Prayer Team leader, Larry Nemitz, and I have recently chosen a new series for Wednesday evenings. Intercessors’ Group had completed their series, When You Don’t Know What To Pray, and needed another. The title of our new study is `The Biblical Way of the Cross,’ a series of meditations on the last week of Jesus’ life. Since Lent was fast approaching this seemed very appropriate.
Category: Forward Look
On looking ahead and info about plans being made
50th Anniversary Kick-off
The balloons were out. The cake was cut. The atmosphere was electric. Today it is official; Community Wesleyan Church in Kirkville is entering a season of celebration. Check out the KNN pages for pictures from today’s dinner (http://www.kirkvillewesleyan.org/anniversary-kick-off/pictures-from-kick-off/category/1.html).
This is a crucial time in our church’s history.
It is a moment when we remember the faithfulness of God in helping our congregation in the struggles of the past. It is a time when we confess together as we sang together in worship this morning, “Your grace is enough for me!” The song is based on the word of Scripture, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Co 12:9 NIV). We also sang of God’s faithfulness. This is also a point when we look forward to what God is going to do through our church in the future until Jesus returns.
This is a big season for me and my wife personally too.
Next Sunday begins a new series of messages with the exciting theme, Love Can Build a Bridge. Marilyn Wilsch suggested it to me after hearing the song by that title sung by the Judds. After thinking and praying about it and looking at the kinds of messages needed for our winter calendar, I decided it was just the right series for this time between the New Year’s messages and the beginning of our Lenten emphasis in March. Shaun and Mystical Harrington, father—daughter duet, will be singing the theme song for us. One of our drama props folks is making a sturdy bridge to be the focus of the platform décor for the series.
One of the key elements of our daily time alone with God is the devotional resource that we choose. How do we go about choosing what to use?
A good resource fits you personally.
First of all, a good devotional resource for you has to fit you and the kind of time alone with God that you are planning to have. Do you like to read or is reading not your thing? How much time do you have? If you are a neophyte, I recommend something fairly short such as the Our Daily Bread booklet from Radio Bible Class that our church distributes. But if you are planning to spend a half hour or 45 minutes at prayer, you might want to try something meaty like A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants (Reuben P. Job and Norman Shawchuck).
Happy New Year!
One of the first tasks for every Christian at the beginning of the year is to plan for their devotional life for the coming year. The plan has several parts.
The key part is an organized Bible reading plan. The Center for Bible Engagement says that only 1/3 of Americans read their Bible weekly and only 13.9% read it on weekdays. Let’s be part of improving those stats.
Personally, I am at the halfway point in reading my Bible end to end again and propose to finish easily this year. But many of you, my readers will be looking for other plans. I recommend two. One is to use a devotional book that has readings attached. In addition to my sequential readings, I’m using a new collection of E. Stanley Jones writings selected for use as daily devotionals. It has selected readings too. A third tactic that I have also used is to get a Bible reading schedule. Many are available. I have included one good link http://www.backtothebible.org/index.php/Bible-Reading-Guides.html in my suggested links. Here’s another link that offers multiple devotional series. http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/.
I’ll write more soon.
A Heart-Warming Christmas Planned
Here’s a heads up about some of the planning for the month of December. I think you will be inspired by the presentations as they enrich our services. The name for the sermon series is “Preparing Your Heart for Christmas.”
Date | Events | Message |
Dec. 5 (9 & 10:30 am) | Communion Women’s Choir Children and Youth Choir |
Preparing Your Heart by Cultivating Spiritual Awareness |
Dec. 12 (9 & 10:30 am) | Handbell Quartet Skit |
A Generous Heart – Pastor Eric |
Dec . 19 (9 & 10:30 am) | A Heart-Warming Christmas with Choir and special music |
The Expectant Heart |
Dec 24 (6:30 pm) | Musical specials and a short one-person drama | The Adoring Heart |
Dec 26 (9 & 10:30 am) | Puppets | The Energized Heart |
Tonight the Local Board of Administration (LBA) at its regular monthly meeting voted unanimously to recommend to the upcoming semiannual church conference that our church undertake an Extreme Makeover project as a part of our 50th anniversary celebration. Such unanimity on such an important item is a sign of blessing. We are already well on our way toward our first 50th anniversary goal of 50 4 50—that is 50 outreach and service ministries accomplished in the 30 months prior to our 50th anniversary at Easter 2012. Now we would like to add to that a goal of updating our facilities in crucial ways to be ready for the next decades of the new millennium. The four sub-projects chosen by the board to be recommended to be included in the overall Extreme Makeover project are as follows:
- Finish the kitchen makeover project
- New carpet for the sanctuary & adjacent rooms (possibly including some small alterations to the vestibule and platform)
- Improvements to sanctuary lighting
- Repaving the entrance driveway and paving the unpaved section of the parking lot including a new area in the back extending behind the pole to give added space.
The recommended idea is that these projects would be completed in this order as the money is raised. While the last one might not be finished before the anniversary, the idea is that it will be made possible by this Extreme Makeover project. The board has had sub-committees working on each project for some months.
I am personally very excited about this Extreme Makeover combined project. We will be discussing it at our semi-annual meeting but do not plan to make final decisions then, but rather at a later special conference. I believe that just as we are already seeing with the kitchen makeover, the other projects also will enable ministry excellence for years to come.
September Sunday messages
So what is happening at church now that it’s almost fall? September is back-to-school time and for most of us, the passing of Labor Day also marks the winding down of vacation, camping and weekend travel season. In weekend services, I’ll be starting a new message series based on Paul’s writings to the Philippian church called “Walking with Jesus.” Each week we’ll explore one chapter of this rich and encouraging book.
Sep 5 (Labor Day) Partnership in the Gospel Phil. 1
Sep 12 Communion Sunday Looking Out For Christ’s Interests Phil. 2
Sep 19 (Ladies’ retreat weekend) Pressing Toward the Goal Phil 3
Sep 26 (Pulpit Freedom Sunday) Learning Contentment Phil 4
New Sermon Series
Who Is the LORD? That was the provocative title of my message this last Sunday and it will be the subject of the next series of sermons. Worship songs, Scripture lessons and messages will all be planned and coordinated to help us to discover more about who God is. All the main texts will be from the book of Exodus.
July 18 Communion Sunday – Message – The LORD Who Brought Them Out.
July 25 The LORD Our Banner – Ex. 17:15,16
August 1 The LORD Who Makes Holy – Ex. 31:13
August 8 Communion Sunday – Message – The LORD Who Heals – Ex. 15:26
Summer is a great time to learn more about God and how he brings deeper wholeness and peace into our lives. I hope you can join in worship during this series.
Online book discussion planned
What if we could have several people reading the same book at one time and discuss it together online? That was the seminal thought that outreach team leader, Donna Schermerhorn, brought into our meeting today.
To share just the main point, we decided to try it using my blog book reviews and comments as the vehicle. The first book we have chosen is Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels. He is an inspiring and practical writer and the book is not long either. We will make a couple copies available for lending at Eva’s office. I will read the book over the next few months and write a first review in such a way as to spawn more discussion. I think it will be fun.