Mid-Week Memo — Henry Williams

Hi Five Oakers,

There are several things I want to share with you today.

#1 – Get a recap of the service with highlights of our prayers, readings and songs here.

#2 – Here are your comments from the Communication Cards:

Loved the songs after sermon. Heart on fire.
Thank you Dan Lukas for always choosing amazing songs and your awesome voice. Your words of praise and prayer are great.
Really nice worship set. Dan you are doing such a great job with announcements and intro. Your story was so funny – great ice-breaker. Tim we are so blessed to have you here at our church. Thanks for letting God use you here. Tim your stories are hysterical. That was a great, great, great message and thanks for taking time in the closing prayer to let in sink in. beautiful closing song.
POWERFUL message Tim, thank you! [I listened to it when I returned from vacation and I agree!]
Great message Tim! Great worship leader, very nice tone!
God always speaks to me through the preaching here. Grace to you all, keep the faith!
Thanks for the great message Tim – I honestly don’t think we can hear this message too often.
Music – slow. Tim – awesome! Thank you for breaking it down for us. I’m free because the judge said I am free.
I really liked the worship director.
Nice job by the young man leading worship!
I’ve heard the story of Pilot and Jesus many times, yet never like that and I didn’t connect the dots. Thank you – I get it now.
Wow, Tim! This was an incredible sermon! The picture of Barabbas in shackles wailing down the hallway and coming out in the sunshine as shackles falling off was so vivid and personally touching to my heart. Thank you and thanks to God as he has worked through you.
I met a woman named…during introductions who recently moved to Woodbury and is church shopping. She is searching and I feel led to suggest an in person contact for her, if she gives her contact info on these cards.
Happy St. Patty’s day! May the luck of the Irish and the love of the Lord be with you!
Looking forward to summer and hope they’ll be dinner after the Saturday services again! [I guess you didn’t hear the announcement. No summer this year! No spring either. Winter will be followed by fall this year. We still need to discuss whether or not we will offer meals during the months formally known as summer.]

#3 – Our new Care Ministry is really taking shape. There are three branches to it. First is Befrienders, a ministry of people to come alongside others in times of transition or trouble. Our Befrienders have gone through 20 hours of training and are now doing an “internship” of sorts as part of their training. They will also participate continuing education and support meetings throughout the year. Second is the Help Fund. We’re working on the details of that right now, but this will be a team of people that do much more than hand out money to Five Oakers in need. Third is a up-to-date referral system for our folks, from counseling to recovery to financial assistance.

#4 – Speaking of Care Ministry, Jake Eyler has agreed to be our Care Ministry Director. Jake is a member of Five Oaks and a student at Bethel Seminary. His wife, Andrea, is a veterinarian. Some of you may remember Jake from his internship here at Five Oaks back in the summer 2006. Jake served on the staff of University Christian Church in Manhattan, KS, as College Minister and Facility Manager for three years before coming to Bethel.

#5 – The Kindle version of the Jesus Storybook Bible: Everywhere whispers his name by Sally Lloyd-Jones is on sale right now for $1.99. This is a great book for families. It tells the story of God so well, always pointing to Jesus. It’s enhanced to work really well with my Kindle iPad app.

#6 – We were in the Minneapolis Tribune recently. You can read the article here, "Eagle Brook Church is Just One of Woodbury's Megachurches." Here's the part about Five Oaks:

Five Oaks Church, also in south Woodbury, lies in the heart of a massive housing development that will start taking shape this spring. The board that runs the church is well aware of the challenge and opportunity, said the Rev. Henry Williams. “We’re trying to get ourselves ready.”

About 1,000 people worship weekly at Five Oaks, which has expanded its building in phases over the past decade. The church is right across the road from East Ridge High School. When Eagle Brook arrived, its officials discussed their plans with their church neighbors, Williams said. Like other pastors, he said Eagle Brook is a welcome addition to the worship community.

“With Eagle Brook coming, my feeling is it raises the water for everybody,” Williams said. “Eagle Brook is an amazing church that gets everybody talking, and our church very much has the same mind-set.”

#7 – This weekend, in our Commons, you can buy a voucher to a movie called Home Run that will be shown at Woodbury Theater. Part of the idea is to drum up enough sales to bring the movie to Woodbury. Here’s what one Christian leader has said about it: “What Courageous was for fatherhood, and Fireproof for marriages, Home Run is for battling addictions, bad habit, and hang-ups. This story says that no hurt is beyond healing, no habit is beyond help, and no hang-up is beyond hope.” Go to the website here, or watch the movie trailer below.

#8 – Here’s a comment we received back from the cards we send first-time guests:

2/24 - Attended as a visitor with a family member who belongs – will return anytime as a visitor. Contemporary, inviting, engaging service and friendly people at your church. Coming from a more traditional background, I did miss not having The Lord’s Prayer as a part of the service. I have and will continue to follow Five Oaks online, and shared my experience with my Pastor…

#9 – This weekend’s message is the last in our Killing Jesus series and focuses on the crucifixion. Hope to see you.

God bless you, Pastor Henry