Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Shape Week 7-Refracted Light

What. Is. Beautiful?
Is it the way you notice how
she throws her head back when she laughs?
Or the way they wonder about
the genetic code that causes the corners of her mouth
to turn towards the heavens
like her mother’s?
Is it the unwaveringly dutiful cleaning?
Or the perfectly scattered chaos
that would trade shine and order
for perspective?
When presented with these options
Always choose E:
All of the above


Step away from the ever-stretching blackboard in our minds
where we constantly question "why?"
to every quirk we catch
And "how can anyone love someone so different?"
Step back and see that we are refracted light;
the very image of God distorted by reality,
reflecting qualities in strokes of color


Have you ever considered that your quirks are the key?
That you can say, "I know the Holy Spirits in me”
when he starts stacking
encouragements and apologies or
inventions and philosophies or
compassion and sympathies or
metaphors and similes
higher than the tower of babble ever could have been--
Till you could walk straight up them
To the foot of the throne


And when you feel like you're being chipped at
picked at
Like life has shoved you to the outer edges
of the masses--
Know that no one could be where you are right now
That you might be the only thing
bridging the gap for someone
whose life is hanging on the edge


Experience will guide you
But your heart will keep you
What do you thrive on?
The full stomach of a hungry child?
A perfectly balanced letter?
Or the uncertainty of every moment?


Why do we only seek our pulse when we are sick?
Why would you not seek the epicenter
of everything that makes your veins quake?
Of everything that heaven first spoke to you through?
If our bodies are temples, why are we not listening?
It's time to get in shape.
It’s time to get in your shape.
Because Your. Shape. Is. Beautiful.

 
Written by: Brianna Vanderveen
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Shape Week 6-Out of the Classroom

This week, we covered the A and the P in SHAPE. We spent a great deal of very entertaining time on the P (personality). I dont think I can expound any better on that particular topic since every last nuance of this introverts personality was laid bare on the altar of sermon illustrations. (Bless my husbands extroverted little heart.)

So, lets look at the “A” a little more deeply. Abilities.

We were presented a list of five myths surrounding abilities and skills. One in particular really stood out to me: Those skills that must be learned, are primarily learned in the classroom. (To hear the remaining four myths, be sure to tune into this weeks podcast if you missed the message!)

I loved school. The classroom was one of my favorite places. The smell of erasers, chalk and pencil shavings made me happy. And I was very good at school – annoyingly so. Straight As. Teachers pet. National Honor Society. The nerdy list goes on and on.

I was convinced that everything anyone ever needed to know could be taught in the classroom – up until the summer of my sixteenth birthday. I took driver’s education that summer. Three weeks in the classroom and three weeks behind the wheel was all that stood between me and the open road.

Of course, I aced the bookwork. The right of way at a four way stop? No sweat. Speed limit in a construction zone? Piece of cake. Flashing red lights on a school bus? Puh-lease.

As the weeks of classroom study came to a close, I remember casually remarking to my parents that driving was going to be so easy because the class work was a breeze.

My dad said, “You do realize that actually driving is much different than sitting in the class, right?

In my infinite 16-year-old wisdom, I replied, “Oh, I doubt it. How different can it be?”

The next three weeks proved me so very wrong. I couldnt (and still cant) parallel park to save my life. And I lost count of the amount of times my driver’s ed teacher had to use the special safety brake on the passenger side to save both of our lives. (It was especially embarrassing since my teacher was also our neighbor.) Ill never forget my father jerking the steering wheel out of my hands to prevent me from driving into oncoming traffic and yelling, “Where do you think we are?!?! England?!?! Stay on the right side of the road!!!” And lets not even discuss the debacle of backing out of my driveway.

Its impossible to perfect a skill from the safety and comfort of the classroom. The skills I learned had to be applied to real life. I offer that humiliating little glimpse into my life in order to encourage you to put into real life practice the skills that you currently possess. If you know you have certain abilities, utilize and sharpen them to further the Kingdom. Ecclesiastes 10:10 drives that point home: If the ax is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.

A good way to identify your particular skill set is to ask yourself the following questions:

1. What do you currently do at your job?
2. What jobs have you held in the past?
3. What are you good at?
4. Have you taught classes/spoken at seminars? If so, what topics did you address?


I cant wait for each of you to hone your skills for the glory of God! Youll be happy you did…and well all be blessed because of you!

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Brigit Edwards

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Shape Week 5-Heart

Despite who you are, what your background is, or what you believe, we all possess motivation within our hearts that drives us to action. It’s easy to view the church as task-oriented and business-like, with people mindlessly filling ministry positions--but that’s not what it’s about. That’s not what Freedom Christian is about. We share a common vision of connecting with others, growing in our personal spiritual lives, and serving others. However, what sets business apart from ministry, and takes vision to a deeper level of impact is an intentional approach of whole-hearted, passionate action. Likewise, it’s so important that we are not apathetic towards how we carry out this vision.  

