Dear Friends and Family,
What a warm and wonderful day we had in the Lord, yesterday! While
we have been experiencing a streak of warm weather outside the sanctuary
(aren’t you thankful for air conditioning!), we have been experiencing a
continued streak of warm weather inside the sanctuary, too! What a blessing to
see the Holy Spirit continuing to burn in the hearts and souls of His people!
God continues to move in our midst! Lives are being saved, sanctified, and
redeemed! Praise God!
Do you believe God can do amazing, extraordinary things to build
His Kingdom through the efforts of ordinary man or woman? Nehemiah teaches us God
can do much to build with ordinary folks who remember His promises and act!
God’s message this week was titled, ‘What is it You Want’ from
Nehemiah 2:1-10. Nehemiah had asked for an update on the work rebuilding the
walls and gates of Jerusalem in chapter 1, but by chapter 2 we find he is
prepared with a plan when the pagan King Artaxerxes finally asks, “What is it
you want?” (v. 2:4)
How did an ordinary cupbearer of the king come up with a detailed
plan at the spur of the moment? Well, the right answer is he didn’t! Scholars
tell us he had 4 months of time to prepare before the king asked. In those 4
months we discover Nehemiah prayed, planned, and waited for God’s timing.
In the last few weeks on Wednesday night we have been learning
what new Christians need to know and one of the first things we discovered is
Christians need to pray. Prayer is simply talking to God and listening to Him.
So how did Nehemiah come up with a detailed plan for rebuilding the walls and
gates in Jerusalem? Prayer! His ideas came from God! He listened as he prayed
and sought God in prayer!
Nehemiah wasted no time preparing a detailed plan, either. Details
of the plan include: how long it would take, safe travel, and where he would
find materials to build the gates and a place to live (vv. 2:6-8). Why did
Nehemiah plan? Because he expected God to answer his prayer to gather His
people and rebuild the city. Do you begin planning for answered prayers? Will
you be ready?
Finally, Nehemiah teaches us to wait on God’s timing. For 4 months
Nehemiah has ached, mourned, wept, prayed, fasted over the destruction in
Jerusalem, and for 4 months he has served the king wine, but on this particular
day he makes his move (though very much afraid) after prayer (vv. 2:1-3) and
the king grants his wishes and even sends along army officers and cavalry to
protect him (vv. 2:8-9).
Nehemiah knew God had answered an impossible prayer and promptly
gave him praise (v. 2:8). Do you believe God can do amazing things with someone
like you? Will you be ready when your pagan king (boss at work, school, etc.)
asks ‘what is it you want?’ Prepare by praying, planning, and then wait for
God’s timing!
It is because we have watched God answer impossible prayers and do
amazing things in our midst that today (July 02 as I write this) is so hard for
us. It was on a day, much like today, that our beloved Jiquirria Vaugn Orban
jumped into a lake and drowned as he tried unsuccessfully to swim out to a
diving platform in the lake.
From our worship service we traveled to Oak Hill Cemetery where
Pastor Amy led us, and other friends and family who had gathered, in a time of
prayer, song, and reflection as we stood in God’s presence in front of
Jiquirria’s grave.
Why did Jiquirria try to swim? Why did Jiquirria die? Why didn’t
God intervene? These are good questions for which I have no satisfying answer.
But I do know God loves us, brings light into our darkness, and Jiquirria is
with Jesus! As the third verse of the song Pastor Amy selected reminds us:
I need Thy
presence every passing hour.
What but Thy
grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself,
my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and
sunshine, Lord, abide with me.
And so it was as we stood in clouds and sunshine that the Savior
abided with us as Janie laid a floral arrangement given on behalf of the church
and the rest of us laid carnations, roses, and not a few tears on his grave in
a clumsy and awkward attempt to convey the love of the Savior and the church
while conscious Jiquirria isn’t here but rejoicing with Jesus where there are
no more tears or sadness!
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the
dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his
people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every
tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or
pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4). Amen
and Amen!
