Dear Church Family,
I’m excited about what’s in store for us in 2018! I believe God is going to do a great work in and through us in the coming year. As I’ve been praying for what God may want us to focus on this year one word kept coming to my mind. The word is “Tangible.” Merriam-Webster defines the word this way:
Tangible - capable of being perceived especially by the sense of touch: substantially real
For us the word “tangible” flows from what James says in the latter part of James 2:18. He writes, “I will show you my faith by my works.” The idea is that if we have faith in Jesus then that faith will show itself in our lives. It will become tangible. Our faith will be able to be experienced to some degree by those around us.
Our theme for 2018 is “Tangible.” We will seek to show our faith by our works. We will seek to bless one another and our community by living out our faith in very tangible ways. To help us do this we will have a monthly project that we will seek to accomplish together as a church. In addition to the church wide monthly project, I will be challenging you each Sunday with a “Tangible Tip of the Week.” This tip will be a practical way for you to bless those around you. What will happen if the people around us begin to experience the works produced by our faith in Jesus? What if they begin to get a taste of the goodness, love, and generosity of God? Only God knows but I have a feeling that we will see more people come to now Christ as Savior as well as more people link arms with us in the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. I believe that at the end of 2018 we will look back and see lives changed. We will give God the glory for how He has used us in the lives of the people of our city. I hope you are as excited about this as I am! Let’s trust the Lord together to take tangible steps of faith as we seek to love God, love others, and make disciples of Jesus Christ in 2018!
Dear Church Family,
As we enter the Christmas season what things come to your mind? Some of things that come to my mind are the birth of Christ, Christmas trees, lights, bells, presents, family, good food, and Christmas music. It’s hard to think of Christmas without Christmas music. Some of you refuse to play Christmas music until after Thanksgiving. Others of you begin playing Christmas music weeks before Thanksgiving. Perhaps there are some of you that play Christmas music all year long! Wherever you fall on the spectrum I think we would all agree that we look forward to singing the Christmas hymns and songs. In light of our love for Christmas music, I will be preaching a Christmas sermon series entitled “The Songs of Christmas.” Each Sunday during Advent we will look at one of the four most popular Christmas songs. These songs will serve as a springboard that will launch us into the biblical message of Christmas. Do you think you can guess the top four most popular Christmas songs? Join us this Sunday to find out the answer.
Dear Church Family,
As you know, we have been studying Paul’s letter to the Ephesians for the past few months. One of the main points the apostle Paul makes in his letter is that we are united together in Christ. He calls us one body and he tells us that each one of us is a member of that body. We can tend to look at our own bodies and see that our bodies only have so many members or parts. We may replace some of the parts along the way but we don’t add new ones like a third arm or a second nose. What is interesting about the body of Christ is that unlike our physical bodies we can add members to it. Now, obviously Paul is using the body as a metaphor for how we should work together and be unified under the lordship of Jesus but my point still holds true. There is always room in the body for more members.
Our mission to love God, love people, and make disciples of Jesus Christ. Our desire is that more and more people will say “yes” to Jesus by believing the gospel. This is why do many of the ministries that we do such as the Each One Reach One lunches and outreaches, the summer camps, the youth socials, the senior adult gatherings, Vacation Bible School, college outreaches, Easter outreaches, and the many the ways we serve in our community. We want to be a light in our community that points people to Jesus. In order to do these outreaches, these service opportunities, as well as the many ways we seek to make disciples through our many gatherings in our church building it takes funding.
We have three more months to go in 2017 and we have both fixed expenses as well as ministry opportunities we would like to fund. In order to fund these and other items in our budget we need to finish the year strong. We are currently about 15% behind in our giving which equals around $31,000. if we are going to finish the year strong and fully fund both our fixed expenses as well as our ministry initiatives then we all need to give. Would you prayerfully consider helping us end the year fully funded? We’ve accomplished a lot this year with the updating of our Children’s Ministry Area and the mission offerings that we have fully funded. Now we need to seek to fully fund our budget. You are a generous church and I know that you have been giving generously all throughout the year. Now I want to challenge you to continue in that spirit of generosity and help us reach our budget goal. Thank you in advance for your generosity and your willingness to be used by the Lord. Remember, together we can do more than we can alone.
