Tag Archives: christmas

Deco04

Chase

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Agape newsletter, December 4, 2009. Special “Let it Snow” edition!

Hello everybody and welcome in to a very cold Agape newsletter. Well, it’s cold outside, but hopefully it’s warm in here for all of you. I doubt we’ll see much snow tonight (maybe?) but I believe we will see three major (for us) snow events this Winter. Of course, I also thought Alabama would beat Auburn pretty badly last week, so I am not the greatest prognosticator that has ever lived.

So - what’s going on at Agape this week, I hear you asking. I’m glad you asked, because this is an exciting month for us! Here’s what’s happening:

This Sunday, December 6: We will have a great time in worship, hear a detailed update and a call to arms on the Live Nativity, and also hear about how we are going to be helping send gifts and love to our soldiers in Iraq for this Christmas. In addition, we will begin to look at what led to the coming of Jesus into the world. Why did He come?

Next Saturday, December 12, we will be reaching out to our community with our Food pantry ministry. This will be a very important food pantry, as this will be our greatest chance to invite many people in the community to our Christmas Feast and celebration on December 20th. Be sure and come help, if possible, and help us get the word out into the community about the Christmas Feast and celebration of the birth of Jesus!

Speaking of the Live Nativity - let me fill you in a little about our plans. The live Nativity will take place two nights in December - Thursday, December 17 and Friday December 18 (with a practice and set up on Wednesday December 16). Each night, we will be presenting the good news of the coming of Jesus to many who turn in to see the Nativity up close, as well as the thousands who are likely to drive by and catch a glimpse of what we are doing. Our focus is to proclaim the coming of Jesus, and to invite people to come celebrate with us on Sunday, December 20th.  We  have some needs that many of you can help with. First and foremost, we need people. We estimate that slightly over thirty people will be needed each night, and fifty or more would be ideal. Everybody will have a part to play, from singing in the choir, to serving hot cocoa and cider, to helping with greeting and parking, and even driving for our planned hayride. We also need some materials - can you help us with any of these things:

1. Live Animals - we don’t want to spend a whole lot of money, but if somebody out there in Agape land has access to some farm animals (even a few) that would be FANTASTIC - and a terrific “draw”.

2. Trailers - our plan at the moment is to use trailers, and have our live nativity function as a hayride (more on this Sunday), but in order to do this, we will need at least two, and preferably three largish trailers. Can anybody help us with this!?

3. We need some bails of hay (or pine straw, even) who can help with this?

4. Plywood - we need some plywood to build the stage - do you have any that you could let us use?

5. We will need some hot cocoa and apple cider. Do you have a great recipe for hot cocoa? Several gallons of apple cider lying around? We will put them all to good use!

More details will be coming this Sunday, as well as an exciting explanation of our complete vision for the live nativity. We have the potential to reach hundreds, maybe thousands with the message of the coming of Jesus. To do this, WE WILL NEED ALL OF US TO PITCH IN AND HELP!!!! This will be the ultimate group effort by Agape - so be sure and let us know if you will help. especially if you haven’t signed up yet!!!

Finally, Brian Perkins sent this heartwarming story to me earlier, and I now share it with you:


” A very old man lay dying in his bed. In death’s doorway, he suddenly smelled the aroma of his favorite chocolate chip cookie wafting up the stairs.

He gathered his remaining strength and lifted himself from the bed.  Leaning against the wall, he slowly made his way out of the bedroom, and with even greater effort forced himself down the stairs, gripping the railing with both hands.

With labored breath, he leaned against the door frame, gazing into the kitchen.  Were it not for death’s agony, he would have thought himself already in heaven.

There, spread out on newspapers on the kitchen table were literally hundreds of his favorite chocolate chip cookies.

Was it heaven?  Or was it one final act of heroic love from his devoted wife, seeing to it that he left this world a happy man?

Mustering one great final effort, he threw himself toward the table.  The aged and withered hand, shaking, made its way to a cookie at the edge of the table, when he was suddenly smacked with a spatula by his wife.

