how do you see true discipleship happening with such a young group?

this is a very good question. we have to keep in mind that a baby church is just that... a baby. just like parents who want their infants to take their first steps or say their first word, we are anxious to see this infant church look like a full grown church. but that is a process, and we have to let God do it. there are many things we want to see happen, and many of those things take time and patience.

discipleship is not one of them.

in fact, it is already happening all around us. people are beginning to truly invest in the lives of others in meaningful relationships, and the fruit is very visible as people grow to look more and more like Christ. isn't that what discipleship is all about? admittedly, the ideal church picture would have a wide age range, something that we do not have right now. but our average age is increasing as God brings more adults into the fellowship. when you look around on sunday nights you see a much more diverse room than you did a year ago... and in another year it will be even more diverse. there are no biblical parameters to follow in regard to age, so we can't make that the main issue. God will build us as He chooses, and one of the main ways He will build us is through discipling each other now.

will there be anything on sunday mornings?

as of right now, there are no plans to have anything on sunday morning in the near future. however, at various points we have thrown out the idea of having a sunday morning community group for those who cannot make it on a weeknight. the beautiful thing about church planting is that you can choose your own adventure when it comes to stuff like this. so one day we may offer a sunday morning group... or sunday moring membership classes... or sunday morning teaching sessions that are more in-depth than a community group... or a sunday morning worship service... who knows?

will this be a "college church"?

this will not be a "college church", but it will hopefully have a strong college population. we believe that college ministry is a significant part of our DNA, and we do not plan on abandoning that area of ministry. in a college town like BR, if a church is truly effective there will be college students involved in it. but at the same time, we want a church that is diverse in every way. this is why we are setting up for childcare on sunday nights. no matter who walks in the door on sunday nights, we want them to know that we were expecting them. we feel called to reach every person that God brings across our paths, regardless of age, status, etc.

where will we meet?

contrary to what the grapevine says, we have no plans to move away from parkview in the near future. we will stay in the gym until further notice. as far as where we hope to end up in the city of Baton Rouge, our goal is to eventually move closer to the LSU area (but not on the campus or even super close to it). nothing has opened up as of right now and we won't move until God gives us a place.

so, please help us stop the rumors that are out there...

how will membership work?

this is a broad question that will get a broad answer. we have received more specific questions related to membership that will be addressed later, but here is an overview of the process...

• after much prayer and contemplation, someone feels led by God to become a member of this church
• they attend the membership "classes" (3-4 progressive sessions that detail exactly who we are, what we believe, what our vision is, and how we plan to organize ourselves to best carry out that vision; the membership "classes" will most likely be offered in an all-encompassing weekend format [like saturday and sunday mornings, or friday night and saturday morning] rather than an 'every sunday afternoon for four weeks' format)
• at the end of these classes, if the person still feels called to become a member of the church, they will set up a meeting with one of the elders. the purpose of this meeting is to: further personalize the membership process by getting to know each person and their family; make sure that everyone who joins the church has a personal relationshp with Jesus Christ and understands the Gospel; get to know each members' background and life story; find out how each person is gifted and find out where they feel drawn to serve, or continue to help them discover these things; if they are not already in a community group, get them connected to one; answer any questions or concerns they may have; and find out how we as a church can best minister to them and their family
• the final step is for the elders to present them to the church family (membership) for formal welcoming and entrance into the church family

questions or comments? email us or hit the comment button - elders@ringcommunity.org

will the ring stay on sunday night?

by far the most frequently asked question so far. our plan is to be a sunday night church, keeping the same schedule we have now when we launch. there are several reasons for doing so, some of which include:

• we believe this is God's plan for us as a church
• there is no biblical precedent connected to this issue
• we have been able to draw a different crowd by meeting on sunday nights, which will help us remain true to our core values
• we are used to it (which can be bad, but not so much when it comes to this)
• we are already established as a sunday night gathering
• should we be blessed with another place to gather, and that place is another church, renting space on sunday night is more of a possibility than on sunday morning

if you have questions/comments, click the comment button and type away

coming soon...

answers (or at least attempts) to all your questions and concerns about this church start...