November 15, 2018  – Day 11 of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord:

 

Prayer Focus Day 9: CONSUME THE WORD OF GOD

 

2 Timothy 1:6-7: "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

 

Thank Him for the love and power He has planted in you to carry out His work for you.

 

 

DAY 10

 

November 14, 2018  – Day 10 of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord:

 

Prayer Focus Day 9: CONSUME THE WORD OF GOD

 

Proverbs 4:20-22 says, "My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh."

 

Faith comes from hearing the Word. Speak the Word each day Memorize a favorite healing verse or two. God may be showing you a Scripture for someone else.

 

 

DAY 9

 

November 13, 2018  – Day nine of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord:

 

Prayer Focus Day 9: PURPOSE

 

Ezra 8:21: There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

 

You may not be traveling, yet this preparation is a reminder of who we are coming before.

 

 

DAY 8

 

November 12, 2018  – Day eight of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord:

 

Prayer Focus Day 8: WORKING

 

Acts 13:2: While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

 

While you are before the Lord, ask Him for the work He would have you do.

 

 

DAY 7

 

November 11, 2018  – Day seven of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord:

 

Prayer Focus Day 7: LISTEN

 

John 14:16-17: And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

 

Hearing from God flows through the Holy Spirit. Greet the Holy Spirit as you come before the Father.

 

 

DAY 6

 

November 10, 2018  – Day six of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord:

 

Prayer Focus Day 6: BE PATIENT

 

Isaiah 64:4: Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

 

A glorious promise has been given to us. He will act on your behalf.

 

 

DAY 5

 

November 9, 2018  – Today marks the fifth day of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord—and we encourage you to consider these profound words from E.M. Bounds:

 

"If you desire to pray to God, you must first have a consuming desire to obey Him."

 

Prayer Focus Day 5: GOD IS WORKING IN YOU

 

Psalm 105:4:  Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.

Philippians 2:13: For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

 

Allow God to be in charge. It is sometimes a slow revelation.

 

 

DAY 4

 

November 8, 2018  – As we enter day four of FAST FORWARD—our 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord—we encourage you to consider what an adventure is in store for those who seek Him.

 

Luke 11:1 tells us: "Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us to pray.'"

 

Christ is our teacher; look to Him.

 

Prayer Focus Day 4: FASTING

 

Matthew 6:16-18: "When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.  But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

 

Fasting should be a time of joy with the Father. Draw close to Him and listen carefully for His voice.  The Lord delights to be in fellowship with you.

 

 

DAY 3

 

November 7, 2018  – Prayer is an awesome privilege for believers, since those who do not know Christ personally are shut out from His presence.

 

That's one of the reasons MC3 Church launched FAST FORWARD, or 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord.

 

We know that Father desires to hear from us, for He said in Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

 

Prayer Focus Day 3: WHO IS THIS GOD WE PRAY TO?

 

Exodus 34:6-7: "And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin."

 

As you put your mind around the magnitude and wonder of God, ask Him to fill you with power and consider how you can put that into service for Him.

 

 

DAY 2

 

November 6, 2018  – As we enter the second day of FAST FORWARD, or 49 days of fasting and service for the Lord, remember that prayer is a many-faceted expression of our relationship to God.

 

We know that Christ is ever interceding for us with the Father.  Having this Advocate, we come to Him in wonder and confidence of being heard and receiving answers.

 

Prayer Focus Day 2: JOY

 

Psalm 105:3-4  Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

 

Albert Barnes comments: “The idea is, in your praises let the main subject be the name of God—that holy name by which he chooses to be known.”

 

Thank Him for the love and power He has planted in you to carry out His work for you.

 

 

DAY 1

 

November 5, 2018  – Today, MC3 begins what we’re calling FAST FORWARD, or 49 days of prayer, fasting and service for the Lord—fasting not so much in the sense of doing without but rather as a time of selflessness and service to others.

 

Each day, we will provide pertinent scripture and a prayer focus to guide our efforts.

 

Prayer Focus Day 1: Thankfulness

 

2 Timothy 1:6-7 says, "For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

 

Thank Him for the love and power He has planted in you to carry out His work for you.

