Hello Church Family, 

I hope that you are having a great week after a long weekend.  I wanted to take a moment and thank you for your support of the Burundi team as we headed to Africa.  Gregg and Kelly Schmedes and Anna and I were touched by the people in a profound way.   If you are looking to hear the voice of God I encourage you to join us in the future as we return to Burundi.  Our team will be sharing tomorrow night at First Wednesday and over the next few months.   Please visit our short video on my blog www.russbennett.org to get a glimpse of our work.   Thank you again for all of the prayer and support and we look forward to sharing more details with you.  

Sincerely, 

Pastor Russ Bennett 

Hey Church family,

I want to make sure you are aware of two very time-sensative announcements that we are going to cover again on Sunday.

1.  Our Covenant Membership Class is starting September 9th.  The Elders have refined the content and it is now a 5 week long class that will meet from 9-10 a.m. on Sunday mornings.  In it, we talk about who we are, what we believe, and where we are going as a church.  Because of the new content, we want EVERYONE in the church to participate.  There will be 3 separate sessions for you to sign up for (the first one has no childcare).  Click here to  sign up today so we can plan accordingly.  The Elders and I look forward to the time with you in that class.

2.  In revising our membership material, the Elders have also revised the Statement of Faith in order to bring more clarity to what we believe.  A cover letter and the revised document is HERE.  Please read it carefully.  Hard copies will also be available on Sunday.

Looking forward to wrapping up our God and Government series with you this weekend.  See you then!
- Pastor Russ

Belw is an aritcle by Turansky and Miller, the speakers at the upcoming Parenting is Heart Work seminar at our church on Friday, September 14th.

An Action Point is the point when you stop talking and start acting or the point when children know you mean business. How do they know? You give them cues and your children know what those cues are. If you’re saying the same thing over and over again, how does your child know when the Action Point is near?

Think back on your own childhood. How did you know when your dad or mom meant business? Maybe they used your middle name or started moving toward the kitchen where that special utensil was kept. They might have gotten out of the chair or started moving toward you or given you that look.  Continue reading the rest of the article.

Dear Church family,

After a semester off, our new membership class will begin September 9th.  The new class only runs for 5 weeks and will meet from 9-10 a.m. on Sunday mornings.

Because of the new format and material, the Elders are asking that the entire church (even those who have been through the membership class before) to attend one of the three sections.  They will be offered continually through the Fall  (*note to parents, the first section will not have childcare.)  You can sign up for a class here.  

I will be talking extensivley about church membership this sunday as we continue our series on spheres of authority.  See you this weekend!

- Pastor Russ

If you missed us last night at Man Night you missed out on some competition, good food, worship and a dive into what the Gospel is.   Jesus said come follow me and I will make you fishers of men and when he left the disciples he said GO and make disciples.    As we go about making disciples we have to be clear about what we are inviting people to.    In society today there are thousands of different "gospels" so it is imperative that we the church be clear about the Gospel that we are inviting people to.   Last night we dug into this issue.   Hopefully the headings and questions below will help you be clearer as you present the Gospel to others and yourself.   Thanks again to everyone who came last night.    Men keep in mind from now on we will have open gym from 5:00pm till 6:00pm before the meal on Man Night.   

 God the Righteous Creator 

     1. Who made us, and to whom are we accountable? 

• Genesis 1:26-27 
• Exodus 34:6-7 
• Revelation 4:11
• Romans 1:18-21

Man the Sinner: 
     2. What is our problem? In other words, are we in trouble and why?

• Ephesians 2:1-10
  

Jesus Christ the Savior  
    3. What is God's solution to that problem? How has he acted to save us from it?

• Philippians 2:6-11
• 1 Corinthians 1:17
• Romans 3:25
• 1 John 4:10
• Hebrews 2:17 

Response: Faith and Repentance; Rest and Rejoice

     4. How do I-myself, right here, right now -- how do I come to be included in that salvation? What makes this good news for me and not just someone else?

• Romans 10:9-10

Below is a message fom @SimonGuillebaud about an outreach in Burundi that needs our prayers this week:

We've got two new songs to let you know about - one from last Sunday and one from this upcoming Sunday...

Last Sunday we introduced a new song called "Across the Lands" - it's a wonderful anthem for worship that reminds us of the great pursuing love that our God has for us. As Pastor Russ Bennett preaches through the book of Jonah and we consider the call of repentance and mercy that our God issued to the people of Ninevah, a song like "Across the Lands" helps us to think of the Gospel and to remember that our loving God is calling to Himself people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. You can listen to the song here and use it in your personal worship, especially as we continue through Jonah over the next two weeks.

This coming Sunday we are introducing a new song by Matt Redman who gave us songs such as "Blessed Be Your Name" and "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord, O My Soul)." The name of the song we will be singing is "Holy" and it is an amazing song that speaks of the infinite worth, majesty, power, and glory of our God. My favorite part is the bridge which says:

Who shall we say you are? You're the Living God!

Who shall we say you are? You're the Great I Am!

The highest name of all - You're all You say You are!

It's a great song that sings and speaks of an unimaginably great God - our God! In preparation for Sunday, you can hear and begin to learn the song by listening to it here. Then, come ready to sing and proclaim the holiness and worth of our God, King Jesus!

$5/person that is skating. $3/person if you are not skating.

Pizza, drinks, and dessert will be provided!

Invite your family and friends to join you!

Click here for a map and directions.