Community Groups@PAC

Trinidad Mission Team 2008 Prayer Request

2008-07-02T12:22:00.002-04:00

PAC is sending a mission team to Trinidad from July 5 to July 15 to help with a Bible School for a local church. We expect about 100 young kids to participate during the day. In addition, there will be a nightly study for teens and adults. Our team is 15 people including Chloe and I, who have come together to serve the people of Trinidad.

Our prayer for us for this trip is Colossians 1:9-14:

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Please pray for us as we serve in a foreigh land. We look forward with anticipation for what God has planned for us in our lives and the lives of those we serve.

Thank You!

Basic Human Needs to be Fully Known and Fully Loved

2008-06-04T15:01:00.002-04:00

“The A, B, C's of community in small groups are Authenticity, Belonging, and Caring.

Authenticity - is our basic desire to be fully known.

Belonging - is our basic need to be a part of something bigger than our selves so that, interacting with others, we can learn about our selves and receive.

Caring - we need to know that we are considered precious by others. We need to be loved.

The problem is that, on our own, we can get this exactly backwards. We start to think that if we are authentic - if people come to know us for who we really are - they will reject us. We will not Belong, and if we don't belong, we will not be loved. So from a human perspective, we see a conflict between being authentic and being loved.

But the good news is... Jesus fully knows us AND fully loves us - enough to die for us on the cross. And once we really accept the grace provided by the cross we can begin to be authentic with God. We can stop pretending that we can be good enough and accept the fact that through Him we truly Belong in the Kingdom of Heaven. In that security we can ask God to help us see ourselves - authentically.

So with Jesus, the Love comes first, when we accept this unconditional love, Belonging and Authenticity follows. So why do we need community? Because when we are alone, we fall back into human conventions. Like thinking that A comes before B and B before C. Even when we come here for corporate worship - we put on our best clothes and we tend to leave all the stuff that needs to be brought before God at home in closets. We're afraid to bring that stuff here because if we did, we might not Belong. And, as a result, we might not be loved.

So what we need is a place that's modeled on God's A,B,C's of community - not ours. Where the Caring comes first and the sense of Belonging follows. Together, these create an environment in which it is safe for us to be Authentic. And here's the good part - at this point a feedback loop kicks in - when a more authentic version of you is loved (even while being held accountable), you really feel like you belong and this allows you to be even more authentic, and when this version of you is loved, you belong even more..

When this upward spiral takes place lives are transformed as we grow in Christ, together. I believe that this spiral occurs more easily in Community Groups than in large groups and it occurs most easily where the caring - unconditional caring - comes first.

Make an online donation to join the relief effort in Myanmar or China

2008-05-29T13:03:00.002-04:00

Princeton Alliance Church has providied an easy way to join the relief effort for the recent disasters in Myanmar and China, http://www.princetonalliance.org/relief/. It is very easy to help others in urgent need by using this weblink. Check it out.

Myanmar

On May 2, Cyclone Nargis made landfall in Myanmar (Burma), resulting in at least 80 000 fatalities and leaving many more people still missing. Nargis is considered the second deadliest named cyclone of all time.

United Nations reports put nearly 2 000 square miles of Myanmar underwater. Lack of clean water, food and medical supplies have sparked fears that the number of casualties will continue to climb rapidly.

China

Sichuan Earthquake

Barely two weeks later, on May 12, a 8.3 MW earthquake struck China's Sichuan province, causing at least 65 000 fatalities, 350 000 injuries and leaving at least 4.8 million people homeless.

The initial earthquake was followed by three major aftershocks that caused more deaths, injuries and collapsed another 420 000 buildings.

Practical Help

The church is a member of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. CAMA, the disaster relief arm of the C&MA, has begun recovery efforts in both countries.

CAMA Director Phil Skellie explains their mission:

“A compassionate response during a disaster tangibly expresses Christ's love and opens doors for other ministries. Our initial goal is to raise [money] to assist with providing clean water and food, essential housing supplies and materials for rebuilding homes.”

Thank you!

Discovery Classes at PAC offered Saturday, April 19

2008-04-16T10:22:00.001-04:00

April is a time of renewal in nature. It is also a great opportunity for spiritual renewal for our church family. PAC offers three core classes that bring clarity to what PAC is all about and where we are doing in 2008.These classes are offered sequentially so you need start with d1 and then continue on through d3.

Please attend one of these core courses on Saturday morning, April 19 at PAC. Register with Alicia at 609-799-9000, ext 27.