“Stay out of those,” she said. “They’re for the funeral.”


I love you all, and look forward to seeing you Sunday!


Chase

Jano07

Chase

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Agape Newsletter, 12-19-2008: Merry Christmas Edition!

Hello everybody and welcome to the penultimate* Agape newsletter of 2008!


Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:

1. Agape Christmas breakfast celebration and special worship time: This Sunday at 10:00am (covered dish)
2. Angel Food Pick up Saturday at 9:30 am
3. Tuesday night homeless ministry, the Nest. Be at Agape at 6

4. No Crossroads this week, no Wednesday night Bible Study/Food Pantry.

This Sunday morning, at Agape, we will be celebrating the birth of the Messiah by eating breakfast together, fellowshipping, and then worshiping. I am looking forward to celebrating this Sunday with you all, and if I can be candid - I’m looking forward to the covered dish breakfast as well - my favorite meal! Eating in the morning is a Biblical practice that dates back to at least the Israelite Exodus from Egypt, and possibly earlier. (that is my theological justification for our breakfast)  ;)   (Don’t forget to bring a covered dish or two to share with everybody!!!)

The next Sunday morning, December 28th, we will be having a time of baptism. If you are interested in participating, or if your children are, then please be sure and let us know!!
Don’t forget that this Tuesday we will be going to the Nest to minister to the homeless, and celebrate Christmas with them as well. We leave Agape at 6:30, so try to be there early so you can help load chairs, tables and food for everybody.

David sends this note for the newsletter:  We want to thank everyone who joined us for our Crossroads’ study that was focused on The Gospel. If interested, the entire series is available to download from our website. We are currently seeking the Lord’s guidance on our next Crossroads series and if He is willing, we anticipate that this will start sometime in early 2009. Again, thank you to everyone!!


Two weeks ago in a message on our Vision for 2009, I talked about how our National Visitor’s Center in Washington DC has a plaque at the entrance which says, “We have built no temple but the Capitol. We consult no common oracle but the Constitution.” In addition, in the visitor’s center, our national anthem was incorrectly identified as “E Pluribus Unum” when in fact it is, “In God We Trust”. In a follow up to that, I’d like to tell you some things about our National Cathedral in Washington D.C. This is a “church” in name only, but it is often the “church” that presidents and dignitaries go to in Washington. It is far from Christian, instead embracing people of “all faiths and no faith”.

This week, I read a mind-blowing article by the faith/religion writer at the Washington Post, one of our nation’s most prominent newspapers. In this article, she discusses where President Obama should go to church. She suggests the National Cathedral, because it is so pluralistic. The National Cathedral is a nominally Episcopalian church that celebrated it’s 100th anniversary last year. With a “One Spirit among many Nations Festival.” This is how the Post described the celebration,  ”With a background of sound and lights, the festival drew believers and nonbelievers from all over the country. “We wanted them to experience their humanity,” says Lloyd, [the Dean/pastor of the church] “to have the sense that they shared a common life with each other.”

Later in the article, the writer admiringly mentions that Deepak Chopra, a Hindu/New Age guru spoke at a recent packed out National Cathedral service. Chopra, when asked about Obama, said that he believes the president elect has “transcended spiritual identity.” I don’t know about you, but I read this article, and I see the foundation for a coming one world religion. It might be closer than we’ve imagined. All it might take is some sort of global crisis to get the ball rolling. Oh wait. We’re in the middle of one right now! (article source: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/sally_quinn/2008/11/obamas_should_choose_national.html)

Watch and Pray, saints of God - we are living in interesting times. May we be a light to the nations and may we abide in Jesus Christ - the one Way, Truth and Life!

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)

Saturday, December 20, 9:30 am - Angel Food pick up (for real this time)

Sunday, December 21, 9:15 am - Prayer

Sunday 10:00 - Christmas Breakfast Fellowship - bring a covered dish or two.

