Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Share the Rock Basketball Camp
On August 2-4, 2010, our church will be partnering with Mercy Hill Church to host a three-day basketball camp for boys in grades 3-8 from the town of Highland. Dan Voudrie, head coach of men's basketball at Purdue Calumet University, will provide the coaching to help the boys develop their basketball skills. Throughout the day, the participants will hear testimonies of faith from basketball players, coaches, and church leaders. After the conclusion of the camp, our churches will attempt to follow up with the participants and invite their families to participate in the life of the church.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Two Search Committees
Our church has two search committees that are currently meeting to fill two important staff positions at our church.
The first committee is the Youth Pastor Search Team. Terry Kuipers, Herb Sitter, and Jill Boender are members of this team from our church who are meeting with three members of First Church in order to recruit and recommend a qualified candidate to fill the position of Youth Pastor at New Life CRC and First Church. This committee has reviewed the job description of Youth Pastor, and has already recommended that this position become an equally shared position between the two churches. The person who fills this position will work with volunteers from both churches to oversee the combined high school and junior high youth ministries of our churches.
The second committee is the Director of Community Outreach Search Team. Tim Abbring, Brad Gossman, Lynnea Lytle, and Mary Otte are the members of this team who are working to recruit and recommend a qualified candidate to plan events and activities to welcome people into our church, as well as coordinate efforts to make sure new members and visitors are included in the life of our congregation.
Please pray for the work of these two search committees, and pray that they will be led to the right people to enhance God’s work in our church and in our community.
The first committee is the Youth Pastor Search Team. Terry Kuipers, Herb Sitter, and Jill Boender are members of this team from our church who are meeting with three members of First Church in order to recruit and recommend a qualified candidate to fill the position of Youth Pastor at New Life CRC and First Church. This committee has reviewed the job description of Youth Pastor, and has already recommended that this position become an equally shared position between the two churches. The person who fills this position will work with volunteers from both churches to oversee the combined high school and junior high youth ministries of our churches.
The second committee is the Director of Community Outreach Search Team. Tim Abbring, Brad Gossman, Lynnea Lytle, and Mary Otte are the members of this team who are working to recruit and recommend a qualified candidate to plan events and activities to welcome people into our church, as well as coordinate efforts to make sure new members and visitors are included in the life of our congregation.
Please pray for the work of these two search committees, and pray that they will be led to the right people to enhance God’s work in our church and in our community.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Final Word: Prayer
Following Christ begins with prayer, and the process of following Christ is bathed in prayer. During the past month, you have considered different habits that you can develop in order to grow closer to God. One of the common mistakes of spiritual disciplines is the tendency to turn the discipline into a routine that is accomplished, so that the habit no longer draws your attention to God.
As you practice spiritual disciplines, I encourage you to think of the habits as a means to help you grow in your prayer life.
I have known faithful Christians who have never fasted nor meditated. I have learned a great deal from Christians who have never kept a journal. However, I have never met a mature Christian who did not spend time in prayer.
Let your life be bathed in prayer as you strive to grow closer to God.
As you practice spiritual disciplines, I encourage you to think of the habits as a means to help you grow in your prayer life.
I have known faithful Christians who have never fasted nor meditated. I have learned a great deal from Christians who have never kept a journal. However, I have never met a mature Christian who did not spend time in prayer.
Let your life be bathed in prayer as you strive to grow closer to God.
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Discipline of Service
The Bible tells us that true religion is worked out in the way we live our lives. Offering our bodies in service may not seem very spiritual, but service can indeed be an act of worship. I think many people believe spirituality is some kind of mysterious, exotic experience that has little to do with “real life.”
I believe the opposite is true. True spirituality is evident in the way we handle the things that can often seem mundane. How do we treat our spouses when we are having a bad day? Do we do our jobs well, even when we are upset with our bosses? How do we act at the local sporting events and when we are on vacation? True spirituality that is focused on Christ is evident in the normal stuff of “real life.”
Christians are called to serve. Below, I could list numerous service possibilities, but instead, I am only going to list a few categories to get you thinking creatively about how you can serve God.
Ideas for Service:
1. Long-term commitment
Many people are willing to do a “one-time” favor. It is relatively easy to find someone to bake cookies, donate car-wash buckets, or serve one meal. It is much more difficult to find someone who is willing to make a commitment to serve for an extended period of time. Churches often struggle to find Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons, committee members. Consider making a commitment to serve for an extended period of time.
