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newsletter012013TRANSCRIPT
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CHURCH MO
NM
OU
TH
CH
RIS
TIAN
A GRAND ADVENTURE
2013 #1
God never intended for you and I to huddle around our friends who are the same age as us.
We will be embarking on a grand adventure. This will bethe kind of adventure that will cause us to swim against the stream;
against conventional wisdom.
THE MULTI-GENERATIONAL CHURCH
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Let me begin by simply saying thank you!Let me begin by simply saying thank you! 2012 was an incredible year forMonmouth Christian Church. Not only did we see lives changed and hope restored, but we were a part of a monumental feat; the transition of leader-ship after 26 years! I want to say thank you for the blessing you have been to me and my growing family!
Now to this magazine…
I’m glad you grabbed it! It is chock full of God’s heart. These articles come from the outpouring of what God is doing in the hearts of leadership of this church. I hope that after reading a few or all of these articles you will be en-couraged and as excited about our future as I am! God is going to do great things through us in this community and the world!
-Sean Bitzer
INDEXMCC Elders
Butch EvansDale HalliganDave WIldmanJon ScheirmanTom Hernandez
MCC Contact Information
959 Church St. WMonmouth, OR [email protected]
MCC Staff
Bobby DaltonConnie DoughertyEva SparksJared PreslerSean BitzerUlysses Vela
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The Multi-Generational Church
Why are We Uniting Services?
The Mystery of Prayer
More Seats = More Souls
A Movement in You
Fasting
God never intended for you and I to huddle around our friends who are the same age as us.
We read in Matthew that we need to love others as much as we love ourselves. Most of the time, for many, this is easier said than done. As leaders of this body of Christ, we strongly believe that God is leading us to take “loving others as ourselves” to a whole new level.
Some people today are not sure if prayer really makes a difference. They think, “Why would an all-knowing, all-powerful God need me to pray? Isn’t God going to do what He wants to do anyway?”
I hope you have felt some of this growth. I hope you have come and found someone in “your seat.” I hope you have seen and welcomed a new face. I hope you have had the fun of seeing someone you know attend for the first time.
The Christian life isn’t just about believing in Jesus, it’s about becoming like him. God doesn’t just want us to receive this gift of salvation – he wants us to respond to it.
“Do you think this is the kind of fast day I’m after: a day to show off humility? To put on a pious long face and parade around solemnly in black? Do you call that fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like?” “This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to break the chains of injustice, get rid of exploitation in the workplace, free the oppressed, cancel debts.”
A Grand Adventure
We will be embarking on a grand adventure. This will be the kind of adventure that will cause us to swim against the stream; against conventional wisdom.
07People on the Move................10
Missions Spotlight..................13 Upcoming Sermon Series..........26
ALL IN............................................17
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A Multi-Generational Church
We need each other.
Every other week I meet with my friend,
Ken Rawlings. He is a friend of mine who
is in his seventies, and every time we get
together, he challenges me and shares
truth and fresh perspectives with me.
Every breakfast that we eat together, it
starts with him asking me the question,
“So, what’s the update, Bobby?”
I share. He listens.
Words cannot describe the amount of
thankfulness and appreciation I feel
towards Ken. For him to just sit and ask
me questions about my life, genuinely
caring about every word that comes out
of my mouth means the world to me.
It revives me.
That is one picture of the importance
of the multi-generational church. God
never intended for you and I to huddle
around our friends who are the same age
as us. He is calling us to embrace people
of all different ages and backgrounds, to
encourage one another to move forward
in our life and relationship with God.
Your humility is determined by your
teachability. One of the greatest lies is
that you don’t need to learn anything
from anyone. That is where we must
humble ourselves, whether young or
old, and know that there is still more to
learn about life, God, and ourselves. No
matter what age we are, we must seek out
somebody older than us, to listen, speak
into our lives and pray for us. If you don’t
have that, pray that God would provide
somebody that would walk alongside
you and mentor and pray for you on your
journey.
We all have influence in somebody else’s
life.
The question is not - “Do I have influence?”
The question is - “Who do I have influence
of and am I stewarding that influence
well?” Somebody, somewhere, looks
up to you. Your first responsibility is to
identify who looks up to you. Your second
responsibility is to make sure that person
feels loved and heard. Just as Ken does
to me, are you asking the question, “So,
what’s the update?” to anyone?
Every week, I meet with one of my boys,
Osvaldo. And every week, I ask Osvaldo
the question, “So, what’s the update? Tell
me how things are going for ya?”
He shares. I listen.
You see, God has given me influence in
Osvaldo’s life, and Ken in my life.
What’s the importance of the multi-
generational church?
• I need Ken and Osvaldo needs me.
• I am heard and I’m given permission for
someone else to be heard.
• Ken points me to Jesus as I point
Osvaldo to Jesus.
Get the point?
I want to leave you with a couple of
questions.
1. Who is listening to you and pointing
you to Jesus?
2. Who in your life are you listening to and
pointing to Jesus?
Both are essential.
Bobby Dalton Translation by Ulysses Vela
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nos necesitamos unos a otros.
Cada dos semanas me reúno con mi
amigo, Ken Rawlings. Él es un amigo mío
que tiene unos setenta años, y cada vez
que nos reunimos, él me reta y comparte
verdades y nuevas perspectivas conmigo.
Cada desayuno que comemos juntos,
comienza con él y me hace la pregunta:
“Entonces, ¿Que hay de nuevo, Bobby?”
Yo comparto. Él escucha.
No hay palabras para describir la cantidad
de gratitud y aprecio que siento por Ken.
Para él solamente sentarse y hacerme
preguntas sobre mi vida, realmente
preocuparse por cada palabra que sale de
mi boca significa mucho para mí.
Me reanima.
Esa es una imagen de la importancia de
la iglesia multi-generacional. Dios nunca
quiso que usted y yo nomas nos juntaremos
con nuestros amigos que tienen la misma
edad que nosotros. Él nos llama a abrazar
a la gente de todas las edades y orígenes
distintos, para animarnos unos a otros
para seguir adelante en nuestra vida y
relación con Dios.
Tu humildad es determinado por tu poder
de aprender de alguien mas. Una de las
más grandes mentiras es que usted no
necesita aprender nada de nadie. Eso es
donde tenemos que humillarnos, ya seas
jóvene o viejo, saber que todavía hay
mucho que aprender acerca de la vida,
Dios y nosotros mismos. No importa la
La Iglesia Multi-Generacionaledad que tengamos, debemos buscar
a alguien mayor que nosotros, para
escucharnos,y hablar a nuestras vidas
y orar por nosotros. Si usted no tiene
alguien asi en su vida, ore para que Dios
proveería a alguien que camine a tu lado
y sea tu mentor, y ore por usted en tu
caminar.