Sunday 10:50: Special Christmas celebration and worship

Sunday night: There will be no Crossroads this Sunday night, but there is a youth Christmas party at 5 pm.


Tuesday, December 23 - The Nest homeless ministry Christmas party.

Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) - No Wednesday night service or food pantry.

Thursday, December 25 - Merry Christmas!

Sunday, December 28 - Baptism Service. (if you want to participate, please email me and let me know)

This Week’s Links:

*****     Family quarrels and tension can unfortunately be a big part of the Christmas season for some. Here’s an article that will cause you to think twice about forgiveness and unity: http://www.thinkchristian.net/index.php/2008/12/17/who-owns-jesus-more/

*****     John Piper - 12 reasons for Christmas: http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2002/1222_Twelve_Reasons_for_Christmas/

*****     Speaking of Piper, here’s him discussing a very practical question, “how should a husband and wife manage opposite sex drives?” http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/AskPastorJohn/ByTopic/12/3459/

*****     Rick Warren to give the invocation at Obama’s inauguration: http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/503643.aspx
*****     Al Mohler on how to use a study Bible: http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2930

*****     When we discipline our children, we are teaching them about the end times, and other deep truths: http://www.russellmoore.com/index.php/2008/12/10/the-eschatology-of-parenting/

*****     Carolyn Mcculley on the Mommy Wars: http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001917.cfm
Jesus was born to push against the fall, as far as the curse is found, and I am glad of that!

Chase

*(penultimate is a word learned while watching a Monty Python sketch several years ago),

Jano07

Chase

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Agape Newsletter: 12-11-2008 - Vision 2009 part 2 + Crossroads Christmas Party

Friends, Romans, countrymen:

Welcome to another Agape newsletter!

Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:

1. Vision Sunday, Part 2:
2. Baptism Service Sunday December 28
3. Crossroads Christmas Party THIS SUNDAY!
4. Angel Food Pick Up Saturday 9:00am
5. Food Pantry Saturday 9:00am (last one of the year - no Food Pantry on Christmas Eve)
6. We still need people to adopt kids for Christmas - see Cindy (or email me) for details. Thus far, we’ve had over 30 families request our help for this Christmas!!!
7 December 21 - Christmas Service - beginning with covered dish breakfast at 10:00am.
8. The Nest - downtown Christmas party December 23rd - leave the church at 6:30
9 Youth Christmas party - December 21, 5:00pm (no Crossroads that night)

This Sunday morning at Agape - Vision Sunday part 2! Sunday after worship, we will be continuing our message series on vision 2009 - that which God is calling us to as a church for next year. The first part of the message is now available on our website: http://agapepinson.com/sermons_online.htm.

We will be continuing to discuss our calling for 2009, and this will be a message of HOPE for the future. If you have been struggling thus far during this holiday season (with depression, lack of focus, the blah’s, worry, etc) then the message Sunday will encourage and lift you up, I believe.

Also - partly sparked by David McConnell’s excellent message on baptism at Crossroads this past Sunday (again - listen to it online at: http://agapepinson.com/sermons_online.htm),
We will be having a baptismal service the last Sunday of the year - December 28th. If you have not yet been baptized, then please let me know, and we will baptize you that Sunday. If you listen to David’s message, you will realize the vast importance of baptism! Also - if your kids have given their lives to Jesus, but have not yet been baptized, then this Sunday will be the perfect Sunday for them.

This Sunday night at Crossroads, we will be hearing a great message, then adjourning to David and Mary Ledbetter’s house for a covered dish Christmas party. All of our Crossroads gatherings have been great fun and fellowship, and I believe that this one will be as well - come join us, and be sure to bring some food for sharing.

Speaking of eating and fellowship: Next Sunday (December 21) we will be having a very special Christmas service at Agape. We begin at 10:00am with a covered dish breakfast together. (everybody needs to bring some sort of breakfast dish - more details next week). After our meal together, we will enjoy and participate in a worship service that will be led by our worship team, as well as our children and dance team. It should be wonderful!