2. Using your gifts
It is easy to get overwhelmed by opportunities to serve. You may feel pressure to serve meals, fix bicycles, organize fundraisers, host the youth group, serve on the social action committee, save labels for the local school, be a mentor, correct Bible lessons, and deliver meals. These are all worthwhile service opportunities, but no person can participate in every worthwhile service opportunity. As you consider ways to serve God, ask God to reveal your gifts. When He prompts you to use a gift, do not feel guilty when you have to say “no” to other worthwhile service opportunities. God has given other people gifts for those areas of service.
3. Secret acts of kindness
It is a good idea to occasionally offer an act of kindness anonymously. When you offer a good deed in secret, you know it has truly been for God’s sake, rather than for the sake of being praised by others.
4. Encouragement
I think it is difficult to overstate the value of encouragement. Consider taking time to write thank-you notes or offering a word of praise when you notice someone striving to do their best. God often uses the words of people to steer people closer to Him. Use your ability to encourage others to glorify God.
I believe the opposite is true. True spirituality is evident in the way we handle the things that can often seem mundane. How do we treat our spouses when we are having a bad day? Do we do our jobs well, even when we are upset with our bosses? How do we act at the local sporting events and when we are on vacation? True spirituality that is focused on Christ is evident in the normal stuff of “real life.”
Christians are called to serve. Below, I could list numerous service possibilities, but instead, I am only going to list a few categories to get you thinking creatively about how you can serve God.
Ideas for Service:
1. Long-term commitment
Many people are willing to do a “one-time” favor. It is relatively easy to find someone to bake cookies, donate car-wash buckets, or serve one meal. It is much more difficult to find someone who is willing to make a commitment to serve for an extended period of time. Churches often struggle to find Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons, committee members. Consider making a commitment to serve for an extended period of time.
2. Using your gifts
It is easy to get overwhelmed by opportunities to serve. You may feel pressure to serve meals, fix bicycles, organize fundraisers, host the youth group, serve on the social action committee, save labels for the local school, be a mentor, correct Bible lessons, and deliver meals. These are all worthwhile service opportunities, but no person can participate in every worthwhile service opportunity. As you consider ways to serve God, ask God to reveal your gifts. When He prompts you to use a gift, do not feel guilty when you have to say “no” to other worthwhile service opportunities. God has given other people gifts for those areas of service.
3. Secret acts of kindness
It is a good idea to occasionally offer an act of kindness anonymously. When you offer a good deed in secret, you know it has truly been for God’s sake, rather than for the sake of being praised by others.
4. Encouragement
I think it is difficult to overstate the value of encouragement. Consider taking time to write thank-you notes or offering a word of praise when you notice someone striving to do their best. God often uses the words of people to steer people closer to Him. Use your ability to encourage others to glorify God.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Discipline of Meditation
The word “meditate” carries a connotation of sitting in the woods with you legs folded and chanting some meaningless word over and over. Meditation merely means to think. When you practice meditating, you are setting aside time to think about God’s will for your life, and how you will live for Him.
Ideas for Meditating:
1. Bible Memorization
When I was a junior in college, I was challenged to read less scripture, and instead memorize some particular passages. I started with Isaiah 40:28-31, and then memorized Proverbs 3:5-6. After a few weeks of reciting these passages, I added Micah 6:6-8, and then Psalm 121. I was amazed at how these passages started to pop up in my thoughts as I faced decisions and spent time in prayer. The act of memorizing forces you to think about Bible passages.
2. Word of the Year
For the last two years, my wife and I have chosen a word that we would focus on throughout the year. In 2006, my word was “discernment,” and in 2007, my word is “contentment.” We have found that focusing on one word for the year has helped our individual prayer lives, and it has been good for discussions in our marriage. My word for the year has become a recurring prayer request, and I am discovering that God teaches me about the significance of that word as I focus on it. If you want to pick a word for the year, I suggest starting with one of the fruit of the Spirit that are mentioned in Galatians 5.
3. Pointed Questions
After spending some time in prayer, resolve to sit quietly for a few moment in order to think about some important matters in your life. In the silence, continue to pray and ask God some questions about your life. You may want to ask about your integrity, your faithfulness, your relationship with family members, your witness to family members or co-workers, your walk with God, or the calling God has for you (to name a few). After you ask these questions, take time to think about the answer to that question, and ask God to guide your thoughts. When I have practiced this as a spiritual discipline, I have had frequent times when I have sat silently without any earthshaking revelations. However, there have also been numerous times when I have gained previously undiscovered insights. I believe that many of those insights were God’s voice calling me to live for Him.
