The NRHC Partners met on August 30 for worship, celebration of key volunteers, ministry updates, and discussion on both short and long-term plans regarding NRHC's leadership transition. God is moving in amazing ways in and through NRHC, and the Advisory Team and Executive Staff are confident that the plans discussed will put NRHC in the best position to accomplish our vision:

NRHC is a people transformed by God, seeking the good of the city.

As God molds and shapes us into the people He wants us to be, our city has to be changed. Transformed people make a difference in the places they live, work, and play. Their city (and beyond) is transformed, and we are already seeing this happen through our @NRHC and city ministries.

The Advisory Team and Executive Staff have spent significant hours praying and seeking God's direction for NRHC's leadership. We believe the steps outlined put us in the best position to accomplish our vision.

What If…Ministries Update

In October of 2009 God led NRHC to establish several What If… goals for transforming our city. These included serving schools, orphans and those in family transition, and the "transitional needs" of our city. We also called every Journey Group to get involved in ministry as a group. As the people of NRHC opened their hearts to God's leading, the School, HOME, and Dream Center as well as several Journey Group ministries began to grow. Currently these groups are making significant steps toward reaching our What If…goals:

1. More Christians per capita in Carolinas - Cypress Project is currently training over 30 church planters in 3 cities in SC
2. No more orphans - HOME ministries has established strong ties to DSS and is hosting an adoption informational evening (Oct 4) with experts in all facets of adoption for families exploring adoption
3. Every school has a partnership - Amanda Gardner is the new school partner champion, and the school ministries will be hosting an informational meeting on Sep 14
4. Region saturated with missional churches - NRHC is currently mentoring 3 church planters, one who will be planting in Chester in the near future
5. Major transformation in another unreached nation - A team went to Honduras this summer, and we are continuing to seek God's direction for an unreached nation
6. Meet transitional needs - The Dream Center is serving families in a high-crime neighborhood through Adopt a Block, clothing closet, Journey Groups, youth activities, and an upcoming tutoring program
7. Every Journey Group has a mission - several Journey Groups are making significant impact in our city, highlighted by the Thomas JG's involvement at the Pilgrim's Inn

Leadership Transition: Where have we been?

In the five months since Chris Ruppe has resigned as Lead Pastor of NRHC, the Advisory Team (Andrew Cope, Paul Crosby, Rob D'Avanzo, & Richard Gregory) and Executive Staff (Ryan Allred, Neal McGlohon, and Dino Senesi) have worked to address both the immediate and long-term leadership needs of the church. The following short-term needs were addressed first:

1. Long -term health and well being of Chris Ruppe and family
   A compensation package that runs through the end of this year was given to Chris and the Ruppe family. This package reflects 13 years of sacrifice and devotion to the people of NRHC. The church also provided a marriage intensive retreat in Colorado. Dino has met with Chris for coaching twice a month since March, and Dino, Neal, and Ryan have met with Chris on multiple occasions for encouragement and coaching.
2. Transitional staff leadership of NRHC
   Immediately following Chris' resignation a three-speaker rotation was established that seeks to leverage the unique gifting and styles of Ryan, Neal, and Dino. Dino was also elevated to the Executive Staff for wisdom and balance, and each member of the Executive Staff took on significant additional responsibility.
3. Long-term staff leadership of NRHC
   Internal options for NRHC's next leadership were considered first. The Advisory Team and Executive Staff spent significant time discussing the gifts currently present on the Executive Staff as well as the needs of NRHC. Prayer and the input of outside consultants guided our discussion. We recognized that some additional gifts are needed on our Executive Staff to put NRHC in the best position to accomplish it's vision. Therefore we are looking to add to our Executive Staff from the outside our current staff.

Leadership Transition: Where are we going?

Now that the short-term needs have been addressed, we have begun taking the next steps toward a long-term solution. These steps seek to address long-term needs while providing short-term leadership and direction.

