The Flame - Christ Church

Contents
3 Newlyweds: The Family Begins...or Continues.
By Jeff Allen
4 The World As I See It
By Rev. Shane Bishop
5 Spotlight On Ministry
The Flame
The magazine of Christ Church
Rev. Shane Bishop
Senior Pastor
Rev. Allen Miller
Associate Pastor
Justin Aymer
Director of Communications
6 A Farewell Message
By Rev. Allen
7 Wide, and Long, and High, and Deep
By Mary Ann Turner
8 Rhythm
By Rachel Frazure
9 Getting To Know You
10 We’re Family!
By Rev. Allen
Donna Harrison
Editor
11 A Grand (Father’s) Life
Barbara Germany
Proof Reader
12 Your Child’s Spiritual Survival: How Far Will You Go?
Service Times
Sunday
8:30am, 10:30am, 6:00pm
Saturday
5:00pm
For a complete listing of the Christ
Church Staff and to learn more about
Christ Church please visit:
www.mychristchurch.com
© Copyright 2011, Christ Church.
Questions about the Flame?
Contact Donna Harrison at:
[email protected]
Christ Church
339 Frank Scott Pkwy E
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
618.277.4659
By Fred Bishop
By Demian Farnworth
13 The Power of a Dad
By Nick Turner
14 Family Needs
By Steve Barrett
14 CEPIM
By Larry Weber
15 Watch Us Grow
A Note From The Editor
When I think of family, I see my handsome husband of 30 years this July,
my adult children, their spouses and my 4 beautiful grandchildren. But my
family consists of more than those who sit at my dinner table and call me
Mom and Grandma.
Each time I walk through the doors at Christ Church I am surrounded by my
brothers and sisters in Christ. What a blessed and precious bond we share.
I’d like to encourage you to open your heart to God, the loving Father who
gave His one and only Son so we may have life eternal. Find a place to serve
your church family; when you do, you’ll be in the company of those who love
God, love neighbor and want to see others connect with Jesus Christ.
In His Name, Donna Harrison
Newlyweds:
The Family Begins...
or Continues.
By Jeff Allen
I’m an only child. Growing up it was just me, and I
even retain some of the “only child” traits today. Two
of my closest friends call me “O.C.” when I begin to act
out these traits. So growing up I had my own room,
my own bathroom, my own telephone line, you name
it...I had to share nothing.
I knew this would all come to an end on June 19th,
2010, when I married my wife, Brittani. Truthfully,
that was okay with me! Don’t get me wrong, it is
challenging at times, but the most beautiful thing
about marriage (so far) is the extension of family. I
now have a brother! My brother-in-law, Mitchell, is
one of the coolest people I know. My mother-in-law
and father-in-law are great. Brittani’s aunts, uncles,
cousins, and grandparents are amazing. And the cool
part is, they are my real family now!
her family. The best thing about married life year one
is family. Amazing stuff!
Brittani and I will be married for one year as of June
19, 2011, and we are so blessed to have amazing
family who support us in our walk together. As we
continue to sort out our priorities in life, we both know
that Christ is number one. Speaking of family, it has
been extremely helpful in our journey to keep Jesus
our number one priority, to have such an amazing
church family here at Christ Church. God has put
amazing people in our lives. People we can look to
for examples of healthy marriages, who take us under
their wings and help us in our new start together. Our
church is full of these people and we are so blessed to
begin, and continue our family here at Christ Church.
I’ve always been a family kind of guy. I’m close with
my parents, my grandma, and my extended family. It
was important to me to find a woman who is close with
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The World As I See It
By Rev. Shane Bishop
As I write this article I am reflecting upon what it
means to be 49 years of age. For one, it means that
next year at precisely 2:22 in the afternoon of April 2,
I will be 50. I will clearly have to set more time aside
to ponder that one.
The concept of “family” looms foremost in my mind
today. I am so glad to be a part of the family of God.
