Tuesday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

I’ve got TEN things I want to share with you today.

#1 – The Journeymen Ministry (our Men’s Ministry) Hearts & Hammers event last weekend wowed everyone involved. Over 40 guys (young and old) painted the house and did the landscaping of someone in need last Saturday and they were done in by 2pm! Amazing. That’s a great testament not only to the men who worked hard and the amount of men who showed up; it’s a testament to the leaders, Scott Halverson and Adam Igl. It’s really hard to coordinate 40 people working all at once like that. Way to go! Check out more pictures the Journeymen website here. Great to see so many dads bring their sons.

#2 – One of our members and small group leaders has been focusing on bringing Christ to his workplace through simple spiritual conversations (applying some of the stuff from the Mission of God series) and now that has morphed into a Bible study at work with about five of his colleagues!  

#3 – The VBS kids raised enough money during VBS to sponsor 4 kids at the orphanage in Haiti and we just received the names and pictures: Judson, Jasmine, Stanley, and Dada (pictured below, in order). For new folks, our church funded and sent teams to build the orphanage in partnership with GVCM, led by Yves Prophet. We still help support the workers wages there each year out of our Impact funds.

#4 – Your small group leaders were in training on Sunday (or the Sunday before). Thank them for taking the time to grow their leadership skills and heart. They are there at small group every week and they are prepared. You bless them when you make small group a priority and come prepared

#5 – I’m experiencing something tonight. Kari Ennulat (First Impressions Director) is holding an Ushers teleconference at 8pm tonight for some training and inspiration. I get to play a small part.

#6 – Fusion (Wednesday evening high school ministry) had their Lumberjack Extravaganza last Wednesday. Here are pictures of some of the leaders gearing up for the party.

#7- We were doing some filming for a campaign video and the videographer used a drone with a super high definition video camera on it. Here are a couple of stills from the shoot. Can’t wait to see the finished product.

#8- The Story of God team is assembled and preparing for the group that starts next Tuesday. If you haven’t yet registered, go here. If you want more information, email me.

#9- The Village Schools of the Bible class had 23 people in it last week! Story of God on steroids.

#10- Campaign devotional books written by Group Life team members arrived today. Distribution this weekend. First day devotional starts on Monday. Don't miss it.

Blessings, Pastor Henry

Monday Memo

Hi Five Oakers,

It was great to have Tim preaching this weekend, especially with this subject. He's in the middle of it all right now, and he has the added perspective of an experienced youth pastor.

Here are most of your comments, observations and questions from the weekend Communication Cards.

• Great teaching – will be watching it MANY times again! Thanks Tim. [I loved it, too!]

• Loved the music – especially “I Need You” – beautiful. [Couldn’t agree more! Many thanks to the worship team.]

• I really think this is the best message I’ve seen Tim give – great delivery Tim!

• Thank you! Great sermon, needed it! 

• Thanks for your honesty regarding your parenting Tim. It’s an encouragement to know that even men of God as you and Pastor Henry have dealt or deal with the struggles of parenting as some of us do.

• Great sermon, Tim! Passion-filled music! Does Dunkin Donuts make gluten-free donuts? Thank you Jesus.

• Love hymns!

• Thank you Henry and Tim for a great series on parenting – things I know we needed to learn and be reminded of. 

• Great message, Tim! For how we treat our kids and all others!

• Great worship set, very surrendering. Tim and Henry, part of great parenting is allowing kids to see our mortality. It doesn’t make them feel as failures when they are parents. Thank God for hourly grace. 

• Tim, loved your real life examples and how your inserted humor throughout the message. It’s reassuring that we don’t have to be experts and you are experiencing the same things we are. [That was Kara’s line about not needing to be experts. And Tim had the wisdom to repeat it.]

• Loved “Lord I Need You” and “How Marvelous” ending! 

• Loved worship today! Many thanks to Legend for helping leading, so inspiring! 

• The string art staging looks awesome. I’m finally sitting in a spot where I can see it all. It’s so cool! Kudos! 

• Wonderful sermon Tim. It’s not about behavior, the real aim is the hart. That happens when we experience God’s grace ourselves, then share it with our kids. Transparency can be frightening, but that’s where transformation by the Holy Spirit occurs. God is so good in spite of our failings.

• Really, really beautiful worship sets. Tim, love how you set-up the message with a quick review of the previous two weeks. Tremendous message Tim, tremendous series. Nice solo. 

• Thank you to all the volunteers who take time out of their busy schedules to serve in the church. Often the volunteers fly under the radar, but are so essential in making thins run smoothly every weekend. [Amen!]

• Thanks for putting the titles of the songs in the worship program.

• Great series! I wish it was longer. [It will be since we’ll come back to it throughout this ministry year. We also have our parenting conference coming up this winter/spring. You’ll hear more about that later.]

• I noticed that the prayer web is gone, too bad. [It will be back. It’s one of the stations we change out.]

• We are moving from Woodbury to Champaign, IL on 10/22/13 and regret having to leave the membership of the church. Blessings. [God bless you as you move in and settle into a new home and community.]

Thanks for all your comments and questions.

Blessings,

Pastor Henry