Dinners for Eight

It’s that time again! Time to sign up for Dinners for Eight. Dinners for Eight is a gathering of people to fellowship and share food either at each other’s homes, restaurant, park, etc. This small group program has been a tremendous tool to interact & get to know your brothers and sisters in Christ and has the bonus of involving food! ALL individuals/couples who are interested must sign up (even if you have participated in the past) . Click here to sign up online, or you may pick up a flyer from the Information Table at the church.

Good Grief!

Over the course of 5 worship services on Christmas Eve, Christ Church had an (approximate) overall attendance of 1,250 people! Wow! Our hope is that each of those persons were touched by God in those services and that they were warmed by the Christmas spirit!

Arial of the Church

Thanks to the COOL satellite feature of local.google.com, we were able to zoom into a pretty close satellite shot of the church. Check it out!

Shorts

Check out these three great short film clips from Chronicle Project. Especially notable are the Jesus/Santa ads that are a parody of the Mac/PC ads. Pretty funny stuff!

Suggestions?

If you ever have any suggestions about what would be helpful for you either on this blog or on the main church website, please leave some comments. We'll open to new ideas and will try just about anything if it's useful to you online! Thanks!

Interactive Advent Calendar

Beliefnet.com now has a fun interactive Advent Calendar. Use it each day as we approach Christmas to find a reading and an audio clip. How cool!

Wow!

Christ Church had 737 people attend worship last Sunday, December 3rd! Wow!

starving jesus

a very short film about "letting go" (By: Blaine)


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Waiting for Christ

In the midst of preparations
some needful,
some questionable,
the only time
to watch
is now.

Can I come to Christmas,
come to Christ,
waiting
for new markings
on journey's path,
sensing
light's glow
in encircling darkness,
listening
for amazing mystery
of a birth cry?

Can I, in spirit,
paradoxically
move forward
in stillness
as I wait
for promised revealing
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Emmanuel,
God-with-us?

In the midst of preparations,
the only time
to watch
is now.

[by Roberta Porter]

You'll shoot your eye out!

This Sunday begins our new worship series where we take a deeper look at some of your favorite Christmas movies. This week: A Christmas Story

Remember how worked up Ralphie was about getting his Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle? What if we had that kind of anticipation for the coming Christ in this season?

This is a great series to which you can invite your friends, co-workers, neighbors, and relatives. Be sure to check it out!

Bye for a Bit!

This blog will not be updated until November 27th due to a staff vacation! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Heart of Worship

by Matt Redman

When the music fades and all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart

I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required.
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus

I'm sorry, Lord, for the thing I've made it
When it's all about You
All about You, Jesus

Love the Lord Your God...

Here was the liturgy that was used last week in the 8:30 service. We've had lots of comments on it, so we thought we'd share it again:

ONE: I am a good Christian.

CHOIR: What do you mean?

ONE: Well, I go to church every Sunday.

CHOIR: That is not enough.

ONE: Well, I rarely take the Lord's name in vain, and I almost never lie, and even when I do, it's just a little one.

CHOIR: That is not enough.

ONE: I visit my family.

CHOIR: That is not enough.

ONE: Well, I've never stolen anything, and I've certainly never killed anyone.

CHOIR: It's still not enough.

ONE: What then? What is enough?

CHOIR: You must love God. We must love God. With our hearts. With our minds. With our bodies. With our souls. We must love our neighbors. We must love ourselves.

CONGREGATION AND ALL: Let us put our love into motion as we worship the One who's taught us how to love.

Tomorrow is the Last Soup

Thank you to everyone who has made THE SOUP - our Wednesday night programming - a success. Tomorrow night, 11/15, is the final Soup for 2006. We will resume again in February 2007 with another 10-week run.

Core Values Update

The Core Values Task Force is continuing to work and is making great progress. On Monday, November 13th we will be in the final stages of developing our Purpose Statement. By Christmas we hope to be able to finalize the Purpose Statement along with 4-7 core values that will help guide us in becoming the church God is calling us to be.

Celebration #2

Many thanks to Ed Armstrong and everyone who helped make this year's Church AUCTION a success.

This fundraiser raised $6,506 for Christ Church! Awesome!

Celebration #1

Thanks to everyone who helped with the Chicken Noodle Dinner (and Book Sale) in October!

The church make $5,700.35 from that fundraiser!

Quote

Here was the quote we used last night at our Soup program...

