Colonial Presbyterian Church
Transcription
Colonial Presbyterian Church
Volume 26: Issue 5 Connections A Monthly Publication of Colonial Presbyterian Church 816-942-3272 • colonialkc.org Wornall Campus • 9500 Wornall Road, KCMO 64114 Quivira Campus • 12501 W. 137th St. OPKS 66221 May 2012 From Our Site Pastors From the Editors Heather Bass, Creative Services Director Who Will Feed the Puppy? It is a common occurrence for a Colonial member to approach Creative Services about the possibility of providing a new service, incorporating a new media technology, or renovating a current technology. These are most often welcome suggestions that we whole-heartedly agree would be valuable, however they also usually bring about a question of management. As I recently heard in a webinar on social media, before you launch into anything new you must ask, “Who will feed the puppy?” 2 There are many exciting tools and services with which we could be engaged within the Creative Services department, but they require regular management, or “feeding.” Are you interested in web-based offerings, like a classifieds bulletin board for Colonial member businesses and help wanted postings, or improving our presence in social media? How about preserving our heritage with an organized and accessible archive? If you have a passion for these or any of the other communication, marketing, media technology or production activities possible within Creative Services, please let us know. We have hungry puppies waiting to be adopted! The Creative Services Team: Heather Bass, Director of Creative Services [email protected], 816.501.3090 Chad Maag, Visual Production Specialist [email protected], 816.501.3028 Laura Carter, Communications Coordinator [email protected], 816.501.3031 In This Issue: COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Opportunities to encounter God, grow with others and impact people this Summer. From Our Site Pastors..............................Pages 2-3 Growing Greater Fruit.............................. Page 4-5 Growing with Others in Groups............ Page 6-7 What if The Church?...................................... Page 8 Gifts of Love Stewardship............................. Page 9 Colonial News Bits.................................Pages 10-11 Pastor’s Corner..............................................Page 12 Time to Grow Pastor Bob Lehleitner This is the growing season. Everything around us is blooming and getting green. We have a lot of things growing here at Colonial. The first one I would like to mention is our community garden at our Quivira location. Under the leadership of Don Breiby and many volunteers, we have cleared about an acre of land that can be seen as you enter the church parking lot. It is Colonial’s Community Garden for God. We are renting plots (20’x10’ and 20’x5’) to our congregation to plant as soon as possible. You can reach Don by phone at 913-669-4788 or email don.breiby@gmail. com. The first year we are limiting our plots to church members. When we have the system in order, we will invite our community to join in next year. In the Johnson County area, many people are interested in having small vegetable gardens, but have nowhere to plant. Anyone who plants will be asked to give at least 10% of their produce to feed the poor. The youth of our church have already signed up and will be planting soon. We are still seeking gifts to the garden to establish for years to come. Secondly, we have a lot of people who are taking their next steps in spiritual growth. Get signed up for missions projects with What If the Church, or one of our local impact opportunities. One of the greatest opportunities we have for kingdom growth in the summer is our Vacation Bible School. All the families of the church with elementary kids should be signing up your neighborhood families along with your own for the top flight action of this entertaining and spiritually-encouraging ministry. The area of our Quivira site that is experiencing the most new life are that of our youth and young adults. On Good Friday, eight of our high school seniors gave testimony to their full devotion to the Lord. They shared how they are not being Christians in name only, but that they are often leading their friends to Christ at school. In a culture that often focuses on all the evil things teenagers are doing, it is so refreshing to see kids who actually love serving others. Cory Ozbun and other youth leaders have seen God add to their young adult ministry daily since September just as in the book of Acts. Eighteen of them are going to Haiti this month to work with the Global Orphan Project. They meet regularly on Sunday nights and have small group Bible studies for young men and women. Contact Cory at [email protected]. Each week our bulletin is filled with the latest opportunities to grow and serve Christ. What is your next step? It is time to take it! Contact Pastor Lehleitner 