Greetings My Friends In Christ,
What a great week we have had. VBS was wonderful. The children learned that they are special creations of God, that he has made every person on earth unique, that he loves them so much he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for their sins so they can have forgiveness and eternal life. On Friday the children wanted to do another week of VBS which is a testament to all who participated - THANK YOU ALL!!
We had a great congregational meeting on Sunday. Thank you to all who came so that we could share ideas and move together as Friends In Christ. We all agreed that we do not want to run in place, but want to pursue the mission of Jesus to the world. There was joy in our L.E.R.T. team that responded with help to the tornado victims in Streator; there is common ground on wanting to reach our community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ; and we have a great desire to work together. Not all aspects of the plan that our leadership put together were endorsed, but input was given and received and more input is desired. Continue in prayer for our leadership as they truly want all of us to move together in the mission of Jesus.
I have been tolerating the rapid changes in the weather and do my best to push through the tough days and enjoy the not so tough ones. Thank you all for your continued love, support, and prayers it is such a blessing to me.
Following Jesus,
Pastor Randy
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Hello Sisters and Brothers in Jesus,
This week is VBS week and Friends In Christ is vibrant with kids. Yesterday the kids were having so much fun that many didn't want to leave. That is a good sign. There are a few families that are new to the Morris area and we pray that God bless them in their search for a church family. We do pray that they would join our family of God, but to be in the kingdom of Jesus is the most important. We are learning about how much God loves us - that he created us just as he wanted us to be. We are special to him, which is why he sent his Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins on the cross. As the kids discover more about God and his creation and Jesus and his sacrifice for us they are uncovering the truth of the Word of God that will be with them all of the days of their lives. It is so exciting to see all of these children having fun and learning at the same time. Pray for them and their families that they would continue in a relationship with Jesus as their Savior and receive forgiveness and eternal life.
This Sunday we have our semi-annual Voters' Meeting at 2:00pm. I encourage all of you to attend. We have a pivitol decision to make concerning the future of Friends In Christ. The Leaders of our congregation have put together a wonderful plan to reach our community for Jesus Christ and some critical decisions need to be made in order to implement this plan. If you haven't yet picked up a packet and an informational DVD just stop by the church building and pick one up. See you there!
I have been in a struggle with the changes of weather, so pray for God to lessen the pain during this volatile time of the season. The warm, calm days are a wonderful respite from the stormy ones. I do appreciate the encouraging words and the prayers on my behalf. You are great!
In Jesus Comfort,
Pastor Randy
This week is VBS week and Friends In Christ is vibrant with kids. Yesterday the kids were having so much fun that many didn't want to leave. That is a good sign. There are a few families that are new to the Morris area and we pray that God bless them in their search for a church family. We do pray that they would join our family of God, but to be in the kingdom of Jesus is the most important. We are learning about how much God loves us - that he created us just as he wanted us to be. We are special to him, which is why he sent his Son, Jesus, to pay the price for our sins on the cross. As the kids discover more about God and his creation and Jesus and his sacrifice for us they are uncovering the truth of the Word of God that will be with them all of the days of their lives. It is so exciting to see all of these children having fun and learning at the same time. Pray for them and their families that they would continue in a relationship with Jesus as their Savior and receive forgiveness and eternal life.
This Sunday we have our semi-annual Voters' Meeting at 2:00pm. I encourage all of you to attend. We have a pivitol decision to make concerning the future of Friends In Christ. The Leaders of our congregation have put together a wonderful plan to reach our community for Jesus Christ and some critical decisions need to be made in order to implement this plan. If you haven't yet picked up a packet and an informational DVD just stop by the church building and pick one up. See you there!
I have been in a struggle with the changes of weather, so pray for God to lessen the pain during this volatile time of the season. The warm, calm days are a wonderful respite from the stormy ones. I do appreciate the encouraging words and the prayers on my behalf. You are great!
In Jesus Comfort,
Pastor Randy
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Greetings in Jesus!
We had a great celebration of Holy Trinity Sunday as well as commemorating those who have served and are serving in our armed forces (Memorial Day). I am so glad that we live in the U.S.A. at this time. We have what many countries do not have - the freedom to not only worship the true God, but to study his Word and tell others about the Savior of the world, Jesus. We have not experienced interference from our government as yet. And we certainly want to protect this freedom. My personal belief on how to protect this freedom is to introduce more people to Jesus and in so doing they may believe and one more will have eternal life in Jesus.
We are continuing our Journey Through the Gospel of Luke during the summer. We meet between services. Everyone who has been attending has been so enthralled by our study that they did not want to stop. The Holy Spirit is truly changing our lives as we take this journey. Join us on Sundays at 9:45 am and take this journey with us. It is easy to get plugged in right away. We start Luke, chapter 4, this Sunday.
I have been on a rollercoaster with all of these thunderstorm fronts rolling through. I feel as well as can be expected when it is clear and sunny, but when the atmospheric pressure changes then my pain is heightened. I am pleased to be praying for all of you and I certainly am abundantly thankful for all of your prayers for me. God is good!!