Todos tenemos influencia en la vida de
otro.
La cuestión no es - “¿SI tengo influencia”
La pregunta es: - “¿Sobre quién tengo
influencia y si estoy usando esa
influencia en manera positiva” Alguien,
en algún lugar, te admira. Tu primera
responsabilidad es identificar quién te
admira. Tu segunda responsabilidad es
asegurarse de que esa persona se siente
amada y escuchada. Al igual que Ken
lo hace conmigo, ¿Estás haciendo la
pregunta: “Entonces, ¿Que hay de nuevo?”
A alguien?
Cada semana, me encuentro con uno de
mis muchachos, Osvaldo. Y cada semana,
le pregunto ha Osvaldo la pregunta:
“Entonces, ¿Que hay de nuevo? Dime
cómo van las cosas contigo? “
Él comparte. Yo escucho.
Es que Dios me ha dado influencia en la
vida de Osvaldo, y Ken en mi vida.
¿Cuál es la importancia de la iglesia multi-
generacional?
• Necesito Ken y Osvaldo me necesita.
• Me escuchan y permito que alguien más
sea escuchado.
• Ken me dirige a Jesús como yo dirigo
Vemos el punto?
Quiero terminar con un par de pregun-tas.1. ¿Quién te escucha y te dirige a Jesús?2. ¿Quién en tu vida estás escuchando y
dirigiendo a Jesús?
Ambos son esenciales.
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THE MYSTERYOF PRAYERGod’s Spirit continues to lead Christians into a life of prayer, that mysterious partnership of Jesus with His Church, so that the things that have been
prepared in heaven will become reality on earth
What do you know about prayer? If
you have been a Christian for very long,
you know something about prayer. You
probably know that it is talking to God
about the things that concern you most.
Some of us have seen God answer our
prayers, while some of us struggle with
praying and many don’t even bother to
pray.
Some people today are not sure if prayer
really makes a difference. They think,
“Why would an all-knowing, all-powerful
God need me to pray? Isn’t God going to
do what He wants to do anyway?” If your
view is, “whatever will be, will be” then
you also might ask, “why pray?”
As we look through the Scriptures, the Old
and New Testaments reveal that although
God is sovereign, He chose from the
beginning of time to work on the earth
through humans. He is in partnership
with us, not independent of us. Consider
this: When the disciples asked Jesus to
teach them to pray, Jesus tells them to ask
that God’s Kingdom would come and His
will would be done (Matthew 6:10). Why
would He tell us to ask for something He
was planning to do anyway? He continues
Connie Dougherty Translation by Ulysses Vela
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Prayer scriptures to meditate upon: Old Testament: Psalms 6:9; 54:2; 66:20; 102.17; 119:170 New Testament: Matthew 21:22; Luke 1:13; James 5:15-18; Colossians 4:2; Philippians 4:6 Use www.biblegateway.com to research all the scriptures about prayer.
to instruct them to ask for their daily
bread (Matthew 6:11). Doesn’t He know
what we need? Later, in Matthew 9, Jesus
tells us to pray for laborers to be sent into
the harvest. Why would the Lord of the
Harvest, who wants this more than we do,
need us to pray for laborers?
There is only one logical explanation: God
does nothing outside the realm of prayer
and intercession. The Bible is filled with
multiple urgings and invitations for us to
pray. Check out these few verses as you
consider this question, “why pray?”
PRAY BECAUSE GOD COMMANDS IT
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to
show that they should always pray and
never give up.” Luke 18:1. Never stop
praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
PRAY BECAUSE IT IS SINFUL TO NEGLECT
As for me, I will certainly not sin against
the LORD by ending my prayers for you. 1
Samuel 12:23
PRAY BECAUSE IT BRINGS GOD’S BLESSING
So if sinful people know how to give good
gifts to their children, how much more
will your heavenly Father give good gifts
to those who ask Him. Matthew 7:11
PRAY BECAUSE SINFUL MAN NEEDS GOD’S
MERCY
I tried to find someone who would pray
to Me for the land. Then I would not have
to destroy it. But I could not find anyone
who would pray for it. So I will pour out
my anger on its people. I will destroy them
because My anger burns against them.
And anything that happens to them will
be their own fault,’ says the Lord God.
Ezekiel 22:30-31
PRAY BECAUSE IT IS A CRITICAL WEAPON
GIVEN TO US FOR VICTORY OVER ALL THE
FORCES OF EVIL
God is strong, and he wants you strong.
So take everything the Master has set out
for you, well-made weapons of the best
materials. And put them to use so you will
be able to stand up to everything the Devil
throws your way. This is no afternoon
athletic contest that we’ll walk away from
and forget about in a couple of hours. This
is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the
finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You’re up against far more
than you can handle on your own. Take
all the help you can get, every weapon
God has issued, so that when it’s all over
but the shouting you’ll still be on your
feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith,
and salvation are more than words.
Learn how to apply them. You’ll need
them throughout your life. God’s Word
is an indispensable weapon. In the same
way, prayer is essential in this ongoing
warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your
brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open.
Keep each other’s spirits up so that no
one falls behind or drops out.
Ephesians 6:10-18 The Message
With such importance placed upon prayer
in God’s Word, it is not surprising that
God declares in both the Old and New
Testaments that prayer is a priority for
His people; “My house will be called a
house of prayer,” Isaiah 56.7 and “Is it not
written: ‘My house will be called a house
of prayer for all nations’? Mark 11:17.
Today, God’s Spirit continues to lead
Christians into a life of prayer, that
mysterious partnership of Jesus with His
Church, so that the things that have been
prepared in heaven will become reality
on earth. In light of this, what can you
do? Study God’s Word about prayer for
yourself. Let His Holy Spirit lead you. Read
what other Christians have written about
prayer. You may become excited about
what God wants to do through you, as you
pray. Then, begin to pray.
“If you call upon the Lord, He has
promised in His Word to answer, to bring
the unsaved to Himself, to pour out His
Spirit among us. If we don’t call upon the
Lord, He has promised nothing—nothing
at all. It’s as simple as that. No matter what
I preach or what we claim to believe in
our heads, the future will depend upon
our times of prayer. This is the engine that
will drive the church.”
Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire
SPACE HERE FOROTHER DETAILS
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EL MISTERIO DE LA ORACIóNEl Espíritu de Dios sigue guiando los cristianos a una vida de oración, esa
asociación misteriosa de Jesús con su Iglesia, para que las cosas que se han preparado en el cielo se convertirá en realidad en la tierra.
