Northeast Community News – August 13, 2013
Dear Friends and Family,
We continue to be blessed as we gather in God’s presence every Sunday morning! As I reflect on our worship I am often surprised at the way God stirs and moves His people in our midst! From shouts of amen to hands raised in praise to tears filling the eyes of His people, God comes, meets His people, and they are transformed! Praise God! Amen!
God’s message to us this week came from Colossians 2:6-3:4 and was titled, “What it Means to be a Christian.” Is Christianity about living the appearance of a transformed life or is it about something more? Too often, Christians put on their Sunday clothes and their masks, ‘do church’ and then return to a different lifestyle Monday morning! Scripture reminds us if we have ‘received Jesus as Lord’ and begun ‘rooting’ ourselves, being ‘built up’ in Christ, ‘strengthen our faith’ and ‘overflowing with thankfulness’ (vv. 2:6-7) then we are Christian.
But throughout the Bible, we are challenged to more! Jesus wants to give us more than our salvation and adoption! God desires more that false worship and legalism! The Holy Spirit challenges us to give God everything! First, God wants our hearts (3:1). By hearts Paul is arguing God wants us to love, to desire, to delight in heavenly things above! Do you desire and delight in the things God does or something else? God wants your heart!
Second, God wants our minds (3:2). In his letter to the Philippians Paul wrote it this way: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). Do you set your mind on good and pure things or does your mind tend to wander in the gutter?
Finally, God wants your life (3:3). Giving our hearts and mind to Christ and focusing on good and pure things regularly is more than we can do alone! What we need to do, Paul declares, is to die to self and let Christ live in us!
When we die we literally renounce our sin, yield our lives to Christ, and become liberated from our former life God does a new work in us called sanctification! Instead of being surface level friends, we fall deeply in love with Jesus and join Him in building His Kingdom. We move beyond appearances into what it really means to be a sold out, blood bought, set apart Christian. Amen!
WED. NIGHT ADULT BIBLE STUDY AT 6:30PM
We are currently studying a little book on Christian Community on Wednesday nights and this week’s study is titled, “And They’ll Know We Are Christians” [by our love] based on John chapter 13. Join us Wednesday night at 6:30pm to learn more about Christian Community!
Healthy Living! It is a way of life as Holiness People!
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 suffering from what he calls living without margin.
While we have examined areas lacking margin, Swenson suggests there are four areas that can significantly contribute to margin in all areas. This week we examine “health through balance.”
Swenson writes, “The balanced life seems inaccessible: too many activities, too many choices, too many decisions, too many commitments, too many expectations, too many people, too much hurry, too much change” (p. 216). With this in mind, Swenson suggests we cannot do everything with excellence that we are responsible to do, so we must make responsible God honoring choices by prioritizing our lives.
What does your priority list look like? What is it that you might say ought to be most important in your life? God, spouse, children, self, work, may be one written list. But how do you actually live? The challenge for us is to actually allocate time and energy to achieve those priorities! It is not what we know to do; but what we actually do!
Swenson offers four suggestions for restoring balance: 1) It is important to gain control over our lives; for only then will balance become a possibility. 2) We must place God at the center of all things, and build outward from there, rationally and consistently. 3) We must avoid the trap of trying to solve imbalance by becoming even more imbalanced. 4) We must learn to say ‘no’ and learn to accept ‘no’ as an answer from others!
Are you struggling with balance? (We all do from time to time). Then begin by asking God for help in prayer in putting one or more of these suggestions into practice. I would suggest you learn how to say ‘no’ first! You can do this and learn to live a life in balance!
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.
Church Office: 616-459-2773 My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 or aorban@nnu.
NEWS AND EVENTS
TUESDAY MORNING PRAYER MEETINGS 9AM-10AM
If you know our church, then you know that we love God and love others. You also know that we share testimony after testimony about Jesus’ transforming work in our lives, and the power He has had to reach our hearts and change us, no matter how far we have been from Him, no matter what kind of bondage we have been in (and some of us have been in all kinds of bondage). We are a people redeemed by the grace of Jesus Christ and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit. In my heart (and the hearts of so many others) is a desire to share the salvation of Jesus with others, and to see other broken, sin-sick people like us come to believe in Christ, and to know the sweetness of His name.
Who do you know that is not walking with Christ? Who do you know who has rejected Christ? No one is too far gone to come home to God, and every person is part of the world that God so loved and Jesus died for (John 3:16). On Tuesday mornings throughout August, the church will be open from 9am-10am for one hour of prayer dedicated specifically to praying for loved ones, family, friends, and strangers who are not walking with Jesus. Everyone is invited to join us to pray silently, read scripture, pray out loud, kneel at an altar, sit in a pew, or walk the sanctuary. Stay for the hour, or just stop in for a moment to pray for someone who is on your heart. See you there! With love, Pastor Amy
Friday-Saturday August 16-17 Indian Lake Paint Project!
Irene Pratt is leading an effort to repaint part of the Indian Lake Nazarene Camp Tabernacle. We recently received a $400 donation toward the project! We want to help take care of this wonderful place which is truly a gift from God. A team of people from our church is heading down to Indian Lake THIS Friday the 16th, and staying overnight until Saturday the 17th in order to get the paint job done! Want to help? Contact Irene.
DICK AND EMILY MORSE BIRTHDAY PARTY! YOU ARE INVITED!