Also note that we will be voting on our 2009 budget this Sunday, December 14th, right after our morning worship and word. If you would like to look at our budget, we’ve posted it on our website:http://agapepinson.com/online_resources.htm You will need Microsoft Excel to view the budget proposal.

Finally, allow me to close with the acronym that was introduced this Sunday which describes our primary mission at Agape: (More details on GRIP this Sunday)
Our primary purposes at Agape:
G.R.I.P.
Glorify - First and foremost we are to glorify God in worship, prayer, and in our love and care for each other.
Reach - As a church family, we are called to GO and carry the Good news - to reach people and introduce them to the person and teachings of Jesus.
Impart - We are not only called to introduce people to Jesus, but also to make disciples. The word impart means to communicate the knowledge of something. We are called to bring the message of Jesus to the world, and to teach them how to follow Jesus.

Propel - Finally - our calling is not to reach and disciple people merely to grow our fellowship, or to help us out. We are called to propel people into their calling and destiny in Jesus. Sometimes that means they will stay and serve with us at Agape - other times it means that they will serve elsewhere - even in other countries. It’s our job to send them out - or propel them - to where God is calling them to be.

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)

Saturday, December 6 9:00 am - Angel Food pick up and Food pantry (the last food pantry of 2008)

Sunday, December 7, 9:15 am - WATCH AND PRAY!

Sunday 9:45 - Small groups

Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: Vision 2009 part 2 - God’s call for US

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads.

Here’s David’s invitation: Tonight will be our last Crossroads service of 2008. We are going to have a special time of worship (a portion of which will be based on the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s album ‘Christmas Eve and Other Stories’) and a message on how we are called to invest our lives into the lives of others for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel. We will also have a unique opportunity to do exactly that at the end of our service. Following the service we will have a Fellowship dinner at the home of Mary and David Ledbetter, just a short drive from the church (please bring a side dish). Please join us at 5pm.

Wednesday night, December 17 - Advent Part 4 - Join us for Wednesday nights in December as we celebrate Advent together and study/discuss things related to the birth of Jesus.

Sunday, December 21 - Christmas covered dish breakfast and fellowship (10:00am).

Tuesday, December 23 - The Nest homeless ministry

Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve) - No Wednesday night service or food pantry.

This Week’s Links:

*****    A Christmas Quiz. Including a surprising answer to who set up the first Christmas tree: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/quiz/?id=RUQWP

*****     Is President Bush an evangelical? (It sure doesn’t sound like it, based on this interview): http://www.irishcalvinist.com/?p=2073


*****   Have you ever wondered what exactly the star of Bethlehem was? If it was a true star in (our understanding) how could it have guided the magi to a specific location? Here are some theories: http://www.rayfowler.org/2008/12/10/what-was-the-star-of-bethlehem/
Here’s a couple of practical links as well:

*****    The Inigo Montoya guide to commonly misused words: http://www.copyblogger.com/commonly-misused-words/ (by the way, The Princess Bride remains my favorite movie, even after 20 years)

See you Sunday! 

Chase


Jano07

Chase

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Agape Newsletter, 12-4-2008 Vision Casting and Bruce Lee ping-pong.

Brothers and Sisters,

Welcome to another Agape newsletter - a very important one, I believe.

Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:

1. Vision Sunday, Part 1:
2. Budget vote moved from December 7 to December 14 plus: review the proposed budget online!
3. Crossroads Sunday night begins again this Sunday (plus Crossroads Christmas party next week)
4. Angel Food orders due this Sunday (December 7 - see Cindy Underwood)
5. Angel food Pick up will be on Saturday, December 13 at Agape.
6. Bruce Lee playing ping-pong   :)   See This week’s links, below:

This week at Agape we will begin our most significant message series since I have arrived at the church. If you are an inactive member, or if it has been a long time since you have come - I want to urge and implore you to come to Agape at least this week and next week (December 14th) to hear more about our direction for 2009. If you are an active member, and you have the email address of somebody who hasn’t been in a long time - please allow me to encourage you to forward this newsletter onto them along with a personal invitation from you.