"People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth. Every day we are engaged in a miracle which we don't even recognize: a blue sky, white clouds, green leaves, the black, curious eyes of a child -- our own two eyes. All is a miracle." (Thich Nhat Hanh)

Christmas Themes Announced

Thanks for your responses to our website poll regarding Christmas movies. Please see our Sunday Services page to find out what Christmas Movies we will be talking about in our December worship series. Thanks!

Web Poll

If you haven't taken the time to answer the Poll Question on the main page of the church website... please do so now! We could really use your input on deciding which Christmas movies to use in our Advent worship series! Check it out!

THEME and MENU

You’ve been in the dugout for many innings and it’s nearing the end of the game. Suddenly, the phone rings. The coach has called you in. It’s time to head to the pitchers mound. It’s time to run out and take your position. It’s time to become what God has called you to become. Can you feel it?

On Sunday we continued our worship series on the Church as a TEAM – where every member is a player, and every player is actively involved.

Sunday was a very special Sunday in that we had the opportunity to actually “step up to the plate.” We spent some time considering what our gifts were and how we might be able to use them for God’s purpose - through service in the church.

We now invite you CLICK HERE to take a look at the online version of the MINISTRY MENU and see how you can use your unique gifts in service to God.

Don't Forget: Chicken Noodle Dinner!

Chicken Noodle Dinner: 4:30-7:00 pm

Tickets are $7 for Adults, $4 for Children 4-12
and FREE for Children Under 3

Book Fair / Crafts and Gifts / Bake Sale: 1:00-7:00 pm

Sunday's Guided Meditation

Here is the Guided Meditation that was read in last Sunday's 10:45 Worship Service:

Make sure you are comfortable… close your eyes… and quietly attend to your breathing…
…allow your thoughts to settle and begin to focus inward…

…now imagine yourself in the batters box at a major league baseball game… the bases are loaded and it’s the final inning… everything depends on you… how do you feel? … Are you nervous? … Do you feel adequate? … Sit with those feelings for a moment … Suddenly you feel an extra, mysterious set of hands take the bat with you … It is no longer just YOU that is up to bat … God’s spirit is in you, empowering you …

…here comes the pitch … a power is in you that you did not know you were capable of… the bat connects with the ball… it flies up, up, up… it’s a home run! The crowd goes wild…

Take a moment to reflect and pray that, in the same way, God would empower you to do his work in the church and in the world. He has called each of us to be in ministry, but has not called us to do it by our own power. Take a few moments of silence to invite God to be your strength as you live out what you are meant to do and who you are meant to become.

Empowered!

Sunday we continued with our worship series on the church as a team… where every member is a player and every player is actively involved.

Two weeks ago, the theme was “Let the Pastor Move Over.” We saw how the Pastor’s role is more like that of a team coach, who equips and encourages all of us to be God’s hands and feet. We also saw that it takes each of us in our various positions to carry out God’s work in the church.

This past Sunday,then, was “Let God’s Spirit Move In.” We discovered that we cannot possibly be the church God has called us to be unless we are centered in - and empowered by - God. Much of the work we are called to undertake cannot be done through our own efforts. We need God’s power and perseverance to be in us in order for us to “hit one out of the ballpark.” May God grant each of us “More Love & More Power” as we engage in ministry.

The Parable of the Three Fans

Fan #1 is The Spectator. He just loves being at the game… the atmosphere is completely exhilarating to him. But Fan #1 doesn’t care if he isn’t playing on the team. He just wants to be there and to sit back and watch.

Spiritually speaking, many people are like Fan #1… they just love to be at church. They enjoy the music, the preaching, the fellowship. It is ok to be Fan #1, but there’s something a bit more exhilarating and meaningful about actually being on the team.

Fan #2 is The Benchwarmer. He used to be a spectator but he decided to join the team. Then Fan #2 began to see how hard it was to be a big leaguer. He had to work on his fielding, his throwing, his batting. He had to learn strategy, answer to the coach, and travel with the team. It was just too much work. So instead he decided to sit on the bench and watch his teammates do all the work.

Spiritually speaking, many Christians want to be a light for Jesus but then don’t take the steps necessary to grow and to serve others. It is just easier to ride the bench while everyone else does all the work.

Fan #3 is a Home Run Hitter. This fan loves being on the team and is willing to do whatever it takes to become a better player. It doesn’t matter what it costs or what it takes, fan #3 will do it if it means he becomes a homerun hitter.

