EPIC FAMILY MINISTRY UPDATE

The months of January and February were filled with many new events and new starts in our EPIC ministries.  We began our Coffee with Kelly event.  Coffee with Kelly occurs during the Sunday school hour and once a month at each church.  It is at this time, I have the privilege of getting to know the parents, students, and other members of the congregations while serving refreshments and a morning treat.

The first time of hosting Coffee with Kelly at each church was a learning experience, as we begin the process of tweaking and adjusting this event to best suit the need of each church.  But through that learning process, I was able to have great conversations with parents.  It was joy to get to know them better as well as their children. 

I know that being able to stay during the Sunday school hour may be an adjustment in schedules for parents, but I really want to extend the invite for you to join us in the month of March.  I will be at the Rockwell City Lutheran Church and the Methodist Church on March 25^th due to my certification school reunion being on March 11^th.  I will be at the Lytton Lutheran Church on March 18^th.  I look forward to meeting and talking with you if I haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet.

We also started our EPIC Family Nights, which occur the last Wednesday of every month.  The first one in January was outstanding!  I was so glad to see so many parents as well as brothers and sisters attending EPIC.  What excitement was brought into the room!  I thank everyone who has attended so far.  I was glad to be able to talk to families who came and to hear their thoughts, suggestions, and input.  We always welcome their thoughts because we want EPIC to be a support to the families of the students who attend! If you have not seen EPIC in action yet, I would like to invite you to join us March 28^th.  If you are attending the Junior High EPIC, please be at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church around 5:45pm and if you are attending the High School EPIC, please be at the Emanuel – St. John Lutheran Church at 7pm.  I look forward to seeing you there.

In the month of February, the EPIC junior high students finished their walk through the genealogy of Jesus found in Matthew 1.  We discovered Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, and Solomon were all told by God that someone was coming through their line that would bless the world and would reign forever.  We also learned that the people chosen by God to be in the genealogy line were not perfect at all, but God still used them to do great things.  We went through the kings of Judah from Solomon to Jeconiah to see who followed God completely, who didn’t follow God and who followed God but not completely.  It was fun to see the students guess which king followed God and which king didn’t.  We finished with Zerubbabel who helped rebuild the temple after the people of God came back from exile. 

Through all this, it is my hope and prayer that the students AND leaders discovered that they are made for a purpose and a reason.  I hope they know that God uses imperfect people to do great things and that no matter your age; you can make a difference for the kingdom of God.

The EPIC high school students are finishing a series called I AM _________.  In this series we filled in the blank with words used to describe who we are in Christ after we have placed our faith in him.  We learned that in Christ I am FREE, LOVED, FORGIVEN, NEW, DEVOTED, AND SELFLESS.  Each issue made us all realize there are lies in our lives that we believe about ourselves that Christ says are not true.  We realized that there people in our lives that we need to forgive or ask for forgiveness from.  We realized that our old self is gone when we choose to put on our new self in Christ and our new self is valued, loved, and special in the eyes of God.  Lastly, we faced the choice of letting go of who we are or who we want to be so that the Holy Spirit can freely live and move through us.  It was quite the journey for me personally, as I studied the scripture and prepared for each week.  But I know that God is doing some incredible things in the lives of those who attend EPIC.  May all glory and honor go to Him!

I also want to extend my prayers and support with the loss of the Heuten boys in February as well as healing for all involved in the accident.  What a witness to see the student and community members come along side one another to support all affected.  We pray that God will be a continual presence in their lives. 

EPIC UPDATE

Just a reminder there is No EPIC tonight.  We are encouraging the students to attend an Ash Wednesday Service.

Lytton at the Lutheran Church at 7:00pm

RC Lutheran at 6:30pm

Methodist at Jolley at 7:00pm

ALSO Next Wednesday, Feb 29th, is our EPIC FAMILY NIGHT.  If you have a student in EPIC you are invited to join us that Wednesday to experience it all together!

This coming Saturday we are showing the movie Courageous at the Lytton Lutheran Church at 7pm.  Admission is free and there is popcorn and refreshments to follow!

Hope to see you there!

