next letter excerpt

Sunday Summer Schedule: It’s been a little confusing and hard to keep up with the changes around here but the final summer Sunday School schedule has been set. We will continue with our 9:00am Sunday School classes through the month of July for all children and adults. Then in August we will take a break and cancel our 9:00am classes until after Labor Day. We also plan to offer children’s church each Sunday in August. The fall children’s Sunday School Kick-Off will be on September 10th with new classes to begin on September 17th. For additional information contact Kacy O’Grady our new Children’s Ministries Director at 379-4949. Worship will continue to be at 10:00am.
you can read the entire thing at:
http://robyadayada.blogspot.com/2006/06/letter.html
UPDATE: Frank Matthews' wife and children will be moving here around 20th of July. Frank will be in Gainesville starting July 8th.

letter excerpt #2

This is part of a series of posts which are excerpts from a congregational letter going out soon...

New Assistant Pastor: We are very excited about the announcement of Frank Matthews’ as our Assistant Pastor. On July 9th, Frank will begin his life and ministry with us. Frank and his wife, Suzanne, have made an offer on a home located a few blocks off Parker Road and are currently waiting for the final details to be completed. Frank will move here prior to actually having a place to live, and then Suzanne and their 3 boys will join him once they own the home. We’ll welcome Frank on July 9th and then do something for the whole family at a later date.

there's a letter in the mail this week

that should reach your home on saturday... but you can get the info 1st here. I'll be posting each section over the next couple of days. Here is the first portion

Dear Friends,

Summer's here and any sense of rhythm or schedule is out the window. So, I wanted to communicate some information in a way that has the best chance of reaching all of you.

topic 1.New Assistant Pastor:

topic 2.Where we are on the building/land:

topic 3 Sunday Summer Schedule:
topic 4 Mark Your Calendars: On Friday, August 18th, from 7:00-8:30pm we will have an important informational meeting. I will be giving a presentation entitled “Christ Community, Version 2.0... The Next Phase of Our Mission.”
Plan now to come enjoy being together and get the latest updates on the “happenings” around Christ Community. Childcare will be provided for younger children. Dessert will be served.

God is faithful. Look expectantly with me for how Christ will care for and use His church.

Rob

Save the Date

Friday August 18th, 7pm

Baptism Saturday

11am at the Hamilton's home on SW Williston Road
directions will be available on church website (click link to the right)

after Josiah Hamilton is baptized their will be a luncheon party to celebrate

Is that it?

Yesterday, we baptized another child into the covenant community of our Triune God. People from my heritage don't tend to wrongly assume--"That baby just became a Christian!"-- but i fear that many do wrongly assume
A.) OK, put it on the shelf and we'll check back with the kid around 13 and hope she wants to be a follower of Jesus
and/or
B.) This kid is "IN" until they make it absolutely clear that they want "OUT".

As I've gotten older, parented and pastored more... I find myself taking children and youth more seriously. Both their professions of faith and interest in Christ and His kingdom... AND their disinterest in the same. That leads me to the quote I read this morning:
"But, oh children of Christian parents, take heed that you do not remain barren and unfruitful in the sunshine of all these privileges (of the gospel): beware lest your heart remains hard, impenitent, and worldly, notwithstanding the many advantages you enjoy. You cannot enter the kingdom of God on the credit of your parents' religion. You must eat the bread of life for yourself, and have the witness of the Spirit in your own heart. You must have repentace of your own, faith of your own, and sanctification of your own." ---J.C. Ryle

I'm talking to children and youth (of my own and of the church) more like that. Is it loving? Is it biblical? Pray that Christ Community would be a church-family whose children and adults are shepherded with integrity, passion, and wisdom.

You can't be serious

Often when I articulate (however clumsily) that God is really in charge of the world... I get comments or looks that say things like:
"You can't be serious."
"My God isn't like that."
"Then how can God be good?"