Thankfully, many Christians have answered the call of God and are serving him faithfully. They are growing everyday and are committed to serving the church and the world.

We now invite to you take a few moments for reflection. Which fan do you most resemble? Where are you now? Where would you like to be? How is God calling YOU to be a team player?

[Adapted from a Sermon by JAMES CHANDLER]

The 7th Inning Stretch!

(to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame")

Make me part of the church team,
Show me where I can serve.
There’s no job too big or small for me,
(I’ll) teach a class or clean the lavatory,
Now it’s Root, Root, Root for the whole team-
Hey, Pastor, move out of the way…
for it takes…each…one of us
to make it work God’s way!

Play Ball!

Coach Tommy Lasorda once said: "There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happens." Sunday we began a new four week series about the church as a TEAM – where every member is a player and every player is actively involved. Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters, we are not playing the game of life by ourselves. We are in this thing together, so let us each be a team player! It doesn’t make any difference whether you are the pitcher, the catcher, first baseman, second, third, outfielder or even the bat-boy, the food vender or the janitor who cleans up once everyone else has gone home. It takes one and it takes all! So if you’re ready, willing and available to serve as God has called you to serve, then let’s… PLAY BALL!

And the schedule is...

The new Sunday AM schedule that will include THREE service and will begin on December 3rd has been posted! Click here to swing over to our Sunday Services page and check it out!

Christmas !?!?!?

In case you missed it, there is now a Christmas/Advent page on the church's website. Please check it out each week.

It's hard to believe it's time to start thinking about Christmas....

Publicity Request

Need to get the word out about something?Starting October 1, the new policy for church publicity is to use a “PUBLICITY REQUEST” form.These are located on the Information Table in the Narthex/Entryway as well as online by clicking here (the link is also in the left column on the main church website).

ALL requests need to be submitted via this form, so please do not submit emails, phone calls, or scraps of paper to the church office to request your publicity. Thank you for your cooperation.

Coming Very Soon!

Watch for details about Christ Church going to THREE Sunday AM services in the next two weeks!

...details coming very soon!

Speaking of...

Our last post had to do with Sermon Audio...

...and so does this one! We have updated the Audio page on the website today to include, among other things, a STREAMING AUDIO player that lets you stream the sermon in without downloading anything. Swing over and check it out BY CLICKING HERE.

Who's the Greatest?

Jim's message on Sunday about "Who is the Greatest?" was both fun and challenging. Revisit Sunday's message by listening to it on (or downloading it from) our Audio page.

"So you want first place?

Then take the last place.

Be the servant of all." [Jesus]

THE SOUP recap

The Soup - our new Wednesday Night program - was a huge success last night. There were over 150 people attending the meal and worship who then split off into 6 adult classes, youth classes, a childrens class and nursery. We're looking forward to a great Fall Semester of THE SOUP!

Oops!

Sorry, don't know what happened last week, but we totally forgot about updating this thing.

So....... what big Church news did we miss?

-The youth had their big Sunday night program kickoff on Sunday. It was a success!
-We began a new worship series on the questions people asked Jesus in the Book of Mark.
-We begin our new Wednesday night program THE SOUP tomorrow night... more on THAT tomorrow!

Christ Church on MYSPACE

Christ Church has now joined the uber-hip MYSPACE. If you're on there, be sure to add us as a friend. You can visit our page by clicking the link below...

www.myspace.com/christumchurch

Wednesday Nights!

If you haven't signed up for THE SOUP (our Wednesday Night programming) yet...

WHY NOT!?!?!

Click here to visit The Soup page and consider signing up for one of these classes! We hope you'll be there!

FYI

The Staff, Church Council and Leadership of Christ Church are currently in preliminary talks about adding a third worship service on Sunday mornings. Stay tuned for more details and to be a part of the conversation!

Looking Ahead

Are you the kind of person that likes to look ahead?

Worship themes from now until the end of NOVEMBER have been posted on the church's website today. Click here to take a peek at what's coming up!

Revving Back Up!

Christ Church's Preschool begins their fall season TODAY - Tuesday the 29th. Please be sending your love and prayers as they kick off another year!

New Members!

See Sunday's Announcement Guide for more information about our New Members... in the meantime, here are a few pictures!


Ida Floyd


Dawn Rowe


Dan and Ofe Walker


Donald and Judith Uglow


Mindy Gawlik

New Youth Page

Have you seen the new youth page? The Journey - Christ Church's youth ministry - has their own website and URL. Click below to visit...

