New springs news

View Online October 13, 2016 Newsletter Matthew 6:25-26 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ​ From Pastor Dave ​Dear Friends, ​ Followers of Jesus in the Presbyterian Church have found that the Heidelberg Catechism, written in 1563, says some important things about our faith in God through Jesus Christ. Things worth remembering. Like question number one, which mentions that our only comfort, in life and in death, is that we belong, not to ourselves, but to our faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who is worthy of our trust. Question number 2 of the Catechism follows the theme established in the first question, and lays out the pattern for the entire catechism- 129 questions and answers in all. Question 2: How many things must you know that you may live and die in the blessedness of this comfort? Answer: Three. First, the greatness of my sin and wretchedness. Second, how I am freed from all my sins and their wretched consequences. Third, what gratitude I owe to God for such redemption. The rest of the catechism follows the order established in question two: Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude. The order is important, especially if we are wondering about the reasons for obeying God. We might think immediately of God's power to judge. We might be tempted to think of obedience as an act of score keeping, building up a big enough score to someday earn God's favor. We might focus on obedience with an eye to the rewards God promises. But the authors of the catechism argue that the most important motivation driving obedience is gratitude. We love, according to 1 John, because God first loved us. We have been created in God's image. We have been the recipients of God's kindness. Every breath is a gift from the Holy One. Every cherished relationship is above and beyond what we deserve. Every day is an opportunity. Every beautiful expression of creation is a reminder. We are loved. We have received an undeserved gift. The gift can never be earned, and can never be repaid. We belong to God. God has called us friends. During a season of consecration, we're inviting the entire congregation of New Springs to hear God's call in new and powerful ways. We're each invited to set ourselves apart for God. We're each called to follow Jesus Christ. Together, we are called to love the community in which God has placed us, and we're called to be agents of God's reconciliation in that community. For this mission we set aside time, talent, and even treasure. But our call to obedience is never based on fear. Our call is never some lame attempt to build up enough approval points with a holy God. Our call is always a response of love and gratitude. This Sunday we'll have many chances in worship to express that gratitude. We'll celebrate the baptisms of a baby and a teen. We'll reaffirm the baptism of another church participant. We'll sing and praise, lift our voices and hearts, hear God's Word, and respond to God's Spirit. We'll celebrate all that God has done and all that God has given. We owe God so much gratitude for our redemption. May this season of consecration be a season of joyful thanksgiving. I really do believe that our gratitude will drive our actions, and lead us into the mission God has planned. In Christ's Love, Pastor Dave Special Congregational Meeting: Sunday, October 23, following Worship: Our Session, the board of elders leading our congregation, is calling a special congregational meeting following worship on Sunday, October 23. At that time we hope to present the details of a plan to help our congregation move forward in the months and years ahead. We are in conversation with our presbytery, and attempting to get all of the timing right so that our request is heard by the presbytery at the November 15 meeting. We'll be sharing the details over these next couple of weeks, but we wanted to alert everyone to the meeting in advance, as required by our congregational administrative manual. ​ Special Focus for this Sunday's Potluck Meal ​This Sunday, our Hospitality team is planning a great potluck meal, and we hope everyone will stay following worship to share the meal together. Please bring a main dish, side dish or dessert to share. The elders of the congregation are inviting us to share a conversation question during our meal that day. What does New Springs Community need right now? We hope the question inspires some great conversations around the tables. The leaders will spread out, joining the table conversation but also taking notes. We hope the conversation can fuel our next steps for the future! Hygiene Kits for Meadow Lane Elementary Thank you to everyone who brought toiletries for the hygiene kits for the kids at Meadow Lane Elementary School. Our goal is 100 kits! Please bring any of these items to church. We will be putting the kits together on October 23 right after Worship if anyone wants to help. STILL NEED 7 shampoo 17 conditioners 48 brushes 7 bars of soap 66 body washes 26 deodorant 4 2-gallon size zip lock bags for packing the kits Combs, toothbrushes and toothpaste are done! ​Remove Valuables and Lock Your Car Summit Wood Baptist Church had a car broken into last Sunday morning between 9:30 am - 12:00 pm in their parking lot. The thief broke a window out, stole a billfold and then went to Casey's and used the bank card that was in the billfold. Beth Glover from the Lee's Summit Police Department responded: This theft from auto is no doubt connected to the notorious Felony Lane Gang. We’ve received reports of similar activity from other KC metro agencies within the last two days. One suspect is in custody but this group usually sends many people at once to saturate the area. They specifically target locked vehicles with purses/wallets in plain sight. They also specifically target vehicles in busy parking lots (churches, childcare centers, fitness centers, parks). They work quickly and often work in groups of 2-4 people. If someone gets close to the target vehicle, others in the group will distract them until the entire group can get away. They “rent” rental cars with stolen driver’s licenses and often wear wigs or other disguises so they look more like the victim’s driver’s license photo. As soon as they steal a wallet or purse, they take the debit/credit cards and use them at local stores. They also cash stolen checks but they’re really focusing on using victims’ debit/credit cards now. Prevention Tips: -Post signs in your parking lots notifying parishioners to take valuables with them and lock doors. -Do you have a greeting or security team? Post them in the parking lot and greet people as soon as you see them. -Our best opportunity to prevent the Felony Lane Gang from being successful in our community is public education. Remember to remove your valuables and lock your vehicle. Lee's Summit Social Services Requests Help with Food Donations Lee's Summit Social Services food pantry is in need of supplies. Please add the following items to your grocery list and bring to church. peanut butter jelly corn muffin mix stuffing mix macaroni and cheese brown beans holiday food items ​Children's Ministry Each week we need two volunteers in our Nursery and two in Children's Church. We're always looking for more adult volunteers. You can sign up by clicking here. For more information, contact Charlie Minton or Dawn Nathan. K-LOVE Christmas Tour Steven Curtis Chapman, Crowder, and Unspoken will be performing on December 10 at Sheffield Family Life Center. Tickets are $30. Purchase tickets here. www.klove.com/events/christmastour Talk with Glenda Wild if you would like to go with her and others. Visit us at newspringscommunity.org