Northeast Community News – September 10, 2013
Dear Friends and Family,
We had another wonderful day in the Lord, Sunday! In addition to our regular time of discipleship, greeting, praying, singing, giving, and receiving our message from God we had the opportunity to hear from Mr. Nelson VanderLugt, President of the North Kent Chapter of Gideon’s International. How thrilling to hear how God is working around the world! If you would like to give to the work of the Gideons you can give next week, too!
God’s message came from Acts 17:10-12 and was titled, “Receiving, Examining, and Responding to God’s Word.” As Nazarenes we regularly emphasize the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us and this is right! But it is important to ground all of our promptings and experiences and validate them in God’s Holy Word.
Because Luke declares the Berean’s are of noble character, we would be wise to learn from them if we want to be all Christ wants us to be. First, Luke reports the Bereans received the message with great eagerness (17:11a). The word translated ‘receive’ comes from the Greek word dechomai and means to accept an offer deliberately and readily. While dechomai can be used metaphorically, Luke is literally saying the Bereans accepted the offer of the Good News deliberately, readily, and eagerly! Our faith in Christ must be received! We must respond to grace!
Second, the Bereans examined the Scriptures every day (17:11b). The word translated ‘examine’ comes from the Greek word anakrino and is a legal word meaning to examine, question, discern and judge before passing a sentence on its truthfulness. Every day the Bereans metaphorically put Paul on the witness stand and cross-examined his message of Jesus against the O.T. prophesies to see if what he said was true! (and it was true!)
Finally, the Bereans responded obediently after receiving the message, examining the Scriptures, and determining they were true (17:12). The Bereans responded with a yes to God because they desired to be obedient to God even when the revealed truth surprised and challenged them! I pray we are not only ready to be challenged and surprised by God’s Word, but ready to say ‘yes to God’ when His truth is revealed!
WED. NIGHT ADULT BIBLE STUDY AT 6:30PM
We completed our study on community last week! This week we will begin a study on the ‘Fruit of the Spirit.’ Paul declares “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Join us Wednesday at 6:30pm to discuss the first fruit: love!
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! If you have any thoughts or suggestions for an article or would like to write one, by all means let us know! This week we examine a food superstar: Red Onions!
Although they quite literally bring us to tears, red onions are truly medicinal in their power to protect our health. Red Onions are uniquely high in both quercetin and anthocyanins – two of nature’s most remarkable anti-inflammatory agents (inflammation is a key driver of most chronic diseases). Health benefits of red onions are optimized when chopped/sliced and eaten raw or lightly steamed (Welcoa Spark16 NutritionGuide).
While I am not a scientist and you probably shouldn’t trust me completely, I am convinced that in creation God provided us everything we need to keep ourselves healthy naturally. If only we would listen to all of our collective mothers and ‘eat our vegetables!’ So forgo the french fries this week and instead eat a salad or sub with some red oinions on it! God is good!
ARTPRIZE WANDERING! SEP. 19, 26, OCT. 03 – 6:00-8:00PM
Do you like art? Do you like fun with friends? Do you wish you could go to Artprize without having to drive downtown and park? Well, I’ve got good news for you! For 3 weeks you can join Pastor Dan in the church parking lot and ride the GRATA bus downtown, look at some art, laugh with your friends, and vote for your favorites, and ride back! The cost for the round-trip bus ride is $3 each, (but don’t let that stop you!)
NOTE: The GRATA bus leaves PROMPTLY at 6:00pm from the front of the church and leaves promptly from downtown at 7:45pm arriving back at 8:00pm! Remember to check the evening temps and dress accordingly!
Blessings! Pastor Dan
Hello from Pastor Amy, your Associate Pastor/Administrative Secretary
My office hours vary on Tuesdays, so 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, or a prayer request to publish, please contact me!
Also, we have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests will be pulled from the newsletter& program after three weeks. My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 or aorban@nnu.edu
NEWS AND EVENTS
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!
Come to the Fire Women’s Conference PLANNING MEETING – September 15th
Attention all women, you are invited to the Come to the Fire annual women’s conference October 17-19. The conference will be held Holland, MI. We are holding a planning meeting for any women interested in coming! If you are interested, join us after Sunday service on September 15th to plan transportation, meals, and lodging! 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.
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.
Wednesday Night Potluck Dinners Return in September!
We went on break for summer, but we will be continuing our Wednesday night dinners which will take place on the LAST Wednesday of every month beginning in September. Bring a dish to pass and join us for good food and fellowship! Regular Bible study follows at 6:30pm. Talk to Julie Orban to help setup or cleanup.
Next Dinner: Wednesday September 25 @ 5:30pm
Come pray with us on Tuesday mornings! Everyone is invited to join us for an hour of prayer. We all know many who need Jesus, and many who have other needs. We believe that prayer really does change things, and God really does love the world – especially those who don’t know Jesus yet! Who could you be praying for? It is a midweek blessing and encouragement to join with other believers in prayer! See you Tuesday!
Fall Events at Indian Lake
Craft and Scrapbooking Weekend at Indian Lake! This weekend is just for ladies and takes place from November 1-3. The cost is $25 per day which includes a table, meals, games, prizes, snacks, and devotion time. Lodging costs vary. More details at www.nazcamp.org
Upcoming Events
September 15 Alabaster Offering
September 15 Meeting for women attending Come to the Fire – after worship
September 19 Artprize Adventure Week One, 6-8pm (arrive early for GRATA bus)
September 21 Mission Mania 5:30pm – 8pm Grand Haven, MI
September 22 Missionary visit!
September 25 Weds Night Dinner @ 5:30pm
September 26 Artprize Adventure Week Two, 6-8pm
October 03 Artprize Adventure Week Three, 6-8pm
October 17-19 Come to the Fire Women’s Conference in Holland
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