12501 W. 137th Street, Overland Park, KS 66221 816.501.3901 [email protected] Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ. FROM OUR SITE PASTORS In the Meanwhile Pastor Drew Henderson A few nights ago, Nibal and I finished the last episode of the first season of Downton Abbey, the Masterpiece Theater series from the BBC. At the end of the last episode, the patriarch of the house had just stopped the summer garden party to announce that England had declared war on Germany. In the midst of such great luxury, beauty and peace, the reality of human violence had invaded. My mind flooded with the vision of the trenches, razor wire and shelling that were at the dark heart of the First World War. Soon, all of these people would be marred and scarred by the darkness of nations raging, and their peace and tranquility would be erased, for a while. As a people, they would have to rise up against their invaders and rely on one another for survival and human sustenance. Petty things would fall by the wayside and people would give their very lives for the survival of their neighbors and the endurance of the nation. There was an immediate sense of resolve, an immediate sense of unity, and an immediate sense of urgency. As in this example, I wonder why our spiritual life sometimes feels like the start of a major war? Easter was the day of victory for Christ, but the Kingdom is not yet complete on earth. We have to have patience, persistence and great trust in the meanwhile. Sometimes I wonder if this time period is called “meanwhile” because of how hard and difficult it is in the now to wait for Jesus to come and finish the job. The resurrection has given us, as the children of God, the victory. Now who will we be in the wake and aftermath of the resurrection? As we have become more attuned to the need for healing and spiritual engagement among our people and neighbors, as our ongoing court battle creates a common enemy, and our debt campaign identifies a shared burden and obstacle; as the preaching of the Gospel has kept us well focused as to who Jesus is - now the question is, who are we as a church in the light of Jesus and His life? Soon we will be free people: free from our former denomination and someday soon, we will be free from debt. When we enter into the land of promise, then what will be our call? Be prepared in the next few months to share what the Lord is showing you about who Colonial is to become. Tell us what you see and hear from the Lord. Call me. Email me or any of our leaders and talk it through. Contact Pastor Henderson Pastor Drew Henderson There is an old Japanese proverb that states that when you are finished building your house, you die. For us as disciples of Jesus, when we stop being changed into the likeness of Christ, we begin to die. When we step away from the path He has cut, we will be in danger. When we stop being fed by his Body, we will starve or be poisoned. If we sit still, we will grow stale and begin to deteriorate. If we do grow, we have life, we have hope, we have courage and endurance, joy and faith. Jesus called us to live, to live in the fullness of the life God has given us, and not to die, anymore. We are to share this life, this Word, this gift with others - even strangers. First and foremost from Jesus is the invitation to live and give our life over to Him. As Mother Teresa said, “I want to be more and more filled with Jesus and less and less filled with me.” The ten-dollar word for this is sanctification. We are letting the Holy Spirit and the Word of God not just take up residence in us, but overtake our thoughts and our whole selves. We are giving over to God what was His to start with, and letting Him shape and mold us for His satisfaction and pleasure. 3 You have heard staff and pastors talk about Next Steps. Maybe you did not. It has been in the newsletter, on bulletin boards and in slides during worship. In short, we want to help our people get going in getting closer to the Father. We want everybody to understand how God has made them for a purpose and then connect them with His purpose and opportunity. The Next Steps is a sanctifying process. It is a clarifying process. It is an orientation process to help all of Colonial’s folks take up His call to life, service, ministry and witness. This call is for every believer, the call to continually grow in relationship with Jesus. The Next Steps are a number of specific and trusted ways for us to get closer to God and His will. We will be asking every man and woman what your Next Steps are in the next few months. And we will gladly spend the time with you to figure out what that is - or what obstacles you are facing. Let us help you get closer to God and get on living and getting away from dying. God wants to keep building this house. What is your next step? 9500 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114 816.501.3003 [email