Contents

By Rev. Troy Benton

3 The World as I See It

By Rev. Shane L. Bishop

4 Coming to Connect 5 GIFTS

By Bernie Kneale

The Flame

The magazine of Christ Church Rev. Shane Bishop Senior Pastor Rev. Troy Benton Associate Pastor Justin Aymer Director of Communications Donna Harrison Editor Barbara Germany Proof Reader Service Times Sunday 8:30am, 10:30am, 6:00pm Saturday 5:00pm
For a complete listing of the Christ Church Staff and to learn more about Christ Church please visit:

6 Parenting Priorities
By Leslie Damann By Alan Prass

7 Where are your Treasures? 7 God Is Calling You 8 Auditions

By Don Frazure

9 Getting to Know You 10 Ministry Spotlight 11 Treasure the People in Your Life
By Larry Weber

11 A Terrible Thing to Waste

By Emily Climaco

12 Thank You Christ Church

By Grant Armstrong By Kathy ODell

13 My Dads Lesson on Giving 14 Satellite Update 15 Watch Us Grow

www.mychristchurch.com
Copyright 2011, Christ Church. Questions about the Flame? Contact Donna Harrison at: donnaharrison@mychristchurch.com Christ Church 339 Frank Scott Pkwy E Fairview Heights, IL 62208 618.277.4659

A Note From The Editor

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. Luke 12:34 (NLT) Where is your treasure? At first glance the answer to that question seems easy. But as I reflect on where and how I spend my money, talents, time, and gifts, I have a long way to go to ensure my heart is in the right place. I pray that as you read this edition, you are challenged, stretched and moved to make changes where the Holy Spirit leads you. Blessings in Christ, Donna Harrison

visionary, committed, limber and serious about doing what it takes to accomplish the mission of the church. You can get to natural growth plateaus (200, 400, 750, 1600 1200) with strong preaching and music but it takes leadership to move through 1400 them. 3. Radical Commitment. Formal 1200 members here support with their prayers, 1000 presence, gifts, service and witness. No church can seriously move toward its 800 Worship mission without a congregation living into 600 these vows. The accomplishment of great things for God requires great sacrifices 400 from people. 200 4. Growing People. Put simply, growing 0 churches consist of growing people and 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 dying churches consist of dying people. 5. Evangelistic Culture People are natural evangelists! If a person discovers a new restaurant or sees a great movie, they will tell everyone they know, by every means they can. Growing churches consist of people who are excited about their church By Rev. Shane L. Bishop and are constantly and naturally inviting others to Jesus. And each day the Lord added to their number those

Weekend Worship Attendance

The World as I See It

who were being saved Acts 2: 47

The growth curve in weekend worship average for Christ Church since 1997 has truly been remarkable. As we moved from 200 per weekend to almost 1600, we have grown steadily each year. Business guru Jim Collins calls this consistent and steady kind of escalation the most preferred kind of growth. It is, simply putsustainable. One consultant I spoke with took an extended look at our history since the 1996 relocation and proclaimed us, A thinking mans church. Almost every church in USAmerica desires to see their congregation engaged in the kind of fifteen year cycle we have enjoyed, but what makes one church grow steadily when most others are seeing decline? Obviously location doesnt hurt, but there are plenty of dying churches in great locations all over the country. Steady growth requires: 1. A Clear Mission. At Christ Church we exist to connect people with Jesus Christ. This mission informs everything we do and gives us a language to talk about change. The mission must be a higher core value than both the personal preferences of the congregation and the job security of the staff. 2. Strong Leadership. Growing churches have pastors, staff and lay leaders who are

Mutual Funds are quick to point out that past performance does not guarantee future returns. Fund managers must pay attention to national trends, world developments and earn the trust of their customers every day. What they accomplished yesterday will establish their reputation but what they do today and tomorrow will determine their future. We have an exciting fifteen year tradition of vitality at Christ Church but the future depends on how we answer three questions: Will we continue to worship in spirit and in truth and serve God with all that is within us? Will we continue to love God and to love our neighbor? Will we continue to allow our mission to guide us? I wonder what the next fifteen years hold in store for this congregation? To find a collective answer, we will each have to answer the call of Christ individually. And thats the worldas I see it.

