Next Sunday, January 19th we will
share a Potluck Lunch
Together following the worship service. Please bring a large pot of soup or prepared
buns & dessert, so we can share a delicious meal together with our friends
and guests.
Next
Sunday, January 19th
We continue
our exploration of the spiritual disciples by reflecting on Matthew 4:1-11, the
Discipline of Solitude by looking at the story of Jesus’ temptation in the
wilderness after spending 40 days and nights fasting alone in the wilderness.
God meets us in places like the wilderness, times of solitude. Solitude gives
us the space to listen more closely to God, to reflect on who we are and the
lives we are living. Solitude helps us to prepare ourselves to be obedient to
God when the times of stress and temptation come by allowing us to spend time
immersed in Scripture. This helps us keep our focus on God and Jesus’ call on
our life and identity.
OUR CHURCH FAMILY
Please
remember our church family in your daily prayers, at mealtimes and during your
personal devotions. Remember those who are unable to worship regularly with us:
Jennie Bajema, Bill Wildeboer and Rena
DeRuiter. Pray also for those who struggle in silence
with ongoing physical, spiritual, and emotional issues. Continue to pray for our missionaries around
the world.
Peter Zuidhof
came home from the hospital on Monday afternoon. He is now slowly recovering at home. Thank you for your prayers and concern. We continue to pray the pathology results of
the mass will be benign.
Bethel News
Highlights of the Council Executive meeting of January
6th:
1. We are excited to meet again and start 2020.
2. The Minutes of all the Ministry Leadership
teams were reviewed.
3. The Renovation Team is still working on
finishing their proposal. You will be
updated as things
progress.
4. We accepted
the membership of Femmie Ten Hove from Woodynook CRC in Lacombe and also
accepted the membership of Pearl Nienhuis
from First CRC in Red Deer. We look
forward to
continued worship with you!!
5. Plans are
underway to host Classis in March of this year.
The Bible is the most important book we read and study
as followers of Jesus, but it is not a book like any other, it is actually 66
different books written by many different authors over a long period of time,
all gathered together to create what we call the Bible. These 66 books are
written in different styles and genres and so it is helpful to learn the
differences and what that means for how we understand what the different
authors were getting at.
Pastor Jake will be hosting a 7-week course on
reading the Bible based on the book How to Readthe Bible for All Its Worth, 4th
edition by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart so that we can learn how to read, and
even interpret, the different genres of books found in the Bible. We will
meet Sunday evenings at the church from 7:30-9ish beginning February 2nd
and going until March 15th or 22nd, depending on
the March break. You can purchase the book from Google Play, Kobo, Kindle
and other e-readers, or you can order it from Amazon or Kennedy’s Parables. You
can even download earlier editions as pdfs from online if you wish.
“The Discipline of Prayer" The rulers of the earth are rising up,
shouting loudly, raising fists, making all sorts of plans....But the Lord
Almighty is looking down from heaven. Everything is under His control. To the
extent that even today not a hair can fall from our heads that He doesn't know
about. He sees us, knows us. Gives us what we need. With His Son, Jesus, our
Savior, will He not also give us all that we need for everyday life? Psalm 81: "In your distress, call on
Me....Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it."
We meet this Tuesday,
January 14th at 10 a.m. at Bethel church to practice one of the
Spiritual Disciplines that Pastor Jake has been teaching us on, Prayer. The
song writer says, Prayer is the soul's
sincere desire. Unuttered or expressed, the motion of a hidden fire that
tremblesin the breast." by J.
Montgomery. Come join us at 10 a.m. if you can, either at the church or mark
your calendar and join us where ever you are as we "lay our requests
before Him and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3.
BETHEL
YOUTH
Tuesday Nite
Youth
meets this Tuesday, January 14th at
7:30 p.m. Doors will open at 7:00 p.m.
See you there!
Woody Nook
Winter Fest
will be held on Sunday,
January 26th at 3:30 p.m. This event is for Youth in Grades 7 to Grade 12. Meet at the ABC Christian Store parking lot
in Lacombe at 3:30 p.m. at 1 - 5230
College Avenue. Bring sleds and warm
clothes for downhill sledding. At around
4:45 p.m., students will be bussed to Woody Nook CRC for supper. There will be a Worship Service at 6 p.m. led
by Pastor Chad Vandervalk. Parents can
pick up their kids by 7 p.m. at Woody Nook CRC (or join us for worship at 6!) Please sign the waiver form and bring it along
to the event.
DENOMINATIONAL
NEWS
Neighbourhood
Life Update:
This week Joyce and I are in Uganda and Kenya with Partners
Worldwide. We will be learning and
sharing about the business/ministry model while visiting local coffee farmers
from whom we hope to engage in ministry and business. We will also be visiting Diana Boot while In
Entebbe, Uganda, as we are both involved with Resonate Global Mission. Upon return, Neighbourhood Life will join
other Western Canadian Resonate missionaries at MissionFest in Vancouver. We are grateful for your questions and
support, and in this new year we look to continue facilitating the good news of
Jesus Christ through neighbourhoods. With grateful hearts we say thanks. Pastor Rick Abma.
