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Mid Week News
Sunday
Most of us have heard Rick Warren say that loving community is the number one factor in churches that grow. That's an attractional quality.
But what else is needed for that community to move toward maturity?
If we really are going to grow together, if the church really is to be the new community it's called to be, what sort of things should we be thinking about. Eph 4 draws us into Kingdom life that really is an expression of new creation. It's a wonderfully attractive picture: read about it in Eph 4:25
Relay for Life:
Are people from your small group interested in being part of the Relay for Life - but you don't have enough to field a team?
Then let's combine.
Send the names of interested people through to dave@redlandscrc.org.au and we'll set up a joint effort. This is what you'll be committing to walking the Relay for Life Track for your designated period of time - teams are responsible to have at least one member of their team walking on the track for the whole 24 hour period. eg. 12 walkers each with a two hour responsibility
Each walker raising $100 in sponsorship
Finding some way to do this as a church: ie. RCRC T-shirts (hey, you can borrow from those who have them...)
...all pretty easy, really, and it could be a load of fun!
Act now - send an email to Dave: we've only got a few days to register
Taking the next step
Preparing for profession of faith, baptism and membership
A 7 week discussion on the basics of the Christian faith and Redlands CRC ‘distinctives'
Begins April 2007.
If interested email clinton@redlandscrc.org.au or phone 0424 477 487
40 Days of Community
The Week Just Gone:
Over the last week I have received a lot of comments from my message last Sunday. These comments have been a real mixture. So I just wanted to add a couple of things.
Firstly, its not a matter of doing more. Many of you are already stretched time wise and commitment wise. Jobs, families, hobbies and ministries. I believe it is a matter of doing things differently. When we talk to people after church, who do we talk to? People like ourselves, just the people we get on with, or people who are different, that we don't know. Instead of inviting 2 families around who we get on well with, and we share much in common with, why not invite some close friends, and some people we might not know so well. This will undoubtedly push us out of our comfort zones, it will go a long was to bringing us towards an enfolding church.
Secondly, while its true that like attracts like, we have a special responsibility to those who are different. Some people have made the comment that we are a white middle / upper class church in a white middle / upper class area, and this is kind of natural. And its true, like will often attract like in church situations. But the gospel calls us to go beyond this, to actually seek, and enfold, those who are different. We do have people who are different from ourselves come through RCRC, let's work extra hard at enfolding them.
The Week To Come:
This week we are looking at purpose #3 we are put together to GROW to maturity. The point will be made that it is impossible for us to grow into the image of Christ without the community around us. We simply can not obey the commands to love, support, nurture, if there is no one to practice these things on.
This is why Small Groups are so important. If we are just relying on a Sunday Service to do these things, we are going to come up short, our growth will be stunted. So I would like to challenge you, if you are not in a Small Group. Are you really growing as you could be growing? What is standing in the way of joining a Small Group?
If you would like to know more about joining a group, I would love to help you get connected.
Clinton
Church Planting Exploration Team
In an exciting, challenging and daunting new phase of RCRC ministry we are going to be looking at the issues of church planting and ways in which we can further the work of the gospel in our area through it. To do this, we are wanting to gather a Church Planting Exploration Team, to begin training in church planting and preparing the whole church for this adventure.
We are looking for people who are interested in:
- Learning more about church planting
- Wanting to help resource and support a church planting team
- Being a part of a church plant from RCRC
If this is you, or you are just curious to see if it might be you, we would love you to come along to our first gathering
Tuesday 3rd April, 7.30pm @ the church.
If you have any questions, or want to register your interest, please speak to Dave or Clinton, or email churchplanting@redlandscrc.org.au