As I mature as a person of faith, I am constantly
overwhelmed by the wonder of Christ’s acceptance
of me. Despite my selfishness, pride, failures and
short comings, Christ died for me and because of
the work of Easter, I am accepted by God! I rejoice
in my decision to accept Christ years ago, but I am
blown away by the fact that Christ accepts me! I
am so thankful for my biological family. When both
of our children married three years ago, Melissa
and I suddenly went from two children to four. With
the emergence of Maddox Bishop Blaha and Elijah
Christian Bishop, the family again expanded. As
I write, I have just returned from Memorial Hospital
welcoming my first granddaughter to the world. To add
to the joy, my sister Jill’s family and my parents all live
within a couple of miles of us. Being near my family is
not something I take for granted. I am so thankful for
the Christ Church family. As I prepare to enter year
fifteen as your Senior Pastor, I find that I truly love this
church and the people who comprise her more each
day. We have so many dedicated people here who
so freely give of their gifts, talents and time to make
this a truly unique church. I can’t wait for Sundays to
come around. It seems God never fails to show up
in unexpected ways when we worship. I love going
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to work everyday! You are each a true gift to my life
and ministry. I am grateful for my United Methodist
family. It is an absolute joy to serve under Bishop
Gregory Palmer and Superintendent Gary Wilson. My
colleagues in ministry comprise some of my closest
friends and God has given me many opportunities to
lead both regionally and nationally in this denomination
in this past year. John Wesley’s message has never
been more relevant! I am delighted to be a part of the
human family. As we emerge from “The Hole in Our
Gospel” study, I am acutely aware of the blessings I
have as a USAmerican and of the responsibility I have
in being a blessing to the world. I am just beginning
to understand that I am indeed “my brother’s keeper”
and in this epiphany, I find myself wanting to better
serve my neighbor and loving God all the more for my
efforts.
So I am 49. I have lost some of my foot speed, range
and vertical leap; they moved me from shortstop
to second base on the tournament softball team. I
can barely see without glasses, my hair is white and
thinning and a normal day now consists of aches
and pains that would have constituted an emergency
room visit twenty years ago. But I still have plenty of
fire in my belly, Holy Spirit rattling in my bones and
a few hundred more line drives to hit. I have some
good sermons yet to preach, a shift from “mortgage
to mission” to navigate and there are plenty of people
who need introduced to Jesus Christ. Good heavens,
I am just getting started!
And that is the world…as I see it.
Spotlight On
Ministry
Birthday Wishes for Children
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing
move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work
of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the
Lord is not in vain.
Today we often spoil our kiddos with birthday parties
suitable for a rock star! How blessed are we to live in
such favor? For those we serve there are no options
for lavish parties with a lengthy invitation list; no bouncy
castles or party favors; gifts and birthday cakes. The
Christian Activity Center (CAC) staff estimates over
80% of the 500 children they serve weekly have
NEVER had a birthday party. At an alarming 57% in
extreme poverty, birthdays are often overlooked.
We connect people with Jesus Christ using one
simple tool: a birthday party! Birthday Wishes For
Children (BWFC) bring parties to children who may
otherwise never have a celebration. We recognize
the significance of a birthday in a child’s life and
believe the gift of a party provides joy and hope in
an otherwise chaotic time. Our committed volunteers
make all children feel special regardless of their living
situation. Guiding our work is the belief that we are
all God’s children and we celebrate together as part
of His family. There is no greater reward than seeing
a smiling child proclaiming, “This is the BEST day
EVER!”
BWFC serves 3 locations: Nikki Gentes leads CAC/
East St Louis (http://cacesl.org/), Lona Berndt leads
Almost Home/St. Louis (http://www.almosthomestl.
org/), and Amy Walter leads Violence Prevention
Center/Belleville.
Seeds are being prayerfully
planted to expand to another local teen mother’s
shelter. Monthly visits allow us to develop valuable
relationships while offering our presence, prayers and
support. We assemble 20-50 gift bags monthly; give
prayer & devotion on topics like peer pressure, kind
words, or weathering life’s storms. Enjoy games,
crafts, cake, ice cream, presents and hugs! Our prayer
warriors pray in earnest over ‘prayer bag’ requests.
From the heart of one teen mom: “Pray that I find a
way to live by God’s word so that I may go to heaven. Pray that I live in his presence and to make a change
in my life. Pray that I let God in my life to guide me to
do positive things.”
Your generous donations bless BWFC! We use new
or gently-used toys, books, kids’ bibles/Christian
materials to fill the gift bags with loving reminders
that God loves and remembers them. Sabra Cabor
champions our offshoot “Welcome Home” ministry,
helping teen moms furnish their first apartments with
donated furniture and household items. Your gifts
bless them with a fresh start.
BWFC is an energetic ministry full of power-hitters for
Christ! Some volunteers were once teen parents who
share their experience, strength, and hope. Join this
powerful ministry as we roll up our sleeves and wash
the feet of others together - there’s always room at our
table and we need your talents! For more information
contact Julie Eichholz at [email protected]
or 618.799.9888.
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while serving as your associate pastor. Thanks for
the hugs, tears, words of love and encouragement we
have shared with each other.
