A church is called to do many different things, but the foundation of a church is being a spiritual family for each other.  A church becomes your spiritual family when you prayerfully settle on a church so you can stop ‘hopping’ and start making committed relationships and feel responsibility for the success of that church.  At JPL we are glad to have a broad range of people that includes many uncommitted visitors and seekers, but every person who decides to follow Christ will need to find a spiritual family.  My wife and I host a Discover JPL lunch after church on the third Sunday of the month for the broad range of uncommitted curious and for those who are interested in committing to the JPL family.  I enjoy meeting people interested in a time like that and share how people can fit into the JPL spiritual family with common beliefs and the ways we help people grow in things like relationships, service and giving. 

 An important part of feeling like you are in a spiritual family instead of just being in a church audience is ministry teams or Connection Groups where people know each other well enough to care for each other not only spiritually, but emotionally and physically.  The church can respond to the various needs as individuals or in organized teaching, prayer, training, counseling and seeing good models.  During these economic challenges God stirred up just a few members of JPL to serve JPL and some in the community by organizing material help of weekly groceries, holiday meals and Christmas gifts for families.  Many in JPL have received help and/or provided help.  If you need this sort of assistance or if you would like to join the ministry team that provides such assistance, let us know on your Connection Card or at the Information Table.

 Churches are supernatural families.  God uses each of us to enrich each other’s lives.  May you make a godly difference in the JPL family in 2010.

 In His Joy, Peace and Love,

 Pastor Steve Sorensen

Watching the news and giving some money to Haiti is part of being world focused, but being world focused goes far beyond that.  Being world focused will cause you to pray or go.  We aren’t all able or called to travel like that, but being world focused means always looking for opportunities to share Jesus with those around you.  In my jobs and activities I always prayed for people and looked for opportunities to care and share with my unchurched co-workers and acquaintances.  That is a lot harder to do when you work in a church!  But we have family, friends, neighbors and we and our kids are involved in other activities with the unchurched.  If you want to experience passionate spirituality, be word based, Spirit directed and world focused.  Start praying for these people.  Look for ways to care for these people.  Look for opportunities to share with these people. 

We have Friends for Life cards to help remind you how to do this and to do this!  Pick one up at the Connection or Festival of Life table.  We have a prayer card “Praying for the Lost” that can show you how to effectively pray for your friends and family.  One of our Connection Groups is studying a book called Organic Outreach for Ordinary People by Kevin Harney that shows us how we can use our particular personalities, circumstances and gifts to find ways to pray, care and share.  Get hot, hot, hot and Jesus will lead you into a rich and satisfying life with Him!

 In His Joy, Peace and Love,

JPL Financial Report
We print the monthly financial numbers in the program. JPL has done well from January through the first week of June, but June giving ended up well a $5,800 shortfall, presumably because many of us are in and out of town. We don’t have a financial cushion to absorb this, so please remember JPL while you are away this summer! The Lord is with us – we have his favor!

The women’s ministry at JPL is very strong. I remember it was also very strong in the church I grew up attending. In one of the biggest churches in the world, a million member church in South Korea, a large majority of the small group leaders are women. I do not know all the cultural and/or spiritual reasons for this, but I wonder if it has to do with motherhood. So many women are involved in humble service for their families. Other than Mother’s Day their service is often taken as matter of fact, but John 13 says Jesus showed the perfected love of God by washing his followers’ feet. This was a menial service done by the household servant if you had one. And Jesus told his disciples if they practiced that kind of love they would be blessed. I would say many women constantly practice this kind of humble service out of love for their children and so are blessed by God just like Jesus said. Although many cultures assign humble service tasks to women, this has nothing to do with gender. Jesus and the 12 disciples were all men. The man Jesus washed the feet of men and told them to follow his example. In the book of Acts it was a delegation of men who were full of the Spirit and wisdom to serve the widows in a food distribution program. The Apostle Paul had great spiritual authority, but in II Thessalonians 2:7 he compared his ministry to a mother caring for her own children. Serving builds the church and saves the lost.

The opportunities for humble service are endless. Church is a great place to find opportunities to serve God and people demonstrating the love of Christ. One of those places to serve is preparing and serving refreshments for the rest of JPL in the ‘Garden of Eatin’ ministry. Dina Reigle leads this cheerful team according to a rotating monthly schedule and is looking for people to join her right now. If we want the servant heart of Christ we will always look for opportunities for service and therefore find many. I loved this week’s quote concerning the power of small kindnesses on a habitual basis – at church, at home, at work and everywhere we go. How would you like to be a light in the world for Christ? You don’t have to be a great preacher, evangelist. You can do it with humble, daily service inside and outside of the church. Do not let these opportunities for spiritual greatness and influence continually float by in life. Seize the service!

In His joy, peace and love – Pastor Steve

Or, show up at church on Wednesdays at 7 and Sundays at 11 to discover what the fun is all about.

He Speaks To Me is a 7 week study on how to hear God communicate to us in life. They will meet at the church starting Monday night, June 15 at 6:30 pm.

In 2010 JPL will begin to expand the network of Connection Groups.

With subjects as diverse as Line upon Line Bible Study to Cooking Great BBQ.

Contact Thom Emery about your future in a Connection Group  Thom@jplbiblechurch.com