There will be no Sunday Services this week due to the Blizzard. You CAN, however, still Love God, Love people, and Take action by helping your neighbors dig themselves out of the snow where ever you are! Your actions just might be the best “sermon” about what being a “Christian” is that they have ever known…

We are now just past the two week mark of 2016, and statistics tell us that already nearly 25% of all of us who made new years resolutions, have given up and moved back to our old habits and patterns.  Changing is hard, ESPECIALLY HARD when the change involves moving from indulging our personal appetites and habits to even temporarily denying yourself pleasure and satisfaction.  (Just ask everyone who made a New Years Resolution to lose weight, quit smoking, or save money!)

For all the confusion surrounding what it is to BE a “Christian”,  most people agree that becoming a Christian SHOULD involve personal change.  Jesus famously urged potential followers to “take up their cross and follow me”.  Even those who are skeptical about christianity in general make distinctions between “real christians” and others, based on the changes they’ve observed in their lives.  So what SHOULD change when someone becomes a Christian?   How does that change happen?   What if I’ve tried to change…tried to “be a Christian” and failed?   This Sunday we’ll answer all of these questions from scripture…along with a delightful mix of talk about Justin Bieber, the Holy Spirit, Law, Grace…and stretchy yoga pants.   You won’t want to miss it.

This week will also feature music from Port Ellis, along with all the “normal” food and fun that makes actionchurch ANYTHING but a normal Sunday morning at church! We’ve even freed up more parking…so go ahead and invite ALL your friends and family that have been curious about actionchurch. We look forward to seeing you at– 10:30 am, 36 W 11th Avenue. (DIRECTIONS), and as usual, the actionkidz crew has a fantastic hour of learning and fun planned for your kids (infant to 6th grade) as well.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind and all your strength…..” Luke 10:27

Back in my younger, youth ministry days, they dressed me up in some shepherd type get up, made out of old bed sheets and we transformed the entire lower level and parking lot of the church into Galilee…..complete with palm trees, tents and goats. (Yes, goats!) One of the songs for that year’s Vacation Bible School focused on the bible verse above. Like most songs designed to engage children, it had motions to go with the words……that for the life of me I just couldn’t quite master. (Maybe that’s why I’m not in youth ministry anymore!) I was always making muscles when we were supposed to be shaping a heart or pointing towards our heads.

But I loved encouraging the kids with that verse from Luke, because it always seemed to me that if you are busy loving God with ALL of all of the parts of you, there wouldn’t be much room for getting in to trouble, or causing pain, or being mean.

Oh, and by the way –

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Somehow that part of Luke 10:27 always gets dotted out of the quote. Maybe it just wasn’t catchy enough to fit in the song. But the notion of loving others is such a powerful concept that it gets repeated over and over again throughout the new testament. Jesus emphasizes it frequently. And here at actionchurch we emblazon it on everything that is stationary for longer than five seconds:

Love God
Love people
Take action

Not original. But oh, so powerful!

Last Sunday, in week one of the “Christian” series, we discovered how the label “Christian” began, and what the original bearers of that title believed about Jesus. (Hint: it’s found in the word…”CHRISTians” believed Jesus was the CHRIST)  Clearly though, being a “Christian” entails more than just believing something.  Ask anyone…even people who do not claim to be christians have very specific (and often varied :-) opinions about how the people who call themselves christians should behave.   So what should “Christians” do?  For that matter,  “What would Jesus do”?

This week we’ll discover the answers to those questions (and raise many more) as we read the actual words of Jesus as he described the relationship between himself, God, and the his present and future followers.   We’ve also got new music on tap from our old friend Matt Wheeler, along with all the “normal” food and fun that makes actionchurch ANYTHING but a normal Sunday morning at church! We’ve even freed up more parking…so go a head and invite ALL your friends and family that have been curious about actionchurch. We look forward to seeing you at– 10:30 am, 36 W 11th Avenue. (DIRECTIONS), and as usual, the actionkidz crew has a fantastic hour of learning and fun planned for your kids (infant to 6th grade) as well.

This Sunday we’re starting the year at actionchurch by tackling one of the biggest questions ever- What exactly does it mean to be a “Christian”?  How do you become one?  How do you continue to be one?  When it comes to being a “Christian” who’s in…and who’s definitely out?   This series will be enlightening and interesting both for people who think they definitely are “Christian” and even for those of us who are certain they are NOT. For all of you who are perhaps not sure…this Sunday’s sermon will end with ONE FOOLPROOF WAY to know for certain whether you are (or are not) a Christian.

For all of you who wish we would just tackle something less loaded and controversial like losing weight, improving your marriage, or putting a few extra dollars into savings this year in our January sermon series…the SIDE EFFECTS of true Christianity couldn’t BE BETTER for your New Years resolutions.  (Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, and Perseverance and Generosity couldn’t hurt, right? ;-)  This week will also feature music from our good friends in the Jesse Baker Band, and all the “normal” food and fun that makes actionchurch ANYTHING but a normal Sunday morning at church! We’ve even freed up more parking…so go a head and invite ALL your friends and family that have been curious about actionchurch. We look forward to seeing you at– 10:30 am, 36 W 11th Avenue. (DIRECTIONS), and as usual, the actionkidz crew has a fantastic hour of learning and fun planned for your kids (infant to 6th grade) as well.