Talking about IHOP is a difficult thing because I don’t want to be negative or sound arrogant or come off as someone who “knows it all”–but there have to be limits on what we will tolerate as evangelicals. In my mind, IHOP crosses many of those limits.

But I am not going to write about that here. It would take too much space and I am not an expert on the subject. But I know one. A good friend of mine, Keith Gibson, has recently been published on the related subject of what is known as the Apostolic Restoration movement. As you can tell…this is a project aimed at restoring the office of Apostle to the church. This idea alone is seriously problematic…but trust me, it’s much worse than even this sounds.

IHOP is a ministry run on the revelations, dreams and visions of its leader, Mike Bickle. He will tell you that his dreams and revelations are why it exists in the first place. You can easily find YouTube clips of his “sermons”–which are often extended talks about the things God is telling him.

What most people know about IHOP involves just the prayer ministry (which appears inoccuous enough) or some young person who is attending the ministry or University. I have met some of the young people associated with IHOP. They are passionate, often winsome people who love Jesus. They serve as a compelling commercial in favor of the ministry. Sadly, they will only be confused by what they learn there.

I cannot talk about this movement or IHOP-KC here…there is too much to say. But if you need to understand better what is going on, I would like to recommend to you Keith’s book, Wandering Stars: Contending for the Faith with the New Apostles and Prophets (Birmingham: Solid Ground Christian Books, 2011). Keith’s knowledge of this subject (as well as his knowledge of Mormonism and other aberrant Christian movements) is simply encyclopedic.

We plan to put a couple of copies of this book in our Discipleship and Resource Center library…but if you would like one before then, you can purchase your own copy here.

I wish everyone at IHOP-KC God’s best. I don’t believe they will find it by sidetracking lives with the dreams and visions of a man who claims to be a modern day Apostle. It is sad to see so much potential spoiled by confusing biblical truth with existential silliness.

Beginning March 18, at both campuses, Mill Creek pastors will reveal an updated DiscipleMap. This map is a tool to help evaluate where you are spiritually; either at a stand-still or ready to take the next step.  Each Sunday, a Mill Creek pastor will detail one of five levels of the map:  Seeker, Believing Disciple, Maturing Disciple, Disciplemaker, and Radical.

The pastors encourage everyone to attend the entire series to get the full picture of how you can grow in Christ at Mill Creek.

Starting Sunday, January 8 Fred Buckley will teach a four week class on evangelism.  Fred has a passion for evangelism and a desire to teach students to, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) This class meets in the ReaLife room from 9:00-10:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings.  This class is open to all who are interested in attending—students and parents.

On Friday, January 20 the senior high will participate in a scavenger hunt at Crown Center.  We will meet at McCoy at 6:00 p.m. and return to McCoy by 9:00 p.m.  Drivers are needed to help with the transportation.

On Friday and Saturday, February 3-4 the ReaLife Student Ministries will host its fourth annual Winter Retreat at the McCoy campus.  The cost per student is $25.  A new 2011-2012 medical release form must be completed for each student.  The form must be notarized and can be found on Mill Creek’s website or by clicking here.

Sunday, February 5, we will have a Super Bowl party at TJ Crow’s house.

Neil Bilyeu

Director of Student Ministries

This month provides tips on evaluating self-destructive behavior.  A detailed event calendar for January is also included.

Well, this  November 13 marked the end of a ten-week Bible memory challenge in which 17 high school students met every Sunday morning from 9:00-10:00 a.m. for the purpose of Bible memory.  And these weren’t just 40 small verses like “Jesus wept” or “Pray continually” either.  These were verses like Isaiah 41:10, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you;  I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  or Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”  Can you imagine the impact of such verses on a young person?

Several months ago, Fred Buckley approached me with the idea of a Bible memory class and volunteered to lead it.   Like I said earlier, I was skeptical at first but after getting to know Fred and his passion for Bible memory; I felt like we needed to give it a shot.  For those of you who don’t know Fred, he is a man who has a heart for teenagers and seeks to challenge them with the power of the Word of God.  He would be the first to tell you that Bible memory is a discipline that takes a lot of hard work, especially for a man in his sixties.  But,  he says there are three keys to Bible memory:

1. review  2. review  and 3. review.

Both Fred and I are proud of the students who participated in the Memorize the Word class.  If you, as a parent, were able to see the benefit of your child memorizing the Bible, we would love to hear from you.  At first we were told that four verses each week was too much to expect from students but we believed that if we expected much, then much would be returned.  These students showed us how much that was true.

For this reason, starting January 8, Fred will teach a four-week course on how to share the gospel.  If you are a student and are interested, OR if you are a parent and would like to learn with your teen, please let me know so that we can get enough materials for you.  I’m looking forward to it!

Neil Bilyeu

Director of Student Ministries

• Junior high students are welcome to attend the church banquet on November 13.  Please make reservations by Sunday, November 6. You may sign up on either campus’ sharing sheet or send an email to cschultz@millcreek-kc.org with the total number of family members attending the banquet (and any childcare needs for birth through 6th grade.)
• No senior high Groups on November 13.
• On Friday, November 18, the junior high will have a game night at the McCoy campus from 7:00-10:00 p.m.
• On Wednesday, November 23, the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving, the junior high will not meet.
• On November 27, the senior high will not meet at McCoy.  Instead, each small group will meet individually for a group activity.  Please check with your teen’s Lifegroup leader for more information.

** Please pray that God would reveal himself to several students who are coming to ReaLife.  They know what God has done for them, but they just haven’t embraced His love for them yet.  Pray that God would tear down their walls of resistance.

Neil Bilyeu

Director of Student Ministries

That’s the idea behind the series How Things Work that begins this Sunday at McCoy. If we understand how the Christian life works…we’re more likely to hit all the markers.

We will talk about how spiritual growth works…how Bible reading is supposed to work…and how fellowship works. They all seem like basic ideas, but sometimes we are mistaken about what we think we’re seeing under the hood.

Get some clarity on how it all works. Join us this Sunday.

But do these attacks really mean that the church is not what it seems? That its influence has been bad over the years? That we would be better off without it?

This Sunday at McCoy I will look at this attack from the New Atheists and draw my review to a close.

The goal has not just been to vent. It has also been to help us see where the new atheistic flavor is taking religious discussion in our day and to arm ourselves…with both content and conviction…to accept the opportunities when they arise to talk about our faith.

On Sundays at our McCoy campus I am examining the basic claims behind the primary attacks of this group. This Sunday I look at the idea that Jesus’ moral teaching was flawed. And it’s not easy to do. The attacks come in snippet complaints–not in any one organized analysis of Jesus’ ethical teaching. But I have narrowed the complaints down to three basic claims. Join us Sunday to find out what they are–and what a response from a disciple of Jesus might look like.   –Pastor Gary

Jesus’ otherworldliness, harshness, demand of blind obedience, and vindictiveness are not only morally unacceptable but in conflict with the claim that he is morally perfect. Further, his extreme emphasis on purity of heart and language and humbleness is also objectionable. Moreover, his tacit approval of slavery and the unclarity of his teaching concerning other matters (for example, poverty) makes him an inappropriate ethical model.

Michael Martin, in his The Case Against Christianity

Oct. 16- Antagonism toward faith–is faith the problem?
Oct. 23- Antagonism toward Jesus–was Jesus morally flawed?
Oct. 30- Antagonism toward the Church–is the church a bad influence?

Through this series I will be interacting with atheist personalities like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens, and others. Why? Because they are so well heard. Because we will be hearing their ideas parroted back to us. Because our kids will be influenced by their ideas. Because believers of all ages will be confused by their ideas. I could go on…

Hope to see you Sunday!

–Pastor Gary

I can only imagine the horror and various cardiac effects these comments had on some of Perry’s entourage offstage.

So this has brought front-and-center the question about Mormonism and its relationship to the broader Protestant heritage in this country. Now—and for maybe a couple of weeks—it is going to be big news.

I don’t think that is a good thing.

It just highlights the “sectarian” feel of American Protestantism that the average person sees as divisive. Mormonism was born out of American Protestantism in the early 19th century. As far as the theologically uncritical eye of the standard American is concerned, the various Protestantisms are all largely the same thing. And they seem to just divide over the silliest things.

What they don’t realize is that this divide is bigger than silly. Mormonism diverges with historic (Protestant) Christianity in key issues of faith and identity that require serious attention.

So was Pastor Jeffress out of line?

I guess it’s all about audience. And it doesn’t seem that Pastor Jeffress realized who his was.

The word “cult” today has some pretty serious connotations. Evangelical Christians have used it in the past to identify religious movements with certain characteristics. These characteristics may be theological (e.g., rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity, having additional Scriptures) or sociological (e.g., led by a charismatic personality who claims to speak for God, etc.). If you put a set of those characteristics together in a single description—you probably have a “cult.”

Americans today really hate tag-lobbing. What Pastor Jeffress did really seems like tag-lobbing. You can forget the accuracy of the tag (“cult”), because he could not justify it in that setting. You can forget about any inappropriate images the tag “cult” might bring up, because he didn’t have time for all the disclaimers and clarifications needed. You can forget about dealing with theological subtleties, because there was no time for that and the audience was not familiar enough with the details. So it was really just tag lobbing.

Interestingly enough the tag “fundamentalist” is lobbed uncritically all the time at Evangelicals. And today that word carries with it some horrific images that are entirely inappropriate as a reference to evangelicals. But I guess that would be a separate article…

I know I will be asked, so I’ll be succinct: Pastor Jeffress did no one any favors with his comments. He didn’t help his favorite candidate who now will be sidetracked by endless drilling over issues of theology as he tries to address issues relevant to a race for the Presidency. He didn’t help the cause of Evangelicalism because he came off as a narrow, tag throwing preacher. He didn’t help the constantly confused issue of faith and politics because he had the audacity to suggest to Christians how they should vote. He didn’t help anyone who is trying to have an ongoing discussion about the Gospel with a Mormon friend. And he certainly didn’t help me, another Pastor who has to try to deal with confusions caused by Pastors who are asked to speak at political venues.

The technicalities and confusions among theological divides are difficult enough to deal with without throwing them into a forum where precision and detail and not welcome guests. Pastor Jeffress should have left the Mormon question completely alone. In my view it is irrelevant to who becomes President—and his bringing it up just fosters an ugly image of narrow Christians who can’t accept anyone but themselves in any context. Accurate or not—that’s how it looks.

The whole thing is unfortunate, in my view.

If I am ever asked to introduce a political candidate at a rally of some kind (yah, right), I hope one of our Elders will pull me aside and suggest that I cannot because I am “busy” that day.

I came across a book entitled Getting By on $100,000 a Year. The humor of that title probably had more of an affect back in 1981, the year it was published, in which $100,000 was more like $250,000 in today’s economy. But still, I’m sure there are a lot of people today who, like myself, would like to try to get by with $250K a year!  Just the thought of the possibility of such income lends one to wonder what could be done each year with that money–but isn’t that the tendency of everyone?

“What if I won the lottery”  or “What if some unknown great uncle dies and leaves me a fortune?”   Ever fancied such a thought and then go right into, ” I could pay off that debt, go on that vacation, build that deck or finish that basement, buy that car or buy that boat, go to that school or just live off the interest of the investment?”  I’ll be honest and admit to thinking such thoughts.  That seems to be a natural human tendency and an infallible human rule; spending expands to fill the income.

If you make more, you buy more, and the things you buy have to be stored and repaired and insured.  And most of the time, no thought is given to it.  I know I don’t give any time thinking about world cruises and $50,000 cars, but if I made $250,000  a year, pretty soon things like that wouldn’t seem any more strange to me than all the stuff I buy now–because I could afford it.  If this is true–if expenses almost inevitably expand to fill the income–how do we keep ourselves from accumulating more and more stuff and more and more expensive stuff?

I believe that a man by the name of Chuck Feeney is on to the secret.  He wears a $15 watch and does not own a house or a car, but few people would suspect that he has secretly donated more than $4 billion through a charitable organization he founded (Atlantic Philanthropies).  He was so secretive that his own business partner was not aware of the generosity he would leave.  Chuck’s charity operated on one main rule: that no one was ever to know his name.   In his biography, The Billionaire Who Wasn’t, Mr. Feeney said, “I had one idea that never changed in my mind—that you should use your wealth to help people.”

I am nowhere near where I should be when it comes to giving, but I know that this is the direction that I want to go.  I may not have much to give (especially not $4 billion) but I do want to grow in this area and I pray that the Lord will help me to learn to experience the joy that  comes from giving.

Proverbs 11:25

²⁵ A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Neil Bilyeu

Director of Student Ministries

You are cordially invited to attend an evening of pure enjoyment and entertainment.

When?: Sunday, October 9

Where?:  Mill Creek Community Church:  McCoy campus auditorium     8151 McCoy Rd Shawnee, KS 66227

What Time:  The show starts at 7:00 p.m. and ends around 8:30 p.m.

What to bring: Bring a friend!  Bring a friend of your friend!  But don’t forget to dress up as a TV celebrity.  All costumes will be judged and an award will be given to the best outfit!

What to expect:  We will have entertainment by those who sign up to show-case their talent.  We will have food to snack on while you listen.  We will have games to play and prizes to win as a table group!

What to do: If you are interested in performing your talent, please contact nbilyeu@millcreek-kc.org  by October 2.

Senior High  will meet every Sunday night in October.  Open Mic Night is on October 9th, and on October 30th we are having a bonfire.  Junior High Lifegroups will also meet every Wednesday night in October and will attend the worship night on Wednesday, October 12th.

What do we do in Student LifeGroups?

We play games.  We eat snacks.  We talk about God and share life together.  This is an excellent time for students to get to know each other in a large group and small group setting as well as learn something new about God.

Senior High LifeGroup meets on Sunday nights from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at McCoy campus.   The Junior High Lifegroup meets on Wednesday nights from 7:00-8:30 p.m. at the McCoy campus.

For more information about ReaLife LifeGroups, please visit our  Student Ministries page. ]]> http://www.mymillcreek.com/2011/10/junior-high-senior-high-lifegroups/feed/ 0 http://www.mymillcreek.com/2011/10/the-parent-link-newsletter-for-september-2011/ http://www.mymillcreek.com/2011/10/the-parent-link-newsletter-for-september-2011/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:00:03 +0000 NBilyeu http://www.mymillcreek.com/?p=2752

Please click here to read the October Parent Link Newsletter.  The Parent Link  Newsletter is a resource for you as a parent with advice to parents, questions for discussion, statistics concerning teens, as well as a music and movie analysis.  This month focuses on how parents can help kids use their words wisely. A detailed event calendar for October is also included.

This Sunday Mill Creek Elder Craig Nienaber continues this look at hard things God asks of us by offering a fresh look at this important issue.

Who knows…maybe it will help you see yourself in a whole new light.

Picture to right is of Nancy Whiteman serving in Honduras last year.

But if you are a believer…it is for you.

It is not just the occupation of the “professional” or the “cleric”–it is the description Jesus gave his disciples as he left the earth. We are to be witnesses to him.

But when? And how? And…how do you do it?

THAT is the stuff of this series. We will spend several weeks looking rather practically at how to share your faith. What you hear will be funny at times…challenging at time…and encouraging. The goal is to come away a little more like the disciple that Jesus intended us to be.

It starts this Sunday!

Q: At what point in witnessing to an unbelieving homosexual do we bring up the issue of homosexuality being a sin?

This is a very hard question. The answer may depend. For example, if the person asks before conversion, we have to answer their question. This discussion may give them pause about becoming a Christian. At that point they are “counting the cost” of what it means to be a disciple and this is a good thing. If this question or issue never comes up (unlikely today), should I bring it up? One the one hand, I don’t list all of the sins a person must abandon (in principle) to become a believer when sharing the Gospel. On the other hand, conversion involves repentance from sin. Conversion is not just the addition of new theological information about the person of Jesus Christ. It is a response to his Lordship. But it seems to me that this response happens at the individual, personal level…it is not administrated from the outside by a third party (like me). If I really believe that it is the Lord who will take care of the sin in the person’s life, then I can leave that to the Lord to deal with.[1] At conversion one settles with the issue of sin in principle. That issue is settled in practice over a lifetime and with the conviction of the Holy Spirit (Phil. 1:6). I suppose the bigger question is how we make sure when we are leading someone to Christ we make it clear that they are choosing him above all other allegiances—which is what it means to say he is “Lord.”[2]

Q: How do you help someone understand the need for repentance in the conversion experience?

This is related to the previous question. Of course someone considering becoming a Christian doesn’t know what “repentance” means. Where evangelism involves guiding a person to saving faith, we have to explain what it means. I think the core is the issue of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. When one repents, he/she turns from one allegiance in life to another. Our job is to get the potential convert to see Jesus not as the head of a religious system, but as Savior (the one who died for my sins) and Lord (the one who delivers me from my sins and deserves my allegiance). Before conversion my relationship to Jesus is defined by my sin. It is my sin that separated me from him in the first place. In the sense that he solves this problem his is Savior. The fact that he can solve this problem in the first place is because he is Lord (God). A convert must understand that the Jesus he is embracing has rights over my life (Lk. 6:46).[3] It is a monumental turning point in life.

I think the answer to the question is that as we explain who Jesus is and what it means to “come to him,” we are in fact defining true repentance.

Q: How does one respond to an old friend who claims to “still be a born again Christian”, but has “discovered that they are gay,” and now have a same-sex life style. When does this turn into a 1 Cor. 5 situation?

Another difficult situation. This question involves a confessing believer, and my response to someone who claims to be a believer would be quite different than to someone who does not claim to be a believer. The church is called to hold its members accountable for their actions. There is an interesting and important distinction here…we hold one another accountable for our actions…not our feelings or even our inclinations.[4] This is important to remind us that someone is not subject to church discipline because he or she has a homosexual struggle or inclination…but homosexual acts would be different. On the basis of the clear teachings of Scripture the church would be obliged to meet with the person in question and walk through a process to determine if he or she is willing to do what it takes to abandon any activities that are condemned in Scripture. If the person is unwilling, and simply rebellious, Paul’s admonitions in 1 Cor. 5 come into play (i.e., church discipline). But given the high level of theological propaganda that pervades today it may be that someone is simply confused about what Scripture teaches. This may involve a counseling/teaching process to clarify for the person what Scripture actually does teach. Ultimately we hold that the Scripture is clear enough to hold believers accountable to a clear standard for living. The goal of the church in this regard is to make it’s teaching clear to the membership and once they understand its precepts, to hold them accountable to them.

[2] This is the significance of the title “Lord.” Some have tried to limit this word to just mean “God” without the implication of Christ’s authority. But this distinction is artificial. In what sense is Jesus God if he does not have inherent authority?

[3] I don’t want to overstate or understate this. This understanding is probably very basic…but there must be some sense that Jesus is more than just another religious personality. He must be one who deserves my allegiance, not because I chose to give it to him, but because of who he is (Jn. 8:24).

[4] Paul’s list of vices worthy of church discipline in 1 Cor. 5:9-13  is an interesting one. It includes the vice of “greed.” I take that to mean an inclination that has cached out in some kind of immoral action. The rest of the list includes vices of act: swindling, idolatry, sexual immorality, drunkenness, etc. Of course God judges the heart at that deeper level (its thoughts and inclinations), but we lack the ability to know a person’s motives and intentions (Prov. 21:2; Matt. 5:27-28).

Lucy got an allowance from Ricky. She called him “Sir.” She even acted afraid of him at times!

I love the old Lucy show…but it is a great peek into an old way of looking at the marital relationship. The Bible certainly does teach the concept of submission and headship within the marriage context…but is this what it should look like?

This Sunday we look at that very question. I guess the question could be stated this way…

“Is the Christian view of marriage hopelessly outdated?”

The Cringe series takes on issues we need to talk about but sometimes don’t because they can be…uncomforable for various reasons. This one is uncomfortable because opinions are all over the board on what it means. Join us Sunday as we try to sort it out and find the biblical standard for marriage.

This week at McCoy we continue our look at some of the hard things God asks of us. One of the defining qualities of our relationship to God is that we trust Him. But at times it seems really hard to do.

This Sunday we ask some of the tough questions about real trust. The kind that remains when things are tough.

In the “Hard Things” series we look at some of the challenging things God asks of us…

Believe (Sept. 18)
Trust (Sept 25)
Serve (Oct 2)
Worship (Oct 9)

Dustin was influenced by a missions trip. Niki was first impacted by a missions conference. Meghan was influenced by Dustin and Niki at a Mill Creek small group. Peter’s first thoughts about China came from a friend. And Kim’s influence came from meeting Peter. Distinct journeys, individual stories. Now one team.

We had a time of prayer for them in both services, inviting up all Elders present, and in the second service all of the team’s parents. Vergel Nelson and his wife were present in the service as well (he is praying in the photo). The Nelsons served for 38 years in Taiwan with TEAM.