Dear Church Family,
It is time for our next Each One Reach One Outreach. On Sunday, October 29th we will have a covered dish luncheon after the 11am worship service. Remember, the purpose of our Each One Reach One outreaches is that each one of us will participate in reaching out to our community. One way our friends, neighbors, family members, and coworkers will hear the gospel is by joining us for worship on a Sunday morning. Therefore, we want as many people as possible to join us for worship on Sunday, October 29th! As we prepare for this event I want you to do four things.
1. I want you to be there.
2. If you are able I want you to bring a dish.
3. I want you to pray for the people that will be invited that they will come.
4. I want you to bring someone with you.
For this to be a fruitful event, each one of us needs to seek to do those four things. We need all hands on deck! I’m looking forward to how God is going to use this event in the lives of our community.
Dear Church Family,
Our mission is to love God, love people, and make disciples of Jesus Christ. We define a disciple as a growing follower of Jesus. One of the primary ways to become a growing follower of Jesus is by getting involved in a local church. God designed us to be in community with one another which implies that we need to gather with one another regularly for worship. Our church offers many opportunities to gather with other believers throughout the week to study God’s Word together, pray together, serve together, and get to know one another. We also have many ways for you to get involved in God’s mission in our city and around the world. Maybe you’ve been attending our church for awhile and you are thinking about want your next step should be. If so, then we are offering a class just for you!
On Sunday mornings at 9:45am on September 10, 17, & 24 I will be teaching our Next Step Class. This class is designed for those who are thinking about becoming members of our church, those who have recently become members of our church, and for those that want to get more involved in our church. This class is a great opportunity to learn about our church, what we believe, how we’re organized, and how you can become a growing follower of Jesus. The class will meet in room 212 which is located across from the Children’s Ministry classrooms on the Milledge Rd. side of the church building. Everyone is welcome and I’m looking forward to spending these three class times with you!
Someone once said, “God didn’t put a hand on your wrist so your wrist could look good. He didn’t put a foot on your ankle just so you could have something dangling. Every part of you was prescribed to accomplish a function. A nonfunctioning, noncontributing body part is something that you would have checked by a doctor, ‘cause something is wrong.’” It is a blessing when each part of the body works like it is meant to work. In a similar way, the church and the community where it’s located are blessed when the parts of the body of Christ work like they are meant to work.
Romans 12:3-8
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
I’m reminding you of this truth because this summer we will have many opportunities for you to serve. There will be many ways that you will be able to contribute to the mission of the church. During the month of June we are offering a summer camp each week for children. The first week we will be offering a music and drama camp. The second week we will be hosting two backyard Bible camps in two nearby neighborhoods. The third week we will be offering a creativity and construction camp. The last week we will be offering our Vacation Bible School.
In order to offer these mission opportunities we are going to need your help! We need people that will lead small group Bible studies. We need people that will help with refreshments. We need people that will help with recreation. We need people that will help with music, drama, set design, costume design, painting, games, and more! We need you!
All of these camps will take place Monday through Friday between 9am and 12pm. If you would like to help please contact the point person for each week and let them know what you would like to do. Here is who you need to talk to for each week.
Week 1 - Music & Drama Camp - Point Person: Nathaniel Bruner
Week 2 - Backyard Bible Camp - Point Person: Jonathan Beaufort
Week 3 - Creativity & Construction Camp - Point Person: Ron Jones
Week 4 - Vacation Bible School - Point Person: Abbey Sandifer
Also, I want you to invite children that you know that don’t attend a local church to attend one or more of these camps. Each camp will be fun and Christ-centered. Lastly, join with me in praying and asking God to raise up volunteers and children to attend these camps. Let’s pray that God uses these camps in a mighty way in the lives of both the children and the families they represent!