Following are the core class descriptions:

1. d1 Discovering Community

This is the first class in a series of three in the Discovery pathway. This class (also now serves as the PAC membership class) is for everyone who attends PAC, and is designed to help us develop community. We discover the basic structure, strategy, and importance of Community Groups as we impact our community one neighborhood at a time. There will be an opportunity to officially join our church family upon completion of this class.

2. d2 Discovering Spiritual Journey

This is the second of three classes in the Discovery pathway. This class helps us to understand and practice spiritual disciplines every Christ follower should have and master as we seek to fully know God. The principles and discipline of prayer, bible study, and generosity are among the topics covered. Frequent habits and tools that every disciple should have will be emphasized.

(Prerequisite: Discovering Community d1)

3. d3 Discovering Ministry

The final class in the Discovery Pathway trilogy, Discovering Ministry is designed to initiate the discovery of how God has uniquely shaped us to bring hope to the world around us. In this class we will discover how our spiritual gifts, heart desires, abilities, unique personality and our experiences will enable us to transform the world around us. Once you’ve discovered more about yourself, you’ll be able to discover the joy of ministry. You will have the opportunity to sample ministry both inside and outside the walls of PAC.

(Prerequisite: Discovering Community d1)(Prerequisite: Discovering Spiritual Journey d2)

Please join us on Saturday, April 19!

Front Line Ministries Update

2008-03-01T14:01:00.001-05:00

In just three weeks, PAC is adding a fourth service on Easter weekend and then will stay with these four services times going forward for each weekend. The Saturday service remains at 6:00 pm. The three services times on Sunday will become, 9:00 am, 10:30 am and noon. This means several new things to Front Line Ministry volunteers.

1. Everyone who serves on Sunday morning will be serving at a new time beginning Easter weekend.

2. We will obviously need many more volunteers to serve in Front Line for four services.

3. We aren’t sure how many people will attend each of these new Sunday services.

4. Some of the things we have done in the past will be changing.

5. Easter weekend only – We need volunteers to serve at two Good Friday services (6:00 pm and 7:30 pm) as well as Saturday night and Sunday morning services.

For now, the important thing for us is to determine which of the new Sunday service times will be your choice to continue serving in this ministry. Once we can determine when you will be serving, we will know how many new volunteers we will need for each new service time.

Please let Lori Boulware know which service is your preference to serve. Lori will also have a clip board in the back of the sanctuary this weekend for you to let us know your preferences.

Thank you for the personal stamps that each of you add to make PAC a friendlier place for people to worship and hopefully meet God in the very relevant places of their widely varying lifestyles.

Front Line Ministries Luncheon

2008-02-15T10:53:00.001-05:00

Frontline Ministries Luncheon February 24, 1pm - 3pm, at PAC.

Please join us for lunch if you are a Frontline Volunteer or if you would like to get involved in this area of ministry.

Frontline includes Ushering, Greeting, Parking, Welcome Center and Cafe Volunteers.

Register by Feb 20 by emailing lboulware@princetonalliance.org

Easy as One, Two, Three

2008-01-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

What PAC askes of you in 2008:

1. Attend a weekend service - 4 services starting Easter weekend.
2. Get connected - Join a group or take the first Discovery class.
3. Serve - P.E.A.C.E. in 2008.

That's it!

P.E.A.C.E. in 2008

2008-01-19T10:13:00.000-05:00

Each year, frosty January mornings finds Chloe and I re-reading our cards and letters from the just past Christmas. We started this practice a few years back and have stuck with it. After breakfast and newspaper puzzles we grab a small handful of cards and letters out of the special card basket and read them aloud to each other, one by one. It seems that the second time around, the cards and letters are even more meaningful to us. We reflect on our relationships and memories with our friends and family and often we pray for them. We are grateful each is a part of our lives.

One card we read this morning from a relative in the Midwest caused me to write this posting this morning. The message on the front of the card was, “God’s goodness yesterday, God’s presence today, and God’s promises tomorrow”. This message captures one of my central themes in my blog. Inside, the verse at the bottom of the card proclaims, “The yes to all of God’s promises is in Christ”, II Corinthians 1:20. Amen!

The back of the card reveals the publisher of the card, Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life. Prominent on this face is Rick Warren’s program for touching lives around the globe, P.E.A.C.E.

Plant churches
Equip servant leaders
Assist the poor
Care for the sick
Educate the next generation

P.E.A.C.E. captures the essence of Community Groups at PAC. Come along side us this year by getting involved with one or two of the opportunities contained in the letters of P.E.A.C.E. This is what we are about in 2008 and beyond.