THE JOURNEY @ Christ UMC
www.thejourneyatcumc.org

This Week's Scripture!

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD Almighty!

2 My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh cry out
for the living God.

3 Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young—
a place near your altar,
O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.

4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.

6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools. ^[b]

7 They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.

8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah

9 Look upon our shield, ^[c] O God;
look with favor on your anointed one.

10 Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield;
the LORD bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does he withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.

12 O LORD Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in you.

Wisdom Quote 3

Each day this week we'll be bringing you quotes about this Sunday's topic: Wisdom

"The biggest difficulty with mankind today is that our knowledge has increased so much faster than our wisdom." [Frank Whitmore]

Wisdom Quote 2

Each day this week we'll be bringing you quotes about this Sunday's topic: Wisdom

"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions." [Naguib Mahfouz]

Wisdom Quote 1

Each day this week we'll be bringing you quotes about this Sunday's topic: Wisdom

"Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal, and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom."

(Charles Spurgeon)

In response...

In response to a "comment" about last week's sermon...

The acronym was..

Y es
E nergize
A ccess
S earch
T rust

Yeast-y Reading

Here is one of the readings from last Sunday's service:

“Yeast Thoughts” from writer Mike Hodge

Yeast makes bread rise because of the bubbles of gas that it produces. When the yeast is mixed throughout the dough, the bread rises and has the proper rough and airy texture. But if all of the yeast is lumped together in one small part of the dough, the bread won’t rise evenly and will have big, empty holes in it.

Even so, the church – the people of the Kingdom – must be intimately involved in life, in the world, in the flour of humanity. When we have clustered ourselves together, fearfully barricaded behind sanctuary walls, we have created great, empty holes in God’s world that are filled with nothing but hot air. But if we who call ourselves yeast are willing to become so involved in the pain, the despair, and the laughter of life that our main concern becomes enabling people to grow into all they can be – then God’s bread will become perfect in quality, with yeast permeating every part of the dough. Being involved with life sounds dangerous. Yeast dies in the oven, having lost itself to the creation of something new. May we also be willing to lose ourselves.

Featured Events

A new page has been added to the church website in order to highight specific special events. Click here to see the page and be sure to check back often!

What do you think?

Here's the scripture for this weekend's services. What does it say to you?

The next day the crowd that was left behind realized that there had been only one boat, and that Jesus had not gotten into it with his disciples. They had seen them go off without him. By now boats from Tiberias had pulled up near where they had eaten the bread blessed by the Master. So when the crowd realized he was gone and wasn't coming back, they piled into the Tiberias boats and headed for Capernaum, looking for Jesus.

When they found him back across the sea, they said, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"

Jesus answered, "You've come looking for me not because you saw God in my actions but because I fed you, filled your stomachs—and for free.

The Bread of Life

"Don't waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last."

To that they said, "Well, what do we do then to get in on God's works?"

Jesus said, "Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God's works."

They waffled: "Why don't you give us a clue about who you are, just a hint of what's going on? When we see what's up, we'll commit ourselves. Show us what you can do. Moses fed our ancestors with bread in the desert. It says so in the Scriptures: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

Jesus responded, "The real significance of that Scripture is not that Moses gave you bread from heaven but that my Father is right now offering you bread from heaven, the real bread. The Bread of God came down out of heaven and is giving life to the world."

They jumped at that: "Master, give us this bread, now and forever!"

Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me.

John 6:24-35 (The Message)

Wednesday Night Teaser

You should be getting your Towerlight (newsletter) in the mail any day now. Be sure to read Pastor Jim's message on the front page for some information about the all new Wednesday night programming at Christ Church which begins on Sept. 13th! It's going to be exciting!

New Themes

The new August/September worship themes have been announced and you can get previews of them on the church's website BY CLICKING HERE.

Quotes and Poems from Sunday's "Tearing Down the Walls" theme

Before I built a wall, I'd ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall.
[Robert Frost]

"In fundamentals unity,
in non-fundamentals liberty,
in all things charity."
[Meldenius]

"He drew a circle to keep me out,
A thing of scorn, a thing to flout
But love I had the wilt to win
We drew a circle that took him in."
[Edwin Markham]

A Slight Change in Plans

You may have noticed that the Worship Theme on the church's homepage has been changed from "One in Christ" to "Tearing Down the Walls." We've decided to go a different direction! The scripture this week is Ephesians 2: 11-22 and it reads like this (The Message version):

But don't take any of this for granted. It was only yesterday that you outsiders to God's ways had no idea of any of this, didn't know the first thing about the way God works, hadn't the faintest idea of Christ. You knew nothing of that rich history of God's covenants and promises in Israel, hadn't a clue about what God was doing in the world at large. Now because of Christ—dying that death, shedding that blood—you who were once out of it altogether are in on everything.