Sunday, November 11, 2018 – The MC3 Church membership today approved a set of leadership candidates and two amendments to the church bylaws.

 

The voting occurred during MC3’s annual congregational meeting. The congregation:

• Reconfirmed Jon Peters and elected for the first time Gene McBride as trustees, the group which has responsibility for signing the church’s legal documents at the direction of the elders.
• Elected Jim Barber to serve as elder. Jim previously has served multiple terms in this position.
• Reconfirmed Kevin Singleton as a deacon and elected David Bugg, Jim Walters and Bruce Wilson as first-time deacons.

 

The congregation also approved two bylaw changes that would allow the elders to:

• Appoint a new trustee if the number of trustees falls below the minimum threshold of three as required by the bylaws—a situation the church found itself in earlier this year when an existing trustee resigned, leaving MC3 with just two trustees.
• Appoint a new treasurer if the position becomes vacant or new assistant treasurers if their numbers become insufficient to manage church business.

In all cases, the elder-appointed candidates would serve in their new roles only until the next congregational meeting when they would have to be voted on by the congregation.

 

The bylaw changes make the positions of trustee, treasurer and assistant treasurer consistent with existing rules that allows elders to fill elder-board vacancies when the number falls below the minimum required number of five.

 

September 24, 2018 – Today, MC3 Church completed the sale of our church property at 6015 Old Stone Mountain Road to the Diocese of North America and Europe of the Mar Thoma Church.

 

The purchase price was $5.9 million. Under terms of the agreement, Mar Thoma paid MC3 $3 million at closing, with the remaining $2.9 million financed by MC3 over an 18-month period at 6 percent interest.

 

If Mar Thoma pays off the mortgage balance within the first 90 days of closing, as expected, all interest payments shall be credited against the mortgage. Should Mar Thoma fail to meet its obligations—a situation we believe in no way will happen—the property would revert back to MC3 for ownership.

 

MC3’s trustees, Jim Barber and Jon Peters, and Jay Wright, chairman of the elder board, signed the closing documents for MC3. Senior Minister Art Stansberry presented the keys to the church to the bishop of Mar Thoma Church, who traveled from India for today’s closing.

 

Looking ahead, our MC3 congregation will continue to hold worship services and maintain offices at the Stone Mountain property through December. Mar Thoma expects to hold their first worship service in the sanctuary in December, following a series of renovations they have planned.

 

“This is an answer to many prayers over many years, and all credit goes to our Lord and Savior,” Art Stansberry said. “When we started this process, we wanted God to do something so bold that everyone would realize only God could have done it. He has delivered once again.”

 

As shared in previous communications, we extend a special thanks to our realtors, Bill Palaski, Matt Messier and the entire Foundry Commercial team, who have worked tirelessly since last summer to show our building and secure the sale. They were picked as our realtors through a very competitive bidding process and have truly been a blessing to us throughout the past year.

 

Looking to the future, we ask for continued prayer as God leads our search for a new home and as He leads Mar Thoma on a new chapter in their history.

Aug. 27, 2018 – As announced at the close of yesterday’s worship service, we have agreed to sell MC3’s property at 6015 Old Stone Mountain Road to the Diocese of North America and Europe of the Mar Thoma Church.

 

On Friday, we entered into a fully executed purchase agreement for Mar Thoma to buy the property for $5.9 million. Their down payment of $100,000 will be transferred to us from escrow as early as today, and the closing for the transaction will occur Sept. 24. We solicit your prayers that the process will continue to run smoothly and we will indeed close on the sale next month.

 

As you know, we embarked on a journey last summer to sell this property and re-envision the church. Early in the process, senior minister Art Stansberry challenged the leadership team to believe that God would do something so bold that everyone would realize only God could have done it.

 

Well, the good Lord has delivered once again on His promise, and our prayers have been answered.

We are beyond excited by what God has done and continues to do for His church. The church has faced significant financial hurdles for a long time, and yet God has always provided. He deserves all of the Glory for writing this latest chapter in MC3’s history.

