 |
 |
 |
SENDING OUT From the sermon series, Luke: The Dirty Dozen Read Ahead: Luke 9:10-17 Download the Study Guide for "The Dirty Dozen." PREVIOUS SERMON AUDIO 09.26.10: Sending Out Listen on the Media page. Subscribe via iTunes. SUNDAY EVENING Oasis: "Five Things God Uses To Grow Your Faith," "Financial Peace University" and "Boundaries." 6:30 p.m. The Well Sundays: For Junior and Senior High Students. 6:30 p.m. |
 |
WHAT WE EXPECT FROM CCJ MEMBERS
It happens to me every time. I sign up for something at one price and then the introductory offer runs out and the price gets jacked up. I got my cable bill last week and the introductory offer was over. The price was a whole lot higher then it was before. You know, I think there is a sense in which the church has done that with Christianity down through history. They have invited people to become Christians shouting out the benefits of accepting Christ — which are many. Forgiveness, eternal life, opportunity for a fulfilled life in Christ are all blessings of being a Christian. Those things are only part of the truth, however. There is also a tremendous cost in following Jesus. Don’t misunderstand me, grace, forgiveness and eternal life are free gifts of God through Jesus. Yet, when we choose to follow Him, as we should every day, there are cost and sacrifices to be made. In Luke 9:23 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” In other words, we must sacrifice, make ourselves not first, but last, carry burdens and follow Jesus wherever He leads. Carrying a cross was a sign of personal commitment and sacrifice. We like to be comfortable, but the truth is, you cannot be comfortable with a cross on your back. Somehow we shout the grace part and tend to whisper the commitment part. The problem is, you lower the expectations of people and you get what you expect — lower commitment. There is a sense in which we do that with church membership as well. We tend to brag about the only requirement of being a member of a church is to be a Christian. But I do believe it is wrong to neglect to teach the expectation of a Christ-following member. So, today, I want to share the expectation of membership here at CCJ. First, when you become a member we expect you to be committed to celebrate weekly worship together. Now, we realize there are occasions when people are sick, people are on vacations and things come up. Missing gathering together in worship however should be the exception not the regular practice. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:25, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” Don’t misunderstand me, going to church does not make you a Christian. You can never miss worship and be totally walking with the world. It’s not a “to do” task to check off a list as completed. It is, however, difficult to call yourself a follower of Christ and live it out unselfishly if you are not committed to a body of believers. Secondly, when you become a member, we expect you to get connected in study and fellowship. As we look at the church as presented in the New Testament, we see the believers connected with one another by sharing life. In Acts 2:46-47 we read, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Why, because we live out our faith and grow our faith best when we are connected with a group of people for study and encouragement. In a church growing like CCJ is, we believe it is vital that you connect with a smaller group of people on a regular basis. So, we expect our members to connect to one another by getting involved with our small group Bible studies. These come in the form of our Connection Groups, our Twentyfour7 small groups and our Sunday night Oasis Bible study times. There are so many opportunities to get connected. For more information on these contact the church office. Thirdly, when you become a member we expect you to contribute. This contribution comes in several forms. I like to call them the three T’s. We ask that you contribute with your time. I know we are all busy but the call to follow God is to put Him first. We all, in reality, have the same amount of time. So it all comes down to how we budget and plan to spend our time. So, plan on using some time to volunteer in ministry at CCJ and outside our walls as well. The second T to contribute is your talents. Each one of us, as Christians, have God-given talents and abilities that we should be using for Christ and the perfect place to do that is with the church. The final T is your treasures. Jesus said, where you treasure is, your heart will be. That means we should contribute to eternal things. I believe one of the best ways to do that is to give of your tithes and offerings to the local church. We cannot do the ministry of loving God, loving people and changing the world without your financial contributions. This giving should not be an obligation but a joyful way of worshiping God. I believe with all my heart that God has blessed us so much and one of the very least things we can do is to give to His work. So, contribute of your time, your talents and your treasures. So there you have the expectations: To celebrate weekly, to connect with believers and to contribute to the Kingdom work of CCJ. |
 |
 |
 |
| TONIGHT: THE WELL WEDNESDAY At 6:30 p.m. tonight is The Well Wednesday. The Well Wednesday is a worship service for middle and high school students. Teens can expect high-energy worship, a challenging message, and a lot of craziness. BLOG: SONGS WE SING Each Sunday, we worship together through music and singing. Early each week, The CCJ Blog features a post called "Songs We Sing" detailing the songs we sang the previous Sunday, who wrote the song and where you can purchase your own copy of the song (if applicable). Read it here. |