First, I'm NOT saying, "This is the way it is, deal with it by stuffing your questions/fears/pains..." I am saying that i believe the deep conviction that God rules over all things in our lives AND He is good... leads to joy and strength. So, Rob, if this is new to me and I want to hear or read more, where would i go?
Start here by throwing some of these on your ipod.
Or read, WHEN GOD WEEPS, by Joni Tada... available at amazon.com

AND, talk to someone who has lived through hard times and believes the things I mentioned about God. I'm praying today for you.

sunday June 25 as Christ Community gathers

9am classes for all ages

10am worship (with children's church for ages 5-2nd grade)




also... youth group sunday night is at the Hamilton's home

vbs pics

here

Bible School is Smashing

The 1st 2 days have been wonderful occasions. God has been gracious to raise up key strong leadership to pull this off. Children are:
-having fun
-being creative
-learing the gospel
- being loved by adult leaders
- developing their friendships
- making memories

5pm til 8pm all this week, new folk still welcome!

waterpark trip for the youth

the youth group is heading to Wet-n-Wild Waterpark in ORlando on Friday.
Cost is around $25. For details contact Erik Folgate 352.871.0794 or Greg Hamilton 352-284-8655.

More on scourging and simul justis

here

5pm today at Oak Hall

Monday thru Friday this week.... 5pm til 8pm nightly
Bible School promises to be a fun family time together

teaching children the Scriptures
exposing many to the purposes of God for the world

Pray for the many unchurched children and families who have been invited to participate with us.

Cry out to God that the children of CCC will be gripped with this gospel of grace and respond with passionately Godward lives. It is so sad to see and hear about the many many "church kids" who squander away this great inheritance offered them in Christ. Only if the Spirit comes in power will we see the children of CCC joyfully claim their inheritance. Ask. Seek. Knock.

Sunday with Christ Community

9am classes for all ages
10am worship

after the worship service some of our folks are taking flyers and heading just up the road to the apartments on 8th avenue (just west of Tower Road) to invite the kids there to our Vacation Bible School (VBS)... which starts Monday evening.

Plan to join them?!

Oh yes, Oak Hall says that they have the A/C in the theater fixed!

What is your plan?

How were you planning to fight sin today?


"No gloomy uncertainty as to God’s favor can subdue one lust, or correct our crookedness of will. But the free pardon of the cross uproots sin, and withers all its branches. Only the certainty of love, forgiving love, can do this…" --Horatius Bonar, 19th century

wear shorts to church

IF IF IF
There is a group of people hitting the streets after service. Going up to the apartments on corner of SW 8th and Tower Road... for the purpose of passing out info flyers, inviting and registering those children to participate in vbs with us. Plan on it.

computer help

If you have some experience with HTML and/or "mambo"... could you give Lizette a call at 379-4949

Satan the Insurgent

I don't think Satan has a kingdom, as such. All authority comes from God (Romans 13). Satan certainly has dominion, like Osama bin Laden has dominion over his minions, which he enforces by fear and perhaps admiration, but he is no rightful ruler.
Excellent concise words to follow up Sunday's mention of our enemy
here

Wrath & Grace

Only those who are aware of God's wrath are amazed by God's grace. --Jerry Bridges (i think)

this probably strikes me today b/c a friend just informed me that many Christians are giving up belief in Hell... and i think, "How sad on many levels. One of those being that i don't see how you can enjoy the gospel (and by extension Jesus) very long after you stop seeing that through it Jesus delivers you from something." For me i think it would be about 5 seconds.

june 11 with Christ Community

9:00am Classes for all ages

Adults in the Media Center, looking at cultural background of the bible as it helps us understand God’s Word.


10am worship
I’ll be preaching from Acts 22 which you can read here.



7pm Youth Group is at Horner’s home



Also, let me remind/encourage you to display the hospitality of God to each other and newcomers. I know of several folks who have just begun attending in recent weeks and would be deeply encouraged by being greeted by you. There are also new residents of Gainesville who will be visiting with us on Sunday. Finally, please arrive in the theater prior to 10:00am. I was reminded last week how much richer our gathering time is when we have loads of people there at 9:59am. Oh, and could we go crazy and move to the middle upon arrival? Yeehaw!

Come ye needy, come, and welcome,
God's free bounty glorify.

Baptism on Friday 5:30pm

at the Stankunas' house, arrive promptly as this is a brief service and you don't want to miss it by being late!
Rand McNally - Get a Map: "2310 SW 110th Ter
Gainesville, FL 32607-1228"

Educating Children

A
great article in Detroit News today... written by a classmate of Steve Lammers challenged me in a couple of ways. Here are excerpts and then a shout out to CCC teachers who are in the game.

