Mark Riggins

Weekend Review

This past weekend was so memorable. There was no major "event" planned so we just decided to make this a family weekend and do a bunch of stuff with one focus: we do it all together. 

We jumped on the trampoline, learned to throw a frisbee, rode bikes/scooters, grilled some hot dogs, picked up dog poop in the back yard, played a "homemade version of Jeopardy", ate breakfast at a new donut place in town Sunday morning and hosted an online small group. Now, I gotta tell ya' that my kids haven't mastered throwin' a frisbee yet and Lincoln actually fell off of the trampoline. But, he's okay and overall, we created some memories. 

While we were walking to school Monday morning, I asked the kids what their favorite thing was that we had done over the weekend. Kennedy said, "eating donuts". Reagen said, "throwing the frisbee". And, not surprisingly, Lincoln said, "jumping on the trampoline".

The weekends I spend doing stuff with my family are the best weekends of all! I took another marble out of the jar this Saturday. Such a great reminder that these days are temporary.

Weekend Review

Busy but extremely productive weekend!

Yesterday I got a chance to share the vision of SAC with a couple of people who are planning on joining our launch team. I NEVER get tired of sharing what God has called us to do!

Our Waumba Land (preschool ministry) launches next month, Oct. 18th. We have some GREAT volunteers in this ministry. Yesterday we hosted one of our Waumba Land training events. I was amazed at the leadership among our team. We are blessed to have some strong leaders who have a huge heart to create an engaging ministry for preschool age children. 

This morning Ginger and I took our kids to the park. We were once again amazed at how many people are simply living life apart from church. It really motivates me to be part of a church that unchurched people love to attend! That is the heartbeat of SAC. BTW, we had a great time at the park. We actually stayed long enough that the kids were actually ready to go. :)

Tonight, we hosted our first NEXT event. It is an environment offered to people who want to know more information about SAC and hear how they can get involved. I was once again AMAZED by our team. Our staff and volunteers created a great environment and were great hosts! As we now turn our attention toward our 2nd Preview Service, we will again offer a NEXT event following that service. 

When I'm sharing the vision of SAC with someone, I try and share some of the distinctives of San Angelo Church. I think later this week I'll start a series of blogs unpacking the distinctives of SAC.  Stay tuned . . . 

This week I have some incredibly important appointments (both personal and SAC related). I would appreciate your prayers. 

Weekend Review

Wow! This has been one CRAZY weekend.

Me, Ginger, and Reagen spent all day Saturday huddled around the "porcelain god" due to the stomach bug. (Grateful we have a 3 bathroom house.) Yuck! Fortunately, it was "only" a 24 hour bug and so far our other three kids haven't gotten it. We'll see how tonight goes. :) So today we're all feeling much better but extremely washed out . . . 

Today, we had an "insider service" (just our launch team in attendance) in preparation for our Preview Service next Sunday night. This was essentially a practice run and it was very helpful. Our Production Team put in about 10 hours this weekend. These guys are awesome! So grateful for them. Our Host Team did some important training as well today. Then there was the actual service which went well. Learned some things that we can improve and I was reminded that we have an incredible team of people who are passionate about the unchurched people of San Angelo. 

Starting a church is really hard work! It takes unusually committed people to help carry the load. I love the fact that God continues to bring the right people on board at the right time. 

I'm so excited about next Sunday night! This will be the first time we've ever had a service to invite our friends to attend. It is going up to be a GREAT service!

 

Weekend Review

- Saturday I got to spend some serious time with my family which included some "kids vs. daddy wrestling" in the living room floor. At one point it sounded like a kid's amusement park because the screaming and laughing was so loud. It's so important to me because I had to take another marble out of the jar this Saturday. That is my reminder that our time is limited before Reagen graduates from high school and our family will begin to change. I talked about our perspective jar here. 

- Saturday night I had the privilege of officiating a wedding for a GREAT young couple. I am praying as Stephen & Lacy begin their new home. Beautiful ceremony where both groom & bride wept throughout their vows. Pretty powerful stuff!