A
Renegotiating Faith Presentation and Panel Discussion
is being held this Wednesday evening, January 15th from 7-9 p.m.
at King’s University. Rick Hiemstra is a
co-author of the important Renegotiating Faith report addressing young adults
and faith formation in Canada. First, he
will discuss his research and findings regarding the report. Then he will be
joined on stage with a panel of five people selected from local churches in
Edmonton. These people will then be asked to respond to Rick’s presentation and
relate their own experiences in the area of young adult faith formation
practices and experiences. There will be
a time for questions and answers from both Rick and the five panelists. Also, a handout with additional resources on
this topic with available to all who attend. Please join us in this quest to
consider how the Church may better understand andbest minister to those
who are young adults in our churches and in the community around us.
Communal
Gathering: Please note a change of
dates!
On the Sunday evenings of February 2nd and February 9th at 6:30 p.m. at
Covenant CRC and West End CRC respectively, together with the Classis Alberta
North sub-committee formed to look at matters of sexuality, are hosting next
steps in information and discussion on matters of sexuality, specifically
LGBTQ2+. The evenings will be under the
theme, Walking Alongside. The first evening at Covenant CRC will look at Walking Alongside LGBTQ2+ Christians and Biblical Perspectives on LGBTQ2+
Issues. The second evening at West
End CRC will be a panel discussion on Growing
up LGBTQ2+ in the church. Please
mark these dates and consider joining us for these presentations and
discussions.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lacombe
Christian School
is now accepting Registration
Applications for Playschool and Kindergarten! Registration for Playschool is open to children who will reach the age
of 4 by December 31, 2020. We have 2
classes available: Tuesdays &
Thursdays, 8:45 am-11:15 am (2.5hrs), OR Fridays, 8:45 am-11:45 am (3hrs) in
the East Campus. Registration for
Kindergarten is available for children who will reach the age of 5 by December
31, 2020. We offer 2 day Kindergarten,
either Monday, Wednesday or Tuesday, Thursday, 8:40 am-3:35 pm, with busing
included. For more information, please
call us at 403-782-6531. Also, feel free
to drop in to pick up your registration package at the school office (5206-58
St.) or download them from our website: www.lacs.ca
Days for
Girls
will meet again on Tuesday, January 21st
from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Woodynook CRC. Come to sew or chat all day or
half an hour. We are excited to pack kits to send away again this time! Soup
and buns will be provided for lunch. Contact Joanna Luna (587-877-3400) for
more information. We look forward to seeing you!
Please mark
your calendars for our upcoming Rimbey Christian School fundraising banquet!!
Saturday, February 1, 2020 at the Peter Lougheed Community Center, Rimbey. Entertainment is The Fallow Years (Christian
band from Red Deer). Tickets are $60
each or $450.00 for a Table of 8 (tickets are available at the school or
Stationery, Stories and Sounds in Rimbey.) Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and supper starts at 6:30 p.m. Catered by Starkist Catering. Come and enjoy the night! Come listen to the band and their love for
music and their love for God. They sing
an assortment of music: Christian, country, folk, rock, etc. (music from the
past and present). Come join us for a
night of great food, great music and an enjoyable night hanging out with
friends. Hope to see you there!
Save the
Date: Swing into Spring.
Please mark Thursday, March 5, 2020 on your calendars for Central Alberta
Christian High School’s spring fundraiser, Swing into Spring! Once again you
will be able to bid on your favorite desserts and will be treated to a
delicious dinner from CACHS catering. More details to follow. If you own a
business and would like to sponsor a table please phone Candace at the school
at 403-782-4535.
THE
PERSECUTED CHURCH
India
Three Christians were arrested in Madhya Pradesh region
on December 16th after fellow villagers accused them of practising
illegal medicine. They spent 11 days in jail before being released on bail.
Pastor Mukam Kiraad, along with two members of his church were shocked to learn
they were charged with medical malpractice after praying for physical healing.
Please pray that all charges be dropped so they will be free to continue in
their service for the Lord, leading others to salvation through a personal
relationship with Jesus Christ. On behalf of the many believers throughout
India, pray they will be given discernment and the right words to say as they
interact with those who lack an understanding of the Christian faith.
Food for Thought:
Someone has said that
our prayers are the oars with which we move our lifeboat. Your boat won't go far without you rowing in
the right direction. Rowing is work. But isn't it a wonderful thing to talk to
God, and lay your life before Him, and share and listen to Him? At times He
will even sing to you! (Zephaniah 3:17)