Dustin and Niki headed out yesterday…going to spend some time with Niki’s family before going on to China. The rest of the team (Peter, Kim and Meghan) will leave on the 26th. As you can imagine the process is pretty exhausting. So let’s pray for them accordingly.

Our work is not done. But a significant piece is now under way. Remember to pray for Dustin, Niki, Jonas, Silas, Meghan, Kim, Peter, Jack, and Hudson.

Mill Creek’s China team will face a similar situation in Shenzhen, China this fall. Dustin and Niki, with their two sons, Jonas and new arrival Silas, will partner with Peter and Kim and their sons, Jack and Hudson, as well as Meghan to minister in the young city of over 13 million people. 

When the group leaves on Sept. 26, Dustin & Niki, who have been stateside for three months, will be returning to continue their work with unregistered churches in Shenzhen.  They’ll also be helping their teammates acclimate to the field.

During the first month of getting settled, the team will connect with other missionaries in the Pearl River area, then get to work learning the language. The teammates will be learning Mandarin during the next two years with a tutor. Peter has had Chinese before and hopes to be fluent enough to start formulating a business platform to reach young professionals in the city during his second year there.

“The business model is the ministry,” he said.

It’s a perfect marriage of connecting with people on a daily basis and sharing Christ in a relatable context, according to Peter.  Over time, he’s developed a network of business contacts.  In fact, he said his contacts in China are almost too many — he needs to narrow them down.  He’s anxious to begin sorting through the options.

Shenzhen provides a unique opportunity for business ministry as it was a Chinese experiment in free capitalism in the early 80s, Dustin said.  Because of this, ministry is less risky and the population of mostly young businessmen and businesswomen (the average age of its citizens is under 30 years old) is more open to the Gospel.  Peter said that since relationships are so important in Chinese culture, the upheaval the young professionals experience when moving to Shenzhen makes them more receptive to the gospel message. 

The Chinese in Shenzhen have no community outside of the workplace.  They work 60-80 hours a week to provide for family back home, and hopefully for themselves.  Thus, the goal of Mill Creek’s team is to reach them where they’re at and model for them what Christ looks like in daily life. 

 “And you can’t just do that on Sundays or once a week,” said Peter.

One church our missionaries have been working with meets inside a pizza shop.  Dubbed “The Pizza Church,” it was started by two sisters.  Although just seven or eight women attend, there are perks to the location.

“Fortunately, this is one of the only places you can get really good pizza in China,” said Dustin.

The Pizza Church is a result of two years of informal research Dustin did to find a way to reproduce churches quickly.  Using a “really basic, bare-bones” structure, churches can be started in a variety of settings, including businesses.  Dustin already has connections with companies where he’s been teaching English for the past couple years.

These simple churches are similar to Mill Creek’s LifeGroups, where fellowship includes worship (singing with a CD or a cappella —  they like karaoke), Bible study with rotating leaders, and group prayer.

“We’ll be doing more of this in next couple of years,” said Dustin. “We want to start a movement of reproducing churches.”

By laying the groundwork now, this model could be used in other parts of China, or even worldwide.  There are 500 language groups in China.  However, 300 still have no contact with the Gospel.  Because the city of Shenzhen attracts college graduates from all over China, all 57 language groups recognized by the government are represented in the city, and those graduates are connected with even more of the 300 unreached groups.

A commissioning service for the team will be held Sunday morning, September 11, at the Gleason campus.

by Karen Petterson

We’re excited about what God is doing in our church and we want to share it with you! All Mill Creek members and regular attendees are invited to join staff and elders for the Annual Business Meeting on September 28 at the McCoy campus, beginning at 7:00 p.m.  Elders and staff will review the past fiscal year and share their vision for the future. If you have questions, feel free to contact Linda McKeirnan at lmckeirnan@millcreek-kc.org or Jeff Stokes at jstokes@millcreek-kc.org.

Women’s Fall Retreat:  October 28-29, 2011

Ladies, join us for this year’s retreat: “Joy in the Journey” at Tall Oaks Conference Center in Linwood, KS. Mill Creek women will share the “joy” Christ provides in our journey of life. Look for more information coming September 18!

Vision 20/20 Celebration Banquet – November 13

Mark your calendars for November 13 and plan to come for an evening of celebration and encouragement.  The banquet will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Overland Park Convention Center.

“I believe God wants to put my skills back to work at the BLF (Bibles and Literature in French) printing plant in Marpent, France. Having worked with BLF in 2003 and 2006, I will be able to adapt quickly to the culture and equipment which in turn will help get production back to full speed,” says Looney.

Originally planning to stay four years, Looney hopes to stay 12 months with support he’s received thus far.  “Money came in slow – almost stopped,” he said.  Then he received a call from the director of BLF in France who encouraged him to come over sooner for a shorter period of time.  They need him to begin remodeling the shipping department and office space.  Looney’s background in construction and cabinet building will help facilitate the remodel. 

He’ll also be assisting with Impression Teams.  These teams are made up of 6-8 people who come to France to work in the publishing house.  Impression Team members are able to see firsthand the impact of the gospel on the lives of French-speaking Europeans.

According to BLF’s website, BLF’s purpose “is to glorify God through providing Christian materials to meet the needs of Evangelism and Discipleship in the French-speaking world.”  Testimonies on the website provide a picture of just how far-reaching this ministry extends.  

From Bunagana-Kisoro, Uganda:

I greet you in the name of our Savior Christ Jesus. First, receive my warm greetings. The last time I received your two packages with the materials for Sunday School. Thank you very much. May God bless you. The children are happy and grasp the lesson and the illustrations. Now I have distributed them to the 10 churches in the area.  ~Anita

For Looney, two things remain:  prayer support for spiritual protection and additional funds. Mill Creek should be able to rise to the challenge.

by Karen Petterson

All games are played from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.  at Bonner Springs Community Center located at 200 East 3rd. The cost is $20 per person and you will need to complete a release form.  Call Ben Gum at 913-626-2552 if you have any questions.

Dave teaches the Worldviews course at Christ Preparatory Academy.

Next up at McCoy: “Hard things God asks of us.”

shawnee lenexa

There is much opportunity in a city of fourteen million people. Want to hear about it? Can’t imagine what it would be like to make the decision to move like our team has? Wonder what in the world they’re going to be doing?

Join us this Sunday and hear from the whole team. Your team.

But studying the record of the early church I have noticed something interesting: the church did not promote the church. It did not market itself at all. Not that the church was not promoting something…it just was not marketing itself.

Certainly people came into the church. Evidently people knew about the church—so it was “out there” and available for consideration in some way. But the program of the church was not one of self promotion. The contemporary concern of “neighborhood visibility” was not an issue…after all, the church met in homes. Churches did not self-brand with names, slogans, billboards, mission statements, and t-shirts to get the message out.

Nevertheless…the church had a message. And it promoted that message. The message was the Kingdom of God. The book of Acts begins with (1:5) and ends with (28:31) the promotion of the Kingdom. This was the core of the message of the church (Acts 8:12, 19:8, 20:25, etc).  To promote God’s Kingdom is to invite others to transfer their allegiance to the King. It is a personal and spiritual invitation.

The church is the mechanism for Kingdom promotion. But by promoting the church itself and making the church our message, we introduce a number of confusions. One of those confusions is that our job is just to bring people to church. More and more I am seeing that people think that inviting people to visit church is evangelism…but in Acts evangelism is the promotion of the Kingdom of God wherever the church (believers) may be. The church is how they stayed charged up and informed on how to do this work. The church was the training place, the point of accountability, the coaching program for the outworking of the project to promote God’s Kingdom. The church was not the message, King Jesus was the message.

Naturally I am not suggesting that church promotion is wrong. My concern is that the modern trend to promote the church may relieve the sense of personal burden in the individual believer to share Christ and promote His Kingdom. After all, if church promotion is a line-item in the budget, it must be taken care of. The confusion is that church promotion is somehow evangelism…and it is not.

By the way, this evangelistic enterprise in Scripture was not accomplished by crusades in stadiums, Christian movies, Christian novels, or even by evangelistic preaching on Sunday mornings in church! It was accomplished by the proclaiming of Jesus by the individual believer who is “prepared to give an answer” for the hope that lies within him (see Paul’s example, Acts 28:30-31).

Promoting the wrong thing may confuse evangelism. As awesome as Mill Creek Community Church is…it is not what I am called to promote. Mill Creek is not the Gospel. And it is not the Kingdom of God. If a person does not find Jesus Christ he will never want or understand the church.

You are the church, called to promote the Kingdom of God. Who have you shared King Jesus with lately?

The same goes for scripture memory.  Most phones have Bible apps that make finding Bible verses easy.  Most Sundays when I ask students to get their Bibles out to turn to a passage, there are at least a couple of them who get their phones out.  It’s just that easy to access–which can be good, but it also can be bad.

The Bible says in Psalms 119 that a young man can keep his way pure by living according the Word.  Then does it goes on to say, “Your Word have I hid in my i-phone that I might not sin against you”?  No, of course not.  We have to internalize the Word by hiding it in our hearts for us to be kept from sin.

Starting this month (September 11), I am giving students the opportunity to do just that–memorize the Word.  For ten weeks, students will be challenged to put to memory four verses a week for a total of 40 verses as part of a Memorize the Word class.  This class will be held in the ReaLife room at McCoy from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.  This is something I feel would benefit every student who gives it a try.   However, once the class begins, we will not add any more students.  They must commit to all ten weeks; for all forty verses.   If you would like your teenager to be a part of this class, please let me know by sending me an email.  Who knows, it may even challenge you to start internalizing the Word!

Neil Bilyeu

Student Ministries Director

This is not the place God desires for each of us– He calls his disciples to be generous givers (Matt. 19:21; Lk. 16:9, 12:33; 2 Cor. 8:7, 9:11; 1 Tim. 6:18-19).  As your pastors, our heart is that our people develop life DISCIPLINES that allow for the generous giving God intends of us:  Discipline to budget, discipline to communicate about a spending plan, discipline to examine our heart and materialistic tendencies, (wants vs. needs), discipline to track expenses, discipline to not covet, and discipline of praying for transformation of our heart.

How hard is the first discipline of budgeting ?  Studies show that 20% of families claim to have  a budget where they actually establish a spending plan.  Of this group, only half of them actually stay committed to the plan.

A disciple must be DISCIPLINED to give.  The act of giving demonstrates our growth in Christlikeness.  This will start with having a real plan for spending including our offering for the Lord.  If you lack the tools to start, consider joining the Ramsey FPU class starting Sept.12th.  Need accountability?   Reach out to someone in your Life Group or mentor and commit to meeting regularly and jointly hold yourself accountable in your spending and giving.

Bigger question…does all the busyness squeeze what you really think is important to the side? We all feel that tension. But there is another kind of busyness…the kind that we are drawn to that preoccupies us from things we should value first. So what should we value first?

Let’s talk about it. This Sunday at McCoy. 10:15 am.

Lenexa  Shawnee

Some Christians sound like they believe politics is the answer. Others sound like they think politics is God’s answer.

It is possible we confuse God’s Kingdom with human kingdoms. This Sunday we look at that very possibility and discuss the nature of those two kingdoms…and our place in each.

See you Sunday at Gleason. 8:45am and 10:30am.

We are buried in it. Any Google search may pull up a half of a million websites. A quick Google search on “Jesus” pulls up 670,000,000!

We can fill our minds with factoids, websites, opinions, and editorials about any subject. But what does the accumulation of information really accomplish in us? In fact…could knowledge-lust actually get in the way of personal spiritual growth?

This week we look at the potential challenges of an information saturated culture and ask that very question. The series of studies is called “Focus: laying aside the distractions of our day.”

See you at McCoy this Sunday.

But the Bible does speak to the issue. In fact, it seems to be a pretty big issue in throughout the Bible. So why don’t we talk about it much? That’s easy. Because someone or some church in the past drew some extra-biblical conclusions. But that is not a reason to stop talking about it…in fact, that is a reason to talk about it more! So this Sunday we will.

But I would like you to come prepared. So I have prepared a little article on the subject that will help set things up for you. You can read it in four parts by clicking here.

You can download a pdf of the article here.

See you Sunday!

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Aug. 28 Alcohol: how do we identify the boundaries of Christian liberty?

Sept. 4 Politics: are we confusing kingdoms?

Sept. 18 Homosexuality: how do we respond?

Sept. 25 Submission: is the Christian idea of marriage outdated?

Sure, it was—in some form (see part 2). But there is more to it than that. The Bible is full of negative references to wine as well, and those should not be just ignored by the loop-holers. Consider the following samples:

• Isa. 5:11-12  God’s judgment coming to Israel because she had more passion for drink than for God. They were more anxious to drink than to acknowledge God’s presence.
• Isa. 5:22   The same context, men became proud of their ability to drink and became noted for drinking—at the same time they ignored justice and mercy. How many “loud and proud” drinkers have you known who were spiritual powerhouses? These men were more interested in drink than in godly values and morals. God ties his judgment of Israel with her preoccupation with drink.
• Amos 6:6   Judgment is promised to those who “drink wine in bowls but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph (Israel).” Again drink is not itself judged, but the tendency of the drinker to use drink in place of spiritual values.
• Isa. 28:7  Condemned for prophets and priests who get drunk and stumble in giving judgment. Drink and leadership are often seen as incompatible in Scripture (Prov. 31:4; Isa. 56:10-12)
• Prov. 20:1  Both “wine” and “strong drink” have the potential to lead astray (to cause to sin). The one who is compromised by them is called a fool.
• Micah 2:11  Condemnation of a people who would prefer sermons about wine…again, the tendency of drink to obsess and sidetrack. Alcohol is seen as capable of impairing one’s ability to prioritize what is important or moral.
• There are horrible references of how alcohol removed helpful inhibitions and led to grotesque sin:
  • Noah’s sin, Gen. 9. It is unclear just what happened, but it was an inappropriateness involving Noah that was brought about by his drunkenness. This is the first use of the word “wine” in the Bible.
  • Lot’s two daughters, Gen. 19. The first mention of incest in the Bible was facilitated—actually made possible—by alcohol.
• Prov. 21:17; 23:21   The love of wine seen as an indicator of an unproductive life.
• Prov. 23:33  Wine impairs judgment in speech. This is a theme in Scripture. Drunkenness is always condemned because of the impairment of judgment it brings about.
• 1 Peter 4:2-3   Drunkenness is described as a part of a way of life before conversion…as a lifestyle opposed to the “will of God” (see also Eph. 5:18)
• 1 Tim. 3:3, 8  Paul does not use express words for drunkenness, but disqualifies men from leadership who are “alongside wine” or who are “given to much wine.”

So yes, the Bible does describe alcohol as a regular part of life…but it also describes it as a regular factor involved in the destruction of a productive life and at times in the judgment of God on His people.

Click here for final page of this article.

Perhaps, but remember, parts of the Bible range in age from 2,000 to 3,500 years ago. There is probably only limited correspondence between an item we know today and that same item 3,000 years in the past. For example, linens were no doubt quite different from what we wear today. Foods that “sound” the same in the text would have tasted very differently. The same is true for alcoholic beverages. The ancients frequently mention how wine should be diluted with water for appropriate use, to avoid its intoxicating effects.[2] Diluted how much? Here is a partial list of the instructions or descriptions we read from antiquity:

• Homer’s day: 20 parts water/1 part wine (Odyssey 9:209-209)
• Hesiod: 3 parts  water/1 part wine (750BC)
• Pliny: 8 parts water/1 part wine (Natural History 14:6-54)
• Hippocrates: 20 parts water/1 part wine (460-370BC)
• Aristophanes: 3 parts water/2 parts wine (448-380BC)
• Alexis:  4 parts water/1 part wine (294-275BC)

The point is that one cannot assume the wine in Bible times is the same as wine today simply because the contemporary word “wine” occurs in the Bible.

Click here to go to the next page of this article.

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[2] Mnesitheus of Athens, 4th cent BC physician, wrote

The gods have revealed wine to mortals, to be the greatest blessing for those who use it aright, but for those who use it without measure, the reverse. For it gives food to them that take it and strength in mind and body. In medicine it is most beneficial; it can be mixed with liquid and drugs and it brings aid to the wounded. In daily intercourse, to those who mix and drink it moderately, it gives good cheer; but if you overstep the bounds, it brings violence. Mix it half and half, and you get madness; unmixed, bodily collapse.  (quoted by Oribasius and Athenaeus)

This article is a “lead up” to the kickoff of our “Cringe” series at Gleason. The series starts August 28 with a message about the Christian and alcohol. We hope you will read this and join us that Sunday!

Why this article?

 I am writing this article in preparation for an upcoming sermon in our “Cringe” series. Why? First, because there is so much to say about this subject that a 35 minute sermon will not even begin to scratch the surface. Second, I hope you will scan this article and ask related questions (online or face to face!).

Why the topic?

As a Pastor, I have found that Christians tend to fall into two distinct camps on this issue. First there is the loop-holer: a person who sees biblical teaching through the desire to do what they want to do in the first place. Second, there is the legalist: a person who sees biblical teaching through their desire to have others conform to their own personal convictions. Both of these are unhealthy. Churches have become so afraid of the latter that the topic is left untreated, and believers fall comfortably into one of the unjustifiable categories.

Another reason this topic is important is because it is so deadly. It is estimated that alcohol is responsible for 75,000-100,000 deaths each year in the US. The AIDS epidemic takes only 18,000 a year in the US. Among college students (18-24 years old), 1,400 will die this year in alcohol-related incidents; 600,000 will be assaulted by another student; 500,000 will be injured; 400,000 will have unprotected sex; 110,000 will be arrested for alcohol-related violations; and 70,000 will be assaulted sexually.[1] The problem is massive. How can the church not address this kind of issue?

The Bottom Line.

Honestly, I know what most people want to know when they read something like this (for those who will!): “Is Pastor Gary going to tell me I shouldn’t drink?” Let me fast forward…no. But don’t fail to read the rest, because that is not actually the end of the story.

Click here to go to the next page of this article.

There is so much to say…so much to cover on this subject…that we want to sort of get things rolling with an article that I wrote the will set the tone for that Sunday. The article is in four parts…and the first page is found here.

I have to admit, too, that I avoided it for years myself, intimidated by how monumental the task seemed to get a handle on it.  Well, I’m done with that!  The Precepts classes studied Daniel last year — I was delighted to find how understandable so much of the Daniel prophecies are!  Therefore, onward: Revelation.  Precepts broke Revelation into 4 parts  — we completed part 1 this spring on chapters 1,2,3.  It was incredible — and totally digestible!  We are heading into part 2 in a couple of weeks.  Part 2 is titled “Unveiling the Book of Revelation.”

The introduction mentions that many people have attended a class or seminar on Revelation without ever knowing for themselves what it says.  The danger is not fully comprehending what is being taught due to a lack of familiarity with the text; that leads to a misunderstanding of the lesson or a failure to recognize errant teaching.  The writers of the study noted their goals in the introduction:  “a clear, thorough understanding of the content of Revelation. Our purpose is not to persuade you to believe what we believe but to help you gain your own thorough understanding of the content of the book of Revelation…We don’t intend to interpret Revelation for you or deliver it from a particular
theological point of view. Rather, our purpose is to help you become totally familiar with the book’s content so that you can discern for yourself.”  Having missed Part 1 is not a problem — Part 2 includes an overview of the first three chapters.

This class will be offered twice a week: Thursday nights at 7:00 PM and Friday mornings at 9:00 AM in the Gleason building, starting August 18 & 19.  We only have a few books left.  If you are interested, contact Charlie Caines, Jim Nickelson or Lisa Moose.  If you are unsure but curious, contact us and we can email you the first week’s lesson to preview.

Revelation is the only book in the Bible that begins and ends with the promise of a blessing to those who read, hear, and heed the words of its prophecy—a prophecy which must take place. Revelation also closes with the assurance that the words of this prophetic book are faithful and true.

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the
prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the
time is near (Revelation 1:3).

And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the
Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to
show to His bond-servants the things which must shortly take
place. “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds
the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:6-7).

Please prayerfully consider whether now might be the time to ditch the confusion and trade it in for your own understanding of the content of this book.

In Him — and hoping you’ll join us!
Lisa Moose

Contact information:
Charlie Caines   chacain@aol.com
Jim Nickelson    jnickelsen@kc.rr.com
Lisa Moose        emailmoose@aol.com

And leaders lead. They teach. The call of the church is to teach its members what it means to live “godly lives.” This week at Gleason we look at the kind of practical real instruction the church is supposed to engage in as a strategy to lead people to the kind of living that honors Christ.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age…”

Her article was prompted by the horrific attack by Anders Breivik on a camp of Norwegian youths that left scores of young people dead.

