The Churchtown Weekly Thursday, September 26, 2024
Learn-Grow-Become-GO!
Shout it in the assembly.
Shout it to the world. (Psalm 40)
1As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.
3Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. 4These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
6In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.
9Slaves must always obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back 10or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way.
11For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
15You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don’t let anyone disregard what you say. (Titus Chapter 2, NLT)
Last Sunday, I spoke about the feelings I had witnessing the “Pairs and Spares” ministry gathering Friday evening. Now I am going to tell you a story.
A few years ago, Ryan, Olivia, Taylor, Morgan, and Yvonne worked very hard to create a youth ministry for the church. They planned, prepped and prayed – but to no avail. The group never formed, and the “Son Seekers” simply faded away.
We wondered at the time why this could be? Everybody did everything right. Why wouldn’t God want to honor that? Why wouldn’t He want youth in the church. Our plan was sound, and so was our thinking – but it was not God’s.
Everything changed when I came to the conclusion that, in fact, congregations and families are not meant to be divided during times of corporate worship. We began the shift toward believing that all generations should worship together.
When I went to a Twelfth Night Boar’s Head Festival at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Carlisle that year, I found information in the pews about families worshiping together. I thought that was a fantastic idea and created our own for Churchtown – letting any visitors know that we welcome them and their children, and we are committed to providing for whatever they may need. We even went so far as to create a space dedicated to nursing mothers and possible rowdy toddlers – and a little “activity center” for children with materials for those who are not reading yet and for those who are.
And then it began to happen.
Little children began to show up in the sanctuary.
Then someone with the gifting and desire to minister to little children stepped up and into that role, created a team, and
“Kids for Our King” was born.
And then we learned that three couples from the chamily were all pregnant at the same time!
Turns out that God was indeed going to provide for Churchtown, but not through a group of teenagers who maybe would bring their parents. He intended all along to provide for Churchtown by building generations of families who, along with a loving and supportive chamily, would worship Him together.
Here is the really cool part for me. The Lord has blessed me to be a part of the lives of these young couples in such amazing ways. I have coached them, taught them, helped create two of them 😊, walked with them through the good and the bad, and had the incredible privilege of marrying them all! In fact, upon my return, I will be privileged to perform the ceremony of yet another former student, Camryn Mountz Sunday the 13th! They are now my friends, my neighbors, and my brothers and sisters in Christ, and just as our relationships have evolved, so has their involvement in the body.
To be sure, there are more people than just the ones who have formally joined together in that group. So many more. Neighbors have begun to attend, and we have made new friends, and Grandchildren of chamily attend regularly. Five generations worship together every Sunday, and there is not a single person of any generation who is not willing to serve a person of another generation. It is truly an amazing place.
There is a harsh saying that many in leadership use, and I have heard used by leadership in our own denomination. It is, “Old churches are full of old people.”
But as I sat at that table on that Friday night among, well, my friends, my heart was full to overflowing with joy and gratitude. Churchtown is full to overflowing with 5 generations worshipping as one. Teaching, learning, growing, and becoming the disciples of Christ that HE wants us to be.
I have been thinking a lot lately about my calling as a pastor and my role(s) as a leader of the church. Maybe this is part of what God has blessed me to do – create relationships that span the generations and bring people together.
I also meant what I said Sunday. It is my heartfelt prayer that these young folks, all of them, grow to love this place as much as I do. I pray that they want to invest in this body, raise their children as a part of this chamily – and carry on the work of the church that was begun so long ago.
The scripture above is clear. We are to join together as brothers and sisters in Christ, generation to generation, that we may teach, model, and learn from one another. As a child of God, you are never alone. Never.
I’ll let the Word of God preach the rest of this devotion.
1Give ear, O my people, to my instruction;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter things hidden from the beginning,
3that we have heard and known
and our fathers have relayed to us.
4We will not hide them from their children,
but will declare to the next generation
the praises of the LORD and His might,
and the wonders He has performed.
Psalm 78:1-4
10To this end we labor and strive, because we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of everyone, and especially of those who believe. 11Command and teach these things.
12Let no one despise your youth, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and to teaching.
1 Timothy 4:10-13
1As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. 2Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect, and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience.
3Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. 4These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
6In the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. 7And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. 8Teach the truth so that your teaching can’t be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us.
Titus 2:1-8
Remember these words,
Soli Deo Gloria! (alone, God receives Glory!)
May God bless you and keep you and
WE WILL SEE YOU IN CHURCH!
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
Would you like to learn more about the life of Jesus through studying The Chosen TV series? We’ll be working through season 4 for 9 weeks, starting in early October. Talk to Jeff to get connected!
First Friday Movie is TOMORROW at 7!
“Narnia, Prince Caspian”
See you there!
Sign-up this weekend for our annual Trunk or Treat! There are many ways you can help. Please consider it. It is a great outreach to the community!
And let’s not forget our annual Christmas Hymn Sing! Sign-up early!
ANOTHER BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!
You can now subscribe and listen to the
“Churchtown Podcast Network!”
Available on both Apple Podcasts and Spotify, just search “Turning on the Lights!” and “Churchtown Church of God Sermons” – subscribe and then leave a rating and a review! More folks will see it!
*Audio and video are always posted on our YouTube channel @churchtownchurch (there are 1,100 videos there)
Church Calendar
Brian, Kelly, and the dogs on vacation October 4 through October 8th
First Friday Movie October 4. 7pm
Council Prayer Tuesday October 8. 6:30pm
Service of the ordinances Sunday, October 13
Randy Simpson inside THURSDAY October 17. 6pm
Congregational prayer Wednesday October 23. 7pm
SERVE Saturday October 26
Trunk or Treat Thursday October 31 6-8pm
SERVE Saturday November 2.
Hayride – Sunday November 3. 4pm
SERVICE OF THE ORDINANCE DATES:
October 13th
November 27th – Thanksgiving Eve.
Remember, the single biggest reason given for why someone attends church for the first time is that a friend asked them!
As always, we continue in prayer for Churchtown, for our community, for the church universal, and for the lost everywhere.
God is good. God provides. Keep your eyes up and on the cross people.
Be well and do good, my friends. And, as always, Keep Looking Up! The lord comes!
REMEMBER THAT!
Opportunities!
We are always seeking individuals to be trained in technology. We would like to develop TEAMS that could rotate weekends.
There is always the opportunity to provide music – join up with the New Song Singers and / or talk to me about a special prelude or piece.
Gather-Grow-Become-Go
Churchtown Church of God
Sunday, October 6, 2024
Welcome to Churchtown!
We are glad you are here!
The NSS will lead today beginning with, “The Joy of the Lord is My Strength”
Opening Word
Romans 12—Bill Gable
Back In The Word
1 Chronicles 16:8-36—Olivia Swarner
“Create In Me a Clean Heart”
“Bless the Lord, O My Soul”
“Down In My Heart”
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
More of The Word
James 1—Rich Eshleman
The Final Word
2 Corinthians 9—Ryan Nearhood
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
Our Time of Corporate Prayer
“The Lord’s Prayer”
As a “little” church, we are always asking the question, “What CAN we do?” Well, we can start by caring for the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of each other.We CAN serve the next person God places before us.
We CAN invite that person to church!
We CAN be intentional about going to church and strengthening ourselves and the body.
We CAN serve our community and show who Christ is to those who do not know Him.
We CAN PRAY, PRAY, PRAY – and we can REMAIN FATIHFUL!
I Love Being Your Pastor and Your Friend,
Brian
0 Comments