Quick Links
What came home from Christmas with the Turners?
It is so wonderful to see the exhausted children giving up the last bit of wakefulness into at least 7 contiguous hours of parental rest. Going to west Texas and smelling the oil pumping and processing smells become signs that we are almost there. Children had Christmas celebrations with their grandparents, were served the Lord’s Supper by their deacon grandfather, and played with cousins until aggravation outweighed fun. It was the other thing we came home with that I have to mention. We hit a skunk and part of it must still exist like a haunt under our van. We will doubtless experience the unintended gift for a few more days. Just like that skunk, there are unintended things, both good and bad, we will bring into 2009. Determine that you will let God’s word transform 2009 by opening doors for deeper discipleship. Remember that discipleship involves being taught to obey what the Lord commands and not simply learning what the God’s word says. 2009 may just become the year of ‘God with us’ from the inside out. I hope you came home with something special from Christmas.
Inn Keeper
For more about how to understand the first century place where Mary and Joseph stayed look at Kenneth Bailey’s book Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels He is still a great model for making room for people who are shut out without any options. Christians can learn to be ‘make a way’ kind of people. If Canyon Creek looked at our community and asked, “What would it take?” nothing would be impossible. Right now, lets give 100 families a new church home.
The pastor has no idea, does he?
How can we grow our church and give a hundred families a new church home and keep our Sunday School class intimate and sharing openly? New people always change that. That is right. What changes and what stays the same? I want to encourage you to push to accomplish this great vision of personally helping give one family a new church home. If you like it, you may want to do it again. Below is a method to use. Josh Hunt has been with us, and I hope to bring him back.
Fasten your seat belt, friend, because this is the most high powered approach we have. I do not know anything that works better than giving Friday nights to Jesus. Giving Friday nights to Jesus will reach more people in less time than any method I know. In fact, if you give Friday nights to Jesus and your class does not double in two years or less, it probably can’t be done. The really unbelievable thing is that giving Friday nights to Jesus is more fun than Six Flags. You wouldn’t think a ministry could be so effective and be so much fun. But isn’t it just like God to make something so enjoyable and so effective at the same time. Sometimes, he makes it easy for us to “Rejoice in the Lord always.” (Philippians 4:4) We didn’t dream this ministry up, God lead us into it through his sovereign working out of the circumstances of our lives. And if I had not seen it in action, I may have never been convinced of its effectiveness. Here is how it works. We used to have our friends over on Friday nights to play cards. We would have dessert, tell jokes, and play games together. One day I suggested to my wife that we invite a couple who had visited the church to join us on Friday night. We did, and we had a good time in the process. During the entire evening, we never said anything about church or Sunday school or the Bible or anything remotely religious. But, do you know what? They joined the church in a few weeks. Now, he is teaching a class himself. And they would both tell you that they were not living the disciple’s life before they played cards and ate dessert with us that night. A few weeks later, we invited another couple over. We played cards, we laughed, we ate dessert, we had a good time. Guess what? After a few weeks, they joined the church and became very active in the group now. They too would tell you they were not living the disciple’s life before we played cards with them. After six months of this, I did a little research. I discovered that forty-five couples who would have been prospects for out class had visited the church during that time. We were able to have ten couples to our house to play cards. Nine out of these ten joined the church and became involved in the class. Out of the remaining thirty-five, only three had joined. I don’t know of any method more effective in assimilating visitors than this hospitality ministry. That is why I say, if you want to double your class every two years or less, give Friday nights to Jesus. Have your friends over. Play cards. Eat dessert. Tell jokes. Laugh. Have a good time. But most of all, include an outsider couple. Ministry has never been so much fun. (copied from www.joshhunt.com)
Here is a PDF of the brocure we will make available for Sunday Night Engage
Who forgot the bread?
The things we church people get concerned about are frustrating to God… you can see that in Mark 8:14-21. The disciples had already seen Jesus feed more than 5000 people, go to another area, and then feed 4000 people. Jesus said to beware of two fatal flaws as it relates to God’s work: 1. Hording something gives you more of it. God uses what we bring him to feed the nations… to the glory of God. 2. Measure the resources to see what you can do. Jesus observed God at work before he did anything else. When God wanted to do something, Jesus noted the need, took the resources in his hand, prayed, and God met the overwhelming need with his abundant resources.
What should we pray as a church: God what do you want to do with us? If we do not understand, I am afraid Jesus will have to say the same thing… Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them:
17″Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied. 20″And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” 21He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” (Mark 8:17-21; NIV)
Lord, are we arguing about who forgot the bread or are we really convinced that in you we have all the resources we need?
Sunday Night Engage Spring Schedule
Preschool and Children
Though in separate classes, the preschool and children will split their time of discipleship between FUNdamentals and choir. FUNdamentals is an exciting time of discipleship for children based on the popular Beth Moore Bible studies.
Youth and College
Youth and College students will come together for a large group teaching time and then split into small groups to discuss what they have learned and pray for each other.
Adults
The adults will engage in a variety of classes that help foster the discipleship process.
Old Testament Survey
Trey Turner and Jason Gish will lead this class that meets as an open group from January 11 to May 24. Join this classes for a systematic study through the Old Testament. Anyone is welcome to attend this class at any point during the semester.
