Abundant Grace

Good Monday Morning,

I really enjoyed our time together yesterday. We have a great future together in serving God. Abundant Grace isn’t just our name, it describes what we have received, and what we are able to supply for others. I am confident that God is using us to bring hope and encouragement to the people in Fort Scott, Girard, Redfield and other places where we live and work.

Thanks again for all of the ways you work, serve, pray and worship. We can’t be successful in changing the world around us without each person doing whatever they can do. Whether it is playing an instrument, cleaning the building, helping with Children’s ministry on Sunday mornings, or hosting people in your home, calling people on the phone, praying with each other… it is all necessary to be the church. We are a community that is on a mission together. Wow!

JOY!

• rejoice: feel happiness or joy
• the emotion of great happiness
• something or someone that provides pleasure; a source of happiness; “a joy to behold”; “the pleasure of his company”; “the new car is a delight”
• gladden: make glad or happy


We are going to be going through Paul’s letter to the Philippian church over the next few weeks. Joy is the main theme of this prison letter. Please begin reading this four chapter book in your Bible over the next few days. It will add to your joy through the holiday season. We will begin the teaching series this Sunday November 25.

Clear Vision
I wanted to remind you about ClearVision Registration: Tuesday is the final day of early bird registration. I need your filled out registration form and $30 before 5:00 PM on Tuesday. After that time the cost will go up to $40.

Prayer and Fasting and Family meeting: We will continue seeking God through prayer and fasting on the fifth Friday of the Month: November 30, 2007. We will have a prayer meeting and breakfast beginning at 5:30 PM. Even if you don’t fast, I encourage you to come and be a part of our prayer meeting. I would like everyone to be there by 7:00 PM for a family meeting, so we can talk about our vision for the future. We should wrap things up by about 8:30 PM.

Hospitality
Friday night December 7 at 6:30 PM the ladies will be gathering at the Miles’ house for the First Friday Female Frolic. This has typically been a time to hang out and play games and enjoy each other’s company, and that won’t change, but this Friday is going to be focused on hospitality and entertaining. I want to encourage you to come and be a part of this event. You will get the most out of it is you bring a sample of your favorite food for entertaining and a list of people who you are praying for to come to Christ.

Our desire is to help each other plan a party where both Jesus followers and unconvinced can gather together to build relationships and in time see people become convinced that following Jesus is the best way to live.

Thanks

I am realizing that I am not very good at communicating to people. O sure I can get up and talk for long periods of time and even get some information across, but I am not that great at communicating my appreciation and gratitude for the way people live their lives and the many things people do that make a real difference in our church and in Fort Scott.

Bear with me. I know that God is at work in me to make me a better person, partner, parent and pastor (i.e. church leader, elder…go with me on the aliteration).

Thanks to the Morrisons for cleaning up and setting up the building each week for our Sunday meetings.

Thanks to the children’s ministry crew who lead our children into God’s presence each week and show them what the Bible says about living (I hope I don’t leave anyone out): Gabrielle, Vickie, Angela, Karissa, Deborah, and P.J.

Thanks to Molly, Bailee, and Zad for doing the projection stuff for us each week.

Thanks to Gabrielle for tying up a bulletin each week.

Thanks to Tonya for making sure we have donuts, juice and coffee each week.

Thanks to Aaron, Adam and Brian Hall for leading us in worship each week.

Thanks to Larry and Brian for anchoring the meetings and teaching each week.

Thanks to Larry and Karen for counting the offerings, making deposits and taking a huge load off my mind concerning the finances.

There are so many of you who serve in ways that often go unnoticed. You and God know what you have done and it is all the more sweet knowing that someday he will reward you openly.

ClearVision

I just received the registration forms and info for ClearVision 2008. If you are a Senior in High School through age 29, then this is the event of the year for you. It was at the first ClearVision back in about 2000 that I felt God was calling me to plant churches. He was stirring me to be engaged in His mission. I haven’t forgotten those meetings and, though I am well past 29, God is still using those times to encourage and strengthen me. Some of you have been impacted by the likes of P.J. Smyth and Tom Eaton over the past few years. In 2007 we got iced out, but the CD’s are phenomenal. “Bones” from South Africa is awesome. The evangelism seminar from last year was amazing. I still have CD’s if you would like to hear some of this exceptional teaching.

I need several of you to give your testimonies over the next few weeks as we promote this event. Please respond to this e-mail if you would be willing to do this.

I want us to take as many as possible, so let’s get the word out.

You can check out our website calendar for the dates.

Reach out, Raise up, Release forward

These words help to communicate our desire to connect to people and connect people to Jesus. We do not simply want people to say prayers and go through baptism, but to be transformed by being fully committed followers of Jesus. This upcoming holiday season is a terrific opportunity to gather with friends and family and communicate the life changing message of God’s grace. It is also a time to give ourselves to good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

These opportunities are not to stress you out, but to give you an opportunity to pray and consider how we will be salt and light to our city. Guess what, we can do these things without a lot of “top down” organization. Just invite a few friends from church and a few irreligious friends and have a great time together.

Well, I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you. Have a great weekend. I will see you Sunday.

Being transformed by His grace,

Steve