Notes from the Pastor: March 2008
Week of March 31, 2008
This is a "not to be missed" weekend at RCF. My weekly email is going out a little early this week because of the importance of the announcements in it.
1. First Friday Prayer is this Friday at the Ranch. I hope you will come and pray together for RCF and other needs around us. Prayer is the power of renewal and revival.
2. As you probably know, Ed Wandling will be visiting as a potential pastoral candidate. He will be preaching on Sunday, and a pot-luck lunch will follow. Please be there at 10:30 (actually 9:00 for small groups would be even better!) and hear Ed preach. Bring a side dish or dessert for lunch at the Ranch and meet Ed and Mendy Wandling.
3. We will be having a spring work day at the Ranch on Saturday, 8:00 AM-1:00 PM. We will be finishing up the painting of the building. We will paint the rest of the outside grey, paint the doors and windows blue, and paint the paneling and moulding inside. The children’s ministry will be planting flowers. We also need to clean out the milkbarn, straightening it up and removing stuff that can be sold in the upcoming garage sale. As you can see, there is more than enough work to do. Come for all or part of the morning. We will conclude with lunch, which Terri Baker is graciously putting together for us (Thanks, as always!).
4. Join us for a great worship opportunity at the Ranch on Saturday night at 7 PM. This will be a small, intimate time of worshiping our great God together.
Hope to see you all for this important weekend in the life of RCF.
Chuck
Week of March 24, 2008
This Sunday we will look at Ezekiel 37:1-14. God has the ability to bring life out of defeat and dryness. Let’s celebrate that life. We will also celebrate that life in Communion. Hope to see you all there (except the ladies at the retreat, of course).
Here are some important reminders:
1. 9:00 activities will resume this Sunday, for all ages.
2. We will be going to Hearthstone retirement this Sunday afternoon at 2 PM to minister to the residents. Everyone is invited to come and encourage the residents. The home is located on Fallbrook, just east of 1960.
3. Next weekend will be very important to RCF. On April 5 we will have a work day. Please plan to come and help do some painting and cleaning up. The Children’s Ministry will be planting a flower bed, so there is something for everyone. Bring your ladders, paint clothes, brushes, etc.
God bless,
Chuck
Week of March 17, 2008
I have always thought that Good Friday is an interesting name for this Friday. How exactly is it good? Jesus died a horrific death. Jesus’ friends rejected Him. So why is it a "Good Friday"? I can find only two reasons. First, we needed Jesus to die. Jesus died so that our lives could have the hope they were created to have. Jesus died to remove the guilt of our sin. That’s good! Second, Jesus had to die in order to rise from the dead. Now, that’s overly obvious, I suppose. One certainly cannot rise from the dead without first dying. But our new life in Christ - our eternal life - our abundant life - is only available because Jesus rose from the dead. That also makes this Friday good. So, I hope that you will make every effort to come to our Good Friday service at 7:00 PM at the Ranch. Then on Sunday, we will think on the Power of the Resurrection. We need to remember the death, and celebrate the resurrection. Hope to see you all there.
Here are a couple of other things to remember:
1. We will not have any 9:00 small groups on Easter Sunday. We will have a single service of celebration at 10:30 AM.
COMING SOON:
2. March 30 - Hearthstone worship service. We are responsible for the nursing home worship service this month on March 30. Anyone is welcome to join us to visit and encourage the residents.
3. April 5 - Work Day at the Ranch. We have many projects to work on, so plan to be there to spruce up the place for the new year. We have painting, cleaning up, building a flower bed, and other projects. Also, lunch will be provided.
4. April 19 - "Pursuit" Retreat - God is pursuing us, and we must be pursuing God. Together, these two pursuits are the building blocks of our spiritual lives and our relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be led on the day by Dr. Becky Towne, who is an experienced leader in spiritual formation from Colorado. Professional child care will be provided. Please sign up and plan to be there for the day.
See you Sunday.
Chuck
Week of March 10, 2008
Well, it’s that time of year. Weeding, mulching, planting, and fertilizing. Yes, we want healthy, beautiful flowerbeds - at least most of us do. I have asked Jenice to share a word from her heart this Sunday, and it will be on "Failure to Thrive." If we do not take care of the flowerbeds and yards, they will not thrive - and I should know. In the same way, we often fail to thrive as followers of Christ. So, let’s hear what Jenice will share this Sunday. You can get a head start on the sermon by reading John 15 this weekend. I know that it will be a good word.
I know that it is spring break, so I hope that everyone that is in town will be in the Connection Service at 10:30 to worship, and at 9:00 at Bible Study and small groups.
Also, please don’t neglect Easter worship opportunities. There will be invitation cards available on Sunday so that you can invite your friends and neighbors to worship with us. By the way, any stories on the first set of invitation cards that we handed out?
The Worship Team will be hosting our annual Good Friday service at the Ranch, at 7 PM. It will be a time to reflect on the great gift of salvation through Jesus’ work on the cross.
Easter and the weeks to follow promise to be amazing times.
God bless.
Chuck
Week of March 3, 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV)
"Eternal Life" conjures up a variety of pictures in our minds. Usually these images involve heaven in some way. While heaven as eternal life is certainly important, we’re going to think about the "eternal life" that ends in heaven but begins when we enter God’s grace through our faith in Jesus Christ. It is a great life of adventure, excitement, mystery, and blessing. Let’s celebrate it together.
This is a crazy week, so I just want to remind you of a couple of things.
1. For your information, the www.ranchnet.org website has been updated, so check it out.
2. This Friday is First Friday prayer. Let’s gather and celebrate what God is doing and pray for his continued guidance and help.
3. This Sunday afternoon, at 4:00 PM, we will celebrate new life in Christ through baptism. We will meet at the Aitkens’ house (15102 Red Cedar Bluff, 77433, in Fairfield). Come have a great time of celebration.
4. On April 19, we will be having an all-church retreat. The theme is "Pursuit." God is pursuing us, and we want to pursue Him. Please, please, please, put this on your calendar. We will spend the day together (8:30-5:00 PM) at Copperfield seeking God together and learning what that means for our personal and public lives. Childcare will be handled by the Copperfield children’s ministry. So no worries for anyone. Just sign up Sunday so that we can plan.
Well, there’s more, but I must go.
See you Sunday.
Chuck