This Sunday, we will begin talking about the future at Agape - our vision, our calling, our purpose. What exactly does that mean? Maybe I can answer that question by listing a few things that you won’t be hearing this Sunday:

1. You won’t be hearing a big push to give towards a building project or anything like that.

2. You won’t be hearing MY vision - the goal is to articulate OUR vision as a church - that unique thing that God is calling us as a family to do.

3. You won’t be hearing a vision that only a few people can participate in. As I’ve said several times, the role of the pastors and leaders in the church is to build up the church and equip people to be who they are called to be. (See Ephesians 4:11).

The fact is that God has a purpose for our congregation. It can’t be fulfilled by any one person or leader - it can’t be fulfilled by just a few families. God has a purpose and calling (and vision) for our entire congregation - i.e., those things that we are unable to do separately, but that we are uniquely equipped to do together. In this day and age of individualism, it is somewhat foreign to us to think in terms of things that we can’t do without each other. Perhaps we can picture it by way of a football analogy: Saturday, Alabama will play Florida for the SEC championship. As I write this, Florida is favored by approximately 10 points. Think about what would happen if they tried to play the game with just one player on Alabama’s side! Florida could score an almost infinite amount of points.  Think about what would happen if Alabama played with only a few players? Florida would still win by hundreds. How about if only one or two Alabama players were missing? It seems like that wouldn’t make that big of a difference, but I guarantee you that being down two players would hurt Alabama a great deal this weekend.

So then is the church - we are like a team, in essence, capable of doing amazing things together, but hobbled when we don’t come together.  Sunday we’re exploring what God is calling our team to do. I am looking forward to it, and I certainly hope that you’ll make plans to join us!

Also note that we will be voting on our 2009 budget next Sunday, December 14th, right after our morning worship and word. We had originally announced December 7 as budget Sunday last week, but we decided to move it to the 14th so that we could get a copy of the budget into everybody’s hands to look over. If you would like to look at our budget, we’ve posted it on our website:http://agapepinson.com/online_resources.htm Please note that you will need Microsoft Excel to view the budget proposal. We should have copies available this Sunday morning for your perusal.


David sends this information about the Crossroads Christmas Party in December: December 14th after Crossroads service we are going to have a Christmas fellowship dinner at Mary and David Ledbetter’s house in Pinson. Everyone is welcome. Mary and David ask that everyone who comes bring some kind of a dish, that way we have plenty of food. We are going to have Crossroads on Dec 7th, and the 14th. The 14th will kind of be our end of the year service so to speak. We will take the 21st and the 28th off and come back on Jan 4th.

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)

Saturday, December 6 9:00 am - Church wide workday - our main focus this Saturday will be on decorating the sanctuary, so please come and join us!

Sunday, December 7, 9:15 am - Please remember that we’ve changed corporate prayer time from 8:30 to 9:15am
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: Vision 2009 - God’s call for US

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on: ::

Baptized!

Tonight we will be shifting into what it means to proclaim the gospel with our lives and we will begin with a study on the Biblical picture of how all new Christians first proclaim the gospel: Baptism. There may be no other church ordinance that is so debated among Christians and Christian denominations. Even among Baptists, we often declare baptism to simply be symbolic of an inward change. But, is that all there is to it? Is baptism simply a ‘good thing to do’ if you are a Christian? Join us tonight at 7pm as we attempt to uncover in the word: proclaiming the gospel through baptism.


Wednesday night, December 10 - Advent Part 3 - Join us for Wednesday nights in December as we celebrate Advent together and study/discuss things related to the birth of Jesus. We also have Food Pantry this Wednesday.


Saturday, December 13th: Angel food pick up.

Finally, Christmas this year has been scheduled for December 25 (a Thursday).


