Our approach to this challenge over the past several years has been to have large events for men in the fall and in the spring. We encourage all men to attend, whether or not it is their custom. The goal of these events are to challenge men through topics at hand, encourage men through the fellowship that they experience, and provide opportunity for continued fellowship and service. These events are efficient and highly focused–otherwise men will not attend. We have developed a positive reputation among our brothers in the community and often have men from other churches attend.

In the past several years, the large group events had been followed by a series of Saturday morning studies. These studies were successful in engaging more men spiritually. As a result, more men became ministry leaders, Sunday School teachers, elders, deacons, and youth workers. We also formed a new ministry that required more male leadership from this same pool of men–the Elevation Community Groups. With so many men from these Saturday morning studies being called upon for additional time and leadership, the short term strategic decision was made to stop doing the follow up series on Saturday mornings.

Paul Veenema and Benjamin Harding provide leadership to the Men’s Ministry from the Session and Staff respectively. Many other men have been vital to implementing the large events, small group series and Door of Hope Fundraiser Golf Tournaments. Currently a team of men in our congregation is exploring how we can better equip men to serve Christ faithfully in our culture. I expect that this team will be bringing forward special events (and perhaps a few ongoing series) that raise awareness among our men for the need for Christian leadership and provide opportunities for them to grow in that leadership. I look forward to another year of seeing how God deploys men to serve him in our church and community.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Jay

1. Lack of thankfulness is a foundational sin, beneath other sins. (Rom 1:18-25). Therefore, thanksgiving should be cultivated, practiced. You can grow in this area if it is not your disposition.
2. Paul says that we are to give thanks in all circumstances. (1st Thess 5:16-17) Some sets of circumstances are obviously more challenging than others.
3. If it is a sinful temptation to make good things ultimate, and God’s judgment is seen in giving some over to their desires (Romans 1:18-25), then we can be thankful to God when he has either taken what we loved or not given what we wanted. He is protecting us.
4. Romans 8:32—All the wrath of the Father was laid on the Son for us. Nothing that comes to the believer is from a disposition of wrath–the Son bore all of that wrath. All we face is under the loving hand of our Father, to bless us and grow us. Therefore, we can be thankful to God in the midst of bad situations, even those wherein we may have been wronged. We don’t have to be thankful for bad things, but can be thankful to God and for Christ and the work of the Spirit in our lives. God is for us, not against us. He is working lovingly for our good in all things, so we can be thankful in all things.

All of us are prone to limit our capacity for spiritual fellowship to those who are like us.  This tendency is not something to labor in guilt over.  Rather, it is something to be aware of so that we can work to counter it.  We miss so much of God’s blessing in the church if we fail to see that those that have nothing naturally in common with us can have everything in common with us spiritually.  Sometimes, the common interests actually allow us to have a basis in the community other than Christ, and hinder us from true spiritual blessings.

Here are a couple of paragraphs from Bonhoeffer on what lies beneath Christian community as opposed to other forms of community.  Whether or not you agree with him, I think you will find his words challenging:

Because Christian community is founded solely on Jesus Christ, it is a spiritual and not a psychic reality.  In this respect it differs absolutely from all other communities.  The Scriptures call pnematic or spiritual what is created only by the Holy Spirit, who puts Jesus Christ into our hearts as Lord and Savior.  The Scriptures call psychic or emotional what comes from the natural urges, strengths, and abilities of the human soul.

The basis of all pneumatic, or spiritual, reality, is the clear, manifest Word of God in Jesus Christ.  At the foundation of all psychic, or emotional, reality are the dark, impenetrable urges and desires of the human soul.  The basis of spiritual community is truth; the basis of emotional community is desire.  The essence of spiritual community is light.  For, “God is light and in God there is no darkness at all” (1st John 1:5); and “if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1st John 1:7).  The essence of emotional, self-centered community is darkness, “for it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions com” (Mark 7:21).

If we do not give thanks daily for the Christian community in which we have been placed, even when there

are no great experiences, no noticeable riches, but much weakness, difficulty, and little faith—and if, on the

contrary, we only keep complaining to God that everything is so miserable and so insignificant and does not

at all live up to our expectations—then we hinder God from letting our community grow according to the

measure and riches that are there for us all in Jesus Christ. That also applies in a special way to the

complaints often heard from pastors and zealous parishioners about their congregations.

