Trees may be a song that you would like to download to encourage you in your walk with Christ. You can download Trees and many other Kara Doten original songs at iTunes by clicking here. If you’d like to listen to some more of Kara’s music you can check her out on ReverbNation.

RVA is a Christian boarding school located in central Kenya. The academy, a branch of Africa Inland Mission International, exists to provide a quality education in a nurturing environment for the children of missionaries serving in Africa. With over 100 years of rich history, RVA has played an instrumental role in the lives of countless MKs (missionary kids). The current student body of nearly 500 includes more than 20 different nationalities. The families these students represent serve with 80 mission organizations in over 20 African countries.

Here is a video that tells a little bit about RVA.

Rift Valley Acadmey from Samuel Kingsbury on Vimeo.

Camden and Tirzah Gilmore are the children of Woodbury Community Church sponsored missionaries, Tim and Chris Gilmore. They recently created a fun and unique video to share their desire to go to RVA. Please watch this video and consider becoming a part of Camden and Tirzah’s support team.

On Sunday, April 29th we’ll have an all-church potluck to hear more about the Gilmore’s ministry in Tanzania. It’s a salad potluck and starts at 11:45. Make plans now to attend this great event!

It’s coming back! Roar for Refugees is happening on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at Grace Church in Roseville. Roar for Refugees is a wonderful way to support Refugee Life Ministries. Refugee Life Ministries is a very important part of the ministry at Woodbury Community Church. For the past two years it has been our privilege to partner with World Relief Minnesota in bringing two refugee families to the Twin Cities. Plans are already underway to bring a third family in 2012.

Here is how Roar for Refugees works. You pay $10 for a ticket and get a great evening of comedy with Bill Arnold and Michael Pearce Donely from Triple Espresso. It’s a double shot of highly caffeinated laughter! All proceeds from the evening go to support the work of Refugee Life Ministries. Bring the entire family along for a fun night that supports this important cause! A free-will offering will also be taken as a way to support the work of Refugee Life Ministries.

For more information on Refugee Life Ministries at Woodbury Community Church follow this link.

For more information on World Relief Minnesota’s Refugee Life Ministry follow this link.

You can order tickets for this even by clicking here.

Want to get involved in the refugee ministry at Woodbury Community Church? Contact Scott Pearcy at scottpearcy@hotmail.com.

It was a normal Sunday in January when Pastor Brian announced that one of our ministry partners in Southeast Asia had sent an e-mail earlier in the week requesting help with childcare for the annual conference of their partner organization. Once a year this organization hosts a conference for ministry partners in a five country region. It’s an opportunity for colleagues to gather together for their annual business, encouragement, and a time to get away from their day-to-day job and just focus on family, their relationship with God and strengthening their ministry skills. This year’s conference was to be held in Chiang Mai, Thailand. While the adults are going about their business, the children of those involved in full-time ministry get to spend time together in what amounts to a camp-like experience with other kids whose parents have similar jobs. It’s a highlight of their year.

The e-mail that Pastor Brian read in church said that the childcare team that had been scheduled to run the children’s ministry had to cancel. There was an urgent need for a replacement team. Would we consider sending a team from Woodbury Community Church? Pastor Brian read the e-mail in church and within a week, six people from WCC had committed to go serve.

God provided in a very short window of time in remarkable ways and our team left for Thailand on April 2nd. The team will be returning on Monday, April 16. Please keep our Thailand team in your prayers as they conclude what has amounted to a wonderful time of ministry. God is using our team to encourage families from all over the globe! They are exactly twelve time-zones ahead of us. For the past week, our team has been leading the children of these ministry partners in the High Seas Adventure Vacation Bible School program. The kids are loving it! Yesterday the team had a chance to present the Gospel to the kids. Just because these children are the children of people who are in full-time ministry, doesn’t necessarily mean that they have entered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It was an honor for the team to present God’s Word throughout this week to the kids.

We’re praising God that the team has remained relatively healthy throughout their time in Thailand. They have faced the challenge of adjusting to a major time change, temperature change (high temperatures on many days were 100 degrees plus), and culture change. The team has worked together and God has used them. They have also worked with kids from a number of different countries, including many who don’t speak English. God has worked through every one of those challenges. Thank you to so many of you who have supported this team in prayer and financial support. God has worked! The team will be sharing about their trip in an upcoming service at WCC.

Cards & Calendar Kickoff night for Courageously Convicted Christ-following Men!
(aka Men’s Ministry Kickoff Night)

Saturday, April 14 7:00pm WCC

All men of Woodbury Community Church are invited to a fun evening of card playing and calendar building for WCC’s brand new Men’s Ministry. Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Five
Hundred, Oh Heck, Schafkopf, Rummy or bring the rules of your favorite card game to share.
Men’s Bible study, the Refugee Ministry, Ushering, the WCC Softball team, Men’s retreat, Student Ministry, Mission trips, Children’s Ministry; these are just some of the ways men
are already involved at Woodbury Community Church.

But how about a guy’s summer weekend trip to Milwaukee and Chicago for a couple of ball games? A handyman ministry to help church members in need and possibly teach those of us whose handyman skills need improvement? An afternoon of fly fishing where some of our resident experts teach the rest of us how to do it? A car care ministry to help single moms? Or most importantly, your idea here! What would you like to see at Woodbury Community Church from a Men’s Ministry?

This is your chance to voice your ideas and have a great time doing it.

Proverbs 27:17 “Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.”