This Week’s Links:

*****    This past Sunday, we discussed Advent, and how enriching it can be for a family to celebrate Advent together. Here’s a very easy to use devotional for every night of Advent: http://scriptureunion.gospelcom.net/Advent.pdf

*****     Here is a collection of solid resources on Advent, gathered by Christianity Today: http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/christmas/features/advent.htm


*****     Here it is, as promised, Bruce Lee playing ping-pong with Nunchucks (or Nunchaku if you want to be technical): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QHslHpK4-Q Now what other church newsletter gives you treats like this one?!


*****    Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer, is fast on it’s way to becoming the next Harry Potter. A well written, engaging love story between a teen girl, and a vampire that abstains from drinking human blood, the story is a runaway best seller, and a very popular movie as well. Some abstinence advocates have encouraged reading of the book because the main characters do not ultimately engage in sex until they are married. On the surface, this seems like a good thing, of course, but the level of sensuality in the Twilight series is something that parents and Christians need to be aware of. Tim Challies offers an objective review here: http://www.challies.com/archives/book-reviews/book-review—twilight.php

*****     A bit on John Piper’s new book, Finally Alive: http://adrianwarnock.com/2008/12/john-pipers-most-important-book-finally.html Sounds quite challenging!

*****     Liberty University’s kicker this year (on their division 1 football team) does not have arms http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/men/11596238/

Please be praying for each other, and I look forward to seeing you Sunday! ! 

Chase

Jano07

Chase

0

Agape Newsletter, November 21, 2008: Special Innapropriate Reference to Moonshine Edition. ;)

Hello friends and family,

Welcome in to another action packed edition of the Agape newsletter. This week is a big week, so let’s jump right in:
Ultra-quick summary of this week at Agape:

1. Sermon this week: The Great Romance Part 3 - The Great Romance played out in the world.
1A - Coming December 7 and 14 - Agape’s Vision for 2009…Please be praying!
2. Agape Thanksgiving meal this Sunday after church.
3. Crossroads Sunday night at 5:00 pm - Focus: One Life, One Shot.

4. Crossroads: Christmas party and December schedule (see below).
5. Traci Jones surgery….meals for the Jones family.
6. Cornbread and Cranberry Sauce needed.

What an exciting week we have ahead of us! In the Thompson family we love Thanksgiving week. It means great food and fellowship, and a time of thanksgiving, of course - but also - it means Christmas music! We look forward every year to the day after Thanksgiving as the time that marks the beginning of Advent, and the breaking out of Christmas worship music that will be played throughout the day. “What is Advent?”, I hear some of you ask? “Are you Catholic?” I hear others ask. Advent, put simply, consists of the weeks leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. In our family, beginning after Thanksgiving, we gather nightly for a candle lit devotion, responsive reading, and singing. Then we place an Advent ornament on the Christmas tree. By speaking of the birth of Jesus every night leading up to Christmas, I believe it really communicates to our entire family what this season is all about. Next Sunday, I believe I’ll be sharing more with you about Advent and family worship, so stay tuned. Also, we are not Catholic, though we have caught Abbey sneaking around with a nun’s wimple lately. (I kid…)
Speaking of Sunday’s - this Sunday we will be concluding our series on The Great Romance. Two weeks ago we looked at the amazing fact that God loves us not just as a Father, but also as a Husband - indeed we are to be the Bride of Christ. Last week, we looked at the implications of that Romance - He loves us, so we are to especially love each other in the church. Sunday, we will take The Great Romance a step further and look at how the Love of Christ compels us to go into the world and invite others to the wedding feast.
After worship and word, we will all join together to celebrate Thanksgiving. You are encouraged to bring 2 dishes - either 2 side dishes, or 1 side dish and 1 dessert. The church will be providing the meat, rolls, drinks and moonshine*.