The Messiah has made things up between us so that we're now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

That's plain enough, isn't it? You're no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You're no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He's using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Who Am I?

We hope Sunday's message and service on the theme of IDENTITY was meaningful for you. What were some of the things that stood out to you? What have you been reflecting on in light of the question, "Who Am I?"

Lyrics

Some interesting lyrics to consider in light of this Sunday's theme: IDENTITY.

["Who Am I?" by Casting Crowns]

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cause I am yours.
I am yours.

Prayers for the Mission Team

The Youth Mission Team will be sent off during 2nd service on Sunday. Please be sending your love and prayers to the youth and adults who will be going on this trip next week!!

A scripture to ponder

This is going to be the scripture we will be focusing on in Sunday's service. Look over a few times. What stands out?

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.

Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.

It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.

It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

[Ephesians 1: 3-14]

Book Suggestion

In Sunday's worship services, we shared excerpts from the book Transforming Suffering, edited by Donald Mitchell. It's a deep book, for sure, but is definately worth checking out if you're interested in transforming your own suffering and trying to help others along in theirs.

Click here to check out the book on Amazon.com.

Reception!

Don't forget that you can come meet the new additions to the church staff on Sunday, July 9th from 2-4 pm. There will be a reception for our new Sr. Pastor Jim Farrer and our new Youth Minister, Jeff Greathouse (and their families). This will be a great time for them to be able to meet their new Church Family and for us to get to know them a little better. Light refreshments will be served.

Sunday's Scripture

Here is the somewhat odd scripture for Sunday's theme, Strength in Weakness. Check it out...

I was caught up into the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether my body was there or just my spirit, I don't know; only God knows. But I do know that I was caught up into paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be told. That experience is something worth boasting about, but I am not going to do it. I am going to boast only about my weaknesses. I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, because I would be telling the truth. But I won't do it. I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than what they can actually see in my life and my message, even though I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

[2 Cor. 12: 2-10]

Dance Like Nobody's Watching

Did Sunday's message encourage you to let go, open up, and start dancing?

Just as a follow-up, here is the scripture one more time: "You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy."

You can read the entire Psalm by clicking here.

And finally, the sermon audio is now online. If you'd like to listen to Jim's sermon from Sunday, click here.

Yowzas!

Wow, I've certainly let this thing slip for the past ... oh, half-a-month!

Instead of playing "catch-up," however, let's just move forward with a little bit of information about this weekend:

Despite the fact we've been advertising Jim's worship series "The Wheel of Emotions" as being a 3-week series, we've decided to end it at 2. This week's theme is:

"Turning Mourning into Dancing"

Join us on Sunday to get your party on, Christ-Church style.

Sermon Notes from Last Sunday

The following is the sermon notes and resources from Sunday, June 11th:

• "But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. After saying good-bye to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home." (Acts 21:5-6)
  
• I desire our journey together as disciples of the Jesus revolution to be an adventure.
• My Theology is About Love

Resources:

• Movie Clip was from the film "Rent"
• Special Choir Piece (1st Service) was "Holy, Holy, Holy"
  
• Special Music (2nd service) was "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison
  

Farewell! We Love You Guys!

"May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand."

European Travelers

David LaSuer, Josh Dexter, and Kevin Haas are now in Europe, backpacking across the continent. You can follow up on their progress by clicking here for Josh Dexter's 'Words of a Genius' and here for David LaSuer's 'A Skip Across the Pond.'

Annual Conference

June 1 through 3, Craig, Herb, Jim, various Christ Church people, all of the North Indiana Methodist Pastors and many laypersons will be at Purdue University for the Annual Conference... the year's biggest Methodist event. Click here to learn a little bit more.

