Northeast Community News – July 10, 2013
Dear Friends and Family,
Hello to everyone from Camp Meeting 2013! This year, like many, the sun is warm and the sudden downpours are refreshing! In many ways, I could use the same language to describe the spiritual climate down here, too! The Son’s love and grace is so warm and the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit is so refreshing!
For many of us the week began last Thursday when 18 of us came down for Family Festival July 4-6! What a joy to enjoy fun and fellowship with the church family! How fun to watch Alannah and Chelsea successfully conquer the zip line! From eating smores and hobo pies around the campfire to swimming at the lake, painting at the craft barn, and running in the 5k, we had a lot of fun! Oh, and Morgan Barber and Chelsea Christian (friend of Alannah’s) took home a medal in the 5k run! How cool is that? God is good!
On Saturday afternoon Janie and I returned to Grand Rapids to prepare for our Sunday morning services at Northeast Community! While many were at Indian Lake for Sunday school and worship we had a wonderful time in Grand Rapids, too! What a joy to come together as the church body! It was especially wonderful to see Jonathan Gingrich and his family before he leaves for Germany! Our worship concluded sacredly gathering at the Lord’s Table to receive the elements of communion! God is good!
God’s message this week came from Psalm 16 and titled, “The Keys to Contentment.” Are you content or almost content? Almost content people are mostly content but lack something; long for something; need something to truly be content. While contentment is defined as being “satisfied, fulfilled, happy, cheerful, serene, and at peace” with where we currently are in life, an almost content person just needs a little bit more money, a few more things, a little change in a relationship, etc….and really isn’t content at all!
In Psalm 16 commentators tell us David is in danger of death as he writes these words but instead of complaining (like I might) David’s words are calm and filled with joy! How is David able to be at peace in such a situation? We find several keys in the text.
First, in vv. 1-2 we find David turns to God, takes refuge in God, and realizes all good things come from God! Now this may seem obvious, but if you want to find complete contentedness, you must turn to God through His Son Jesus. Many have tried other things (alcohol, affairs, stuff, money, good causes) and they don’t satisfy! Others have even gotten a little creative and tried to add God into the mix hoping: God + alcohol, or God + money, etc., would help them find contentment, refuge, and joy! While we give them high marks for creativity, those who are truly content have learned, like David, that true contentment comes from single devotion and reliance on God through Christ.
In vv. 5-6 David shares another key to contentment: staying within your God created boundaries. Even under threat of death David declares, “The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places” (Psalm 16:6). David understands God has a plan for his life and though he isn’t sure exactly what it is, he is at peace with God in charge! Like David, we will be content when we embrace God’s boundaries, let go, and let Him lead!
Finally, David finds contentment in God’s presence! The vast majority of the Psalm is spent in the presence of God! Not only does David seek God and worship and thank Him for refuge, good things, healthy boundaries, and an inheritance, but he praises Him for His counsel, instruction, safety, eternal life, and for always being near him! He ends his praise and worship in v. 11 saying, “You have made known to me the path of life; you fill me with joy in your presence.” David found contentment in God’s presence!
Do you want to be content? Start by turning to Christ! Taking refuge in Christ! Realizing all good things come through Christ! Embrace the boundaries established to keep you healthy and keep your eyes ‘fixed on Jesus!’
On Sunday afternoon 7 more came down for the Ordination Service to watch Pastor Amy Orban receive her first District License! What a joy to know there were 24 people who came to support Pastor Amy! Join me in congratulating her! This is a major step in her journey to ordination! To become District Licensed requires successful completion of college coursework, examinations by the local church board, district credentials and studies boards, and evidence of ongoing spiritual formation and practical experience.
As a District Licensed pastor, Amy is now entrusted to officiate at weddings and funerals, administer the sacraments of communion and baptism, and take on a larger role on our district. While Pastor Amy received her District License, she is expected to continue her education, gain experience, and undergo regular evaluations until her ordination. Pray for her! It is a difficult, but necessary, journey! To God be the Glory! Amen!