Also Sunday, our missions team asks that you bring corn bread and cranberry sauce for the food pantry. During last week’s food pantry, we had the largest line I have ever seen here - and even this week (when no food pantry was scheduled), we had people lining up outside the doors. Help us feed the hungry!
Please be in prayer for Traci Jones, who had back surgery this week. We would like to bless her family with meals as she recovers from surgery, so please email me if you’d like to provide a meal for the Jones family!
Finally, David sends this information about Crossroads in December: December 14th after Crossroads service we are going to have a Christmas fellowship dinner at Mary and David Ledbetter’s house in Pinson. Everyone is welcome. Mary and David ask that everyone who comes bring some kind of a dish, that way we have plenty of food. We are going to have Crossroads on Dec 7th, and the 14th. The 14th will kind of be our end of the year service so to speak. We will take the 21st and the 28th off and come back on Jan 4th.

This Week’s Schedule:  (This month’s schedule online at: http://agapepinson.com/calendar_of_events.htm)
Saturday, November 22: Angel Food pick up. If you’ve ordered Angel Food for this month, then it needs to be picked up at 9:30am Saturday.

Sunday, November 23, 9:15 am - Please remember that we’ve changed corporate prayer time from 8:30 to 9:15am
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Corporate worship, prayer and word. This Sunday: The Great Romance, part 3 - Into The World…

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be teaching on: :: One Life…One Shot

Jonathan Edwards once said that he was resolved to live his life the way that he would wish he had lived it when he came to die. All around us we are surrounded by the worldly ideals of what will make us a success in life. But in light of the gospel we have experienced, what will a successful life look like when we stand before Christ? Join us on November 23rd as we look at what scripture says it means to make life count for all of eternity.


Tuesday Night, November 25th: The Nest - church volunteers leave Agape at 6:30.


Wednesday night, November 26th - We will not be having Wednesday night Bible Study, but the Food Pantry will be open - from 6 to 8 pm, and I’m sure the mission’s team would appreciate your help!


Next Sunday, November 23 (right after worship: Thanksgiving fellowship meal and celebration.

This Week’s Links:

*****    In San Francisco, a group of 13 young adults with the San Francisco Justice House of Prayer, were physically and sexually assaulted by 200-500 homosexuals who were angered by the passage of proposition 8. The response of the 13 is a great example of love under fire. http://www.jhopsf.org/


*****    Serbian doctor who performed almost 50,000 abortions, becomes a pro-life activist. A must read!: http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/nov/08111304.html
*****    Let the shaking begin! http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/11584250/

*****    Tragedy in India: Hindu extremist groups are offering rewards of food, money, and alcohol to those who kill Christians and burn their homes: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5186703.ece


*****     For you artsy folks, the Bible in sand (a video): http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/11584250/

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday! 

Chase

*moonshine not available at all churches. Including ours. Why, the very thought of moonshine at a church - shame on you!  ;)

Jano07

Chase

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Agape Newsletter 10-29-08: Free Family Movie Night

Hello and welcome into another action and announcement packed edition of the Agape E-newsletter!

We have several events and announcements this week, as well as one significant change of plans. You’ll recall that last Sunday during the message on the economy, that I said we would have an expert panel this Sunday to answer any questions that you might have? Sadly, we are going to have to postpone our expert panel until next week, due to the inability of one or two of our key panelists to be able to make it this Sunday. They are, however, on for next Sunday, so we will shift our question and answer time until then. We will have bankers, accountants and attorneys on our panel - all with the expertise and knowledge to answer your questions. So then - that puts the ball in your court: What questions do you have about the economy? About getting a new job? About your 401 k? About your savings and investments? I do realize, like I said last week, that the economy is an odd thing to be talking about during church, but if you will listen to the opening minutes of the first message on the economy (posted at: http://agapepinson.com/sermons_online.htm) you will hear why I believe it to be an important issue for Christians to be knowledgeable on. Mainly - we are called to be a light in these dark times, and we shouldn’t be ignorant of all the shaking that is going on in the world right now. As I type this message on Friday afternoon, I see that the Dow Jones average has dipped more than 300 points and is coming dangerously close to the 7000’s.