Blessings! Pastor Dan
Hello From Pastor
Amy/Your Part-Time Church Secretary
My
office hours will be on Tuesdays from 8am-5pm, but if you need to see me, you
may want to call first. My responsibilities also include preparing our weekly
program, so if you have an event that you would like to put in the program or
newsletter, please feel free to contact me!
On Prayer
Requests:
If you have a specific praise or prayer request which you would like to appear
in the program and/or newsletter, please make sure to fill out the tear-off
sheet in the weekly program, or contact me at any time.
Please Update
Me! We
have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests
will be pulled from the newsletter & program after 3 weeks. Thank you!
Church
Office:616-459-2773 My Contact Info:
616-514-9521 or amyorban@hotmail.com
Please
Note: Both Pastor Dan and I will be at Indian Lake for the week of
July 8th -15th. Pastor Dan is available via email and
phone in the event of a crisis. I will be sending the newsletter out
electronically, but if you usually get a printed copy, talk to one of us so we
can get you a copy! This also means that no one will be here at the church for
the week. See you in a week!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~NEWS & EVENTS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remember – No Wednesday Family Night for Two
Weeks!
Tonight – July 4th,
enjoy the holiday with your family, because we are not having our usual Bible
Study. Then don’t forget that next Wednesday, July 11th, there will
be no Bible Study at the church, but everyone is invited down to the service at
Indian Lake! Talk to Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy if you have questions or need
directions.
Sunday School Classes Combine – July 8th
and 15th
Because many will be on
vacation, the Adult Alternative class will not be meeting for these two
Sundays. Please join the upstairs class. Regular class resumes on July 22nd.
Thank you!
Supper
Night Report & Thank You!
We came, we fed, we were blessed! And so were
the 180 people we served dinner to
at the North End Community Ministry (NECM)
Supper House last Tuesday night. While our church is smaller, what a blessing
to know we made a difference in the lives of so many! The Apostle John wrote, “Dear friend, you are faithful in what you
are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you” (3 John
3). Special thanks to everyone who worked, including: Gerry Dawson, Janie
Hathaway, Theo Orban, Gary Parker, and Irene Pratt. While the people we served
were definitely ‘strangers to us,’ we were faithful to the teachings of Christ!
Praise God!
Healthy Homes Volunteer and Services Opportunity
The healthy homes
coalition of West Michigan is a non-profit organization that seeks to eliminate
housing conditions that harm children’s health. They focus on environmental
health, including lead poisoning, carbon monoxide and radon exposure, pest
management, fire safety, asthma, accident prevention, and more.
Healthy Homes would love
your help if you are interested in volunteering for them! They are also
offering to install FREE smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detectors in homes
with children 5 and under. This is available for homeowners as well as renters.
This is a great coalition to check out, as they offer so many services to homes
with children! For more information about healthy homes, talk to Pastor Amy, or
call 616-241-3300, or email info@healthyhomescoaltion.org.
Jiquirria Vaughn-Orban Memorial Children’s
Library!
We are happy to announce
that Julie Orban has donated $150 to start up a library for children in memory
of Jiquirria. Did you know that he loved to read? In fact, at his funeral, we
heard a poem that he wrote about his love for books. Julie thought that a
children’s library in his name would be a great way to honor and remember him!
We invite ALL children
to check out books at any time. Right now the library is located downstairs in
the room for children’s church. We are praising God that we now have a
children’s library in our church! What could be more important than ministering
to our children through books and education? Thank you Julie! Interested in
letting your children check out a book or helping to build up the library? Talk
to Gerry Dawson.
Praise Team Singers Wanted!
Would you like to sing
with Pastor Dan on Sunday morning? One commented they ‘didn’t know they could
join me’ and she was surprised. Pastor Dan would love to see more folks use
their gift of singing with him on Sundays. All he requires is a humble spirit,
a willingness to attend practice on Wednesday night after bible study and
Sunday morning at 9:00am, and a desire to worship God! Interested? Let Pastor
Dan know!