Note: whether pastor or zealous member, the key to helping the community grow is giving thanks for the community whether or not it tickles your fancy.  Otherwise we hurting God’s church.

We seem to grasp quickly that mercy is good for those who receive it.   We have been taught and understand from John 13 that love and mercy toward one another is vital for our witness to the world.  We are less aware, however, that we actually have a need to give ourselves.  First, we are called by God to love our neighbor as ourselves.   From the moment that we are united to Christ, the Holy Spirit begins to work in us toward that end.  Part of loving our neighbor as ourselves is being willing to minister to them in their time of need.  When we isolate ourselves from the needs of those around us we hurt ourselves as much as we hurt others.  We are robbed of the privilege of expressing the very work that the Spirit of God is working to bring about in us: a sacrificial love that mirrors the sacrificial love of Christ.

A second reason that we need to give is to experience the supernatural provision of God.  Paul writes in 2^nd Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”  When we step out in faith to meet the needs of others we do so knowing that God has not forgotten our own needs.  In fact, he knows those needs better than we do.  God makes grace abound to us so that we can, time and again, respond to the needs of those around us while being confident that God will supply our needs.  As we see God “multiply our seed for sowing and increase the harvest of our righteousness” (2 Cor 9:10) our faith is encouraged.

Have you seen the enormous pipelines that carry oil?  We may think of ourselves are stepping right into the pipeline of God’s grace when we give sacrificially in faithfulness to God.  We experience the supernatural work of God providing for our lack (whether it be money, time or emotional energy) so that we can continue to give in the future.  Giving is a means to experience the supernatural grace of God.

During the month of October we are engaged in a food drive to support the Sunday Breakfast Mission.  If 200 individuals or families give 20 can each and provide 5lbs of meat then we could 5000 people.  That is a lot of people.  It would be wonderful to send the Sunday Breakfast mission into the winter with a full cupboard.  Short term needs in our congregation are often handled by Helping Hands.  At any given time there are a number of things that that ministry can direct people to do to use their gifts.

Let’s step out in faith.  Let’s give sacrificially of our time, talent and treasure.  The world will know that we are Christians, those who receive mercy will praise God on account of us, and we will find ourselves basking in the grace of God as he conforms us to Christ and supernaturally blesses us with his provision that we may show mercy time and again.

Before I get into how people change I want to say a few things about Wednesday night.  We have had and will continue to have some great things happening on Wednesday night.  The Wednesday night meal continues on, with the energy of new leadership provided by Amy Houston.  We are adding a time of corporate worship immediate following the meal to set our minds on the Lord and enrich our fellowship.  (Just a few minutes of singing together with God’s people can do wonders for your spiritual life in the middle of the week!) 

This year we are launching our Wednesday Night Ministry with a Block Party (Wed. September 7^th, 5:30-8:00PM.)  We will enjoy being together and having a place to welcome our friends and neighbors.  The Elevation Band (i.e., the folks who play in worship) has been hard at work to prepare live music.  In addition to the songs that we sing in corporate worship, the band has prepared some other pieces just for this event. Benjamin Harding tells me quality is superb, so bring your friends out for some serious live music.  We will have tables at the Block Party that present the ministries that will take place on Wednesday night.  We will have food on hand for purchase, but you are welcome to bring your own food as well. (We have asked these vendors to make and sell food.  We are not sharing in their profits, nor have we made guarantees to them.)      

On Wednesday evenings this fall I will be leading a study using the book entitled How People Change, by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp.  Paul Tripp is a second generation pioneer of the biblical counseling movement begun by Jay Adams, and appreciated by so many in our church through the Self-Confrontation courses led by the Evers, Zitlaus and Hilberts over the years.  Tim Lane is a professor of biblical counseling at the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation affiliated with Westminster Seminary.  How People Change is a comprehensive presentation of a gospel centered approach to change.  It is the type of book that is worthy of re-reading, re-studying time and again.  I chose this book because it is rich in application, replete with examples and deep (yet accessible) in theology. 

