Did you know…

…that the number of un-churched Americans is increasing by the rate of 1,000,000 people every year (Church Leaders Intelligence Report 04.01.09)?  Scripture is clear that just as Jesus was sent by his Father to offer the incredible hope of Heaven, those of us who are followers of Christ have been sent by Jesus to offer the same hope.  It’s worth noting our goal isn’t simply to have more people in church, but to have more followers of Christ, with new life given, and individuals, families, communities & nations transformed.  What can you do to demonstrate the love of Christ and hope of Heaven to those around you?  How can you live in a such a way that the people you already know (and the ones you don’t know are watching) will be made thirsty for the living water of Christ this week?

Some more you might want to know…

…The second week of our current message series, *Real* Last Words is online now HERE.  How have you been enjoying our exposure to the final words of Jesus both as he died on the cross and before his ascension into heaven?  I really do believe that by being confronted with these living words, we will find ourselves changed and our lives enriched.

I hope you’re planning on attending our Local Church Conference on Sunday, May 3rd.  We’ll be having the business session at 4PM during that time, we’ll be discussing significant adjustments to our operating budget and some of our ministry structure as well as receiving our regular reports.  We’ll also be sharing in supper following that business session as we celebrate God’s faithfulness and our expectation of good things to come.

I’ll be ‘roaming’ this week–Tuesday afternoon (today) at Casa Mani (High and Pitt Streets downtown–click HERE for map) and Wednesday morning at Carlisle Coffee (Nell’s shopping center on Walnut Bottom Road–map can be found HERE).  You’re always welcome to drop in and enjoy some coffee and conversation with Yours Truly :-).

Sarah will also be ‘roaming’ this week–she’ll be heading to Indiana on Thursday to attend BOOST, a children’s ministry conference sponsored by The Wesleyan Church.  She’ll be there through Saturday, investing a good deal of time in CWC’s ministry to children and I’ll be bachin’ it at the end of the week.  Your prayers that God would use this time to create a fresh spark for The Lagoon and help equip our children’s workers would be greatly appreciated.

Please note: the office will be closed next Tuesday morning as I’ll be attending a meeting with some of the other area pastors from The Wesleyan Church.  I should still be found ‘roaming’ that afternoon, though.

I’d like to conclude this week’s Posting with a few thank-you’s regarding some of what’s listed above:
Members of the Local Board of Administration
Sue Fisher
Deemer Morrow
Denver Tuckey
Kenn Tuckey
Our board members serve very well by representing the needs of CWC and helping us to move forward.  This time of year can tend to be especially busy as we work to prepare for the Local Church Conference.  Be sure to express your gratitude to them and keep our leaders in prayer.

Children’s Ministry
Sarah Gomez
Larry Snyder
Both Larry and Sarah give freely of their time and energy to help make a vibrant children’s ministry a reality.  There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I’m proud of them for hanging in there and doing whatever they can to present the truth and power of Jesus in relevant and engaging ways to the youngest among us–all in the name of the King and for the expansion of his Kingdom!  Way to go, guys!  Keep it up–you’re making a difference!

There are, of course, other individuals who serve God by serving others through the ministry of CWC–I’ll be sure to thank them by name as well during the next few Pastor’s Postings–but for now, to all who serve suffice it to say I’m thankful for all of you, what you do, and how freely you give!  Thanks for your willing hearts!

Don’t forget: we are in the season of the Resurrection.  New life is ours because of the work of Jesus and the powerful truth that death could not hold the Author of Life.  In what arena of your life are you in need of new life?  The spirit of Christ beckons you to come, lay your burden down, and experience the power of the resurrection.  Of course, if you need to talk, I’m here for you.

Have a great week; I’m in your corner.

Loving…Learning…Living…,
Pastor Jeremiah

Good morning on ‘Easter Monday!’