protected] Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Thank you for your faithfulness, for He has won the battle. What is Your Next Step? Colonial Kids at the Quivira Campus Glenn Menke, Director of Children’s Ministries, Quivira Campus Summer Fun in the “What greater fruit than to teach children of the Lord and help pass His glorious inheritance on to them.” Jim Cannon 4 The Colonial Kids Preschool & Elementary Ministries invite you to pray about being the heart and hands of Christ this summer during the 11:00 a.m. Sunday school hour. We’re asking our summer Ministry Partners to sign up for at least two Sundays, or more if you choose. All you have to do is show up with “pep” in your step and a smile on your face with a willingness to be used by God. It’s that simple, really! Make a difference this summer in a child’s life and in yours by contacting Glenn Menke, 816.501.3963, [email protected]. Winter ch Party” Colonial Kids “Bea Colonial Kids at the Wornall Campus Lisa Barletter, Director of Children’s Ministries, Wornall Campus We have three areas of opportunities: • Infant and Toddler—Adults and teens welcome! Teens must be 14 years of age to serve without a parent. • Preschool—Adults and teen helpers needed, can be a middle school or high school student. COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • Grade School—Ministry Partners needed to serve in an assistant role, can be a high school student. Wornall Campus 4th Grade Communion Class Wornall Campus First Communion: The Wornall Congregation is cordially invited to a reception to celebrate our 4th grade communicants. Sunday, May 6, 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. For further details Contact: • Paula Tobin: Preschool, 816.501.3056, [email protected] • Lisa Barletter: Infant, toddler, grade school 816.501.3044, [email protected] Attention, high school students. This is a great way to earn summer service hours! Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ. Quivira Campus Vacation Bible School By Nancy Herrmann, Colonial Kids Special Events Administrator, Quivira Campus “All it took was a hug and a smile from one of the girls in my group and I was hooked…VBS is the perfect service opportunity.” Julie Still Have you ever wished you could fly? Ever dreamed of soaring high into the clouds? Or ever imagined yourself as a Flight Attendant? Now’s your chance! Come join the friendly skies as part of the Colonial Kids SKY VBS Flight Crew. At Sky VBS, kids discover that by trusting God, everything is possible. Sky VBS will take us Up, Up and Away with Wild Blue Bible adventures, Sky-High Diner treats, All-Star games, Imagination Station crafts and much, much more. As a Flight Crew member you’ll have the opportunity to soar to new heights by connecting kids to Christ! Just imagine how you could change a child’s life forever….the sky’s the limit! So fasten your seatbelts, place your seats and tray tables in an upright position and get ready to have a SKY-tacular adventure! VBS is an excellent opportunity for you to invite your friends, especially those who don’t normally attend church. It’s an easy, fun and exciting way to introduce your unchurched friends to the love of Christ and how awesome it is to be a part of the family of God! Any unchurched friend whom you invite can attend for free. They will also receive a free CD and a free t-shirt. But most importantly, they will learn about the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord! See Captain Sky, aka Mr. Menke, for the details. 5 At Sky VBS, kids discover that by trusting God, everything is possible. Quivira Campus: July 23–27, 5:45–8:15 p.m. Flight Crew Directors: Erika Marker, 913.488.6149, and Megan Bailey, 913.681.7832 Registration fees and dates • Starting July 1: $25 student, NO family max 2011 V B S Prayer Time • Registration Closes: July 15 Register and/or volunteer online at colonialkc.org/vbs Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • By June 30: $10 per student, $30 family max College Students Living out Luke 10 Cory Ozbun, High School Youth Leader This generation of college students possesses a passion to transform the world. Whether it’s buying Tom’s shoes or hosting Invisible Children meetings, a palpable desire to help people is present within this generation of believers. Last summer this ideology infiltrated our Thursday night College ministry meetings, and the resulting fruit was incredible! A slight mind-shift (and giant culture shift) occurred within our ministry: Our college students recognized that we as a church gather, not for the sake of gathering, but for the sake of going. this: Each Thursday night, around sixty college students will gather for a meal, hear a benediction from the Word, and then break off into five or six “Luke 10 Groups” in order to go and serve those around us. We will again partner with our incredible Care and Impact Ministries in order to practically assist