Over the past few weeks each of us has been praying for seven people that we want to invite to attend our worship service on Easter Sunday. Over the next few weeks you will need to take a step of faith and invite them to join you. Over the coming weeks you will be receiving invitation cards and door hangers that you can use to extend the invitation. Each of us needs to step out in faith and invite those we know and those we don’t know if we are going to see the Sanctuary filled with worshippers on Easter Sunday.
In Mark 2, four men bring a paralyzed man to Jesus. What is unique is how they arranged the meeting. Jesus was teaching in a house in Capernaum and the house was filled with people. Because of the crowd, the four men were unable to take the man through the door to meet with Jesus. One of them came up with the idea to take the paralyzed man up on the roof, tear open a hole, and lower him down to where Jesus was standing. Mark records in Mark 2:5 the following, “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” Notice that Jesus “saw” their faith. How do you see faith? The way you see faith is by seeing the actions that faith produces. We can say that we believe God can save anybody. We may believe that God can do anything. In order for Jesus to see our faith we must act. We must put our faith into action and begin reaching out to people and inviting them to come and worship Jesus.
I want to challenge you to invite everyone you know that is not actively involved in a local church to join us for worship on Easter Sunday at 11am. Invite your neighbors, your coworkers, your family members, your friends, your barber or hair stylist, the cashier at the grocery store, the person that works at the gas station, your mailman, and your friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I believe God wants to see our faith and I believe that God will bless us as we step out in faith and trust Him. I’m excited to see what God is going to do in and through you over the next few weeks!
As we enter 2017 I want to challenge you in six areas and encourage you to include these in your new year’s resolutions.
Prayer - I want to encourage you to continue to pray for our church members, family and friends that encounter difficult situations and illnesses. I want to challenge you to add to your prayer time a focus on praying for those that you know who don’t know Christ and are not involved in a local church. This year our church will provide many opportunities for you to reach out to those you have been praying for and invite them to worship with us.
Share the Gospel - I want to challenge you to share the gospel with someone and give them the opportunity to say “yes” to Jesus. Our church will provide opportunities for you to be trained in sharing the gospel with others. Begin now by praying for those you would like to share the gospel with.
Sunday School - I want to challenge you to get involved in a Sunday School class. Sunday School is the primary way we help you become a growing disciple of Jesus. We have two new classes starting on January 8th at 9:45am. One class will be studying the commands of Christ and the other will be an in depth study of Hebrews 11. The Commands of Christ class will be led by Donald Dickert and will meet in room 214. The Hebrews 11 study will be led by Adam Diehl and Steve Mullins and will meet in room 205.
Teach - I want to challenge you to teach or become an assistant teacher in a Sunday School class, Youth class, Children In Action class, or Mission Friends class. Maybe you’re been thinking about leading a small group study on a specific topic or book of the Bible. If so, I would love to hear about it and help you get started.
Children’s Dream Project - I want to challenge you to give to the Children’s Dream Project. Our goal is to raise $50,000 for the updating of our children’s ministry area. Prayerfully consider what the Lord would have you give to help us reach our goal.
Music Ministry - I want to challenge you to join the choir or accompany the choir with a musical instrument. Floyd is working hard to make our music ministry the best it can be but he can’t do it by himself. We need more of our congregation and community to share their musical gifts with our church family.
As we reach forward to what lies ahead, let us trust God together to do great things in and through us in 2017!
As I mentioned last month, the Children’s Dream Project Committee has been working hard to present to our church a proposal for the updating of our children’s ministry area. I have walked with them through this process and the proposal is nearing completion. I hope to have them present the proposal this month. In preparation for hearing about how we can update the children’s ministry area, I want to share with you some of the reasons why we must move forward with this project.
In a recent research project, nearly 600 churches and families were surveyed about the influence and effects of children’s ministry. I want to share with you the six things they found in their research.
Finding #1: Children’s ministry is a major conduit for getting families involved in ministry.
“Families in our survey indicated that they’re tuned in to the presence and role of the children’s ministry. They also assess it as a high-value ministry, with 76% stating that children’s ministry plays a key role in their church.”
Finding #2: Families with kids in the children’s ministry are some of the most active and committed members in a church.
