREVIEW SERVICES ARE GROWING

We had our third preview service on Super Bowl Sunday. We had 40 in attendance, including several first-time guests.  We invited everyone to wear the jersey of their favorite team (whether they were participating in the big game or not!), and we had a fellowship afterwards with chicken wings.  Caleb is preaching a series called ‘Real People. Real Gospel.’ where we explore different transformative encounters that Jesus had with people in his ministry. As a leadership team, we felt it was crucial to lay the foundation of Capstone Church with a theme of the transforming hope that the Gospel brings.  We have been intentional to highlight this from the very beginning. After all, we know for certain that God has called our families to Helena to make this Gospel known.

GOD IS TEACHING US SO MUCH

It is both exciting and humbling to look back on this journey of church planting and reflect on the learning that has taken place. I vividly remember many of our team conversations back in North Carolina in the late fall of 2014 when we were first embarking on this journey. I remember constantly feeling ignorant and overwhelmed about the task that we were beginning.  While those emotions still come upon me from time to time, the Lord has been extremely gracious in granting us wisdom and understanding as quickly we can receive it.

We are learning both by trial and error and through relationships that we have developed with other pastors in Montana that are further down the church planting road than we are.  These preview services are such a blessing to us in many ways.  It is a wonderful opportunity to gather corporately and praise God for what He is accomplishing in our hearts and minds, but it is also great preparation for what lies ahead. We are able to critique ourselves thoroughly and measure what changes and improvements must occur before next time.  

We have developed so many great ministry resources in a short time in the form of pastors and lay leaders who are willing to pour into our ministry and help us gain wisdom and understanding for our ministry context.  We really appreciate these pastors and their willingness to teach us and help us grow.

GOD HAS BLESSED OUR FAMILIES

We are really beginning to settle into town. Both the Hardimans and Groteluschens have bought homes and are slowly making them our own.  It is an exciting time for sure!  We also each have a little boy on the way.  In May, Capstone Church is going to grow by at least two.  We are so grateful for these blessings. Please pray for Marisa and Courtney’s pregnancies and the ministry needs that we will need to cover when the babies arrive.

In summary, the theme for us so far in 2017 is growth. Our families are growing and our ministry is growing.  It is really an exciting and adventuresome time to be at Capstone Church.  While we pray earnestly for our numbers to grow and for God to use us in tremendous ways in the community of Helena, our first prayer is that we as a team would grow deeper and deeper in love with Jesus. Only this can maximize the impact we can have on God’s Kingdom here in Helena.

PRAYER NEEDS

*Wisdom in preparing for mission teams this summer

*Finding volunteers to fill in and cover vacancies when our babies arrive

*Discernment for finding a suitable facility for Launch and beyond

*Continued growth and blessing in the areas mentioned above

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Merry Christmas From Capstone

Merry Christmas Eve!

We wanted to extend a special Christmas greeting to all of our prayer partners and financial partners. These first four months in Helena have been amazing.  God has blessed the ministry of Capstone Church beyond anything we could have imagined. In a previous post, we shared the successes of Candy Jam and how the results far surpassed our expectations. We also held our first “preview” worship service on November 13th at a local children’s museum called Exploration Works.  We had 32 people attend, including volunteers. Going forward, we will have three additional previews in 2017 on January 8, February 5, and March 5.  We will then begin weekly corporate gatherings on Palm Sunday and officially launch on Easter—April 16, 2017.

The holidays are always a good reminder of the many blessings we have experienced and the joy and peace that God grants to us as His people.  I am being continually reminded of His goodness and faithfulness as we see prayers being answered.  The advent season has taken on even deeper meaning for us in the midst of this church planting adventure. Reflecting on the Incarnation and that God has come to be with us and He dwelt among us (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:14) is a tremendous reminder of the Hope that we have come to Helena to share.

We are excited about the momentum that these first events have created. We have a few local families that are joining our team and we will begin meeting weekly as a core group when the new year comes.  Please be in prayer for the remainder of this preview phase, as quantitative and qualitative growth over the next three months will be very crucial.

One special note—giving for 2016 will end on December 31.  If you make financial contributions and want them counted toward tax year 2016, they must be submitted online December 31 or postmarked to PO Box 1128, Helena, MT, 59624 by December 31.  Giving statements for 2016 will be mailed to you in January.  Thank you for your contributions!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Hardimans & Groteluschens

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Candy Jam Craze

I am totally unprepared for this.  The thought must have been tattooed on my forehead around 5 p.m. this past Monday night, just 30 short minutes before Candy Jam was scheduled to begin.  There were already about 100 guests gathered in the foyer of our venue – the Lewis & Clark County Fairgrounds – and we still had significant setup remaining.  As I thought back to our group’s countless discussions on what we should prepare for, this had not been taken into consideration.  When we started out, we were aiming for 300 and praying for 500, but this was nowhere on our radar.  We had considered best and worst case scenarios and wondered if we had supplied and staffed the event adequately.  We spent time painting and crafting and scheduling and reserving equipment.  We handed out door hangers, posters, flyers, and business cards.  We even put an ad on the local classifieds page.  We analyzed multiple venues and weighed their potential advantages and disadvantages.  We prepared…a lot!