I agree that Christianity should step up and confess any inherent tendency to “tempt” people to violence or extreme behavior and become “lethal.” And history can certainly show individuals and movements who, in the name of Christianity, chose to do things that are entirely inconsistent with Christianity. I don’t know of any Christian thinkers or historians who deny this.

Of course it can also be said that some pretty monstrous things have been done in the name of secularist agendas as well: some estimate Soviet communism is responsible for as many as 60 million deaths, and Mao Zedong’s communism for 20 to 75 million. Should we also not conclude that these secularist movements “tempt” violent action of their followers since they acted in the name of their respective ideologies? Put another way, is someone’s mere claim to act on behalf of a movement enough to suggest that the movement tempts them to act a certain way?

Ms. Thistlethwaite makes an attempt to clarify the broad claim by identifying a few specific theological ideas that seem to be the source of the temptation to violent behavior. She is specifically writing about a “role played” by Christian theology and a “connection” she rebukes Christians for ignoring. Her short list is of “theological constructions that ‘tempt’ individuals and groups to violence.” Her list is short, and the items do not seem stated carefully, but I want to note just a couple of items on her list:

1. making supremacist claims that Christianity is the “only” truth
2. holding the related view that other religions are not merely wrong, but “evil” and “of the devil”
3. being highly selective in the use of biblical literalism, for example ignoring the justice claims of the prophets and using biblical texts that seem to justify violence

Since I feel like I either took a hit with this list, or that I was aimed at, I wish to respond briefly.

1. Making supremacist claims that Christianity is the “only” truth. I will just move past the use of loaded language like “supremacist.” Really professional. At least we didn’t get “nah nah nah nah nah.” But moving on…

The more important response is to note that there really is no one who claims that Christianity is the “only” truth. Maybe this explains the use of quote marks, I don’t know. Christianity does NOT claim to be the only source of truth, but it does claim to propose truth. It is not the claim of Christianity that Buddhists, for example, have no truth. It hardly follows from this that Christians believe that Buddhists have all truth!

It hardly follows that because Christianity claims to propose truth it believes that no one else holds truth, and it is unclear why the author thinks this is the case. It is true that Christians hold to certain truths, but I am only supposing that the author does this as well, or she would not have written such an impassioned article about her ideas, complete with words like “supremacist” to describe those who disagree with her.

It seems the author should adhere to the same standard to which she is holding the objects of her analysis. If believing that I am right about a thing makes me supremacist, she should not write her article in such a way that suggests she is right and others are wrong.

2. Holding the related view that other religions are not merely wrong, but “evil” and “of the devil.” I am guessing that the author is not so much bothered by belief in a devil or in evil, but in ascribing it to another view. I am also assuming that if a religion held views like those of Anders Breivik, Ms. Thistlethwaite would in fact hold those views to be evil, since his acts are the very ones she started out to explain and abhor in the first place.

The point is, it does not follow that because one believes a worldview or belief is “evil,” it must then be shot with a gun. The violent idea is the problem, not what one believes about the point of view.

I am guessing that there are some ideas and actions that Ms. Thistlethwaite genuinely believes to be evil. It might be torturing gay people, mutilating children for pleasure, destroying the environment, or oppressing women. And that is a good list of things that are certainly evil. But the point is—she doubtlessly thinks them to be evil. Just the same, I would never suggest that she is a risk of killing someone just because she holds the view that their actions are evil. This is a dangerous non-sequitur.

3. Being highly selective in the use of biblical literalism. This is perhaps the most frustrating in the list, and yet the most expected.

First, there is no evidence I am aware of as of this writing that Anders Breivik took any of his marching orders, literally or figuratively, from the Bible. He is quoted as writing in his manifesto that he is not really a religious person. He seems to use his “Christian” designation to differentiate himself from the Muslim world he sees as overtaking what has been historically a “Christian” Europe. So this discussion as it relates to the item that provoked the article is really irrelevant.

Ms. Thistlethwaite is not just wrong about her idea, but she seems to promote the very idea that will create hundreds more Anders Breiviks!

But, since we’re in the neighborhood, let me say something about the “literalism” matter. In the case of Anders Breivik, the best we could hope for would be that he would have held to a literalist interpretation of Scripture! Literalism would not afford a person like Breivik the opportunity to justify his actions by using the Bible, because the Bible does not literally tell anyone to do such a thing. The worst case would be a person who does not hold to literalism, because that person has the opportunity to “bend” the meaning of the text to apply to himself in a way that literalism would not afford. Ms. Thistlethwaite is not just wrong about her idea, but she seems to promote the very idea that will create hundreds more Anders Breiviks!

Think about it. Literalism includes the idea (among others) that the Biblical text had a particular meaning at a particular time in history for a particular audience. It includes the idea (a standard maxim among Evangelicals who have promoted such ideas for generations) that “the Bible was all written for me, but not all of it was written to me.”  Ideas competing with literalism may be open to any number of interpretations that put me center-stage. Isn’t this the very idea of reader-response theories…that the current context is the most important and perhaps only significant context?

I suggest that if Ms. Thistlethwaite had her way in demoting the use of biblical literalism, she would conceptually fuel an frightening supply of “temptations” limited only by the creativity of readers to see their name the text of their choice. Biblical literalism is the very project that stops this kind of thing.

I could continue to quibble with the way Ms. Thistlethwaite worded the final three items on her list, though I have to admit agreeing with her to a degree on those items. In my estimation, her first three items demonstrate a confusion about Christianity, and her last three are not items that describe Christianity in the first place and are irrelevant to the discussion.

All in all I find hers a confused list, and she does not sell me on the idea that Christian theology “tempted” Anders Breivik to do anything.

Especially since he seems to say the same thing.

The whole family will return to China along with Mill Creekers Peter, Kim and Meghan.  It is awesome that we have the opportunity to send a team back!

Dustin will be sharing what he and Niki have been up to with an update at our Gleason campus on August 21st. The entire China team will be present for a special commissioning service on September 11th, at the McCoy campus.

It wasn’t complete. There was no leadership. There were some oddball personalities teaching things that “ought not be taught.” The church had gotten off the ground…but it needed real help.

Titus’ work gives us an inside peek at what it means to bring a church into order. Often “church talk” today is about programs, programs, and, oh yah…more programs. It appears that Titus’ work had nothing to do with programs or marketing or building construction. It was about ordering a congregation to insure their healthy growth was on track.

This Sunday we look again at Titus’ instruction manual from Paul. Paul wrote Titus about the leadership of the church and how the church guides its people (Titus 1:1-9). We continue from there as Paul tells Titus that the church is sometimes challenged by false teaching and must offer correction when needed (Titus 1:10-16).

This Sunday we pick up where we left off (I didn’t quite finish last Sunday!).

Don’t miss a Sunday in this important series!

Paul encouraged Timothy to “fight the good fight” in his ministry. In order to do this Paul told him he would need faith and a good conscience. How does a good conscience help you be effective in ministry? How do you get a good conscience? Has a skewed conscience ever kept you from being all God intends you to be?

This Sunday we look at what Paul said was a key to “fighting the good fight.”

Just this last week, our Chicago team was challenged in the same way.  We were dropped off at Grant Park in downtown Chicago, near Lake Michigan and told to start conversations with total strangers.  We didn’t want to back down from the challenge; so our team of seven people circled up and prayed for God to lead us to the right people.  I’ll be honest and say that it was tough for our team members to start conversations with people, but we never gave up even though it was well into the upper 90’s.

By the end of our time in the park, a couple of people from our team met a homeless man named Tony right outside the Art Institute of Chicago.  Tony has been homeless for four years and was asking people for money so that he could buy something to eat.  We offered to take him to McDonald’s to get him a meal and he accepted.  While walking to McDonald’s, he asked where we were staying and what we were doing in Chicago.  We told him we were staying at a church and were there to share the love of Jesus with people.  At the mention of Jesus’ name, his eyes lit up and he said, “I believe in Jesus!  I can’t live a day on streets without him!”

On arriving to McDonald’s, a security guard came up to Tony and asked him to leave.  I told the guard that he was with us, but he directed Tony to stand out of the line and away from everyone else.  I was speechless and couldn’t believe what I was hearing.   Our team stood with him while I got him the meal.  I remember thinking, “This man is made in God’s image and shouldn’t have to be subjected to such treatment!”

After saying goodbye to Tony, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to spend a week or even a day in his shoes.  Many of the groups that had conversations with people in the park were blessed by the people they met.  I thanked God for the opportunity to talk with Tony and be stretched outside my comfort zone.

Sincerely,

Neil Bilyeu

Student Ministries Director

Do you have questions about Mill Creek? Here is a time for new attendees to meet our Teaching Pastor, Gary Pauley, and ask questions about our church. We’ll meet on Sunday, August 21 at 6:00 p.m. at the Gleason campus.

Childcare is available – please make reservations by calling the church at 913-441-4444 by August 15.  You may also sign up on Sunday on the Gleason sharing sheet.

Should the church  be more like a hospital, a school, a corner bar or a shopping mall?

Actually, that’s not for us to decide. But every model imaginable has been suggested.

Starting this Sunday, we return to the original blueprint, the New Testament, to see how we’re measuring up to the original idea. Paul left a protege, Titus to “set in order” what remained unfinished at the church on the island of Crete.

What kinds of things “complete” a church that is “lacking” (the word used in Titus 1:5)?

I hear all kinds of things. There is no end to the opinions people have about what makes a “really good church.” But our personal thoughts about the church do not always square with the values we read in the original blueprints of Scripture.

Sunday, July 31 at our Gleason campus we begin looking at Paul’s short letter to Titus to understand what he said about the church “set in order.”

“I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order…”

How does a mind justify that kind of killing…of youths…and hold on to the justification long enough to continue?

A clear case of a conscience gone wrong.

Most of us don’t struggle with these kinds of problems…but we do often suppress the screams of a conscience that we should listen to: we say the thing we know we shouldn’t; we exaggerate the truth for our own purposes; we even lie and steal. Then we justify it.

How does the believer guard his conscience? How does God work through our conscience? What is the difference between the conscience of a believer and an unbeliever?

The New Testament mentions the conscience 30 times. Paul told Timothy that a “good conscience” is necessary for effective Christian ministry (1 Tim. 1:18-19). How is your conscience? What do you do if you struggle with your conscience? How does it all work?

This new series begins Sunday, July 31 at our McCoy campus.

I don’t mean to be altruistic. I am not like those who think we just need to parrot the early church and everything will be better: meet only in homes, have only 12 people at a time (just like Jesus!), etc. It’s not about recreating the past…it’s about knowing that we haven’t allowed time to rob us of an essential.

We just seem to be a long way off from what was going on in the beginnings of the church. I think most of us sense that; we just have a hard time putting our finger on the important differences. There was no Sunday morning stage with a band, marketed-branded sermons or announcements. Actually, one of the few pieces the early church had in place that we do today is the weekly offering (1 Cor. 16:1-2)!

Of course that doesn’t mean those things are wrong. My concern isn’t that we do things differently (times change!), but that we allow cultural changes to replace what was important in the ancient church.

I was looking through the book of Acts this week. For some reason the phrase “they were all together” kept repeating in my head (Acts 2:44). It’s an unusual Greek phrase, and it occurs five times in Acts–three which refer specifically to believers gathered. It seems Luke (the writer of Acts) goes out of his way to make it clear that the believers were “together.” We might say “hanging together.” He says they were together in “one place” (Acts 2:1). In Acts 2:47 the Lord was daily adding those being saved to their “togetherness” (same phrase).

One of the features of the early church was a customary togetherness. They felt they belonged together. They were committed to one another. They cared for one another. In the context of persecution (soon to come), they relied on one another and watched over one another. I’m realizing this togetherness is not what the church did. It is what the church is.

There is more. Another phrase that describes a feature of the church is repeated in Acts is that they “gathered together.” In Acts four there are two gatherings: the gathering of those opposed to Jesus (Acts 4:27); and the gathering of Jesus followers praying for boldness in the face of persecution (Acts 4:31). In Acts chapter twelve believers were gathered at the “house of Mary” to pray for Peter after he had been taken into custody. In Acts chapter fourteen the church was gathered to hear a report of the first missionary venture (Acts 14:27). In chapter fifteen the congregation (of the church of Antioch) was gathered together to hear a letter from the Elders and Apostles read.

In those instances we see groups of associated believers gathered in homes or some location to pray or be instructed. None of those mentioned seem to have anything to do with the regular meeting on the “Lord’s day” (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10). They were together because there was some need, to be instructed or encouraged, or to support one another for survival in spiritually hostile conditions (Acts 14:21, 22).

My point? The early church could never have conceived of reducing their connectedness to one another to an hour a week. They were a part of an expanding movement, not just an audience. They were a lifeline for other believers who needed care, not just “church members.”

Of all the encroachments of modernity a busyness that keeps God’s people from simply being together may be the most devastating to the church.

This is because the church is not a production. It is not a performance, a university, a concert, a coffee house, a school, a club, or a corporation. It’s much more than any of those things. It is an organism of many living members who band together to ensure the faithfulness of each one. The relative isolation of the modern believer is an investment in the relative weakness of the church at large.

So what do we do? Factor in the value of fellowship. This is the whole reason for our LifeGroup ministry. Sunday isn’t enough…and it was never intended to be. It wasn’t enough for that early church when the commission was so fresh and the Spirit so present. And it is not enough today. We need each other. More specifically, someone needs you.

Find a LifeGroup. Be the church.

It sounds like a mixed bag: Scripture both affirms and condemns alcohol. So how do we draw lines? Given a degree of ambiguity, we are left with principles that can be sifted from the many references throughout Scripture. There is not one “silver bullet” reference that answers every question…but the principles we do have are very helpful.

• Poor thinking: don’t let anything “take away understanding” or “deceive” you. Alcohol is notorious for assuming too high a priority and squeezing out more important things. It can diminish balance and sensibleness (Hosea 4:11). Our transformation as believers centers on the mind (Rom. 12:1-2). This is not territory to be given to the enemy.
• Foolish behavior: anything that takes away inhibitions to sin must be avoided. The one who does not is the “fool” who is deceived by strong drink. It is why drunkenness is always condemned in Scripture. The believer is called to careful speech and a life above reproach (Titus 2:8)…to holiness “without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Alcohol has the capacity to work against these goals.
• Selfishness: personal liberties should not be given a primary place in ones values (Rom. 14:17). There are more important questions than “don’t I have the right?” This is the point of Paul’s comment that the Kingdom of God is not “eating and drinking.” If my personal liberty choices somehow diminish the causes of the Kingdom of God…I should rethink my choices.
• Idolatry: enslavement by substances should be avoided (1 Cor. 6:12). Paul wrote that we may have the “right” to do something, but if it becomes a master over me—it is a bad idea. This requires a degree of honesty…and maybe the input of others who would be more objective about the effect alcohol has had on you.
• Giving God glory in life is the first principle (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17; 1 Pet. 4:11). If my understanding is impaired, my judgment diminished, my priorities weakened…I am failing to live for the glory of God. 

Pastor Gary.

Be sure and join us on Sunday, August 28th as we discuss this topic in our series “Cringe: Things we don’t talk about but need to.“

Many believers are afraid of the enemy…as though they are defenseless before him. But that is not exactly what Scripture says about the subject. This Sunday, Mill Creek Pastor Craig Stout continues a series of study on genuine spiritual warfare…and spending time in Ephesians 6, he explores the defensive armor that God has given each believer.

The USC exists to to develop socially responsible Christian leaders. They model and teach urban youth to become dedicated followers of Jesus Christ while placing a high priority on education, family and community.

Chuck Allen has spoken to Mill Creek before. We have been challenged by his example through the work at USC and by the story of God’s leading in his life. Each week Mill Creek volunteers make their way into Kansas City, Kansas to serve in one capacity or another at Urban Scholastic. (Pictured to right is Mill Creeker Carrol Moore with USC student.) Mill Creek partners with The USC to help them achieve their vision to have “socially responsible Christian leaders permeate our urban community and the world; pursuing higher education, effectively leading their families, serving in the community and improving the way of life for all people.” Read more about The USC here.

We are pleased to have Chuck with us again this week at Mill Creek. Chuck’s sermon this Sunday will be titled

“Be Ready To Move!”

Due to a change in Joplin’s recovery process, Mill Creek will not be sending any more relief teams to Joplin at this time.  The Corps of Engineers will soon be coming to Joplin and no volunteers are allowed onsite during The Corps’ demolition of affected sites.  We are planning on being involved in the re-building process in Joplin – so stay tuned for updates and thank you to all who have volunteered!

Sincerely,

Jeff Stokes, Executive Pastor

Bring your family and your brown bag lunch and join us for a time of fellowship and connecting with each other. The 2nd Sundays lunch will begin at 12:15 p.m. at the McCoy campus (inside). We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions about this event, please feel free to contact Craig Nienaber at crnienaber@aol.com.

The spiritual world. Sometimes it all just seems like the silly stuff of cheesy horror movies. Other times it is frighteningly real.

Is it?

Unfortunately the subject of the spiritual world and the conflicts that come at the spiritual level have been so sensationalized and distorted that there is little clarity in churches on the subject.

In the new series at McCoy, “How to Meet the Enemy”, we will separate out what is real from what is speculation. The fact is, the Bible presents the spiritual realm as very real. It also addresses the issue of the believer’s experience with regard to the spiritual realm. Paul paints quite a picture of it all…and using his words in Ephesians 6 we will explore the truth about what it means to meet our enemy.

July 3     Angels and Demons: An introduction to the Spiritual realm.
July 10   Know your adversary: standing against the schemes of the enemy.
July 17   Know your arsenal: taking up the armor of God.
July 24   Know your strategy: standing strong in the strength of the Lord.

So what was the purpose?  Well, we did camp to connect students to grow in Christ.  Sound familiar?  I know that is the mission of our church, but that basically summarizes why we did camp.  The whole purpose of camp was to challenge students in two main areas . . . to grow in their relationship with God and in their relationship with others–Connecting students to grow in Christ! If we didn’t do this, then by my evaluation, camp was a failure.

But wait, you might ask, how can we measure that?  Let me answer that by answering the following questions . . .  did anyone make a profession of faith?  Yes!  Did anyone recognize areas of their lives that needed to be changed?  Many times-yes!  Did anyone seek to be discipled after camp?  Even more-yes!  Have they met together yet in the week following camp?  Yes!  Isn’t that exciting?!  Absolutely!

I am so excited to see students not only wanting to get into the Word on their own, but also wanting to study the Word and pray with other students.  For example, this last year we had a guys accountability group (they call it “gag”) that would meet every Thursday.  They would meet for the purpose of encouraging and challenging one another to  grow in their relationship with God.  At camp, they challenged the younger guys to do the same, and just this last Thursday, that group met at Panera’s with more guys–the older guys leading the younger.  They had to split into two groups!  They might even have to start a third group!  That is exciting to me!

You see, God does not call us to live our lives as spiritual hermits or secluded saints.  We are meant to live our lives together–encouraging each other in our faith.  Hebrews 10:24-25 says it best, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Our students are starting to get this–connecting to grow in Christ.   We all need people in our lives to spur us on toward love and good deeds.   Do they challenge you to do the same?

Sincerely,

Neil Bilyeu

Student Ministries Director

Seems there were some people in the church in John’s day who were encouraging people to find confidence in a “secret knowledge” –claim some kind of special information or even “revelation” that could help one become a kind of spiritual insider.

There are other kinds of confidence that religions promote today. In some, your membership in the organization is your confidence. In others, your performance as a member is what gives you confidence. For many religions, confidence (if there is any) comes  through ritual.

John is teaching that confidence for the believer comes through his confession and character; he confesses Christ and lives the life of love that Christ modeled. The tandem affect of a clear confession and a transformed life is confidence that one is “born of God” (3:9, 4:7, 5:1), or “lives in the light” (1:7, 2:9) or “abides in Him” (2:6, 10, 14, 24, etc.).

Do you have spiritual confidence? Hear all about it from the pen of John this Sunday.

Please participate!  You will receive a complimentary 8 x 10 portrait and a copy of the directory.

You may also sign up online – click here to find a scheduling document.  Date tabs are at the bottom of the document. Fill in family name, number of family members in photograph and your phone number and email address.  Families with four or more members are asked to sign up for two consecutive time slots.  Each slot is 15 minutes.

Multi-generational families have the option to schedule a full family portrait after separate family photographs have been taken. To take advantage of this opportunity, sign up for an additional, consecutive time slot after all families have been photographed.

Hours for appointments @McCoy campus:

Tuesday – Friday     7/19 – 7/22   2:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. and

Saturday  7/23    9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

NEW! Additional date:

Saturday  7/30   10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

During your appointment, you will have your photograph taken and view your proofs all in one visit, saving time and effort.  An opportunity to purchase additional portraits is available and orders will be taken at the time of your photography appointment.

