We Have Winners

Congratulations to Lori and Sherman. Both submitted essays on why church attendance is important. I was so pleased with each entry that I wanted to give them both "A Major Award". Your custom made pens will be arriving shortly.

Here are their entries....

Attending church regularly has value if it is truly a Christian, Bible believing, preaching, practicing, worshipping congregation. Consistent regular attendance will produce positive results because we cannot escape the Spirit’s influence even if we have come with the wrong motives. The truths of God’s word will penetrate the heart and mind over time even subliminally. We are molded and shaped by our environment. Through regular involvement in the body of Christ, the acceptance, encouragement and accountability of a loving church family will hold us fast in difficult times. Continual exposure to God’s truths and Christian love, will produce results.

WHY DO WE GO TO CHURCH?



Let’s start out with why we don’t go to church. We don’t go to church because it is a Routine, Ritual, or our “Religion.” The first and most important reason why we go to church is out of our Real Relationship” with God. It is because we believe Who God is, What He has done for us, and His Word. Ephesians 2:8 says, “For it is by faith that you have been saved; it is a gift of God.” Next, if we believe God’s Word is Truth, then we should “Obey” it, for God’s Word is not suggestions, but commands. For John 14:15 says, “If you love Me, you will keep my commands.” Another reason we attend church is for “Encouragement”. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Do not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” We also go to church because we “Yearn to Learn” more about our Heavenly Father. Hebrews 5:12-14 says, “you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s Word, for anyone who lives on milk is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Next, we go to church because we are to “Serve” God and others. Deuteronomy 13:4 says, “It is God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keeping His commands and obeying Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him.” 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others.” Lastly, we go to church to “Worship” God because of Who He is and what He has done for us. 1 Samuel 12:24 says, “But be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.” God gives us the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37, which is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.” So, we go to church because we “Respect” and “Reverence” God and are “Required” to. But prayerfully, we go because we love God and we want to!

Pastor's Heart

>I am asking you all to begin taking the next fifty days, till Pentecost, to pray about the things listed below. Many of them I have direction on, some are quite vague. As a matter of prayer I ask that you seek God to speak to you clearly and with scripture as reinforcement. Let us see where God is working and wisely choose what He would have us do by faith.

At the end of the fifty days, I will be asking you all for feedback. In the mean time, please feel free to inquire as to anything that may be presently unclear.

Prayer Ministry

• Thursday Prayer- should it continue and in what context
• Wednesday Nights- How can we do effective ministry with limited resources.
• Youth- I believe we need to get our youth to make a habit of prayer in all things.
• Active prayer walking-
• Prayer partners-assigned, I have long seen the benefit of people praying together on a regular basis.

Building and Grounds

• Parking Lot & Covered entry way- needs planning and direction
• General upkeep- There are several things that need care. We are praying that God will call someone to be in charge of these things.
• Roof needs- Our roof is starting to come apart in the high winds. We need God to provide the funds for upkeep and upgrades.
• Remodel foyer- I is time for a few changes here, but what would best honor God?

Youth

• Leadership- I believe we are missing out because we do not have a regular leader
• Discipleship- What avenue should we pursue for our summer retreat
• Reaching others- We need to look at reaching out not looking in.

Working with Arms of Love

• Why Marriage Class- I have been asked to lead young couples.
• Pre-Marital counseling- The above would lead to strengthening their families.
• Free Wedding- AOL would be seeking churches would take on those who chose to marry and keep their baby rather than aborting them.

Men’s Ministry

• Paul & Steve heading this up
  
• Discipleship and Friendship

Women’s Ministry

• TBD- being proactive in ministry and outreach.
• Events designed to reach unchurched
• Hearts at home
• True Woman Conference?

Outreach

• Prayer Walking
• Training- We need to see how this is properly done, with the full gospel presented and not salesmanship.
• GROW
• Proactive
• Gift and Go
• Pastor’s Class
• In home bible study
• Ad on Facebook?

Sermon’s on Itunes

Team Kid

• Parent outreach- We are not reaching the parents
• Focus on doctrine- Let us keep training the kids in the basics, preparing the next generation.
• Focus on returning on Sunday- encouragement to come again.
• Summer ministry?

Missions

• Mission trip in August- Planning
• Future Missions- What would God have us do in the future?
• Missions education- We are severely lacking here. And this is our point of obedience.

Summit?

• Annual summit? Should we look to having an annual time of the body seeking God?
• Life Action return? Should they be invited to return, or is their some other avenue?

Discipleship

• Fall/Summer camp out retreat
• Winter classics Classes at a college level on particular disciplines

Deacons

• Church covenant
• New Deacons?

Budget Considerations

• Stewardship Campaign? We have several financial needs, how do we address them?
  
• Doing more, moving ahead by faith?

Planting a Church- My heart is to reach the world that God brings to us in our county.