NO WED. NIGHT ADULT BIBLE STUDY THIS WEEK! COME TO CAMP MEETING!
Healthy Living! It is a way of life as Holiness People!
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive…So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:23, 31).
Everything we do or do not do can bring honor or dishonor to God and be constructive or destructive to the temple of the Holy Spirit! With that said, we plan to bring a variety of articles, thoughts, and opportunities to keep the temple holy and honor God!
Margin! Marginless Living! Margin in Time!
In his book Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, Richard A. Swenson, M.D., a Christian doctor, sees a steady stream of exhausted, hurting people. The majority suffers from an uncontrolled societal epidemic he calls living without margin. This week we will examine margin in time!
Dr. Swenson writes, “To understand how a society experiences time, examine its vocabulary. [Our society] talks of no time, lack of time, not enough time, or being out of time. Trying to get more time, we borrow time…compress time…computerize time to assure no time is lost. This sense of time urgency creates time pressure and time stress. Then it’s crisis time….(p. 145)
Swenson asks, “Do you think Jesus would have carried a pocket calendar and consulted it before he spoke to those in need? Would He have bypassed the leper because He was late for the Nazareth spring banquet? Can you imagine Jesus being [texted] out of the Last Supper? And yet some of us have allowed no margin in the area of time for ministry, for our spouses, and even our children and there is a cost! Painfully, he suggests we “jump at the alarm of the Seiko but sleep through the call of the Almighty” (p. 155).
Progress has tricked us into trusting it – and then letting it exhaust us! But we are not helpless. The clock can be resisted and time margin and sanity can be restored! The doctor offered 16 prescriptions to restore our time margin. I will only list about 12 of them here by name! If you would like more information let me know!
1. Expect the unexpected 2) Learn to say no 3) Turn off the technology
4) Prune your activity branches 5) Practice simplicity 6) Short term/Long term
7) Thank God
10) Create Buffer Zones 11) Plan free time 12) Be available
If you’re feeling like your schedule is out of control right now remember you’re not alone! We’ve all been there! Just try to establish some margin by trying a couple of these strategies, remember to pray, and remember, God will help you!
Blessings! Pastor Dan
Hello from Pastor Amy, your Associate Pastor/Administrative Secretary
My office hours will vary every Tuesday, and if you need to see me, just call! 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 three weeks.
NEWS AND EVENTS
Supper House Report and Thank You!
Last Tuesday July 02, a group of 15 people from our church gathered together for a night of service at the North End Community Ministry (NECM) Supper House located at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. The Supper House offers free meals to anyone in the community in need, and our group served and cleaned up dinner for around 200 people that night! Michelle Ford, head of the Supper House, repeatedly thanked us not only for our service, but also for being a great example to others of how to extend Christ-like love and hospitality to others. Amen and thank you to all who participated in service to others!
Pastor Dan and Janie’s Family Camp Schedule
Please note that Pastor Dan and Janie will be at Indian Lake for Family camp week (all this week through July 14th), and Reverend Chris Christopher will be preaching on Sunday July 14th. Both Pastor Dan and Pastor Amy will be available via phone during camp week, but will not be in Grand Rapids.
YOU are Invited to Camp!
Everyone, is invited to come down to Indian Lake for Family Camp week (July 7-14). Family Camp week includes our District Assembly and conventions, daily powerful worship services in the tabernacle, prayer meeting, morning Bible studies and more. Pastor Dan and Janie have two cabins on property at the campground, and many others will also be at the campground in tents and campers. This is a great week of spiritual renewal and fellowship with other Nazarenes from our district. It is not too late to plan a trip down! The last service is Sunday night at 4pm. If you are interested talk to Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy.
Adult Alternative Sunday School – Two Week Break!