If you have ever served in a role that you really don’t have a passion for, you can probably testify to the void felt in your ministry. I can remember being encouraged by my parents to find a way to serve in the church, then randomly selecting to work in Children’s ministry. While I value the children of our church, I have never really possessed a passion to work with kids. Each Sunday I served, I remember dreading every minute. Now, before you write me off, I’m not a child hater. I simply had not found the correct fit for my shape. While my heart was elsewhere, I was simply trying to fill a role. I failed to recognize the vital importance of serving in something that I have the heart for. Thus, my service was lackluster and robotic. Just because I filled a role, I assumed I was getting the job done. Effectively ministering, however, required more than action. It required heart.

Beyond serving in ministries that are not in line with your heart, it’s also easy to make the mistake of remaining dormant in ministry because there are no platforms you “have the heart for.” In service, Pastor Aaron listed many different heart inclinations from designing and developing, to rule following, to maintenance. Perhaps you have read up on the different ministries throughout the church, and decided none of them suit you. Although that may be true, that does not excuse you from the ministry God has called you to. Each of us possesses a heart for something, and it is essential that we act upon these passions. The church needs people who have the heart of perseverance to encourage others to keep going. The church needs people who have the heart of maintenance to make sure things run smoothly. The church needs people with the heart for excellence to push people outside their comfort zone. The world needs people like this. It starts with us eliminating the concept of “volunteering our service,” from our minds, and beginning to use the passions God has instilled in us to fuel the advancement of Christ’s vision.


This week, I encourage you to reevaluate how you serve. Are you passionately ministering to others and glorifying God? Are you actively and effectively functioning in the way in which God has created you? If not, begin to identify what/who you have a heart for, and how that plays a role in ministering to others. 

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant
Edited by: De Ann Sturdivant

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Why Not Us?

“Compassion without action is just empathy.” 

Those are simple words, but they demand a difficult response.

On Sunday, we had the privilege of having Jay Mooney, the Executive Director of Compact Family Services, share his heart with us on the subject of orphan care and adoption.  It was an emotional message about how the Church needs to step up and begin to aggressively act to change this great need in our country.  While my heart was broken over some of the facts and stats he shared, that simple line about compassion without action is what stuck with me the most from his message.  That thought has challenged my heart in ways far beyond just the subject about which he was speaking on Sunday.

“Compassion without action is just empathy.  Like faith without works, compassion without action is dead.”

I started thinking about all the times I’d felt the Holy Spirit prompting me to respond to a need.  I’d like to think that more often than not I responded to that prompting in the appropriate way but, unfortunately, if a real tally were to be made, I’d be afraid that I might be ashamed of the amount of times my response amounted to nothing more than a, “Yeah God, you’re right, somebody should really do something about that.”

As I sat and contemplated these thoughts, I heard the Holy Spirit challenge me with a question.  “What if the next time you say to yourself, ‘Someone should really do something about that,’ you followed up with the question, ‘Why not me?’”

“Ugh…God, can I just politely file that away as one of those things that’s nice to feel challenged about but then never actually do anything with?  No?  Well then, we’ve got some work to do.”

What would it even look like to live that way?  Well, we don't have to look any farther than the Gospels to see the example that Jesus set for us.  Throughout the story of Jesus’ ministry, we find example after example where Jesus’ heart was moved with compassion for people, and then he turned that compassion into action to meet their need.  He was never so busy, and his agenda was never so important, that he couldn’t be sidetracked to respond to the needs of the sick, hurting, demon-possessed, spiritually broken, homeless, fatherless, diseased, thirsty, or hungry people he encountered each day.

Okay, but what about…you know…real life, where all of us who aren’t Jesus have to try to do all this stuff? 

Well, I want to share a story about my aunt and uncle, who are two of the most selfless people I know.  A few winters ago their son-in-law, Tim, found a homeless man that he had encountered several times before living in an abandoned building.  For whatever reason, that night the Holy Spirit prompted him to respond differently.  So he bought the man a cheeseburger and sat and talked with him for a while.  The man’s name was Eddy, and he had a son named Edison, who he loved dearly.  Eddy shared with Tim the story of how he had come to be in his current situation and was overwhelmed with emotion that this stranger would take the time to give him a sandwich and talk with him.

That night, Tim came home and relayed his encounter with Eddy to my aunt and uncle, and they were filled with compassion.  They decided that somebody should do something to help Eddy, and followed up with the question, “Why not us?”  So they tracked Eddy down, and over the course of the next few months he basically became a part of their family.  They rented him an apartment, leveraged personal relationships to help him get a job, invited him to meals and holidays, made sure he had groceries, helped him get clothing for work, and ensured that Edison was provided for.