Coming to Connect
By Rev. Troy Benton We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love for all of Gods people, which come from your confident hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven. You have had this expectation ever since you first heard the truth of the Good News. This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about Gods wonderful grace. You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christs faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you. Colossians 1:3-8 NLT Were herefinally! Since our time of dialogue with the leadership team here at Christ Church and the weekend we spent here in April, we have grown in our anticipation and excitement at this new phase of the journey serving Christ, and the major changes in our lives God has prepared for us. Emma, Taylor, Autumn
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and myself have boxed, taped, bagged, packed and prayed over everything we have, and have moved our stuff, but more importantly our lives to Fairview Heights for what we believe is both Gods call and Gods will! For the kids, the opportunity to share in new schools, new pizza places (their favorite!), new pools and new malls, to connect with new friends and a new church is almost more than they can take! Their excitement is palpable, and their hopes for great things are high. For Emma, the transition to a new city, new friends and church family, new home and new ministry brings another opportunity for God to move in her life. For me, our arrival here is a blessing of multiple personal and professional forms. Coming to Christ Church also provides a unique opportunity to continue doing what Ive been doing all my life helping others connect with Christ using my gifts, while expanding my skills in new areas of leadership. My excitement is also palpable, and I come with an eagerness to connect with this tremendous family of leaders and disciples. Christ Church is making a mark in the name of Jesus Christ that cannot be erased! The landscape of ministry opportunities for our church is vast and wonderful. My twenty-plus years of ministry experience have equipped me to lead and serve. I am eager to use these gifts and skills to be a part of this ministry setting that is growing, giving, and gaining souls and significance for the kingdom! Im ready.GAME ON!!! All this has occurred in the face of the passage I have read almost daily since the day our coming was announced. Paul writes these words of greeting to the church of Colosse who he has not had the opportunity to know, but who he has become smitten with due to the transparency and passion of the ways in word and deed they follow Jesus. More than anything, we have come in personal ways due to the clear and open passion all of you (led by our pastor, Rev. Shane) are living out your commitment to connect others to Christ for the transformation of the world! We come looking forward to the work and results God will provide through you and us as we share as one family under God in the work of Christ for the glory of our Father. In worship, through preaching, in servant leadership through missions, in study of Gods instruction and engrossing fellowship (that we have already experienced), we willingly and joyfully become a part of the Christ Church family. Our hope and mission is to take the power and passion in Jesus Christ we share UNAPOLOGETICALLY, grow together with you as Christ Church, and help

others connect with Christ! We are on board with the hunger and panting of this faith community. Were as thirsty as you are to have anyone who needs Jesus, anywhere we can offer Christ, in any way we are able to do so, discover how much Jesus loves them, and Gods plan for their lives. We are not only glad to be here, were glad to be a part of the Christ Church family, and a part of a family that lives the gospel. We are anxious to meet each one of you, and share in the joy of this season. Most of all, we are ready to

follow Christ and the call of discipleship. We come to connect! A word of open thanks to Rev. Shane, Melissa, our Senior and Church Staff, and everyone else for your help in our transition. Everyone has been exceedingly grace-filled and loving as we have transitioned here. Theres more to share, but for now, we sayhere we are! Thanks for your prayers, your acts of love and your help as we join you to connect others with the Christ we all love and honor.

GIFTS

By Bernie Kneale

There are two times a year that we can usually count on receiving giftsChristmas and birthdays. But there are dozens of other occasions when gifts are considered appropriate: anniversaries, weddings, graduations, etc. Gifts, by definition, are given voluntarily and at no cost to the receiver. When I receive a gift, I feel a special affection for the giver. The gifts that mean the most to me are the ones that come unexpectedly. A true gift is one given with no strings attached and no expectation of getting something in return. Gods gifts are like that. Can we agree that God, the creator, omnipresent (ever present), and omniscient (all knowing) is the owner of everything? Hence, everything we have is a gift from Godgiven at no cost, no strings attached. These gifts are what we call grace. Despite our unworthiness, God continues to lavish His gifts upon us. The best part of the gifts God gives is that they are thoughtful, useful gifts. I remember when my children were toddlers. At Christmas time we carefully selected gifts for them. But when they unwrapped their presents, they were more interested in the paper and the box than the gift. I believe that happens to you and me with Gods giftswe are more interested in the wrapping than the gift. Fortunately, God is a cheerful giver. When I give a gift, I am delighted when the receiver finds it to be a useful gift. Think about this: Every gift God gives is useful. It is up to you

