I hope you’ve had a warm and productive week. We were able to help Jace Direen and Bayly Bruner “get hitched” last night. It was a great ceremony and a beautiful wedding. Pray for Jace and Bayly as they begin their new life together as a couple. A big thank you to those who “weathered” the weather to support the families in this important moment for them.
Coming soon: LifePoint Shepherding Ministry As we move forward into this new year, Carl and Penny Allen are nearing the completion of the set-up phase of our Shepherding Ministry. They are presently pulling together the “flocks” as they attempt to arrange them geographically as much as possible. We hope to unveil this ministry soon.
Just in case you’re not familiar with the Shepherding Ministry concept, this ministry is designed to help minister to our members in smaller and more manageable groups called flocks. Couples in our church (called shepherds) are being carefully and prayerfully chosen to lead these flocks. Once all those shepherds are chosen, they will receive the training necessary to prepare them for the task.
Typically, a flock will be comprised of approximately 6 family units – at least initially. In time, as the flocks grow, we will need to multiply them, form new flocks, and train additional shepherds. The goal of the Shepherds will be to establish a close relationship with each person in their flock and to make certain that ministry, at whatever level is needed, takes place. In time, these flocks will develop the personality of a spiritual family and will help me and the other leaders at LifePoint make certain that every member feels included and ministered to when needs arise.
This ministry will not remove me, as pastor, from the process, but it will create general ministry support for every member of our church that I could never provide on my own. I’m excited about the wonderful things this ministry will accomplish in the coming years and I’m so thankful to Carl and Penny for feeling God’s call and for being willing to step up to lead this vital ministry. You’ll be hearing much more about this ministry in the next few weeks.
Tomorrow’s gathering: With the snow melting, everyone should be able to make it to UCO and navigate the parking lots and sidewalks safely. Here’s how tomorrow’s services will look:
Pastor’s Class, 10:00 am – We will begin one of my favorite Old Testament studies – biblical types. Are preachers like Andy Stanley correct when they tell us we should “unhitch” our faith from the Old Testament and only focus on the New Testament and the resurrection of Jesus? Although most people think the Old Testament is only about the law and the prophets and that the New Testament is about Jesus and the Gospel, they are often surprised to learn that the O.T. is filled with “embedded” teachings about Jesus and salvation by grace. These embedded messages are called “types” and often appear as shadows to many of the O.T. stories we are familiar with. Whether you’ve studied types before or not, I believe you will enjoy this lesson series. Seeing the O.T. come to life through the types is inspiring and faith-building. If you don’t normally attend the Pastor’s Class, come tomorrow and join us. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Worship/preaching Service, 11:00 am – I will be continuing the theme of “assurance of salvation” by preaching a message entitled, “Sealed Onboard.” This message will be a great follow-up to last Sunday’s message. If you missed last week’s message, you may want to go to our website at Lbcok.com today and listen to it before hearing tomorrow’s message.
2024 Giving Statements: Val has the 2024 giving statements ready. They will be available at the Welcome Center and someone will be there to help you find yours.