My blog

2008-01-17T09:41:00.000-05:00

My blog has two components: On the left side of this page are postings that I write related to things I am finding important. These generally are core beliefs of mine or at least things that are important to my life at the time when I write them. On the right side are Bible verses that I find significant during my daily devotions. I enjoy highlighting words in these verses that I believe God is speaking to me. Finally, I summarize the idea of these verses by giving them a heading. These headings are leading to themes for the postings. Since April 24, 2007, of this year, my daily devotions have been reading one chapter a day in the New Testament, first in the Gospels then Paul’s letters, and now Old Testament prophets. I enjoy reading each verse unhurriedly and then graze on its meaning. This is really opening my mind as to my role of Care Pastor as PAC. So when you read my blog, read both the left and right side. Last year when I first started blogging, I posted the A, B, C’s of small groups. It is what Community Groups are all about; the DNA of small group activity. I believe that this piece is essential enough to re-post it again.

"The A, B, C's of community in small groups are Authenticity, Belonging, and Caring. Authenticity - is our basic desire to be fully known. Belonging - is our basic need to be a part of something bigger than our selves so that, interacting with others, we can learn about our selves and receive: Caring - we need to know that we are considered precious by others. We need to be loved.The problem is that, on our own, we can get this exactly backwards. We start to think that if we are authentic - if people come to know us for who we really are - they will reject us. We will not Belong, and if we don't belong, we will not be loved. So from a human perspective, we see a conflict between being authentic and being loved.

But the good news is... Jesus fully knows us AND fully loves us - enough to die for us on the cross. And once we really accept the grace provided by the cross we can begin to be authentic with God. We can stop pretending that we can be good enough and accept the fact that through Him we truly Belong in the Kingdom of Heaven. In that security we can ask God to help us see ourselves - authentically. So with Jesus, the Love comes first, when we accept this unconditional love, Belonging and Authenticity follows.

So why do we need community? Because when we are alone, we fall back into human conventions. Like thinking that A comes before B and B before C. Even when we come here for corporate worship - we put on our best clothes and we tend to leave all the stuff that needs to be brought before God at home in closets. We're afraid to bring that stuff here because if we did, we might not Belong. And, as a result, we might not be loved. So what we need is a place that's modeled on God's A,B,C's of community - not ours. Where the Caring comes first and the sense of Belonging follows. Together, these create an environment in which it is safe for us to be Authentic. And here's the good part - at this point a feedback loop kicks in - when a more authentic version of you is loved (even while being held accountable), you really feel like you belong and this allows you to be even more authentic, and when this version of you is loved, you belong even more..When this upward spiral takes place lives are transformed as we grow in Christ, together.

Community Groups 2008 Measures

2007-12-27T11:43:00.000-05:00

For the month of December, I have been mulling over what’s next for PAC Community Groups in 2008. To begin with, Community Groups are most clearly about the quality of our relationships with God and other people. Secondly, Community Groups offer us an opportunity to grow in maturity towards how we behave with others (including God) based on God’s principles and promises in the Bible. Finally, Community Groups provide an opportunity to bring hope to our communities and beyond by serving the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs of others.

An old adage is you get results based on what goals you choose to measure as long as you are accountable to those goals and measures. So I am starting with what measures we need to construct in 2008 to ensure Community Groups meet the goals of the vision of PAC. The broad areas of measurements that encompass Community Groups are:

1. Are we growing in our relationship with God?
2. Are we growing in our relationships with other followers of Christ?
3. Are we growing in our relationship with others who haven’t yet trusted Jesus?

2008 Community Groups - Vision Ideas:

The year 2008 will become a unity of Community Groups where people are passionately studying the Bible. A team of hosts and leaders is in place that is constantly trying to connect people to the life giving community of PAC. Together, we will strive to know God deeply, develop authentic community in every neighborhood and bring hope to the world through releasing leaders.

This ministry through the power of the Holy Spirit will be the rock on which the foundation of transformed lives is built. Leaders will begin to have vivid visions of what is to come in their lives and will be called to leave this place planting churches, ministering in the inner city and reaching different people in our culture.

This ministry will impact every ministry in our community. The power of the Holy Spirit will cause our people to undergo a mighty shift in priority causing a “missional” attitude to be present in the majority of people. Our people will engage the communities they live in and will begin to influence major highways of community culture they serve.

Community groups will not be a club atmosphere, but will be endlessly multiplying as they catalyze culture. We are called to let the world see our love as we bring healing to our communities. Matt 9:35, “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.”