and me to recognize its usefulness. God gives us talents, no strings attached, but it sure delights Him when I use it for His glory. How I use a gift from God is my thank-you note to Him. A good thank-you note includes something about how the gift will be used. God gives, unconditionally, good gifts that are useful in His Kingdom. Prayer, study, church attendance, and fellowship are some of the ways we identify His gifts and find ways to honor Him by using them. God has given you many gifts. The best thing you can ever do for God is to use what He has given you for His glory. But know this one thing: You cannot out give God!
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Parenting Priorities
By Leslie Damann We have been blessed with some great kids here at Christ Church. I think this is the most important calling God has given us - to raise kids that will influence the next generation for God, to broadcast His glory to all the nations. But when it comes to our kids, how can a parent in this busy world with work, school, activities, etc. find time to talk and teach their children about Jesus and show them how to tell His story to the world? I think we first need to get rid of the notion of a picture perfect family. Reality is different for every family. Look in the Bible. There are no perfect families as we think of them. Noah had a drinking problem, Abraham offered his wife to another man, Rebekah schemed with her son and deceived her husband, Jacobs sons sold their brother into slavery, David had an affair, and his son started a rebellion, and Eli lost control of his sons in church. Even Jesus family lost Him for three days in Jerusalem. But God chose to use those families to show His mercy and grace and display His redemptive power and that He is a God of restoration. The same way He can use our families to do the same. When it comes to our children, no one has more potential to influence a child that a parent. To put that in perspective, in any given year, a church will only have, on average, 40 hours a year to invest in a childs life. In the same year, a parent has 4,000 hours of time to invest in a childs life. No one else can come close to that kind of influence. Wow! You may be thinking I dont have 4,000 hours with my kids! We all do, and we need to be intentional about how we spend those hours. Have you ever stopped to think about what fills your days? What is filling your kids days? Second, parents arent the only influence a child needs. At some point in a childs life, they will begin to seek approval, affirmation and guidance from other people. When parents accept this fact, they have a better potential to impact their childs future in a positive way. Third, two combined influences will make a greater impact. A parents capacity to impact their children
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is strengthened when the circle is widened, when parents partner with the Church. In Childrens Ministry at Christ Church our mission is to connect our kids with Jesus Christ. We want to do more than teach our kids about the Bible we want it to be more than academic or programming. We want to create an environment for children to hear the Holy Spirit and respond. We want children to be able to own their faith and make it personal. We want to show them that their spiritual journey is not separate from the rest of their life. Part of our vision is to partner with parents and empower them to engage our children in a relationship with Jesus Christ. This can happen in a few ways. One, if you have a heart for kids, join the K4C team. Walk along side a child and be that Godly influence they can turn to outside their family. Two, take advantage of the many resources we have available to you as parents as you walk (or run) through your day. 1. Every week when your child leaves kids worship (1st to 5th) they have a God Time card/Fridge notes. In Creation Corner the kids get a small talk card. Use these throughout the week to start a conversation with your kids. 2. Download an app! Yes, there is an app for that too! On your iPhone or iPad download Parent Cue. This goes right along with our curriculum on Sunday mornings. You can watch videos, read articles and it will give you great ideas for connecting with your kids about Jesus. I love this app!! 3. Log your kids onto www.Studio252.tv . Awesome web site with games, videos, blogs, bible stories, music and much more. 4. Join me and Rachel Frazure in the fall for a connection class over the book Parenting Beyond Your Capacity. You wont want to miss this one. Come and join us Wednesday nights starting in September. 5. Orange Parents http://www.orangeparents.org/ Another good resource for parents! 6. Save the Date!! As a family join us for our first Family Experience on August 26th. More details coming soon! God wants to tell His story through us, through our families and through the Church. Let us partner with you in one of lifes most challenging joys raising kids.

Where are your Treasures?

