This Sunday's Message
Greater Exploits ...

3Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters,^* for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ²For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle. ³If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we guide their whole bodies. ⁴Or look at ships: though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits.

How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! ⁶And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is placed among our members as a world of iniquity; it stains the whole body, sets on fire the cycle of nature,^* and is itself set on fire by hell.^{* 7}For every species of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, ⁸but no one can tame the tongue—a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters,^* this ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and brackish water? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters,^* yield olives, or a grapevine figs? No more can salt water yield fresh.

Fall Kickoff at ChristChurch:

Worship and Faith Conversations for All Ages

 We invite everyone to join us for the kickoff of our new Sunday morning schedule on Sunday, September 9th. On that day our worship schedule will change to two worship services. The first will be at 8:30am and the second at 11:00am. Our 11:00 worship service will incorporate more child friendly components, like a children's message and musical instruments. Between these two worship services, starting at 9:45, will be an hour of learning and fellowship for all ages called Faith Conversations. What are Faith Conversations? Just check out all the possibilities:

Faith Conversation Opportunities for Children:

ChristKids (3 yr olds through 3^rd Grade): Holy Moly

Our new ChristKids curriculum this year is called Holy Moly. Holy Moly captures the imagination of kids by bringing the Bible to life. Kids walk away from class excitedly retelling the stories they just learned and eagerly awaiting what’s next.

Each lesson invites kids into the story with animated Bible story retellings, reinforces the lesson through the colorful pages of the Holy Moly Bible Storybooks and the Bible, and encourages creativity and imagination with activities that bring the stories to life.

Registration forms are available on our website.

 Friendship Club (4^th and 5^th Grades): Connect

Our new Friendship cClub curriculum this year is called Connect. With Connect, our. 4th and 5th graders will explore the Bible’s greatest stories, uncover major biblical themes, and discover how the Bible relates to their own lives. It’s Bible-centered church school with just enough quirky tween humor to get them hooked.

Registration forms are available on our website.

Faith Conversation Opportunities for Youth:

 CREW (Middle School): re:form

Middle School youth will meet on Sunday mornings with Pastor David and small group leaders to learn about God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), the Bible, and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. We will be using re:form, a totally new approach to youth faith formation that trusts youth to wrestle with the historic Christian faith and theology. re:form features hilarious animated short films that frame the theological questions that youth really ask, and an Anti-Workbook that’s chock full of individual and group activities.

 OPUS 9 (9^th Grade): Transitions                                           

Brent Masterson will meet with our High School Freshmen for Transitions where we will walk through the first year of high school together. It will be a place where we can discuss the challenges of transitioning from middle school to high school. We will also concentrate on writing our own faith story.

 OPUS 10-12 (10^th through 12^th grade): Bible Backstage

Our sophomores, juniors, and seniors will be meeting with Robby Rittenhouse and Dylan Baker for Bible Backstage, where they unravel the mystery behind the Bible, concentrating on the current issues at the time the books were written to discover how they are ever so relevant in our lives today.

Adult Faith Conversation Opportunities:

 Learning to Forgive

Chris Moore will facilitate this conversation based on the book, Forgive & Forget by Lewis Smedes. Forgiving someone who hurt you isn’t easy.  It can be even harder to forgive yourself for hurting someone else.  But giving and receiving forgiveness are at the heart of the Christian life. If you struggle to forgive yourself and others, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.  Take a step toward learning to forgive in this seven week series.

The suggested donation to cover the cost of the book is $10.(Participation in this conversation is limited to 10 people, so be sure to sign up soon!)

Front Room, 7 sessions beginning September 16th

Sign up in the Entry starting on August 26th.

Making Sense of Scripture

Bill Severson will facilitate this conversation, using the book, Making Sense of Scripture: Big Questions About the Book of Faith by David Lose. This book “is a dialogue that encourages readers to bring their questions or doubts to the table when reading Scripture. During this conversation, there are different opportunities for the reader to interact with the Bible, ultimately leaving room for personaltransformation of the heart and mind.”

 The suggested donation to cover the cost of the book is $13. (Participation in this conversation is limited to 20 people, so be sure to sign up soon!)

Nursery Annex, 7 sessions beginning September 16th.

Sign up in the Entry starting on August 26th.

Daily Faith(formerly known as Topic of the Day)

Ray Oeltjen and Rhonda Eppelsheimer will co-facilitate weekly discussions centered on issues of faith and daily life. What are the faith questions you wrestle with? What does it mean to live every day from a Christian perspective? Grab a cup of coffee or tea and join in with other adults on Sunday mornings to discuss current topics and reflect on Emmanuel (Christ with us.) These lively conversations will focus on a new topic each week.

This conversation has an open door policy and you are warmly invited to come spend time getting to know your brothers and sisters in Christ! You are encouraged to come every week but you can also join in for any discussion on any Sunday. There is no homework and guest and
visitors are always welcome!

Worship Center, 7 sessions beginning September 16th.

No sign up necessary.