A Farewell Message
By Rev. Allen
The deeper I travel into life (I am 41 years old – yeah,
I can’t believe it either), the more I come to realize
that life is all about relationships. There’s a lot of give
and take in relationships. Within relationships, I have
learned, life is also filled with many transitions. In the
past, I remember how hard it was saying goodbye to
Carla, my girlfriend/playmate from preschool up to
third grade – back in my East Alton days. We said
so long to each other. I moved. My family moved to
Belleville. Since the days of Carla and early childhood,
I have said goodbye to several friends, a couple of old
girlfriends, my home church family, several churches
I served, a few family members and the restaurant
business. Well, I still eat in restaurants… Now
my family and I face the ritual of saying goodbye
graciously to our Christ Church Family as well as to
the city of Fairview Heights.
My Call into the ministry began when I was 10 years
old. I began answering God’s Call on my life back
in 1996. Now, I continue to answer God’s Call as I
return to the familiar landscape and role of solo pastor.
The lingo is Directing Pastor up in Central Illinois.
At this time of year pastors receive phone calls. I
received a phone call! I will begin to serve as pastor
of Sugar Creek Church in Chatham in the Sangamon
River District, effective July 1. That leaves all of us a
handful of weeks to say goodbye. Throughout the life
and ministry, I have both given and received at Christ
Church; I have had many memorable, wonderful
experiences as well as defining, formative experiences
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While speculation of my move may run rampant, this is
a move I requested. The decision to initiate the move
resides solely with me. I have served as a solo pastor
in the past, and strongly desire to return to that role. I
am interested in preaching every Sunday morning. I
saw Jesus and He spoke to me almost 10 years ago.
That has forever changed my life and impacted who
I am. I had a raging fire burning inside me the last
seven years before I came to Christ Church as I led
churches to increase some of their vitality and improve
on some of their effectiveness, as I went on my Walk
to Emmaus, as I went to a Holy Spirit Conference
called Aldersgate in Decatur, and as I went to several
Leadership Summits sponsored by Willow Creek.
I was a pastor “on fire.” I couldn’t sit still. I didn’t
sleep much at night out of the sheer excitement over
what God was doing in me, my churches and my
parishioners’ lives. When I came to Christ Church,
I left my village of 500 people behind and entered a
whole new world – I transitioned from a pastor “on
fire” to a pastor with some fire. As an associate, I
humbled myself, or I was humbled, however it worked
out. The fire remains inside of me – who else is going
to invite 600-800+ people to church this summer? My
deepest desire and passion is to see changed lives
for Jesus Christ – including mine. Jesus is in my life
and God is working on me! My life’s purpose is to
lead churches. That’s my calling. My passion is to do
my part to grow churches.
Over the course of the last several months, I have
been filled with longing, restlessness, tugging and
the presence of God nudging me. I trust God to lead
me. It is a wonderful and hard thing to explain, but
several times I’ve been up late into the night, sensing
that God is tugging on me. I’ve told my future district
superintendent Terry Harter that I do not have all the
answers, but I’m eager to keep learning. And I will
share the gifts and graces that I do have. My heart
is in parish ministry. I have been with hundreds and
hundreds of you in our Christ Church Family. Thank
you so much for your patience, your love, your support,
and your encouragement! We have a few weeks for
this move to soak in and spend time together, then
we’ll say goodbye at the end of June. Please keep
me and my family in prayer as we travel through this
time of transition. I appreciate all that you have done
for my family and the support, encouragement and
love you have shared with me!
Wide, and Long, and
High, and Deep
By Mary Ann Turner
The possibility of a mother’s love is as deep as the
ocean. It will cause her to embrace laughter like
none other, have pride that needs to be reigned in,
passion revealing the depth of her own needs and
shortcomings, and memories that remain as real as
when she first lived them. At times she will experience
desperation driving her to her knees, nights filled with
half sleep, tears of intense joy or pain, and ultimately,
a deeper understanding of the love of God.
We would never sacrifice our children willingly yet we
serve a God who sacrificed His only son, a God who
reached down to us, who made a way for us to strip
off the pride and pretension and repent of our sin and
receive Life. If you have ever listened to a confession
given by your child, whatever other emotions you may
have experienced at the time, the one that I think
stands out the most is compassion and the desire to
hold them close, to communicate a depth of love that
has no words. It’s a desire to take it away and make it
right. That is what God does for us. My children have
taught me so much about the love of Christ and for
that I am eternally grateful.
“Just five more questions mommy . . . just five more.”
I can still hear my daughter’s little voice at bedtime
delaying sleep and me submitting, with every tired
bone in my body, to her questions. I recall the
sweetness of looking at her little face and then kissing
her goodnight, all tucked in with songs and prayers.