If you would like to serve during the appointment times, have a question or need to change your scheduled appointment time, please contact the church office at (913) 441-4444 or communications@millcreek-kc.org.   We look forward to having everyone participate.  So, get connected – our directory won’t be complete without you!

Please sign a release form, bring your own water and come ready to play. Cleats and shin guards are recommended. League play will start June 24 and the cost is $20 per person.   Contact Ben or Dawna Gum at gumbygang@aol.com if you have any questions.

We tend to look at these lives that are lived in the public eye (often with riches to boot) and envy them. But if anything, we ought to pause and consider that fame is a cruel disease for many of those who get caught in the pursuit of it. Celebrities rarely survive fame unscathed. And fame alone is very unsatisfying for many of those who seek it.

Maybe we should not look so much to the outward appearances of those playing the fame game. God taught this lesson in a unique way to the prophet/priest Samuel. In 1 Samuel 16, we have a record of God’s choice for a new king in Israel. He sends Samuel to Bethlehem, to the household of Jesse, and informs him that one of Jesse’s sons will be the new king. This was an interesting moment because Jesse had 8 fine sons. When Samuel sees the oldest, Eliab,he is impressed with him. He was tall, articulate, and handsome… just what you need in a king! But God warned Samuel that there was more to the picture: But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Ultimately God would choose the youngest of Jesse’s sons, David – a mere shepherd boy, to be the next king of Israel. And he did so not just on the basis of anything outward. This was a humble shepherd boy. God chose him because David was a man after God’s own heart. That is something no level of fame or fortune can achieve for you. But it is the most important thing.

This coming Sunday at the McCoy campus, we are going to be looking at the “Idol of Fame” and the problem of celebrity. We’ll look at how Jesus handled a celebrity that came to talk with Him. And hopefully, we will be able to balance out our own tendencies to be impressed more with outward achievements than with the place that God values most: the heart.

Discerning truth from error makes us queasy. Maybe it conjures up a picture of a cranky theologian shaking a bony finger at those he disagrees with…which happens to be everyone.

As ugly as that picture is, John calls the church to “test” the spirits…to analyze them for the purpose of determining whether they are from God or not. This call to discriminate is an act of discernment within the church…and it suggests that there are wrong turns, wrong directions, wrong ideas that can infiltrate church ministries.

Last Sunday I suggested reasons why even Evangelicals shy away from discernment in the church today and offered reasons why discernment is important to everything we are.

This coming Sunday we will walk through the passage piece by piece as John details what discernment in the church should look like…

He issues a command to discern (1a)
He gives a rationale for discernment (1b)
He gives criteria for discernment (2-3)
He suggests the perspective for effective discerning (4-6)

See you Sunday!  1 John 4:1-6

Pastor Gary

Make sure your parents register you (and your brothers and sisters – yes, really) by Monday, June 13.  Your parents can click here for a .pdf version of the registration form.  The completed form may be turned in at either the Gleason Welcome Center or the McCoy Cafe or to Sue Johnsson, Children’s Ministries Director.

Come join us for a week of adventure!

Before you get all nostalgic and wishing for the days when the songs we sing in church were good…that’s not necessarily all true. Some of those songs were, well, just not so good. Of course, some of them were magnificent.

Someone said something this week to make me think of one of the hymns that I put into the “battle-cry” category. You know the ones, the kind that say we’re soldiers and we’re going to march forth and conquer as we “shout a loud hosanna.” One thinks first of “Onward Christian Soldiers,” but there were many more.

To be sure, the battle and soldier metaphor for the Christian life comes right off the pages of Scripture. No doubt. But the surge of “battle-cry hymns” ushered out of the days of Fundamentalism–days that saw the Christian life as primarily a battle between Bible believers and Bible rejectors. I remember one hymn that had the line, “Hold the fort for I am coming, Jesus signals still, wave the answer back to heaven ‘by thy grace, we will.’” In church services  we were told to wave our Bibles in the air as we sang that last line. I cringed then…and cringe now.

I know of a missions agency that worked all throughout Mexico. Good people, good work they did. The original name of the agency was “Mexican Militant Missions.” Wow. As you can imagine, they ultimately changed it. As kids in church we sang every Sunday, “I may never march in the infantry…but I’m in the Lord’s army!” Fundamentalism really ran in those days with the military and war metaphor.

While many aspects of the metaphor work–like any metaphor–it can be pressed too far.

As I thought about it, this metaphor is only used for a specific purpose. Example: 2 Tim. 2:3. Paul refers to us as soldiers of Christ to talk about how natural it is for us to suffer as soldiers, and to indicate that soldiers have clear purpose to keep them preoccupied. On a few occasions Paul refers to his fellow workers as “fellow soldiers.” The purpose there is to point out the camaraderie among believers…the “band of brothers” experience we have together in a common purpose. That’s pretty much the extent of the metaphor in the New Testament.

The more pervasive metaphor is that of Kingdom. Nearly 120 mentions in the Gospels alone. It was the very subject of Jesus’ preaching (Matt. 4:17, 5:3, etc.). In this Kingdom picture, however, we are pictured as subjects in the Kingdom…not conquerors for it. In fact, any conquering is done by the King himself.  The subjects are meek. They mourn. They hunger and thirst. They are poor in spirit.

Whatever metaphor we choose to envision the Christian life, none should yield a bravado or some kind of machismo that makes us think of ourselves as spiritual Rambos. Nor should we see our work as just conquering or destroying an enemy. The military metaphor can serve a limited, focused purpose—but it can also be overused and give the wrong impression about the church, ministry, and evangelism. (Rick Joyner’s theology is so bizarre it would be hard to summarize…his book “Mobilizing the Army of God” is a good illustration of bad ways for us to talk about ourselves as the Church)

I am in one sense a soldier fighting in the battle of ideas for the cause of the Gospel. Those who serve with me are fellow soldiers. This picture for internal purposes communicates just fine. But I don’t want those outside the church to get the idea that my calling is to attack them or to just stand in opposition to them at every turn.

All metaphors fail at one point or another. I’ve heard the church called a hospital, a school, a factory, and a home. In some sense they are all true. And believers are in some sense “soldiers of the cross.”

I just wouldn’t put a tank on the logo.

Hope this finds you enjoying your summer!  Here are a few things you should know for the month of June . . .

Promotion Sunday is this Sunday–June 5.  This means all new 7th and 9th graders will promote to the junior high and senior high the first week of June.  For those of you who will have a new 7th grader this next school year, I am having a “Welcome to ReaLife!” meeting for parents on June 5 at 8:45am (first service) in the ReaLife room at the McCoy campus.  I would like to share the big picture of how we are trying to help you with the spiritual formation of the teens at Mill Creek.  Plus, I would like to answer any questions you may have to make the 7th grade year an easy transition for your family.

Senior High Lifegroups will continue to meet on Sunday nights (6:00-8:30 p.m.) throughout the summer–except on June 19 (which is Father’s Day and the day before camp).  Junior High Lifegroups will  meet on Wednesday nights  throughout the summer.  We will still meet at the same place and the same time (ReaLife Room at 7:00 p.m.) throughout the summer with the only exception being June 22 (which is during Camp Amplify).

Also, please click here for the June ParentLink letter.  There’s good information about dating relationships and it includes the Student Ministries calendar.

Sincerely,

Neil Bilyeu

Student Ministries Director

Ever since the “self-esteem” movement got going in the mid-1960′s, American culture has been highly influenced by the teaching that personal happiness is achieved by “me feeling good about myself”. Psychologists call it self-actualization. Really, it is self-idolatry. Sadly, in the past thirty years, many within the church have assumed the similar conclusions about the Christian faith.

This week at the McCoy campus, I am kicking off a new preaching series entitled “Modern Idols”. This Sunday we are going to examine this whole self-driven psychology by biblical standards. We will be looking at Philippians 2:3-8, where we are given insight into what Jesus thought about Himself. I believe it will give us insight into a proper way to view ourselves, our world, and the relationships God calls us into for the sake of being more like Christ. In preparation for this time, I have created a little Facebook poll. Just head on over to www.facebook.com/trout.dude.martyif you’d like to take it. It is meant to root out any “self-driven” activity you might have done on Facebook. But don’t worry: I will share the results anonymously! After all, I like myself too much already!

- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

Thanks to all of you who have bought supplies per our original request.  We will be delivering these supplies to the resource center in Joplin.

The latest request from our contact in Joplin (Christ Church of Oronogo) is that we mobilize teams of people who desire to assist with clean up and eventual reconstruction.  If you have an interest in leading a team or going with others to Joplin to serve (must be team of 2 minimum), please contact me by email (jstokes@millcreek-kc.org).  I should have more details in next day or two about next steps and available dates.

Pray about how you and your family can demonstrate Christ in this most tangible way.

Next Sunday, June 5th, we will begin a new Discipleship Institute class entitled “Making Room for Life”. It meets at the McCoy office commons area at 8:45am. The class is based on Randy Frazee’s 2003 book of the same name. I remember reading it not long after it came out and really getting convicted about the chaos I had created. The goal of the class is to examine our lives by scriptural priorities, pause, and maybe… just maybe… trade the chaos for a life that is living in a more connected community of Christian friends. I know that the tradeoff I have seen in my own life by applying scriptural principles to lifestyle choices is an increase in the what the Bible calls “the joy of the Lord”. My goal is not to make this another chance for you to hear me talk! Instead, look forward to interacting and talking together as I lead us in some scriptural examination and personal reflection.

During the next four weeks we will examine how God created us for connected relationships. We will look at how our lifestyles may get in the way of that. We will look at scriptural insights for making choices that can give us the kind of life we long for. It is about priorities… but much more than that. It is about finding the kind of life that Jesus said He came to give “more abundantly”.

You can sign up in the sharing sheet this Sunday or on-line at www.mymillcreek.com.

May 29th at Mill Creek

What a surprise. It didn’t happen.

And what a surprise…the event has been postponed 5 months. Sort of. I guess I haven’t taken the time to sort out Camping’s eschatological mess…but evidently he holds to some kind of post-tribulational form of eschatology: believers will go through a tribulation period and then destruction will come. I say this because Camping is now saying that the destruction of the world will come in October. Honestly, if I have to read much more of this stuff that will be my prayer.

If anyone doesn’t know about this…radio personality Harold Camping predicted the end of the world for last Saturday. On Sunday he announced that Christ did in fact come in judgment…invisibly. Sound familiar? Yes…same tactic the Jehovah’s Witnesses took when their prediction failed.

The fallout of all of this?

1. Embarrassment to Evangelicals. A massive number of Evangelicals have been dispensational in some way. Particularly the non-denominational kind of Evangelical. Dispensationalism is seldom treated fairly. But little wonder…those who promote it make it such an easy and inviting target for ridicule. The Campings of  the world are the best example. Movies depicting a simplistic “end times” perspective and the new literary genre “rapture-fiction” also make for great spoofing and ridicule. No, Evangelicals have done themselves no favors…and secularism is all too willing to pounce on it for all it is worth. We will be hearing about this for a long time. And it won’t be good.

2. Delayed closure. Camping has moved the “end” to October 21, 2011. Great. Yes, that means we have to live this all over again. I remember as a kid wondering how the whole return of Christ thing could come as such a surprise when it gets such widespread attention. Good question. It is really front and center…with all of the Christianese lingo and jargon front and center. My best guess is that for all our understanding of the book of Revelation…we are missing a lot of how things will really be.

3. Dismissing of Christian theology. Most people know nothing of “dispensationalism” or “covenantalism.” All they know is that there is a Christian worldview from the Bible roughly referred to as “theology.” Sadly, for the less informed…it is Christian theology that takes a hit. It is less credible, less worthy of acknowledging. It is something, to some degree, silly. It is true, many did this anyway. But now there is some reason to justify dismissing something so ludicrous. Can you imagine how useful something like this is in the hands of the “new atheists”?

4. A desire for greater care in handling end-times issues. Yes…this is a good one. It is at least a hope of mine. I am no end-times/prophecy specialist. And I think that is best. The “specialists” scare me. I guess we have to have them. Maybe Jesus’ words are apropos restated: “end-times buffs you have with you always.” Anyway, my hope is that the sting is so biting, the embarrassment so acute, that Evangelicals will be more careful in what they say, and how they apply, and how they interpret, and how they respond to current events. Let’s let God be sovereign over history and quit claiming to know his mind with such pinpoint accuracy.

Many of the youth who have come have lived in refugee tents all of their lives. Can you imagine moving from a refugee camp into downtown Kansas City, Kansas? The culture shock must be dizzying. Unfortunately, the culture they are thrown into offers some less than helpful choices. Unfortunately, gang life has a certain attraction among youth…a companionship this new young community is looking for.

What can we do? Our youth are joining forces with the people at Mission Adelante to connect with the students in the Bhutanese community. There have been a number of ministries going for adults and children among the Bhutanese, but not really anything among the youth. Jan Pauley has been meeting for a while with David Stetler of Mission Adelante to brainstorm what might be done and how Mill Creek could help. All the brainstorming is giving way to real action now…

Last Sunday night David met with 9 Mill Creek students who are interested in being a part of a new work among Bhutanese students. It will meet through the summer on Tuesday nights. Their mission: connect with Bhutanese students. It’s that simple. They are to get to know them and make friends. Another level of leadership (including some Mill Creekers) will be working to provide the structure of the meetings and programs…but part of the value is the simple connecting of Mill Creek peers with their counterparts in the Bhutanese community.

I watched this meeting as David explained this to our kids (pictured here). I watched their eyes light up as they heard him describe the simple call to meet and get to know others with the love of Christ. The fact is, our kids don’t need to go 1,000 or 500 miles away to make a difference and reach out to others. They have an amazing opportunity right here.

It is so cool to see them rise to the occasion.

This group is currently studying the book of Philippians - “Joy from a Prison Cell”.  There is no homework required for this particular study. Please contact the Woodell’s at drwooddell@gmail.com if you are interested in joining the group.  To see a complete list of Mill Creek LifeGroups, click here.

I have followed apologetics for some time. Apologetics in all its standard forms: classical, evidentialist, presuppositional, etc. I think they all have something to offer and enjoy reading the various claims and counter-arguments lobbed against Christianity.

But it seems to me there is a better ploy for attacking Christianity than arguing against it (though that ploy enjoys a sad effectiveness). Instead of offering devastating counter-punches to Christian truth-claims…one could just work at rendering Christianity irrelevant. How? By turning it into a freak show. It’s an old courtroom approach…eliminate testimony by casting doubt on its trustworthiness.

Sadly, some Evangelicals make this project all too easy. It seems some have just dedicated themselves to turning Christianity into a laughable carnival freak show that deserves no second look.

This has been a project in motion for a long, long time. Much–of course not all–of the charismatic movement has worked hard at this. The odd, convulsive character of religious ecstasy has become such a caricature of itself that secular media has become proficient at imitating and mocking it. Bizarre behaviors one can hardly believe are offered in the name of the people of Jesus Christ: barking in the spirit, laughing in the spirit, being slain in the spirit, etc. In many churches standard worship fare includes falling on the ground and convulsing to the point that blankets are thrown over women in dresses so they don’t expose themselves in the process. Pastors, driven by experience instead of theology, talk in detail about their own out of body experiences and specific, detailed revelations from the Lord. They predict events and prophecy…and no one says a word when the prophecies fail. Taken all together, pieces of the movement form a freak-show beyond my ability to invent. And they are irrelevant by reason of their foolishness.

Another player has been sounding off for the last 20 years or so, growing more and more bizarre by the year…Harold Camping. He has hit maximum pitch recently with his announcement that the Lord would return on May 21. I wish I could say that this kind of prediction has never happened before…but of course it has. There is a sad, frustrating history of confused or over-zealous preacher-types either setting dates or strongly implying them. Hal Lindsey never set an actual date in his Late, Great Planet Earth…but he felt strongly that the return of Christ could be in the 1980s. Edgar Whisenant published 88 Reasons the Rapture is in 1988–then updated in in 1989…then again in 1992, 1995…etc. (I was given one of his pamphlets at the time…I should have kept it!). The Jehovah’s Witnesses are a group that split off of mainstream evangelicalism. Their predictions include the years 1914, 1918, 1925, and 1942. The Children of God predicted Christ’s return in 1993. David Koresh’s Branch Davidian group predicted the end in 1995. Pastor John Hinkle of Christ Church in Los Angeles predicted the end to come in 1994; which he saw by way of a vision. And so on and so on. All of these groups are largely seen as irrelevant by reason of their foolishness.

And here we are again. Harold Camping is a radio personality (pictured right). He owns over 50 stations and is heard around the country. He began his prediction tirades a long time ago. His book Are You Ready? made the claim and offered various ways of showing that the Lord’s return would be in 1994. He offered a fallback…he admitted it could be 2011. And here we go. I am not aware of another fallback date. There are more than 6,000 billboards announcing the end. There is one by my house.

What am I doing on the 21st? Attending some graduation parties. Maybe working out. And I might check up on Harold to see if he offers any comments to explain the mess he has made.

He is irrelevant by way of his foolishness.

“It is not for you to know the times or the seasons…” (Acts 1:7).

This week’s national headlines have been dominated by sexual sin. And this time it extends to international implications. From the IMF director, Dominique Strauss-Kahn being arrested for sexual assault, to outgoing California Governor and muscle movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger’s admission of an extra-marital affair with a housekeeper that resulted in a “secret child”, salacious rumors have dominated the news. It is clear that neither wealth nor power creates a stable personal life.

God’s design for marriage from the very beginning was for a monogamous man and woman to experience oneness (see Genesis 2:24-25). Marriage is true community in intimacy. It is designed to create the community of family. These form the building blocks of society. It is no secret that this design has always been eroding with the effects of sin. It just seems that in many ways, post-modern culture just no longer cares about the erosion. Recent movies such as “Hall Pass” try to turn it into box-office profit.

One of the fascinating aspects of the sad situation with Arnold and Maria, is the way in which it has played out through social networking. We have tweets from immediate family members being “interpreted” by news pundits. Unfortunately, some of these family members are teenagers being put through the public scrutiny of the internet. They are broken by their dad’s affair, and we all get to read about the pain. This is not the kind of experience we should wish on anyone, let alone dissect feelings ad infinitum.

This week at Gleason we will continue our “Shipwrecked” series, analyzing the ways in which sexual sin can destroy Christian testimony. We will have the chance to look very carefully at what Jesus says on the subject. We will also have the chance to understand the tragic consequences through anonymous stories that illustrate the dangers. The good news is that the gospel can counteract and bring healing to even the most difficult traumas associated with sexual sin. And that is the thing that is most encouraging about this difficult topic: God’s grace provides a means for healing as well as the means to navigate away from the soul and body damaging destruction of sexual sin. God’s design for marriage provides a clear path to avoid this shipwreck of home. And that is well worth understanding, uplifting, and celebrating!

- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

Kevin Gabriel spoke last week about the true Jesus of the Bible. Of course the identity of Jesus is of paramount importance to the believer…it is what makes Christianity Christian. But, one might ask, “I already believe this…why take the time to survey the biblical case?” Good question. Let me suggest several reasons this is important…

1. Most faiths give Jesus either a purely human or a generally mystical identity. In Islam, Jesus is a prophet…whose work had to be picked up and finished by Mohammad. In Buddhism, Jesus is a spirit guide–someone who voluntarily gave up nirvana for a time to help others achieve Buddha consciousness. In Judaism, Jesus is a confused man with a Messiah complex. In atheism, Jesus is just a guy…and the reports of his deity are exaggerated or invented. The fact is you will always be running into people with another view of Jesus.
2. Jesus’ claims to deity are constantly under attack in the media and by theological liberalism. Whole streams of theology represented in mainline churches that claim to be Christian reject the idea of Jesus’ deity. You will not only hear objections to this idea from non-Christians and other world religions…you will hear them from those who claim the name Christ. And the fact is that if you have a biblical Christology (understanding of who Christ is)–but you do not know why–you are easy prey for false teachers and religious groups. And if you should not fall for their falsehood…you may become exasperated by the controversy. I say this not because I think you are personally weak…but because I have seen it happen over and over and over again.
3. A failure to understand this is a failure to embrace Jesus’ message and a failure to sync with the Christian faith. A person might really appreciate Jesus…see him as a positive teacher of self-sacrifice. They may see him as a good personal role model. They may see him as an unusual and powerful mystic. But none of this makes a person a Christian. In fact, it is likely that millions hold such ideas but fall short of genuine faith in Christ. Because the message of Jesus is more than one of self-sacrifice and giving and love. It is that the Father is communicating  to lost man by way of His Son. To miss this is to miss Christianity.
4. A failure to understand this makes it impossible to truly evangelize or lead others to Jesus. A non-divine Jesus is an alternate Christ identity. If you were to claim to know me but said that I was a 6 foot architect from Toledo, I would simply reply that you do not, in fact, know me at all. You’ve made up an alternate me. The same is true of Jesus Christ. His identity is not a free floating property we are free to invent for our own purposes. He is who He is…and if one misses that, one misses Christ. When we share Him with others, if we are not sharing the Christ who really is…we are promoting an alternate Jesus.