EPIC FAMILY NIGHT

EPIC FAMILY NIGHT

WHEN: January 25th  (TOMORROW!)

WHERE: Junior High @ RC St. Paul's Lutheran Church from 5:40pm to 7pm
High School @ Lytton Lutheran Church from 7pm to 8:30pm

WHO: All members of an EPIC students' families (extended family included)

WHAT: Come and experience what your children do every Wednesday as well as receive tools to help build vibrant faith in their lives

WHY: Because you as families to our EPIC students are very important to us and you as parents are the biggest spiritual influence in your child's life!  We want to support, encourage and partner with you as you do what you do best, be their parent!

QUESTIONS: email me! everypersoninchrist@gmail.com

Hope to see you all there! :-) 

Devotional Day 6

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 

Pure heart...will see God.  Wow that is an incredible statement.  One for me that is hard to fathom.  I see my heart and all the things I want to change.  I see the sins I make in my thoughts, in my deeds, and in my words.  I see all the ways I let God down.  I see all the ways I don't live as a Christian.  I see how the others apply to me.  Poor in Spirit, mourning, meek, hungry and thirsty, in these I can relate.  It means I am lacking and God has filled that need.

But pure in heart?  To be pure was referred to as being clean.  A pure heart is without defect, it is unmixed with impure things, and it unwavering int its single devotion to God.  At the cross I see how impure I am.  How can we be pure in heart?  Is it even possible?  

And honestly I think being completely pure in heart will not happen for us until we are created completely new in Heaven.  We are never going to stop making mistakes and that leaves our heart impure. 

ere are ways to purify our heart now.  To start to make it clean, to get read of the defects, and impurities, and to have its focus and devotion be to God.

Jesus started this process with his death on the cross.  Through acceptance of his FREE AWESOME gift of forgiveness, grace and mercy we receive a new life here and now.  Our sins (impurities) are washed away and we are given a new start and a new beginning.  It is such an amazing feeling when you are standing in the grace of God.

Let's be honest, though, that feeling doesn't last and neither does our new clean heart. We walk away and 5 seconds later sin again.  It can leave us feeling discouraged, disheartened, and well impure. 

But that doesn't mean we should give up!  Faith walk with Jesus is a JOURNEY full of ups and downs, really high ups and really high downs, droughts, storms, and sunshine.  The point is that we KEEP GOING. We keep our faith in God even if we don't see Him.  We keep our faith in his promises of always loving and being with us.  We keep walking forward knowing our destination (Heaven) is better than we can possibly imagine.

But Jesus didn't die and rise again so we can journey alone or without direction.  To keep on purifying our heart, the Bible gives us great verses to show us how. 

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9)

“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11)

God's WORD shows us exactly what a pure heart does and doesn't do.  It fits so well in our progression.  When we realize we have nothing or can do nothing to get to God, when we realize what our punishment is but yet know it has been paid, and we hunger and thirst for righteousness pretty soon we see our heart start to change from impure to pure. 

If we purse God's word (that means you actually have to read it) and pray to God asking for help (it's okay to admit you need help) and guidance (Holy Spirit here for a reason) we will start leading a different life.  A life that reflects a heart that is being purified.  

But this road of purifying our hearts which in turn changes how we live does come with a cost.  We might lose friends, possessions, status, and family members. We might get made fun of and maybe even persecuted.  We might even lose our life.  

But Christ tells us in Matthew 10:39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Jesus gave up his life for us!  Left his heavenly throne and glory to come to a broken world to save sinful people.  Who are we to give him anything less?  Even if we give up our life here we are met with an eternal life and a pure heart.  There we will see God. 

But I also firmly believe on our path to purify our hearts through God we will see Him.  If we pursue Him and have our hearts and eyes open to Him, we will find Him.  We might not see Him face to face but we will know He is there by the stirring of our hearts. 

What things in your heart need to be purified?  What path and journey are you on today?  

I suggest praying Psalm 139:23-24:  Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

May we together pursue pure hearts through the God who gave us the chance to see Him

The Message version "You're blessed when you get your inside world- your mind and heart-put right.  Then you can see God in the outside world."