- This morning (Sunday) was extremely fun! Several of us from SAC went to celebrate and worship as Celebration Church launched here in San Angelo. In fact, we even got the chance to serve by showing up at 7am and helping them unload all of their equipment for portable church. Celebration is full of great people and I believe God is going to use Pastor Brandon and his team in a mighty way in San Angelo! Just glad we got to be there to celebrate and worship with them during their launch.

- Had our SACFFL (San Angelo Church Fantasy Football League) Draft tonight. Lots of fun and I ate way too much! I'm pretty sure I just drafted the league winning team (Michael Turner, Aaron Rogers, Brian Westbrook, Tony Gonzalez, Anquan Boldin, Baltimore Ravens Defense, etc.)!  

- Reminded this weekend why we are so passionate about creating a church that unchurched people love to attend. This was an entry on our SAC Facebook page: "Hi I found this on a friend's Facebook and it hit my interest. Can you all fill me in on what's going on here, when it will start, where it will be? I am a person that wants to draw as close to the Lord as I possibly can and I know a lot of people that can't always go to a church setting because of the fact that they have been hurt. From what I am gathering from here, I might be very interested in you all. Thanks and God Bless."

- Lots to do this week as we prepare for our 1st Preview Service which is 2 weeks from tonight (Sept. 20th). I can hardly wait!  

Weekend Review

This weekend has been EXTREMELY memorable!

- Spent Friday evening over at a friend's house sharing the vision of San Angelo Church. Lots of fun.

- Spent Saturday in Abilene with my family. I am so blessed with a great family! We love road trips.

- Enjoyed going to the small groups throughout the day today and reconnecting with our launch team. We had more new people with us today.

- Tonight we had the 40th Anniversary Party/Reception for Jim & Maxine Hamilton (my in-laws). It was a special time for our family. Lots of friends and family celebrating together as we took several trips down memory lane. Life is about creating memories and we certainly created one tonight with our family. I am so blessed with GREAT in-laws!

- Several sources have told me that Andy Stanley's message today was one of his best ever. You can check it out next Sunday at 5:00pm CST right here. 

- Pretty exciting as one of our strategic partner churches launched tonight to a FULL house in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. Exciting times! We are anxious to follow their lead here in San Angelo.

- Really looking forward to tomorrow as we spend the day laying out all of the video equipment in preparation for SAC's 1st Preview Service on Sept. 20th. Tomorrow night our volunteer technical team will have the 1st run through. I'm starting to get really pumped as this begins to actually come together!

- REALLY tired . . . time to sleep . . . good weekend . . . good night!

 

Sunday Night Reflections

Today was such a good day! 

- This morning our family ate breakfast together at Baker Street Coffee & Cafe. I LOVE moments when our family is together and enjoying a relaxed and fun time together . . . especially on a Sunday morning (rare for ministry folks). I discovered that my oldest two girls like hazelnut coffee too.

- This morning our family visited a local church that I've wanted to visit for years. So glad I got to go. I always learn a lot visiting churches. Always evaluate the kids ministry (easy to do when you're dropping off 4 kids), how "visitor friendly" the first few minutes are (signage, greeters, helpers, information, etc.), the level of excellence, the music style, preaching style, how welcome an unchurched person would feel, etc. Always fun!

- Lincoln and I went to Wal-Mart this afternoon. He loves it when just he and I go to the store. So do I! Amazing how he always finds a toy car in every store. :)

- Tonight we had 35+ people over to our house to watch North Point Online. It was a blast! It is so much fun to take a step of faith and then watch God show up and honor that faith. As we prepare for our 1st preview service next month, our launch team is kicking it into high gear. Tonight, some of our launch team got to meet a new family that God has brought to SAC. More details about this great family coming soon . . . needless to say, I am extremely grateful and PUMPED about what God is getting ready to do.

- We are crazy enough to believe that God has called us to create a church that unchurched people love to attend. God is honoring this vision and our faith! Wow! This is going to be fun. 