“In a nutshell…families with kids in the children’s ministry are more likely to be committed, loyal, financially supportive participants in a church.”
Finding #3: A healthy children’s ministry attracts families to your church.
“Our research revealed that families place a premium on their kids’ children’s ministry experience. The majority (66%) said the children’s ministry program was ‘very important’ in their overall consideration when they chose their current church. Your children’s ministry is a growth engine for church growth. Parents also ranked ‘the children’s ministry’ as the third most important reason they joined their current church - only marginally behind ‘the church emphases’ and ‘preaching.’”
Finding #4: An unhealthy or declining children’s ministry program may result in families leaving a church.
“A weak children's ministry impacts church growth. Make no mistake: The quality and health of a children’s ministry program strongly influences families’ views on staying - or leaving - their church. The majority (69%) said that if their current church didn’t have a strong children’s ministry program, they would’ve had second thoughts about joining in the first place. Sixty-one percent said that if the current children’s ministry program ever diminished or died, it would definitely influence their decision to stay at the church.”
Finding #5: Parents say children’s ministry makes a positive impact in their child’s life.
“When parents ranked the three greatest benefits their current children’s ministry offers, by far the number one benefit was this: ‘It helps my kids develop a personal, growing faith.’”
Finding #6: Parents say children’s ministry has changed their family’s behavior at home.
“Overall, 60% of families told us that the ministry has impacted them moderately or somewhat and that they have done some or many of the at-home activities suggested by the ministry. Another 20% said the ministry has impacted their family significantly and that they regularly incorporate ministry suggestions into their family life.”
I believe our church has a wonderful leader and wonderful volunteers in our children’s ministry! My children have benefited greatly from the teaching and love of those of you who volunteer in our children’s ministry. However, the main area that needs attention is the area in which they minister. If you take a tour through our children’s classrooms you will find some rooms with badly stained carpet. You will find bathrooms that were built over 50 years ago. You will see the need for updated secure check-in equipment. These are just a few of the things the Dream Project Committee has identified.
I believe we are a church that loves not only our children but the children in our community. I believe we all want to provide these children a safe, clean, and creative space for them to learn about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we prepare to receive the proposal from the Children’s Dream Project Committee, I want to ask you to prayerfully consider how you will invest in this project.
Many of you know that I worked in college ministry for many years in Winston-Salem, N.C. on the campus of Wake Forest University. One semester I was invited to audit a class on the Trinity that was being taught by a philosophy professor. It was a very interesting class. One of the things I enjoyed about the class is that I was auditing it. Auditing a class is when a person goes to class to get information, but is not required to do any of the work. They don’t have to take a test or do any homework. They are only attending for informational purposes. This is great option if you want to continue learning about a certain subject without having to pursue a degree or have the responsibility of the homework and tests.
Auditing a class happens all the time on the college campus but what about in the church? Some people want salvation but don’t want to put in the time to be strong disciples of Jesus Christ. Are you someone that attends services or Bible studies and then walks away without applying what you’ve heard? Do you attend worship services only when it’s convenient for you? Do you spend time with the Lord in prayer and in His Word outside of Sunday? Do you desire to share your faith with those around you? Do you give generously? When was the last time that you have been convicted of your sin and confessed your sin to God? Do you desire to be led by the Holy Spirit every day, moment by moment? Do you look out for only your interests or for the interests of others? What some Christians want to do is to audit the Christian life. They want the data without the responsibility. That’s an audit. That’s what some folks do every Sunday. They audit Jesus.
If you find yourself auditing the Christian faith I want to encourage to make the move to become a disciple of Jesus. Maybe your first move is to place your faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior. If you are already a Christian then your next move may be to join a Sunday School class. Maybe your next move is spending daily time in prayer and reading the Bible. Maybe your next move is to share the gospel with your neighbor or coworker or family member. Maybe your next move is to help meet a need of someone or to bless someone in some tangible way. Whatever your next move is let’s commit to take it together by faith as we follow Jesus. Let’s be a church full of disciples and not auditors.