By Alan Prass Jesus was not a financial advisor, but he did teach us a lot about money and how we need to be careful not to fall in love with it. In Matthew, chapter 6, Jesus warns us not to store up treasures on earth, but to store up our treasures in heaven, For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be. This begs the question, where are your treasures? In this material-driven culture the high paid marketing executives on Madison Avenue work hard to convince us what and where our treasures should be and are very good at it. We have choices about how we manage what the Lord gives us; for many of us it is a tug-of-war between what we need and what we want. Jesus reminds us that we can find where our heart is by looking at what we treasure. I interpret this to mean that if we analyze what we spend our money on, we can better understand our value system. With so many things tugging at our money, we wonder how we are going to have enough money to cover day-to-day expenses, save for the future, give our tithes and offerings and enjoy life. A good manager sets priorities, then assigns the correct amount of resources to accomplish them. The average annual

household income is roughly $41,000. The typical worker will work about 32 years. $41,000 over 32 years equals 1.3 million dollars excluding cost-ofliving wage increases. With over a million dollars flowing through our hands over our working career, one should be able to invest in what we value and deem a priority. If weve neglected our priorities, thats indicative that theres something were doing with our money, whether we realize it or not, that we deem to be more important. What happened to our retirement plan? Perhaps were driving it in the form of car payments that we cannot afford. What happened to our childs college fund? Perhaps were living, sitting, and sleeping in it in the form of house and furniture payments that we cant afford. What happened to the money we had planned to give to our church and favorite charities? Perhaps were paying off the large balance on a credit card. Madison Avenue has successfully persuaded our priorities to earthly possessions, leaving us no money to invest in heavenly treasures. Christ Church will offer a biblically based personal finance course called Financial Peace University featuring Dave Ramsey. Dave Ramseys syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. He has written numerous books and features a Christian perspective to personal finance. This course will teach you how to reach your financial goals by eliminating debt, giving like never before, and saving for the future. We encourage everyone to take this course so that we may all invest in heavenly treasures.

God Is Calling You

91 Days to Beat Debtand Build Wealth! Dave Ramseys Financial Peace University is coming to Christ Church Fairview Heights and Collinsville/Maryville. This falls God Is Calling You connection classes include a section of FPU on each week night, Monday through Thursday. The classes run for 13 weeks with Dave Ramsey sharing with us how to Get Control of Your Money, Stop Struggling to Make Ends Meet, Tell Your Money What to Do and Change Your Familys Future. The average family eliminates $5,300 in debt while saving $2,700 in Financial Peace University. Investment is less than $50 per family for a lifetime membership with Dave Ramseys FPU. Sign up online at www.mychristchurch.com

Auditions
By Don Frazure As a professional singer I have been on many auditions. When I lived in New York, I would average three or four a week during the fall audition season. For each audition I would bring five songs that I thought best displayed my talents. I usually brought the same songs because they were the ones I could do in my sleep; however, when auditioning for a specific role, I would usually include a number from that show as well. I would also have to schedule an accompanist to play piano for me which usually ran $25 - $35. We didnt rehearse other than just a talk through before we walked in to audition. The pianists I used were pros who knew all the songs that were out there - besides, a rehearsal with them would have cost more money. Sometimes, none of my regular pianists could make it so I would show up to the audition extremely early and hire someone after they finished playing for another singer (which of course made the price go up - supply and demand). When my time came, I would sing one song from my list and then they would choose a second song. I always had a strategy in choosing which song I would sing first because that choice would have an influence on which song they would choose next. I was pretty good at guessing which song they would ask for, although I was surprised by their choice on more than one occasion. All of these variables combined to make auditioning a stressful part of my singing career. If that werent enough, then I had to deal with my nerves. In the early part of my career, I got rather nervous before auditioning. After all, I was putting my abilities up for scrutiny in the hopes of getting a role. It took some time, but after a while I was not concerned about what they thought. They could hire me or not, but I didnt question the gifts that I have been given. I knew that auditioning was a part of the process. The producers needed to see if I would be successful
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in contributing to the vision they had for whatever opera or musical they were producing. If I didnt get the job, it didnt mean that I was bad or didnt have enough talent (although I did sing an audition when I was sick and it was rather bad...they didnt hire me... ever.) Conversely, just because I got the job did not necessarily mean that I was any better than the next person - again, I just happen to fit the producers vision. The Christ Church Worship Arts Team is looking for vocalists, musicians and tech personnel to join us as we connect people with Jesus Christ through worship. To help us identify talented people who want to serve, we created the Worship Arts Express Lane. This is our audition process to join the Worship Arts Team (WAT). Yes, you heard it correctly; I said audition. While I know that the word audition can frighten a potential team member, it is the only truthful way to describe how we assess your abilities and find if the WAT is the right fit for you. Weve developed this process to make it easy for you to prepare and to ease whatever anxiety you may have about auditioning. Believe me, it is a painless process. Interested? Just go to www.mychristchurch.com/expresslane to sign up to audition for band or vocals. Be sure to enter your email address correctly. If you dont receive a confirmation email after you sign up, then you may have entered your email address incorrectly and youll need to start over. If you are interested in PRODUCTION (audio, video, lighting), you can contact Nathan Tobin, Technical Director at nathantobin@mychristchurch.com. You are always welcome to email me at donfrazure@ mychristchurch.com if you have any questions. I pray you will consider auditioning for the WAT and not let the word audition deter you. If God has blessed you with musical or technical talents, please pray about it and step out in faith to use your gifts for His glory. Thats why He gave you talents in the first place.