Tragic Prayer Request

There are rare events in your life that impact you profoundly. Last night, was one of those rare moments. 

As a chaplain at Shannon Medical Center, I often respond to traumas to help minister to the patient, patient's family and medical staff. It is often high stress and "organized chaos". No two situations are ever alike. 

Last night a 12 year old little boy hung himself here in San Angelo. What do you tell the mom? How do you console the dad? What's their next step?

Honestly, there's part of me that wanted to hear that the little boy was "troubled". That he had been warning people all along. That he was severely neglected. That he was spending time with the "wrong" crowd.

The problem is none of these things are apparently true. By all accounts he was a great kid. Emotionally balanced. Good attitude. Great grades. Good parents. Solid family. Even attended church. No warning signs. Just shock. Sudden. Tragic. Final. 

Please pray for this family. Please pray that God will bring peace, comfort, and hope.

I'm gonna go hug my kids again.

Pool Party

Our small groups are hosting a Pool Party on Friday, July 10th from 6-9pm at the Goodfellow Rec Camp. If you're in the area, come and hang out with your family and meet some new friends.

We will meet at the large pavilion at 6pm. Grab a hot dog and enjoy the "family friendly" area (playground, basketball courts, and lots of shade).

We have the pool (adult and kiddie pool) reserved from 7-9pm. So come and bring your family, appetite, and swim suit!

Please RSVP at markariggins@yahoo.com.
 

13 years ago today

I have four GREAT kids! I have a WONDERFUL wife who is an unusually gifted Mom! I love to come home to my family and know that I'm HOME. I am so blessed.

It all began when I married my amazing wife Ginger 13 years ago today. I love you Ginger!

570 weeks are going by too fast!

Reagen, Kennedy, Lincoln, and Madison,

I dream of being a great dad. Seriously! Not one of those good dads but a GREAT dad. I want to be a dad you guys always see as wise enough to talk about life's serious issues. I want to be a dad you guys LOVE to hang out with. I want to be a dad that you guys KNOW are my priority.

I dream that all four of you will become secure, confident adults who passionately love Jesus. (Your mom and I are in the middle of a huge step of faith that we hope will inspire you one day.) 

I dream of you guys growing up but still wanting to come back home often to enjoy time with your mom and I.

I LOVE you guys so much!

As you know, this week I went out and bought a BIG jar and bought 570 marbles to fill it up. Each marble represents a week. There are 570 weeks left before Reagen graduates from high school. So each Saturday I'll take a marble out of the jar to remind me of our fleeting time together living in our house. Today I took the first marble out . . . one week is gone. Now there are only 569 left.

If I have regrets at the end of my life, I do not want it to be in this area. 

But there's a problem: My dreams and my actions don't always match. As you know, there have been nights where I'll spend a couple of hours in front of the TV and you've all heard me say, "MOVE . . . I can't see the TV". Some nights I come home tired and "less than interested" in spending time real quality time with you.

My heart and head want a great relationship with ya'll but my actions determine the actual relationship. 

I wish you could see and hear my heart and know how much I love you guys. But I know that you see and hear my actions.  

So I have some choices. Whatever I decide, I can't mess this up! I LOVE you guys too much.

As you know this week I swore off the TV. It's been fun! We've had fun. When I get on the floor and you guys pile on and beg for "rides" there is nowhere in the world I'd rather be. (The one exception is when Lincoln jumped on me off of the couch and onto my back. I think he bruised my spleen . . . seriously.) 

On this Father's Day weekend I want to make a commitment to you. I want my actions to follow my heart. 

From now on the evenings are yours. There will undoubtedly be exceptions when an "interruption" gets in the way. Or I slip up and focus less on you. But as a rule, I want to bring my best to you guys for the time God has given us to share our home. One day I know you'll have a new home. I just want you to always come back to OUR home.

Please be patient as Daddy has some "unlearning" to do and some "safer" games to learn! 

I love you Reagen, Kennedy, Lincoln, and Madison.