Opportunity Sunday: March 7th

It was great to see so many of you in Sunday School today! Don't forget, next Sunday is our big meeting with Reid Crotty and other leaders within the church. This is a WONDERFUL opportunity for our voices to be heard and we need a STRONG turnout from the Footsteps Class! We have a lot of positive ideas to share and given this platform, I know we will walk away with opportunities to get plugged in and contribute to the future vision of Bluff Park Methodist!

Our goal this week is to be in prayer for this meeting and to come together to share our ideas as one! I have volunteered to put together a list of opportunities to share at our meeting on Sunday, so please speak up! Maybe you have an idea about improving the overall worship experience or perhaps you have an idea about a new service committee...Whatever your idea, please share with the class! This is especially important for those who already know they will not be in attendance on Sunday. At the conclusion of the week, I will send out an updated email summarizing our vision.

Again, please pray that God will open minds for new ideas to be received, open doors that some of us will hear God's calling and get more involved in shaping the future of our church, and open our hearts that we may truly receive God's blessing and glorify Him in all that we do as a family of believers at Bluff Park!

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:10

Thanks so much and have a blessed week!

He came to save the lost

this morning in class we discussed one more reason why Jesus came to earth. He came to save the lost. what a powerful and humbling message. when we stop and think about it, we are all truly lost. it is only because of His redeeming love that we are saved. it is our pray this week that we would all understand this message a little more clearly and that just as the sheep allowed himself to be picked up we would learn to truly submit to God in order that we can all be redeemed by Him. praise God that he seeks us!!

here are the prayer requests for this week

• wiley - be in prayer this week for a family member who has been diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma. pray that jeff will be given peace this week and that God would reveal Himself through this situation.
• jeremy - mother will be getting test results this week. pray that God will give wisdom to the doctors as they read the tests. pray for clarity and understanding by the family.
• drew - grandmother's boyfriend suffered a stroke earlier this week. pray for drew's grandmother as she goes through this challenging time.
• brooke - pray for patience and wisdom as she deals with a difficult situation at school
• katie - unspoken - pray that God will reveal Himself to katie
• bpumc youth - pray for their strength as a youth group as one student goes through a very difficult time in life.

"the Lord will surely comfort zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like eden, her wastelands like the garden of the lord. joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing"

- Isaiah 51:3

{happy anniversary to todd & janine on wednesday}

{happy birthday to brian on thursday}

we've been challenged

this is a last minute challenge, but i still think we can win it!  the food pantry is running low and needs our help.  on sunday, february 5 each class is encouraged to bring as many soup cans as they can to help support the food pantry and in honor of the "souper bowl."

the food pantry supports many families in our community, so let's each bring as many soup cans as we can on sunday to help support them!

also, tomorrow is our night to serve wednesday night supper so please let us know if you will be able to help!

announcements 1/24

well, we haven't gotten a great start to the blog in 2010, but i guess it's better late than never!

we have a lot of exciting things going on in the near future for the footsteps class and every is very excited!!  we have had several new faces in the past few weeks and it is has been wonderful.  it is very excited to see more and more people falling in love with God through our studies in His word and fellowship with other believers.  we invite anyone who is reading this and wavering about coming to come!  just once.  the first step is the hardest, but i promise you we will all be thrilled that you there.

we have our first social event for 2010 planned for this friday night, january 29.  we are going to go bowling at oak mountain lanes.  we'll meet at the bowling center at 7:00.  we hope everyone can make it!  we're all looking forward to seeing jeremy's 300 game!!

upcoming events:

• valentine's dinner at the church
• wednesday night servers - we need 3 for next week, february 3
• be thinking about fundraising opportunities for the neverthirst project - jeremy will share more about this on sunday
• building construction kick-off next sunday, january 31 - let's meet in the library (our temporary home) and then we'll all go together to the kick-off

prayer requests from 1/24:

• be praying for brooke's mother and grandmother who are going through a difficult time.  pray for God's peace and guidance
• ali and matthew will be traveling to mexico.  pray for safe travels
• ali is going through another round of interviews - pray that God will reveal His will to her and give her the words during the interviews
• brooke's college roomate had her baby!!  she also has a friend who is due in a couple weeks, pray for God's protection during the last few weeks of pregnancy
• megan's step-brother is going home to japan from kuwait.  pray for safe travel as he makes the trip/
• jeremy - praise for emily who is surgically cancer free!!  what an answer to prayer!

the sidebar has been updated with teaching dates/refreshments.  leave a comment if you want to sign up for a date to teach or bring snacks.

if i forgot any announcements or if there are any additional prayer requests leave a comment with the post and i'll update!!

heal my heart and make it clean

open up my eyes to the things unseen

show me how to love like You have loved me

break my heart for what breaks Yours

everything i am for Your kingdom’s cause

as i walk from earth into eternity

 - from the song hosanna by hillsong

3 songs for my iPod

If I were to find my iPod that I lost, I would add these three songs to it:

1. Never Let Go - Matt Redman
2. Stronger - Hillsong United
3. God of this City - Chris Tomlin

Through the calm and through the storm, He never lets go. He is stronger. Greater things are still to be done...