So in short, this subject is vital if…

1. You want to stay true to Jesus in the face of alternate Jesus-versions found all over the world
2. You want to be unaffected by the constant and motivated alternate Jesus-versions promoted in popular media
3. You want be sure of your own relationship with Christ
4. You want to be able to obey Christ by sharing him with others

Outside of that, I guess it’s not important. Hehe.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Gary

Adult LifeGroups

A LifeGroup is a small group of adults who meet for the purposes of Christian growth and fellowship in the context of healthy relationships. They serve as the main ministry that connects believers together at Mill Creek.  We believe when LifeGroups meet, all the important aspects of the New Testament church life come together in a personally compelling way. Click here to learn more…

Discipleship Institute

Through Mill Creek’s Discipleship Institute, we can help believers to grow in Christ. Read more…

Are you ready to put Jesus in His place?

What place does Jesus have in your life? How does the secular world view Jesus? What place have they reserved for Him? This Sunday, May 15, you will have the opportunity to hear the answers to these questions and more as McCoy Teaching Leader, Kevin Gabriel begins a new series, Putting Jesus in His Place.

I had the opportunity to talk with Kevin about what he hopes people will gain from the new teaching series and what God is doing in his and his family’s life.

Kevin told me that his family is experiencing a lot of transition.  His wife, Kathleene returned to nursing school in January of this year. And their 3 children are all in different schools from college down to junior high.  They’ve also experienced extended family events such as Kevin’s nephew being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and their newly-wed niece whose husband was killed by a drunk driver.

I asked Kevin what verse(s) had been on his heart and he shared that through all these changes and challenges, Exodus 2:23-24, where God is concerned with the Israelites in slavery, kept recurring to him.  Kevin said, “Even though I don’t know why this [event or trauma] is happening, God hears, God remembers and God sees.  This has been a source of encouragement for our family.”

Kevin also shared, “When we have a God like that how can we not put His son in His correct place?  The entire New Testament holds Jesus in the highest place – the same position as God.”  Kevin will focus on the following areas to help determine what Jesus’ place is: 1.  H – holds the same place as God, 2. A – His attributes, 3.  N – the names of God, 4. D – the deeds that Jesus performed, and 5.  S – the seat of authority.

After this series, Kevin is praying that people will have put Jesus in His proper place in their hearts and their lives.  He stated, “Where we position Christ has an enormous impact on how we worship Him and share Him with others.”

Join us this Sunday at the McCoy campus for this thought provoking and encouraging series!

If you have questions about the proposed budget (to be voted on at the Business meeting), please join elders and staff for a Budget Question and Answer time on Wednesday, May 25.  This session will also be at the McCoy campus and begins at 7:00 p.m.

Also, if you would like to a copy of the 1st Quarter 2011 church financial information, please click here.

Advice and Aid Baby Bottle Drive  - $2,318.12

Funds for Student Ministries Chicago Mission Trip – $103.50

Donations to the church’s Benevolence Fund -  $2,733.  This fund has recently helped an unemployed family with utilities and food.

That is still true today. This Sunday at Gleason we will be continuing the series “Shipwrecked”, focusing on the topic of “Addiction”. We will be focusing our attention on Ephesians 4 & 5, looking at some things to keep in minds when dealing with addictive sin. People who have struggled with addiction will tell you it is a circumstance they would never wish on anyone else. They are often judged as unreliable, and sadly are ignored by many Christians, or assigned to medical professionals under the false notion that their main issues are physiological. They may become master manipulators, hiding their deepest struggles until their world implodes around their addictive sin. We need to help them. We need to be there for them with Jesus.

The McCoy campus will have the privilege of hearing from Kevin Gabriel. He will kick off a new series there entitled: “Putting Jesus in His Place”. Kevin, his wife Kathleene, and their children Rachel, Christian, and Elijah have been attending Mill Creek for 4 months. They were members of Olathe Bible Church, in 1995, when Mill Creek began as a church plant of OBC. Kevin has degrees in accounting and finance and currently works as a Finance Manager at Sprint. During his tenure at Sprint, Kevin also graduated from Dallas Seminary. He moved to Kansas City and started a church where he served as pastor for 5 years. He loves to teach the Bible, fish, play golf, hunt pheasant, and read.

At both campuses we will also have the chance to hear from our own Carol Douglass with International Students Inc (ISI). She will be sharing with us a unique opportunity we will have to reach some of the world’s brightest internationals as they come to the Kansas City to study at campuses across the metro. This is a unique chance to serve the world as it comes to be our guest in America. You won’t want to miss the update on this vital ministry. It is a great way to impact a generation around the world with the gospel.

Camp Amplify registration are now due.  If you’ve been busy and forgotten to turn it in this last weekend, please turn it in this week.  Click here for more information.

Junior High Lifegroups will continue to meet on Wednesday nights this month and throughout the summer.  We will still meet at the same place and the same time (ReaLife Room at 7:00 p.m.) throughout the summer except on specific Wednesday nights such as June 22 (which is during Camp Amplify).

Promotion Sunday is June 5.  This means all new 7th and 9th graders will promote to the junior high and senior high the first week of June.  For those of you who will have a new 7th grader this next school year, I am having a “Welcome to ReaLife!” meeting for parents on June 5 at 8:45am (first service) in the ReaLife room at the McCoy campus.  I would like to share the big picture of how we are trying to help you with the spiritual formation of the teens at Mill Creek.  Plus, I would like to answer any questions you may have to make the 7th grade year an easy transition for your family.

Sincerely,

Neil Bilyeu

Student Ministries Director

The ReaLife Student Ministries will once again host Camp Amplify at the Woodland Acres Bible Camp in Green Forest, Arkansas.  This camp is for both junior high and senior high school students (grades 7-12).  Camp is an excellent opportunity for students to get outside their normal routine and environment.  Once away from all the distractions of life (Xbox, tv, movies, etc), they are then challenged to be sensitive to God’s leading in their lives.

Here are the details:

When: June 20-25, 2011

Where: Woodland Acres Bible Camp in Green Forest, AR

Time:   Meet at McCoy Monday, June 20, 2011 at 9:00 a.m.

Return to McCoy Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

Our focus: Knowing what you believe and why you believe it.

What to Bring: sleeping bag, pillow, toiletries, swimming suit (one piece please), towel, Bible, pen, lunch money for the way down and back, snack shop money, dark clothes for night games, flashlight, bug spray, sun tan lotion.  Click here for printable list.

Cost: $275 total  ($50 registration due now; $225 due by June 1) includes lodging, camp activities,  materials, transportation, entertainment and all the food you can eat (or at least until we run out).

Registration is available on ChurchLink or click here for Camp Amplify 2011 registration form.  A current and signed Student Ministries Medical Release for 2010-2011 is also required.

Other forms needed:  Rules form to be signed by parent and camper.  Liability form signed by parent.

You can email Dustin and Niki at: dustiniki@swissmail.org

You may give online here or write a check on Sunday (please mark it for the Benevolence Fund). Thank you for helping us help those in need within our church.

Scripture has plenty to say about how we should handle our time, talent and treasure.  Jesus had more to say about money than any other subject (over 2350 verses).  Why so much?  Because He knew that our heart follows our treasure (worldly or eternal perspective) and that our stewardship has profound eternal consequences.

A. W. Tozer once said, “what we need very badly these days is a company of Christians who are prepared to trust God as completely now as they know they must do in the last day. ”

Are you ready to trust God fully and become obedient to be generous?  Desire answers to practical questions such as, “How much saving is enough?,  Should I invest?,  How do I balance being generous today with enough for tomorrow?”

Starting this Sunday morning at 8:45 am at McCoy campus in the ReaLife room,  we will have a 4 week class on Generosity.  We will study the scriptural basis for generosity, hear personal testimonies, and wrestle through practical questions about obedience to being generous.   Come join us and be prepared to be challenged in your thinking about what the Mill Creek  community should look like as it relates to our generosity.

Have you ever known someone to spiritually shipwreck? Because of some event, poor choice, or disappointment…they just seem to walk away from the faith? What is going on when this happens? Can it be avoided? These questions are the subject matter of the series Shipwrecked. Pastor Martin Burch and Dave Wilkinson will address some of the issues that have led to this very kind of thing. The series starts this Sunday as Dave looks at the very idea of falling from faith...apostasy.

McCOY CAMPUS: Wounded Warriors.

The Bible is actually full of them…servants who carry all kinds of baggage that they feel weighs them down and keeps them from succeeding. And we are like them. We all have stories. Sometimes those stories are full of pain and struggle. But the stories in the Bible are not just about servants of God dragging their baggage around and living in defeat. They are stories of how God takes the wounds and the hurts and uses His servant’s total history for his own purposes. This two week series starts this Sunday with Bill Wilting of DeSoto Youth Ministries.

Coming soon to McCoy…

“Just who do you think you are?!” is the question we ask when we put people in their place, because we assume they are beneath us. But when we put Jesus in his place, the one question we need to ask is: “Who do you think he is?!” There are a lot of opinions about who Jesus is…does that mean that the Bible is unclear about it? To be a Christian means to have this question settled. In this series Kevin Gabriel will discuss who Jesus really is. Starts May 15th.

Eight words that explain the Gospel:

.

Atonement: the purpose in Jesus’ death  (3a)

If there was no resurrection, we would have no way to deal with our sin. Jesus died “for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:3; Gal. 1:4; 1 John 2:2). Not just to make a point about love. Not just to be an example of sacrifice…but for our sins. Atonement is a word in the Bible that describes God’s dealing with man’s sin.

Fulfillment: the plan in Jesus’ death.  (3b)

If there was no resurrection, Jesus’ life was no more than an unfortunate tragedy. Jesus’ resurrection was “according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3).  It was part of God’s plan, not the bad luck of a first century Jewish peasant. The Gospel is the story of God deliberately showing love by taking action to reach out to those who needed Him.

Resurrection: the power over death “buried…raised”  (4)

If there was no resurrection, Jesus would have failed in his mission. Jesus repeatedly told his followers he was going to die and raise again (Mark 8:31, 9:31, 10:33).  After all that, if his body just remained in a grave…he could hardly be seen as someone to follow. Instead, he would be the figure of a sad failure who promised crazy things he could not deliver. Without the resurrection the church has no savior.

Validation: the post-mortem appearances after Christ’s death. (6-11)

If there was no resurrection, Christianity would be hard to explain. Paul details those who saw Jesus after his resurrection…and includes himself in the lot. Some of the strangest attempts to explain the resurrection account of Jesus involve the claim that his followers had some kind of hallucinations. Evidently multiple, repeated, synchronous, group hallucinations (for a scholarly response, read here). The historic record of Jesus’ resurrection includes testimony that went unchallenged in the days following the beginnings of the Jesus movement.

Proclamation: the preaching of Christ’s death. (12-16)

If there was no resurrection, Christian preaching is empty. Some have tried to use the resurrection story as a “useful falsehood”–a kind of psychological prop for those who “need it.” They often argued that this is what religion is, the belief in a fantasy that helps you. Paul was a bit more practical and admitted that this would simply make them liars. At that point the preaching of the church and the faith of its members would be “useless.” Without the resurrection the church has no message.

Hope: the product of Christ’s death  (17-19)

If there was no resurrection, Christianity offers no hope. If Jesus did not raise from the dead when he said he would…and if our hope is in his power over death…the Christian message does not offer much hope. Without the resurrection the church has nothing to offer.

History:  the reality of the resurrection of Jesus (20)

Jesus did raise from the dead. Paul contrasts the previous scenarios with the reality of the risen Christ. Christ has in fact risen. Paul speaks of the certainty of a real event that his readers can relate to. There was no movement contradicting the Jesus story. Paul did not have to answer denials. Alternative accounts did not circulate until the generation of eyewitnesses all died off. Paul could simply state what was “in the news” at the time and appeal to the incredible testimony regarding an amazing Jesus who was no longer in the grave.

Rescue: the redemption of the resurrected Jesus (21-23)

Jesus victory over death is my victory over death…and my victory in this life. Jesus’ victory over death leads the way for a “new life” (v. 22) for those who find it in him. Jesus is the “first of a great harvest”–that is, he leads the way to resurrected life in his followers.

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ? Do you have the “new life” he makes possible? If you are not sure what it means to be a follower of Jesus…read here. Have more questions? Email a pastor at pastors@millcreek-kc.org

All the recent books about recent trends are detailing the recent trend among Christian youths with regard to homosexuality: they don’t see it as a big thing. They tend to think the church has over-focused on it. They accuse the church of being “judgmental” because of its stance (isn’t that judgmental?)

I agree that the ongoing conversation in the church has not always been…impressive. Themes have ranged from “I just don’t understand them” (why is that relevant?) to bumper-sticker quality sloganeering (“God didn’t create Adam and Steve”). Sometimes the language sounds infused with hatred and rejection. Often discussions are just casually dismissive. And it may be that our language has suggested that homosexuality is better categorized with genocide than with adultery. All things to admit and repair. Point taken. And regretted.

BUT…there is another side to this issue…

While a new generation of believers has the right to demand new balance of old overstatements and attitudes…there is more being called for than reparations and retractions. A growing number of next-gen believers are calling for a redefining of the Christian worldview around this subject.

It is clear that taking any kind of moralistic position against a homosexual lifestyle is going to be politically incorrect. It is going to be controversial. It is going to frustrate secular culture. It is going to anger some. Clearly true. But none of these things are acceptable reasons for altering the content of the Christian faith.

Christianity teaches that Jesus was who he said he was: God come to man. It further teaches that the record we have of Jesus is reliable and the rule for faith and practice. In that record, Jesus affirms the trustworthiness of the rest of the record that today we call the “Bible.”  That record defines Christianity. An idea does not become Christian because someone uses the word “Jesus” when speaking it. A worldview is not Christian just because someone says it is. What makes an idea or worldview Christian is its conformity with what Jesus taught and said–not what we teach and say.

So while the church of the past (and some of the present) needs to update and correct its approach to dealing with this issue…a new generation is going to have to address the other side of the issue as well: is my first commitment to Christianity and its teachings or to whatever will win me acceptance in culture? This is a huge, huge issue. I think that (within the church) it is the issue behind the issues.

The homosexuality issue is a thing in itself. I am saying that the issue of first commitment is the bigger issue. I’m sensing that many Christians today are betraying a first commitment to culture. Why do I say that? Because they speak with a passion and certitude about something the Bible speaks clearly to (like homosexuality), and when I ask them about the Scriptural position on the matter, they seem indifferent. Divide that up however you wish…it isn’t good. What I see written isn’t much better. To be sure there are a number of “gay theologians” out there attempting to defend this new idea…but their work is so inventive and does such violence to the text and hermeneutics it seems clear their first commitment lies outside of Scripture as well.

What does all this mean? Will future evangelicals embrace a new view of Scripture that doesn’t “hem them in” culturally? Will next generations of Christians be “forced” to push Scripture aside because of the pressure they feel to follow culture instead of Jesus? I hope not. It has certainly happened before.

Those churches are all closing now and selling their buildings…all a tribute to a kind of Christianity that shelved Scripture for what they considered to be more relevant.

My hope for the church of the future is that it’s first commitment will be to fearlessly model the teaching of Jesus. Regardless of the consequences.

What would it look like? Many have suggested that Jesus’ resurrection was a sort of psychic event in the minds of the distressed disciples. For them the Lord’s was just imagined…and the subsequent faith proposed by the twelve was built on a psychological house of straw. Our hope as Christians is in someone who failed to deliver on the one thing he told his disciples to expect…his own victory over death.

“In vain.”

What would a Christianity without a risen Christ be like? Paul actually addressed this question. He wrote that if Jesus were not raised from the dead, our faith is in vain. In vain. That’s how he characterized it. Worthless. Empty. Lies. Not a pretty picture.

On the other hand…if Christ did conquer death, everything changes.

The failure of Jesus beaten by death and politics is just an ugly picture. But the Lord who conquered death is the author of a faith of hope.

Join us this Easter as we celebrate the Lord of Life in our three worship services.

Gleason campus (8:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.); McCoy campus (10:15 a.m.)

Those are the words of Dan Smith as he shared what God has done moving his family to start a new ministry in the inner city. Eleos Ministries is a new vision that Dan is working hard to bring to pass to show the love of Christ among those in the urban core by Gospel driven acts of compassion. The word eleos is the standard Greek word in the New Testament behind our English word “mercy.”

Sensing the Lord’s call to do so, Dan and Wendy Smith sold their suburban home in Olathe and moved to the northeastern part of the city. Their move was just part of an overall ministry idea…to start a coffee house along Independence Ave. in KCMO and use it as a Gospel ministry opportunity for the many people there who are unlikely to darken the doors of a traditional church.

Last week Dan hosted an open house and invited a few friends to the location of the new coffee house (3402 Independence Ave.). It’s not a coffee house yet…it is partially gutted and getting prepped for the work that will transform it for its new purpose. Well a few friends came that night…about 90! The night began with praise and worship. It may have been a sound that Independence Ave. has not heard before. After a time of moving worship, Dan shared his story and vision for reaching the unreached of this part of town. He told stories of God working to bring the details together and provide for this new vision. He told stories of people he has already been able to connect with and minister to. He painted the picture of a neighborhood with serious need–and with profound opportunities for Kingdom work.

I think Dan really is outside his comfort zone. And loving it.

Have you ever moved outside of your comfort zone–done something for which you would have to rely on the empowering of the Holy Spirit? It might mean

…sharing Christ with a friend or coworker

…or volunteering at Mission Adelante or Urban Scholastic Center

…it might mean taking on a friendship partner with ISI…

maybe teaching a Mill Creek Sunday School class

…or it might mean helping out at the Eleos coffee house once it is up and running.

The best things happen when we’re stretched beyond our ability. It gives God a chance to take over where we come up short.

You don’t get out of your comfort zone much? You should try it. It’s amazing. Ask Dan.

Dan and his wife Wendy and their children (Isaac, Savannah, Sarah, Josiah) currently attend Mill Creek. Second service. Introduce yourself this Sunday!

Guilt is a condemning sensation in the heart that one is at fault…that one has done wrong.  John refers to it as our heart “condemning” us. Yah…that’s how it feels.

But John says that our hearts condemning us is not the important thing. There’s something bigger. Something more significant.

Got guilt? Join us this Sunday and hear more.

Your worldview is the combination of answers you have for life’s biggest questions: what is it to be alive? what is after this life? what is true? what is real? You know…the big stuff!

This Sunday Dave Wilkinson will be finishing up our student ministry’s “D-Now” weekend by speaking at our McCoy campus. No, it’s not just for students. Dave is going to explain why worldview is so important to every believer. Important big-picture stuff!

Dave teaches worldview at Christ Preparatory Academy.

Have you ever heard of a leader of some twisted religious movement–or even of some cult–where the leader claims to have some new teaching? It’s new alright…so new it’s heretical. There were some in the early church who had some new ideas…and John wanted to talk about these new ideas.

John calls on the believer to go back to what he originally heard about in Christ…about his love for others. That is what we heard from the beginning (1 John 3:11).

Be with us this Sunday at our Gleason Campus for part 2 of Living in Love (1 John 2:28 – 3:18).

This Sunday at our McCoy campus  we look at the issue of the believer’s speech and ask how biblical boundaries regulate speech that is pleasing to God…and unoffensive to those around me.

Secondly, wouldn’t it be great if every student in our church who graduated from high school knew how God has gifted them for service?  Not only that, but wouldn’t it be awesome if they had the desire to search for opportunities to use their gifts for God–expecting Him to do great things?  That is why we do things like Project Serve, Serve Day, VBS, missions trips, and other service opportunities–to give students the opportunities to find and use the gifts that God has given them for service.  If you would like to read more about our time with Project Serve, please click here.

Lastly, if are you interested in knowing other reasons why we what we do in the ReaLife Student Ministries, please click here.  There are five core things we want to instill into our students before they graduate.  Do you know what they are besides the one listed in the previous paragraph?

Sincerely,

Neil Bilyeu

Student Ministries Director

“People told Mark what he never saw, that we might hear what we’ve never heard”

See the happenings of then as though they were now.  As Mark an immediate journalist, compiles the facts of a story.  A story rich with truth, as inviting ot us today as it was to it’s first–century readers.  A story with an eternal message…

When:  April 17

Where: Mill Creek Community Church – Gleason Campus

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Cost:  Free

Who can come:  Anyone.  Families.  Friends.  Young and young at heart.

What is the foundation of your life?  Everyone chooses a  foundation to build their lives upon.  Whether or not that foundation is solid depends on a person’s worldview.  This weekend our students will be challenged to evaluate their foundation in light of different worldviews offered by today’s culture.  David Wilkinson will be our speaker and the band Last Place will lead us in worship.