World
Mission Broadcast Thank You!
World
Mission Broadcast takes the Gospel to the world through radio, television and
internet programs. On the air since 1951, World Mission Broadcast (WMB) reaches
even the most remote parts of the world, with words of hope and holiness... and
lives are changed. The cost to support one minute of WMB airtime is $4.00!
That's right. $4.00 to air one minute of the Gospel! This year we have received $100 for this offering! That’s
25 minutes! Thank you all!
July
Cancellations!
Because
July is a busy month due to summer and events at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp, we
have several dates for you to note changes:
July
4th: Wednesday Family Night cancelled
July
5th: Ladies LIFT cancelled
July
11th: Wednesday Family Night cancelled
No July
Children’s Program!
In
addition to other July cancellations, we will NOT be holding any Wednesday
Night Program for children. The children’s program will pick up at it’s usual
time on the first Wednesday in August at 6:30pm.
Family Camp Week
at Indian Lake – You are Invited!
There is fun, food, and
fellowship for everyone this summer at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp. If you don’t
already know this, Pastor Dan and Janie have cabins at Indian Lake and invite
everyone to come down and check it out. Below are a few events we have planned during the week of Family Camp.
Sunday 7/8 – 5:30-6:30pm
Potluck before the ordination service! Pastor Dan and Janie will provide hamburgers
and hotdogs grilled to near perfection, lemonade and coffee, and paper plates,
napkins, cups, and silverware. You bring a dish to pass! Then, stay and attend
the Ordination Worship Service at 7:00pm (typically ends at 9:00pm).
Wednesday 7/11 – 8:30-9:30pm
Free Ice Cream AFTER the 7:00pm service. Come to church at 7:00pm and receive a
free coupon for ice cream from Pastor Dan at the Indian Lake Snack Bar when the
worship service ends!
Sunday 7/15 –
1:30-3:00pm - Potluck before the final service of Family Camp Meeting! Pastor
Dan and Janie will provide brats and chicken breasts grilled to near
perfection, lemonade and coffee, and paper plates, napkins, cups, and
silverware. You bring a dish to pass! Then, stay for the final worship service
at Camp Meeting at 4:00pm.
If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to
ask Janie or Pastor Dan!
New Website!
We have launched our new
website!
Here is the link:
Please take the time to
check it out, and understand that the site will be under construction as we
build it up and get used to the new software. Please send any input or ideas to
amyorban@hotmail.com.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED in helping keep our website updated, Amy would love the
help of someone who is more adept at using technology, so let her know!
Directories Available
New directories are
available on the tables outside of the sanctuary. Please take one!
Children’s
Program
In addition to the weekly Children’s
Church we have added two new programs for our Children!
At 10:00am on Sundays during our
Sunday School hour, we now have a
Children’s Reading time. During this 45 minute period before church we will
be reading about missionaries from the Church of the Nazarene. We have a series
of 6 books that will be read. These books will be read aloud by adults from the
church. Children who attend regularly and listen to all 6 books will be treated
to lunch at Chuckie Cheese! We will complete the readings by the end of May.
On Wednesday nights @ 6:30pm Pat and
Shannen Parsaca have started the Caravan
program, which is a scouting, or kids’ club, type of program. All children
grades K – 6 are welcome!
In Children’s Church we have started
a “Children Helping Children”
program. This will be part of the semi-annual Alabaster Offering. Each child
will have a box of their own. Every week they attend Children’s Church a
quarter will be added to their box. In addition they may bring an offering to
put in the box. All Alabaster Offerings are used to buy property and build
schools and churches on the mission field. The Children will be able to march
with their boxes on Alabaster box Sundays. We hope to see your children on
Sundays and Wednesdays. If you have any questions please ask Cherry Pakiela or
Gerry Dawson!
Want to help, but not sure how?