¿Qué sabe usted acerca de la oración?
Si usted ha sido cristiano por mucho
tiempo, usted sabe algo acerca de la
oración. Usted probablemente sabe
que es hablar con Dios acerca de las
cosas que le preocupan más. Algunos de
nosotros hemos visto a Dios contestar
nuestras oraciones, mientras que algunos
de nosotros luchamos con la oración y
muchos ni siquiera se molestan en orar.
Algunas personas hoy en día no están
seguros de si la oración realmente hace
la diferencia. Ellos piensan: “¿Por qué
un Dios omnisciente, omnipotente me
necesita para orar? ¿Como sea Dios va
a hacer lo que Él quiere hacer de todos
modos? “Si tu visión es:” lo que será, será
“, entonces también podrías preguntar,”
¿por qué orar? “
Al mirar a través de las Escrituras, el
Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento revelan que
aunque Dios es soberano, Él ha escogido
desde el principio de los tiempos trabajar
en la tierra a través de los seres humanos.
Él está asociado con nosotros, no es
independiente de nosotros. Considere
esto: Cuando los discípulos le pidieron a
Jesús que les enseñara a orar, Jesús les
dice que pidan que el Reino de Dios venga
Connie Dougherty Translation by Ulysses Vela
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Escrituras adicionales para meditar con respecto a la oración:Antiguo Testamento: Salmos 6:09; 54:2; 66:20; 102,17; 119:170Nuevo Testamento: Mateo 21:22; Lucas 1:13; Santiago 5:15-18; Colosenses 4:2; Filipenses 4:6Utilice www.biblegateway.com para investigar todas las escrituras acerca de la oración.
y que Su voluntad sea hecha (Mateo 6:10).
¿Por qué Él nos dijo que pedieramos algo
que él pensaba hacer de todos modos?
Sigue dandoles instrucciones para pedir
su pan de cada día (Mateo 6:11). ¿No sabe ya
lo que necesitamos? Más tarde, en Mateo
9, Jesús nos dice que debemos orar por
obreros para ser enviados a la cosecha.
¿Por qué el Señor de la mies, que quiere
esta cosecha más que nosotros, necesita
que oremos por obreros?
Sólo hay una explicación lógica: Dios no
hace nada fuera de la esfera de la oración
y la intercesión. La Biblia está llena de
exhortaciones e invitaciones múltiples
para nosotros orar. Echa un vistazo a estos
pocos versos al considerar esta pregunta,
“¿por qué orar?”
OREMOS PORQUE DIOS LO MANDA
Un día Jesús le dijo a sus discípulos una
historia para mostrar que debían orar
siempre y sin desanimarse. “Lucas 18:1.
Nunca dejes de orar. 1 Tesalonicenses 5:17
OREMOS PORQUE ES PECADO DESCUIDAR
LA ORACION
En cuanto a mí, que el Señor me libre
de pecar contra el dejando de orar por
ustedes. 1 Samuel 12:23
OREMOS PORQUE TRAE LA BENDICIóN DE
DIOS
Pues si ustedes, aun siendo malos, saben
dar cosas buenas a sus hijos, ¿cuánto más
vuestro Padre celestial dará cosas buenas
a los que le pidan. Mateo 7:11
OREMOS PORQUE EL HOMBRE PECADOR
NECESITA LA MISERICORDIA DE DIOS
Traté de encontrar a alguien a quien le
ora a mí por la tierra. Entonces no tendría
que destruirla. Pero no pude encontrar a
nadie que iba a orar por ella. Así que voy
a derramar mi ira sobre su pueblo, los
destruiré, con el fuego de mi ira. Y todo
lo que les sucede será por su propia culpa,
dice el Señor Dios. Ezequiel 22:30-31
OREMOS PORQUE ES UN ARMA
FUNDAMENTAL QUE NOS DA LA VICTORIA
SOBRE LAS FUERzAS DEL MAL
Dios es fuerte, y él quiere que estes firme.
Así que toma todo lo que el Maestro ha
establecido para ti, armas bien hechas
de los mejores materiales. Y ponlas en
práctica para que seas capaz de hacer
frente a todo lo que el diablo pone a tu
camino. Esto no es un concurso deportivo
que vamos a olvidar y en un par de horas.
Esto es para siempre, una lucha de vida
o muerte hasta el final contra el diablo y
todos sus ángeles.
Esté preparado. Usted está en contra
mucho más de lo que puedes manejar por
ti mismo. Tome toda la ayuda que puedas
conseguir, cada arma que Dios ha emitido,
para que cuando todo ha terminado,
menos el grito que todavía estarás de
pie. La verdad, la justicia, la paz, la fe y la
salvación son más que palabras. Aprenda
cómo aplicarlos. Usted los va a necesitar a
lo largo de su vida. La Palabra de Dios es un
arma indispensable. De la misma manera,
la oración es esencial en esta guerra. Ore
duro y largo. Ore por vuestros hermanos
y hermanas. Mantenga sus ojos abiertos.
Mantenganse animando unos con otros
de modo que nadie se queda atrás o se
detengan. Efesios 6:10-18 El Mensaje
Con tal importancia puesta sobre la
oración en la Palabra de Dios, no es
de extrañar que Dios declara, tanto en
el Antiguo y Nuevo Testamento que la
oración es una prioridad para su pueblo:
“Mi casa será llamada casa de oración”,
Isaías 56,7 y “¿No está escrito: Mi casa será
llamada casa de oración para todas las
naciones? Marcos 11:17.
Hoy en día, el Espíritu de Dios sigue
guiando los cristianos a una vida de
oración, esa asociación misteriosa de
Jesús con su Iglesia, para que las cosas que
se han preparado en el cielo se convertirá
en realidad en la tierra. A la luz de esto,
¿qué puedes hacer? Estudiar la Palabra de
Dios acerca de la oración por ti mismo.
Que el Espíritu Santo te guíe. Lea lo que
otros cristianos han escrito acerca de la
oración. Es posible que se sienta deseoso
de lo que Dios quiere hacer a través de
usted, al orar. Luego, comience a orar.
“Si usted llama al Señor, Él ha prometido
en Su Palabra responder, para traer a los
inconversos a sí mismo, para derramar
su Espíritu en medio de nosotros. Si no
invocan al Señor, Él ha prometido nada,
nada en absoluto. Es tan simple como
eso. No importa lo que predica o lo que
dicemos creer en nuestras cabezas, el
futuro dependerá de nuestro tiempo de
oración. Este es el motor que impulsará la
iglesia.” Jim Cymbala, Viento Fresco, Fresh Fire
SPACE HERE FOROTHER DETAILS
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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
We are called to have a deeper faith that will strengthen our convictions. We are called to
live faith through our lifestyle. We are called to pray, worship, love, forgive, rejoice, and
serve. We are called to do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility
of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves.
