Thankful in 2013

God is good! He has given me much to be thankful for this year. Here's what comes to mind today.

I am thankful for Small Group leaders! As we wrap up Fall KCC Small Groups this week, I pray you have enjoyed reading through The Story this year. For some it was a long journey. For others, it was an introduction to God's wonderful Story and how it fits together over the history of mankind. Either way, you should have grown to have a better grasp on both God's upper and lower story. Thanks to those Small Group leaders in 2013 who have helped you dig in deeper to The Story. 

I am thankful for KCC volunteers! We are currently interviewing to fill the position of Children's Minister at KCC. In the interim, I have been working closely with our Children and Tiny Tot volunteers. I've been privy to see these people in action. They are committed, Christ-like people who love our kids and serve them selflessly. Thanks to everyone, not just those in the children's areas, who volunteer their time and talents at KCC.

I am thankful for my church! I hear again and again from people who have either moved away or have come back that KCC is a unique church. Our fellowship is close and personal. Our reputation is one of generosity and genuine concern for the community. Our praise is heartfelt. Our doors are open and welcoming as are our lives. Our unity is Biblical and rare. People are real and transparent sharing struggles, pain, and loss with one another. Thanks for the Bride of Christ in Kalkaska.

I am thankful for my family! God has given me a wonderful, wise wife. She is beautiful inside and out, filled with compassion and love for everyone. It was God orchestrating in the lower story that brought her and I together at just the right time. My two children are amazing. They bring joy to my life every single day with their wit, humor, and wisdom. They both serve in the church weekly and love Jesus with all their hearts. Who could ask for more?!

Most of all, I am thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I recognize that I am a flawed individual with need of someone to make up for my shortcomings. Praise to God for his mercy and plan of salvation to save me from my sins.

Praying you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends. 

Thanking my God for You!

Paul said in Philippians 1:3-5, "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now."  

Paul begins many of his New Testament epistles with this attitude of joyful thankfulness. Gratitude goes a long way. To show we appreciate one another is so easy to do, yet is often neglected. Here's a list of those who deserve thanks and appreciation at KCC.

• Cleaning & Upkeep Teams - These volunteers work behind the scenes when others are absent. They wash windows, vacuum carpets, take out the trash, mop floors, clean toilets, mow grass, make repairs and much more. Thank you for keeping our "house" clean and welcoming!
• Worship Team - Do you realize everyone who leads in worship on Sunday mornings is a volunteer?! They give of their time and talents every Wednesday evening at practice for 3 hours and then show up at 7:15 AM each Sunday morning to practice prior to leading two services in worship. Thank you to the KCC worship team! Thanks to our Sunday Secretaries, Servers, and those who prepare the Lord's Supper for us each week! 
• Tiny Tots Ministry - Thanks to our volunteers who work with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers doing an excellent job while parents can either serve in other areas or enjoy a peaceful worship time. 
• Family Stuff Ministry - Thanks to everyone on the Family Stuff team! This is a special group of uninhibited servants devoid of pride and concerned for nothing except sharing the love of Christ with your children. 
• Teachers & Leaders - Thanks to our teachers who prepare, teach, and set a loving example for our children and youth both on Wednesdays and Sundays. Thanks to adult leaders both on Sunday mornings and during the week.
• Technical Team - Thanks to the volunteers who operate the computers, soundboards, and light boards creating 21st Century "Stained Glass" windows.
• First Impressions Team - Thanks to those with friendly faces, warm hugs, and welcoming handshakes serving with joy at KCC. 
• Compassion Team - Thanks to those who spend time on their knees interceding for the saints and to those who make tasty meals for funerals and shut-ins. 
• Adult Connections - Thanks to the selfless Men's Ministry volunteers, Women's Ministry volunteers, and those laboring in the library. 

As Paul said in Romans 1:8, "...I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you..." The Kalkaska Church of Christ is impacting its community with the saving message of Jesus Christ through your faithful, selfless commitment to His church. Thank you for serving the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Thanks for being the hands and feet of Jesus in serving one another at KCC!

The Cross of Christ

The Cross is central to our faith. When you stop and look at it closely, it is just a couple pieces of wood nailed together, yet this crucifixion device has become for us the most important part of our faith. For without the cross, we can no longer boast any distinction from the myriad of world religions. Paul says it this way, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” Galatians 6:14. The Cross was the boarding gate through which Jesus entered as He began the mission to restore mankind to His Father. That mission was culminated with the resurrection of Jesus three days later. Christianity is the only religion that can claim they follow a living leader!

