For worship this week we will sing six, yes six Christmas carols that the congregation picks out live! There will be 16 carols to choose from, accompanied by Thelma on the organ. The theme for this Fourth Sunday of Advent is Love and we will love to come together for God’s Word, God’s Meal, and lots of singing!
Category Archives: Sunday Service
This Sunday is the second in a four part series on what it means to be a rare leader. We are combining biblical principles with the latest brain science, based on the book Rare Leadership, by Marcus Warner and Jim Wilder….
Leadership is more about answering the question, “Who am I to be?” than it is, “What am I to do?”
Being a healthy and effective leader is way more about our EQ, Emotional Quotient than it is our IQ, Intelligence Quotient.
EQ is about the kind of person we are underneath the surface, and how we interact with others. Much of the new research on performance success in leadership says the ratio is 1/3 IQ and 2/3 EQ.
Emotional intelligence or emotional maturity counts for twice as much as IQ and technical skills combined to be successful in leading others, yet this is not commonly known nor commonly seen. How can we change that? There are four uncommon habits that will increase our EQ.
When we develop these habits we increase trust, joy, and engagement with the people we lead.
These habits make up the acronym, RARE, as in Rare Leader. They are:
R which stands for Remain Relational
A which stands for Act Like Yourself
R which stands for Return To Joy
E which stands for Endure Hardship Well
This week we will look at what it means to…
It might seem rather presumptuous that we are to try to be like God, but that is exactly what we are being told in Ephesians 5:1,
Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children.
That’s what kids do. They imitate their parents for good or not so good. In this case, imitating God is always good!
What would it mean for you to imitate God? When you think of all the attributes God possesses, which is most important? See you this weekend and find out!
God teaches us thorough the Holy Spirit, people who invest in our lives, and the circumstances of our lives. All of our learning has to do with relationships. Whether it is relationship with God or others, me is meant to be we.
As you know, I find the science of brain research extremely helpful when it is connected to the biblical view of what our relationships are to be like. God doesn’t want us to be in healthy relationship with him and others on a whim. God actually wires us for this. It has been valuable for me to learn from Dr. Jim Wilder and his ministry organization, Life Model Works. These are the folks who bring us Joy Starts Here and now a practical application for leading in our homes, schools, churches and business, RARE Leadership.
We will be using the biblical themes from RARE Leadership for a six week Sunday Series, beginning in October. I the midst of this, there is a one-day RARE Leadership workshop on November 5th. I will be speaking at this event.
SIGN UP HERE!
We have been experiencing growth in LIFEhouse Preschool this year. It is a joy for us to partner with parents in nurturing the whole life of these young children.
We know that to have the family active in their faith life in Christian community is the way Jesus designed for families to be most blessed in their lives. Along these ends, we share the love of Jesus through the staff of our Preschool and we share the message of Jesus through them, as well. Pastor Dana also connects with the children each week.
We want to make more progress in connecting Preschool families to the LIFEhouse community. Sunday morning is still the time most new people are introduced to a church. How do we build a bridge between Preschool families and Sunday morning?
We are going to increase our attention on building this bridge. Beginning May 1, along with our normal Sunday School program, there will be a new Sunday School class for Preschool- Kindergarten aged children that will meet separately in the Rainbow Room. Having a familiar age-specific format will strengthen the experience for the children. And the bridge between Preschool and Church will be built up in another way.
The Preschool- K Sunday School class will be staffed by our own LIFEhouse Preschool staff person, Miss Elba! She brings her gifts, experience and already established relationships with the children and parents. Miss Elba will lead the class on Sundays, and we will work with her to intentionally invite families to participate in this time together.
Pray for our Preschool and for this new venture in connecting families to Jesus and his church.
New Sunday Morning Schedule@ LIFEhouse: Four Generations Worshiping Together!
April 3rd at 10 a.m. marks an exciting “reboot” for the LIFEhouse community Sunday morning experience that will bring joy to the West Valley and our church family. The whole LIFEhouse community will worship at 10 a.m. Four generations worshiping God together!
The worship format will continue to be like our former 9 a.m. service. Each week we have practical Bible teachings, usually preaching verse-by-verse through the Scriptures. Currently we are in the Gospel of Mark. Worship is joyous and spirit-filled, led by the Holy Spirit and accompanied by the Band. Holy Communion is a highlight of worship as we celebrate our family meal.
The LIFEhouse Church community is rare in the present state of modern churches. Unlike most, LIFEhouse Church gathers together four generations strong! We experience the Gather, Word, Meal, and Send rhythm of our worship life together, and we are sensitive to our wider Christian fellowship and informed by the best of our Lutheran influence..
On the third Sunday of each month, we will have a community celebration, embracing our heritage and “honoring our fathers and mothers.” Worship will be led by band and organ, and it will include a special children’s message. We will experience the intimate setting of Holy Communion around the altar, and we will ponder the more ancient furnishings, clergy wear, and symbols that lift up the Gospel in color and beauty.
What Else?
We have free nursery care staffed by our Preschool. This is available throughout the morning for infants- three year olds. Of course, our preschool staff is fully vetted and trained in CPR and First Aid.
Beginning May 1, we will have a separate Sunday School class for Preschool-K children in the Rainbow Room. This class will also be staffed by our Preschool.
Sunday School for Grade 1-5 will continue to meet in the Hall. Music, prayer, crafts and Bible teaching are the order for the day.
Jen and Craig Thompson will be joining us for one worship service at 10 a.m. on November 29th. Jen (Wagner), a bright light of the LIFEhouse community for many years, and husband Craig, lead a farm ministry, Rockside Ranch (rocksideranch.org), where they help young men make progress in their lives. Their vision:
We desire to give people an opportunity to experience God away from the distractions of modern life. Together, we are challenged to step into our roles as people of integrity who can make a difference in the world. We provide a safe place, hands-on work, good food, and a family environment. We are not a rehab or a clinical program, we are a stepping stone for people who desire to make positive life change and just need the time and space to make it happen.
Come and hear their story and meet Jen and Craig at a reception following in the Hall.
From our Preschool 4th of July Parade!
On Sunday, July 6th, we will look at how God brings freedom from that which would hold us back from moving forward in our lives. We will have music, special prayers and video commemorating the beloved birth of our nation.
See you at 9 or 10:45 a.m.
In all areas of our lives, the Holy Spirit can set us free from whatever is holding us back Sermon from May 11, based on the experience of Paul and Silas in prison (Acts 16).
Christian life is being filled with joy, just like Jesus…
A sermon for Ash Wednesday