Danielle works with a parachurch
organization called “Young Lives.” This
ministry seeks to love and serve single
teenage mothers in a way that would lead
them to the love of Christ. Through life
experiences, Danielle has a huge heart for
these girls and their children.
Every Tuesday at 11:50am Independence Baptist is packed with nearly 150 adults and high schoolers. They are all there to get some great food and hear the gospel. This all happens because of a small group of ladies (several who attend our church) who love Jesus and want high schoolers to know Jesus.
Tim Pflaum leads a small group of volun-teers ever week, rain or shine, holiday or not. They serve the needy with food and clothes. They sacrifice time out of their week to unload, sort, and distribute food. All because they have experienced the love of Christ and now share his love for the less fortunate.
Danielle Ottinger Helping HandsTuesday Lunch Ladies
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A
MOVEMENT IN YOUTHE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT JESUS IS THAT HE SAVES US, REDEEMS
US, RESURRECTS US - NOT BASED UPON wHAT wE DO, BUT BECAUSE OF wHAT HE HAS DONE.
Faith or works?
This on-going question has become
exhausting. As it’s been brought to my
attention, I’ve explored the significance of
this question in relation to the Bible.
There are many people who boldly and
loudly proclaim that “what we do doesn’t
matter – it’s all about faith!” The verses
that are most often quoted with this
proclamation are Ephesians 2:8-9:
“For it is by grace you have been saved
through faith – and this is not your own
doing; it is a gift from God – not by works,
so that no one can boast.”
The beautiful thing about Jesus is that he
saves us, redeems us, resurrects us – not
based upon what we do, but because of
what he has done. Only because of Jesus
can we be saved. But…it’s as if we’ve
missed something – something extremely
important and significant.
Following the verse quoted above, there is
a verse that is a game changer.
Ephesians 2:10 reads:
“For we are God’s workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus to do good works, which
God prepared in advance for us to do.”
The verses in Ephesians show us the
significance of both:
We are saved through faith for works.
Our salvation is about God’s love for us
– the Christian life is our response to his
love. The Christian life isn’t just about
believing in Jesus, it’s about becoming
like him. God doesn’t just want us to
receive this gift of salvation – he wants us
to respond to it.
Recently I sat down with my friend, Tim
Pflaum, who runs the ministry, Helping
Hands. He shared with me that the
volunteers of Helping Hands put food in
boxes every week and give it willingly to
families in need.
I saw his love and deep passion for what
he does.
Tim isn’t just sitting around asking the
question “faith or works?” because to
him - they are so inter-connected. When I
asked Tim why he does what he does, he
shared with me that it gives him purpose.
Maybe the reason why we feel like we
have no purpose at times is because we
BOBBY DALTON
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• On January 13th, we had very informative congregational meeting. At the beginning of each year, we look to what God might be doing with us in the coming year. Below you will find some of the bullet points of our conversation about where we believe God is leading us in this New Year.
• March 17, 2013 will be a historic day in our church! We will become a truly multi-lingual church. We will no longer separate by ethnicity, but instead we will join together as one body, as one church. This is an exciting oppor-tunity. (For more on this subject, see “Why Are We Uniting Services?” on page 13.)
• March 31, 2013 will see one other change. In order to accommodate our growth, seasonal growth, and the inclu-sion of the Spanish congregation, we will be going to two services. Services will be at 9 am and 11 am. We will return to one service for the summer. (For more on this subject, see “More Seats = More Souls” on page 18.)
• During the month of February, we will be participating in an experiment. We will be participating in an adjusted order of service. We are excited to hear about your experiences with this new order of service. (For more on this subject, see “A Grand Adventure” on page 24.)
• We are currently participating in a month of prayer culminating with a week of fasting in accordance with our current sermon series, “ALL IN.” Join us Tuesday evenings from 7-8 pm in the Worship Center for corporate prayer. (For more on this subject, see “Fasting” on page 22 and “The Mystery of Prayer” on page 6.)
• This year’s budget was presented as approved by the Elders. If you would like a copy, please stop by the office.
have bought into the lie that the Christian
life isn’t about what we do - which robs us
of our purpose…
I then asked him what his response would
be to the people who think that feeding
the poor and taking care of people isn’t the
church’s role, it’s for other organizations.
He responded, “We are showing people
love – if people, like these volunteers, are
SPACE HERE FOROTHER DETAILS
willing to extend a hand, then why stop
them?”
You see, Tim and his team don’t serve
to obtain God’s love; they serve because
they have God’s love – and he has a plan
for them.
God has a plan for you.
Because you’ve already obtained salvation
– you’ve already received the love of God.
Now, God wants to begin a movement in
you and through you.
This leaves us with the inviting question:
How are you responding to the love of
God with good works?
WHAT YOU MISSED...
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MISSION SPOTLIGHT
Christian Evangelistic Association
wHY START A NEw CHURCH?
CEA is not a missionary we support, but instead a mission. CEA is a church planting organization. CEA has partnered with us to plant Dallas Church (our first church plant in our 157 year history) and Corvallis Church. We are blessed to have the opportunity and resources to partner with CEA in spreading the gospel all throughout the northwest. Here is a word from CEA about what they do and why it is important…
Not a single county in the US has a higher percentage of churched people than it did a decade ago. Out of 194 nations, only 11 have more unchurched people than the United States and the Pacific Northwest ranks as the US’s most un-churched region. Churches are losing ground - fast. Lost people matter to God and church planting is one of the most effective means of evangelism.
CEA currently oversees 16 Church Plants from Canada to Denver.
In 1961, 27 visionary leaders met in west Seattle Christian Church with a dream of reaching the Puget Sound area for Christ through the planting of churches patterned after the New Testament.
Our vision is to encourage a church planting movement resulting in the planting of 100 new churches across the Northwest.
14
WHY ARE WEUNITING SERVICES?we know that as long as God is leading the way, we are unstoppable as the
people of God Almighty.
We read in Matthew that we need to love
others as much as we love ourselves.
Most of the time, for many, this is easier
said than done. As leaders of this body
of Christ, we strongly believe that God
is leading us to take “loving others as
ourselves” to a whole new level. The
way we are faithfully moving ahead is
by having one multi-cultural, multi-
generational, multi-lingual church.
