Pushing Through The Noise

We live in a society that more times than not centers around individualism. Bookstores are full of self-help literature and media focuses on how "I" can succeed. It takes the right clothes, car, make-up, exercise equipment, and so on to make me the best. Self-centeredness is all around us. The "all about me" mindset is woven throughout the story of the Prodigal Son. The younger son wants, receives, and squanders his inheritance and then comes groveling home while the father has been grieving his loss and the older son has remained faithful and hardworking. Two self-centered sons, one who was lost and has returned; one who was always there and never lacked, treated with grace and respect. While our society touts an "all about me, self-centered" image that is not what is laid out in this parable. You see when we mature in our faith, we can shift the focus off ourselves and show grace to others, as was demonstrated by the loving father for both of his sons.

I like Disney movies. In 2003 Disney/Pixar released "Finding Nemo". Marlin is a clownfish who lives in an anemone in the Great Barrier Reef. His wife, Coral, and almost all their eggs are killed in a barracuda attack and only one damaged egg remains, Nemo. Given the circumstances, Marlin is overprotective of Nemo, who, because of the attack, was born with a stunted right fin. On Nemo's first day of school, Marlin embarrasses Nemo, and the two argue. While Marlin is talking to Nemo's teacher, Nemo defiantly approaches a nearby speedboat, (sounds a little like our prodigal son) where he is captured by a pair of scuba divers and taken to an aquarium tank in a dentist's office in Sydney, Australia. There Nemo realizes that his actions were not the smartest and works with the others in the tank to make his way back to his father. At the same time, Marlin moves heaven and ocean to find his son, the prodigal son. Meetings with sharks, jellyfish, Crush and sea turtles, and encounters with self-centered seagulls whose chant is "mine, mine, mine" can't stop Marlin from his mission, to find his son and welcome him home with love and grace. Nemo escapes and makes his way back to the ocean and comes upon his father. Apologies from Nemo are offered, and Nemo is greeted with the love and grace that a father can offer.

The prodigal son, the one who was reckless and defiant has returned having turned away from his self-centeredness and now truly sees and respects those around him. When we give into the noise around us and buy into our culture today, we lose sight of what God is calling us to do. We are called to demonstrate grace and unconditional love as did the father and Marlin. No matter how far away we move from God, no matter how wasteful we are with the gifts God gives us, God is always pleased when we turn back to him. God never leaves us. Hear that again. God NEVER leaves us. God’s unconditional love is always present, and God’s arms are always open. We are being called to look beyond ourselves and emulate the love and grace of Jesus Christ for all to see. Pushing through the noise and allowing God to shift the focus off our self-centeredness and onto demonstrating graciousness and unconditional love for others is the call. So, will you push past all the noise and allow God to provide clarity of purpose, and clear direction, and then respond to his call?

The Best Is Yet To Come

The thrift store has undergone several improvements this past year. Having a new roof installed this past week being one of those improvements. We run an amazing ministry out of an older building, which has needed this maintenance work.

However, this has not been inexpensive. Everything has a cost, and church buildings and  maintenance are no exception. Choosing to put money into our store and building is an investment into what can be accomplished here. It is an investment into the future. When we choose to put resources into something, we are investing in what is to come, not what we may be seeing at the time. This sounds alot like faith. Believing in what we can not see. In ministry, that is what is done a lot. Believing in what we can not see, and investing in the future.

 The weekend food program is a ministry of our church that sends food home with children who are experiencing food insecurity. When we give to children are we not also investing in the future? We don't know the children by name, but the child who can do their homework over the weekend with a full stomach is more likely to succeed in school, and become our next youth pastor, school nurse, or business owner.  When we spend money on new play equipment for our preschool, we are investing in the future too. The young child playing today may become a church architect when they grow up.

 Investing now for the future is having hope for tomorrow. It is having confidence in God's greater plan. An investment in God's plan is always an investment with amazing returns. Always. Yes, the thrift store has a new roof. Yes, we do an amazing ministry here. But what more does God have planned? I am excited to see what God has planned for us in the future.  

Church Math

I love math. I know it’s hated by so many people but for me it brings about a sense of reason and logic into almost every area of my life. One place you wouldn’t think of math being important is church. However, church math is my favorite. Here are my five favorite church math facts:

1. All it would take for our church to regularly worship over 700 people is for every person who currently goes to our church to bring one friend. (Everyone bringing one friend is a lot easier than Pastor David bringing over 300 friends.)

2. If everyone who went to our church gave up one cup of coffee a week and gave that money to the church, we would have an $100,000 to do ministry. That equals feeding 400 kids a year through the backpack program or doubling the amount that goes to our children, youth, and worship ministries each year.

3. If you go to church every week but don’t go to a small group or do anything else to deepen your faith, you’ll spend 52 hours a year at church. That’s less time than you’ll spend on the toilet and it’s less time than you have from the time you leave work on Friday until you go back to work on Monday. Joining a small group is the easiest way to double the amount of time you spend in spiritual development and will get you connected to other Christians to walk along side you.