TONIGHT: THE SPRING CONNECTION GROUPS (FALL SEMESTER) The Spring Connection Groups for the fall semester continues tonight at 6:30 p.m. and will happen each Wednesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The Spring Connection Groups are for kids 4 years old to students in fifth grade. This fall, The Spring Connection Groups will focus on the Lord's Prayer. SUNDAY: OASIS (ADULTS) Oasis, CCJ's Sunday evening electives, continues Sunday at 6:30 p.m. with "Financial Peace University" (FPU registration is now closed), "Boundaries" and "Five Things God Uses To Grow Your Faith." Child care is available each Sunday evening. Oasis is a great way to get to know more people and, most importantly, grow in your walk with Jesus. SUNDAY: THE WELL SUNDAYS CONNECTION GROUPS The Well Sundays are for junior and senior high students. These connection groups are a community of teenagers who gather together for weekly Bible study and prayer. Each group meets on Sundays at 6:30 p.m. in various locations. High School Guys: 280 Gardenia Lane, Jasper High School Girls: 4196 Baden Strasse, Jasper Middle School Guys and Girls: Meet at CCJ OCT. 29 & 30: LADIES RETREAT CCJ's Ladies Retreat will be held at Camp Illiana in Washington, Ind., on Friday, Oct. 29 and Saturday, Oct. 30. This year's theme is "The Promise." Registration is now closed. NOV. 12 & 13: SUPERSTART CONFERENCE (CIY FOR PRE-TEENS) Open to all fourth and fifth grade students, this is a pre-teen worship conference hosted by C.I.Y. (Christ In Youth). It will be held at Northside Christian Church in Louisville, KY. Registration cost is $100. A $50 deposit and a CIY Medical Release Form are required by Oct. 17. Contact Shannan for more information. |
 |
 |
| OCTOBER 10: CHILI BOWL III 3 to 7 p.m. For all middle and high school students. The Chili Bowl is a 5-on-5 flag football tournament and chili lunch for students. Everything is free. Enter your 5-to-6-member team by Oct. 3 at The Well Web site or on The Well bulletin board at CCJ (next to the kitchen). Individuals registering without a team must be signed up by Oct. 6. OCTOBER 15: PUMPKIN PATCH BASH 7 to 9 p.m. CCJ's Pumpkin Patch Bash is for children ages birth to 11 years old and their families. Everyone is welcome to wear costumes. If you can donate candy for this event, please drop it off at the children's area or in the lobby at the information desk. OCTOBER 23: NARROW PATH CONCERT CCJ's band, Narrow Path, often plays outside of the church walls in an effort to spread the good news of Jesus via music to anyone willing to listen. The band's upcoming dates include: Oct. 23: Fairview General Baptist Church. 6099 W Fairview Rd., Taswell, IN. Starting at 6:30 p.m. Free. See all upcoming dates >> OCTOBER 24: THE BURNER 6:30 p.m. The Burner is a coffee house for students and college-age adults. Have a free coffee or sip on a latté while enjoying a variety of artists and speakers. This month’s coffee house will feature worship and a speaker. |
S.O.S. (SENIORS OFFERING SERVICES) S.O.S. is planning an outing to Huber Orchard and Winery in Stalight, Ind., on Saturday Oct. 16. The group will leave CCJ at 8 a.m. and arrive at the orchard at 10 a.m. At noon, the group will depart for lunch at the Overlook Restaurant in Leavenworth (participants are responsible for the cost of their lunch). A sign-up sheet is in the lobby at CCJ. For more information, call Lois Mason at 812-536-3490. HEALTH MINISTRY: TIPS October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services. In 2009, NBCAM celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its inception a quarter century ago, NBCAM has been at the forefront of promoting awareness of breast cancer issues and has evolved along with the national dialogue on breast cancer. Today, NBCAM recognizes that although many great strides have been made in breast cancer awareness and treatment, there remains much to be accomplished. As we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we remain dedicated to educating and empowering women to take charge of their own breast health by practicing regular self-breast exams to identify any changes, scheduling regular visits and annual mammograms with their healthcare provider, adhering to prescribed treatment, and knowing the facts about recurrence. While October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the NBCAM.org Web site is a year-round resource for breast cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and the general public. We encourage you to visit our site in October and regularly throughout the year as we add updated breast cancer information and resources. SCHEDULES Serving Schedule: Download a PDF of this month's schedule. Weekly Schedule: Visit the News page. Monthly Schedule: Visit the CCJ Calendar. |
 |
 |
| ATTENDANCE FOR 09.26.2010 8 a.m.: 116 9:30 a.m.: 373 11 a.m.: 335 Total: 824 |
 |
| PRAYER REQUESTS: Wendy Begle, CCJ Building Project, Jeffery Crowder, Greg Hurst, Bob Hurt, Dave Junge, Brice King, Roger McBride, Jack McCune, Mission Trips, Dennis Oxley Sr., People of Haiti, Luke Popp, Service Members, Don Shreve, Steve Singelstad, Bonnie Stone, Lester Weisheit, Jack Wolfe, Lynn Wolford. |
 |
| The Kingdom Experiment (The Well) >> "The Dirty Dozen" Study Guide >> Drive-Thru Hilarity >> |
If you would like to unsubscribe from the CCJ E-News, please contact us.