For the next two weeks while Pastor Amy and Theo and many others are at Indian Lake, the adult Sunday school class will be joining the other adult class upstairs. We will pick up our new book on Sunday July 21st with the chapter titled “Religion and Politics,” so make sure to read all the way through chapter 9. It is not too late to join us in our new book titled “A Charitable Discourse” by Dan Boone. Talk to Pastor Amy to get a book!
Jonathan Gingrich is going to Germany!
Jonathan is a Calvin student who was with us for the year, and he is heading to Germany this summer. Will you pray for his travel and his time there? Will you check out his blog?
Here are some details from him:
I come to Grand Rapids on the evening of July 7th. We have a week of classes in Grand Rapids and leave that Friday (July 12) for Berlin, so prayers for travel would be very nice. We have classes Monday-Thursday every week and either have Friday through Sunday free, or we go on a group trip together. On the 19th we are going to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp just north of Berlin, so that should be a pretty somber experience. The week after we are taking the entire weekend and going down to the southwest, to Heidelberg, and then coming back to worship in Luther's church in Wittenberg.
We're going to try and find a race or two to run while we are in Germany, which should be a very exciting experience, as I've never run a race outside of the midwest, much less outside of the county, but we're having trouble finding a good race with competition to run against. My friend and I have to leave the program a week early to come back August 17th for cross country camp. I also went ahead and created my blog for the trip http://grinchingermany.
Indian Lake Paint Project – will you help?
Irene Pratt is leading an effort to repaint part of the Indian Lake Nazarene Camp Tabernacle. So many of us cherish the experiences we have had at ILNC over the years, and we want to help take care of this wonderful place which is truly a gift from God. While this might seem like an enormous project for our little church, we believe that God has called us to make it happen, and He will provide a way! Irene is also asking people to come down to the camp to do the actual work. If you are willing to get on board, contact Irene!
Attention Teens – Summer Youth Group has begun!
We have kicked off our summer youth group, and we want all teens to know that they are invited to join us on Wednesday nights. For the summer we will be studying lessons about missions, and so far they have been great lessons. We also have pizza parties, work on painting the youth room, and pray for each other. If you are a teen or know a teen, won’t you join us? Talk to Theo Orban or Pastor Amy.
You can send mail to Larry! Please note new address!
Most of you know that Larry Terhaar is currently in prison. We received his new address. It is important that he hears from his church family! Don’t forget, we even have church postcards that you can use, just ask Pastor Dan for one! Here is Larry’s new address:
Larry TerHaar # 866962
c/o Marquette Branch Facility
1960 U.S. Highway 41 South
Marquette, MI 49855
Attention Children and Youth! Do You Want to go to Camp?
Indian Lake Nazarene Camp is located in Vicksburg, MI, and is a place where Nazarenes from throughout Michigan join together everyone summer for camp. Many who spent their childhood and teen years at summer camp will agree that camp is not only a lot of fun, but can be life-changing! This year, Indian Lake is offering a special promotion! If we get three new campers to attend, the fourth goes for free! Registration for camp has already begun and we are running out of time! We already had three teens register!
Please note that your church board feels strongly about making sure children and teens who want to go to camp can go! Therefore, scholarships are available to help cover expenses if needed. You can see the bulletin boards, the tables outside of the sanctuary, or Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy if you are interested and want more information! You can also go to the website: www.ilnccamps.org, or call 269.649.228. The dates for different ages and camps can be found below:
CHILDREN AND YOUTH CAMPS!
Discovery Camp (grades 1-2-3): July 1-3
Boys & Girls Camp (Grades 3-4-5): July 29-August 2
Middle School Camp (Grades 6-7-8): July 18-22
High School Camp (Grades 9-12): July 14-18
Postcard Greetings Now Available
Don’t forget, we have NE Community postcards and they are available to anyone who would like to send them to invite, encourage, miss, or welcome someone to the church! Interested? See a Sunday school teacher or Pastor Amy or Dan.
Upcoming Events
July 7-14 Family Camp/District Assembly at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp
July 14 Reverend Chris Christopher visits
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