If you are wondering where to plug
in, but are not sure how, we have opportunities. Current opportunities include
a soundboard worker, nursery helpers, childrens workers, potluck coordinators,
visiting our shut-ins, greeters and ushers, visitor follow-ups, Sunday School
teachers, music leaders, people willing to shovel snow in the winter, and much
more. It doesn’t matter how long you have been attending our church, serving is
a great way to honor God and get to know the people around you! If you sense a
call to a specific area or need some ideas to pray about, please contact Amy
Orban or Cherry Pakiela or Irene Pratt.
Upcoming Events
July
4 NO Wednesday Family Night
July
5 NO Ladies LIFT
July
6 First Friday Chinese Lunch
@ 11:30am, Empire Buffet Alpine
July
7-14 Convention Week at Indian
Lake Nazarene Camp
July
9-15 Pastor Dan vacation week
July
11 NO Wednesday Family Night
July
15 Reverend Chris Christopher
visits
August
3 First Friday Chinese Lunch @
11:30am Empire Chinese Buffet
August
5 Communion/Family Church – NO
Children’s Church
August
12 NE Community Potluck after
morning worship service
Northeast
Community Church of the Nazarene
Church
- 616.459.2773 Parsonage -
616.459.0402 Pastor Dan Cell -
616.204.1153
Pastor
Amy Orban – 616.514.9521
Other Contact
Numbers:
Julie
Orban: Weds
Night Dinner Coordinator 616-890-5550
Tracy
Tamm First
Friday Chinese Lunch 616-406-9602
Irene
Pratt Ladies
LIFT 616-949-4679
Gerry
Dawson Sunday
School/Children’s Church 616-863-6808
Cherry
Pakiela
Sunday
School/Children’s Church 616-916-7595
Pat
& Shannen Parsaca Weds Night
Children’s Program 616-272-6021
Theo
Orban Weds
Night Youth Group 616-890-4045
Larry
Branagan Trustee 616-538-8765
“Christianity,
if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only
thing it cannot be is moderately important.” -C. S. Lewis
July Worker Schedules
Nursery
July 8 SS- Janie Hathaway & Emily
Morse
Worship – Britney Toole &
Alannah Parsaca
July 15 SS- Janie Hathaway & Barb
Buning
Worship – Anna Boeve
& Morgan Parsaca
July 22 SS – Janie Hathaway & Liz
Bowman
Worship – Mary Danks
& Alannah Parsaca
July 19 SS –Janie Hathaway & Shannen
Parsaca
Worship – Lindsey Wright
& Tracy Tamm
Counters
July 8
– Terry & Jerry
July 15
– Dick & Larry
July 22
– Jerry & Pat
July 29
– Larry & Terry
Announcements
July 8
– Shannen Parsaca
July 15
– Mike Braun
July 22
– Joan Grinwis
July 29
– Alannah Parsaca
Weekly thoughts,
life-lessons, and reflections from a redeemed child of God, a woman, a mother,
a wife, a sinner under the Cross of Jesus Christ, and a Pastor-in-training.
July
4, 2012
In case you were wondering, running
through the sprinkler in the yard on a hot summer day really is just as fun as I remember.
One of the things about having little
boys, is that they have to, MUST, get outside on a regular basis. They
desperately need the fresh air, they need to explore, they need to be able to
wander and run and yell and burn off some of their little-boy energy. If they
are stuck inside for too long, we all get on each other’s nerves, and quick!
Not to mention the fact that things get broken, tables get climbed on, boredom
leads to wrestling and meltdowns, and early naps are always threatened. The
really great thing about this, however, is that I get walk through the
wonderland of childhood discovery all over again while they learn and grow.
So yesterday, despite the incredible
heat, I knew we had to get outside. So we put on our bathing suits, swimming
diapers (at least the boys did- I don’t usually need to wear those),
sunglasses, and headed out in the yard to play. We filled up the pool and
watered the flowers, drank out of the hose and poured buckets of water on each
other. Little Theo frolicked and
splashed and Remi ate pieces of grass and dirt and laughed while he watched it
all.