Three other notes of interest for this week: 1. TONIGHT IS FREE FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT!!! (at 6:30, see below for more details) 2 PRAYER TIME IS MOVING - beginning next Sunday (not this Sunday) we will be changing our Sunday morning corporate prayer time to 9:15 am, instead of 8:30 am. It is hoped by this move that more people will be able to come and pray together before corporate worship. I will write more about that next week. Finally, 3. Deacon nomination papers will be available in the back of the sanctuary this Sunday morning, on the Crossroads table. In fact, they were available this past Sunday morning, but I neglected to mention that at the end of my message, as I was supposed to. There is space for four names to be nominated - feel free to take the form with you this week, and bring it back next week.

Also: Please remember to pray for Mark Jones this week, as his father died Tuesday morning. Pray for peace and comfort for Mark and Traci, as well as peace and wisdom for his brother’s and sisters. Also, pray for Ron Franks as he had surgery this week, and is recovering at home.

On to this week’s schedule

This Week’s Schedule:

Friday, October 24 (TONIGHT!) at 6:30pm: FREE Family Movie Night in the sanctuary at Agape. Cost? Surprisingly cheap! Tonight we’ll be having food, movies, fun and games at church as your missions team treats us to a free movie and much more. The movie on tap for tonight is the Veggie Tales, Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. I had the privilege of watching this movie recently, and absolutely loved it. (No Kidding!) It was funny, and inspirational enough to bring a small tear to my eye at one point. A very small, manly, and tough tear. The kind that Hercules or Superman might have shed.

Saturday, October 25, 9:30 am: Angel Food orders will be at the church to be picked up -don’t forget to come by and pick up your box! November’s orders are due by November 8th; David has placed a menu online at: http://agapepinson.com/angel_food_ministries.htm

Sunday, October 26 - 8:30 - Corporate prayer. Prayer is so critical in the life of the church, so please join us in the back of the sanctuary to lift up our hearts to God. Don’t forget that corporate prayer moves to 9:15 am next week!
Sunday 9:45 - Small groups
Sunday 10:45 - Morning worship and word. This week we will take a very brief break from talking about the economy, and watch an interesting video, and hear a message on the power of our words.

Sunday night: 5 pm Sunday night at Crossroads, David will be bringing a message that everybody in the church, as well as their friends and neighbors, needs to hear. The title of the message is: When Belief is Not Enough, and here is his description of it: The end of John chapter 2 shows us a group of people who believed in Jesus, yet the Bible says that Christ would not entrust himself to them. He knew their hearts and He knew they were following Him for the wrong reasons. According to scripture, simply believing the Gospel is not sufficient to be saved. Satan believes the gospel. So what does it take to be saved? Jesus said the answer was to be born again - the question is: what does that mean? Join us October 26th at 5pm as we seek an answer.

Tuesday night, October 28: The Nest, homeless ministry at Agape. More information on the Nest: http://agapepinson.com/nest_ministry.htm.

Wednesday night, October 22nd - Back to Matthew this week, as we’ll be tackling the 10th chapter of Matthew - a most challenging, yet refreshing passage of scripture. We will also have food pantry that night, beginning at 6:00.

This Week’s Links:

*****     Here’s a completely free CD of Advent and Christmas songs (the one catch? You have to tell 5 friends about it). It sounds beautiful from what I’ve heard of it. http://www.sojournmusic.com/2007/12/05/advent-songs-2007/

*****     Why is Christianity at it’s best in the midst of disaster: http://www.newmanmag.com/newmanreport/2008/09/christianity-in-midst-of-disaster.html

*****     John (Amazing Grace) Newton on Not Being Afraid (via James Mcdonald): http://familyreformation.wordpress.com/2008/10/21/do-not-be-afraid/

*****    A Civics review: How we elect our president. http://www.welt.de/english-news/article2605119/How-the-U-S-A-elects-its-President.html

*****    Ben Patterson on learning how to pray by using the Psalms: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/october/34.87.html

I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday!

Chase