Memorial Day; the unofficial start of the summer season.
Memorial Day; a day for cooking out and being with family.
Memorial Day; a time for golf.
Memorial Day; means school is almost over for the year.
Memorial Day; a three day weekend.
Memorial Day . . .
Memorial Day: a time to Remember!
Memorial Day is a time set aside for us to remember and give thanks for all those who have gone before us. Take some time this Memorial Day weekend to remember and give thanks for parents, teachers, friends, and others who have impacted your life. In the past Memorial Day was a time to go to the cemetery, lay flowers on the grave of a loved one, and remember their life.
In preparation for worship this week take some time and read John 11:1-45. This a story of Jesus visiting a cemetery, and then doing something extraordinary.
Grace and Peace,
Rich
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Time for CAMP ! ! ! !
I don’t know anything that we can do to help our kids know Jesus better than sending them to camp. Every year kids enter a relationship with Jesus for the first time; grow in their relationship with Jesus: hear calls to missions and ministry; experience the forgiveness and grace of Christ; and experience real Christian community like nowhere else. Maybe you can tell, I believe in camp! I’m excited about this year’s camping opportunities. Here is the schedule for this year’s camps:
June 15-19 OneWay 8/9
June 22-26 OneWay 10/12
June 29-July 3 OneWay 4/5
July 6-10 OneWay 6/7
(The numbers to the right of the camp name are the grades the camper will be entering in the fall of 2009)
You can find more info at:
www.cetacanyon.org
www.camp09.info
And as always we are in need adult volunteers to give a week of their time to work camp this summer. I can’t think of a better way to spend your summer break than helping kids experience the grace of Jesus! See Scott Smith to help with OneWay 10/12 and see Rich Jones to help with OneWay 8/9 and either of us can help connect you with the directors of the other camps.
Also, Ceta Canyon is hosting an Open House this Sunday May 17th from 2 - 4pm. This is a great opportunity to check out the camp!
Grace and Peace,
Rich
June 15-19 OneWay 8/9
June 22-26 OneWay 10/12
June 29-July 3 OneWay 4/5
July 6-10 OneWay 6/7
(The numbers to the right of the camp name are the grades the camper will be entering in the fall of 2009)
You can find more info at:
www.cetacanyon.org
www.camp09.info
And as always we are in need adult volunteers to give a week of their time to work camp this summer. I can’t think of a better way to spend your summer break than helping kids experience the grace of Jesus! See Scott Smith to help with OneWay 10/12 and see Rich Jones to help with OneWay 8/9 and either of us can help connect you with the directors of the other camps.
Also, Ceta Canyon is hosting an Open House this Sunday May 17th from 2 - 4pm. This is a great opportunity to check out the camp!
Grace and Peace,
Rich
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Passion for Jesus is a Passion for Missions!
A passion for Jesus is a passion for Missions.
I believe that the basic premise of the church is this; we exist to reach people for Jesus. You have probably heard me say in church, and elsewhere, that “the church is the only organization in the history of humanity that exists primarily for those who are not yet a part of it.”
Genesis 12:1-3 tells us that the people of God are blessed to be a blessing and that all the nations of the earth are to be blessed through the people of God. Exodus 19:5-6 tells us that the people of God are to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests; the role of priests is to mediate between a holy God and a broken people-to help people know the one true God. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us how Jesus commissioned the first believers to go into all the world making disciples of Jesus Christ. And Acts 1:8 tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to go to the ends of the earth as witnesses for Jesus.
All through the Scriptures we see that God is on a mission to bring all of humanity into a relationship with Himself. And His means for accomplishing that mission is the church; us. We who have experienced the life-transforming grace of Jesus in our lives are to then become extensions of that same grace in the lives of others. Our passion for Jesus must be a passion for others to experience Jesus. In other words, ‘a passion for Jesus is a passion for missions!’ Let me paraphrase Stan Cosby, ‘Missions is not a program of the church; the church is the tool God uses for missions!’
Grace and Peace,
Rich
I believe that the basic premise of the church is this; we exist to reach people for Jesus. You have probably heard me say in church, and elsewhere, that “the church is the only organization in the history of humanity that exists primarily for those who are not yet a part of it.”
Genesis 12:1-3 tells us that the people of God are blessed to be a blessing and that all the nations of the earth are to be blessed through the people of God. Exodus 19:5-6 tells us that the people of God are to be a holy nation and a kingdom of priests; the role of priests is to mediate between a holy God and a broken people-to help people know the one true God. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us how Jesus commissioned the first believers to go into all the world making disciples of Jesus Christ. And Acts 1:8 tells us that the Holy Spirit gives us the power to go to the ends of the earth as witnesses for Jesus.
All through the Scriptures we see that God is on a mission to bring all of humanity into a relationship with Himself. And His means for accomplishing that mission is the church; us. We who have experienced the life-transforming grace of Jesus in our lives are to then become extensions of that same grace in the lives of others. Our passion for Jesus must be a passion for others to experience Jesus. In other words, ‘a passion for Jesus is a passion for missions!’ Let me paraphrase Stan Cosby, ‘Missions is not a program of the church; the church is the tool God uses for missions!’