Disciple Now is a retreat weekend held at our church.  Students stay at host homes on Friday and Saturday night.  If you are interested in serving as a Host Home to Mill Creek students, please contact Neil Bilyeu at nbilyeu@millcreek-kc.org.

Times: Meet in ReaLife room @McCoy at 6:00 p.m. on  April 15.  Pick up after church on April 17.

Cost: $35 due by April 3, 2011.  Registration is available through ChurchLink.  In addition to a current and signed Student Ministries Medical Form, students must complete two forms: 1. a Transportation Permission slip and 2.  Rules for DNow 2011.

The issues that exist in Chicago are more than just space and money; they are emotional and spiritual. We will  partner with a host of dynamic inner-city organizations that are bringing Christ to the homeless, the addicted, the abused, and those afflicted with AIDS.  Our team will have an opportunity to give themselves away to the locals in the community by participating in minor cleanup and repair projects, ministering through prayer walks, serving in local homeless shelters or food pantries, and taking part in children’s ministry outreach.

This is an excellent “level one” missions experience.  If a student has never been on a trip before, they will get to experience 1) what it’s like to work with a team, 2) how to be flexible and flow with whatever circumstances we face, 3) dependence on God, 4) getting out of their “Johnson County comfort zone”.  Because of this, we are offering it for both junior high and senior high.  Applications must be filled out and turned in to Neil Bilyeu by April 1.

Here are the details:

When: July  16-23, 2011

Where: Inner city of Chicago

Time:    Meet to leave from McCoy campus at 8:00 a.m. on July 16

Return to McCoy by 10:00 p.m.  on July 23.

Cost:    $525 total ($75 due by April 1st; $225 due by May 1st;  $225 due by June 1st)

Due to a limited number of spots available, students interested in the Chicago missions trip must complete an application form and return it to Neil Bilyeu by April 1.  A current and signed Student Ministries Medical Release form 2020-2011 must also be completed.

When?: May 1

Where?:  Mill Creek Community Church:  McCoy campus auditorium     8151 McCoy Rd Shawnee, KS 66227

What Time:  The show starts at 7:00 p.m. and ends around 8:30 p.m.

What to bring: Bring a friend!  Bring a friend of your friend!  But don’t forget to dress up as either a “hero” or “villain”.  All costumes will be judged and an award will be given to the best hero and villain outfit!

What to expect:  We will have entertainment by those who sign up to show-case their talent.  We will have food to snack on while you listen.  We will have games to play and prizes to win as a table group!

What to do: If you are interested in performing your talent, please contact nbilyeu@millcreek-kc.org  by April 24.

The Goal of the ReaLife Student Ministries

“The goal of the ReaLife Student Ministries is to help students become fully devoted followers of Christ.”

What does a fully devoted follower of Christ look like as a student?  A fully devoted follower of Christ . . .

1. Passionately seeks a daily relationship with God through the established habits of Bible reading and prayer.
2. Knows their worldview and how to defend it in the face of other worldviews.
3. Understands that they need friends who will encourage them in their relationship with Christ and seeks to be involved in a community of believers.
4. Desires to live a life that reflects the character and mission of Christ while seeking to fulfill their God-given calling to make disciples.
5. Knows how God has gifted them for service, searches for opportunities to be used by Him, and expects God to do great things.

Everything we do in the ReaLife Student Ministries falls into one of these five categories– from D-Now to Project Serve to Camp and to even Open Mic Night.  This is everything we want to instill in students by the time they graduate and go off to college.

Spring break is a time to relax and sleep in ’til noon. Right?  School is out for a week, so why not?    Not our Mill Creek teens!  About 50 students from our church decided to work instead.  For three days, we worked to help people all over the Kansas City area.

Monday got off to a slow start at Mission Adelante (pictured at right) because of the snow.  I know!  Snow!?  But that didn’t keep us from cleaning,organizing, and helping with a children’s afternoon outreach.   Instead of doing yard work, as we had planned, the Mission Adelante staff trained our students on their mission and why they are doing what they are doing.  Now, any of our students who would like to volunteer on a weekly basis are familiar with the ministry of Mission Adelante.  The highlight of the day was eating at an authentic Mexican restaurant while being entertained by a Spanish soap opera on TV.  Buueennnooo!!!

On Tuesday, our teens got to get out of their Johnson County culture by helping at Hope/Faith Ministries–a ministry to homeless people in downtown Kansas City.  Our group (pictured at left) was divided into four different teams that rotated throughout the day scrubbing pots and pans, serving food and coffee, cleaning offices, sorting through a mountain of donated clothes, and organizing a clothing store.  Some students played board games with people while others sat and talked to the clients of Hope/Faith.  One guy told a couple of our teens that he hadn’t had a conversation like that in a long time.  Serving coffee was a favorite task because of the conversations that took place.

On Wednesday, we were all over the place.  One group of about fifteen (pictured at right) helped at Mother’s Refuge–a home for  pregnant teens.  RobertZornes, the director of Mother’s Refuge said, ”Please convey to the group my thanks for their work.  You have a very nice group to work with and enjoyed them so much.  They got a lot of work done.”

Another group helped make raised gardens (photo below) at Hillcrest Transitional Housing–that helps homeless people get back on their feet again.  Scott Cooper of HTH said this of our group,

“I heard from Krysten that your team was awesome and that you accomplished a ton!  Thanks so much for the help!  The raised beds will help provide needy families in our community with their own home-grown fresh vegetables and the furniture will be either gifted to families in our program or be sold to help pay the utilities for families living in our program.

Thanks so much for making such a huge impact on your Spring Break!”

Other groups got to help different people in our church with various yard work and tasks around the house.  Ove and Sue Johnson had this to say about the teens that worked at their house:

“The ‘teams’ who came to our home did a wonderful job yesterday! We were so impressed with how hard everyone worked and so much was done!  What a wonderful ‘gift’ it was to us. It would have taken us so many hours long into summer to get all of that done!  ‘Thank You’ is not enough to say. We have never had someone do something like this for us before and your service will be long remembered!

God bless you all and praise the Lord for a beautiful day for your projects!”

Overall, Project Serve was exhausting, but it was a satisfying work that was fun to do with other people.  There is something about service that brings people together.  Plus, there is something about work that makes the rest of spring break more enjoyable.

Click here to view more pictures from Project Serve.

Admit

Admit your need. To accept Jesus means to accept him as Savior. The word means “deliver.” Jesus is for those who need delivering…who need a rescue. We all have that need. Our sinful condition makes a mess of things. It not only destroys relationships here on earth–but it stands in the way of a relationship with God.

Confess

Confess that you are a sinner and need Christ. Accepting Christ is an act of humility…no pride can be part of the transaction! We come to him in humility because we need him. We need him because without him we have no other way of dealing with the sin in us that keeps us from drawing near to God. Confess the sin…confess the need…

Trust

Trust in him. To accept Jesus is to acknowledge his death that was offered for us…and to trust him alone as the one who can rescue the soul. No others. Trust him alone.

There are no magic words–like an incantation–that magically turn someone into a believer. But the state of the heart is the one described here above.

“I admit my need…I confess my sin…I trust you alone.”

Simple. Profound. Final.

If you need to make this decision and still have questions, contact a Pastor at Mill Creek today. We would love to talk to you about your response to Jesus Christ. If you have already accepted Christ as Savior and Lord and wonder what is next…click here.

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A Christian affirms that Jesus is LORD.

Lord means that Jesus was more than a man. A Christian is someone who believes that Jesus was more than just human. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. He claimed to have existed before his own coming to earth. He claimed to be the fulfillment of hundreds of years of predictions (or “prophecies”). All of the miracles that Jesus performed–and his own resurrection–evidence the fact that he was not just another Jewish man. Believing that Jesus existed just make one a historian. Believing that his is Lord makes one a Christian.

A Christian affirms that Jesus is SAVIOR.

Savior means “deliverer” (what the name “Jesus” means in Hebrew). What does Jesus rescue us from? Our sin. It is our sin that threatens us and condemns us. It is a universal human condition that explains everything from personal greed to global war. But worse than our sin making life miserable now…our sin also separates us from God and threatens our spiritual condition and our eternal status. God does not embrace sinfulness…he judges it. Because we are sinners…we stand under the judgment of God.

Jesus took that judgment on the cross. He died in our place and for our sins. So he saves us from the condemnation and judgment that sin brings. A believer is someone who does not excuse his own sin, try to fix his own sin, deny his own sin…instead, he accepts the work of Jesus Christ to deal with his sin. It is why Jesus said he came.

What does it look like to respond to Jesus? Click here.

There is much to do! You’ve begun a journey into a new life as a disciple (follower) of Jesus. To keep moving in the right direction, we suggest the following…

1. Begin reading the manual. Of course, by this we mean the Bible. Does that seem overwhelming? Two suggestions. First, get a good, trustworthy, readable translation–like the New Living Translation (NLT–check it out here). It will make the experience very different! Second, take the Mill Creek course called “Basic.” This course explains how the Bible all fits together and breaks it down into pieces in a very simple way.
2. Memorize your first verse of Scripture. As soon as you become a believer…the enemy will attack. This often happens as an attack on your sense of security in Christ. Arm yourself. Be ready for the attack with Scripture in your mind that states clearly the assurance the believer has (examples: John 3:36, 5:24; 1 John 5:13).
3. Begin talking with God. By this, of course, we mean prayer! Make it simple. Keep it regular. Prayer is just talking with God. We talk to God to share our concerns with Him, to worship Him, and to make our requests to Him. It’s okay if it’s awkward at first…God listens to our hearts as much our words anyway!
4. Jumpstart your church family experience by public baptism. Baptism is the way Jesus taught his disciples to initiate others to become his followers. It is a way you can share your new faith with the rest of the church family…without having to give a speech! The baptism itself is like a one-act play…it pictures the end of your old life (without Christ) and the beginning of a new life in Christ. Contact a pastor if you would like to talk about being baptized at Mill Creek.
5. Deepen your church family experience by getting involved in a LifeGroup. LifeGroups are home groups that meet at different times through the week and in neighborhoods all around our church. Sunday mornings are great…but there is little time to really get to know people and share with one another. Believers are not meant to be islands. If you are to flourish spiritually, you will need to be surrounded by brothers and sisters who care about you! For more information on LifeGroups at Mill Creek…click here.
6. Learn how to serve and grow at Mill Creek by enrolling in a Discovery Class or our Intro to Discipleship and Service class. Click here to find out more information about classes that will help you plug in and grow at Mill Creek.

This Sunday will probably be more practical for believers. If homosexuality is incompatible with a biblical worldview…how do we as those who hold such a worldview respond to the homosexual community–and to individual homosexuals?

“how do we as those who hold such a worldview respond to the homosexual community–and to individual homosexuals?”

It’s a good question! And we don’t always respond well. We have all been watching and horrified as the Fred Phelps clan paraded their freedom of speech in front of all of us–brandishing their right to be abusive, hateful, and arrogant to the homosexual community (and everyone else, for that matter). They exist as a reminder of how badly we can do in relating to those around us who don’t hold our own worldview. This Sunday we will explore the challenge and some of the problems we face in finding that right response.

I know that being a parent of a teenager can be stressful at times, but I just really enjoy hanging out with your teens!   If I could quote my wife, Faith, from her own personal blog:

Youth ministry is such a hidden treasure in churches today.  People avoid it sometimes, for whatever reason, and they miss out on the joy and blessing that comes from building relationships with these awesome people.  Teenagers keep me young.  They inspire me constantly.

I couldn’t agree with her more!  It’s probably a good thing that we feel this way . . . being in youth ministry and all.  And I’m sure that some of you are glad to loan us your teen every week!  I just want you to know what a great group of kids we have here at Mill Creek!  They are such a blessing.

Sincerely,

The ReaLife Student Ministries of Mill Creek are going to work this spring break . . . and it’s going to be a party! The primary purpose of Project Serve is to serve different people and ministry groups in the Kansas City area during spring break.   The secondary purpose is to have fun while doing it!   On Monday, we plan on serving at Mission Adelante which includes: cleaning, yard work, organizing, and leading a children’s afternoon activity.  On Tuesday, we will be at Hope/Faith ministries serving food to the homeless, organizing clothes, and cleaning wherever they need cleaning.  On Wednesday, we plan on serving various people within our church who need help with yard work.

Drivers/helpers are needed.  Please bring a servants heart, clothes that can get dirty, clothes or food to donate, work gloves, and rakes.  We meet at McCoy at 8:00 a.m. and return to McCoy by 4:00 p.m. each day.

The Introduction to Discipleship and Service class is beginning this Sunday at the McCoy campus.  This 3 week class will answer not only where to start your growth journey but also how to find service opportunities internally and with our strategic partners.  We encourage all Mill Creek attendees to join us.

You can sign up on Church here for the class… See you Sunday!!

Not only did we have some serious time talking about God and such, but we also played some games.  Our students . . . they love playing games.  If you haven’t noticed by now, they are currently obsessed with Four Square.  If it isn’t an Olympic sport, well . . . some of them think it should be!    Over the weekend we had a Four Square Tournament–highly   competitive.  And we played Basketball.  And Volleyball.  And Dodge Ball.  And “Ninja”.  And “I Never” (Also known as “Never Have I Ever”).  And Speed Scrabble (my wife’s personal favorite).  And “He Said, She Said”.  Oh . . and Man Hunt.  See, I am not kidding when I say we like games.  It was a very busy weekend.

Not only did we play games, but we ate food!  Good food too!  It was almost impossible for someone to go home hungry.  The reason was  because Dawna Gum planned the meals and snacks for us so well!

As you can tell from some of the pictures; everyone had an awesome time.  The only complaint I heard was that they didn’t get enough sleep.  Next time, I have got to remember to bring an air mattress!  If you would like to view more pictures from the weekend, click on the following link.

The elders would like to share with you church financial information from the first 6 months of our fiscal year (July thru December, 2010).  You will find two .pdf files: 1. an Analysis of Revenue & Expenses Summary here and 2. a Balance Sheet showing assets and liabilities here. Please review this information and feel free to contact our Church Business Administrator, Linda McKeirnan at lmckeirnan@millcreek-kc.org   or myself at jstokes@millcreek-kc.org with any questions you may have.

Please note that Revenue for this period exceeded our budget by approximately $20,000.  Church expenses for this period were slightly higher than budget ($9,000) due to the timing of certain annual payments and move-in expenses associated with the McCoy campus.  The net effect was a positive cash flow of $21,000 for the 6 month period.  As a result of this positive cash flow, we were able to return, to full-time staff, 25% of the total pay reduction in effect for that period.

We want you to know how much we appreciate your continued financial support of Mill Creek.   We are excited about what is happening at Mill Creek.  We see more people connecting in our church through the addition of the McCoy campus and mentoring opportunities and growing in Christ through increased involvement in the Discipleship Institute classes.

In His Service,

Jeff Stokes for the Elders

• Because we are going to discuss vital, worldview topics. Check out the lineup here. We tend to cringe at some of these topics…which probably means we ought to be talking about them.

• Because discernment is becoming a lost art among believers. The series begins this Sunday with a discussion about biblical discernment…the application of wisdom that helps the believer choose the good over the harmful or sinful.

• Because culture can confuse. Believers don’t want to compromise. They want to please the Lord. But it is the nature of our fallen world to value what does not please him. Sometimes (not always) culture can have a corrosive affect on the soul. We need to know when that is happening…but nothing rusts overnight. It is a slow process that we are often not aware of at first.

• Because past ways of dealing with culture were misguided…and we need to think it all through. Conservative Christians often come out of a background that fostered a sort of “bunker mentality”–a call just to separate from the culture around us and isolate from the world. But Jesus clearly did not live that way. He remained affective in his culture without being warped by it. We have to figure that out and not just avoid compromise by imposing legalism.

• Because the risks of “culture warp” are serious. When believers allow the fallen culture they are in to set the standards for living, it may seems harmless enough. But when this leads to compromise…the results can be tragic. Conversations and studies like those we will have during this series are aimed at helping the believer avoid culture warp and compromise…and to develop a robust disernment that leads only to spiritual health and the glory of God in this life.

It starts this Sunday at our McCoy campus. 10:15am.

If you attend McCoy you can always download the podcast of the Gleason sermon and not miss a beat in the 1 John series!

Sometimes when culture dictates…we listen. Even when we shouldn’t.

Culture is not just a collection of artifacts from a people group at a certain time…like things an archaeologist digs up from the past. More than that, culture consists of the ideas that determine the kinds of things a people leave behind–an idol to the sun God or an expensive watch. How have the ideas of our culture affected you and your Christian worldview? That is what the Cringe series is about. We will look at some topics that have become “hands off” topics…and look at biblical instruction that should inform our views about them. Be with us at our McCoy campus for the entire series.

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Feb. 27   Culture and Compromise: a call to discernment. An introduction to the series…are we affected by the culture around us? How do I guard against compromise?

Mar. 6    Hooking up, Shacking up, and the idea of biblical purity. Our culture no longer thinks a thing of it. Marriage is a quaint ceremony to work in later. What does the Bible say?  (NOTE: this service may not be appropriate for children).

Mar. 13   Alcohol: what does the Bible really say? Tea-totalers and alcoholics…is there anything in between? When has culture led me to compromise in this area?

Mar. 20  Homosexuality: is it wrong? A highly controversial topic to even discuss…but it is addressed in Scripture. Are you more influenced by what you see on tv about this issue than you are by Scripture? Have any idea what Scripture says about it?

Mar. 27   Homosexuality: how to respond. Too much to tackle in one service…this Sunday we will consider the ways Christians have responded to gay people…and suggest ways that are helpful and appropriate.

Apr. 3   Politics: confusing kingdoms. We’ve always heard you’re not supposed to talk about politics in polite company…but it seems we never stop talking about it! Do Christians so too tied up in earthly kingdom issues that no one listens to them when they get around to talking about the kingdom of God? Tough topic…good discussion!

Apr. 10  Foul: the Bible and the believer’s speech. “They’re just words…they don’t really mean anything.” Yet…Paul and James put a lot of emphasis on proper speech for the believer. Do Paul and James care more than we do? What should be the lines of proper speech for the believer?

Coffee will be waiting !! Come join us.

What do we know and what is real? Big questions! They are big questions in philosophy. But they are also big questions in any practical sense, too.

The early church faced its share of phoneys…mock Christian movements and leaders. We see them today as well. And when we see them they raise the question of authenticity–who is real and who is the phoney?

John tackles this question. He lays out a very practical, no nonsense approach to true teaching and true living. One leads to the other, you know. And John shows how.

Stay with us at the Gleason campus for this series of messages that will challenge us to be real.

Feb. 13 Jesus our Joy (1 John 1:1-4)

Feb. 20 God our light (1 John 1:5-10)

Feb. 27 When we sin  (1 John 2:1-6)

Mar. 6 The look of the light  (1 John 2:7-11)

Mar. 13 Seasons of light  (1 John 2:12-14)

Mar.20 Competing loves  (1 John 2:15-17)

The church in Córdoba (population around 2 million) was started by our missionaries, Sam and Carita Masters. Part of their work there has involved the discipleship and training of men and women in the church. Marcelo Brondo stood out as a leader…and Sam poured years into preparing him to take the pastorate of the church. But God had other plans.

Marcelo and his wife Nancy felt the call of God to head off the project in Cachi. They have been there now for around a year…and God is doing amazing things. Mill Creek has been involved in assisting in the construction of a house for the Brondos that would double as a ministry center. Marcelo has been coordinating this project and establishing a church at the same time. Story after story has been coming in of Gospel ministry to the people of Cachi and surrounding towns–people who had never heard the Gospel message. People struggling with depression, alcoholism, and family conflict. They have been able to make inroads to not only the adults, but also the children of the area. Recently Marcelo led the new little church in Cachi to built a house for a mother and child who were living in a make-shift hut of piled up rocks. This is clearly an “open door for the Gospel.”

In February 2011 the first new believers in the congregation were baptized. Ten.

Marcelo began no long ago meeting with some of the local teens. He told me this was the hardest thing to get going…but it began to happen. After  several months I wrote Marcelo who told me he could not keep this ministry up. “I am going to need help,” he confided in me. We talked about what kind of person could move to a place like Cachi and use his gifts to reach the youth of Cachi. One of the 10 baptized was Franco. Marcelo said he has seen glimpses of a budding pastor in Franco.

Our partnership with Centro Crecer has made a difference in a forgotten part of the world. Watch my blog for updates about our strategic partners in ministry…and for photos of that first baptism service in Cachi.

On January 30 we hosted the first Mill Creek “Missions Night” at our McCoy campus. Mill Creek members as well as missionaries, agencies, and ministries came together for a night celebrating what God is doing among the people of Mill Creek.