Resources from Sunday Worship

If you would like to revisit or reflect upon any of the elements from Sunday's Worship, here are some resources:

• Memorial Day Prayer: O God, keep our whole country under your protection. Wipe out sin from this land; lift it up from the depth of sorrow, O Lord, our shining light. Save us from deep grief and misfortune, Lord of all nations. Bless us with your wisdom, so that the poor may not be oppressed and the rich may not be oppressors. Make this a nation having no ruler except God, a nation having no authority but that of Love. Amen.
• Scripture Reading was from various sections of Isaiah 43, but mostly verses 16-19.
• Sermon Notes:
• Sometimes inner transitions/transformations are the most important kind and are needed on almost a daily basis.
• Ex. worth issues, finding forgiveness, new attitutdes and learnings in one's heart
  and mind
• Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you." [Luke 17: 20,21]
• Movie Clips: Clips shown this week were from "Napoleon Dynamite" and a short video called "ONE DAY (Memorial Day)"

New Pictures

It appears someone has added some new pictures to our Christ Church Flickr photo album.

Click here to check out the new YOUTH pics!

A New Thing

We've been working this morning on the service for this Sunday, May 28th. This week's scripture is great and I thought I'd share:

This is what God says,
the God who builds a road right through the ocean,
who carves a path through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and armies—
they lie down and then can't get up;
they're snuffed out like so many candles:
"Forget about what's happened;
don't keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new.
It's bursting out! Don't you see it?

(Isaiah 43:16-19a from the Message)

Sermon Notes

Craig's Sermon Notes from May 21, 2006...

• Transitions?!
• You have to say goodbye before you say hello.
• Remembering
• Embrace all the feelings
• Transitions invite you to become a new person.
• “Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.”
• In transitions, we need to remember to say “thanks!"

Transitions Quote #2

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind is part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter into another."

[Anatole France, French Writer]

Transitions Quote #1

"Only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found."

[Anne Morrow Lindbergh, American Writer]

It's that time...

It's transition time. Graduations in a few weeks. Advancing to the next level in school this fall. New church staff in June.

This Sunday is (among other things) Graduation Sunday. Come and wish blessings upon those moving on to the next stage in their lives.

There are also many Open House invitations in the weekly bulletin. Be watching for those!

Transitions

This Sunday begins Pastor Craig's final sermon series before he moves on and we transition to having our new pastor Jim come in. Be sure to join us... this is important stuff!

REFLECTION: What transitions are you going through right now in your life? (Leave Comments!)

Files and Posted --- and worship this weekend!

The audio files from last Sunday's sermon are finally posted. CLICK HERE to check them out.

Also, this weekend concludes the sermon series called "THE JESUS WAY." Come for the meaningful final message!

Style Show Tomorrow!

Don't forget the church Style Show / Luncheon is tomorrow. Here are the details:

You're Invited to attend...The Spring Style Show and Salad Luncheon, May 6, 2006. With Mother's Day just around the corner, what a great way to shop for that special someone or spend the day together in fellowship and fun, while supporting Christ Church's Spring Fundraiser.

Time: 10:00 am; Vendor booths are open to shop and browse || 11:00; Luncheon / Style Show

Cost: $8 at the door, 12 years and under $3

What a great day to shop and find unique treasures, see the latest spring fashions while enjoying a tasty array of salads. Hope to see you there!

Preschool Programs

Yesterday and today, the Church Preschool had their end-of-the-year programs for the parents. Songs, videos, awards and snacks were a part of this celebration. Thanks to the many teachers and staff who pull off such a fantastic Preschool. Be sure to tell them thanks for all their hard work!

Ernie Kellenberger Award

Congratulations to Jim Applegate and Dan Mayer for receiving the Ernie Kellenberger Award during the first service last Sunday. This award is given once a year to recognize individuals who exhibit servanthood in the church. Congrats Jim and Dan!

Sunday's message: Giving up anxiety / Trusting God

Sunday's message was all about trusting that God will take care of our needs and make all things work out... which in turn diminishes our anxiety in life.

Do you have any reflections on this topic? How have you found this to be true (or not true) in your life?

Leave a Comment.....

Meet Jeff!

Jeff Greathouse has been hired by Christ Church to be the new Youth Minster. Although he will not officially join us until July, he and his family will be attending worship tomorrow and will be introduced to the congregation. Please make sure you say "WELCOME!"

Last Chance to Sign up

This Sunday is the last chance to sign up for the all-church GO CARTS at Silent Thunder.

Here are the details:

Held on Sunday May 7 at 1:00 pm. Silent Thunder is located at 181 Sagamore Pkwy S in Lafayette. Sign up will be on Sunday between both services and after 2nd service in the Narthex. Payment will be taken at the time of sign up. Cost per each race:

• $9 ($8 for Silent Thunder members) for ages 10+/52"
• $4.50 ($4, members) for ages 5-9/<52"
• NOTE: If someone is 10+ years old but not 52" tall or if someone is 5-9 but 52" or taller, then they cannot race. They may ride and let someone else drive.