My son asked me recently, “Why did God demand blood?” I explained to him that man is so sinful, we deserve punishment. Since God is just, a price must be paid for our iniquity. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. Something must die. In the Old Testament it was a sheep or a lamb without defect or blemish. In losing a life, blood is shed. As sinners, we also deserve death. However, Jesus took our place in dying on the cross. Blood was demanded to pay the severe price of our depravity.

If we are being honest, the Cross doesn’t make any sense. Who in their right mind would allow themselves crucified or killed? If they had the power to stop it, wouldn’t they do it?! 1 Corinthians 1:18 admits, “For the message of the cross is foolishness…” However, it goes on to say, “...to those who are perishing…” It doesn’t make any sense if you don’t see the Big Picture or The Upper Story. Unless you realize there is something more going on in the crucifixion of Jesus than what you can see, you could attribute the story to insanity.

To those of us who DO believe Jesus was God’s son, the Messiah, the Christ, the Promised One to come and save us from our sins, we see the Cross as “the power of God.” We see, as it were, “behind the curtain.” Looking back, we can see what God was doing all along throughout history to redeem mankind back to Him. It’s clear to us now, that Jesus had to die the substitutionary death to meet the demands of a loving, but also just God. And that death occurred on the Cross. Thank God for the Cross!

Take a Reading Break

Turn off the Tech and Pick up a Good Book!

by Tim Severance, Associate Minister

In the KCC church lobby is a current selection of good, quality reads. Among those books are, of course, the Bible. You’ll find the new NIV version of the Bible (2011) in normal and large print in our book carousel. If you’ve ever wondered why when you hear the NIV read, it doesn’t match with your version, it is because the 2011 version of the NIV is being used. And you thought upgrades were only for software! Some of the Bibles available include: NIV Study Bible, The Life Recovery Bible (NLT), Life Application Bible, Teen Study Bible, and many more.

Happy, Happy, Happy by Phil Robertson has been #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list and it currently still in the top ten. Phil is the patriarch of the Robertson family seen weekly on A&E’s Duck Dynasty. He’s the creator of Duck Commander duck calls. But most importantly, Phil is a follower of God and a man of faith. “In the pages of this book, you’ll learn of Phil’s colorful past and his wild road to the ‘happy, happy, happy’ life he leads today. In this eye-opening and rousing book, you’ll find stories that will shock you, as well as those that will inspire you. You’ll get to know the man behind the legend, and you’ll come away better for it.”

No More Perfect Moms by Jill Savage is a transparent confession of the reality that all moms struggle with the idea of perfection. They struggle to be the perfect woman, perfect wife, perfect mom, with perfect children, and a perfect husband. Jill hopes this book will help every mom change her unrealistic expectations to realistic hope, give grace to her family members, and find freedom from disappointment.  

The Sunday Small Group “No More Perfect Moms” meets every week in the Green Room at 10:00 AM led by Emily Paulus.  “I love this book...but I hate it...because it’s convicting!” confessed Emily in talking about the book used in conjunction with the group. Pick up your copy in the church lobby and check out the group this week!

The Story is the complement book to our current Sermon Series at KCC - The Story. The Story includes excerpts from the NIV (2011) version of the Bible with occasional transitional remarks from Randy Franzee, Senior Minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. The Story streamlines the Bible reading like a novel covering Genesis to Revelation in 31 condensed chapters. The Story is still available at a 75% discount, or $5.00, in our church lobby. Makes a great Christmas gift!

The prices for these and all other books in the church lobby are marked on the bottom of the back cover. You’ll find that these prices are the lowest anywhere. The church makes no profit from the sale of these books but provides them as a benefit to you as you take steps in your Christian walk.

Youth Sunday

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

Every year at KCC we invite 3 young men to speak on Sunday morning during our worship hour. We choose one from elementary or middle school, one from high school, and one from college. The #1 fear of Americans is glossophobia or public speaking. So just the fact that these young men are willing to stand up on our stage and share the scriptures with us is to be applauded! Yet each year they never fail to amaze us with their preparation, maturity, and speaking abilities. 