You may be asking yourself, “Is this
even possible?” The answer is “Yes, all is
possible with God.” This is not to say that
it will be easy or that we can do it without
you. Can we stop for just a minute and let
our minds imagine a church service that
reflects our community? A church where
you can sing in English, Spanish, or both.
A church where you can hear the sermon
in English, Spanish, or even Chinese. This
is a picture of what I believe God imagines
when he calls us to be one body in Christ.
Wow, what a beautiful picture!
Today, our Hispanic service is no longer
only in Spanish or for only the foreign-
born. It has been slowly evolving into a
multi-cultural, multi-generational, and
bilingual church service. Many Hispanic
families are now speaking more English
at home than Spanish, some families have
one parent that speaks fluent Spanish and
the other speaks fluent English. Take,
for example, my youngest daughter who
is 8 years old. She is no longer as fluent
in Spanish as in English, even though
Spanish was her first language.
This new beginning as a united church
is going to be a great blessing; opening
up various ministry opportunities and
bringing reinforcements for ministries
already established. We will be reaching
first, second, third, and even fourth
generation Hispanic families. This
approach is not being done in any other
church in our area. We will be a church
where you can bring your family no
matter what language or languages are
spoken at home; where you will be able to
understand, be loved, and accepted. The
impact we will have in our community
as a multi-cultural, multi-generational,
and multi-lingual church is going to be
nothing short of amazing!
We know and understand that the
unknown can be scary and a little nerve-
racking at times. Embracing the unknown
also means that we must be dependent
on the Holy Spirit to lead us to what is
best to further advance God’s Kingdom.
There is no set of instructions for uniting
services so it is going to be a learning
process for all involved. During this time
of uniting services, we will feel and be
uncomfortable occasionally, which is
perfectly normal and to be expected. We
know that as long as God is leading the
way, we are unstoppable as the people of
God Almighty.
Now we are inviting you to come and join
us on this journey; this new chapter in the
history of Monmouth Christian Church.
We are asking you to join us in praying
that God will lead us step by step in this
journey. Pray that he fills us with his love,
patience, grace, mercy, strength, wisdom,
and anything else that we might need.
Most importantly, pray that we are in his
will and not our own.
Ulysses Vela
THIS NEw BEGINNING AS A UNITED CHURCH IS
GOING TO BE A GREAT BLESSING; OPENING
UP VARIOUS MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
AND BRINGING REINFORCEMENTS FOR
MINISTRIES ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
15
¿POR qUé ESTAMOS UNIENDO SERVICIOS?
Cuando Dios está guiando el camino, somos imparables como pueblo, de Dios Todopoderoso.
¿Tienes una relación con tu vecino de
al lado, sus compañeros de trabajo, o la
gente en el otro servicio que hablan en
un idioma diferente? No estoy hablando
de una relacion de hola y adiós o una
conversación del tiempo, estoy hablando
de algo genuine, real, pasando un tiempo
juntos, conocer el cónyuge de cada uno
y ha los niños-una relacion verdadera.
Leemos en Mateo que debemos amar a
los demás tanto como a nosotros mismos,
que la mayoría de las veces para muchos
es más fácil decir que de hacer. Como
líderes de este cuerpo de Cristo estamos
convencidos de que Dios nos está llevando
a tomar amar a otros como a nosotros
mismos a un nivel completamente nuevo
y la manera en que estamos fielmente
avanzando es teniendo un servicio que
es multicultural, multigeneracional, y
bilingüe.
Usted puede preguntarse es esto posible
y la respuesta es que todo es posible
con Dios, pero esto no quiere decir
que sea fácil o que podemos hacerlo
sin ti. ¿Podemos parar por un minuto y
dejar que nuestra mente imaginar un
servicio de una iglesia que refleja nuestra
comunidad donde usted puede cantar en
Inglés, Español, o ambos, y escuchar el
sermón en Inglés, Español, o incluso en
Chino, verdaderamente ser lo que yo creo
Dios se imagina que nosotros somos un
solo cuerpo en Cristo, wow, qué imagen
tan hermoso.
Hoy en día el servicio hispano ya no es
sólo en español y sólo para el nacido en
el extranjero. Aquí en MCC se ha hido
convirtiendo poco a poco en un servicio
multicultural, multigeneracional y
bilingüe ya. Muchas familias hispanas
están hablando más Inglés en casa que
Español, algunas familias tienen un padre
que habla con fluidez el Español y el
otro habla con fluidez Inglés o toma por
ejemplo, mi hija menor, que tiene 8 años
ya no habla el Español como el Inglés ,
siendo Español su primera lengua.
Este nuevo comienzo como una Iglesia
con servicio unida va a ser una gran
bendición, van a ver varias oportunidades
nuevas para ministerios y va ayudar
reforzar otro ministerios ya establecidos.
Vamos alcansar a las familias hispanas
desde primera, segunda, tercera y
hasta cuarta generación, que no se está
haciendo en cualquier iglesia en nuestra
comunidad que conocemos o hemos
oído hablar. Vamos a ser un iglesia con
un servicio donde te puedes traer a tu
familia sin importar el idioma o idiomas
que se hablan en casa, ser capaz de
comprender lo que se esta hablando,
ser amado y aceptado. El impacto que
tendrá en nuestra comunidad una
iglesia multicultural, multigeneracional
y bilingüe va a ser poco menos que
increíble!
Sabemos y entendemos que lo
desconocido puede ser aterrador y te
puede poner un poco nervioso a veces,
pero lo desconocido también significa
que dependemos en el Espíritu Santo
que nos guíe a lo que es mejor para
seguir avanzando el reino de Dios.
No hay un libro de instrucciones para
empezar un servicio bilingüe por lo que
va a ser un proceso de aprendizaje para
todos los involucrados. Durante este
tiempo de unirnos en un servicio, nos
sentirámos y será incómodo a veces, que
es perfectamente normal y esperado pero
siempre y cuando Dios está guiando el
camino, somos imparables como pueblo,
de Dios Todopoderoso.
Ahora te estamos invitando a venir y
unirte a nosotros en este viaje, este nuevo
capítulo en la historia de MCC. Pedimos
que toda la iglesia estará orando para
que Dios nos lleva paso a paso en este
viaje y nos guíe en este nuevo camino.
Que Él nos llena de su amor, paciencia,
gracia, misericordia, fuerza, sabiduría,
y cualquier otra cosa que puedamos
necesitar, también lo más importante que
estamos en su voluntad y no la nuestra.
16
EVERY ONCE IN A wHILE GOD GIVES US SOMETHING BIG TO DO, BUT EVERY DAY HE GIVE US SOMETHING SMALL TO DO. THOSE SMALL THINGS
MAkE A DIFFERENCE.