But the real fun started when I pulled
out the sprinkler. Little Theo had never before experienced the unparalleled
delight of springs of water jutting through the air. He would run up to it,
look at it, wait for the water to come his way, and then run screaming across
the yard, over and over and over again. I joined him and also found myself
squealing and running as the cold water hit me.
Pandora was playing my favorite reggae
version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and I stopped to listen to the lyrics:
“Someday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind me. Where
troubles melt like lemon drops, away above
the chimney tops. That's where you'll find me. Somewhere over the
rainbow…” For
a minute we were just two kids running through the sprinkler and loving it. Talk
about a warm fuzzy, heaven on earth kind of moment!
But life is heavy, like wading through a
waist-deep pond of muck and slime, and it seems like every once in awhile
(usually when I desperately need it) God just reaches right down and blesses me
with a glimpse of paradise. These moments keep me going, they are the dash of salt
that keeps my life tasting balanced. They whisper – Look! More of this is to come! Hang on a little longer!
What I really wanted to do today was
write some well thought-out article on Independence Day and how it relates to
our faith as Christians. I wanted to climb the intellectual mountain top with
you and descend together in powerful words, smooth like an Olympic downhill
skier.
The truth is that I am not equipped to
do that. I will confess that I am like a lot of people in my generation. I am
undereducated about the history of our country. I have some working knowledge
of the principles on which we were founded, but I cannot quote the
constitution. Maybe it’s because I was raised with a lot of loud, passionate,
political discussion, but often when I hear the heated discussions begin, my
eyes glaze over and I recoil into myself. I know in some ways I may be lacking
in my duty as a Christian when I unplug from current news and stay mostly
disconnected from the world of politics and government in our country. The
truth is that it’s just not something I’m going to invest a lot of energy into.
Change starts from one person talking to another about the truth of Jesus
Christ, so that’s where I am going to start too.
What I do know, is that whether or not I
understand it, military people are making enormous sacrifices so that I can
play in the sprinkler with my son. Military people are making enormous
sacrifices so that I can write and talk about Jesus Christ without being
dragged before a firing squad and killed or beheaded. They are making enormous
sacrifices for me exactly the way I am – undereducated, lukewarm, inadequately
grateful, and most days entirely oblivious.
And first, before these military people,
is Christ – who came to set us free, who came into a world which rejected him,
who was persecuted by the men that abused His father’s Word, who was killed by
the very hands he came to save. Christ, who knows we don’t always totally get
it. Christ, who knows precisely that each of us should spend every second of
every minute lying prostrate on the ground with our faces in the dirt praising
him and thanking him for what He has done for us, yet He tells us to get up, to
follow Him, to live in the sunlight, to frolic in the sprinkler of His
blessings. And He even knows we will often take it for granted, but He gives
abundantly to us anyways.
I find freedom in the glimpses of
paradise I get, like my moment outside with little Theo yesterday. They are
powerful reminders that God has already won, and that all will be made right by
Him in His time. And I know this because of the high price that Jesus paid on
the Cross, and because God raised Him from the dead. What Jesus offers us is
GRACE.
What our military people in this country also offer us is GRACE. They
give us these gifts of freedom, not because we deserve them, but in spite of
the fact that we so obviously don’t.
All
is grace, and it pours into our lives despite how much we take it for granted.
My husband offers me this GRACE when he is exhausted from working all day only
to come home and help me do more work, all the while bearing in love and
tolerance my attitude which is almost always on edge by the end of the day. My
mom knows I could never, ever make up or repay her for all the help she gives
me with my boys, and my dad knows I can’t ever repay them for the years of help
which I took for granted. Pastor Dan and
Janie shower this church with grace by pouring their lives and hearts into this
place, all while knowing we may not do the same in return.
GRACE – where can you see it in your
life today?
Dear
Lord, thank you for this GRACE which I don’t totally understand. Help me to
show it to other people as it is shown to me in so many different ways and
through so many different people. Thank you for the freedom you offer to us
sinners, thank you that we live in a country where we can hear and speak your
gospel. Help us to live out our gratitude in action. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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