the community in a variety of ways, from simple yard work and companionship for elderly individuals, to running a basketball ministry for local teenagers. Our college students are living out the reality that proclaiming the Kingdom of God is coupled with bringing healing and love in the name of Jesus. We are so excited to see how the Lord uses this passion for the Kingdom of God in our college students’ lives this summer! Using the same format as last year, our 2012 summer college ministry structure will look like 6 Charts and Maps Whitney Gilliland One of the reasons that I joined [Charts and Maps] is that they were doing service projects for other people around the church. For me, that truly demonstrated that these people were really walking in the faith. Another great thing about this group is that we all come from pretty different backgrounds, but we are able to embrace that. We all have different jobs and different lives, but the fact that we can all come together on Sundays (and sometimes other days of the week as well) is really an amazing thing to me. Form a New LIFE Group COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Bill Norwood Our group has been meeting since after Labor Day last year. We were led by the Spirit and my prayerful wife Tracy to form a new Life Group! We currently include David and Sharon Watts, Rob and Ann Louise Fitzgerald, Jason and Meda Green...and yes are open to new members! We meet west of the Quivira campus on Monday nights. To “do” together (and hopefully with Christ’s leading) is a key part of who we are. In fact, just last night we were discussing what next to do! I am very blessed to have these folks in my life, and trust they feel the same. There is barely a week that goes by that we do not somehow touch base and even help each other. I believe this is fostering a more biblical trust of one another and heading toward the deeper relationships God so wants for us...and we for ourselves! We have done a few things, but are currently helping our High School ministry team. Our amazing High Schoolers support a Westport-based ministry called Revolution. They go down there every Monday night with food they purchase, then prepare, and feed dinner to those in need. So, how do we help them (some of whom are our own beautiful kids)? Well, surprise! We actually don’t. Nope, we help our High School ministry staff instead. You see, since Revolution is churchsponsored, the youth need to be driven from Quivira at 5:00 p.m. and driven back - arriving at the Q after 8:00 p.m. sometimes. Makes for a long day for Cory, Kristen and the rest of the staff. We take the 1st Monday of the month (one of our LG meetings) and carpool the youth down ourselves, hang out, and bring ‘em back. One of our group even got a license to drive “da Bus”! We love our staff at Colonial and hope they enjoy the small way we show it...in the name of Christ! Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ. Summer Staff: A Season of Growth for over 40 years Adam Reck, Director of Youth Ministries, Quivira The best compliment I have ever heard about Summer Staff came from a father of a new 6th grade girl in the Youth Ministry. It was the end of the summer and we were wrapping up with our big Youth Sunday celebration. As I was standing in the lobby listening to kids give testimonies about their summer experiences and growth, he pulled me aside and said, “You know, I used to think this summer staff thing was just a paid summer vacation for a bunch of college students to goof around and have fun with each other. But now I see the impact my daughter’s summer staffer has made on my daughter’s life, and I just want to thank you and her.” What makes that compliment continue to stick with me is that it represents real lives being touched and changed. Every year when a lot of things are taking breaks, the student ministry staff is the busiest we’ve ever been in running the summer staff program because we believe the summer is an excellent time for growth. As summer staffers, college students are trained and discipled by the youth staff and many other Christian leaders and pastors around the KC area. They eat together, pray together, share ministry experiences together. Time and time again we hear summer staffers young and old say that their time on staff was one of the best, most enriched times of their lives. I always look forward to the summer. I love the warm weather, the mission trips, camp, and I love watching a student who has grown up in Colonial’s student ministry come back and do summer staff. I love watching them pour into their students just asv their summer staffers did to them. I love hearing the concerns, the funny stories, and the victories. This summer is right around the corner. If you would like more information on the summer staff program or all the events we have scheduled, and even the events we don’t have scheduled - please contact me