In April 1994, Rwanda (an African country half the size of the state of Maryland) experienced one of history’s most atro-cious genocides. In just 100 days, close to one million ethnic Tutsi and moderate Hutu sympathizers lost their lives to the hands of extremist Hutu militia.
The 1994 genocide that left so many innocent people either dead, orphaned, or widowed has now become a focal point of the global community. In the wake of civil war, Rwanda made a commitment to national restoration. The government called upon the church to lead the country in reconciliation and asked the outside world to support them as it looked to heal and eradicate poverty, disease, and illiteracy.
In 2005, Jonathan Golden, founder of Land of a Thousand Hills, recognized a simple and tangible opportunity to make a difference in the reconciliation of the Rwandan people. This realization led Golden to start a coffee company that pays a fair wage to the farmers of Rwanda, helps them with their basic needs, and brings a quality product to coffee lovers.
The introduction of specialty coffee to the healing fields of Rwanda proved to be an uncommon opportunity for once warring countrymen to not only rebuild their homesteads, but to work together toward lasting peace. A commitment to excellence in coffee has brought dignity and hope to a nation that history suggested would never recover.
Now, Land of a Thousand Hills has reached beyond the borders of Rwanda to bring dignity and hope to Haiti, Thailand, and other parts of the globe. We partner with farmers and local community leaders to develop the coffee into a sustain-able income, pay a just Living Wage, and strive to further meet the needs of the people. When you buy Land of a Thou-sand Hills, you are receiving coffee that is 100% Arabica, fairly traded, and roasted fresh. Your excellent morning cup is offering hope to these developing coffee communities with each purchase.
Drink Coffee. Do Good
we are proudly brewing Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee. Every Sunday we brew Muraho Morning for all of our drip coffee. Holy Grounds
Espresso bar in the Latte Lobby crafts all speciality drinks with Vooba Vooba Adventure Espresso.
we also have several blends for purchase on Sunday mornings
monmouth christian church
17
ARE YOU?Life is most fully found when we are most fully committed to
Christ. we are inviting you to go all in with Christ this year. Join us for this powerful series. Are you ALL IN?
Jan 6 At warJan 13 Committed to the mission
Jan 20 Committed to diversityJan 27 Committed to discipleship
Feb 3 why we fight
18
MORE SEATS = MORE SOULS
SEAN BITZER
AS LONG AS SOMEONE IS ALIVE wHO DOES NOT kNOw THE SAVING GRACE AND LIFE FOUND IN CHRIST, wE wILL SEEk TO GROw.
March is a transitional month of the year here in the valley. Normally we are blessed with our first week of nice, dry weather. We all kick on our air conditioners for the first time in seven months when it reaches a blis-tering 76 degrees. (Do not fear, it will rain on spring break.) We may spend our first Saturday of the year devoted to “spring cleaning.” With the com-pletion of college, basketball we also say good-bye to any valuable tele-vised sporting events until August. This is a month of transition.
So too will it be here during the month of March. The most dramat-ic change we have to look forward to will be in regards to our move to unite with our Spanish speaking
brothers and sisters. (You can read more about that on page 14.) The other change that will occur two weeks later will be our return to two services. Both are extremely excit-ing changes that will definitely take some adjusting to.
I want to take a few moments and address some of the motivation and ideas behind our move to two servic-es this spring. For those interested, I would love to share some statistical information. If this will bore you, please (don’t stop reading) jump down to “I hope you have felt...”
For the statistics… We are growing! That is exciting! We average about two new families a week who fill out a card (that doesn’t count the un-known number who come, but don’t fill out a card, because they’re not ready, they come late, or they forget). If we keep that pace, it means we will have over 100 new families seek information this year. In our first “joining the team” class last October, we added nine new members and
baptized one. Our adult attendance this last fall in the English service increased by 21%. Small group partic-ipation has doubled since September. Our nursery has grown from 2-4 on weekly basis to more than 10 weekly. As of December, we regularly have between 220-240 adults in service on Sunday morning. (That number does not include a single child or adult in the Living Tree Children’s Center.)
I hope you have felt some of this growth. I hope you have come and found someone in “your seat.” I hope have seen and welcomed a new face. I hope you have had the fun of seeing someone you know attend for the first time. I hope you have been in the Children’s Center and seen the
we are growing! That
is exciting!
I hope you have come and found
someone in “your seat.”
19
laughter (and tears) of more and more kids each week. It is exciting and joyous times!
Some will celebrate the current growth with us only to turn and ask the common question, “When is enough? When can we take a breath? When will we be big enough?”
Can I be honest?
The answer is never!
II Peter says this, “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, belov-ed…The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wish-ing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” God’s desire is that no man might perish. John 3:16 tells us that “God so love the world…” That means every person, every place
throughout all time. John 1:7 says, “(John) came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.” That word all doesn’t mean most; it means all. God’s desire, and his calling on us, is for every soul. As long as someone is alive who does not know the saving grace and life found in Christ, we will
seek to grow.
Our goal is not a larger facility or a bigger attendance number. Every time our attendance increases by one that is one soul that will hear the gospel. Our prayer is that they accept his grace and they will spend eternity
in Heaven with Christ.
Let me end with this final question. Do you have a brother, an aunt, a cousin, a son, a niece or a grandpar-ent who does not know Christ? Is it worth the risk of being uncomforta-ble for this temporary life if it means that they might spend eternity in Heaven with you?
Lord, grow your flock that all might know you. This is our prayer. Amen.
God’s desire, and his calling
on us, is for every soul
As long as someone is alive who does
not know the saving grace and life found
in Christ, we will seek to grow.
Lord, grow your flock that all might know you. This is our prayer. Amen.
20
MÁS ASIENTOS = MÁS ALMAS
SEAN BITZER TRANSLATION BY ULYSSES VELA
MIENTRAS ALGUIEN ESTá VIVO, qUE NO CONOCE LA GRACIA qUE SALVA Y LA VIDA ENCONTRADA EN CRISTO, TRATAREMOS DE CRECER.
Marzo es un mes de transición del año aquí en el valle. Normalmente hemos sido bendecidos con nuestra primera semana de tiem-po agradable. Todos prendemos los acondicionadores de aire por primera vez en siete meses cuan-do llega a un calor de 76 grados. (No tengas miedo, que va a llover en las vacaciones de primavera.) Podemos pasar nuestro prim-er sábado del año dedicado a la “limpieza de primavera.” Con la finalización de baloncesto
del colegio también decimos adiós a las valiosas eventos de-portivos televisados hasta agosto. Este es un mes de transición.