Yesterday was a very full but incredibly exciting day: it was nice to see a healthy crowd in church for Easter Sunday, but that’s really a small reason to celebrate.  We had a number of new faces–exciting, but still a relatively small thing.  I love preaching about the power of the Resurrection (a HUGE reason to celebrate–not my preaching but the truth of the Resurrection, I mean).  But best of all, we had someone indicate their desire to begin following Jesus.  Hearts are being made new, lives are being changed, and eternities are being altered.  Can you think of a better time to have your life invaded by Christ than on the Day of days??  I’m very excited about what God will continue to do as we trust and follow him.

From the Mission Field:
I have received the following communications from two of the missionaries who have been to CWC to share recently–while we currently do not support either the Blaikies I urge you to pray for them and the needs shared here:

Blaikies (Thailand): Bangkok has been the site of rioting again for the last 2 months (this is a different riot from the ones previously reported.) It has until this week been peaceful. The rioters who call themselves the Red Shirts have changed this drastically. Over the last week the Red Shirts have closed down many roads and many transportation systems. This weekend they broke into the Asian Summit which held the leaders of 8 Asian countries and have attempted two assassinations on the prime minister of Thailand. This has caused the government to declare a state of emergency. The streets are now littered with military troops and tanks to help keep off the rioters. Last night the troops were forced to fire towards the rioters and use tear gas to disperse them. They only fired over there heads but 70 people were injured due to the tear gas.

We ask that you pray for Thailand. Pray that peace will come quickly. Pray for our safety and those who are innocent bystanders. This is currently only happening in Bangkok and in a couple cities to the North. If you would like to look at more info click on this website
and if you would like to know more about former Prime minister Taskin who is heading up these riots in an effort to regain control of the office please go to [this site].

Yesterday, we launched our new message series on the discussions Jesus had with his disciples before ascending into heaven.  I think we’ll continue to discover incredible truth and power for us in these *Real* Last Words.  On an important note, you’ll find the memory verse we’ll be working through for this series posted to this blog later today.  The audio from yesterday’s message will be posted on the church’s website later this afternoon–CLICK HERE to go to the recent sermons page.

There are some other things you should know…
You likely recall that not long ago, a pastoral vote was taken.  During our LBA meeting this evening, I will officially accept the new call by presenting a letter to our vice chairman, Kenn Tuckey.  The contents of that letter will be available soon.  Once again, I’m excited about being part of what God is going to do in the life and ministry of Carlisle Wesleyan!
Also during tonight’s meeting we’ll be finalizing preparations for the end of our current fiscal year and working through the details of a new budget and Leadership Team structure to be approved at our Local Church Conference.  If you think of us around 7PM today, please pray for those on the Leadership Team.  Thanks in advance!

That Local Church Conference is scheduled for Sunday, May 3 at 4:00PM–join us for the business portion of our conference, as well as a time of celebration and food/fellowship together… plan now on being there!

Please note, the office/Roaming schedule is adjusted for this week:
The office will be closed on both Tuesday and Thursday of this week–Tomorrow will be a personal day for me and I will leave for Clearfield very early Thursday morning to participate in a District event and a meeting of the task force that I’m honored to be a part of.  This will also mean there’s no ‘roaming’ for me tomorrow afternoon, but you should still be able to find me on Wednesday morning at Carlisle Coffee.

There are two new Learning Group opportunities coming your way this week:
You Matter More Than You Think, for ladies, will begin tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at 6PM at the Gomez residence.  If you need directions, contact either Sarah or myself and we’ll be sure to give you.
On Sunday morning (9AM), Denver Tuckey will be launching a new discussion on how to be men and women after God’s heart.

As we continue the journey toward being a local church which is Loving, Learning, and Living Jesus Christ, we’ll discover what it means to have each aspect of our lives mastered by Jesus.  Be looking for opportunities to grow–to experience Christ in worship; to fall more in love with him and learn about him; and to live as him wherever we are.

Have a great week!
Loving…Learning…Living…,
Pastor Jeremiah