Over the next two Sundays we will welcome some new members into our church family. Some have been a part of our community for a few weeks, others a few years. They have spent two Sunday afternoons with Pastor Scott, Gretchen, the staff and myself and this Sunday at the 11:15am service and next week at the 8:45 service we will introduce them to you. Now what?
How long ago did you join the church? Do you remember attending a new member class and standing in front of a group of relative strangers? What happened next for you? I am hoping "what happened next" was someone came up to you and invited you out to lunch or met you for a cup of coffee. I am hoping someone invited you to a small group or asked you to join them for a play date at the park with your kids. I am hoping someone reached out to you and made you feel a part of this family.
Now it is your turn. Joining a church can be a bit of a stretch for some people. Joining a church requires you to put yourself out there a bit and let others in. We need you to reach out to these new members of our family and make them feel welcome. We need you to invite them to lunch or buy them a cup of coffee. Their kids need to meet your kids so they can find a connection here. At one point you were a new member and someone reached out to you and the rest, as they say, is history. Now it is your turn to do the same thing, to invite them to be a part of our family.
See you in church,
Pastor Chris
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Congregational Vote--October 2
It has been a long time in the making to get to this vote--and we are not quite near the end.
On Sunday, October 2 at 12:15, we will have an historic vote to move forward with The Master's Plan. After casting the vision 17 years ago, after first building the Ministry Center, after legal battles with the neighbors, after expanding our campus and improving our parking, after paying off debt and after banking $4,000,000, (whew! We've come a long ways!) we are now ready to go to the country to seek a permit to build. This is not an authorization to build (that will come in December), this is only to secure a permit. Once submitted, the process will take 4-6 weeks.
Please come to the meeting this Sunday--even if you are on board and eager to start. We need an overwhelming "yea!" vote to confirm what God is doing through us.
We have poured over the plans. We have scrutinized the numbers. We have debated the issues. It is now time for all God's people to speak in one accord, "Amen. So be it!"
AMEN!
Pastor Scott
On Sunday, October 2 at 12:15, we will have an historic vote to move forward with The Master's Plan. After casting the vision 17 years ago, after first building the Ministry Center, after legal battles with the neighbors, after expanding our campus and improving our parking, after paying off debt and after banking $4,000,000, (whew! We've come a long ways!) we are now ready to go to the country to seek a permit to build. This is not an authorization to build (that will come in December), this is only to secure a permit. Once submitted, the process will take 4-6 weeks.
Please come to the meeting this Sunday--even if you are on board and eager to start. We need an overwhelming "yea!" vote to confirm what God is doing through us.
We have poured over the plans. We have scrutinized the numbers. We have debated the issues. It is now time for all God's people to speak in one accord, "Amen. So be it!"
AMEN!
Pastor Scott
Monday, September 19, 2011
Adultery
Last Sunday was not one of those feel good sermons. How could it be with a topic like adultery?
I wanted to be specific, without being unnecessarily graphic. I wanted it to be frank, without being insensitive to the young ears in the congregation. I wanted to speak to the married people, but with a powerful word to those who are unmarried.
When Jesus expanded the definition of adultery to lust, it make sense for us to include all those things in between--emotional affairs, premarital sex, pornography, etc. And when you do that, this commandment against adultery suddenly affects everyone--married and single, young and old. No one is left unscathed. No one can sit back with moral indignation, point a finger and say, "At least I've never done THAT!"
Why does Jesus cut such a wide swath to convict everyone with this commandment? Isn't it enough just to condemn those who have done THAT?
I begin with the assumption that everything that Jesus does is to repair, renew, restore and reunite us with God. By convicting everyone, he opens our eyes, reveals our brokenness, extends his hand and says, "Today. Today, make those changes. Today, sin no more. Today, return to me. Today, walk as a child of God. Today, start fresh. Today."
Jesus doesn't end with conviction, but that is often where we must begin in order for us to hear the last word of forgiveness.
Today!
Pastor Scott
I wanted to be specific, without being unnecessarily graphic. I wanted it to be frank, without being insensitive to the young ears in the congregation. I wanted to speak to the married people, but with a powerful word to those who are unmarried.
When Jesus expanded the definition of adultery to lust, it make sense for us to include all those things in between--emotional affairs, premarital sex, pornography, etc. And when you do that, this commandment against adultery suddenly affects everyone--married and single, young and old. No one is left unscathed. No one can sit back with moral indignation, point a finger and say, "At least I've never done THAT!"