1. Lead Pastor Search
   An external search has been initiated for our next Lead Pastor. Neal is coordinating this search for the Executive Staff and Advisory Team, and it will start with those within our networks that share our DNA. The Advisory Team and Executive Staff will work with Neal to prayerfully assess candidates, and the wisdom of other leaders in the church will be sought in the process. The Partners will be updated as significant progress is made in the search.
2. Is Chris a candidate?
   We met with Chris when we initiated the search process, and he stated that he is not a candidate. Chris isn't sure yet whether he will return to vocational ministry. He still has several goals he is working on relative to his family and personal growth, and he wants to accomplish these goals before considering a return to vocational ministry.
3. Is there an internal candidate?
   We have been unable to outline an internal scenario that best matches the long-term needs of NRHC. In order to maintain balance among gifts on the leadership team, strengths in the areas of vision, speaking, and growing our influence in our city need to be added to the team.
4. How long will the search take?
   The Executive Staff and Leadership Team will work as quickly as possible to conduct this search, but it should be expected to take 6 months or longer. Please pray for God's guidance during this process.
5. So who's in charge now?
   During the search for the next Lead Pastor, Ryan has been named Transitional Lead Pastor and will continue to lead the church day-to-day by overseeing staff and moving the church forward in accomplishing its vision. Neal will lead the search for the next Lead Pastor, and Dino will continue to provide wisdom and leadership as a member of the Executive Staff. All three members of the Executive Staff will continue as a teaching team with the help of occasional guests. These guests will be determined by series content and are not necessarily candidates to be Lead Pastor.

Numbers Update

NRHC is not on hold. As the numbers below indicate, we are in a great position to continue following God as He works in and through us.

1. Worship attendance
   Our 2011 worship attendance is down slightly compared to 2010. For the period of January through August, our average attendance was 874 in 2010 compared to 850 in 2011. This is only a 3% decrease, and we are seeing new visitors each Sunday at both campuses. As we continue to invest in the thirsty around us, our attendance will continue growing.
2. Giving update
   It helps to look at giving trends over long periods of time. Comparing the six months prior to Chris' resignation to the first four months following (April - July 2011), general fund giving is down only 1%. What If…giving, however, is down 25%. Both of these giving statistics are have improved since May as you have continued to support the NRHC's vision. It is going to take all of us sacrificially giving, however, to accomplish what God has for us. In fact, if each NRHC Partner household gave the equivalent of a tithe on the median household income for our region, our giving would go up almost 40%, or $400,000 per year. It is time for each of us to evaluate our percentage giving and prayerfully consider how God might be calling us to increase our percentage. God is providing opportunities, and increased funding will allow us to meet these opportunities.
3. What If Fund update
   Since it's inception in 2009, $541,696 has been given to What If. Earnest/lease payments to West End Baptist have totaled $190,000, and and additional $110,000 has been invested in building improvements. Currently there is $246,520 in the What If Fund, and this money is designated to be used toward the purchase of the Rawlinson Place campus. NRHC is currently in a one-year lease with West End Baptist for the Rawlinson Campus, and the purchase of the facility will be revisited at the end of the lease in June 2012.

If you have questions for your leadership, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . It is a joy serving with you.

Last week the NRHC Partners met and received updates on the status of our short and long term leadership plans, as well as the purchase of the Rawlinson Place Campus. The direction we take in each of these areas is vital to accomplishing our vision for our city and beyond.

In the eight weeks that have passed since Chris Ruppe resigned as Lead Pastor, the Advisory Team (Andrew Cope, Paul Crosby, Rob D'Avanzo, & Richard Gregory) and Executive Staff have been working together to both lead the church and determine our next steps. Through the initial stages of this process one thing has been overwhelmingly clear: we are committed now more than ever to not just maintaining our progress toward accomplishing our vision, but to take this progress to the next level. Through What If… God has given us specific goals for impacting our city and beyond. NRHC's leadership is committed to establishing a team that puts us in the best position to accomplish these goals. This commitment has led us to some solid conclusions:

Long-Term

In order to put us in the best position to accomplish our vision, NRHC's leadership is working through a process of determining our next steps. We expect to have much more clarity on the outcome of this process over the next few months, but for now we are sure of the following:

1. We need to act wisely. We believe that it would be a mistake to quickly replace Chris. In fact, none of our current staff believe that the position as it was previously defined is healthy. Our church has grown a tremendous amount over the past few years, and our vision for the city has grown as well. Both of these factors dictate the we re-evaluate how our leadership is structured.
2. We need to evaluate what we have and what we need. Ephesians 4:11-16 provides a biblical picture of church leadership that equips the church to accomplish its vision. We are honestly exploring where our leadership is already strong and where we need additional help. This evaluation will ensure that we build a leadership team that is balanced and best suited to equip all of North Rock Hill for accomplishing our What If…goals.
3. We need to be financially responsible. Since NRHC's leadership determined that continuing to support the Ruppes financially was the right thing to do for their long-term health, we will not be able to add any additional leadership staff until 2012. Even if the money were available today, we would still need to go through the process of determining the type of person that best complements our current leadership team.

Short-Term

We currently have three Executive Staff doing the work of four people. (Our current Executive Staff consists of Dino Senesi, Journey Group Pastor; Neal McGlohon, Missions Pastor; & Ryan Allred, Leadership Pastor.) In order to best lead the church in the short-term, we have focused on 3 main areas.