An hour long service gave an opportunity for a few Mill Creek members to share missions opportunities they have had…and some shared missions opportunities they are reaching out for.

After the service various ministries set up displays in our commons area  and everyone had an opportunity to read about those ministries and talk people serving in them. The entire commons area was filled with displays…it was awesome to see all the activity–and the people of Mill Creek so excited about it!

Twenty six adults signed up for another medical missions trip to Central America in the fall of this year. The last one, organized by Alan Hansen, was an amazing experience for those who went, as Lynn Seaman shared during the service.

A thanks to all who worked on the Missions Night event…it was an amazing night!

Mill Creek is all about connecting people in vital relationships within the church to grow in Christ. And many times that growth comes through helping each other in our struggles. That is where our biblical counseling ministry plays a vital discipleship role. And you don’t need to be a certified therapist to help the hurting. In fact, as I read the New Testament, it seems that the best people to help us are right in our church family. We are called to bear each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:1-2).

We offer the chance for anyone to learn more about biblical counseling through our Lay Counselor Training Course. And we have a new round of classes starting February 10th. We are blessed to have an excellent counseling staff at Mill Creek, and they will be teaching our course, along with myself, on Thursday evenings.

How do you know if you ought to take this course? If you find yourself the kind of person that people go to for advice, you might be gifted as a counselor. If you currently need a little direction on how to handle a tough situation, taking this course might give you biblical insight. If you lead a LifeGroup or serve in a ministry team, lay counselor training can help you deal with inevitable misunderstandings or difficulties that come in any relationship.

Here are the details:
Lay Counselor Training – February 10. This course is for those who might want to discover more about the personal ministry of biblical counseling. It meets at the McCoy Campus KidsLife room at 7pm and lasts for 9 weeks. You will need to purchase the study book on your own: “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands” by Paul David Tripp. You may register in ChurchLink.

I’d love to answer any questions you might have about this course: mburch@millcreek-kc.org

Pastor Martin Burch
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

But it seems that giving is a waning discipline. One study among Protestants suggested that as a percentage of income, American believers gave more during the Great Depression than they did in the year 2000. Things were pretty tough in the Great Depression. What has changed?

As we work our way through the 10 “disciplewalk” words, this Sunday we look at the word “give.” One of the earliest shared projects of the early church was a giving project. In their work of generosity we see a model for giving…a veritable “how to” play book…and it’s not about tithing! So how should giving be decided? Be with us Sunday at our Gleason campus.

Will you walk the disciple walk?

The Englishman Sir Francis Galton, heavily influenced by his half-cousin Charles Darwin’s work, coined the term “eugenics” in 1883.  He proposed that the intelligent and healthy should be financially incentivized to have more children.  In the United States in the early 20th century, eugenic ideas were quite fashionable among intellectuals and leaders.  Some who favored it included Margaret Sanger (found of Planned Parenthood), science-fiction writer H. G. Wells, presidents Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt, George Bernard Shaw, John Maynard Keynes and Linus Pauling.

Even high-school science texts in the early 20th century made positive mention of eugenics, and more advanced texts would devote entire sections to the need for better control over human reproduction.  (I personally own three texts from the 1920’s that discuss the subject:  The Science of Life, Wells, H. G., Huxley, Julian S., and G. P. Wells, 1929;  The Laws of Life, subtitled “Principles of Evolution, Heredity and Eugenics”, William M. Goldsmith, 1922 [an autographed copy!];  and Our Environment, How We Use and Control It, Wood, George C., and Harry A. Carpenter, 1927.)

Of course eugenics came to its horrible climax in Hitler’s Holocaust.  After gaining this negative reputation, many are unaware that eugenics has survived into the present day.  It merely travels by other names and in other forms:

- Eugenics societies like The Galton Institute (formerly the British Eugenics Society) still exist.  Their statement of purpose is diplomatically worded:  “The Galton Institute exists to promote the public understanding of human heredity and to facilitate informed debate about the ethical issues raised by advances in reproductive technology.”

- Now that biology has advanced to the point where DNA can be deciphered and analyzed, genetic screening has been proposed to limit reproduction between “unfit” people.  Other reproductive technologies such as cloning are only beginning to be explored.

- Abortion is disproportionately accessed by the poor, whom early eugenicists considered to be among the “unfit” (as evidenced by their poverty).  This does not disturb abortion providers.

Those who do not acknowledge a divine Maker continue to search out ways to help evolution in its quest for better human beings.  Having rejected the supreme lawgiver, no approach is off-limits.  But God remains the author of life, the final judge of when it should begin and end, and only He can say when a life brings glory to Him.

Join us this Sunday, at our Gleason campus, as we honor the true miracle of human life!  Our Executive Pastor, Jeff Stokes, will be teaching from Psalm 139 and we’ll have a special guest, Ruth Tisdale.  Ruth is the Director of Client Services at our ministry partner, Advice and Aid and she’ll share how we can support the unborn and their mothers throughout the year.

 At our McCoy campus, Pastor Gary will be focused on our mission:  Connecting others to Grow in Christ.  Pastor Gary will also interview Mary Henning, Abortion Recovery Coordinator for Advice and Aid.

You can read what MacDonald says by clicking here (with permission of the author).

I was especially struck with the importance of prioritizing my calendar. MacDonald champions getting calendar events scheduled eight weeks out! The first priority: scheduling your time with the Lord. Those of you who are doing the HighQuest discipleship mentoring series know what this means. It is a daily appointment with God. Those types of events… personal prayer and Bible study, fellowship with believers, service in the church… are what support all other priorities. They fill the first blocks. The second tier of time planning is for family and key relationships. I know if I don’t do that, it is easy to let those vital relationships coast, until there is a painful cost to pay in disappointment or frustration. The final tier of time planning involves the rest of our responsibilities and interests.

I find these principles to be wise, even necessary for my own life. When I prioritize time, the excuse “I am busy” begins to fade away. Ironically, it is in taking the time to budget time that we find God bringing us to our full giftedness and potential for His kingdom.

Pastor Martin Burch
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

A worldview could be defined as the collection of answers every person develops to life’s biggest questions. Everyone has a worldview…though one person’s may be more developed than another’s.

If this is what a worldview is, it would be possible to think of it in terms of those questions…the questions that everyone answers in one way or another. The following is a list of some of the questions we usually approach under the heading of worldview.

What am I?

What does it mean to be a human person?

What is human nature?

Where did you come from?

What is real?

Where did reality come from?

What can I know?

Do I have free will?

Is everything predetermined by something outside of me?

Is anything absolutely right or wrong?

How can I know right or wrong?

If some things are really wrong, why do people do them?

How can this problem be solved–or can it be solved?

Do I have any purpose in life?

What is death?

What happens after death?

Mill Creek is designed to develop disciples in a biblical worldview. That means that we believe that the Christian Bible touches on all of these important topics and a believer should have a worldview that reflects biblical teaching.

Your worldview development may be helped along by involvement in one of our Disciple Institute courses, forums, or seminars.

At Mill Creek we talk a good deal about having a Christian worldview. A worldview is the combination of answers every person has to life’s biggest questions. One of the really big questions every person faces is: “what is a person?”

That hardly sounds like a political matter to me. It certainly has political ramifications…but it is a much broader matter than politics.

But does the Bible address it? Clearly the Bible speaks of human personhood. God is the author of humanity…and He created humans as persons (which is a part of what it means to be made in his image). At the heart of the life issue is the question of personhood: is a human being conceived a person or does a human being at some point become a person? Again…worldview.

This Sunday we will look briefly at how the Bible speaks of the unborn. We will also hear from someone who works full time promoting the cause of life and this biblical value in the Kansas City area.

This Sunday: Pastor Gary at McCoy.

Why do you come to church? It’s a fair question. If you are a church-goer…you probably go a lot. This Sunday Pastor Gary Pauley will look into the Bible to talk about the right reasons for being involved in church.

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The worship service at our McCoy campus for adults and students begins at 10:15. The following is the teaching lineup for that worship service.  Map showing our McCoy campus here.

]]> http://www.mymillcreek.com/2011/01/teaching-mccoy/feed/ 0 http://www.mymillcreek.com/2011/01/connect-grow/ http://www.mymillcreek.com/2011/01/connect-grow/#comments Sun, 09 Jan 2011 09:56:54 +0000 cschultz http://www.mymillcreek.com/?p=2627 Teaching Pastor, Gary Pauley challenges Mill Creek to connect people to grow in Christ.  He also reveals Mill Creek’s new streamlined Discipleship Institute core curriculum.

We have been blessed with a beautiful new second campus at McCoy. We want to use the opportunity God has given us on Sunday mornings to offer some classes for adults at the new McCoy campus. Here is what we have coming up:

DISCOVERY CLASS.
This Sunday class answers questions about Mill Creek ministry. It is designed for those who are new to Mill Creek or are interested in membership. If that is you, please consider being a part. It meets starting January 16 at 10:15 in the McCoy office commons. CONTACT: Craig & Cindy Nienaber – cnienaber@aol.com

INTRO TO DISCIPLESHIP & SERVICE.
This class will cover the basics of discipleship, acquainting you with our DiscipleMap at Mill Creek, as well as help you find out places where you can serve. It meets for three weeks starting January 23rd at the McCoy campus at 8:45AM. CONTACT: Jeff Stokes – jstokes@millcreek-kc.org

MAKING ROOM FOR LIFE.
Have you ever wished you had more time for the people you really love? Sometimes life can feel way too busy! We all have a complex network of relationships and commitments that can stretch our busy lives. And sometimes involvement in a church just seems like one more stretching commitment. But it does not have to be this way. This class will work through the concepts in Randy Frazee’s book “Making Room for Life”, helping you prioritize, organize, and understand your life commitments around biblical priorities. It will meet at the McCoy campus at 10:15 starting February 13.

To register for any of these classes CLICK HERE.

- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

We have some upcoming Discipleship Institute events that can help you understand what this means. Let’s start with caring…

Lay Counselor Training.

For six years now we have been emphasizing the importance of biblical counseling and care in helping people. We need to drop the therapist image when we think of this. The church is a place where Christians care for one another and help one another. Counseling is just a means to do that. We can help people mature in Christ as they confront a difficulty or problem with God’s truth and let His Holy Spirit change their hearts. We have a lay-counseling course specifically designed to help people understand how to care biblically. I am really excited about this year’s course. It will meet on Thursday nights (starting February 10) at the McCoy campus in the Kidslife room from 7 – 8:30pm. This year our entire counseling staff will be leading this training with me. I always get great comments from those who have taken this course in the past, especially about the material we use: Paul Tripp’s “Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands”. You can click the link below to register for this training event. If you are involved in ministry as a LifeGroup leader, teacher, or mentor you ought to consider being there. Maybe you are the type of person that people go to with problems? This would be the class for you! I know you will learn a lot more about caring like Jesus does.

Ministry Leadership in Action.
Pastor Jeff Stokes will be leading a special four week class on leadership starting February 13. This is the class Pastor Gary mentioned in his sermon last week. It will focus on spiritual leadership and practical skills for ministry leadership. Leadership is not the goal of discipleship, but it is an outcome. You may never be called to lead a worship service, but you are called to help lead others to Christ in some way. This class will meet on Sundays at the McCoy office commons area. Details are in the registration link below.

Disciples care, serve, and lead because that is how we are like Christ. Maybe God wants your next step to be in one of these opportunities…

Click here to register for any of these classes!

Pastor Martin Burch
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

This commitment marks not only our pulpit ministry, but also our discipleship ministry. We always offer the opportunity in our Discipleship Institute courses to carefully study, understand, and apply God’s Word. The premiere ministry to equip believers in this process is Precept Ministries. We have offered Precept Inductive Bible Studies for years at Mill Creek, and today I’d like to highlight several upcoming opportunities.

Lord, Teach Me to Study Your Bible in 28 Days..

If you are new to the concept of Inductive Bible Study, this is the perfect place to start. In a unique four week course with a small group dynamic, you can learn the basics that will help you understand scripture like never before. The course starts January 19th, and will meet Wednesday nights at the McCoy worship center during KidsLife Midweek (roughly from 7:10pm to 8:15pm). A team of three Precept teachers will guide you through the basics of reading, understanding, and living out the truth you will find in the study you will do. At Mill Creek, we’d like to see every adult and young person complete a simple training such as this one! Registration details can be found by clicking the link at the end of the post.

Daniel, Chapters 7-12.

This Precept study for women meets Thursday mornings from 9:30am to 11:30am starting January 13th. It lasts for ten weeks, and you can participate in this study even if you were not a part of the previous study of the first half of the book of Daniel. This book is vital to understanding the end times and what God has outlined for our future in Christ. Dinah Wooddell is the teacher and the contact for more information: drwooddell@gmail.com.

2 Thessalonians.

This class gives you the option of either meeting Thursday nights at 6:45pm or Friday mornings at 9:00am. Charlie Caines will be leading this study through the New Testament book of 2 Thessalonians. This is a great companion study to the Daniel studies because one of the purposes of the book of 2 Thessalonians is to provide clarity on the doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming. You can contact Charlie at: chacain@aol.com.

Revelation, Part 1.

Mark your calendars to save the date for this one. It will follow-up the 2 Thessalonians study. It will meet on Thursday evenings or Friday mornings as well starting March 3 & 4. Again, you can contact Charlie Caines if you are interested in this fascinating Inductive Study through the Book of Revelation.

Many New Year’s resolutions for Christians revolve around reading the Bible. If that is the case for you, one of these classes would be perfect toward helping you reach this crucial Christian goal.

Click here to register for any of these classes!

Pastor Martin Burch
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

One of the ways that God continues to overcome the world, our sinful past, or our present struggles, is through the encouragement of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit WITHIN the local church. At Mill Creek we believe we should always help people grow close in their walk with the Lord through understanding the Bible. But… the Bible is a difficult book to understand if you have ever tried to do so, particularly for the first time. I know the first time I tried to read it through in one year (a very spiritual New Year’s resolution many years ago), I immediately began to bog down somewhere in 1 Chronicles with all those “begat” passages.

This does not have to be an impossible challenge however. We have a course coming up at Mill Creek that will start at some very simple levels to help you understand the Bible, basic doctrines of the Christian faith, and personal practices that can help you understand your Bible. It is called BASIC. It starts January 12th with an orientation that lets you meet the leaders who will be teaching this course (Ben Gum, worship director, and two of our elders, Nathan Eberline and Mike Beach). It is designed to let you ask questions. It will meet Wednesday nights at 7pm at the Gleason campus. You can see registration details by clicking the link below. If you’d like to ask me more about feel free to contact me: mburch@millcreek-kc.org .

I am also excited to be teaching our “Spiritual Disciplines” course starting at the same time. We will begin January 12th and will be covering some of the basic Christian disciplines that help us grow in our personal walk with Christ. Sometimes we need a little help understanding what the next step is we need to take, and I have found that following certain key spiritual disciplines will often be used by God to give us the direction we need. We will be reading through Don Whitney’s book “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life”, which students will need to purchase on their own. If you have any questions about that class, feel free to contact me as well. Again, all registration details are shown below.

All this week, keep checking this blog for more Discipleship Opportunities being offered at Mill Creek! Tomorrow: Inductive Bible Study…

Click here to register!

Pastor Martin Burch
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

The early church was a growing community (2:41, 47; 5:14). Their fellowship centered around the teaching of the Apostles (Acts 2:42). The expectation for each believer to grow and keep growing was the norm (Heb. 5:12; 2 Cor. 3:18). The very purpose of the church was seen in its work to help each believer grow spiritually (Eph. 4).

That early church was a church of people who were connected and growing.

How are we doing in comparison? How can we do better? Are you connected to other believers? Are you growing? Where do you go from where you are now?

Let’s talk about it! See you Sunday.

--Pastor Gary

With the help of 17 men , Bob Teetsel organized a group of Mill Creekers Saturday to cut and haul tons of logs and debris from a huge tree from one of our members yards.    Truckloads of firewood was given to all including  ”drive by’s” who were encouraged to take as much wood as they desired from the pile.   Kudos also to Ron Keith for bringing a claw truck and hauling off all the limbs.

Thanks so much men for your labor of love.  Know that you blessed a young family !

Mill Creek has an intentional discipleship ministry, and it would be custom tailored for just such a goal. Did you know that you can register online for most of our ministry opportunities? Just click on the link below, and it will take you to all the upcoming Discipleship Institute courses at Mill Creek. Just click on the individual courses for information and registration completion. We’d love to help you see just how much God will reward this kind of effort. After all, He has promised that if we draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to us (James 4:8).

Discipleship Opportunity Registrations

Martin Burch, Pastor of Discipleship Ministries
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

We have identified 10 words that describe the life of a disciple of Jesus Christ. From time to time you will see them referred to during a sermon. We refer to them because they are such practical reminders of the life that Jesus calls his disciples to live.

Since these words and ideas are so practical and direct, we are going to take them one by one in a series of messages and look at how the Bible calls us to be different by living each of them.

They are simple…but practical. Let them change you.

To some he was a great philosopher. To some a humanitarian. To some a promoter of peace…to others he was a mystic sage. There are a number of ways the Christian Scriptures refer to him: Savior, redeemer, Lord, King. But there is yet another way he is referred to…he is the grace of God that appeared (Titus 2:11). This appearance of God’s grace in the person of Jesus had an affect for everyone: his coming made salvation available to all. In certain ways Jesus was a philosopher, a promoter of peace, and a humanitarian. But he was far more than these things. He is hope for all.

Join us as we celebrate God’s gracious gift of Jesus.

Christmas Eve services: 5:00pm and 6:30pm.

Identical services. Both at our Gleason campus. Nursery room open for use.

If it didn’t happen the way the story reads in the Gospels, the whole things a myth. But if it did…

If Jesus was not born as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, the whole Christian enterprise should be abandoned.

Anti-religionists like Richard Dawkins realize this. That is why in his book, The God Delusion, he attacks the historical claims of the Christmas story. The early Christians “needed” Jesus to be born in Bethlehem, so they invented stories to support the idea (the census, etc).

While Dawkins’ treatment of the story is superficial and lazy, he is right that this story makes or breaks the whole Christian idea. In a sense, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Gospel of Christmas. The bookends of Jesus life scream his credibility: his miraculous birth and his death on the cross. To marginalize either part of his story is to endanger the entire profile.

On December 19th I will talk about the Gospel of Christmas. Of course Christmas is always a great time to bring friends who are uncertain or unclear about the Christian message…because the birth of Jesus makes it all very clear.

–Pastor Gary

Working with the junior high has been a huge blessing in my life.  I love watching their fire for God andtheir love of serving Him.  By watching them, I‘ve realized what an amazing job the leaders did when I was in junior high.  The junior high girls teach me something new every Wednesday night.  I love to listen to them talk about their lives and the challenges that they face.  It reminds me of how far I’ve come, since junior high, in my own walk with God.  He does really amazing things, and watching Him do that with these girls is truly awesome!

It was during my junior high years that I started searching for my spiritual identity. I wanted someone close to my age to help me grow in my relationship with Christ—someone who would be there for me more than just season. I know that kids face many challenges in junior high, (and because of that), I am passionate about being there to help them with their Christian walk.

I think it is really amazing that student leadership takes time out of their week to come spend time with us. They are really fun people to be around and their passion for the Lord is soo contagious!   . . . . I am soo thankful for every one of them and I hope that they stay around!

–Carrie Mulder (8th grader)

I think the student leadership is doing a great job.  They’ve helped me understand the Word better. They’ve taught me how to be a better child of God. They’re really great examples of what it means to be a Christian and I hope I can be as good as them someday.

–Caleb Setiawan (8th grader)

I like it (the student leadership involvement) because they have more experience and can teach us a lot. Plus it gives us some time with some senior high kids that we don’t see much. I like having them there.

–Julia Sanders (7th grader)

It is bound to happen. Christians are going to have disagreements and differences of opinion. And we are not left to our own devices when it comes to dealing with them. The God Who brought us together in the church will help us get along despite these differences. But that does not mean that the church has always done so.

One of the inevitabilities of two millennia of history as that a lot of people have done a lot of things. In the case of church history there is a lot that we have done right. But there is a lot that we have done wrong. Many of the problems the church has encountered through the centuries have been the result of not obeying the scriptures when it comes to settling disputes among ourselves. That is why Romans 14 is such a vital chapter. It helps us understand that not every Christian is at the same personal place. And some believers are weaker or stronger than others. Grace should lead us to defer to one another.

The overarching principle from this powerful yet small verse is that a driving motivation should direct the way Christians interact with one another. We should pursue peace by words and actions that encourage and build up one another. Sadly, that is not the first response we are inclined to have. There are clear cases where doctrinal heresy cannot be tolerate. And deliberate immorality is also to be clearly dealt with. But in all other situations (which is most of what we encounter in learning to get along in the Body of Christ) we are called to pursue peace. It is the defining characteristic that God wants for His church.