Three current opportunities for us to grow in our relationships in 2008:

1. Growing in our relationship with God? - Attend the January 14, 2008, core class, “Discovering Community” at PAC. Enroll today by calling Alicia at PAC. (609-799-9000 ext 27)

2. Growing in our relationships with other followers of Christ? – Consider being available for the Visitation Ministry or the Prayer Ministry at PAC. Training will be January 13 and January 27 at PAC. Contact Alicia at PAC to sign up. (609-799-9000 ext 27)

3. Growing in our relationship with others who haven’t yet trusted Jesus? Learn more about some of the projects currently available at CAMA Services, http://www.camaservices.org/.

Onward We Go – CAMA Services

2007-12-21T11:02:00.000-05:00

Last Christmas, Chloe and I found ourselves in St Paul, MN, spending holiday time with Chloe’s brother and wife. We are all fans of Garrison Keillor, whose PBS radio show heard nationally on Saturday nights, hales from St Paul. We had heard he was opening a new book store so we set out through the snow and cold to see what books he had for sale. We found the store in a trendy neighborhood section of St Paul and enjoyed browsing and buying his goods. At checkout, we were given a holiday card with a poem written by Garrison for Christmas 2006. I reread it this morning and it struck me its message captures the plight of all people around the world.

“A little girl is singing for the faithful to come ye
Joyful and Triumphant, a song she loves,
And also the partridge in a pear tree
And the golden rings and turtle doves.
In the dark streets, red lights and green and blue
Where the faithful live, some joyful, some troubled,
Enduring confusion, old age, and symptoms of the flu
While taking out the garbage and keeping the walk shoveled.
Not much triumph going on here – and yet
There is much we do not understand.
And my hopes and fears are met
In this small singer holding on to my hand.
Onward we go, faithful, hopeful into the dark
And are there angels hovering overhead? Hark.”
GK 12/2006

Two thousand years ago, three wise men said, “onward we go” as they set out into the dark to find the Messiah with angels hovering overhead. When they arrived they were filled with joy. They worshiped the Child and gave Him gifts from their treasure chests.

Today we can be filled with joy by opening our treasure chests to people through the services of Compassion and Mercy Associates (CAMA Services), http://www.camaservices.org/.

CAMA provides a variety of relief and development ministries that flesh out the good news of God’s love for people—body and soul. CAMA is associated with the Christian and Mission Alliance as an organization that focuses on specific projects meeting holistic needs of people.

Please visit CAMA’s webpage and then click on Projects at the top of the page. There you will find 15 projects (currently today) where you can provide specific needs to people in all parts of the world. Three projects to consider this Christmas 2007 are:

1. West African Flood Relief
2. Kindergarten Renovation (school renovations)
3. Church based Community Development (hpc development)

This is a great opportunity to go online and easily make a difference in someone’s life.

Onward we go! May you be overflowed with joy this Christmas 2007!

The Miracle of Christmas

2007-12-11T08:46:00.000-05:00

Today many people believe they would have more faith in Jesus and His promises if they only had some divine sign, maybe a visible miracle perhaps. Possibly the most noticeable miracles of today to us could be changed lives of people we know who through faith have made difficult life transformations. Hope for this possibility of spiritual transformation became available to us with the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem two millennia ago.

If I were to summarize my life experience takeaways with Jesus in 2007, they would be the following:

1. The primary goal of spiritual life is human transformation, the reclamation of the human race.

2. The possibility of transformation is the essence of hope.

3. If we cannot be transformed, we will settle for being informed or conformed. Pseudo-transformation which is judgmental, exhausting, and unchallenging (we never open our heart to love and joy).

4. There is an immense difference between training to do something and trying to do something.

5. Spiritual transformation is not a matter of trying harder, but training wiser.

6. Spiritual disciplines are to life what calisthenics are to a game.

7. A disciplined person is someone who can do the right thing at the right time in the right way for the right reason.

The devotions on the right side of this blog summarize who I am becoming in Jesus. This is what I celebrate this Christmas season!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-18T21:27:00.000-05:00

I read a promise in Romans this morning and it struck me that I can base my Thanksgiving this year on it.

The passage says, "...does that mean that God will break his promises? Of course not! Though everyone else in the world is a liar, God is not. Do you remember what the book of Psalms says about this? That God's words will always prove true and right, no matter who questions them" (The Way, Rom 4:3b & 4).

May God's Word be a blessing and a source of strength for you this Thanksgiving!

Three thoughts on prayer

2007-11-16T12:15:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago I attended the C&MA Metro District Prayer Conference which is held annually this time of the year. I share three thoughts on prayer from that event. Which one stands out to you today?