1. Adjusting responsibilities
   • Dino Senesi is a new member of our Executive Staff and is speaking more in Sunday services in addition to leading our Journey Groups and working with those new to NRHC.
   • Neal McGlohon is providing more overall visionary leadership and is speaking more in Sunday services in addition to leading our city, national, and international ministries including our Cypress Project church planter training.
   • Ryan Allred is leading the staff, facilitating the Advisory Team, and speaking more in Sunday services in addition to overseeing all church systems, facilities, and finances.
   
2. Team Speaking in Sunday services
   Dino, Neal, & Ryan are working as a team to share the responsibility for messages in Sunday services. Their speaking schedule is based upon best fit for the content of the series and the requirements of their other responsibilities. They may also incorporate other guest speakers that provide unique insight to a particular area (such as marriage or impacting our city) as those opportunities arise.
3. Calling All of NRHC to Step Up
   To accomplish all that God has for us, everyone that calls NRHC home will need to step up their commitment and involvement. We have opportunities to serve our city this summer with Movies in the Park, adopt-a-block through the Dream Center, our growing Home ministries, and Safariland and Kidscamp on Sunday morning. Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information on these and other opportunities.

Numbers & Rawlinson Place Campus Purchase

Our vision for transformed people and a transformed city requires financial resources, so we will also need to see continued financial support from all who call NRHC home. Since Chris' resignation, Sunday morning attendance is down 8% and general operating fund giving is down 2%, both of which are typical trends from first quarter to second quarter. We also had a record Easter attendance of 1,319. However we are concerned with the 32% decline in What If…giving over the past 2 months. What If…was not the vision of one person - it is the vision of NRHC. All who call NRHC home need to prayerfully consider increasing their giving to both the general operating fund and What If…to put us in the best position to accomplish our goals.

For the past year we have been working to complete the sale of the Rawlinson Place Campus. Even though we met the parameters originally discussed with our bank in 2009, we have not been able to close the sale. The banking climate has changed significantly in the past 2 years, and all parties involved acknowledge that what was once financially possible is not currently possible. Therefore we have entered into a one-year lease on the Rawlinson Place Campus with plans to revisit the purchase at the end of the lease term. Your continued faithfulness to What If…giving will put us in the best position to purchase the Rawlinson Place Campus at the end of our lease.

How Can You Pray?

God is still calling us to big things, and it is going to take all of us doing our part to reach the goals He has for us. As you pray for the future of NRHC, focus on the following:

1. Pray that NRHC's vision to reach our city would advance
2. Pray for our leadership to have clarity as they determine what we need to advance NRHC's vision
3. Pray about your involvement in advancing NRHC's vision

If you have questions for your leadership, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . It is a joy serving with you.

On March 27, 2011 Lead Pastor Chris Ruppe resigned from his staff position at NRHC. Chris and his family will continue attending North Rock Hill as they begin their new journey together. Click here to read Chris' resignation message.

The Executive Staff and Advisory Team of NRHC are currently working together to lead the church and prayerfully pursue a new leadership structure. The church will be updated as progress is made.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chris has given us so much… how do we help Chris and family during this time?

Chris is creating room in his life to focus on his first calling - his family. The leadership of NRHC requests that everybody relate to Chris as they did before his resignation. If you spent significant time together outside of NRHC services and events, then you will most likely continue to do so. If not, then plan on relating to him as you have previously.

Will our church loose its focus?

NRHC is not changing its vision or focus. We are about connecting with God and others. Our passion is to join God's missionary work with our friends and the communities and nations around us. This is our church's DNA, and it will continue to be the focus of our efforts.

Is it really necessary for Chris to resign?

Chris believes so, and the leadership of NRHC agrees. Chris has tried to Band-Aid his struggles while still giving his primary energies to the church, and he now realizes that he cannot continue this and expect healing to occur. His resignation from a staff position at NRHC creates the necessary room healing requires.

How will the church be led in Chris' absence?

The Advisory Team and Executive Staff are working together to lead the church, as prescribed by the bylaws. They will begin working toward a permanent leadership structure soon, and the church will be updated as progress is made.

Who are the Executive Staff and Advisory Team?

NRHC is led by an Executive Staff consisting of Ryan Allred, Leadership Pastor, Neal McGlohon, Missions Pastor, and Dino Senesi, Journey Group Pastor. The Advisory Team is lay leadership that provides accountability and wisdom. Each member of the Advisory Team meets the biblical qualification for elder. The current Advisory Team is Andrew Cope, Paul Crosby, Rob D'Avanzo, and Richard Gregory.