We learned that God never tires of our questions.
With happy songs about fire trucks, boats and planes
and goodnight kisses and hugs, my son fell asleep
easily but would often awake in the night. Hearing
those little feet and feeling the touch of his precious
little hand, I was able to instantly open my eyes.
(Mommy radar!) We’d pray and learn together to trust
our God that never slumbers and never sleeps.
The rewards are priceless--childhood voices offering
a “Mommy, let me pray for you,” the “wuv” notes I
found scattered throughout the days, the celebration
of knowing they are saved by the grace and love of
Christ alone. I can’t think of a better calling in life than
being a mother and raising disciples of and for Christ.
God gives grace and wisdom to release our children a
little at a time. Children, according to Psalm 127, are
arrows in our quiver--not meant to be hovered over,
they are meant to be released to make an impact in
the world for Christ. There is no greater joy than this!
I am a grandmother now….”Grammy.” I am
experiencing pure delight. This season of life affords
more time to savor the moments, time to fully realize
that the mistakes and pleasures of motherhood are
covered with a certainty of God’s mercy and grace,
with much more to learn in the years God will give to
me. Thankfully, the God designed rhythm of life goes
on and I trust that my grandson will have plenty to
teach me. I plan on teaching him too, about Love that
is deeper than the ocean, found only in Jesus Christ.
(In the real life stuff of motherhood our experiences
are varied. As I pondered the writing of this piece it
is with deep respect for each reader and any pain,
regret, or loss we experience on life’s journey. We can
have complete confidence that Jesus Christ covers it
all with His love and His bloodshed on the cross for
us. God’s love is the only perfect parental love. I pray
for all of us to be confident in the comfort found under
the covering of His unending love.)
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Rhythm
By Rachel Frazure
Rhythm? My family
has it. I would like to
say it is in the genes.
My husband Don and I
had a feeling that any
children that the Lord
would bless us with
would have at least a slight inkling of artistic flair due
to our musical backgrounds. Juliana, our 8 year old,
has been doing her own version of scat singing since
she was 2, often inserting syncopated rhythms. She
also has a thing for the drums. Shelby, our 4 year
old, has a very pretty singing voice, and we might see
American Idol in her future, but it will totally be her
decision! Yes, our family has rhythm, but where we
need improvement is creating rhythm within our home,
and that won’t happen with any musical lessons.
In Deuteronomy Chapter 6, Moses is putting out a call
to the Israelites for a wholehearted commitment and he
gives the Israelites a plan to transfer their faith to the
next generation. Deuteronomy 6:4-6 are some of the
most powerful scriptures in the Bible urging us to love
God with all our heart, soul and strength and to make
a wholehearted commitment to our love of God and to
the commands He has given us. In Deuteronomy 6:79, Moses talks about how to live out this commitment
and that this love must be shared with our family. We
are to repeat them again and again to our children;
talk about them at home and on the road; and when
going to bed and when getting up. In the book Think
Orange, author Reggie Joiner offers a translation of
how Moses might have given these commandments
to families of today: “If you are going to impress these
truths in the hearts of your children, you will have to be
more deliberate about creating a rhythm within your
home. In the future, there will be a host of things that
will distract you, and it will be easy to drift away from
the importance of having an everyday kind of faith.”
Children learn best through routine. Even the most
chaotic households (including mine) have routines that
make the day run a lot smoother. My kids know the
order of events in the morning before school, and we
also have a bedtime routine, which includes watching
a classic cartoon or short story on “Daddy’s AT&T
Phone” – yes, that’s what they call it! Could Moses
be suggesting establishing a routine or a rhythm in our
homes which teaches us to impress on the hearts of
our children the character of God?
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Talk about them when you are at home
Sit down and eat together. As I was writing this, I
realized we as a family had only sat down twice the
previous week as a family to eat. I texted that to Don,
and he just wrote back “That’s sad!” Mealtimes allow
for intentional discussions. It is one of the few times
that you are all sitting down together!
Talk about them when you are on the road
Get off the cell phone, turn off the radio or DVD player
and temporarily hide your child’s gaming system. Let
those car rides be a time of positive, life-changing
conversations with your child. I heard a story of a
mother whose child was asking about Jesus from the
back seat of the car. As a result, they pulled over and
the child prayed to receive Christ into her life. I know
that mother will never forget that car ride.
Talk about them when you are going to bed
Don’t just send your kids to bed, but take them to bed.
