Family Worship Experience: Spudtacular!

Kid's City is in the business of "Building Kid Size Disciples".  Pretty simple, right?  Basically, we teach on Sunday mornings and host events-opportunities for kids to grow in their faith.  That's what we do, and by we, I mean the Children's Ministry at SLCC.  We recognize that the job of parents is discipleship.  Seems to us that a Church and Parents partnership would be the most productive way to "Build Kid Size Disciples."  That's why we host Family Worship Experiences.  It's a chance for parents and kids to worship, hear a Biblical message and engage in creative activities together!  

Last Sunday night, parents sat with their kids and illustrated family portraits.  The rule was that everyone had to doodle, color or scribble!  After sharing the pictures, we talked about how each person in their family has different privileges, jobs and roles, but they are all important, and the other members of the family need them.  My family is not complete without my son, or my wife, or me.  We all contribute to the family.  Though there are several people, it's just one family.  

Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, spoke about how though there are many people who follow Jesus, they form one body-the body of Christ.  In the first letter to the church in Corinth, we read that tensions arose among the members of this church.  Different members had different gifts, different functions, which some saw as divisive issue.  Paul's perspective was that this diversity among the members pointed to greater unity and appreciation. 

"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.  If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?  If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  
But in fact, God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be?  As it is, there are many parts, but one body."   -1 Corinthians 12:14-20  (NIV) 

Talk about terrific tater-most other potatoes only have eyes.  Lots of 'em.  

Take Mr. Potato Head here.  Though there's just one of him, he's got 13 parts.  Imagine the poor guy covered with ears.  He'd be a wreck.  Or just feet?  Even worse.  Or without the big brown base?  He'd have no-body! (Ha?)  Rather, he needs several different parts with different functions in order to be a productive member of potato society.  

Though 1 Corinthians 12 specifically addresses unity based on people's spiritual gifts, I think there's something here for families too.  God placed each of us in a family intentionally.  Within that family, the members have different purposes.  My 2 year old son doesn't get up in the morning, drink coffee and drive to work.  (He does like the idea of driving my car though.)  Certainly my wife and I don't get to take 3 hour naps after lunch.  (Wouldn't that be nice?)  As dad, God has given me a specific role in my family and a different role to my wife and far different roles to our children. 
Though we are many, and different, we are one family, united in Christ.

South Seeking Vendors for Craft Fair

South Lansing Christian Church will host its first craft fair on Saturday, November 15 from 9 am – 4 pm. While the hunters are in the woods, the crafters can get an early jump on their Christmas shopping! And while it might seem like that is still a ways off, we’re working right now to secure venders for the event.

Spaces are available ranging in price from $35 for a ten-foot by ten-foot space to $25 for an eight-foot by six-foot space. Tables are only $10 each, and electricity is provided for $20.

You can request an application or learn more details by emailing our church office or Carol Burghdoff.

Won't you be my neighbor?

Earlier this year I polled over 200 Christians, asking this question: "How important do you think Jesus' command to 'Love your neighbor as yourself' is?" Not surprisingly, 99% of those responding to my poll said it was "important" or "very important."

My follow-up question, however, proved to be discouraging. When asked, "How often do you pray for your neighbors?" nearly half of the respondents reported that they never pray for their neighbors.

There seems to be a disconnect between our perceived responsibility to our neighbors and the actions we take toward our neighbors.

That is why we are going to invest the next two Sundays in a series called, "Neighborshould."

Because we’ve lost the art of neighboring in America.

Perhaps it is because we live in a transient culture where 35% of us will move within five years.  Maybe it is because we’ve replaced face-to-face time with our neighbors with Facetime on our iPhones. For whatever reason, standard operating procedure for most Americans seems to be pulling in the garage at the end of the day, enjoying our out-of-doors time in our privacy-fenced back yards, and leaving in the morning to do it all over again. If we do encounter a neighbor, it’s usually by chance. We mowed the yard or washed the car. We picked the newspaper up off the driveway.

But there should be more to neighboring for a Christian. 

At the conclusion of this series we will be offering a four-hour seminar that will take you even deeper into this important topic. Scheduled for October 4 from 8:30 - Noon, we will give you all the tools you need to become God's ambassador on your block. For more information, or to register, check out the information on the website, and then register to attend.

You’ll hear from people who are already doing this in their own neighborhood and will learn strategies to address the fears that you might face when you think about how to engage with your neighbors in ways that will help them write the next chapters in their faith stories.