What is your taste in music? I grew up with a very musically talented family. Most of us can play at least one instrument and those who dont play instruments have beautiful voices. So music has always been a big part of my life. Over the years I have developed an eclectic taste in music.classical, jazz, pop, rock, alternative rock. However, there is one genre of music that I do not have much appreciation for.country. There may be a song or two that dont make me want to delve into a deep depression, but for the most part I stay away from country (sort of unusual for a girl from Kentucky!). What type of pets do you have? Currently we have three pets: two dogs and a cat. One of the stipulations to getting dogs was that my husband would get to name them. So.our cairn terriers name is Mick Mars of Crue and the papillions name is Nikki Sixx. (I bet you cant guess my husbands favorite band!) Our daughter adopted our cat from the shelter and he already had a nameJose Cuervo. Who has influenced your life the most? There have been a few people in my life that have been hugely influential, but the person who is most responsible for shaping me into the person I am today would have to be my mother. Through her example, I learned to be responsible, an individual, nurturing, determined, a listener, communicator and a woman faith. Of course, the list could go on forever, but I dont think this article is supposed to be that long! (Thank you, Mom!) Where are you from? I was born in Banner Elk, NC (just down the road from Horny Hollow, NC.seriously.that was the towns name), but was raised in Madisonville, KY. Which sport do you like? Im not a very sporty person. As a spectator I enjoy watching basketball and mixed martial arts. As a participant, I enjoy running. Are you a beach, country or city person? I love the countrynot country musicbut open fields, farms, minimal traffic, gravel roads, and quiet. However, I prefer to not be too far from civilization either because I also enjoy shopping, concerts, theatre, and museums. So maybe I am an urban country person!

Getting to Know You

Name: Samantha Allard Job Title: Financial Administrator Job Description: Oversee the church finances in cooperation with the Finance Committee, Executive Director and Treasurer. Manage the daily financial needs as well as supervise the Contributions Team, Accounts Payable and Receivable, and offer support to the Bookstore. Are you an adventurous person by nature or do you prefer playing it safe? I like to describe myself as a cautiously adventurous person. J There are a lot of things Ive never done that I would love to try, but not without first doing research to ensure that my experience will be as safe and enjoyable as possible. Do you like to cook? NOand my family prefers that I dont try to cook! I think this preference stems from the time that I substituted Worcestershire Sauce for Soy Sauce when making a stir fry..or maybe it was when I wanted to make sloppy joes, but didnt have any ground beef so I used Italian Sausage instead. (I dont recommend that you try either of these substitutions at home!) Fortunately for my family, my husband loves to cook and is a wonderful chef! Would you rather take pictures or be in pictures? While it drives my family (including the dogs) a little crazy, I thoroughly enjoy taking pictures, but definitely have an aversion to being in front of the camera.

Ministry Spotlight
900 students...thats how many showed up asking for backpacks, school supplies and uniforms at last years Christian Activity Center (CAC) Back to School Days. It was almost overwhelming, yet so organized and orderly. What I witnessed were parents waiting in long lines with their children. I saw a mission team from North Carolina happily distributing everything amidst the heat and swarms of people. Because of your generosity, 300 fully supplied backpacks, 75 uniforms and school supplies made a difference in 350 kids lives that day. But, I also witnessed kids leaving without backpacks and instead, going home with a baggie filled with available supplies. This year, our church is doing another backpack drive for the CAC in East St. Louis. The elementary Sunday school classes will participate in this mission outreach with Leslie Burns as the point of contact. While I fully believe our church alone can collect 900 full backpacks, 3 other churches have agreed
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to collaborate with us! This year St. Matthews United Methodist, Cornerstone Christian Church and Whitelaw Ave Baptist Church will be simultaneously collecting backpacks and supplies alongside us! Please bring backpacks, school supplies (list below) and uniforms to the church in Scripture Hall from July 17-July 31. If youd like to learn more about the CAC, go to www.cacesl.org Spiral notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons, looseleaf paper, composition notebooks, 3-ring binders, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, erasers, uniforms: size 6-18 in pale blue and white collared shirts, long and short sleeve, navy or black pants. Thank you for helping! Mim Phillips

