We all know what job descriptions are. Most of us work under job descriptions. Without job descriptions, work can get confusing and we can get confused about what we are doing.
Did you know that the church has a job description? We can get off-track sometimes if we aren't aware of our tasks. We can get so busy doing stuff, that we forget the stuff we are supposed to be doing unless we remind ourselves once in a while. So, here is our job description:
- The Church is to be a community of faith, entrusting itself to God alone, even at the risk of losing its life.
- The Church is to be a community of hope, rejoicing in the sure and certain knowledge that, in Christ, God is making a new creation. This new creation is a new beginning for human life and for all things. The Church lives in the present on the strength of that promised new creation.
- The Church is to be a community of love, where sin is forgiven, reconciliation is accomplished, and the dividing walls of hostility are torn down.
- The Church is to be a community of witness, pointing beyond itself through word and work to the good news of God's transforming grace in Christ Jesus its Lord. Emphasis added.
It's for our sessions to lead us in tasks to accomplish our job. It is for all of us to follow and to accomplish. So it may be said of us all, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Faith. Hope. Love. Witness. If you ever need to be reminded again, you can always go to our
Book of Order, section F-1.03.
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by: Max Lucado, Christianity.com
No moment, event, or detail falls outside of God's supervision. God is the one who "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous"
(Matthew 5:45 NIV). He isn't making up this plan as he goes along.
Daniel 5:21 says, "The most High God rules the kingdom of men, and sets over it whom he will."
So, if God is in charge, why does he permit challenges to come our way? Wouldn't an almighty God prevent them? Not if they serve his higher purpose. The ultimate example is the death of Christ on the cross! Everyone thought the life of Jesus was over. Jesus was dead and buried, but God raised him from the dead. God took the crucifixion of Friday and turned it into the celebration of Sunday. Can he not do a reversal for you?
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Click to Image above to Order
The key to happiness is being rich, successful, and beautiful...right? Martin Thielen, best-selling author of
What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian?
, insists that this is far from the truth. Happiness, Thielen argues, does not come from external factors like getting a job promotion or finally reaching your goal weight. Rather, happiness is an
inside
job.
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by: Maggie Horak
Good Shepherd
Good Shepherd commissioned the travelers on January 25
th for God's blessing for the travel. Early in the morning on January 31, BETH LANGUIS helped TAMMY RIKLI, ED SCHNABEL, CAROLINE HENNING and MAGGIE HORAK pack the cargo van before the children started arriving at Little Lambs Daycare & Preschool at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Lincoln. With buckets & boxes enclosed, 2 Elders, 1 Deacon, and the Youth Director headed out.
A travel break at Carthage, MO, we enjoyed the sunshine and 65' afternoon! We spent the first night with VICKI ERICKSON and JOE & BARB TROPANSKY of Bella Vista, Arkansas. We had a lovely meal with our hosts then joined with the Presbyterian Church's Mission Team to talk PDA. God's hand guided us and blessed us with safe travel and warm, safe hospitality for the evening....blessed by new friendships. Starting a bit late on Thursday morning, we headed for Ferncliff Camp. We arrived about noon and was met by ADAM ALEXANDER, from Ferncliff Camp, originally from Lincoln (Eastridge Pres). After unloading 80 Clean up buckets, 572 Hygiene kits and 35 School kits, we got a tour of the DAC (PDA's Disaster Assistance Center).
CRAIG HUFFMAN, CAMP CALVIN CREST & RETREAT CENTER (Fremont, NE) had purchased supplies from Ferncliff, so we got them loaded up and tied down for safe travel. DAVE from Ferncliff Camp was excited to visit with Husker Fans.....God brings connection to those who work for His good. It was a cloudy, chilly, windy day and we boarded the Camp's SOLAR VEHICLE . ADAM gave us a tour of Ferncliff Camp and answered all of our questions. We presented him with VALENTINOS PIZZA and BAKERS CHOCOLATES to help remind him of home.
Unfortunately, we left Ferncliff too late to join TONI SPEITH and her Mission Committee in Joplin, MO. Praise God that her group did fellowship that evening without us and held us in prayer. Thank you to TONI for your preparations---sorry we didn't make it to Joplin! We drove into the evening and was able to find safe, affordable, clean lodging. Friday morning, we hit the road, and change of plan again (flexibility is a key grace God teaches us all) and we traveled to TAMMY & BRAD RIKLI's home & transferred the camp supplies to the Rikli pick up.
TAMMY with LIANNA, LEVI, and SONIA (they were so excited to see Mom after 2 nights without her!) headed up to CAMP CALVIN CREST (near Fremont) to drop off the supplies. ED, CAROLINE and MAGGIE got the van back on time in Omaha and headed back to Lincoln. We arrived home about 7 p.mm---with 1464 miles in 3 days! Thanks be to God for safe travel, new friendships, delivery of PDA Gifts of the Heart Kits, and witness to God's amazing plans that come together for His Glory! THANK YOU to those that contributed kits to be delivered: Lincoln: First Pres, Heritage, Good Shepherd; Schuyler First Pres, Columbus Federated; Homestead Presbyterian Women; and Mission River Valley Presbytery (REV. DARIN BENTZINGER) Praise God for the support of Homestead Presbyterian Women for financially supporting this project to make the trip possible. Answered prayer!
So----our little room is EMPTY as we work again to help those touched by disaster----OUT OF CHAOS, HOPE! If you have completed PDA kits/buckets that would like to ride on the next trip, please contact and deliver to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, Lincoln, NE 8300 East Pointe Road,. Phone is 402-484-8844
Thank you for participating in this mission opportunity!
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