Ideas for Meditating:
1. Bible Memorization
When I was a junior in college, I was challenged to read less scripture, and instead memorize some particular passages. I started with Isaiah 40:28-31, and then memorized Proverbs 3:5-6. After a few weeks of reciting these passages, I added Micah 6:6-8, and then Psalm 121. I was amazed at how these passages started to pop up in my thoughts as I faced decisions and spent time in prayer. The act of memorizing forces you to think about Bible passages.
2. Word of the Year
For the last two years, my wife and I have chosen a word that we would focus on throughout the year. In 2006, my word was “discernment,” and in 2007, my word is “contentment.” We have found that focusing on one word for the year has helped our individual prayer lives, and it has been good for discussions in our marriage. My word for the year has become a recurring prayer request, and I am discovering that God teaches me about the significance of that word as I focus on it. If you want to pick a word for the year, I suggest starting with one of the fruit of the Spirit that are mentioned in Galatians 5.
3. Pointed Questions
After spending some time in prayer, resolve to sit quietly for a few moment in order to think about some important matters in your life. In the silence, continue to pray and ask God some questions about your life. You may want to ask about your integrity, your faithfulness, your relationship with family members, your witness to family members or co-workers, your walk with God, or the calling God has for you (to name a few). After you ask these questions, take time to think about the answer to that question, and ask God to guide your thoughts. When I have practiced this as a spiritual discipline, I have had frequent times when I have sat silently without any earthshaking revelations. However, there have also been numerous times when I have gained previously undiscovered insights. I believe that many of those insights were God’s voice calling me to live for Him.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The Discipline of Fasting
Fasting is the practice of voluntarily giving up something in order to dedicate that time or resource to growing in your walk with God.
I must confess I have mixed emotions about my experiences with fasting. In college, I would occasionally join a group of students who would fast for 24 hours for the purpose of learning how to sympathize with those who are hungry in our world. I don’t think our experience was very helpful as a spiritual discipline, because we would always wait until 12:00 midnight and then order a pizza in order to celebrate the fact that we went an entire day without food. However, I have had other occasions when fasting has been helpful. I have intentionally decided to skip a meal or two in order to spend time in prayer. This has been particularly helpful when I have been facing a difficult decision, and wanted to spend time in prayer for wisdom.
If you practice fasting, make sure the focus of your fast is growing closer to God. There is nothing wrong with attempting to lose weight, save money, or developing a new hobby, but if this is the point of your fast, you should not consider it a spiritual discipline.
Ideas for Fasting:
1. Giving up food
This is the classic kind of fast. If you are going to fast from food, please make sure that you are in good health. Pregnant women and people who have struggles with blood sugar levels would want to talk to a doctor before fasting from food. I have heard of people fasting for periods of time that last over a week. Many will allow themselves fluids during their fast. If you want to fast from food, set a period of time that you want to fast. You might want to fast by skipping breakfast and lunch for a period of 1-3 days. Take your normal meal times for a devotional activity. Fasting can be especially helpful when you are seeking wisdom for a decision, or when you are praying for a specific circumstance.
2. Turn off the TV
In the United States, most homes have more than 1 television set, and many of those television sets are on for more than 8 hours a day. All of this noise can drown out our ability to focus on God. You can fast by turning off the TV. This can be anything from limiting your time watching television, to getting rid of the television in your home. If you are going to fast from television, I suggest starting with a period of time (at least one day) when you do not turn on the TV in your home. After that, make sure that you only sit down in front of the TV when there is a specific program that you want to watch, and turn the TV off when that show is over. You can also help yourself in this endeavor by putting the TV in a room that is not the center of the home, or putting your television set behind closed doors, so that you do not see it when it is turned off. By the way, this fast from media input can also be applied to the internet, magazines, radio, etc.
3. Financial Fast
Take a solid week when you do not spend any money. This will take planning, but you will be surprised by the results.
4. Sabbath Keeping
Make Sunday a day of rest, not only from your job, but also from normal weekly routines.
I must confess I have mixed emotions about my experiences with fasting. In college, I would occasionally join a group of students who would fast for 24 hours for the purpose of learning how to sympathize with those who are hungry in our world. I don’t think our experience was very helpful as a spiritual discipline, because we would always wait until 12:00 midnight and then order a pizza in order to celebrate the fact that we went an entire day without food. However, I have had other occasions when fasting has been helpful. I have intentionally decided to skip a meal or two in order to spend time in prayer. This has been particularly helpful when I have been facing a difficult decision, and wanted to spend time in prayer for wisdom.