1. “God is the only one who hears and is able to attend to what he hears”. Professor David McGrew

2. “A prayer-less soul is a Christ-less soul. Prayer is the lisping of the believing infant, the shout of the fighting believer, the requiem of the dying saint falling asleep in Jesus. It is the breath, the watchword, the comfort, the strength, the honor of a Christian”. Charles Spurgeon

3.“Our prayer must not be self-centered. It must arise not only because we feel our own need, as a burden we must lay on God, but also because we are so bound up in love for our fellow men that we feel their need as accurately as our own. To make intersession for men is the most powerful and practical way in which we can express our love for them". John Calvin

Next Steps for PAC Community Groups

2007-11-14T11:41:00.000-05:00

We are at the end of our six week campaign to build new community at PAC. We have heard many reports from Community Groups that are encouraging to us. Groups have been revitalized, the material was relevant to people’s needs, people who don’t attend our church have connected with these groups and are continuing to attend… on and on.

Looking ahead, we hope most of the 80 plus Community Groups will decide to continue on together as Community Groups at PAC!

Our first suggestion is that you take a six week holiday before you start a new study. This time period does include Thanksgiving and Christmas. Do continue to meet several times during this six week time but don’t start a new study until January. Instead enjoy and celebrate as a group knowing God, developing community and bringing hope to the world with the activities of the holiday season just ahead.

Some study content options you after January 1st are:
The first option would be to continue with the “Doing Life Together” DVD series which included the “Growing to be Like Christ” material just completed. We have two recommendations for you. If you want to focus in on the basics of Christianity, then the “Beginning Life Together” DVD is a good choice for you. This series deals with finding God’s purpose for your life. A second option is if you want to continue with content centered on fellowship, we recommend another DVD in the series called, “Connecting with God’s Family”

The cost of the “Doing Life Together” DVD series materials for either option is $65 to be paid for by your Community Group. PAC will help you in obtaining these materials if you need help.A third option if you don’t want to continue with the DVD series is to do your own study. We have many recommendations of content material for you. Contact your Community Pastor for more information.

For your Community Group to continue to meet, you need to do the following:

1. Select the leader for your group. In many cases you probably already know who this person. Community Hosts did not have to be members of PAC to facilitate a group. However, to be a leader of a Community Group going forward, you do need to be a member of PAC.

2. To become a member of PAC, you can attend our next membership class which will be held this Saturday, November 17, at PAC. The class is called Discovery Community and is held from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. More instruction will be given to you that morning regarding membership.

Please call PAC and ask for Alicia to register for this course. Currently 54 have registered for Saturday’ class.There will be leadership training available for all Community Leaders. Details are forthcoming.

Even though many of the Community Groups may not have 10 participants, please stay together as a group. With even with as few as 4 people in your group, you provide a future opportunity for others to connect with you. New people always want to connect to PAC and they may be looking to join your group.

Your Community Pastor will be contacting you during the next six weeks to help you through this time with your questions.

May God bless you as you build Community Groups in your neighborhoods, so we all can bring hope to the world!

Week 5 - A Taste for God's Word i.e. Jesus Lived so we could really live!

2007-11-03T08:58:00.000-04:00

One fine day a few years ago, Chloe and I were enjoying a perfect summer afternoon, riding our bikes on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay when we happened upon a garage sale. The residence looked appealing so Chloe’s bike veered effortlessly to the right up the driveway and I instinctively followed her. We browsed for awhile enjoying the treasures, when I came upon what would become a very good friend of mine. I am always drawn to old books at sales like these. Rummaging through the piles I came upon “The Way”; a Bible popular in the early 1970s with college students (my generation) published by Youth for Christ. Holding it my hands brought back enjoyable memories of those days. I brought it to “garage sale checkout” and found out it was free so I took it. This free book has become my favorite Bible for my devotions. In the front of the book is a convenient table where I keep track of the chapters I’ve read. I have kept track of my reading progress for a few years now.

Recently, I decided to start my day in the Gospel of Luke. The Introduction to Luke pounded me to alertness. It states, in part, “Victory, defeat, joy, pain, birth, death – life is all of these. Jesus knew joy - and tears. He knew birth and life and – death! But after He was murdered, he rose from the dead! And that was His life was all about. He lived so we could live – really live – and that is why He said we can know joy which runs so deep that no disappointment can fully squelch it. And through Luke’s account of Christ’s life you will see Him “fleshing out” this kind of living – the integrity and depth and power all of us want, so that so that when our successes and accomplishments disappear like smoke and all that we have left is sand in our mouths, we still have what He had. Life.”