Why does Jesus cut such a wide swath to convict everyone with this commandment? Isn't it enough just to condemn those who have done THAT?
I begin with the assumption that everything that Jesus does is to repair, renew, restore and reunite us with God. By convicting everyone, he opens our eyes, reveals our brokenness, extends his hand and says, "Today. Today, make those changes. Today, sin no more. Today, return to me. Today, walk as a child of God. Today, start fresh. Today."
Jesus doesn't end with conviction, but that is often where we must begin in order for us to hear the last word of forgiveness.
Today!
Pastor Scott
This Sunday, 7 and 8.
This Sunday we will continue our look at the 10 Commandments and I am wondering what your take is on the 7th commandment, "Don't Steal" and the 8th commandment, "Don't bear false witness against your neighbor." At first glance we could simply say "don't take something that isn't yours" and "don't lie" but do these go further. These two might seem like weaker commandments in comparison to killing and adultery but do we always know how powerful words are and how deep and painful they can be? We may have never "boosted" a car or shoplifted at the mall but have we stolen in other ways? Have we stolen someone's self-esteem or innocence? I would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts on this one. You can post them here or email me at chermansen@christelca.org, call the church office at 704 366 1595 or track me down on facebook. Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
See you in church,
Chris
See you in church,
Chris
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Why Wednesdays Together
Tomorrow evening we kick off our Wednesday night program, called Wednesdays Together, and if you have never attended a Wednesdays Together I hope this will encourage you to check it out.
Why go? At its core faith is our relationship with God and this relationship needs to be cared for. Just like any relationship in your life if you don't care for that relationship it will eventually weaken and die. Wednesdays Together is a great opportunity to care for your relationship with God.
Taking care of any excuses: The evening starts at 5 with a meal. Its not lobster thermidor or filet mignon but it is a good meal. Beyond the food it is a great chance to spend some time getting to know new people or catching up with old friends. Our Sunday schedule can be a hectic one but on Wednesday nights you have all the time in the world to sit and connect with old and new friends alike.
Taking care of more excuses: the entire family is covered. You say you have a new baby? We have some of the best childcare I have ever seen and its free. You have toddlers, grade schoolers or teenagers? We have activities for them too. Its not daycare or organized chaos but it is a safe, healthy environment where your kids have the opportunity to learn about God and build connections with their peers.
And its not just for kids. We have 6 adult classes that cover a wide spectrum. Whether you want something more basic like Faith 101 or something more in depth like a study on John or Revelation we have that too. Or maybe you want to attend a class on managing your finances, understanding your God given gifts or finding some peace through yoga its all here.
Mostly this is an evening where you can grow in your faith and develop some deeper relationships with your peers who are on the same journey. It truly is a great program and I hope you will join us.
See you in church,
Chris Hermansen
Why go? At its core faith is our relationship with God and this relationship needs to be cared for. Just like any relationship in your life if you don't care for that relationship it will eventually weaken and die. Wednesdays Together is a great opportunity to care for your relationship with God.
Taking care of any excuses: The evening starts at 5 with a meal. Its not lobster thermidor or filet mignon but it is a good meal. Beyond the food it is a great chance to spend some time getting to know new people or catching up with old friends. Our Sunday schedule can be a hectic one but on Wednesday nights you have all the time in the world to sit and connect with old and new friends alike.
Taking care of more excuses: the entire family is covered. You say you have a new baby? We have some of the best childcare I have ever seen and its free. You have toddlers, grade schoolers or teenagers? We have activities for them too. Its not daycare or organized chaos but it is a safe, healthy environment where your kids have the opportunity to learn about God and build connections with their peers.
And its not just for kids. We have 6 adult classes that cover a wide spectrum. Whether you want something more basic like Faith 101 or something more in depth like a study on John or Revelation we have that too. Or maybe you want to attend a class on managing your finances, understanding your God given gifts or finding some peace through yoga its all here.
Mostly this is an evening where you can grow in your faith and develop some deeper relationships with your peers who are on the same journey. It truly is a great program and I hope you will join us.
See you in church,
Chris Hermansen
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The sky is falling!
I read this morning that Steve Jobs is finally stepping down as CEO of Apple. Jobs has led Apple since the mid 90s and under his leadership Apple rose to become one of the top companies in the word. For the past few years Apple's stock has fluctuated following Jobs' health. He was treated for cancer and then a few years later had an organ transplant and every time something looked bad for Jobs, Apple's stock would dip. Ultimately many feared that once Jobs did finally leave Apple's helm the company would plummet. Wow, talk about a lot riding on one guy.