Así que durante el mes de Marzo. El cambio más dramático que tenemos que podemos esperar
ver es en lo que respecta nuestra union con nuestros hermanos y hermanas que hablan Español. (Puedes leer más sobre esto en la página 14.) El otro cambio que se producirá para Pascua será nuestro regreso a dos servicios. Ambos son cambios muy excit-antes que sin duda tendremos que ser algunos ajustes.
Quiero tomar un momento y explicar algunas de las motiva-ciones y las ideas detrás de nues-tro movimiento para dos servici-os para esta primavera. Para los interesados me gustaría compar-tir algunos datos estadísticos. Si esto te aburre por favor (no dejas de leer) salta hacia pagina 21 “Es-pero que usted se ha sentido ...”
Para las estadísticas ... Estamos
creciendo! Esto es emocion-ante! Tenemos un promedio de cerca de dos nuevas familias a la semana que llena una tarjeta (que no cuenta el número de-sconocido que viene, pero no llena una tarjeta, debido a que no estan listos, llegan tarde, o sé olvidan). Si mantenemos este ritmo significa que tendremos 100 nuevas familias buscando información este año. En nuestro primer “unirse al equipo” clase en octubre pasado hemos añadido 9 nuevos miembros y bautizados 1. Nuestra asistencia adulto en el otoño pasado en el servicio Inglés aumentó en un 21%. Participación en grupos pequeños
se ha duplicado desde septiem-bre. Nuestro vivero ha crecido de 2-4 cada semana a más de 10 por semana. A partir de diciembre
Estamos creciendo!
Esto es emocionante!
Espero que hayan llegado
y encontrado a alguien en “su
asiento.”
El deseo de Dios y su llamado a
nosotros, es para cada alma
21
Señor, crece su rebaño para que to-dos puedan conocerte. Esta es nuestra
oración. Amen.
que regularmente tenemos entre 220 a 240 adultos en servicio en la mañana domingo. (Ese núme-ro no incluye a un solo niño o adulto en el Centro Infantil Arbol Viviente.)
Espero que ustedes se han sen-tido parte de este crecimien-to. Espero que hayan llegado y encontrado a alguien en “su asiento.” Espero que he visto y dio la bienvenida a una nueva cara. Espero que hayan tenido el placer de ver a alguien que usted conoce asistir por primera vez. Espero que haya ido ha el Centro para Niños y visto las risas (y lágrimas) de los niños que crece más y más cada
semana. Es una época excitante y alegre!
Algunos celebran el crecimien-to actual con nosotros sólo para hacer la pregunta común: “¿Cuándo es suficiente? ¿Cuán-do podemos tomar un respiro? Cuando es lo suficientemente grande? “
¿Puedo ser honesto?
La respuesta es nunca!
II Pedro dice esto: “Pero no deje que este hecho escape de su mirada, amados ... El Señor no se tarda en su promesa, según algunos la tienen por tardanza, sino que es paciente para con nosotros, no queriendo queninguno perezca, sino que todos procedan al arrepentimiento. “El deseo de Dios es que nadie perez-ca. Juan 3:16 nos dice que “Dios ama al mundo ...” Esto significa que cada persona, cada lugar a lo largo de todos los tiempos. Juan 1:7 dice, “(Juan) vino como un testigo, para dar testimonio de la luz, para que todos creyeran por medio de él.” Esa palabra todos no significa mayoria, sino que signifi-ca todos. El deseo de Dios y su llamado a nosotros, es para cada alma. Mientras alguien está vivo, que no conoce la gracia que salva y la vida encontrada en Cristo,
trataremos de crecer.
Nuestro objetivo no es una insta-lación más grande o un número de asistencia más grande. Cada vez que nuestra asistencia se in-crementa por uno es un alma que escucha el evangelio y (nuestra oración es que aceptan su gracia} y ellos pasarán la eternidad en el cielo con Cristo.
Permítanme terminar con esta última pregunta. ¿Tiene un her-mano, una tía, un primo, un hijo, una sobrina o un abuelo que no conoce a Cristo? ¿Vale la pena el riesgo de estar incómodo para esta vida temporal si esto signifi-ca que podrían pasar la eternidad en el cielo con usted?
Señor, crece su rebaño para que todos puedan conocerte. Esta es nuestra oración. Amen.
Mientras alguien está vivo, que no conoce la
gracia que salva y la vida encontrada en
Cristo, trataremos de crecer.
22
wHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF FASTING?
Among many other topics, fasting is
one of the most misinterpreted and
unexplained. Instead of giving my
own two cents on the topic, I want to
direct our attention to God’s Word.
Isaiah 58 reads:
BOBBY DALTON
F A S T I N G
“Do you think this is the kind of fast
day I’m after: a day to show off humility?
To put on a pious long face and parade
around solemnly in black? Do you call that
fasting, a fast day that I, God, would like?”
“This is the kind of fast day I’m after: to
break the chains of injustice, get rid of
FASTING IS THE ACT OF ABSTAINING FROM FOOD - A PHYSICAL, ESSENTIAL NEED - TO PREPARE US TO DO wHAT GOD IS CALLING US TO DO.
exploitation in the workplace, free the
oppressed, cancel debts.”
God explains what fasting isn’t - it’s not to
mope around in misery and act like you’re
enduring suffering for him. God explains
that fasting was meant to prepare us to
23
care for people who are suffering.
Matthew 4 reads:
“Jesus was taken into the wild by the
Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to
give it.
Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty
days and forty nights.”
Here we see Jesus fasting - not for God’s
approval - but to prepare him for the test
and temptations that were going to be
given to him by Satan.
Matthew 6 reads:
“One day as they were worshipping
God—they were also fasting as they waited
for guidance—the Holy Spirit spoke: “Take
Barnabas and Saul and commission them
for the work I have called them to do.”
Here we see the Overseers of the early
church fasting in preparation to hear
from the
Holy Spirit for guidance.
So what is fasting?
Is it caring for people who suffer?
Is it passing a test from Satan?
Is it not giving into temptation?
Is it hearing from the Holy Spirit?
Fasting itself is none of these things.
Fasting is the act of abstaining from food
- a physical, essential need - to prepare us
to do what God is calling us to do. Fasting
brings clarity as to what God is doing.
It’s about taking our eyes off the material
and fixing them on the spiritual. God
is continually working among us - and
fasting helps us bring clarity to what he is
already doing.
Many people have a misconception that
fasting is about resisting - that we are to
do our best to resist food. The truth is,
fasting isn’t about resisting - it’s about
refocusing. God never calls people to
resist food just to make them cranky - he
calls people to focus their attention off
their own needs and refocus onto what
he’s doing.