My kids are still rather young, so this doesn’t seem too
odd for me. However, I wonder if there is a time when
my kids will get too old and I will miss out on those
intimate conversations with them? I hope that I will
have lots of opportunities to listen to my children at
bedtime – listen to their heart and let them know at that
moment how much I love them and most importantly,
how much Jesus loves them.
Talk about them when you are getting up
I don’t know about you, but mornings are primetime to
me, because it is a brand new day – a fresh start. It is
also a brand new day to set a good course relationally
with your children. In Think Orange, Reggie Joiner
says “Just a few encouraging words carefully spoken
or written can give your children a sense of value and
instill purpose.” How many carefully spoken words
have you instilled in your child before sending them
out the door for the day? It really makes me think.
You may be like me and say “Well, I spend time with
my family – we just spent the WHOLE day at the zoo
together!” However, the difference is that rhythm is
often a strong, repeated pattern. So, rhythm, in and
of itself requires that we be intentional and constant. I
encourage you to read Deuteronomy 6: 4-9 and begin
thinking now how you can create rhythm within your
home that will make a spiritual impact on your home
and on your kids. I suggest that the rhythm you create
will be “fascinating” and fun – maybe with a touch of
syncopation.
What drives you every day?
I like to have a finished product. For example, on
Sunday when a service comes together, that’s the
most rewarding feeling. I can’t really explain it.
Where do you want to retire?
Somewhere I can go to a church and do nothing but
mix the audio on weekends. All the fun without the
prep work! I’ll probably be deaf and have to do lights
instead though. Which reminds me, kids, wear ear
plugs!
Getting To Know
You
Name: Nathan Tobin
Job Title: Technical Arts Director
Job Description: If it has a cord or a battery and lives
in the sanctuary, I take care of it.
Do you have a special talent?
I used to be able to stick a Dairy Queen spoon to the
roof of my mouth, but I lost that after braces in Junior
High.
What was the last book you read?
I’m 25 pages into Bob McCarthy’s Sound System
Design and Optimization…I anticipate finishing in late
2018.
What are your hobbies?
I like to go fishing, but don’t get to do it enough. I also
like grilling and playing drums (not at the same time).
Tell about a favorite event of your adulthood/
childhood.
It’s total cheese, but I’ll never forget the day I married
my beautiful wife! She’s the best.
What type of pets do you have?
We joke that we can’t take care of pets…but I’d really
love a dog. A medium to big one, dark tan and white,
spot on one eye, one ear up and one ear down, little
scruffy, and waits for me at the door when I come
home with its tail wagging and head turned sideways.
I’ve never really thought about it before though.
Where do you like to vacation?
In the winter a trip to my parents in Minnesota, complete
with snowmobiling and freezing my hands off, is a
yearly tradition. Kelli and I are tropical vacationers
usually though.
Who do you admire?
My dad is awesome; he has been the most influential
person in my life. I hope to be the man of God, and all
around good time, that he is.
What is your mission?
To influence the Kingdom of God using the gifts and
passion he’s given me. For me, that’s about using
technology in worship to help people experience God.
What traits in others are you attracted to?
A quick sense of humor and a working knowledge of
the movie Christmas Vacation are a plus!
What is your favorite part of your job?
Working with my awesome Worship Production team!
Seriously, these guys rock. We are always looking
for more people who like to have a good time building
sets, designing lighting, running lyrics, and hanging
out late into the night (optional).
What is your motto?
Drum till you bleed. And I’ve lived up to it repeatedly.
Are you a ‘morning’ or ‘night’ person?
Oh I am most definitely a night person. I don’t really
see why our first service can’t be at 10.
What bible character do you most relate to?
Without a doubt Peter. He’s always got a great idea,
gets excited to tell Jesus, and then Jesus just shakes
his head. He screws up so many times, but he always
bounces back. That’s how I want to be at least.
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We’re
Family!
By Rev. Allen
“All of you together are
Christ’s body, and each
one of you is a separate
and necessary part of
Christ’s body.”
(1 Corinthians 12:27) Paul writes about how we
need unity. When we’re disappointed within our
relationships and dealings with others, when our
relationships wear thin and really get strained, we’re
supposed to work it out and find a way to get along.
A man from Illinois decided to travel to Wisconsin to
go duck hunting. He shot and dropped a bird, but it
fell into a farmer’s field on the other side of the fence.
As the flatlander, the Illinois man, climbed over the
fence a dairy farmer drove up on his tractor and asked
what was going on. The hunter said, “I shot a duck
and I’m getting it.” The old farmer replied, “This is my
property and you’re not coming over here!” Well, this
made the hunter mad so he said, “If you don’t let me
come over the fence, I’ll call my Chicago lawyer and
sue you.” The farmer smiled and said, “Apparently
you don’t know how we do things up here. We settle
disagreements with the Wisconsin three-kick rule.