Rich in Application—How People Change provides an opportunity for extended reflection on topics relevant to us all. We will have ample time—more time than in Sunday school and, in some cases, than in small groups—to have give and take discussion on living the Christian life.  We will be able to grow together.  Folks new to our fellowship will be able to grow with us if they are Christians, or be exposed first hand to the way that we as believers approach the challenges of our lives. 

Replete with Examples—Tripp and Lane have culled many real life examples from their counseling experience. These examples provide points of contact for discussion and application.  I have found the examples to be encouraging and challenging.  One cannot help but see oneself on occasion in the pages of this book.  It is both a comfort and a challenge to see a fellow gospel traveler struggling to live out the good news. 

Deep, Yet Accessible in Theology—Lane and Tripp are well studied in the biblical-theological tradition, especially in its Dutch-Calvinist expression (Vos and Ridderbos).  Each chapter begins with a brief, yet sufficient overview of a facet of the New Testament’s teaching on God’s work in Christ for us past, present and future.  By framing the discussion this way the authors not only help us to think more clearly about our own relationship with Christ, they also help us to think more clearly about the Bible itself.  In other words, your daily bible reading, approach to sermons and other studies will be enriched by our study of How People Change. 

This study is open to men and women of all ages, couples and singles alike.  As I have already shared with the WIC leadership, there is no intention to replace or compete with the current evening WIC study.  That ministry is well grounded and much needed.  As pastor of the whole church I am happy to see people find their place of fellowship and growth, wherever that is.  I am hopeful that this study can become a place of such growth and fellowship for those who have the time Wednesday night but have not had the opportunity or found their place—men, women, singles, parents with children in youth ministry and couples desiring to grow together.  Please pray for this new study and all our Wednesday night ministries. 

See you at the Block Party!

Pastor Harvey

Father, we come to you on behalf of those whose hearts are weary and souls are cast down. Cause them to constantly pour out their souls to you in prayer and so walk with you in the darkness they feel. Remind us that every trial comes to us through the pierced hands of your love. Assure your struggling people that you are able to restore and renew the souls of your people regardless of where you have put them. We especially pray for the spiritual renewal of these dear ones today…

Father, this world is not our home. Everyday we are reminded of this truth as the world, the flesh, and the devil oppress your people from within and without. Help us live by faith and not by sight when we find ourselves oppressed. Help us cry out to you “I believe, help my unbelief” as we wrestle with fears and doubts. Enable us to not only rest in the glorious gospel of Christ, but build our lives upon the solid foundation of your Word. Father, make us once again a people so rooted in the truth of your word we are unmoved as we live for you in this world…

“[The Lord's Table] is the most solemn appropriating act of all your lives. It is declaring by signs, “I do enter into the ark; I flee into the city of refuge; I lay my hand on the head of the Lamb; I do touch the hem of His garment; I do take Jesus to be my Lord and my God; I hold Him, and by grace I will never let Him go.” It is a deliberate closing with Christ, by means of signs, in the presence of witnesses. When a bride accepts the right hand in marriage before many witnesses, it is a solemn declaration to all the world that she does accept the bridegroom to be her only husband. So, in the Lord’s Supper, when you receive that bread and wine, you solemnly declare that, forsaking all others, you heartily do receive the Lord Jesus as your only Lord and Savior.”

“All who are really ‘looking unto Jesus’ are invited to come to the Lord’s table. Some feel like a sick person recovering from a fever: you are without strength, you cannot lift your hand or your head. Yet you look unto Jesus as your strength: He died for sinners, and He lives for them. You look to Him day by day. You say, He is my bread, He is my wine; I have no strength but what comes from Him. Come you and feed at the Lord’s table, and welcome. Some feel like a traveller when he arrives at an inn, faint and weary: you have no strength to go farther, you cannot take another step; but you lean on Jesus as your strength; you believe that word: “Because I live, ye shall live also.” Come you and feed on this bread and wine, with your staff in your hand and shoes on your feet, and will “go on your way rejoicing.” Feeble branches need most nourishment. The more you feel your weakness, the amazing depravity of your heart, the power of Satan, and the hatred of the world, the more need have you to lean on Jesus, to feed on this bread and wine — you are all the more welcome.”

- Robert Murray M’Cheyne, from a sermon preached at St. Peter’s, Dundee, October 1841