Questions? Contact Kenny Bailey at 765-532-2832 or kennybailey@purdue.edu.

A Question to Ponder

This weekend's scripture is "Give us this day our daily bread" which basically means that we trust GOD to take care of our needs and to not worry about tomorrow (tomorrow will take care of itself!).

HERE'S A QUESTION TO PONDER (as you prepare for Sunday's service):

How has being in relationship with God lessened anxiety in your life? Are you able to trust that all things will work out?

The Last TGIW

Tonight is the last TGIW for the spring. It will begin again in the Fall, so stay tuned for details in late summer. Thanks to all the teachers, cooks, musicians, pastors, attendees, etc who make Wednesday night happen.

Notes from Sunday

Here are the resources and notes from Sunday morning's worship if you would like to further reflect...

• CHOIR SONG: "How Great is Our God" (Chris Tomlin)

• MISSIONS: Remember that Steve Deardurff was sent to Honduras and Nancy Hendricks was sent to China during Sunday's service. They will each be gone approximately three weeks. Be praying for them while they are serving others across the world.

• SERMON NOTES:
• Jesus-like living (Lord's Prayer)
• Praising and experiencing God
• Taking care of God's business
• Trusing God for "daily bread"
• Forgiving
• Delivered from temptation and stuff that overwhelms
• Taking care of God's business - click here to see John 5: 19,20
• There is a "God-force" that invites us to join along in taking care of God's business.
• There is a "God-in-the-flesh force" that invites us to join in the Movement.
  

This weekend!

Join us this weekend as Pastor Craig begins his next-to-last sermon series called "The Jesus Way" - which is a look at the characterists of the Jesus life. Come and bring some friends!

Staff

Various members of the church staff will be meeting one-on-one with our new pastor, Jim Farrer, today. This will be their chance to get to know each other better as well as to converse about any "business" matters. Prayers are appreciated as we go into these next few months of transition for the church, for Jim and family, and for Craig and family!

Thursday and Friday Services

Don't forget that tonight (Thursday) is a Maundy Thursday service of Open Prayer and Communion in the Sanctuary. Come anytime between 4 and 8 and stay as long as you would like. The low lights and soft candles provide an atmosphere for you to be in quiet contemplation with God.

Friday night, then, is the Good Friday service at 7:00 pm which we will share with the Abundant Love Outreach Church. We invite you to join us for this meaningful time.

From My Will to Thy Will

Craig's sermon from last Sunday (Palm Sunday) is now available online! Click here for the sermon audio page.

Movie Night Tonight!

Family movie night will be held tonight - Friday, April 7th at 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary. Feature Film will be:

"The Lady and the Tramp"

...so bring your family in their PJs and blankets/pillows for the floor and enjoy a great movie! See you there!

Lilies

You may sign up for Easter Lilies starting today in the Narthex. They are $7 each and you may take them home with you after the 2nd service on Easter Sunday (the 16th)!

Can you believe it's time for Easter already!?!?

From CAN'T to CALLED

Sunday's message was about struggling with those things that we feel God is calling us to do, but we just feel like we CAN'T. Have any reflections about this topic? Want to discuss some thoughts regarding "from Can't to Called"? Leave a comment!

Iron Chef @ Christ Church!

Sunday night, April 2 from 6:30-8 pm at Christ Church witness an Iron Chef Competition! The iron chef teams are made up of labs from Purdue's school of Pharmacy and will all be competing against each other; they will have had 48 hours to prepare dishes using the secret ingredient and then they will present the dishes that night for judging. The event is open to the public (for an admission fee of $5) and everyone will be able to cast a ballot for three prizes: best dish, best use of secret ingredient, and best presentation. Tickets are available at the door. Please stop by and buy some tickets to help support the American Cancer Society.

ALO Workshop and Concert

Christ Church's sister church - Abundant Love Outreach - will be having a Ministry of Music Workshop and Concert this coming Satuday, April 1. Christ Church has received tickets for this event and they are FREE to the first 20 people who would like to attend. Contact the church office (stop in or call 474-4313) to get or reserve your tickets. Workshop is 8-noon and the concert will start at 6 pm. For more information and times, please see the flyer on the bulletin board on the east side of the church (near the women's restroom). If you are planning on attending, please see this flyer - it has much more information that you'll need to know!