or visit the student website: Adam Reck, [email protected], 816.501.3921, colonialkc.org/students. A season of opportunity 7 For most middle and high school students, the summer is a time of endless opportunities. With no school, and most sports in their offseason (save baseball and softball), students have plenty of free time. That time can be spent lots of different ways, watching TV, playing video games, or hanging out with friends. During the summer we encourage our interns to fill that free time with opportunities to encounter Christ, and build community with one another. Summer staffers are constantly on the go, calling students, planning Bible studies, inviting people on mission trips and to camp, and NOT pulling pranks on people’s houses and cars. When students and their friends engage in these opportunities, their summers transform from a time of idleness to a time of knowing God and knowing others. A season of discipleship gton 2011 Mission: Arlin Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH While working at another Presbyterian church, I got to know Ryan Kapple and share ministry ideas with him. One day I was lamenting the fact that my church was cutting my summer interns from the typical two or three to one, because we didn’t have enough students to justify hiring more. The question Ryan asked me next changed my entire thinking about why I do internships. He said, “What if the internship is for the interns more, or just as much, as it is for the kids?” Another Year of Growth for What If the Church • June 3 Message: City Transformation: Bringing Spiritual and Physical Wholeness to our City (Micah 6:8-9, Isaiah 58) Pastor William Harris, Metrolife Church. What is What if the Church? It is a diversity of congregations banded together for the common purpose of making Jesus famous in this city through love. Serving Opportunities Randall Leonard, Director of Impact Ministries What started with 9 churches in 2008 has grown to 33 churches this year who will come together to form church “triads,” exchange pulpits, worship, and serve together. This year Colonial will form a triad with Midtown Baptist Temple and Metrolife Church. Saturday, June 9: Serve day at Harvesters. Saturday, June 16: Convoy of Hope, in Kansas City, Missouri. Online registration starts in May. Worship Rally Special worship event featuring a message from Dr. Tony Evans. Friday, June 22, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Sheffield Family Life Center. Teaching Tour Pulpit Exchange In 2012 on May 20, 27 and June 3 the churches of these triads will rotate their teaching pastors for a message series based on the values of “What if the Church?” • May 20 Message: Christ-centered: Confessing Jesus as Lord (Matthew 16:13-20, Romans 10:6-15) Pastor Jim West, Colonial Presbyterian Church 8 • May 27 Message: Catalyzing Relationships: Across Visible and Invisible Lines (John 13:34-36; John 17) Pastor Sam Miles, Midtown Baptist Temple. Dr. Tony Evans Global Day of Prayer 2012 COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH A Time of Worship, Prayer and Repentance On May 27, the Global Day Day of of Prayer Prayerbegins beginsin inFiji as the risesrises andand will will move through the various Fiji as sun the sun move through the time zones around worldthe asworld millions of various time zones the around as millions believers gather in 220 nations to pray andand seekseek of believers gather in 220 nations to pray the face of God in response to 2 Chronicles the face of God in response to 2 Chronicles7:14. 7:14. The The strategy strategy is is simple simple and and based based on onActs Acts11and and2.2. Ten days of day and night prayer leading into Ten days of day and night prayer leading intothe the Global Day of Prayer event on Pentecost Sunday, Global Day of Prayer event on Pentecost Sunday, followed by 90 days of blessing serving our followed by 90together days of with blessing our in communities the serving love of Christ communities together with the love of Christ in tangible ways. tangible ways. Churches in Kansas City will respond to the call, Churches City willvenues respond call, and gatherininKansas a few different on to thethe Global gathering in a few different venues on the Global Day of Prayer as we enter into the slipstream of Day of Prayer andgathering entering into slipstream of the largest prayer of thethe Church of Jesus Christ in the history of the world. the largest prayer gathering of the Church of Jesus Christ in the history of the world. Local Global Day of Prayer Events Wyandotte County Global Day of Prayer Sunday, May 27, 2:00–4:00 p.m. Kansas City Kansas Community College Performing Arts Auditorium Platte City, MO Sunday, May 27, 4:00–6:00 p.m. Platte County Courthouse KCMO Urban Event Sunday, May 27, 2:00–4:00 p.m. Zion Grove Missionary Baptist Church 2801 Swope Parkway Independence, MO Sunday, May 27, Time TBD William Chrisman