This Saturday we will have a chance to talk about these kinds of things from a biblical perspective. I am convinced we must do this regularly at Mill Creek in order to be the kind of church God has always wanted us to be. The good news is that disagreements do not have to be damaging… if we let God’s Spirit and His Word guide us through them. Here are some details…

FRAMING THE ISSUES: Walking redemptively through conflict.

The Mill Creek Discipleship and Counseling Center will be hosting this Saturday Morning workshop on December 11th from 9am until noon at the Gleason campus. This workshop will be led by Patrick Van Hoecke, Mill Creek Counseling staff member and Certified Christian Conciliator.

Every attendee will receive a workbook. We’d like to get an idea of how many to expect, so if you know you want to be there for all or part of the workshop, simply email me at mburch@millcreek-kc.org and I will get you on the list.

Pastor Martin Burch
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

This is an awful outcome that we think should never happen. Why? Because the scriptures give lots of careful wisdom in how to handle conflict in a manner that respects the family of God and glorifies God. This coming Saturday, December 11th, at the Gleason campus we will be hosting a free morning workshop for handling conflict. Details look like this:

FRAMING THE ISSUES: Walking redemptively through conflict.

The Mill Creek Discipleship and Counseling Center will be hosting this Saturday Morning workshop on December 11th from 9am until noon at the Gleason campus. This workshop will be led by Patrick Van Hoecke, Mill Creek Counseling staff member and Certified Christian Conciliator.

Every attendee will receive a workbook. We’d like to get an idea of how many to expect, so if you know you want to be there for all or part of the workshop, simply email me at mburch@millcreek-kc.org and I will get you on the list.

Pastor Martin Burch
- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13

This past Wednesday several gathered with two of our “Designing Women” to add a festive look to the Gleason sanctuary and common areas. Thank you to all who took time to help with the decorating - it looks great!

If you would like to join us on Sundays, our services at Gleason begin at 8:45 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and our service at 8151 McCoy begins at 10:15 a.m. 

We will have two Christmas Eve services (Gleason campus only):  5:00 p.m & 6:30 p.m. Hope you can worship the newborn King with us this Christmas season!

This is the face of the “new atheism.” Not just rejection of Christianity…but an aggressive promotion of and recruiting for its rejection. In the thinking of these new atheists, the world would be better off if the Jesus message never got up any steam and just faded into the backdrop of first century middle-eastern history. If that had happened we would not have things like the Crusades and the Inquisition to deal with.

True enough…but we would still have Stalin’s 50 million sacrifices to materialistic atheism to explain. We also would still have to talk about the 20-47 million who died in the communist “Great Leap Forward” program–brought to the Chinese people courtesy of the theory of “productive force determinism” (built on the atheistic herd/resource ideology of Marx). We would still have to explain why an atheistic worldview produced the most deadly worldview the world has known.

Of course, the deadliness of atheism does not make Christianity true. But it certainly doesn’t lend any credibility to their billboards.

This December 19th I will speak on December 19th about the “Gospel of Christmas.” The birth of Jesus is a story…but is it just a story? Do I really KNOW that it is not true? Let’s talk about it. See you then.

“Thank you so much for this opportunity.  I have been praying for God to use me in some way,” Rachel said with a smile on her face.  I was blown away by her response.   Typically you would expect to hear this from an adult, but from a seventh grader?

Earlier that evening, I asked the junior high group if there would be anyone willing to organize a benefit for Mission Adelante.  I asked reluctantly—not thinking that anyone would want to come forward and be the point person.  I certainly didn’t think about stuff like that when I was in seventh grade.  I just wanted to play dodge ball at that age.

Immediately after I had dismissed everyone, Rachel Henry came up to me.  She was almost giddy with excitement.  She started to tell me all the things she could do to help.  She wanted to make a flyer, get some boxes together, and get her school involved with donating items for a food drive.  She wanted to serve and she was so excited about the opportunity.

She then told me about how she can’t wait to go on a missions trip.  She has never been on one before, but she wants to so badly.  I could tell from the way that she talked she has a passion to serve God.

Her words convicted me.  I began to wonder about the things for which I am praying.  Am I praying for and looking for opportunities to be used by God?  Am I actively seeking ways in which to be used by Him?

I was reminded of Paul’s encouragement in Ephesians 5 where he says, “¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.”  The opportunities are out there.  We just have to be ready to notice them.

How are you doing at recognizing and making the most of every opportunity?

You can donate food for Mission Adelante at either the Gleason or McCoy campuses.  Food boxes are outside the ReaLife room or the Nexteen room.  Mission Adelante has the following needs:  Rice, Sugar, Cooking Oil, Beans, Flour, Dry Pasta, Diapers, and Toilet Paper. Please make your donations before December 19.

FRAMING THE ISSUES: Walking redemptively through conflict.

The Mill Creek Discipleship and Counseling Center will be hosting this Saturday Morning workshop on December 11th from 9am until noon at the Gleason campus. This workshop will be led by Patrick Van Hoecke, Mill Creek Counseling staff member and Certified Christian Conciliator.

The reason we are “intentional” with discipleship is that if we just wait to “live in the moment” we will probably do little for the kingdom. We want to take an aggressive approach because training involves effort.

There is a simple way to take an intentional step at Mil Creek. We have all of our discipleship otions and activities listed on the “discipleship map” at Mill Creek. You can always pick one up at the welcome center at either campus. We’d encourage you to make the effort. Intentional discipleship is what we are called to do.
Disciplemap video

But no one is interested in any of this about “Church in the Now” today. What is drawing the interest of people is the recent pronoucement of Bishop Swilley to the church that he is gay. And in the interests of “authenticity”—he is going to live it openly.

Swilley

In an interview with NPR’s Guy Raz, Bishop Swilley shared that during his announcement some people walked out of the service. He oddly compared this to the separating of the sheep from the goats (a very bizarre illusion to Matthew 25). Swilley claims that most people affirmed him and he received many many hugs and embraces the night of his announcement. I wonder if his wife received the same.

I guess I’m not surprised that the church was not moved to immediately dismiss their “Bishop.” I mean, the church’s motto is “real people experiencing the real God in the real world”—followed up with a supporting slogan: “a place of love, a place of acceptance, a place of vision.” I wouldn’t expect it to be a place of biblical instruction.

I caught a couple of minutes of a television interview with the Bishop. The interviewer naturally brought up that many evangelicals (which Swilley claims to be) have a serious problem with homosexuality based on biblical teachings. Swilley mentioned that the Old Testament also calls for father to have their sons stoned for being lazy. So, he said, the Bible “says a lot of things.” I have no idea what he meant by this: that the Bible is unreliable? That we don’t follow some instructions so we are not obliged to follow others? That the Bible is so confusing we don’t know what to do with such passages? At any rate, I couldn’t personally imagine a worse response from a Bible teacher asked to interact with the Biblical data. But I understand he sings pretty well.

So what do we make of all this? Naturally, NPR seemed thrilled over the announcement and will probably continue to give Swilley significant air time. They also recently spent time reviewing the tale of Bishop Gene Robinson, the first gay Episcopalian Priest. These men will become heroes to the gay community. My guess is that evangelical churches will begin to quibble over the issue in years to come much like the mainliner Protestant denominations do now. The difference will be that instead of denominations fragmenting, more and more individual evangelical churches will divide and break apart over the controversy.

Without getting caught up in the confusion over personalities like Swilley and Robinson, I personally can’t help but think of  1 Corinthians chapter 5. The situation in the church then was that the church was tolerating an incestuous relationship within the church family. Paul spoke very strongly about their need to deal with it. One of his observations was that they were “proud.” The NLT read “you are so proud of yourselves” (vs. 2). Instead, he wrote, they should be mourning in “sorrow and shame.” This seems to be direction of moral compromise in the church. When the church begins to tolerate sin it has to justify it…so it develops a theology around whatever cultural issue it is accommodating. This does not merely allow them to practice the compromise—it gives them a framework for celebrating it. The buzzwords become tolerance and acceptance in the place of holiness and obedience. As Paul puts it, the church becomes “proud” in its sin.

"Church in the Now"

I can’t help but wonder if all this could have been avoided if the “Church in the Now” were guided by a whole different set of values. The whole thing looks like the celebrity driven, personality cult of mega-church evangelicalism. The organization and its promotion is often more important, certainly more of a focus, than the teaching of Scripture and its call on our lives. This seems to be substantiated by Bishop Swilley’s confused and underinformed use of Scripture in his interviews. The church hired a singer, a promoter, a personality. Pastor’s are no longer technicians of Scripture…and their leadership goes in all directions, not necessarily informed by Scripture. The results are catastrophic.

Of course in popular culture Swilley and Robinson will be held up as examples. Good will be called evil, and evil good. This is to be expected in popular culture. But not in the church.

This Sunday, November 14, Mill Creek elders encourage you to attend the affirmation vote for Jeff Alexander that will be taken in all 3 services.  The elders are recommending Jeff be affirmed as an elder of Mill Creek.  There will be a brief interview with Jeff prior to the vote.

Jeff and his wife, Pam have been attending MCCC since August, 20006 and became members in February, 2007.  They have two children, Jordan and Sophia and have been married since 1998..  Alexander is currently serving as a McCoy campus Site Leader and has been instrumental in planning the additional service there.

Alexander was mentored by current elders using “Biblical Eldership: An Urgent Call to Restore Biblical Church Leadership” by Alexander Strauch.  After getting to know the elders and a final interview, the church leaders invited Alexander to join the elder board.

But what motivates Alexander (besides his love of the outdoors)?  It’s his love of serving the Lord. His wife, Pam said, “that’s one of the things that really attracted me to him.  He loves to serve the Lord and he has a passion for encouraging others to serve too.”  Alexander also said about himself, “I have a strong desire to connect people to each other and encouraging them to serve in the church!”  Alexander also believes his “administrative skills and ability to start ministries” will be assets to the leadership of Mill Creek.

What kind of evidence reflects a church’s growth? Certainly an increase in attendance is what many people would think of. Another would be baby dedications! Of course a new baby is another head to count on Sundays, but it’s more than that. A baby dedication is primarily a family standing before God and their brothers and sisters in Christ proclaiming their intentions to raise their child the way God would have them be raised and to challenge the church to join with them in dedicating their son or daughter to God (after all, each child is a gift from Him).

Last month the church in Cachi had the pleasure and honor of dedicating for the first time two babies in their congregation.
Their names are Jeremías and Mateo (or Jeremiah and Matthew if you prefer). It is quite a statement for these mothers to stand up and say they want to raise their sons to follow Christ knowing that they may have friends and relatives who disagree with their newfound faith.
In addition to this happy news, Marcelo also reported that eight more people have put their trust in the Lord. Six of them are teenagers and two are adults. God’s church continues to grow in Cachi.

Construction Update:  After several months of waiting, the Brondos are now ready to begin the second phase of the construction project. They have purchased the needed materials and had them shipped and they will now begin putting the roof on the house. I would say that it is just in time for winter, but since Cachi is in the Southern Hemisphere it would be just in time for summer.

Praises & Prayer Requests:

Praise God for the recent baby dedications and the new professions of faith. Pray for young Jeremías and Mateo and their families. Pray for the ongoing construction of the pastoral home.

Letter from the Editor
I thought I would show more pictures from the past few months that we haven’t been able to show before.

I also wanted to mention an important news story to many Argentineans. On October 27th, Nestor Kirchner, president of Argentina from 2003 to 2007 died of a heart attack. He was also the husband of the current president, Christina Fernandez Kirchner. Her term is up next year and there are a lot of questions about how her husband passing away will affect the remainder of her term and the future of Argentinean politics. The last decade has been a turbulent one for Argentina economically and politically. Keep the country in your prayers.
Got a question for next month’s Chronicle?
E-mail: missions@millcreek-kc.org

Harry Gianakon, Editor, Cachi Coordinator

1. A work that will span generations to equip thousands of believers worldwide to find their gifts and plug into Kingdom work, or
2. A work that will dig wells in water starved areas of the world?

Ok, it’s a trick question: both options are good and vital.  Unfortunately, it appears that believers may be seeing it as an either/or option. According to a recent study giving to churches is lower than it was during the Great Depression…while charitable giving to “religious” organizations is actually up. What is going on?

The two options above have entirely different focuses. The scope of option #2 above is pretty straight forward: get water to those who need it. The end result is trackable and simple. People either get to the water or they don’t. Option #1 is a bit trickier. Ideas like “equipping believers” and “plugging in” are not as straight forward as simply finding water. But there is more to the difference than that.

A recent article by Whitney Jones suggests that  people want to give to projects with “tangible, visible results.” I would refine this to say that people want tangible, visible, and “quick” results. The chuch certainly yields results, unless one does not consider the transformation of lives a “result.” But this transformation may be the result of generations worth of faithful work applying the Word to its members and discipling them in truth.

If the article has it right, and it probably does, there is a trend among believers to pull or withhold their financial support of the church and give it to other projects. It is likely a good thing that many of these projects have the support of believers—but it is definitely not a good thing that the church is being devalued.

The church is not a “project.” It is an organism. And like all organisms it needs resources to survive and is intended to survive and thrive for certain purposes. A project also needs resources, but it can fade away when its goal is realized. This is never the case with the church.  The church is not a limited goal, but an ongoing resource—an abiding community intended to port the Gospel and apply it to hearts throughout the ages. Accomplishing this has a certain look. The church is different than other project-oriented ministries in its very character.

The church is generational. When a well is dug, it is dug. Saving marriage or helping the depressed is not so task simple. People are complicated beings who need care, support, and direction throughout their lives. Many come to the church with decades worth of the complications of sin…the effects of which will be passed to their children–unless soul-care ministry is made constantly available. Have you ever read the descriptions of the goal of the church in Ephesians chapter four (Ephesians 4:13-14)? This is not accomplished by a “really good Sunday School class” or “sermon series.”  It will only happen by the faithful, generational ministering of gifted believers who persevere in ministry to others from one generation to the next. The biggest “yield” of a church’s ministry may have nothing to do directly with a particular program. It may be a child that is coming up through the Sunday School, weekly being transformed by what he hears and sees in those who minister to him. That child, through regular ministry, may do more to change the world than the church ever does through it’s programs.

The church is local. The picture early in the New Testament is the development of local churches with local leaders and local Gospel impact. The result of this development would be the “presence” of the body of Christ in his absence. Believers support  their local church because it is that local resource, that local presence of Christ to a community. A project focuses on an area of need (say, a desert). The church is to be pervasive—ever present in all communities. This is why church planting is important. It is not as if only certain areas have spiritual need. Unlike the need for  a well, all believers everywhere need the fellowship and leadership of a local church.

The church is educational. Other projects can be educational as well…but for the “generational” call of the church “education” has broader dimensions. The church is to be ever present informing and transforming successive generations of believers with clear declarations of Gospel.  When this value is combined with “local” we remember that the presence of the church is to be pervasive, providing truth to everyone everywhere—not just in well populated metropolitan areas. One of the most regretted seasons of evangelicalism in the United States was one when spiritual education was de-emphasized in favor of personal experience and emotionalism that swept the east coast in the 19^th century. The result was the beginnings of confused groups like Mormonism, Adventism, and occultic spiritalisms. The call of the church is to be ever present to carefully exposit Scripture in such a way that protects the church from tendencies toward error that can have long, long lasting negative effects.

An area of need a Mill Creek team recently witnessed in China. It is the church that trains and sends workers to meet the need.

The church is motivational. The article I mentioned previously suggests that believers are more likely to give to Wycliffe Bible Translators than to the local church because of their “global, at-scale goals.” And Wycliffe is amazing and deserves substantial support from the believing community. I am truly amazed at their work. What the article does not say, however, is how many of Wycliffe’s workers are supported financially by local churches all over the United States to do that work…and what would happen should they lose that support. It also does not say how many of the workers who make up the Wycliffe team came to that ministry because of the influence of a local church. I would guess the number is huge. This is because it is the work of the local church to be everywhere about the business of “equipping the saints for the work of ministry” and moving them along to service. The church is a recruiting resource, motivating believers with a worldview that says it is worth a life to give all for the Gospel and Jesus Christ. Mill Creek has seen one couple go to China. Now another couple is joining them. We also have a single lady feeling called to join those four. This is what the church does. But it often takes generations worth of ministry to get to the point where that kind of passion and commitment are realized. It is a confusion to look at the church in a “dollar in, value out” kind of relationship where an amount of money can be determined for an expected spiritual outcome. This is not only a perverse kind of materialism, it is a basic misunderstanding of the spiritual nature of ministry.

A great danger is that of the local church weakening, leaving believers with lots of projects but no strategic development, no vital fellowship, no intentional motivating, educating, and commissioning of believers to enter fields of service. This trend will not just have an impact on the local church, but on bigger scale project-driven style ministries like Wycliffe. Nothing good will come of a weakened church because the local church is that starting place of ministry.

At Mill Creek we encourage our people to financially support the local church, the Body of Christ. We do not encourage this because those who give will “get something back” in the next 30 days (though I believe they  do), but because the church is God’s plan for his son’s continued presence on earth throughout the generations until he returns.

The view from the Stewarts window

The stories were incredible, but it is not adviseable for me to go into detail in a published letter like this. But I can say that there is certainly a spiritual hunger among the people in China. One thing you will seldom hear of is the work going on in the “Three Self Church.” This is the name given to the government sanctioned, registered church in China. The Chinese government is completely aware of this church and its goings on. Our group attended one of these churches. This particular church runs about 1000 people. I met a few of the members who spoke English and had really quick fellowship with them. Amazing people. The church offers Chinese Bible Studies and English Bible Studies. Interested people regularly come to the church. The government has given this church the right to sell Bibles, and they have a well stocked Bible store where people can get a copy for themselves. Recently the government began printing some Seminary level eduational materials for training believers in the Christian Faith. Amazing.

Shocked? It may be that the China you have heard about is only one part of the reality that is China.

But the good news is never spread without the proportional response of the enemy. And he is certainly at work. Most of the workers I spoke with shared some difficulty or challenge they face in their work. For this reason as I spoke at the conference of workers I spoke on the Biblical admonition to “stand” in our faith. Passages like 1 Cor. 15:1, Eph. 6:13, and Col. 4:12 all use the word “stand” in a call for believers to persevere in Christ. In these passages we stand in the Gospel (1 Cor. 15:1), against the enemy (Eph. 6:13), and for maturity (Col. 4:12). None of what I shared was profound or particularly new to veteran workers, but was a solid biblical admonition.

Dai Sian...unlike most of Shenzhen.

Our team enjoyed the trip, the fellowship, and the encouragement of just seeing God at work in a distant part of the world. All four of us were glad we went and pretty much loved China and her people. For more detail on this trip and what we learned and saw you will have to attend a Mill Creek service.

See you Sunday?

Hola! Como estas?

Tomorrow morning we start our trip back home. It will be a bittersweet departure as we head home to loved ones but leave behind our brothers and sisters here in Honduras. Many are already ready for next year!

Some stats from the week:

Dental- 229

Medical- 810

Optical- 317

Total number of patients seen- 1,654 (with children)

Evangelism:

Proffessions of faith- 113

Rededications- 29

Rejections- 41

Children served- 298

Christians- 453

This week has been an amazing experience and we are so grateful we had the opportunity to come on this trip. We hope to come back changed and to never forget what God has done through us and taught us here.

Hasta Luego!

~Honduras Team 4010 =]

P.S. Have you enjoyed the pictures this week? All credit goes to Sarah Kohnle, our amazing photographer!

Many of us came to this country thinking we were going to make such an impact on the Honduran people.  Well once again God has a sense of humor and the jokes on us.  The Almighty One is having a way with all of us that is going to change our lives forever.  Tonight we were asked to share about how God has changed our lives through this trip.  And here are some of the lessons we have learned thus far:

• · We need to let go and let God do the work.
• · We realized that we are judgmental on several different levels instead of being concerned about people’s souls.
• · We need to die to self.
• · We have been humbled by the Honduran people who live in extreme poverty wanting to pray for us.
• · We as a team have grown closer together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
• · We have been amazed at how God has been interested in every little detail of our lives.
• · We need to be more proactive in serving at home.
• · We have received a new perspective on God’s call to missionaries.
• · We have been reminded how God is relational.
• · We realize that this mission trip is not so much about saving lives but about saving souls.
• · We have been given a glimpse of how God sees His children.
• · We are seeing first hand the thirst for the Word of God in action.
• · We have seen God yank us out of our comfort zones, only to supply us with other gifts.
• · We are in awe of the Honduran’s faithfulness and it has shown how we are all one in Christ.
• · We realized how little time we spend alone with God.
• · We all wish we could communicate with the Hondurans in their own language and wish we would have taken the time to learn it.
• · We have been given the gift of eternal life and we don’t share it like we should.