I’ll kick you three times, and then you kick me three
times. We keep on kicking each other until someone
gives up.” The Illini liked this challenge because he
thought he could easily take the old farmer. The
Wisconsin Badger climbed down from the tractor and
planted the steel toe of his heavy work boot into the
man’s shin. The man fell to his knees. His second
kick went directly to his stomach, knocking the wind
out of him. The farmer then landed his third kick to
the side of the hunter’s head. The Illinois man slowly
got up and said, “Okay, you old codger, now it’s my
turn!” To which the farmer responded, “Nah, I give up.
You can keep the duck.” That story comes from pastor
friend Brian Bill, a true Wisconsin Badger leading in
Illini Country!
Many of us battle over things. Sometimes we fight.
The Bible says stop fighting. Paul writes in different
pockets of 1 Corinthians “I plead with you to be of
one mind, united in thought and purpose. All of you
together are Christ’s body, and each one of you is a
separate and necessary part of Christ’s body.” We’re
family! Life is about love. Author Rick Warren adds,
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“Love cannot be learned in isolation. You have to
be around people – irritating, imperfect, frustrating
people.” No man is an island, no woman is an island.
God loves variety. Every family has variety. Every
family has someone who’s very detailed – particular –
retentive. Every family has someone who is innovative,
someone who is the wild cousin. God loves variety!
Every family has at least one great aunt who is just
a little out of kilter. Every family has a dreamer, a
successful businessman/businesswoman, practicallyminded people, and dare-devils. The Lord loves them
all. And of course, every family has a black sheep.
The black sheep of the family – the prodigal – has
quite a story to tell. Every family has variety – our own
families as well as our church family! It’s during the
times when we want to institute the Wisconsin three
kick rule, that author Rick Warren points out that there
are seven steps to resolve any conflict and restore
fellowship – especially in our families:
Step 1 – Talk to God: He will change your heart or
change the other person. “No one can meet all of
your needs except God.”
Step 2 – Take the initiative: Schedule a face-to-face
meeting.
Step 3 – Sympathize with their feelings: “Use your
ears more than your mouth.” Pay close attention.
Step 4 – Confess your part of the conflict. Admit your
own mistakes. Jesus says, “First get rid of the log
from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well
enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye.”
Own up to any part you have played in the conflict.
Step 5 – Attack the problem, not the person. Nagging
never works – trust me on this one.
Step 6 – Cooperate as much as possible. Romans
12:18 says “Do everything possible on your part to
live in peace with everybody.”
Step 7 – Empathize reconciliation – beyond conflict
resolution. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to restore
a relationship. “Some parts require special care” as
Paul says in 1 Corinthians (12:24). Some members of
our families require special care.
We need each other. Regardless of any of our
struggles and patches of rough sledding, we may
experience with those who mean a great deal to us.
In Ephesians Chapter 2, Paul reminds us that we
are members of God’s family and we belong in His
household with every other Christian.” Simply put:
we’re family! All of us together are Christ’s body, and
each one of us is a separate and necessary part of
Christ’s body – even as we interact and relate to one
another with a wide range of different personalities,
quirks, and idiosyncrasies. Just look at our families:
God loves variety! Thanks Be to God.
A Grand (Father’s)
Life
By Fred Bishop
I am so proud to be a part of this great church. I
was once at a church in Guatemala City, Guatemala,
where they had been in revival for 19 years, but it’s
even better to be a member of Christ Church which is
in constant revival.
It is also wonderful being in church with my son,
Shane; grandson, Zec; and great grandsons: Maddox
and Eli. It just doesn’t get any better than this.
Shane was a pleasure to raise. Sports were an
important part of our family. During football season,
because I was a Pastor, I would hide our car in the
garage to look like we weren’t home so we could
watch Monday Night Football without interruption.
Janie and I also followed all Shane’s sport ventures
no matter what the weather. One time we bought rain
suits to watch him run the high hurdles; we were the
only ones in the stands. It meant a lot to Shane and
to us as well.
My grandson Zec is a delight to me. One time he
called from Georgia to tell me that he would be playing
in a ball game and wanted us to be there. So we
loaded up the car and enjoyed his game. Zec and I
also enjoyed hiking the hills together. One time Jan
joined us but she didn’t quite enjoy the hills like we did.
Zec said, “Grandpa, do we have to bring grandma?”
How do you answer that?