Dick and Emily Morse have both celebrated their 90th birthdays this summer! Everyone is invited to join their family in celebration on Sunday, August 25 at 2:00pm. The party will be held at Dr. Beverly Shepherd’s house at 7258 Russet Dr. NE, Rockford, MI. Please RSVP at 616.863.6808. Also, Emily wants to make sure that everyone knows NO GIFTS ARE NECESSARY, just bring yourself!
Nelson Vanderlugt from the Gideons is Coming to Visit! Sunday September 08
On September 08th during our morning worship service, we will once again be welcoming Nelson Vanderlugt from the Gideons. If you don’t know, the Gideons work to provide the Bibles which can be found in places like hotel rooms and prisons. Often, this provides a way for God’s Word to be available for people in desperate need. Nelson will give us a report from the work of the Gideons, and we will also be taking a love offering for the Gideons, so be prepared to give to this excellent cause!
Alabaster Offering – Sunday September 15th
Our Fall Alabaster Offering will be held during service on Sunday September 15th. If you don’t know, our Alabaster Offering comes from our Nazarene Missions International department, and is taken twice per year. Every penny we receive from this offering goes directly to the global mission field, to be used for the purchase of land and buildings. You can get your own Alabaster box off of the soundboard in the sanctuary. Fill it with loose change, and bring it on the 15th! Children can participate too!
Mission Mania & Missionary Visit – September 21-22
Everyone is invited to Mission Mania which is taking place in Grand Haven on Saturday September 21 from 5:30pm-8pm. Mission Mania is full of activities, as well as missionary speakers. But there’s more! These same missionaries, (Charlie, Carney, and daughter Alyssa) from Paraguay will be coming to our church the very next day on Sunday, September 22nd! Why not make it a Missions weekend, and attend Mission Mania and Sunday service with our missionaries? See details for Mission Mania on the bulletin boards or talk to Janie Hathaway. Please note we will also be taking a love offering for the missionaries when they visit us on Sunday the 22nd.
Tri-District Men’s Retreat – Friday September 20 thru Saturday September 21
Attention all men, you are invited to attend a tri-district men’s retreat being held at Lost Valley Bible Farm in Gaylord, MI. Activities will include teaching, small groups, golf, trap shooting, rifle range, basketball, fishing, horseshoes, deer rifle sight-in and table tennis. The cost is only $55 per person, meals included. We would love to send a group of men from our church! The registration deadline is September 08th, and if you are interested, please stay for a brief meeting after service on August 25th!
Come to the Fire Women’s Conference – October 17-19
Attention all women, you are invited to the Come to the Fire annual women’s conference in October. The conference will be held Holland, MI. Last year, a group of us traveled to the conference, stayed in a hotel, and were blessed by it! It is a great weekend of worship, teaching, fellowship and renewal. There is no cost for registration, but we will be discussing how to pay for meals and lodging. If you are interested in attending this conference, please talk to Pastor Amy or Janie soon! For more information, you can also grab a pamphlet from the table outside of the sanctuary, or go to cometothefire.org.
August School Pal Packs!
It is time once again to collect items for School Pal-Paks as part of our Nazarene Missions International efforts. If you don’t know, the Church of the Nazarene operates numerous primary schools around the world, providing quality education for children. Unfortunately, children around the world often do not have the supplies needed for school. In countries with economic challenges, families cannot afford to purchase supplies, or siblings are often required to share the supplies. In response to the need, Nazarene Missions International partnered with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Inc. (NCM, Inc.) to provide School Pal-Paks. You can put purchased items under the sign on the Mission bulletin board in the annex. See Gerry Dawson with any questions. Make sure to get a shopping list before you shop, because the paks require very specific items! Here is the information:
Shopping List:
• 2 composition notebooks (such as Mead brand), no larger than 93⁄4x71⁄2 inches
• 1 package of 10-12 #2 pencils
• 1 package of 10-12 black pens
• 2 pink erasers, 2-3 inches long
• 2 6-inch or 12-inch rulers (with metric measurements)
• 1 package of 12-15 colored pencils
• 1 pair blunt-nosed scissors
• 1 hand-held pencil sharpener (NOT electric or battery-powered)
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PLAY YOUR INSTRUMENT IN CHURCH!
Do you play an instrument or used to play an instrument and want to use your gift to bless others and glorify the Lord? Recently, the church purchased sheet music to the hymnal we use for flute/oboe and clarinet. Trombone is also available. We would love to have a few people play their instruments occasionally during the offering time! If you are interested or even think you might be interested see Pastor Dan.
Jonathan Gingrich is in Germany! Check out his blog updates!
Most of you know that Jonathan Gingrich is studying abroad in Germany with a group of students from Calvin College this summer. Please continue to pray for him! Jonathan recently updated his blog after visiting a concentration camp in Germany. Here is the link: http://grinchingermany.
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 Sundayschool teacher or Pastor Amy or Dan.
Upcoming Events
August 25 Brief meeting for any men attending Tri-District Retreat
August 25 Morse Birthday Party 2pm (see details above or in program)
September 1 Family Church/Communion Sunday – NO Children’s Church
September 06 First Friday Chinese Lunch, 11:30am Hibachi Alpine
September 08 Gideon Visit during morning worship service
September 08 Registration for Tri-District Men’s Retreat due
September 15 Alabaster Offering
September 21 Mission Mania 5:30pm Grand Haven, MI
September 22 Missionary visit!
October 17-19 Come to the Fire Women’s Conference in Holland
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