Fasting isn’t about self-denial as much as
it’s about self-awareness. By fasting you
are making yourself more aware to what
God is speaking and doing in the world.
Fasting isn’t the act God calls us to - it’s
preparation for what God calls us to.
Fasting is the preparation for -
• caring for others
• overcoming temptation
• hearing from the Spirit
• suffering
In February 2013, we will have a church-
wide fast for a week. Everyone in the
church will be asked to fast for at least one
day of that week - abstaining from food
and praying for what God is calling us to.
During this time, God will be preparing us
- making us aware of what he is doing in
our lives individually and what he is doing
with our church collectively. Together, we
will be refocusing our attention to what
Jesus Christ is doing in our lives and in
our community.
Fasting isn’t the act
God calls us to - it’s
preparation for what God
calls us to.
24
church, a Nazarene Church or a Non-
denominational Church you will likely
find a very similar order. How is it that
churches across the nation with varying
denominational, theological, and
geographical characteristics would end
up with the same order of service?
A brief history lesson…It hasn’t always
been this way. In fact, for most of church
history it was rather different. If you were
to attend a Catholic Mass this weekend
you would see the same order of service
that has dominated the western world
for the last 1500 years (with less Latin ,of
course). In a Mass, the pinnacle of the
service is communion. The purpose for
This February we will be engaging in an experiment.
We will be embarking on a grand
adventure. This will be the kind of
adventure that will cause us to swim
against the stream; against conventional
wisdom. If you choose to join us in this
adventure, you will be asked to buck
the trend of hundreds of years of church
tradition. Won’t you join us?
This February we will be experimenting
with a new order of service. Ok, so I admit,
not quite as world changing as I made it
sound, but different all the same.
Before I share with you the reasons we
want to try this out, it is first important
to understand the history behind why
we even do things the way we do them
now. Have you ever wondered why almost
every church you have ever attended
seems to have a very similar order of
service? Regardless of whether you
visit a Baptist Church, a Calvary Chapel
A GRAND ADVENTUREwE wILL BE EMBARkING ON A GRAND ADVENTURE. THIS wILL BE THE kIND OF ADVENTURE THAT wILL CAUSE US TO SwIM AGAINST THE STREAM; AGAINST CONVENTIONAL wISDOM.
SEAN BITZER
These two movements forever
altered much of what we know
about church life, tradition, and
practice today.
I believe that we were created
for worship; not singing, but
worship.
gathering is to partake in the sacraments
(take communion). Thus, the service order
is designed in order to prepare you for the
partaking of the sacraments.
This all changed with the development of
two historical periods; the enlightenment
and the protestant reformation. These
two movements and the motivations
behind them are so intertwined, it is often
difficult to identify which movement
influenced the other in differing arenas.
For simplicities sake, we are going to
address them as equally influential. These
two movements forever altered much of
what we know about church life, tradition,
and practice today.
These two movements put a great value
on knowledge and truth. Faith, on many
levels, was no longer sufficient; it had to
25
What if knowledge is simply a means to
an end? What if the purpose of corporate
gatherings was bigger than a religious
teaching time? What if we, as a church,
were built for something more?
I believe that we were created for worship;
not singing, but worship. I believe that
we were built to find the most joy when
we find ourselves most full, focused on
exalting Christ. How does the old song
go…
I believe that at our core we were built
and find the most joy when we worship.
be knowable. If it (any idea or belief) was
knowable then it only made sense that we
must teach it. Thus, church began to
emphasis the importance of knowing.
This drove men like Luther and Wycliff
to translate the Bible into the common
language that men might know what the
Bible says. Sermons began to become
longer and longer and were sometimes
even referred to as teachings. The
emphasis of the Protestant Church moved
from the sacraments to the educating or
teaching portion. Thus, today we have
adopted an order of service that enables
us to prepare ourselves for what is most
important; (not communion, but) the
teaching of the Word.
This philosophy has served us well for
many years. It is, in fact, a very good order
with great intentions and great value. But,
what if knowledge wasn’t actually the
goal? What if knowledge is insufficient?
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful faceAnd the things
of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace.
MonmouthChristian.orgShort update on our website
Projected Launch DateMay 2013
In the past we have provided a website
that fulfilled some basic needs. It had
most of the information you would
want to find but updates were rare.
The website is a vital communications
tool not only for you but for many
who are seeking for a church.
We are in the process of creating a
website that will help us care for you and
reach more in our community. Continue
to visit monmouthchrisitan.org as we will
continually update and expand until we
launch the full site.
So what if the purpose of our corporate
gatherings was not knowledge, but
worship? What if the only value in
knowledge is when it draws us to worship?
This is the heart behind our experiment.
It is desire that singing, communion, and
offering (acts of corporate worship) not
be seen as preparation for what is really
important, the sermon. Instead I am
hopeful that the sermon, the things we
learn, might prepare us and draw us into
that thing we were built to do, worship.
Will you join us on this adventure?
I believe that at our core we were built and find the
most joy when we worship.
26
ALL IN The Gospel of John Easter 2013
JANUARY 6 TO FEBUARY 3 MARCH 17 TO MARCH 31FEBUARY 10 TO MARCH 10
1 2 3
Life is most fully found when we are most
fully committed to Christ. We are inviting
you to go all in with Christ this year. Join
us for this powerful series. Are you ALL
IN?
We will be returning to our study of the
book of John. We will be looking at the
first days of Jesus’ ministry in John 1-3.
Christ’s heart for redemption and new life
will explode from the pages so that we
might too find redemption and new life.
Join us as we prepare and celebrate the
most holy holiday, Easter. The message of
the gospel culminates in our celebration
of Easter. Join us as we celebrate the hope
of the Cross.
SERMONS
UPCOMING SERIES*due to the impending appearance of his first child, Sean reserves the right to change this schedule without notice
27
The Gospel of John My Friend has a question Stand Alone Sermons
APRIL 14 TO MAY 12 SEE DATES BELOwMAY 26 TO JUNE 16
54 6
As we walk through chapters 3 and 4, we
will get our first real glimpse of God’s
heart for the lost and hurting. Come see
Christ’s heart for them and for you. It is
astounding!
With your input, we will be tackling the 4
most common questions we all have that
no one wants to ask. This will be an
exciting and unpredictable experience
April 7th--Bobby Dalton
May 19th--Uylsses Vela
STAY CONNECTED AND HELP US STAY UP TO DATE
Go to MonmouthOR.Infellowshipone.com Keep your information current
Find a small group to be in community with
See your giving
28
monmouth christian church959 Church St. W
Monmouth, OR 97361503-838-1145
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