In Jesus arms,
Pastor Randy
We had a great celebration of Holy Trinity Sunday as well as commemorating those who have served and are serving in our armed forces (Memorial Day). I am so glad that we live in the U.S.A. at this time. We have what many countries do not have - the freedom to not only worship the true God, but to study his Word and tell others about the Savior of the world, Jesus. We have not experienced interference from our government as yet. And we certainly want to protect this freedom. My personal belief on how to protect this freedom is to introduce more people to Jesus and in so doing they may believe and one more will have eternal life in Jesus.
We are continuing our Journey Through the Gospel of Luke during the summer. We meet between services. Everyone who has been attending has been so enthralled by our study that they did not want to stop. The Holy Spirit is truly changing our lives as we take this journey. Join us on Sundays at 9:45 am and take this journey with us. It is easy to get plugged in right away. We start Luke, chapter 4, this Sunday.
I have been on a rollercoaster with all of these thunderstorm fronts rolling through. I feel as well as can be expected when it is clear and sunny, but when the atmospheric pressure changes then my pain is heightened. I am pleased to be praying for all of you and I certainly am abundantly thankful for all of your prayers for me. God is good!!
In Jesus arms,
Pastor Randy
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Good Day Sisters and Brothers in Jesus,
What a great weekend!! The DVD presented at the information meeting was great. There are many opportunities for us to capitalize on as we move into the future of Friends In Christ. I am excitied about what God has planned for us as His mission post. We truly are going to be able to fulfill our mission of "Friends bringing friends to Christ". And by friends we mean anyone that we are around in our daily lives. I am praying hard for God to lead us and support us with whatever we will need to bring people to Christ. I hope that you are praying for this also. I am looking into how I can be a part of fulfilling this mission according to my gifts from God. I hope that you are doing the same. These are exciting times for all of us - scary times, as well. We certainly will have to step-out in faith and trust Jesus to take care of us. I know He will, because He has promised us, "I will be with you always even to the end of the age." Let's live in this promise every day.
I had a great weekend for another reason - our oldest son and his wife came for a three day visit. We had a fantastic time talking, playing games, and we went bowling. I hadn't been bowling for 4 years. I didn't do too badly. The warm weather is great. I love it! I enjoy walking outside and feel the warm air. It is soothing to my face and arm. God is good! May God continue to shower you with blessings as you have showered me with prayers. Thank you!
In Jesus Care,
Pastor Randy
What a great weekend!! The DVD presented at the information meeting was great. There are many opportunities for us to capitalize on as we move into the future of Friends In Christ. I am excitied about what God has planned for us as His mission post. We truly are going to be able to fulfill our mission of "Friends bringing friends to Christ". And by friends we mean anyone that we are around in our daily lives. I am praying hard for God to lead us and support us with whatever we will need to bring people to Christ. I hope that you are praying for this also. I am looking into how I can be a part of fulfilling this mission according to my gifts from God. I hope that you are doing the same. These are exciting times for all of us - scary times, as well. We certainly will have to step-out in faith and trust Jesus to take care of us. I know He will, because He has promised us, "I will be with you always even to the end of the age." Let's live in this promise every day.
I had a great weekend for another reason - our oldest son and his wife came for a three day visit. We had a fantastic time talking, playing games, and we went bowling. I hadn't been bowling for 4 years. I didn't do too badly. The warm weather is great. I love it! I enjoy walking outside and feel the warm air. It is soothing to my face and arm. God is good! May God continue to shower you with blessings as you have showered me with prayers. Thank you!
In Jesus Care,
Pastor Randy
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Pastor's Weekly Blog
My Friends in Christ,
It has been a busy week, but a great one none the less. I had an energizing conversation with a man who came into our building last week and had all kinds of questions about God, the differences in the religions, what is true? what happens after you die? etc. I enjoyed listening to his ideas and then telling him about what the Word of God says. There are many people out there who are searching for answers and we need to be ready to help them. This is why attending worship and Bible study is so important, so that we are ready to tell people why we have the faith that we have.
I am excited about this weekend. We will all watch a DVD produced by the leaders of Friends In Christ outlining our plan as we move toward the future reaching people with the life-saving message of Jesus. The meeting will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 23 and will be very informative. If you cannot attend the meeting there will be packets and DVD's that you can pick-up over the next weeks. It is important that we all are informed about our exciting plan to reach people with the Gospel, so that we can all make good decisions that are necessary to our success at our Voters' Meeting on June 13.
I have the same struggles with the weather changes as always. As I become stronger I am able to work through the pain more easily. Thank you for your continued prayers on my behalf. I ask you this week to pray for our piece of the Body of Christ here at Friends In Christ. God bless you all richly.