 

We are also thrilled that a church steeped in the Christian faith and Biblical principles will continue to operate at our present location. Please keep the Mar Thoma congregations and organization in your prayers as they seek the Lord’s will and move in a new and exciting direction for their congregation as well.

 

Likewise, we want to say a special thanks to our realtors, Bill Palaski, Matt Messier and the entire Foundry Commercial team, who have worked tirelessly since last summer to show the property and secure the sale. They were picked as our realtors through a very competitive bidding process and have truly been a blessing to us throughout the past year.

 

Looking to the future, Mar Thoma will continue to allow us to worship rent-free on the property at least through December. In the meantime, we are working with the realtors to identify a new location for MC3. Expect to hear more details in the coming weeks as we continue to move through this process.

July 29, 2018 – You have an opportunity to own a piece of the history of MC3 and Mount Carmel Christian Church.

 

On Sunday, we kicked off a silent auction to give folks an opportunity to purchase some of the remaining Christian artwork that has graced the halls of the church through the years.

 

The available paintings and bid sheets are located in the breezeway outside the fellowship hall. The auction will run until 2 p.m. Sunday, July 29.

 

We have 36 pieces of framed artwork available. Much of our collection was returned to the donors, but some chose to leave their artwork to the church for sale.

 

Bidding for most pieces starts at $10, although some are priced at $20. You can bid in increments of $5. All proceeds will benefit MC3 ministries.

 

If you have questions, please contact Nancy Sorrells.

 

See list of artwork for sale

See NGCC's summer camp schedule!

 

May 18, 2018 - MC3 Church partners with North Georgia Christian Camp to provide summer camp opportunities for kids and students entering kindergarten through college.

 

Currently, we have targeted the Jun 17-21session for our rising third through fifth graders. Art Stansberry will serve as dean for that week of Middler camp.

 

Meanwhile, Art could use your help to serve as a camp counselor during that week.

 

The requirements are:

• You Need to love Jesus!
• You need to love third- through fifth-grade students.
• You need to enjoy the outdoors (sort of).
• You need to be age 15 or older.

 

If you would like to serve at Middler Camp this year, please see Art ASAP!

May 7, 2018 – After much discussion and prayer, we have decided not to hold our normal Vacation Bible School this year.

 

Given the transition we are currently experiencing, including our efforts to sell this property and relocate to a new building, MC3's leadership concluded we simply do not have the available resources to support an event that brings more than 200 people onto our campus each night of VBS.

 

Instead of a community-oriented, week-long event, we will hold a VBS celebration during our First Wednesday dinner and worship service on June 6, beginning at 6 p.m. in the fellowship hall. A team of VBS experts led by Christy Stansberry is currently putting together the event, which will include a nod to many of the great VBS events we have done in the past.

 

"Our church is known in the community for the outstanding VBS program we put forth each year," said MC3 Church Senior Minister Art Stansberry. "We are using this year to regroup and plan to be back better than ever next year."

March 31, 2018 – Reaching the ONE who needs Christ in our community and world will be the guiding vision of MC3 Church, which launches Easter Sunday.

 

MC3 Church will strive to be a family that follows Christ and serves His kingdom. The church will put renewed emphasis on leading people into a relationship with Christ and then helping build them into Fully Devoted followers of Jesus.

“We are excited about the future the Lord has for this body of believers,” said Art Stansberry, senior minister of MC3. “We want to help lost people know who Jesus is and help believers build a deeper, fuller relationship with Him.”

 

MC3 Church is the new name for what was previously known as Mount Carmel Christian Church, a church body that came into existence more than 113 years ago. The decision to rename and re-envision the church was the end product of prayer and discussion that has been ongoing for many years.

 

Art and the elders hope and pray that all of the changes being made will help the church be more effective at fulfilling the Great Commission to baptize new believers.

 

“We have an incredible opportunity to share the gospel—the good news of Jesus Christ—with a community that desperately needs him,” Art said. “Our vision begins with the ONE who needs Christ, but it doesn’t end there. We have a mission to create Fully Devoted followers of Jesus, and that means discipling and ministering to each other so that we all grow stronger and deeper in our faith. Seeking the lost and edifying the saved is what the Lord wants us to do as a body of believers.”

 

 

Find out what you can expect