The Pastor’s Blog
Song of the Week
This weeks song is What Faith Can Do by Kutless. This song is what you will see when you believe in God and have faith from him. For example-Answers to prayers, happiness, wisdom, hope. When you put God at the center of your life and trust in him you will see so many unbeliveable things happening in your life that it will be breath taking. This song shows it.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTNBWv33-QI
What Faith Can Do-Kutless-It Is Well
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August Youth Events
Surfside Camp-August 5th-11th. Campers need to be at MFC by 8:30 a.m. with $20 to help cover the cost of gas, their personal gear, a sack lunch for the trip up and money for lunch on the way home. Thank You to Annella Pechon for volunteering your time and energy to take our youth to and from camps this year!
Coffee and Connection– A time of getting into the word and fellowship 11 a.m. each Tuesday in August.
Tuesday Special!!- August 14th, 5-8p.m. Meet at the Family Fun Center. Cost is $12 for 1 Go Kart ride, 1 Bumper Boat and Unlimited Mini Golf.
Water Works Park in Redding-Thursday August 23rd. Meet at MFC at 7:30 a.m. Cost is $20 for Unlimited rides plus money for lunch @ In-N-Out. Sign up in Ross Chapel.
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Hands and Feet of Jesus
School Supply Drive
One of the activities we adopted in our Hands and Feet of Jesus ministries was providing school supplies for students at Howard Elementary. Many of the families in our community cannot afford to provide these needed supplies for their children and we want to help. Below is a list of supplies that we are collecting to share with students in need. You will notice that some of the supplies are listed by their brand name and educators tell us that is because even though they may cost a little more those brands provide better bang for the buck.
We have a collection box for these supplies in the main hallway and we ask everyone to bring in your donations by Sunday, August 19, so they may be delivered to the school that week. Thank you so much for caring and for giving!
Supplies for Howard School:
12 pack Ticonderoga Laddie brand pencils; 24 count Crayola crayons; Pencil top erasers; large erasers; 12 count Crayola color pencils; 8 count Crayola color markers (washable); glue sticks; bottles white glue; rulers; pencil pouches; red, blue, yellow and green pocket folders; notebook paper; pens; solar calculators; 3-ring binders; pocket dividers for binders; 3×5 lined note cards; spiral notebooks; Kleenex tissues; backpacks.
Clothing Give Away
There are many in our valley making hard choices right now. After rent, utilities and food there isn’t much left for school and work clothes. On September 15 we will be the hands and feet of Jesus by giving away clean, gently used clothing and coats. If you just love to shop, there is always a need for new socks and underwear (either gender, any size). We will need friends to assist shoppers on Saturday and to sort clothes on Friday. Call Earlene Schlosser if you have questions 541-890-6218.
Food Pantry Thank You
Thank you to everyone who brought donations for our food pantry; the shelves are well stocked and we will be able to help many families with food in the days to come. Thank you for showing the love of Jesus by supporting this need meeting ministry.
99th Birthday Celebration for Vera Wisely
August 18th at 12 noon
The family and friends of Vera will celebrate her 99th Birthday with a potluck dinner in the MFC Fellowship Hall and they invite us, their Church Family, to join the celebration. Vera has requested no gifts, but cards are most welcome.
For the potluck please bring a main dish and a side dish; coffee and punch will be provided and if you want any other soft drink feel free to bring your own. Marilyn will provide a large birthday cake, so dessert items are not necessary, but always welcome. We will cut and serve the cake around 1:30 p.m. If you would rather come for just cake and coffee, please feel free to come then. We will be at the church from 12 noon to 4 p.m.
Please RSVP so we will know how many to plan for:
541-664-1503 or 541-664-3363 or email mts1040@hotmail.com.
NWYM Friends Women Joint Retreat 2012
“God the Gardner” September 20-23 Cost: $170.
At Quaker Hill Camp & Conference Center in McCall, ID
Becky Ankeny, NWYM superintendent is this year’s speaker.
Transportation from Portland A 47- passenger bus (with restroom and air con.) has been booked to go to Quaker Hill. Round trip cost will be $90. The absolute deadline for registering for the bus is Wednesday, August 15th. Brochures with much more information and registration forms are located on the table in the foyer.
Surfside Camp – August 5th – 11th Campers need to be at MFC by 8:30 a.m. with $20 to help cover the cost of gas, their personal gear, a sack lunch for the trip up and money for lunch on the way home.
Thank You to Annella Pechon for volunteering your time and energy to take our youth to and from camps this year!
Youth Coffee & Connection – A time of getting into the word & fellowship 11 a.m. each Tuesday in August.
Tuesday Special! August 14th Youth – 5 to 8 p.m.
Meet at the Rogue Valley Family Fun Center
Cost: $12 – 1 Go Kart ,1 Bumper Boat & Unlimited Mini Golf
Water Works Park in Redding – Thursday, August 23rd Youth meet at MFC at 7:30 a.m. Cost: $20 for Unlimited rides plus money for lunch @ In-N-Out
- Sign up in Ross Chapel
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I want to thank everyone in our body who participated in the “I Heart Rogue Valley” events last Saturday, July 28, and to thank Dave Gomez and Carla Tappero for all of their leadership in helping to make this event happen. Through the weekend, over 6,000 hours were given in service to our community by over 1,500 volunteers and at the Friday night youth worship event 44 people committed or recommitted their lives to Jesus while 125 people did the same thing at the Saturday night worship event. Praise the Lord!
That is the story of the weekend in numbers, and as important as those numbers are, I think what is even more important is the message that was carried out into our community; Jesus loves you and as His people we love you too.
Sometimes we in the church get upset when we feel like our culture doesn’t understand us or respect our choices and stands. Of course they don’t, how can they understand what the Holy Spirit is saying to us and doing through us when they do not have the Holy Spirit in them? However, just because the people outside of Jesus’ church don’t understand us doesn’t mean that we ignore them or treat them as they treat us.
William Temple, an Archbishop of Canterbury in the 20th century, made this statement about the church, “The church is the only society on earth that exists for the benefit of non-members.”
And Evangelical theologian Stanley Grenz said, “According to the New Testament, God wills that the church be a people who show what God is like.”
These two statements are challenging, convicting and true. And from experience we know how hard it is to live out the truth of these statements in the real world when our beliefs are being assaulted and assailed. So how can we reach out to people outside the church and show what God is like when our beliefs are under attack? Let me share two verses that give us some great direction.
In Matthew 5:44 and 45, Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”
And in Romans 12:14, Paul wrote, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”
The responses that Jesus and Paul call us to are not normal human responses to rejection and persecution, but they are the responses that allow people to see God and the difference that Jesus has made in our lives.
I am thankful for the “I Heart Rogue Valley” campaign that opened the door for so many to share the love of Jesus with our neighbors and it’s my hope and prayer that as a church family we will continually find ways to share the love of Jesus with people outside of our church so that God may be seen and glorified through our lives.
In Christ, Mark
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