• International Students
• International Residents
• Adopt Students
• Minister to Students
• International Market in Edwardsville

Praying over the next 50 days, till Pentecost.

Looking for God’s activity, scripture, and co-incidence happenings

1 in 4 are Muslim

Woke up this morning to a Muslim world.

It is not a shock, but a shock of reality. The Fox news headline this morning, 1 in 4 people in the world are Muslim. We must understand what this means for our ever global butterfly effect world. Muslims, like Hindus tend to believe their faith so much it permeates every breath of being. It is their religion, their lifestyle, their faith and commerce. It is not a label, it is the sole ingredient of who they are. On the other hand, with “Separation of Church and state” we Americans have befuddled out lives by compartmentalizing such aspects. We box God up, and label the side “Break glass in case of emergency”. We call to Him on 9/11, and conveniently put Him back when the sports programming resumes. The church here and now is no different. God tends to partially effect one hour on a Sunday morning somewhere between coffee and lunch and a grumbling about the pastor or music. And I add, how do we ever worship Him in these circumstances.
Yesterday I was reading a family oriented “Christian” magazine that comes to our home. Flavoring the articles was a spice of legalistic mandate that assumed a destiny right of making America “a Christian nation”. I am all for Christianity taking on all facets of our lives and setting forth the code for living peaceably in the USA. However, to assume to force that mindset or legislate thinking without having made a reasonable case with each generation is at best arrogant.
With “The Church” being so doctrinally unstable and a buffet of variable theologies, we find that the church tries to be like the world in a sadly laughable way, all while telling the world to be like them. We “The Church” give entertainment like amateurs, counsel with drugs and boo hoo therapies ala Oprah and Phil, and festoon a creed of love with exclusiveism. We boast of our own numbers, which are inflated and only a half generation away from being completely opposed by those who once agreed.
So far I have been referring to the church in that mass grouping that Christian Bookstores seem to use, equating Jonathan Edwards and Joel Osteen, Luther and Joyce Meyer, Calvin and Warren. The grab for the dollar puts anything scented of the Bible into one mass pot and people blindly trust the playing pipes as authoritative and looking for their best interest. Most people could not biblically define a true church who even lead one.
Christ’s church, the true church is a rare gospel living group indeed. Its not those filled with activity, for even the active will one day cry out “Lord Lord did we not…” (Mt 7) It is those who know Christ that are the church. (Mt 7, John 17:3) The beauty for the true church is the promise of Christ that the gates of Hell will not prevail. Yet we tend to sit back and do nothing. Sad. For I am reminded amongst all the parables of our future that Christ taught about the ten virgins and the lazy stewards. Both stories shared the demise of those who when the time came were found to be lazy and doing nothing, only to be left to the outer darkness.
When a watchman sends a warning the people need to respond. Unfortunately our good pastors have said wake up, only to be drowned out by the noise of narcissism. Has it gone now so far that Fox News even sounds an alarm, only to be ignored?
Yes folks, it is a Muslim world.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,562101,00.html

Eleanor Rigby

Here is a little news I sent to our church.

Good Morning! Isn't it a brisk day for soup or coffee? As each change in season brings the joy of change, new holidays, parties, fall colors, and a holyesque whiteness with snow, it brings its problems too, planning travel, rushing to events, winter chores, and sometimes loneliness. Winter can be a lonely time even in the midst of celebrations, joyful songs, and friends that are dear.

Eleanor Rigby is a mystery that speaks to us all.

In 1966 the Beatles released a song entitled Eleanor Rigby. It talks of lonely people, going about their lives with an empty meaningless despair. Now when asked about her, the Beatles said that she was fictional. Yet in Liverpool, near the boyhood neighborhood of one of the band members, a grave was found of an Eleanor Rigby. Recently, a woman with The Sunbeam Music Trust, a charity in England, was looking for a donation from Paul McCartney for their fund raising auction. He sent her a pay ledger from 1911 with a scullery maid's signature E. Rigby. Who was she? Why was she Significant to the Beatles, and now why do so many identify with her in the world? And though she has been given a place in song, she still seemingly represents loneliness despite popularity.

Maybe you can relate to Eleanor.

All this has had me thinking, Despair is that Giant the seeks to destroy us, as in Pilgrim's Progress. We were meant for joy. Yet the question should be answered of "How can you glorify God when you are lacking faith, love, or care"? Pews are inhabited every Sunday Morning by those Eleanor Rigbys just going about life. Because of this, and the doldrums of our spirit, In January I am planning of having a Saturday Salad, Soup, and Scripture time. We will meet at about 9:30 for a time of looking at Being a Christian Even When I Don't Feel Like It. In this I would hope to teach from the scriptures, have a break for Soup and Salad, and answer your questions. Please let me know if you can attend or are interested. We should be wrapped up around 1:00.