When I earnestly reflected on what should be communicated about Candy Jam, it was the realization that crossed my mind those few minutes before we were set to begin.  While our group had been preparing diligently for weeks and even months, God himself had been preparing something beyond our wildest imagination.  From about 5 – 8 p.m. on Halloween night, somewhere around 2,500 people graced us with their presence.  People were shoulder to shoulder for the majority of the night, and many people wondered if we had set up a severe fire hazard.  Kids got more candy than most of their parents would want them to indulge in a lifetime.  We fed the crowd hotdogs, popcorn, chips, and cotton candy.  We made it all free, because we wanted the community to sense the investment that we are making in Helena.  The event far surpassed our greatest expectations.  We now have hundreds of contacts to follow-up with, and we have a name and a reputation that can only help us.  We have much feedback from the community thanking us for a wonderful time.  We know that Candy Jam is but a stepping stone of what God has planned for Capstone Church.

I told someone the other day that I did not sleep well at all Monday night.  My body was incredibly fatigued from a full day’s work, but my mind could not find rest.  Where had all those people come from? Why had they chosen to spend their trick-or-treat time with us? How could two families have accomplished so much in so little time? A peace has come over me the remainder of this week.  I know that much sweat and tears were poured into Candy Jam, but we accomplished nothing. The Lord is our orchestrator and preparer, and we are just his obedient servants.  Now I know for certain what I have for some time been confident of – that God has great things in store for Helena, MT through Capstone Church! Please don’t take this statement as brashness or arrogance.  We are completely humbled by what transpired at Candy Jam, but we also are certain of the vision that God has granted to us.  Please rejoice with us at what God has done for us through this initial outreach effort. Praise be to God!

Please continue to pray for Capstone Church this next week.  Specifically, our first “preview service” will be a week from today, November 13. As of the writing of this post, we do not have a venue secured.  We have had some possibilities that recently fell through and we are working to try to find something that is suitable to our needs.  Please pray that God will help us to find the right facility and that we will be able to communicate that location quickly to all of our contacts.

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Helena is Home!

Happy Monday to all! Let’s start off the new week with an exciting update from Capstone Church. The last month has really flown by, but we have many exciting updates to report.  As many of you know, our team has arrived safely in Helena as of the beginning of September.  It has been great for our families to get back together and dig into the planning and preparation work for the pre-launch phase of Capstone. Thus far, we have primarily been getting acclimated to the area.  After about three days in Helena, Fall arrived before our moving truck did and we had to make a special run to Target to find weather-appropriate gear that was not in our travel luggage!  We have had several mornings in the 30s, and one day last week some of the peaks received some snowfall.  Welcome to Montana!

During this special season of ministry I am reminded of the growth and expansion of the church in Acts. At numerous places the apostles are being directly led by the Spirit’s prompting.  Luke clearly communicates that the Spirit is guiding the ministry that is taking place, and Paul and the other apostles are just following His lead. That is our role as church planters. The Holy Spirit has a very specific plan for Capstone Church and we need to follow that plan instead of our own selfish desires.  We literally cannot succeed if we do not follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  This is a humbling reminder that needs to take place in our hearts daily.

In terms of ministry updates, we are currently focusing much of our attention around our Halloween outreach event, Candy Jam! We are targeting a few different elementary school gyms in Helena to host the event and we are intentionally advertising it as a COMMUNITY event.  Candy Jam will take place on the evening of October 31 and we will have free food, free candy and many carnival games.  Please pray for our efforts as we plan this event.  We are networking very well so far, but we will need lots of helping hands as we prepare for lots of guests that night.  We also are praying that we will be in tune with the Holy Spirit’s leading as we plan Candy Jam.  First impressions are so huge, and we want Helena’s first impression of Capstone Church to be a very positive one.

Another update is that we have a new mailing address.  You can reach us by mail at P. O. Box 1128,  Helena, MT 59624.  In addition to a mailing address, we are actively searching for a physical location to meet as a church.  Please pray as we seek the Lord’s guidance regarding this very important decision. We understand that location is a key ingredient to successfully launching a church, and we need a location that will help and not hinder our efforts. Affordable commercial space is limited, so networking will be huge for our team as we look for the space that God has prepared for us.

There is really so much more to share, but I want to give you just these few specific prayer emphases for now so that you can digest them and give them special attention.  Our hearts and minds are really being poured into the vision God has laid on our hearts for Capstone Church now that we are in town and getting to know the residents of Helena.  We are each logging various contacts that we make as we begin to build personal relationships and learn about the culture here in Montana’s capital.  We value your continued partnership through prayer and giving.  Be on the lookout in the coming days for a special video blog with another exciting announcement from us!

Andrew