With “fleshing out” in mind, I started Chapter 1. These are familiar verses to me about the events leading up to the birth of Christ so I thought I would breeze through them quickly so I could check them off as read. What happened to me was completely something else. Thirteen verses in Chapter 1 spoke to me directly this morning! Amazing! One verse in particular that spoke to me was Luke 1: 37, “For every promise from God shall surely come true”. Another was verse 79, “and heaven’s dawn is about to break on us, to give light to those who sit in darkness, and death’s shadow, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

What happened that morning was so powerful to me that I carefully read only one chapter of Luke a day for the next 24 days. Each day, I underlined verses where God spoke to me; “fleshing out” promises and truths giving me the path to peace and the life He has for me. Jesus lived so we could live – really live! Unconstrained, bottomless study in the book of Luke, one chapter a day, helped me to flesh it out and personalize it to my life! This has become a good discipline for me and each day I look forward to spending time with a very good friend of mine, “The Way”.

Session 4 – Entering God’s Presence

2007-10-28T15:07:00.000-04:00

This week our speaker is author, Anne Ortland and our subject is prayer. If you haven’t already tried this as a Community Host, please listen to the Leadership Lifter which is at the top of your menu for Week 4 on the DVD. You will hear what Anne hopes will be the outcomes of this session. You will also hear some valuable preparation tips that will aid you in hosting this week’s meeting with your Community Group. Then continue to preview this week’s session, play only the first part of the DVD that ends before the first question. I think this week’s introduction is particularly outstanding!

Now pause and reflect on what God has to tell you about what you just saw on the DVD. Then practice prayer by then asking God to put on your heart the special message God has for your group meeting. Meditate on our memory verse this week, Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God...” as you think about what you have just seen.

I believe that by preparing in this way will be transformational for your group and especially the people in your group as you grow deeper in Christ together.

Please also check out the last blog written Saturday which talks about next steps for your group.

God bless you as you hold your meetings this week!

Half Way Look Ahead

2007-10-27T16:26:00.001-04:00

We are at the half way point of our six week Community Group study, “Growing to be like Christ”. With only three weeks left before the end of this series, it is time for us to do some forward looking and see what is next.

Our original plan was to grow PAC’s small group ministry as well as align the small groups with the new vision of the church presented by Boyd earlier this summer, www.princetonalliance.org.

The core of the PAC vision is to “Know God, Develop Community and Bring Hope to the World”. In straight forward words this translates, “believe, belong and serve”.

Our hope is to make it possible for many more people to connect to our PAC family by belonging to a small group. We planned the Community Group campaign in part for this very purpose.

In early September, 85 people responded to our call and said that they would host a new small group for six weeks. This was to be in addition to 30 existing small groups that have their roots in the care circle ministry. While we were unable to find groups for all of these who said they would host at this time, we did succeed in launching 80 Community Groups! These groups are now following the weekend sermons with the Growing to be Like Christ” DVD material.

Looking ahead, we hope the 80 will decide to continue on together as Community Groups. While the current sermon series will end in three weeks there are some options for groups that continue to consider using for content material.

First option would be to continue with the Doing Life Together DVD series which included the “Growing to be Like Christ” material. We have two recommendations for you. If your Community Group is new to PAC or if you just want to focus on the basics of Christianity, “Beginning Life Together” is just for you. It deals with finding God’s purpose for your life. Second option is if you want to continue with something more around fellowship, we would recommend another DVD in the series called, “Connecting with God’s Family” The DVD materials for either option cost $65 and will have to be paid for by your Community Group. PAC will help you in obtaining these materials.

If you don’t want to continue with the DVD series, you can do your own study. At PAC we have many recommendations for content material for you. Contact your Community Pastor for more information.

For your Community Group to continue to meet, you need to do the folowing:

1. Pick the leader for your group. In many cases you probably already know who this person is who is best suited to lead your Community Group. Our guidelines were that Community Hosts did not have be members of PAC. However, to be a leader of a Community Group after the campaign, you do need to be a member.

2. To become a member of PAC, you can attend our next membership class which will be held Saturday, November 17, at PAC. The class is called Discovery Community and is held from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. More instruction will be given to you that morning regarding membership.

3. There will be leadership training available for Community Leaders. Details are forthcoming.

4. Even though many of the Community Groups don’t have a full membership of 10, by staying together even with as few as 4 people you provide the opportunity for others to connect with you in the future. We are always adding new people at PAC and they may be looking to join your group.

Your Community Pastor will be contacting you during the next three weeks to help you through this decision time. May God bless you as you build Community Groups in your neighborhoods, so we can bring hope to the world!

Week 3 - Personal Time with God

2007-10-20T14:16:00.000-04:00

By now your Community Group has met one or two times. Hopefully people are connecting to our PAC church body through this small group experience. There are over 80 groups now meeting covering the same material weekly that you are.

