February 8, 2012

Dear friends at CBC,

“Thank you for coming. We enjoy watching the smiling faces of our residents as they participate in your program tonight. This is wonderful to see and gives us such a good feeling’. These were some of the comments from the St. Francois Manor management this past weekend during the Alpha Course. Our friends from the Bridge sent me this email of which I will give you an excerpt: “Wow – Alpha was wonderful. What a fantastic start! Thank you for the radical hospitality. I would say that being met in the parking lot, shown a parking spot right in front, ushered in personally to our reserved tables, and enjoying a wonderful dinner that we did not prepare is pretty radical and a great evening focused on Jesus!. Being able to bring our group and have our cell sit with and nurture them, and soak in the wonderful teaching was just beyond words. One of the guys had a burning question when we took him back – ‘why did it have to happen this way? I don’t understand why Jesus had to die’. I gave him the short answer, then told him that I thought that is what next week’s talk is about and he was clearly enthused…..’

Sometimes we hear people call the church ‘a bunch of hypocrites’, but as I got to watch you all love, reach out and share your lives with our friends at the St. Francois Manor along with the CSC residents that the Bridge brought in, I saw the opposite. Christ’s love was given hands and feet – through you! A big thank you to all of you for simply coming – giving a valuable gift of yourself – your time. Thanks for bringing pies, cakes, your smile, bibles, your prayers and your love. It made a lifelong and eternal impression. As we look at Valentine Day coming up next week, I think we’ve had our own Valentine Day already!

This Sunday we will continue studying the temptation of Jesus in the desert. We will talk about the temptation to Self-Reliance. “Throw yourself down this temple….shouldn’t angels come to scoop you up?” I plan to give it a Valentine twist. Look forward to see you this Sunday!

Follow Up on ‘Together’ - Sunday School Feb. 12
It was exciting to see Gods Hand at work in our time of fasting and prayer together during the weekend of January 27 & 28. We want to give everybody who wasn’t able to join us this weekend a chance to hear (1) a report of what happened during our time and (2) to give your feedback, using the same questions we used this past weekend. We will use our Sunday School time this Sunday for this. I have pasted the questions below.
Please use these questions during your personal prayer time, asking for God to reveal His Will, prior to us meeting together.
1. What is God’s will for our corporate vision?
A. Is there any specific demographic group he wants us to reach (age: young, old, social status: college students, married or singles, families)
B. Is there any specific need He wants us to respond to/ministries he wants to create in response to that (manor, marriage, family, missions, benevolence, substance abuse)
C. Is there any characteristic that we ought to have as a church (expository preaching, compassion/evangelism, spiritual depth, Word/scripture memorization, worship, prayer…)
D. Is there anything else that you felt prompted to as you were praying?

2. What is to be my role (my talents, area of ministry)
Think about your gifts and/or things you have done in service in the past that you enjoyed. Ask if there is anything in specific He wants you to do (gifts/talents) or be (attitude, commitment).

Women's Bible Study
This Monday night and Tuesday morning the Beth Moore bible study for our ladies will start again. Please see the church calendar for details

Prayer & Praise Requests:
Congratulations to Donna Masson for her new job as the Desloge Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director
Congratulations to Josh Koenig for his new job with Wal Mart regional for inventory services.
Congratulations to Norm and Naomi with the birth of their granddaughter
Pray for Chrissy Carr as she undergoes steps to implement Praise Moves – a ministry designed to improve physical and spiritual health.
Priscilla Novotny – continual recovery from pneumonia – high fever for almost entire week, which is (finally) dropping
Lewis Wimberly, Norm Smith.
Dana – driving hours for her to complete driving test
Start of Women’s Bible Study

Calendar

Saturday, February 11
Scrapbooking at CBC from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday, February 12
10.00 Sunday School time committed to ‘Together’ – prayer and seeking Gods will
11.00 Service

Monday, February 13
Start Women’s Bible Study – Beth Moore: 6–8.30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 14
Start Women’s Bible Study - Beth Moore: 9–11.30 a.m.

Wednesday, February 15
5.15 Prayer Time at SF Manor
6.00 Alpha at the St. Francois Manor – “Why did Jesus die?”

Thursday, February 16
6.30-7.00 a.m. Prayer with Allyson at Library Farm. Middle School
8.15 a.m. Moms in Touch prayer at Farmington Skate Park

Sunday, February 19
10.00 Sunday School
11.00 Service