Treasure the People in Your Life

By Larry Weber I turned to Nancy, my friend of over 45 years and wife of nearly 41 years, for inspiration to write this piece. When I told her that I did not want to write about tithing or ministries for this months FLAME, she reminded me that the true treasures in our life, after our Savior, are the people we make a part of our life. This summer our family will gather together for a week-long vacation in the Smoky Mountains. The seven children we parent (yes, even though they are adults, we still parent); their spouses and significant others; the grandchildren; plus my mother will be together for nearly a week in July. The last time we did this was five years ago. A lot has changed since that last family vacation-my dad has passed, our sons have graduated, their sisters have born additional grandchildren and I retired from one profession to

begin another. But the one constant is the love we have for each other. Are any of us perfect-no, but we are treasures to each other. Our children are their siblings best friends. The girls still call their mother almost daily. The boys still kiss their mom and dad when they enter or leave the house. We still hope each others dreams will come true. And we treasure our time together. I have another family; the one here at Christ Church. I look forward to being with you each Sunday and throughout the week. I hope for your dreams to come true. We hug and are best friends. We know we are not perfect but we still plan for how we might increase the size of our Christ Church family by connecting others with Jesus Christ just as Nancy and I hope for additional grandchildren. As you get ready for your vacation, consider whom you treasure. Ask them to be a part of your family; the one you have here at Christ Church.

A Terrible Thing to Waste

By Emily Climaco I hate to waste food. Id never realized this until I had a toddler who wastes food with abandon. I could serve her less food, but I can never predict whether she will be ravenous or indifferent. One day she devours onion rings like blessed manna from heaven; then a week later she scrutinizes them like a crime scene before declaring, No. As much as I hate to waste food, there are worse things. Wasting your gifts, for example. Even the most modest of us realize that God has given us some degree of valuable talent. Or maybe you dont realize it. In that case, let me assert that God has given you gifts to use to advance His Kingdom. Paul warned Timothy, Do not neglect your gift . . . and his admonition goes for us as well (1 Tim. 4:14). In Lewis Hydes book The Gift, he elaborates on the idea that gifts are meant to be given: There is a sense in which our gifts are not fully ours until they have been given away... Leviticus records

the Lords instruction to Moses: The land shall be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me. Likewise, we are sojourners with our gifts, not their owners; even our creationsespecially our creationsdo not belong to us (364). Remember the old Michael W. Smith song? Love isnt love til you give it away. Similarly, gifts arent useful until you put them to use. Perhaps the easiest way to neglect a gift is to forget about it. Sure, you used to sing in the choir, or you used to volunteer in the 3-year-olds class, but youve been so busy lately. Thats how neglect startsnot out of malice but through the minutiae of everyday life crowding out even the noblest of longings. Memory is faulty, but writing helps. If God has given you a gift to use but youve neglected it, I challenge you to record it. Jot it down on post-it notes and put them in cant-miss places: your silverware drawer, dashboard, bathroom mirror, or even your forehead. Maybe not your forehead. But it is important to remember your gifts, thank God for them, commit them to His glory, and be prepared to use them. A gift is a terrible thing to waste.
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the life and work of Gods church? Not without help. First, there is no denying that Jesus Christ has carried my family to this point. When we were starting this process of discernment 7 years ago at Christ Church, we asked God to close the door on this endeavor if this was not His plan for us. I used to have all sorts of plans for myself plans to be locally famous and modestly wealthy, for example. I kept experiencing this compelling feeling while I was at Christ Church, however this strange sense that my goals were too shallow and small because they all had me at the center. When I finally traded my goals for Christs and surrendered my future to Him, it has been nothing short of humbling to see the ways God has opened doors of opportunity for service.

