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Are You Ready for Adventure?

Dear WCC Family,

Are you ready to engage in an adventure this year? I’m confident when I say that God is ready for you to engage in adventure with Him. From before you were born, God has been preparing you for life in this generation. He already knows what 2012 holds for you, and He promises that He will be with you all the way.

I don’t know about you, but whenever a new year begins, I get reflective. I like to look back at the past year and see what has happened. I like to look forward to the new year and make adjustments to the course that my life is taking. And, I like to look within and see if there are things that need to change inside of me. I don’t think that there has been a new year that has come where some course corrections aren’t necessary for me. As I look forward to 2012 there are changes that I plan to make in a number of areas of my life. Perhaps you are the same way.

As a church family, we are there for each other as we strive to move forward in our personal and spiritual goals. I want to give you four suggestions for engaging in adventure with God as you begin 2012.

The Adventure of God’s Word

The Bible has been called many things. It is the Word of God. It is God’s Love Letter to you. It is truth. And, it is the story of God. This year, our congregation will be engaging in The Challenge, a one-year reading and study adventure through God’s Word. Unlike past years, we will be preaching through and sermon based small groups will be focused on the readings that you do during the week. You’ll find the reading plan for 2012 in the pages of this newsletter. During the month of December you have heard me talk about the Bible App for cell phones, tablet devices and computers. You can follow along with our church-wide reading plan by using the Chronological Reading Plan that comes with the Bible App. The Bible App is free and more information on how to download it is included in the pages of this newsletter.

The Adventure of Community

Do you remember the television show Cheers? There was a line in the opening song of that show that said, “You wanna go where everybody knows your name.” Everybody on planet earth wants to be known. We want people that we can be real with. We want people that will pray for us, care about us, and that we can truly call friend. Lifeflow Groups, or small groups, are a place where you can connect with people in authentic community for the purpose of growing in your love for God and your love for others. Have you joined a LifeFlow Group yet? We are registering for the Winter trimester of LifeFlow Groups right now. New groups are forming that will focus on specific life stages (parents with young children, young married groups, Divorce Care, etc.). Our LifeFlow groups generally gather together in homes, spend time together in God’s Word, prayer and fellowship. Every 4-5 meetings our groups are also serving in the community; making a difference in the lives of real people in the Twin Cities area. If you are interested in joining a LifeFlow group, contact the church office or sign up at the registration table at church on Sunday. There is always room for you in our small group ministry and the adventure of growing and serving together is something you’ll never regret.

The Adventure of Ministry

Have you ever dreamed of serving God on the mission field? In 2012 our church will once again be partnering with our strategic ministry partners in Israel for a short-term ministry trip. You will have an opportunity to serve the people of Israel while also exploring the land in which Christ walked and so many of the stories of the Bible took place. There is nothing like spending time in the Israel. Once you go, you’ll never be the same. An informational meeting will happen on January 15, 2012 at 11:45 AM.

You don’t have to go oversees to be involved in ministry. There are tons of opportunities for you to get involved from serving God right here at WCC to serving the community around us. Don’t know how to get started? Give the church office a call. We’d love to help you find the ministry that best fits your gifts and the strengths that God has given to you.

The Adventure of Prayer

Do you believe in miracles? Throughout the Bible we read about a God who does miracles. When you read through the Challenge readings, you can’t help but be moved at the miraculous work that God does over and over again. Just as 2012 is going to be a year of studying God’s Word, it is also going to be a year for us to call upon the name of God to move mightily in our midst. Prayer changes us. It helps us conform to God’s will in our lives. It shows our dependency upon Him. It’s been said that our greatest failures are prayer failures. Are you stressed out? Are you worried? Are you afraid? Take it to God. Are things to going well? Is the one of the best times of your life? Then, take it to God too – and thank Him for His blessing. And, make sure that as you pray for your needs, that you are also praying for others. One of the great joys and responsibilities of the Christian life is to lift others up in prayer. May we be a people of prayer!

As we move into a new year, I’d ask you to pray for me, as your pastor. It is an awesome responsibility to teach the Word of God to you each week. Pray that God would give me wisdom and obedience as I share the Word with you in 2012. Pray too for our church leadership team. I’m grateful for the board members who have served so faithfully at WCC. As Greg Meidt, Dan Beran, John Weess and Jerry Vogler transition off the board and Jeff Haugen, Dave Brodie, Scott Pearcy, and Dick Nelson move onto the board, please pray for these men. Pray also for Sue Drehmel who moves into our Board Moderator position. We are blessed with a great leadership team at WCC and the men and women in these roles need your prayer as they make decisions about the future of WCC.

So, are you ready for adventure? I am. I can’t wait to see what God does in each one of our lives as we seek Him with all of our heart in 2012!

Grateful to serve Him as your pastor,

 

Pastor Brian