High School Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ. Gifts of Love Julie Still, Colonial Stewardship Committee Our main Gifts of Love focus verse, Luke 10:27, tells us to “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your strength and with all of your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” Some of you may wonder why this verse was chosen for our annual stewardship campaign when we solicit financial support for Colonial ministries in the next fiscal year. It’s a fairly simple reason: we want your financial gifts to Colonial to be Gifts of Love…not given out of obedience or obligation. If you truly love the Lord your God as the verse encourages, you will love giving to support the work of the church. During our Gifts of Love focus, we have been reminded of God’s great gift of love to us. We have learned how Colonial uses the money that is contributed to the operating fund, seen evidence of successful partnerships that Colonial has developed to show God’s love to others, and have been challenged to use simple sticky notes to share God’s love. We have been encouraged to pray about our personal stewardship decision and it’s now time to make that commitment on your pledge card. Why is it important to make a financial pledge to Colonial? Your annual pledge is the consistent giving that undergirds our operating budget for July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. This commitment helps our lay leadership and staff plan and budget responsibly as we serve God together. Your giving touches many others, through missions, evangelism, worship, and ministries impacting children, youth, and adults. We need each and every Colonial member and friend to respond in order to continue to share God’s Word and His love. Please remember to bring your pledge card for the Walk to the Cross, which will be held in all services on May 6. If you are unable to attend worship services that day, please be sure you mail or drop your pledge card off at the church office before May 6, or you may submit your pledge at colonialkc.org/gifts of love We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing our Gifts of Love bring glory to God in the coming year. 9 “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your strength and with all of your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” ~ Luke 10:27 Financial Update Fiscal Year beginning July 2011 Questions about Colonial’s finances may be directed to Central Operations Officer Randy Shaneyfelt 816.501.3001 or to Finance Elder John Pankratz 913.638.4749. Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH MarchYear to Date Income$ 260,709$2,948,256 Expenses$ 323,363$3,064,939 Surplus /(Deficit) $ (62,654) $(116,683) Colonial News Bits Musically at Home in Wornall’s Sanctuary Wornall Worship and Arts The Wornall Campus is delighted to welcome Krista Eyler as the Coordinator of Contemporary Worship. We are blessed to have her as an addition to the Worship & Arts Staff. She will be leading the 9:15 am congregation in worship Sunday mornings. Krista Eyler has been attending Colonial’s Wornall campus since 2009. She and her husband, Jarrod, are parents to two precocious boys, 8 and 5. She grew up in Overland Park, but attended Texas Christian University. She received her Masters in Journalism from KU. After entering the field of TV news as an on-air reporter (then Krista Tatschl) for 5 years at KMBC-TV Channel 9 News, motherhood called. During that season of life in 2005, Krista created a music company called Funky Mama Music. Under the moniker “Funky Mama,” she began writing and performing original rock n’ roll for families throughout the Midwest year-round. work Walk To the Manger: Hosanna! with the Wornall campus and community. “My musical home and happiness is found in the sanctuary. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to help usher the church into the presence of the Lord each week.” ~ Krista Eyler An avid musical theatre fan and actor, she began writing musicals in 2009. Last Christmas, she was so pleased to share her 10 Global Prayer Group Encouragers Food Pantry and Local Impact operationworld.org COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH The Global Prayer Group begins May 10, 7:00–8:30 p.m. at the Quivira campus, Room 210. There are many of us within Colonial that have a passion for what God is doing around the world. Through prayer, we can connect with what God is doing around the world and support the efforts of Colonial missionaries and the work of our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world in a very significant way. www.colonialkc.org/localimpact Monthly Collections Needs May: We are in need of non-perishable food staples such as Jiffy corn muffin mix, tuna, rice, pinto beans, canned fruits & vegetables, peanut butter, canned pasta sauce (no glass items please), and Hamburger Helper kits. Please prayerfully consider