Thank You Christ Church

By Grant Armstrong We first showed up on the doorstep of Christ Church in Fairview Heights in the fall of 2000 when my wife Amy and I moved to the area. I was on the fence about Christianity, largely because the Christianity I had experienced so often growing up seemed on the fence about itself. The practice of religion in which I was raised evidenced no urgency, no passion, no relevance, and certainly no action. I had plenty of things demanding my time in those days. Religion had not proven very useful to me, so I had very little patience with it. Well, Christ Church has changed my perspective somewhat. If youve experienced Christ Church for any amount of time, you have an idea of what Im talking about. There was a laser focus on transforming people like me into fully committed student-followers of Jesus Christ through worship, service and love. I had never experienced anything like that before, but that Christ-focus has the power to radically alter the trajectory of someones life. It changed my life so much that on Friday, June 3 of 2011, I was ordained an elder in the United Methodist Church. Rev. Shane Bishop was standing right behind me, praying Gods grace and power over me while Bishop Gregory Palmer laid his hands on my head and called upon me to take up the authority of an elder. So how does somebody go from sitting on the fence to being fully committed to
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God has often opened those doors through you. If you have pastored us, prayed for us, mentored me, taken a chance on me, challenged me, let me serve alongside you, encouraged us, given us gifts for survival or blessing, taught me, seen me fall down a flight of stairs on a big screen, praised God while I played a bass, listened to my teaching and preaching at varying levels of decency, gone with me into mission and made a way for me to serve, blessed our children, bound our hurts, celebrated our joys, or even given your heart to Jesus Christ because God saw fit to make our paths cross - thank you. Your love, service, and sacrifice carried us here. Your faithfulness to Christ made a difference. Im now an ordained elder because someone bothered to share Jesus Christ with me, and trusted God with the results. Im a pastor because someone bothered to challenge me with the possibility that God had a bigger plan for my life than I had for myself. Im here because once I experienced that transformation, I couldnt imagine giving my life to any other purpose. See, once you taste the joys and challenges of the kingdom of God and His righteousness, its hard to chase after all these things parts of Matthew 6:33 because they no longer satisfy. So Ive got some kingdom work to do. I want to share Jesus Christ with others as Christ was once shared with me, and let people know that God may just have a bigger plan for their lives than what they imagine for themselves. I will trust God with the journey, because He is trustworthy. I especially want to thank the people of Christ Church who helped my family to know that and pursue it with our whole hearts, souls, minds, and strength. We are grateful.

My Dads Lesson on Giving

By Kathy ODell I received my most memorable lesson on giving from my father just days before his death. It was a Sunday morning when he asked me to write a check for the church offering and I refused. Oh, I had my parents checkbook and had done their check writing for some time. But I also knew a check in the amount he requested would take the account dangerously low. Besides, my parents retirement checks would be deposited in a few days so I decided it would be wise to write their check the following Sunday. In that week my father suffered a major heart attack and died. The next Sunday I did put the check in the offering as planned, but I had disobeyed my Dad. My refusal to do what he asked still haunts me, but I believe God used that act of disobedience for good. That mistake was the beginning of my giving journey. Over a period of years God has: Provided family members who, through their willingness to share their stories of generosity, became my giving coaches.