For additional information or if you have ideas you’d like to pass along but are not able to attend on the 14th, feel free to contact Bob Hanson (651-797-4909, mnbob70@gmail.com)

(Using the Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross)

 Hoisted upon Calvary’s tree

To rectify the sin in me

Jesus looked upon the crowd

Announcing in a voice so loud

“Father forgive them for they know not what they do”

Beautiful words spoken to Gentile and Jew

Callously gambling for a piece of His clothing

The soldiers oblivious man’s redemption He was buying

“Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!”

Crowd spoken mockery on Golgotha’s sod

Criminals, on either side of the Lamb

Both facing life’s final exam

“Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

Criminal’s jeering words in the form of a cuss.

“Jesus remember me when You come into Your Kingdom!”

Contrasting words, heart changing, unable to stay mum.

The lips of our Lord move a second time

Responding to the one convicted of crime

Looking straight at the man, knowing all of his vice

“Today you will be with me in paradise.”

That’s when His gaze came upon those He loved,

Some women, a disciple and the mother beloved.

“Dear woman, here is your son,” pronounced He to Mary.

“Here is your mother,” to John, while so wearied.

And then in the middle of that solemn day

Darkness hovered, black sky, not just gray

He who was holy became sin, no facade

And for the first time God was separated from God

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Was the awful cry that came from that tree.

The only thing in all the world capable of dividing the Trinity

Was the sin of every man, every woman, every boy, every girl, yes even you and me.

Later knowing that all was completed

That sin and Satan would soon be defeated

Jesus, all divine, showed His humanity

“I am thirsty,” He said, displaying no vanity.

When He received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”

His time had come, His work was accomplished.

“Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”

With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

At that moment the world reacted

But most of humanity was too distracted

To notice the veil in the temple torn in two

From top to bottom what should we construe?

That Jesus’ death on the cross paved the way

For us to have access to God when we pray

The earth shook and the rocks split

On the day God was hit and we offered spit.

The bodies of some dead were raised to life that day

Holy people appeared in Jerusalem to convey

That Jesus is God, He is the way, Centurion and squad

Declared, “Surely He was the Son of God!”

No bones were broken

Prophecy spoken

Declared body piercing

Blood and water producing

As evening approached so did two powerful men

Perhaps they were remembering when

Jesus had spoken and challenged their thinking

Waiting to live for Him until the world was sinking

They took His body, wrapped it in a shroud

Just as Pontius Pilate had allowed

To the tomb He was taken

Christ had been forsaken.

Forsaken by man and forsaken by God

So great was the cost on the road that He trod

But great is the victory He won on Golgotha

A victory summed up in the word Marantha

The Lord is coming soon is the word’s special meaning

Three days later, He arose and sin took a beating

He will come again soon to take those who are His

Truer words never spoken, it’s the truth, that it is

Will you be like humanity’s generations?

Too busy, distracted, for His interventions?

Don’t miss Calvary’s message of Christ’s great love

Offered to all of us who are undeserving of.

- Brian Schulenburg

April 9, 2009

]]> http://www.woodburycommunitychurch.com/a-poem-for-good-friday-2/feed 0 http://www.woodburycommunitychurch.com/how-to-spiritually-mentor-your-kids-parenting-today-seminar-hosted-by-wcc http://www.woodburycommunitychurch.com/how-to-spiritually-mentor-your-kids-parenting-today-seminar-hosted-by-wcc#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:18:43 +0000 admin http://www.woodburycommunitychurch.com/?p=1881 Parents of kids and teens are invited to join us for this FREE seminar titled: “How to Spiritually Mentor Your Kids” presented by guest speaker, Shawn Winters, Discipleship Pastor at Wooddale Church  on Wednesday, April 25, 6:30-8:00pm at WCC.  The Bible reminds us that parents play an irreplaceable role in the spiritual growth of their children (check out Deut. 6:4-9).  Join us as Shawn shares helpful information, advice, and techniques to help guide your children into a growing, live-giving relationship with Jesus Christ.

On Friday night, March 30th, Woodbury Community Church will be showing the film Courageous, free of charge, with great movie snacks, prizes and all the details on our newly revamped Men’s ministry. This event is open to anyone and we’d encourage families to attend together. It all begins at 7:00 PM. Join us for a great night.

Honor Begins at Home

Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood.

While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. But they’re quickly discovering that their standard is missing the mark.

When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a newfound urgency help these dads draw closer to God … and to their children?

Filled with action-packed police drama, COURAGEOUS is the fourth film from Sherwood Pictures, the moviemaking ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. Viewers will once again find themselves laughing, crying, and cheering as they are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children.

Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That’s courageous.

At Sky, faith and imagination soar as kids discover that everything is possible with God. Kids participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, make and dig into yummy treats, experience electrifying Bible adventures, discover Bible Memory Buddies to remind them to trust God, and test out Sciency-Fun Gizmos they’ll take home and play with all summer long. Plus, kids will learn to look for evidence of God all around them through something called God Sightings. Each day concludes with Fly Away Finale—a celebration that gets everyone involved in living what they’ve learned.

Sky is for kids who have finished Kindergarten to 4th Grade and will run from 9 AM to NOON each day. For more information, call (651) 739-1427 .

It all happens June 18-22, 2012. Register early as spots are limited!

Click Here to register your children or to volunteer for this amazing event.

Ron is married to Shirley and the two of them are the parents of two adult children. He has the cutest red-haired grandchildren you’ll ever meet. Ron has a passion for Church Multiplication, having served as the Director of Church Multiplication for the CCCC’s prior to taking on his new role as Conference Minister.