Sermon Notes

Here a couple of the key points / sermon notes from Sunday's sermon "From ME to US" ...

1.) I must learn to put others before myself.

2.) God needs to make me more whole and Christ-like so that I can more fully love and care for others.

3.) Jesus radically experienced the transformation of going "from me to us" by dying and then rising for all of humankind. Therefore, he is present with us now to empower us to go through the same transformation "from me to us".

Worship Tomorrow

Join us for Worship on Sunday, March 26th for a meaningful message entitled "From ME to US" - about moving beyond selfishness into an attitude of serving and loving others. It's a message we all need to hear!

"Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless--cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it." (1 Peter 4:8-10)

You're Invited...

Mr. and Mrs. Tim Foland invite you to share in their joy with your presence at the wedding ceremony for their daughter, Bethany to Bill Gee on Saturday, March 25th (this weekend!) at 4:00 pm at Christ Church.

The church family is invited to attend. Come celebrate with the Foland and Gee families.

Fly Tying Tomorrow

Just a reminder that on Thursday (March 23) from 6:45 to 8:15 pm there will be a Fly Tying Primer class at the church. This is an introductory class that will teach simple fish catching patterns. Spring is here and the fish are biting. Take advantage of these FREE lessons from Children's Time Storyteller and flyfishing guide Dustin Tabert. All materials and equipment will be provided and you may keep the flies you make! This is a great time to learn, have fun and fellowship with other church members. Future fly-tying classes and fishing dates will be discussed.

Introducing the New Members

Sabrina Garth


Brenda Stoll


April and Aaron Headdy, Tristan and Tyler


Brian and Terra Tilley, Morgan and Madison


Joe Kline and Carrie Scott


Mari Clendenning


Linda Applegate


Vicki Alsop, Clarissa, Cassandra, Clayton

Welcome, Jeffrey!

Youth Minister Applicant Jeffrey Greathouse is with us at the church this weekend. He will lead Senior High Sunday School and Middle School Sunday Night Live. Youth are strongly encouraged to come meet Jeffrey and attend each of the events he will be leading. As for the adults, lets make sure to make Jeffrey feel welcome and loved! Introduce yourself and say "Hi!"

Got a blog?

Hey, Christ Church people - you got a blog?!

We're going to start putting together a blogroll on the side column of this page of different church member's blogs. Want to add your blog to the list? Just comment to this post and leave your address and we'll get you all linked up!

Thanks!

"Together" article

CLICK HERE for an online article entitled "Bishop appoints two new superintendents in North Indiana" that talks about Pastor Craig's new venture! There's also a great quote about Craig by the Methodist Bishop, Mike Coyner.

From Excluding to Including

Pastor Craig shared a great message on Sunday about moving from excluding to including. As Christians, we should see everyone as children of God and therefore all people are deserving of our love and respect, despite any disagreements we may have about their lives/behavior. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)

What stood out to you about this message? How are you doing in expanding your compassion and giving your love to ALL of humanity? What areas do you need to work on?

Oops! (E-mail Newsletter)

As was mentioned in worship on Sunday morning, the church's email newsletter mailing list has unfortunately been lost.

EVERYONE interested in receiving email newsletters from the church (with news, announcements, etc.) must submit (or re-submit) your email addresses and informatin. You can do this by sending an email to info@christumchurch.org with the subject line "Subscribe to E-newsletter" or by clicking here.

Ministries Page

The Ministries page on the church website has been updated with some "Featured Ministries." Please swing by and check it out.

Additionally, if you or your group would like to have your ministry featured on this page, please contact info@christumchurch.org.

The journey continues!

The church staff (Craig, Herb, Trevor, Carrie, Josh, Jack) met with our new pastor, Jim Farrer, yesterday for the first time. Although we're grieving that Craig and his family are moving on in June, we know that you'll love Pastor Jim - he's an amazing individual and we believe he's a perfect fit for Christ Church. Keep sending prayers to both Craig and family and Jim and family in this time of transition for our church community. The journey continues!

Pictures from the Spring Retreat!

From Apathy to Passion

Josh Dexter brought us an exciting and meaningful message last Sunday about moving from Apathy to Passion. Thanks, Josh. Anyone have any reflections from Josh's message? Did it spur you on to a greater passion for the things of God? Have you begun to think about letting go of the fear and anxiety that strangle passion?

Click the "Comments" link below to leave a comment and to continue the conversation!