Led me to follow His direction in scriptures to become a tither. Opened the way for a new job in resource development (friend and fund raising) a role that included studying, listening to peoples needs and experiencing their joy of giving. Called me to ongoing Bible study with special emphasis on passages about generosity. Opened my eyes to dozens of books on the positive relationship between generosity and spiritual growth. Encouraged careful management of the income He has provided. Called Christian women in 2010 to form Women 4-Given, which promotes generosity while supporting women and/or children in Christian love. The details of giving are always an individual matter, but the Word doesnt really leave any question on whether or not we are to give. 2 Corinthians 9:6-9 Remember this, a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And dont give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully. And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.
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Satellite Update
The Collinsville/Maryville leadership team has been formed and was introduced to the congregation and commissioned Sunday, June 5th. The church-in-a-box that provides all the equipment and supplies for our second site has been ordered from Portable Church Industries. The portable church trailer is scheduled to be delivered early August to allow our new team 3 to 4 weeks of dry run practices setting up and tearing down prior to the first scheduled service. The first worship service with live praise band and Rev. Shane preaching is scheduled for 10:00am on September 11 at the YMCA in Maryville. The pre-launch evangelism has begun. We are prayerful that our church family will step up to the calling to help in a variety of ways. To name a few: Pioneers - We need 25 to 50 people to join the launch team by helping to establish the church through the first 12 months. Settlers - We need to identify 25 to 50 people to join the launch team by making this your permanent place of worship helping to build this new community of believers. Yard Signs - We need all our church family that currently reside in the Collinsville/Maryville/Troy areas to help advertise our new site. We have many family and individual activities that you can participate in like working one of the area parades or a booth at a festival event. We need 50 to 75 people to help with the Hang and Run event and another 50 to 75 people to sign up and help with our Knock and Talks. Please note that it is not necessary to agree to attend the second site to offer your assistance. In fact, we will need our entire church family involved in one or more of the events this summer to make this launch a success. For additional information or to sign up for an event, please contact: Mike Harvey mikeharvey@mychristchurch.com
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Collinsville Catsup Festival July 10 Time: 2-Hour Time Slots TBD Activity: Pass out free bottled water Opportunity: Pass out literature and talk to people about the new site while providing free cold bottled water. Number of people needed: 24 VBS At Collinsville/Maryville YMCA July 16 & 17 Time: 4:00 to 6:00pm Activity: Set-up, tear down, clean-up, and assist activities Opportunity: Reach local children connecting them to Jesus Christ. Hand out literature about new site. Invite participants and families to YMCA Family Night. Share new site opportunity with families. Number of people needed: 20 to 25 YMCA Family Night July 17 Time: 6:00 to 8:00pm Activity: Set-up, tear down, food and games Opportunity: Participate in fun, food and games while sharing information about our new site launch. Number of people needed: 20 families Hang & Run July 16 & 23 Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm Activity: Distribute door hangers to 75 homes in the mission site area Participants must have transportation. This is a great family activity. We will meet at the YMCA parking lot to distribute materials and maps that will cover areas of Collinsville and Maryville. Number of people needed: 50 - 75 both days Knock & Talk August 13 and September 3 Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm Activity: Participants will go door to door in communities having conversations with local residents. Must have your own transportation. Number of people needed: 50 - 75 people

Watch Us Grow
New Members -------------------------------May Kara Melvin, Tyson Melvin, Pamela Taylor, Hannah Elizabeth Alexander, Andrea Allen, Alexis T. Anderson, Christopher Isaiah Barrett, Gabrielle Barton, Allison Nicole Costello, Tessa Marie Eberhart, Dylan Thomas Friedman, Colin Graham, Amber Gail Kelso, Abigale Rose Miller, Ainsley Mckechnie ODonnell, Jacob Sarkis Safarian, Audrey Virginia Schuetz, Sydney Schwahn, Samuel B. Smith, Jr., Gabriel Lessard Tinge, Elizabeth Ward June Angela Barnes, Caitlyn Nicole Barnes, Austin Barnes, Rose McKenzie Nichols, Steve W. Rader, Allison Remick, Dawn Marie Corwin, Kelly M. Chitty, Michael A. Chitty, Ryan Chitty, Maddie Schlueter, Andrea Jean Massey, Jared Edward Massey Baptisms -------------------------------May Emma Marie Lercher, Dylan Gunner Melvin, Ingrid Mae Benedict, Lola Jane Benedict, Marilyn Josephine Benedict, Landon Matthew Steely, Addison Lucille Cope June Austin William Barnes, Caitlyn Nicole Barnes, Dawn Marie Corwin, Alyssa Lynn Chitty, Maddie Schlueter, Hunter Edward Massey

Member Passings -------------------------------Marjorie P. Anderson April 15 Wedding -------------------------------Kenneth E. Krieg and Samantha B. Schuetzenhofer April 30 Judy Catherine Curcuro and Terrance Matthew Fleming June 11 David Howe and Elizabeth Smith June 18 Attendance -------------------------------May Worship avg. = 1389 May Connection Classes avg. = 232 Year Avg. Worship = 1581 Finances (as of 06-16-11) -------------------------------General Budget YTD Giving = $938,935.46 YTD Expenses = $906,774.50 Annual Budget = $2,041,873.99 Building Fund Total $172,872.83

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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID E. St. Louis, IL Permit #2290

You can help

339 Frank Scott Parkway East Fairview Heights, IL 62208

Be a part of the Collinsville / Maryville Campus. Volunteer at events to help spread the word, pray for the campus and leaders or sign up to be part of the pioneer congregation. See page 14 for details.

C/M Campus
Coming Soon
Services begin Sep. 11 Sundays 10:00am Collinsville / Maryville YMCA