What I appreciate about the church is that we don't build our entire fortune on one individual. Certainly a church has a pastor and that can be a draw for some, but then most churches have musicians and that can be a draw too. Many churches have strong youth programs or seniors programs and all of those connect with different people at different stages of their lives. You see it has never been about one individual, it has been about a group of individuals who come together to create something bigger than themselves.
Now there are churches out there who have built their entire identity on one specific individual and that seems to go well for a while but if that leader leaves, dies or gets caught in a scandal their stock dips faster than Apple's. What is important for us to remember is that our faith is not the result of a fantastic preacher or a talented musician but we put our faith in God. If we put our faith in anything else we will be disappointed. Certainly there are those who have helped us grow in our faith or who have introduced us to God but the goal is not to worship them, the point is to worship God.
Its not about one individual but many individuals, coming together to create something special. You are a part of that.
See you Sunday,
Chris
What I appreciate about the church is that we don't build our entire fortune on one individual. Certainly a church has a pastor and that can be a draw for some, but then most churches have musicians and that can be a draw too. Many churches have strong youth programs or seniors programs and all of those connect with different people at different stages of their lives. You see it has never been about one individual, it has been about a group of individuals who come together to create something bigger than themselves.
Now there are churches out there who have built their entire identity on one specific individual and that seems to go well for a while but if that leader leaves, dies or gets caught in a scandal their stock dips faster than Apple's. What is important for us to remember is that our faith is not the result of a fantastic preacher or a talented musician but we put our faith in God. If we put our faith in anything else we will be disappointed. Certainly there are those who have helped us grow in our faith or who have introduced us to God but the goal is not to worship them, the point is to worship God.
Its not about one individual but many individuals, coming together to create something special. You are a part of that.
See you Sunday,
Chris
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Community
Yesterday Freedom School held their closing ceremonies in our fellowship hall. We have had the privilege of hosting them for 7 weeks this summer, like we did last year and the year before. The ceremony included some sharing, a little singing and some dancing, but what really got my attention was the amount of emotion that filled our basement. A healthy number of students and leaders were overcome by the conclusion of this program to the point that they couldn't hold back their tears. As the youngest group came to the stage (kids that are close in age to my own children) some of them had a hard time saying their brief line as they covered their eyes and wiped tears from their cheeks. Now I didn't get the chance to ask them why there were crying but I am guessing it was because they had built such a strong community with their fellow students and leaders that leaving this community was difficult if not painful. I wonder if community is so valuable to these students because too often their day to day lives seldom include that kind of love and support?
Two observations form this experience. First, what type of community do you have in your life? Have you been able to surround yourself with individuals who love and care for you? This is something we all need, we are intended for community with others, and I would hope that you have found this in your family, work, neighborhood and your church. If you haven't found this please email me (chermansen@christelca.org) and let me connect you with others. Second (which connects with the previous sentence) have you reached out to others who are desperately seeking community? It is very easy for us to live in a bubble and only interact with those that we choose but that is not how we are called to live as the Body of Christ. We are called to care for those that have been forgotten, over looked and dismissed. This is not always easy and quite often it is messy but it is what the Body of Christ looks like.
I cant shake the image of those little kids crying from my mind but it is a good image. It reminds us how important community is and how much we need it. I hope and pray that you have a strong community around you and I challenge you to bring others into your community so that they might experience that love too.
See you in Church,
Chris
Two observations form this experience. First, what type of community do you have in your life? Have you been able to surround yourself with individuals who love and care for you? This is something we all need, we are intended for community with others, and I would hope that you have found this in your family, work, neighborhood and your church. If you haven't found this please email me (chermansen@christelca.org) and let me connect you with others. Second (which connects with the previous sentence) have you reached out to others who are desperately seeking community? It is very easy for us to live in a bubble and only interact with those that we choose but that is not how we are called to live as the Body of Christ. We are called to care for those that have been forgotten, over looked and dismissed. This is not always easy and quite often it is messy but it is what the Body of Christ looks like.
I cant shake the image of those little kids crying from my mind but it is a good image. It reminds us how important community is and how much we need it. I hope and pray that you have a strong community around you and I challenge you to bring others into your community so that they might experience that love too.
See you in Church,
Chris
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