Seed of Faith

THANKSGIVING

We have so much to be thankful for. This week provides wonderful opportunities to express our gratitude to God and others. Sunday, Doug will continue our series in the Parables of Jesus with a look at the seed of faith. Then, Thanksgiving day we will celebrate our blessings at 10am with a communion service.

SINGING CHRISTMAS TREE

Invest in the lives of your family and friends and invite them to this amazing Christmas experience. I don’t know of a better way to communicate the Gospel at this time of year.

SOULDESIGN

Just a word of encouragement to use the tools provided to plan your week. Growing in faith, relationships, finances, health, and outreach does not just happen without being intentional. As we pursue the principles outlined in the book, calendaring them into our schedule for the week will make them come to pass.

Psalm 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Pastor Rick

Leading Missions Church

Cathy and I will be attending a meeting with pastors from the leading missions churches in America on Monday and Tuesday next week. This past fiscal year we gave over $1,500,000 to missions around the world. I am amazed at your generosity in the midst of challenging economic times. I will always believe that this is one of the significant reasons God’s blessing is on our church family. The meeting is being in held in Maine. It will be our first visit to the state of Maine. We are tacking on a couple extra days on the front of this trip to see Nate and Lisa (our oldest son and daughter-in-law). They recently moved to New York so we will get a chance to see them in their new environment.

In my absence on Sunday, Doug will bring the wrap-up message to our family theme for the month. It is going to be a great day as we continue to experience God’s presence and open our hearts to His Word.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Pastor Rick

Inspiring & Rewarding

We are having a great time in Kenya. It has been a full week but very inspiring and rewarding. I have been speaking twice a day to the pastors of the Kenya Assembly of God churches. They are very receptive and have impressed us with their humility and passion to serve Jesus in the midst of incredibly difficult environments. The missionaries in Kenya are a great group of people and they have led the church in Kenya with excellence. We have supported the Bible School in Nairobi where most of the pastors that I am speaking to each day received their training. Our investment is reaping an awesome harvest. I am looking forward to telling you more about it.

As the days go by, I am finding myself thinking of you and growing anxious to get back home to see you. The impact of seeing what God is doing in this part of the world will stir in my heart for months to come. But I am also keenly aware that you are my family and feel all the more bonded to you in this time of absence.

Sunday will be another wonderful day at CCC! Doug will bring God’s Word and the worship and fellowship will be life changing. Don’t miss what is happening when we pursue God in truth, growth, and love.

Psalm 5:11-12 “. . . let all who take refuge in you be glad, let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

Pastor Rick

Psalm 146 - Help for the Hurting

This Sunday will conclude our spring study of the Psalms. Doug will be speaking from Psalm 146. It is a wonderful look at God's provision for those who are hurting. It is going to be a great day of worship and spiritual growth.

I am on my way to Africa right now. This weekend I will be speaking at the graduation of students from our Bible School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where Dr. Tarr has been training the national ministers of that area. On Sunday, I will then share at a wonderful church in the city of Addis Ababa. I am anxious to witness the incredible things that are happening in this part of our world. I will return mid-week and look forward to getting back in the flow of things at CCC.

Once again, if you have not taken time to complete our Spiritual Life Survey, please do so today. We are partners in our mission on earth and your contribution to this survey will help our partnership to grow stronger. We learn from each other and then discover new ways to become all we can be in our spiritual mission. This is important to me and I deeply value your contribution.

Psalm 146:5-6 Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - the LORD, who remains faithful forever.

Together . . . Continuing the Dream,

Pastor Rick