Now I have two fantastic great grandsons to enjoy.
Maddox is in constant motion and that sure makes life
fun with him. Nothing makes me feel better than for
him to cry when I have to leave him. Eli is peaceful
and loveable at his age; what a joy he is.
Yes, I am a blessed man and so proud of my family.
How sweet it is!
11
Your Child’s
Spiritual Survival:
How Far Will You
Go?
By Demian Farnworth
If my wife and I died right now, here’s what my children
would inherit: a house full of furniture, two used cars,
a very, very small nest egg and an even smaller
checking account. Then there’s the lawnmower, eightfoot ladder and the wheelbarrow with the flat tire. Of
course they’ll appreciate the trampoline—as long as
they can find someone to put it together for them. Let’s
not forget the fire pit, old clothes and all of my books. Obviously this inheritance will not allow my children
to live high on the hog, but it’s better than nothing.
Of course I could work really hard to buy an island
so my children could loaf into their mid-forties. The
problem, however, is that all this stuff—from my books
to the island—will one day perish. If my children have
not surrendered their hearts to the rule and reign of
Christ, they too will perish. It will not be good for them. While there’s nothing wrong with leaving an inheritance
to your children—college savings, cars, islands—one
thing cannot be neglected. It’s what Peter called the
“imperishable inheritance.” In His great mercy He
has given us new birth into a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into
an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. 1
12
Peter 1:3,4 (NIV) What exactly is that inheritance?
The Lord himself. David said, “Lord, you alone are my
portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.” Paul
said, “I consider everything a loss because of the
surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whose sake I have lost all things.”
Listen: This is not a condemnation of wealth. It’s a
recommendation on priorities. It’s a command to
create a natural cadence of biblical talk in your
home. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Start children off on the
way they should go, and even when they are old they
will not turn from it.” Keep in mind that’s not a promise.
It’s a principle. But a principle that will raise the
probability your children will not “walk in the counsel of
the wicked, nor stand in the way of the sinner nor sit in
the seat of the scoffer.” Here’s the deal: It’s imperative
that you and I as parents take the lead in guiding our
children toward their spiritual inheritance. How do we
do that? We start by reading and discussing the Bible
with them on a daily basis. Jesus said, “Man does not
live on bread alone but on the very words that proceed
from the mouth of God.” Our spiritual survival—our
children’s spiritual survival—depends on constant
interaction with the word of God. That interaction will
occur only when we invest the time. Yes, it will cost us
something. But the payoff is out of this world. And will
last forever.
The Power of a Dad
By Nick Turner
A year ago I sat down with a young man in high school
who told me about the pain in his life because of the
actions of his father.
During a Bible study this school year, I saw a young
girl doodling “I love my dad” on her worksheet. I asked
why she loves her dad. She answered because he
tells her how beautiful she is and what a treasure she
is to him.
In Disciplines of a Godly Man, Kent Hughes writes,
“Men, the mere fact of fatherhood has endowed you
with terrifying power in the lives of your sons and
daughters, because they have an innate, God-given
passion for you.”
I am a dad and feel this power myself. One of the best
days of my life is when my son, Asher, was born. He
is a gift from God – a gift that brings me much joy – a
gift that comes with much responsibility.
I’ve also seen the power of a dad in my experience in
student ministry. I’ve seen a dad’s power to build and
his power to destroy. In my experience, here are a
couple things for Christian dads to think about:
The Power of Dad’s Example
Until your child comes to know Jesus personally,
you are your child’s primary example of God. We are
made in the image of God (Gen 1:27) and we are
to image forth God to our children. Show his grace.
Show his discipline. Show his faithfulness. How is
your example communicating the character of God?
Further, we must model what it means to follow
Jesus. I’m not talking about being perfect, but I am
talking about being authentic. We need to spend
time with Jesus, read the Bible, pray, worship, work
hard, play hard, and love well. When we fail we need
to model repentance and show our children that our
righteousness is found in Christ alone.
The Power of a Dad’s Words
Call your child to greatness. We need to speak words
of encouragement and truth to our children.
Tell your son that you are proud of him and that he will
grow into a strong man of God. If not, he may look to
the world to define his manhood. Tell your daughter
that she is a treasure to you and that she will grow into
a beautiful woman of God. If not, she may listen to the
lies of some guy or look to the cover of a magazine to
define her beauty.