As a reminder, our mission purpose for the six week Community Group campaign is to:

1. Connect many new people to our church body at PAC by joining a small group. (Bring them In)

2. Provide an opportunity for people to grow deeper in Christ while they grow closer to a group of people trying to do the same. (Build them up)

3. Move the church out into the community…hence the name Community Groups. (Send them out)

This coming week our session deals with personal time with God. Lately I have been involved with several challenging human situations which has caused me to remember the following:

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.

The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then the people take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men and women by changing their environment. Christ changes men and women who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human behavior.”

Thinking about this helps me remember who I really am and who God really is. He is adequate for all we need... after all God is sovereign over all. I am more able to not be overwhelmed by life and to be truely thankful that God is adequate for me.

Bottom line...we need personal time with God to get His perspective on our lives. May you make room to schedule personal time with God this week and see the difference that will make!

The Power for Living - Week Two

2007-10-16T11:19:00.000-04:00

We hope the first week of Community Group meetings touched people’s lives by providing an opportunity to meet new people and even possibly feeling a little more connected to PAC.

This week as you prepare for the second session, first listen to the “Leadership Lifter” on your DVD. You will find the Leadership Lifter at the top of the page after you click on Session Two. Listening to the Leadership Lifter first is very helpful because it contains the heart of the message the teacher is trying to convey in this session.

This week, our session is led by John Ortberg. Magnification of his message can be found in his book, “The Life You Always Wanted”. John calls us back to the dynamic heartbeat of Christianity – God’s power to bring change and growth.

John’s hope in this session is that everyone will walk out of the meeting with determination to deliberately seek to open themselves up to the activity of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The Holy Spirit is not just for well known Christians like Billy Graham or Mother Teresa or Chuck Colson.

John’s plea to us is to not be cheated out of the greatest adventure of living with God, walking daily with the Holy Spirit. Believe it is possible that thoughts that enter our minds are really promptings for us from the Holy Spirit to take action. Promptings may be for us to provide some compassion for someone who really needs mercy or an encouraging note to someone who is in the dumps or even possibly to confront with the truth someone who needs to hear it.

Believe these thoughts are really the Holy Spirit working in our life. Be determined to enter this week seeking the adventure of living with the Holy Spirit in our lives. Realize that God meets us not in a monastery but on Main Street, and that all of everyday life has the potential to be lived as Jesus himself were the one living it.

Week One - Growing Deeper in Christ

2007-10-11T17:15:00.000-04:00

Here we are in Week One and over 80 Community Groups at PAC are participatiing in the six week study, “Growing to be like Christ” Session one is about growing deeper in Christ. The message of the first session is that "doing comes out of being", what flows out of our mouths originates in our hearts. Matthew 15:18a says "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart".

By now you have had your first meeting, you might have felt awkward, strange, and even had the feeling what am I doing this for? I want to encourage you Communty Hosts to check out a website that encourages hosts and members with great tips and ideas about the small group experience; http://www.lifetogether.com/Default.aspx?alias=www.lifetogether.com/member. This site is organized around the lifestage of your group. Also, your Community Pastor will be checking in on you to see how you are doing and offereing prayer for your needs and requests.

On the right side of this page is Hebrews 12: 1-3, the scripture for our first session. I have put portions of this passage in bold font that spoke to me as I spent time in the session this week . Scroll down through other passages I have posted over the summer. Reading these postings will tell you pretty much who I am in Christ and what I hold to be true in my life. This is my authenticity, who I am. The A,B,C's of Community Groups are Authenticity, Belonging, and Caring.

Authenticity - is our basic desire to be fully known.

Belonging - is our basic need to be a part of something bigger than our selves so that, interacting with others, we can learn about our selves and receive:

Caring - we need to know that we are considered precious by others. We need to be loved.

The problem is that, on our own, we can get this exactly backwards. We start to think that if we are authentic - if people come to know us for who we really are - they will reject us. We will not belong, and if we don't belong, we will not be loved. So from a human perspective, we see a conflict between being authentic and being loved.

But the good news is... Jesus fully knows us AND fully loves us - enough to die for us on the cross. And once we really accept the grace provided by the cross we can begin to be authentic with God. We can stop pretending that we can be good enough and accept the fact that through Him we truly belong in the Kingdom of Heaven. In that security we can ask God to help us see ourselves - authentically.

So with Jesus, the Love comes first, when we accept this unconditional love, Belonging and Authenticity follows.

So why do we need community groups? Because when we are alone, we fall back into human conventions. Like thinking that A comes before B and B before C. Even when we come here for corporate worship - we put on our best clothes and we tend to leave all the stuff that needs to be brought before God at home in closets. We're afraid to bring that stuff here because if we did, we might not Belong. And, as a result, we might not be loved.