Teaching is no longer a respected profession and our best and brightest citizens develop a social aversion to pursuing it. Why is there no honor given to those are charged with equipping, forming, and shaping the hearts and minds of our world's future?

Second, students are not encouraged to value learning about the world.
Visionless parental pragmatists actually dissuade their children from taking courses that they don't "need" if there's not a direct future financial benefit. How can you not "need" more knowledge about the world furnished by any legitimate area of intellectual inquiry?

SO.... Nate Henkel (Chiles Elem); Melissa Henkel (Westwood Middle); Greg Hamilton (Bronson Middle); Jordan Miller (Ft. Clarke Elementary); Sylvia Olmsted (UF Journalism); Lisa Griffin (Newberry High School); there are more i'm sure, forgive me... straight from my head-- the point is to honor these people who are bringing the blessings of God's Kingdom into very strategic places

Opportunity to serve one another...

From Jason MacGregor
"Quick summary, this summer Kelly is directing the King and I in Lake City. There was no one to play the lead, so she had to cast herself. The costumes were too expensive to rent, so Kelly had to make them herself. Well, we are about 2 weeks to opening and she is only done 60-70 out of the 120 costumes. She has planned to give up sleeping to get it done (not a good plan). This Saturday, I am looking to recruit as many volunteers as possible to help put a big push to finish most of this up. If you can operate a pair of scissor then you can help. If you can sew and do more, then you are a bigger help. We have 5 or 6 sewing machines. I cannot stress enough that Kelly needs help but does not even have the time to call and recruit people.

Kelly will be starting at 6am on Saturday and probably stopping just before church starts on Sunday. If you can come for even a couple hours during that window, that would be unbelievably helpful. I will make sure there is plenty starbucks, snacks, etc. etc. etc. If you want to pick stuff up and work at your home that would be a huge help too. So just come by when you can. questions, contact jemacgregor AT hotmail DOT com "

Baptism

The baptism of Joy & Abigail Crow has been moved.

The baptism is to be held at 5:30pm Friday, at the Stankunas' home on SW 24th, next to queen of peace catholic church

5:30 Friday

"Rob, tell me about your bracelet."

I've been asked to explain a few times lately... Here's the answer:
Invisible Children - Invisible Children

Vacation Bible School

GCP | VBS: One Continuing Story of God's Covenant Love in Five Parts

Day 1—The King Created
The story of Genesis is the beginning of God's relationship with man. From the time of creation, God in Christ had the perfect plan for his people.

Day 2—Separated from the King: Genesis 2
Children examine the dreadful consequences of disobedience to God as they study the Fall.

Day 3—The King Is Coming
From Genesis 3:15 and throughout the Old Testament, Jesus Christ was promised, pictured and prophesied to die and save his own.

Day 4—The King Has Come (Genesis 22 & Galatians 3)
Through his death on the cross, resurrection and ascension, Jesus paid the price for his covenant people fulfilling God's promises.

Day 5—The King Is Coming Again (John 14 & Revelation 21-22)
God's people anticipate the return of Christ to the earth. Christ has promised believers an eternal home with him in heaven."

James Smith Narrative

Here's where i got the James Smith story used during yesterday's service.
Together for the Gospel

9am adult class meeting in THEATER...

... not in the Media Center.

Sunday with Christ Community

9am classes for all ages
In the THEATER our new pastor, Frank Matthews, will be giving his "Life Story" and opening up the Scriptures along the way.

10am worship will include Holy Communion

after the service hang and snack for a few minutes at a reception in Frank's honor.

Peace,
Rob

My childhood friends will disown me...

I've done a few things that have made my Mississippi friends look at me with puzzled faces... like "What happened to you, Rob?" Cheering for Gators, enjoying living in Florida, etc. But if they knew how excited i am about The World Cup... they'd disown me. For you fellow U2 and/or Futbol fans... here are 4 must see spots on the game. ONE GAME CHANGES EVERYTHING

Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Downloads

sunday's worship folder is up... prepare your heart and mind to give worship and receive grace
Christ Community Church - Gainesville Florida - Downloads