In our resurrected Savior,
Pastor Randy
It has been a busy week, but a great one none the less. I had an energizing conversation with a man who came into our building last week and had all kinds of questions about God, the differences in the religions, what is true? what happens after you die? etc. I enjoyed listening to his ideas and then telling him about what the Word of God says. There are many people out there who are searching for answers and we need to be ready to help them. This is why attending worship and Bible study is so important, so that we are ready to tell people why we have the faith that we have.
I am excited about this weekend. We will all watch a DVD produced by the leaders of Friends In Christ outlining our plan as we move toward the future reaching people with the life-saving message of Jesus. The meeting will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, May 23 and will be very informative. If you cannot attend the meeting there will be packets and DVD's that you can pick-up over the next weeks. It is important that we all are informed about our exciting plan to reach people with the Gospel, so that we can all make good decisions that are necessary to our success at our Voters' Meeting on June 13.
I have the same struggles with the weather changes as always. As I become stronger I am able to work through the pain more easily. Thank you for your continued prayers on my behalf. I ask you this week to pray for our piece of the Body of Christ here at Friends In Christ. God bless you all richly.
In our resurrected Savior,
Pastor Randy
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Hello my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
We are continuing to grow together as we travel through the letter of 1 John. The fact that we know love as defined by God as giving up one's life for another's benefit is enlightening. Now we can live out each day showing that love to those we meet. We can give up our desire to only meet our needs and concentrate on meeting others needs along with our own. Jesus gave up his life on the cross, so that there is forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in him. He already is eternal, so it was of no benefit to him - only to us human beingings. That is love.
We continue to be amazed at what the Holy Spirit is teaching us as we Journey Through the Gospel According to Luke. I have grown by leaps and bounds and have been told by some who are attending that they have been transformed by the experience. I invite everyone to come on board and join us in this life-changing journey.
As for my health, I am on a slow progression toward regaining my former strength. The work is hard, but I know it has been and will be worth it. The healing process is going to take some more time, so bear with me. I am an excellent barometer! If you want to know if the atmospheric pressure is changing, just ask me and I will let you know. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and encouragment as we work togehter to reach people who do not know Jesus as Savior.
In Jesus our Savior,
Pastor Randy
We are continuing to grow together as we travel through the letter of 1 John. The fact that we know love as defined by God as giving up one's life for another's benefit is enlightening. Now we can live out each day showing that love to those we meet. We can give up our desire to only meet our needs and concentrate on meeting others needs along with our own. Jesus gave up his life on the cross, so that there is forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in him. He already is eternal, so it was of no benefit to him - only to us human beingings. That is love.
We continue to be amazed at what the Holy Spirit is teaching us as we Journey Through the Gospel According to Luke. I have grown by leaps and bounds and have been told by some who are attending that they have been transformed by the experience. I invite everyone to come on board and join us in this life-changing journey.
As for my health, I am on a slow progression toward regaining my former strength. The work is hard, but I know it has been and will be worth it. The healing process is going to take some more time, so bear with me. I am an excellent barometer! If you want to know if the atmospheric pressure is changing, just ask me and I will let you know. Thanks so much for all of your prayers and encouragment as we work togehter to reach people who do not know Jesus as Savior.
In Jesus our Savior,
Pastor Randy
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Pastor's Weekly Blog
Blessings to all of you,
As the days get warmer I feel like doing more and more. Taking walks with my wife, like last evening, is a great way for me to get excercise and feel better. The pressure changes are still going to be a factor in my life each week, but I enjoy the warmth. Thank you for your payers.
As school comes to a close for this year we look forward to the opportunity to reach many children and their families with the "good news" of Jesus through our Vacation Bible School. We are trying to reach as many children as possible this summer so we need your help. We have invitation cards that you can pick up here during the week or on the weekend and give to the children in your neighborhood. Thank you ! This VBS is going to be great!
If you are looking for an opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus join us on Sunday mornings for our Journey Through the Gospel of Luke. We are discovering many things about ourselves and about Jesus in our lives. Also their are Friends Christ Care Small Groups where you can grow closer to Jesus and to other friends at Friends In Christ, just let me know by replying to this e-mail or call me at 815-941-1255. I look forward to spending this life and eternity with you all.
In Jesus,
Pastor Randy
As the days get warmer I feel like doing more and more. Taking walks with my wife, like last evening, is a great way for me to get excercise and feel better. The pressure changes are still going to be a factor in my life each week, but I enjoy the warmth. Thank you for your payers.
As school comes to a close for this year we look forward to the opportunity to reach many children and their families with the "good news" of Jesus through our Vacation Bible School. We are trying to reach as many children as possible this summer so we need your help. We have invitation cards that you can pick up here during the week or on the weekend and give to the children in your neighborhood. Thank you ! This VBS is going to be great!
If you are looking for an opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus join us on Sunday mornings for our Journey Through the Gospel of Luke. We are discovering many things about ourselves and about Jesus in our lives. Also their are Friends Christ Care Small Groups where you can grow closer to Jesus and to other friends at Friends In Christ, just let me know by replying to this e-mail or call me at 815-941-1255. I look forward to spending this life and eternity with you all.
In Jesus,
Pastor Randy
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