4. If you used the audio version of the Bible, you could listen to the entire Bible in about 70 hours. That means 12 minutes a day lets you read it all within a year.

5. 85% of Americans become Christians between the ages of 4 and 14. If we want to have the greatest impact on our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, it is going to start with kids and youth ministry.

Why do all of these numbers matter? Well, first of all, if I were to say our goal in the next three years is to worship 700 each Sunday and to bring in an additional quarter million dollars for ministry, it sounds impossible. But when you realize that all that takes is each one of us bringing one friend to church and giving up a cup of coffee a week it suddenly sounds much more doable. None of this is asking you to change the world or do something radical. It’s asking you to do simple things that add up to monumental changes.

We Need You!

Church Family,

As we eagerly anticipate another summer filled with excitement, there's one event that's on everyone's mind (okay, at least it's on mine)—Vacation Bible School (VBS)! It's that wonderful time of the year when we gather for a week-long journey of faith, fun, and fellowship. On June 24th to 28th, from 9 AM to Noon, I'm inviting you to join me for this year's VBS: "Start the Party: Celebrate the good news!"

First off, a huge shoutout to those of you who've already jumped on board to volunteer this year. Your energy and dedication are the heartbeat of VBS, and I'm so grateful for each and every one of you. But guess what? We still need more helping hands to ensure this year's VBS knocks it out of the park.

Last year was phenomenal—we served a record number of kids, and the impact was immeasurable. But this year, we have an even bigger goal in mind: to almost double the number of children we reach. As I’m writing this blog post, we already have over 100 kids signed up in only 10 days. Imagine the lives we can touch, the hearts we can inspire, and the joy we can spread this summer. But to achieve this goal, we need YOU.

Now, I know I might sound like a broken record, but I cannot stress enough the importance of VBS. For many of the children in our community, this might be the only opportunity they have to hear about Jesus. It's a chance for us to share the gospel in a way that's engaging, interactive, and accessible to young hearts and minds. And let me share a testament to the power of VBS—last year, 9 kids said yes to Jesus! The faith of one of those children who said yes to Jesus led to her request to be baptized. She then had 12 other church members follow suit, along with several other reaffirmation baptisms. That's the kind of impact we're talking about! The faith of a child can move mountains!

But here’s the thing—you don’t need to volunteer for all five days. We'll take whatever time you can spare, whether it's one day, two days, or the whole week. Every moment counts, and trust me, there's something for everyone, even if you're not big on working directly with kids. We've got tech needs, snack prep, parent check-in—you name it, we've got a spot for you.

Last year's VBS brought growth, life, and excitement back to our campus, and this year will be no exception. So, if you're ready to join the party with a purpose, head over to navarre.church/vbs and sign up to volunteer or register your kiddos today. Space is limited, so don't miss out on this chance to make a lasting impact.

Thank you all for your unwavering support, and let's make VBS 2024 a celebration to remember!

God bless,

Christine

Honoring God

So, for years I’ve been working with wood. Just like music, I’ll never stop doing it. It’s a talent that God has given me too. Thanks Lord! Now I’ve turned it up a couple levels. Now I have a Lathe and I’ve been doing some resin art to incorporate with my projects. Putting these three together and looking at your final project is such a satisfaction and accomplishment. When you create something beautiful from a simple block of wood, you also learn valuable lessons about faith and discipleship. So now you ask, “where is the connection between woodworking and Jesus?”. Let’s find out!

Woodworking can teach us about creativity. When I make something, I’m bringing something new into this world. With the talent he has blessed me with, I can turn raw material into something beautiful! Sometimes lol. In the same way, God has given each of us unique gifts and talents, and he tells us to use them to glorify him and serve others. We can honor God through our creativity, whether it’s woodworking, painting music or any other art form.

I struggle with this one every now and then. Patience. What I do requires lots of patience and attention to detail. You can’t rush, or you may end up with a lot of flaws, rough spots, or an incomplete project when you think it’s finished. In the same way, following Christ requires patience and perseverance. We must be patient with ourselves and others in order to grow in our faith. We must trust in God’s timing and plan for our lives, even when things don’t go as we expect it.

Woodworking can also teach us about stewardship. When we work with wood, we are using a precious resource that has been entrusted to us by God. We must be good stewards of this resource, using it wisely and responsibly. In the same way, we are called to be good stewards of the other resources God has given us, including our time, talents, and relationships. We must use these resources in a way that honors God and serves others.

Finally, woodworking can teach us about the value of hard work. When we work with wood, we must be willing to put in the time and to create something beautiful and functional. In the same way, following Christ requires hard work and dedication. We must be willing to put in the time and effort to grow in our faith and serve others.

So for that being said, woodworking is a hobby that can teach about faith and discipleship. By being creative, patient, responsible, and hardworking, we can honor God through our woodworking projects and our lives. As we work with wood, we can be reminded of the ultimate woodworker, Jesus Christ, who gave his life to create something beautiful and valuable: it’s called salvation. God bless friends!