Communion

,

Boots on the Ground (September Studies: Week 1)

,

Our Impact Leadership Training group last spring was studying the course Learning to Serve. During one of our Zoom MeetUps someone said that serving is like being the "boots on the ground" for Jesus. It stuck with me.

We're kicking off the fall with a series named just that: Boots on the Ground. All of our messages will revolve around one primary theme - what does it mean to be the body of Christ, his boots on the ground, so to speak?

First up, I've invited Pastor Del to set the stage with the FOUNDATION of it all - the literal body of Christ, broken for us on the cross, remembered and proclaimed during communion (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Then, we'll be looking at the FORM, FUNCTION and FUSION of Church as He lives in and works through us as His body.

Through the month of September I'm going to set you up with a study each week that will help you both prepare for Sundays and deepen your understanding of biblical teaching about the Body, the gifts of the Spirit, and how it all works in our lives and as a church family.

To begin, linked below is a chapter from First Steps that teaches about the foundation of communion (and water baptism). For the full course, head over to our NEXT page to download or request a hard copy.

I'm really looking forward to digging into these passages with you this month!

Together in Christ,
Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

BOOTS ON THE GROUND
Foundation

Join us for our IN-PERSON SERVICES OR
LIVESTREAM on Sunday!

10:00 - Live Service & Kids Church (+Facebook Live)
11:00 - Kids Church Live in Freedom Kids FB Group
We also post the service to YOUTUBE on Sunday afternoon.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

Gathering at the Table (a Communion refresher)

While Rob and I are on holidays this week, there is a beautiful service taking place on Sunday morning. I'm glad that I can watch online! (Or maybe I'll sneak in the back... after I register, obviously. LOL!)

Margaret is working on her final assignment for a homiletics (preaching) course and is going to be using this opportunity to bring us a message from Ephesians 6 called "Suit Up". I have every confidence that it will be A+ and challenge all of us to know where our true strength comes from. If you're on site for the service, be sure to shout amen so her professor hears it on the recording. :)

And Pastor Erin will be leading us through Communion. So, I want to take this opportunity to share a refresher in what Communion (or the Lord's Supper) is and why it is so valuable to us as believers. We have a very clear and helpful lesson on Communion in our First Steps course so I've included Lesson 4 here for you to either learn about this beautiful act of worship for the first time or to give yourself a refresher.

Speaking of which... if you're participating at home, be sure to have some Communion emblems ready for 10am on Sunday. Any kind of juice and bread/crackers will work nicely.

Ah, it's going to be a great weekend as we connect, train, and impact from wherever we find ourselves.

Be blessed,

Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

MORE THAN A SONG
Beautiful in Time

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
Or, REGISTER TO WATCH THE LIVESTREAM AT THE CHURCH.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

David + Feelings + Quarantine + You (getting emotional)

First, I want you to know that we are going to be sharing Communion on Sunday morning so be sure to have some emblems ready at home. (Any juice and crackers/bread is fine.)

Second, this has been a very emotional and tumultuous week as the world responds to anti-black racism and its implications that are brought to light with this issue. If you don't know what to say or how to respond, I'm with you. But let me say very simply that even if you aren't sure what to add to the conversation, first and foremost be a person of prayer. Pray for justice and equality for all people who are created in the image of God and pray that your own heart would be humble and repentant so that we can truly represent Christ and His Kingdom in the world. We invite you to join us for corporate prayer about this and many other things on Monday night for Deep Roots - 7:00 Worship on FB Live, 7:30 Prayer in Messenger Room.

Finally, the combination of the above two things has come as a divine setup for our service on Sunday and for the month of June. The cross is the great equalizer. No one earns their way there. No one has failed so many times that they can't make it there. We're all invited.

Isolation has done something uncomfortable to a lot of us - exposed some big feelings. Anger, frustration, anxiety, hurt, fear, loneliness and injustice to just name a few. Crisis has a way of exposing what is just under the surface, amplifying what was already there and even causing us to experience emotions we've never had before.

What do we do when we all these feelings swell up and threaten to overwhelm us? How do we respond as Christ-followers to our big emotions?

We are going to look to the life and writings of David to help us navigate through this season. Or, if what we're teaching doesn't apply to you, it may help your friend, family member, child or co-worker.

There is a way to be #inmyfeelings while trusting God and responding to Him.

Let's talk about it. And invite someone to join us.

This week: FAILURE

Can't wait until Sunday,
Pastor Tracy

This Sunday

IN MY FEELINGS
I’m A Failure

Join us on Sunday at 10am for church online.
FOLLOW THE LIVESTREAM ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.

,

The Lord's Table at Your Table (how to do communion at home)

,

As we prepare for Easter weekend, you may have heard that our Good Friday communion service is still happening... livestreamed to your home. (FB Live, just like Sunday.)

You might wonder - how is that going to work? I don't know how to do my own communion! What should I say? I'm going to be so awkward!

Never fear. Communion is both simple and profound. It doesn't require any special title or designation to serve it to yourself or your family other than "Follower of Jesus". And if you look forward to it as another act of worship on Friday, it will be beautiful and not awkward.

But also, let me help just a bit.

Adults:

  • Please have some communion emblems prepared before service begins on Friday. Grape juice and bread are great but do your best with what you have. If you need help getting communion emblems to your house, just let us know and we'll do our best to make it happen.

  • I will be reading from 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 . If you can, have your Bible(s) open to that passage so you can read along with me.

  • We'll have a moment for reflection and confession that you can participate in at home. Then I'll lead us through taking the emblems together.

  • The best thing you can do is try and create an atmosphere that allows for these moments to be worshipful, thoughtful, and full of gratitude.

With Kids:

I know that last point in the section above might be hard to do with little ones at home. Blessings on your efforts. :) Margaret is sending out a great resource to help to prepare the kids for taking communion. Here's an excerpt that is helpful for adults and kids alike:

  • During communion you will get a piece of bread and a little bit of juice.

  • When we eat the bread, we remember that Jesus' body was broken for our sins.

  • When we drink the juice, we remember the promise that we can be set free from all sin through Jesus' shed blood.

  • We take a moment to be quiet and think about all of our sins - all the things we need to say "I'm sorry" for, and we ask Jesus to forgive us.

  • We take a moment to pray and say "Thank You, Jesus, for your sacrifice. You have set me free!"

This weekend is going to be beautiful. Truly. With the extra space and quiet that the pandemic has created, we will have the chance to gather and reflect on the cross in new ways. We will be able to look at the suffering of Jesus with fresh perspective, knowing that He understands all of our heartache in our world right now and cares about every fear. We will be given the chance to lament and pour out our hearts to the Man of Sorrows and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Sunday.

I'm looking forward to all of it. See you on Friday at 10:00, gathered around the Lord's Table at your table.

Pastor Tracy

Revealalpha.jpg

Easter Sunday

While there's no shame in wearing sweatpants to watch church on livestream... on Easter Sunday we're challenging everyone to dress in their Easter best and gather at the screen to celebrate the resurrection of Christ with us! (And, of course, we want you to take a photo and share it with us!) Let's mark the significance of this day in every way we can.

Check our Facebook page for an invitation to our Easter service you can share.

This Sunday

EASTER SUNDAY
Revealing Jesus
Alpha and Omega

Join us this Sunday at 10am as Pastor Tracy continues our Easter series.

Follow along with the message on YouVersion.