My uncle told me about the first time they brought Eddy to church with their family.  Upon hearing the gospel for the first time, Eddy sat in his chair and wept.  Eddy wanted to be saved but was afraid that he couldn’t do it because he didn’t have any money.  My uncle said that he has never seen such an expression of pure joy than when he told Eddy that it was free, and that Jesus had already paid the cost. Eddy ran to the altar.  He continued to come to church with them every Sunday.

Eddy continued to be a big part of their lives until a few months later, as he was walking to the house where his son lived, he was struck by a car and tragically passed away.

What would’ve happened if they would’ve heard Eddy’s story, felt the compassion, but never acted upon it?  We will probably never know the full extent of how their involvement changed Eddy’s life, and how their continued involvement in Edison’s life will change the course of his future.

This is not just a one-time action for them, either.  They are regularly doing things for people that make me think, “This is what it must’ve been like to be around Jesus.” 

What if we all lived like that just a little bit more?  What if, when we feel the Holy Spirit drawing our attention to a need, instead of waiting for someone else to do it we simply ask, “Why not us?”  This church has an amazing capacity to meet the needs of those around us and even around the world.  We are already doing that in so many ways, as evidenced by all of the families who stood Sunday that have either adopted or fostered.  But I believe we can still do so much more, and it starts with asking one simple question:


Why not us?

Written by: Travis Buerky
Edited by: Jenelle Kelly

Saturday, November 1, 2014

Fall Festival 2014: Why We Do This

I spent bulk of last year’s Fall Festival squeezing through the claustrophobia-inducing mob of people and slopping through puddles of mud. While frantically scanning the endless sea of painted faces for my children, I thought to myself, “Is this even worth it anymore?”

And then the complaints of the children for whom this event was designed floated through the crowd and met my ears:

“My shoes are ruined.”
“It’s too crowded.”
“I don’t know half of these people.”

As I realized that those comments were coming from my own children and their friends – not the community and the neighbors – my heart sank. But part of me couldn’t blame them. In the days and weeks after the event, your pastor and his wife had some serious conversations about The Fall Festival. Had it run its course? Had the time come to kill this event? Because that’s what leaders do. They evaluate. They pray. They recalibrate.

Months after the Fall Festival, as Aaron and I led a Starting Point group (the new believers life group), we sat on the edge of our seats, nearly in tears, as one woman from the community shared her story with us. She had been bringing her children to the Fall Festival for four years and had never set foot within the doors of our church. Every year she came, she said that she could feel the love that generated from our church because of the thought and effort that went into planning such an event. She said that most churches plan elaborate events like that for their own people, but loving their neighbors enough to go to the extremes that we do – then open it up to strangers for FREE? Well, that was unheard of and spoke volumes to her about the love of Christ that Freedom was showing.

That year she and her children began attending our church. That settled it for us. What is the cost of one soul? Is it 26,000 pieces of candy? Is it a little mud? Is it the hours spent serving in the cold rain?

Last night, the weather was, yet again, not ideal. But we learned from the foibles of last year’s event. Obviously we couldn’t control the weather, so we put the tent up before the rain came and thus were able to utilize the entirety of its area (no flooded cordoned-off areas). So it wasn’t shoulder-to-shoulder crowded. And we put down plywood in the areas that receive the most foot traffic. We invested in new games, attractions, and more candy. There were more tables to sit at and more concessions. The overall feel of the Festival was electric. It seemed new and exciting again.

But better logistics aside, I walked away from last night with three observations.

The first was my own observation. Kids were running around having a blast. They connected with new friends. It was awesome to see my daughter connect with a young lady who is new to Freedom. There was energy and life. Families made memories to last a lifetime.

The second observation came from a friend. Her eyes surveyed the perimeter of the tent where all the team members were serving. “Look at all of the people who are serving here tonight. It’s such a different group.” I allowed my eyes to follow hers. A large number of the Festival workers this year were either A) brand to new to working the Festival, B) brand new to Freedom, or C) under the age of 20! That was so exciting to me because it became very apparent that people are finding ways to discover their S.H.A.P.E. (see previous blog posts!) And they’re doing so at younger ages! I love to see the next generation stepping into their gifts and abilities.

And the third was from my father. He doesn’t attend our church – or any church, for that matter. He shows up to things that his grandkids participate in.

Last night, as we sat at one of the concession tables, he scanned the crowd and then said, “You know what I think is really cool about this event? I see the same people from the neighborhood here year after year. Like that family right there (pointing)...I’ve recognized them from the past four or five Festivals…”

His words reminded me of the story from the woman in our Starting Point class. Maybe one of those families he recognized from years gone by will soon walk through the doors of Freedom Christian, and will become an integral part of what is happening here and in our neighborhood. And then they’ll step into their S.H.A.P.E. by serving at future Fall Festivals.

And then more and more will come to know Jesus because of a giant tent, 26,000 pieces of candy, some carnival games, and the hard work of some amazing people.

Written by: Jaime Hlavin
Edited by: Tamara Sturdivant