If you practice fasting, make sure the focus of your fast is growing closer to God. There is nothing wrong with attempting to lose weight, save money, or developing a new hobby, but if this is the point of your fast, you should not consider it a spiritual discipline.
Ideas for Fasting:
1. Giving up food
This is the classic kind of fast. If you are going to fast from food, please make sure that you are in good health. Pregnant women and people who have struggles with blood sugar levels would want to talk to a doctor before fasting from food. I have heard of people fasting for periods of time that last over a week. Many will allow themselves fluids during their fast. If you want to fast from food, set a period of time that you want to fast. You might want to fast by skipping breakfast and lunch for a period of 1-3 days. Take your normal meal times for a devotional activity. Fasting can be especially helpful when you are seeking wisdom for a decision, or when you are praying for a specific circumstance.
2. Turn off the TV
In the United States, most homes have more than 1 television set, and many of those television sets are on for more than 8 hours a day. All of this noise can drown out our ability to focus on God. You can fast by turning off the TV. This can be anything from limiting your time watching television, to getting rid of the television in your home. If you are going to fast from television, I suggest starting with a period of time (at least one day) when you do not turn on the TV in your home. After that, make sure that you only sit down in front of the TV when there is a specific program that you want to watch, and turn the TV off when that show is over. You can also help yourself in this endeavor by putting the TV in a room that is not the center of the home, or putting your television set behind closed doors, so that you do not see it when it is turned off. By the way, this fast from media input can also be applied to the internet, magazines, radio, etc.
3. Financial Fast
Take a solid week when you do not spend any money. This will take planning, but you will be surprised by the results.
4. Sabbath Keeping
Make Sunday a day of rest, not only from your job, but also from normal weekly routines.
Friday, February 5, 2010
The Discipline of Study
It is hard to overstate the value of studying for Christians. The desire to know God more fully is the reason the printing press was invented. Schools were first developed to teach children to read so that they could read their Bible.
Studying does not have to be a monotonous exercise. There are many facets of the Christian faith that can be the subject of your study. This can be a discipline that promotes wonderful growth in your understanding of God.
Ideas for Studying:
1. Read a book
There are many good Christian books that are available today. Some of them are deeply theological and theoretical, and some are very practical. I would recommend going to your local Christian bookstore and browsing through the shelves to see what aspect of Christian Life interests you.
2. Read the Bible
Many Christians have read sections of the Bible, but have never read an entire book. I encourage you to take time to read the Bible and study the stories. Keep track of the characters that are mentioned as you read through an entire book. I recommend starting with a book of the Bible that is filled with stories, and then move to other types of Biblical material. If you are going to read large sections of the Bible for the first time, I recommend purchasing a readable translation or paraphrase. I really appreciate Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase called The Message.
3. Join a group study
Bible Study groups are woven into the fabric of Christian history. Churches offer many options for studying the Bible with others. There are para-church groups such as Bible Study Fellowship that offer helpful opportunities. When you study with others, not only do you learn more about God’s word, but you also develop very close friendships with others who will hold you accountable in the way you live for Christ.
Studying does not have to be a monotonous exercise. There are many facets of the Christian faith that can be the subject of your study. This can be a discipline that promotes wonderful growth in your understanding of God.
Ideas for Studying:
1. Read a book
There are many good Christian books that are available today. Some of them are deeply theological and theoretical, and some are very practical. I would recommend going to your local Christian bookstore and browsing through the shelves to see what aspect of Christian Life interests you.
2. Read the Bible
Many Christians have read sections of the Bible, but have never read an entire book. I encourage you to take time to read the Bible and study the stories. Keep track of the characters that are mentioned as you read through an entire book. I recommend starting with a book of the Bible that is filled with stories, and then move to other types of Biblical material. If you are going to read large sections of the Bible for the first time, I recommend purchasing a readable translation or paraphrase. I really appreciate Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase called The Message.
3. Join a group study
Bible Study groups are woven into the fabric of Christian history. Churches offer many options for studying the Bible with others. There are para-church groups such as Bible Study Fellowship that offer helpful opportunities. When you study with others, not only do you learn more about God’s word, but you also develop very close friendships with others who will hold you accountable in the way you live for Christ.
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