All 3 of these young men are committed Christians having put their faith in Jesus and submitted to baptism. They have been challenged to share on Luke chapter 15. Your challenge is to read that same Luke chapter 15 before Sunday morning! Here's the breakdown:

Jon Bell - Luke 15:1-7 "The Parable of the Lost Sheep"

Bradley Flowers - Luke 15:8-10 "The Parable of the Lost Coin"

Zachary Markcum - Luke 15:11-32 "The Parable of the Lost Son"

Lift up these young men in prayer this week as they put the final touches on their messages. Pray they are bold while at school. Pray for them to be an example of Jesus each day. And pray the Holy Spirit guides them as they prepare to speak to us this Sunday at KCC!

A 10-second "mile"

My kids are I were playing tennis the other evening (well that's what we call it anyway)! My daughter was learning how to properly hold her raquet, hit the ball accurately, and develop a tennis swing.  She just came off softball season and had won the Biggest hitter award so she was still swinging for the fences. I kept telling her to hit the tennis ball "softly." Nonetheless, many of our tennis balls ended up out in the grass.

After she hit another one over the fence, I suddenly see someone jogging over to the ball, pick it up, and quietly toss it back inside the fence. She quickly turns around and I'm surprised when I see her get back into a burgundy Chevy Blazer. At first I thought she was a runner jogging around the KART trail - the paved path that passes by the tennis courts. But after a little more inspection it was apparent that she was on her way home after a softball game. She must have asked the driver, her sister, to stop for a second.

I was moved by this simple, yet powerful act of kindness. Here's why:

1. The young lady went the "extra mile" (Matthew 5:41). I told my kids I thought this was an example of someone going the "extra mile" as we had learned about at KCC Kidstuf the week before. Occasionally, someone running the KART trail would pick up a tennis ball and toss it back in, but I had never seen some driving by make the effort to do that.
2. She did it anonymously. The Bible says when you do your good deeds "don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing" (Matthew 6:3).
3. It was so simple. The impact of her act will remain with me and my kids for years. Yet the actual deed probably took all of 10 seconds! How often do we have opportunity to make a positive difference in someones life with just a simple act of kindness? Even a "drink of water" given in Jesus' name will not go unnoticed (Mark 9:41).

So, I did some research on my suspicions of who the mystery young lady might be and think I've figured it out. This young lady is a follower of Jesus. She leads a Small Bible Group at the High School. Plus, today happens to be her 16th birthday!! Wish Jaycee Helsel happy birthday today in person if you see her or write on her Facebook wall. 

May Jaycee inspire us all to simply, and quietly, go the extra mile for those around us. 

The Kingdom of God Belongs to These

"But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:16

Kingdom Rock VBS Crew

We just wrapped up another stellar year of Vacation Bible School at the Kalkaska Church of Christ. Over 5 straight days, an average of 130 children walked through our church building doors. A week later they are still singing songs about Jesus they heard from Kingdom Rock.

Kingdom Rock VBS raised over $912.31 for the Kid-to-Kid mission of the week. This mission offering is going locally to the Birch Street Elementary School for the purpose of helping needy families during the year with things like health care, warm clothing, and other personal needs.

Generous people in our church body donated $3,200 specifically to VBS. After the costs of student resources, director resources, decorations, and craft materials, we expect to have over $1000 remaining! The Director's of VBS have decided to give that money back into the General Fund of KCC.

Bob Lenz, who spoke recently at The Big Ticket Festival, recited some stats from Christian pollster, George Barna. He said that 2 out of every 3 people who call themselves Christians come to Christ before the age of 18. And 75% of those come to Christ before the age of 14!

These numbers indicate the need to focus on our children's and youth programs and make them a priority! Young people are at the time in their lives when they are going to be making a decision regarding God, Jesus, and the church. It is vitally important that we are reaching out to them in various ways and sharing the Good News of Jesus.Our window of opportunity is wide-open with this young generation, but it will close fast.

VBS almost didn't happen this year. Budget cuts hampered many areas of KCC including VBS. Yet a core group of moms put their faith together and inspired us that with God's help we could pull of VBS with no money budgeted at all. They would give of our own monies & resources, ask for donations, recycle, find free advertising, and have faith in the God we serve! Their "mustard seed" of faith was the catalyst to reaching out to our children, our community, and our world!

Thanks to over 100 volunteers and generous contributors, for reminding all of us that, "the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these!