August 4, 2023

Greetings CCC Friends!

Well it is day #8 of living on my own while the rest of my family serves with our student missions team in Sau Paulo, Brazil. Before you feel too sorry for me though, I can gladly report that the dog is still alive, Heather’s plants seem to be doing reasonably well, and while this introvert dearly loves his family, the quiet space at home has been an absolute foretaste of Heaven!

Thanks so much for continuing to pray for our Brazil Team! They have had a very busy schedule with lots of hands-on, relational ministry with kids and adults alike, and they will be returning home next Wednesday morning.

Looking a little further into August, I wanted to remind you of our Night of the Arts event on Sunday evening, August 20, and what a great opportunity that is to invite friends, neighbors, and co-workers to a very “non-churchy” church event! Pick up some postcards when you are here on Sunday, and use those as an invitation to hand out to this fun-filled evening of good art, music, and food!

For this upcoming Sunday, our friend Steve Thulson will be wrapping up our summer sermon series. He has this to say about where he will be taking us:

Our big Sunday question this summer has been “Why would anybody come to our church?” The most important and even eternally significant reason is this: God draws them. He draws people to himself and into his family. Here’s how: through ordinary believers in that family embodying his Son, starting with simple and honest praying, specifically “with-Jesus praying.” On Sunday we’ll listen in on how Jesus poured out his heart to the Father for us on the long dark night before he died (John 17). My prayer is that we’ll all catch a vision of how he’s still praying for us, and how he invites us to join him in that praying for his glory, the world’s good and our own joy.

Grace and peace to all of you in all of your summer activities!