So what we need is a place that's modeled on God's A,B,C's of community - not ours. Where the Caring comes first and the sense of Belonging follows. Together, these create an environment in which it is safe for us to be Authentic. And here's the good part - at this point a feedback loop kicks in - when a more authentic version of you is loved (even while being held accountable), you really feel like you belong and this allows you to be even more authentic, and when this version of you is loved, you belong even more..

When this upward spiral takes place lives are transformed as we grow in Christ, together. I believe that this spiral occurs more easily in Community Groups than in large ones and it occurs most easily in Community Groups where the caring - unconditional caring - comes first.

As you grow deeper in Christ and your community group, I encourage you to make the caring come first. You'll be amazed at what happens next.

Please attend Discovery Community on Saturday, October 20 at PAC

2007-10-05T13:21:00.000-04:00

This fall, Princeton Alliance Church is offering three new core classes that are essential for all people who call our church their home. The first course offered in this series is called Discovering Community. This class contains vital information about our PAC Community.

Since we are a people of many different backgrounds, this class is designed to clearly explain who and what we are. The purpose of the class is to help discover the basic structure, strategy, and importance of community group as we impact our community one neighborhood at a time.

Discovering Community replaces the Discovering PAC class which had been taught for over a decade as the membership class to join PAC. If you are not presently a member of PAC, Discovering Community is the pathway to joining our community. If you are currently a member of PAC, taking this class is not a requirement for continued membership, but rather a concise fresh view of our PAC vision as we go forward.

The Discovering Community class is especially important for Community Pastors and Community Hosts. The course is visionary in nature, leadership focused and essential for people who desire to build community in our area.

Please plan to attend the next class offering which will be the morning of October 20 in the Great Room at PAC. Further details for this class will in the bulletin this weekend.

Community Group Campaign - Brief Status

2007-09-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

Our Community Group Campaign starts this weekend, October 6/7. To help start new groups for this campaign we need to do the following tasks:

1. Determine which new Community Groups will be able to have 6 people minimum by next weekend. These are the viable new groups that will have enough people to meet at the start of the campaign.

2. Give to these viable groups names from the list of people who have requested to join new Community Groups. Ask Community Hosts to call and invite these people to their groups in the next few days.

Groups need about six people to start the campaign. More people will be available to be added in the early weeks of the campaign.

Community Host Sign up Status

2007-09-15T11:36:00.001-04:00

PAC is looking for people to host new Community Groups this fall. Going into this weekend, 72 people have already signed up to be new Community Hosts. They will host new Community Groups during the six week fall campaign which begins October 6/7. Included are two Chinese only groups and six Spanish speaking groups. Remember our goal was to add 45 to 50 new groups this fall so we are thrilled at this response. Of the new groups, 24 have been oriented and have received their DVD materials to be used during the six week campaign.

In addition, 13 have agreed to serve as Community Pastors helping connect the new community groups to PAC staff. All new Community Hosts will be given a Community Pastor to help resource them as well as connect them to PAC.

Community Host orientations are scheduled following Sunday sevices at 10:40 am and 12:30 am on September 16 and September 23. They are held in room 203. In addition, orientation will be available Monday nights, September 17, 24, and October 1 in Room 212 in the Great Room.

Following orientation, each new community host should attempt to find at least 4 to 6 people to join them. If they need to fill out their groups to the recommended 8 to 12 people, PAC will have a list of people who have requested being placed in a community group. Matches will be attempted based on location of community groups first and then children preferences and day of week of meetings.

Community HOST Sign up is going very well at PAC

2007-09-06T17:03:00.000-04:00

We are finding and orienting new Community Hosts for our fall small group campaign at PAC. Remember our goal is to add 40 to 50 new small groups to the 35 exisitng groups at PAC. The campaign starts the weekend of October 6 and lasts for six weeks until the weekend of November 11.

To date (TA DA TA DAH) we have 49 people who have said they want to host a Community Group this fall. This is after the two weeks around Labor Day weekend with three prime weekends to go! All but one of these 49 is a new small group.

Right now PAC is trying to form as many new groups as possible this fall. We have already met our goal of 45 to 50 so the new goal is everyone be in a Community Group. This may be 80 to 100 new groups.

These are exciting times for PAC. Everything is changing at once this fall. This is a great chance to connect as many people as possible through the Community Group ministry.

I think it is important that new groups ask people into their groups that do not attend PAC such as neighbors, family, friends, etc. This is a great opportunity to include people into your groups that you may have thought about for a long time.

My vision remains that there are more people in Community Groups than attend our weekend services.