helping those in need. Using Operation World (a guide to prayer for every nation in the world - find out more online), we will have a weekly prayer time focused on a few specific countries each week. Operation World provides background information regarding the current situation of the country on multiple levels, including spiritual background, economic status, etc., and also provides some specific ways to pray for each country. May Local IMPACT Community Opportunities We will also pray for Colonial missionaries as they correspond with the countries of the week and as particular needs and missions events arise. Contact Laura Thomas, [email protected] for more information. colonialkc.org/saintsalive May 19: Harvester’s Food Distribution Saturday. This is also Global Youth Service Day (ages 6–25). Youth, we need you! Report to the Wornall Youth Campus at 7:55 a.m. Email Jim Howard to sign up, [email protected]. Saints Alive broadway musicals. Join us at noon as we dine together and celebrate great music. Tickets are $12 and must be purchased in advance by calling 913.248.6688. Lunch at Denny’s: Meet on the first Thursday of each month at Denny’s, 105th and Metcalf, at 11:00 a.m. for a time of food and fellowship. No registration required. Bring a friend and meet new friends – and enjoy a delicious lunch at the same time! Transportation can be provided if needed. Questions? Contact Bill Powell at 913.681.9713. Kauffman Center Tour: Join the Saints Alive crowd for a tour of the Kauffman Center on May 29. We’ll leave the church at 10:15 in order to arrive in time for the 11:00 a.m. tour. After the tour, we’ll have lunch together at The Cheesecake Factory and return to the church by 2:30 p.m. To reserve your spot on the bus, call Jeannie at 816.501.3035 or register online, colonialkc.org/saintsalive. Shawnee Heartland Assisted Living presents Love in the Afternoon: Broadway–The Early Years on June 26. Enjoy songs from the early years of Helping people become passionate, selfless followers of Christ. Colonial News Bits Women’s Ministry Icthus Reunion Coming this Fall! Membership Class “I lift my eyes to the hills, from whence cometh my strength. My strength comes from the Lord; the Maker of heaven and earth...” Psalm 121 Save the date: Labor Day Weekend (August 31-September 3) Is your Next Step to find out more about what it means to be a part of the Colonial family? Experience a great time of fellowship in a small group environment with Pastor Jim and our Site Pastors. Learn more about Colonial’s beliefs, history, vision, mission, the EPC, expectations of membership and more. Call or register online one week prior to the date of the class. colonialkc.org/womensretreat It’s time again to prepare for an exciting, challenging and life-giving trip into the mountains of Colorado! The Lord is planning big things Save the Dates: Sept. 15–19, for Buena Vista, Colorado. Register: Go online for registration, liability waiver and other information Get Ready: We will be trekking up Ogg Hill in Shawnee Mission Park beginning on Saturday mornings in June to condition our bodies! Details are coming. Discover Your Design colonialkc.org/dyd July 8–29. Looking for a place to serve inside or outside the church? Join a 4-week Discover Your Design class to learn more about your SHAPE [Spiritual Gifts, Heart (Passion), Abilities, Personality and Experiences] and how to use your unique design in the service God has prepared for you. After the class, you have the option to continue the process with the help of a DYD Coach. Information available online at colonialkc.org/dyd icthusreunion.org Who is invited? Anyone who has been touched by the Icthus Ministry from the late 1960s to date, including middle school, junior high, high school, or college Icthus in the Kansas City area: Colonial paid or volunteer summer staff; or any college campus Icthus (Baylor, KU, KSU, MSU, MU, TCU). Registration available online in May. For the latest info, join Icthus Ministries Reunion (Colonial Presbyterian Church) on Facebook. Want to host an out-of-towner? We are looking for families to fill this need. Contact Dave Davies at 816-916-7244, [email protected]. “The greatest reunion this side of Heaven.” – Bob Lehleitner Friday Prayer Group God is glorified when His people pray. Join us each ongoing Friday from 1:00–2:00 p.m. at the Wornall campus, Room 302. In Memory of Richard Klover, Colonial Member outpacingmelanoma.org Quivira member Kelly Klover lost her husband, Richard, to melanoma in February 2010, at the age of 46. In recent months, Kelly has established the Outpacing Melanoma Foundation. Kelly would like to extend an invitation to the congregation to join her family in their effort to shed light and hope on this underfunded, underpublicized, deadliest form of skin cancer. Wornall Campus: 3rd Sunday of each month. The next opportunities are Sundays, May 20, June 17 and July 15, 12:30–3:00 p.m. in Room 101 of the Fellowship Hall. Quivira Campus: 2nd Sunday of each month. The next opportunities are Sundays, June 10 and July 8, 12:15–3:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Men’s Ministry colonialkc.org/men Men’s Golf Tournament: Saturday, June 2, at Swope Memorial. For details visit the Men’s Ministry webpage. 