Grace and Peace,
Rich
Thursday, April 23, 2009
should I blog here or not???
with the launch of our church's new website I'm wondering if I should blog here or not? I have a place to blog on the new website; though it's more like a newsletter column than a true blog. So, if any there is anybody out there actually reading this, and you would like me to blog here, please leave a comment to tell me that. Otherwise, go to
www.ssumc.net
www.ssumc.net/west
www.ssumc.net/pastors-blog
www.ssumc.net
www.ssumc.net/west
www.ssumc.net/pastors-blog
Thursday, February 12, 2009
all campus letter
February 12, 2009
West Campus Family,
Wow! What an amazing year we’ve had. God has been so good to us here at Saint Stephen West! I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this great church. And I know you feel the same way; so many of you have told me how you just feel right at home when you come through the doors of the West Campus. I want to share with you a couple of thoughts:
First, as we continue to grow we must be intentional about providing places for people to connect to God and one another outside of the worship service. We have three great places for that to happen: Sunday School, Wednesdays Out West, and our new D-Teams. Whether you connect in a Sunday school class, a midweek class at W.O.W., or join one of our D-Teams, it is vitally important for your Christian walk to make real connections with God and others. The D-Teams are our newest means of making this connection. ‘D-Team,’ stands for Discipleship Team, and this is our small group ministry. They meet on various nights of the week and are a great place for fellowship, fun, study, worship, service, prayer, and just living life in real community. I hope you will find the sign up sheet in the foyer this week and become a part of a D-Team.
Second, as we all know the country is in the midst of what the media is calling an ‘economic down-turn.’ Now I don’t necessarily understand all that is reported about the economic condition of our country. However, I do know a couple of things: You can’t out give God, and God always provides! Our 2009 Commitment packets have been a little slow coming in this year. We will begin our budgeting process for the year in the next couple of weeks and the more accurate numbers we have the more accurate our budget will be. Please bring your packets this week! If you have lost, misplaced, or simply never got one, then stop by the church office to pick one up. If you can’t be with us in church this Sunday then drop the packet off in the middle of week, or mail it in.
My old seminary president used to say, “God is good, all the time! All the time God is good!” What an important truth to remember when the evening news seems so grim:
GOD IS GOOD – ALL THE TIME!
Serving a Good God with You!
Rich Jones
Lead Pastor Saint Stephen West
West Campus Family,
Wow! What an amazing year we’ve had. God has been so good to us here at Saint Stephen West! I couldn’t be more excited about the future of this great church. And I know you feel the same way; so many of you have told me how you just feel right at home when you come through the doors of the West Campus. I want to share with you a couple of thoughts:
First, as we continue to grow we must be intentional about providing places for people to connect to God and one another outside of the worship service. We have three great places for that to happen: Sunday School, Wednesdays Out West, and our new D-Teams. Whether you connect in a Sunday school class, a midweek class at W.O.W., or join one of our D-Teams, it is vitally important for your Christian walk to make real connections with God and others. The D-Teams are our newest means of making this connection. ‘D-Team,’ stands for Discipleship Team, and this is our small group ministry. They meet on various nights of the week and are a great place for fellowship, fun, study, worship, service, prayer, and just living life in real community. I hope you will find the sign up sheet in the foyer this week and become a part of a D-Team.
Second, as we all know the country is in the midst of what the media is calling an ‘economic down-turn.’ Now I don’t necessarily understand all that is reported about the economic condition of our country. However, I do know a couple of things: You can’t out give God, and God always provides! Our 2009 Commitment packets have been a little slow coming in this year. We will begin our budgeting process for the year in the next couple of weeks and the more accurate numbers we have the more accurate our budget will be. Please bring your packets this week! If you have lost, misplaced, or simply never got one, then stop by the church office to pick one up. If you can’t be with us in church this Sunday then drop the packet off in the middle of week, or mail it in.
My old seminary president used to say, “God is good, all the time! All the time God is good!” What an important truth to remember when the evening news seems so grim:
GOD IS GOOD – ALL THE TIME!
Serving a Good God with You!
Rich Jones
Lead Pastor Saint Stephen West
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
D-Team Tryouts!
D-Team Try-Outs Begin Tonight!
5:45pm-Meal
6:30pm-Program
Come and check out our Small Group Ministry at Saint Stephen West.
Life is best lived in relationship; relationship with God and relationship with one another. We are not meant to live isolated lives but to live life in community. Our D-Teams, (short for Discipleship Team), provide a perfect environment for real community and spiritual growth.
The D-Team is:
1. A small group of 6 to 18 people who gather weekly for Bible study, prayer, sharing, etc …
2. A place to share life’s journey and learn from one another.
3. A place where everyone knows your name!
4. A place for spiritual growth.
5. A safe place.
6. A non-threatening means for evangelism based on friendship and building relationships.
7. An entry point into the church.
8. An opportunity for mission and service.
9. A training ground for Christian Leaders.
10. Multiplying at least once a year.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
- Acts 2:46-47
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
- Hebrews 10:24-25
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