Whatever our experience with our own earthly father,
we must ultimately go to our Heavenly Father to
receive the perfect picture of a dad. When we spend
more time with Him, we find the example and guidance
in how to bring our children up in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
13
Family Needs
By Steve Barrett
What does it mean to be a family? For many of us we
don’t often think of the roles that are filled within our
individual families. Taking out the trash, cooking, doing
yard work and cleaning up are all roles we perform
without much thought because they have become
familiar to us and we are comfortable performing them.
Switch gears for a moment and let’s think about our
Church family. Why is it that when we see something
that needs to be done within the Church, we find some
reason why we’re not able to do it? Could it be that
we’ve become “comfortable” talking with our friends,
singing with the Worship Team, and listening to an
engaging sermon before heading home? As Christians
we are called on to serve and to do so cheerfully. As
we find ourselves becoming transformed to be more
Christ-like, we find more and more joy in serving our
families, whether at home, down the hall, around the
corner, or around the globe. I’m fond of how Jesus
consolidated the Commandments when He was asked
which was the most important… Jesus boiled down
the Commandments handed down through Moses
into loving God and loving neighbor. I would add a
further boiling down to really get to what is asked of us.
In Matthew 5:48, Jesus states, “therefore be perfect,
just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” What does
it mean to be perfect? Are we really capable of that?
And what does that have to do with family? Perfection
CEPIM
in the context of this scripture speaks to seeking God’s
will through our actions. To put it into terms most of us
have heard, you can think of it as, “WWJD” or “What
would Jesus do?” Now we simply have to apply that
to our lives. Easy, right? It can be easy… Think of
the stories you’ve read in the Bible. When Jesus’ feet
were anointed with expensive perfume or when Jesus
took time to wash the disciple’s feet, these were acts
of service to His family of believers. They didn’t take
much effort and required no training. In much the same
way we can act to serve our family of believers. Some
will choose to do so around the globe in mission to
foreign countries. Others will do so around the corner
on trips to serve the homeless in St. Louis. However,
let us not forget the needs of the Church down the
hall. Whether serving by listening to children recite
scripture in AWANA on Sunday evening or serving
Communion to your friends and family during service,
we all have a part to play in accomplishing the Will of
God and moving toward perfection. But you have to
take that first step. If you’re not sure how, find a staff
member or ministry leader and ask. The joy of serving
can have a transformational effect in your life.
Look for opportunities to serve. Your Church family
needs you.
additional volunteers to enhance the opportunity to serve
in their particular ministry. If you are considering a new
By Larry Weber
ministry, we have a process for that as well; just contact
the office or me for the forms and process necessary for
Connecting Every Person In Ministry (CEPIM) adding your ministry idea to the CEPIM catalog.
is Christ Church’s method for organizing the
opportunities for our congregation to be in ministry.
You can access our catalog of ministries by going
online to www.connectingwithchrist.com and clicking
on the Connect tab. We are constantly editing the
information presented there. You can find an Interest
Group, Kids 4 Christ, Lend-A-Hand Ministries, Men’s
Ministries, Music and Worship, Serving Christ-Down
the Hall, Serving Christ-Around the Corner, Serving
Christ-Around the World, Sports’ Ministries, Student
Ministries, Welcome Team, and Women’s Ministries.
Each ministry has a contact name(s) listed with the
information about what the ministry is about so you can
contact them for more information. Many are seeking
14
Watch Us Grow
New Members
-------------------------------March
Aaron Benedict, Amy Benedict, Cindy Ann Erwin,
John Lercher, Margaret Lercher, Debra Marshall,
Kathy Hilliard Terrell, J. Kramer Terrell, Sara E. Terrell,
Robin Alan Watt
April
Dana L. Burgner, Carol A. Burgner, Francine Chatman,
Tahisha Hicks, Jamie A. House, Kimberly D. House,
Jon Kelly, Eun Kyung Kelly, Nicholas Jong In Kelly,
Charity M. Kipp, Devon P. Lettie, Christine Philips,
Randy Phillips
Attendance
-------------------------------March Worship = 1,475
March Connection Classes = 520
Year Avg. Worship = 1,560
Finances (as of 04-14-11)
-------------------------------General Budget
YTD Giving = $593,558.09
YTD Expenses = $579,662.78
Annual Budget = $2,041,873.99
Building Fund Total
$78,794.01
Baptisms
-------------------------------March
Nicholas Jong In Kelly, Robin Alan Watt
April
Tahisha Hicks, James Hong In Kelly, Jerry Trent, Jr.
Member Passings
-------------------------------JoAnne Frame – February 26
Wedding
-------------------------------Kyle James Jacob and Marquitta Lynn Koshak –
February 27
15
339 Frank Scott Parkway East
Fairview Heights, IL 62208
Nonprofit
Organization
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