Two Becoming One
Trey and Christie Bledsoe will lead this marriage enrichment study for couples of any age. The cost is $30 per couple for material. This group will begin January 11 and end on April 5.
Missions! What?
This group will meet for five weeks beginning January 11 and ending Febraury 22. Jason Gish will lead with a biblical and historical look at missions, ending in an emphasis on current intercultural communication issues.
Financial Whats and Hows!
Following the marriage enrichment study, Bryan Daniel will lead a group that will study the Biblical principles of finances alongside practical application in today’s financial world. April 19-May 5.
Community Connections
From March 1-May 24, Trey Turner will participate with a group in exploring and conducting creative outreach in communities near CCBC.
New Church Home
I would like to set a focus before all of our groups for the coming year. We have a Vision which reads,
Canyon Creek Baptist is a family Canyon Creek Baptist is a family of believers with a primary ministry focus in the southern area of Temple, striving to reflect its ethnic diversity. It is a place where Christ’s Great Commission will be fulfilled in the context of nurturing small groups. Canyon Creek is committed to serving an ever-increasing number of families and individuals through visionary leadership by sharing responsibility with competent ministry based teams. The church expects and assists members in finding their places for personal growth and service within the body of Christ
Let us also set a 2 year goal of growth for our church. By December 2010 lets give 100 families a new church home. For a goal like this it will have to be the effort of our various ministries, classes, and age groups. The Strategic Planning team, our coordinators, and other leaders will help coordinate a plan of attack. When it comes down action, each person and each family must be individually won to Christ and won to our fellowship. I talked with a woman who lives in an East Texas town, but who comes when she is in town. Her experience with Canyon Creek has been great. She loves the worship services and has found an extremely welcoming family. This reminds me that Canyon Creek loves people. This goal may be a helpful reminder that the church’s ministry is giving people a savior and giving them a new church home.
SUNDAY NIGHT ENGAGE
The attendance trend for Sunday evenings at Canyon Creek has shifted downward over the past several years and has gained a larger momentum over the last 18 months. Despite the temptation to change Sunday evenings to something that would simply increase attendance, the better approach is to provide a ministry that gives opportunity for people to glorify God by being a growing disciple of Jesus Christ. This approach reaches far beyond the needs of adults only and includes all, from preschoolers to senior adults. The purpose of Sunday Night Engage is to help believers mature in their faith, encouraging them to takes steps in their faith, to grow into their ministries, and to become disciples who make disciples. Canyon Creek will see several benefits from this new approach to Sunday evenings. 1. This change in schedule and ministry allows CCBC to fulfill its mission statement of being a church that glorifies God by helping its members be and make disciples. 2. This change in schedule maintains a tie to what is known as the current Sunday evening worship while shaping the evening for focused discipleship needs. 3. This change in schedule enhances the visitor friendly atmosphere by providing appropriate age-based discipleship and open worship and bible study at the same time. 4. Because discipleship needs are most often unrelated to age, the schedule provides opportunity for a variety of ages to participate in a small group setting, helping bridge the gap between generations. With the church’s goal to reach 100 families by the end of 2010, Sunday Night Engage will prove to be a vital ministry in making it happen. It is the staff’s hope and prayer that Engage will become not simply a way for people to put new notches on their belts which represent completed bible studies, but that it will also become an avenue for outreach or onramps for new people to become involved in the life of the church.
Reason to Celebrate
This weekend the church reached a milestone we have to celebrate. Gifts to the building fund surpassed $75,000. In fact, gifts to the building through United We Build reached $86,000. I have to call the church’s attention to this great milestone and say thank you for your faithfulness. The Lord bless you for your faithfulness.
His best,
Trey Turner
Story of God; New Testament Give Away Stories
Sunday Nov. 30th the Pastor gave a message that talked about the 72 being sent throughout Judea to get people ready for Jesus’ visit. The church was challenged to pray for the person of peace, go with undivided attention to the task to saturate the world with the gospel.
Being sent out, the church was given New Testaments to give away to those God would lead them to. Some of you have already given those New Testaments and have stories. Would you post them here so we can begin to collect and share them?
Question of Leadership
I read today about 4 different types of leaders in church. These are not to be limited to staff members. See if you recognize anyone in these descriptions.
Relational leaders: These care about people and have amazing people skills. People will follow them because they know that these leaders genuinely care about them. These people can be either quiet or loud and aggressive.
Teaching leaders: These leaders help people grow in their knowledge about whatever they teach. These people are also tired with other responsibilities such as caring or detail management.
Managerial leaders: Managers organize and keep track of details. They follow careful plans and will work well assuming there are details to keep up with, people to be managed, or plans to accomplish. These are definitely task oriented people.
Catalyzing leaders: Catalysts are sometimes hard to keep if relational people or managers squelch creativity. Author Todd Rhodes says these are the “pioneers and strategists.” Catalysts take risks, solve problems, and step out sometimes making people uncomfortable. These people do not sit still long and will not stick around if there seems to be no room for what they feel is moving toward the cutting edge. Canyon Creek needs all four types of leaders. Which type(s) do we have? Which ones are missing from leadership?