11 2012 Men of Colonial Colorado Mountain Adventure: July 28–August 1 in Leadville, Colorado. For registration contact Dale Bain at drbain.ks@gmail. com or 913.642.5507. They are holding their Inaugural Outpacing Melanoma 5K Run/Walk event and Dot to Dot Kid Trot (10yrs. and younger) on Sunday, May 20 at Corporate Woods in Overland Park. The event is being held in May to coincide with the American Cancer Society’s National Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Awareness month. Pastor Jim West will be on hand at the event to give the invocation, as well as to sing the National Anthem prior to the 8:00 a.m. start time. For details and volunteer information, visit outpacingmelanoma.org. Encountering God · Growing with Others · Impacting People COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Outpacing Melanoma – Every Step of the Way is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fund research and increase public awareness in the local community, while honoring Richard’s memory. colonialkc.org/membership COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 9500 Wornall Road Kansas City, Missouri, 64114 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED NON-PROFIT ORG. AUTO U.S. PERMIT PAID PERMIT NO. 4565 KANSAS CITY, MO Pastor’s Corner Dear Colonial Family, Our theme for this edition of Connections is Growing Season because GROWING is at the very heart of what it means to be alive, both physically and spiritually. 12 12 As a man who is now entering into mid-life, I am becoming aware of several realities that I may have not noticed (or did not want to notice) in the past. First, I’m learning that at some point (which I’ve now come to), if we’re not growing our muscles, they go away! As a younger man, the development of my body seemed to happen naturally. I never gave much thought to “losing” muscle tone or to the fact that my body is “dying.” As I’m about to turn 42 years old, I’m suddenly Lead Pastor, Jim West discovering that my body’s inclination is to expand in all the places I want to shrink and to shrink in all the places I want to grow. What makes matters worse is that I’m so darn busy…busy with my work; busy with my kids; busy volunteering; busy with my hobbies; busy with maintaining my home and yard…busy. Here’s the sad truth of mid-life: busy-ness does not contribute to growth…it contributes to death. The busier I get, the more my body seems to suffer. The more my body suffers, the less energy I have to accomplish all of my busy-ness and the more at risk I am of simply dying due to neglect of my heart and other essential systems that keep me alive and prospering. As much as I hate to admit it, some of my busy-ness must go if I am going to physically grow, not die. Energy will need to be devoted to strengthening exercises in order for me to grow stronger and gain more energy. Our spirits are also alive, which means they are growing or they are dying. The same principles apply: busy-ness leads to death, not life. Energy must be devoted to spiritual exercise in order for the spiritual muscles to grow and gain more spiritual energy. What are you doing to grow spiritually? We have learned from the REVEAL Spiritual Life studies that people tend to grow spiritually from four primary practices: 1) personal study of the Bible; 2) understanding core, Christian doctrine; 3) developing deep, accountable Christian relationships; and 4) serving (especially the poor) in the name of Jesus Christ. Which, if any, of those four practices is a part of your regular life and routine? If you were to get a “spiritual check up,” what would the results look like? COLONIAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Here’s my challenge to each of us: take an honest look in the spiritual mirror, and simply acknowledge where you are… you’re either growing, or you’re dying. Then, ask yourself: What is my next step? What is the next thing I should do in order to ensure that I am growing spiritually? As you look through the Connections, you’ll find opportunity after opportunity to take a next step towards spiritual growth and health. If you don’t see an obvious next step, set an appointment with any of our pastors and let us help you find the path for moving forward on your journey of discipleship. Take your next step…and remember: when we take one step towards the Father, He sprints to us! Peace be with you, Contact Pastor West Pastor Jim 9500 Wornall Road, Kansas City, MO 64114 816.501.3064 [email protected] Join us for worship on Sunday! · Wornall Campus 9:15 · 11:00 · Quivira Campus 8:00 · 9:15 · 11:00