Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

This Week At CR: Awesome Praise Time

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

You are all in for such a wonderful treat Sunday morning. I happen to think that the music and praise time is always pretty special, but this Sunday it will be even more special that normal. We have a full band this Sunday with Jeff, Tamira, and Brianna Barnes along with Dan Logan and Ian Jensen. Vocals. Guitars. Drums. Keyboard. Wow! Watch out! Come prepared to worship with all your heart!

Lawyers in Heaven? Will there be attorneys in Heaven, you ask? YES! In fact the greatest one who ever lived will represent you! Imagine the court scene. You are accused of a serious crime. You know you are guilty. In fact everyone there knows you are guilty. There's no getting out of it. You need an advocate. Someone who knows the score. Someone who knows how this court works. Someone who knows the judge and the jailer. Sunday we will talk about "The Greatest Advocate!" I suggest you read 1 John 2:1-2 and, for extra credit, get a head start on Sunday's sermon notes. 

Congrats Grads! Our congratulations go out to Gabe Kraft and Haleigh Trubachik. Gabe graduates from Northmor High School. Haleigh graduates from Mansfield Christian School. Both have been long term attendees at Church Requel and are a big part of our community here. We will honor them Sunday morning with a special gift. Let's make sure they know how proud we are of their accomplishment!

Potluck Picnic Saturday, June 13th. Games! Swimming! Food! Bonfire! Fun! Don't miss our first big CR event of the summer on Saturday June 13th from 5pm to 9pm at Pleasant Hill Lake Park. We will each bring some food to share (signup sheet will be at Church this Sunday). Lake swimming is available if you want. We'll play kickball and cornhole and a few other games selected by Tamara, our KidsMin Director. For those who stay, we'll enjoy a bonfire at Steve and Cindy's summer place at Pleasant Hill. Because it is a bit of a drive, we'll carpool from Church Requel at 4:30pm. Or just meet us there (3431 Ohio 95, Perrysville, Ohio 44864) . Should be a blast!

Women's Bible Study: "Brave" There are only two more ladies Bible Studies scheduled. We continue this coming Wednesday evening, June 3rd, at 6:30pm. This 7-part, weekly study is entitled, "Brave: Honest Questions Women Ask." Each week is on a different topic. If you haven't been able to come yet, you are still most welcome. Each week our ladies view a short video, in which Angela Thomas looks boldly at some of the fears and struggles of being a woman. Our ladies really have fun with food and fellowship too! Each session is here at Church Requel.

Do You Count? This is a talent that most of us have... the ability to count! We are looking for one or two people who would join our counting team. All you need (besides an ability to count) is a willingness to serve once a month and to stay about 15 minutes after the worship service on your day to serve. No one counts alone. If you're interested, contact Shelli Jackson.

We have lots more exciting things planned for this summer. I can't wait to share them all with you! Hope to see you Sunday morning at 11am! Blessings, Pastor Mark

Light Walking [Podcast]

Light walking is the practice of every Christ-follower. What does it mean to walk in the light? What are the benefits? How do we keep ourselves walking in the light each day? In this audio version of Sunday's sermon, I talk about light walking as we study 1 John 1:5-10.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

Click to Listen!

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.

Light Walking [Video Sermon]

Light walking is the practice of every Christ-follower. What does it mean to walk in the light? What are the benefits? How do we keep ourselves walking in the light each day? In this video of last Sunday's sermon, I talk about light walking as we study 1 John 1:5-10.

Light Walking from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

This Week at CR: Light Walking!

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

Don't you just love the Friday before a 3-day holiday weekend? This weekend will be special at Church Requel. We'll enjoy a great worship service together Sunday morning (more info below) and then the Memorial Day Monday morning parade starts right here in our own parking lot! I love that we are at the crossroads of Mansfield activities.

I also love that we serve those in our neighborhood. Last Saturday night, led by Sheri and Jack (sorry Jack I missed you on the right side), we served almost a hundred of our local folks, who enjoyed a healthy and free meal. I always feel like we get more out of it than we give. I think you agree if the smiles above are any indication. Chris and Tamara served for the first time, but I don't think it will be their last. Oh, and don't you just love the spiffy new yellow hats?

Light Walking. No I'm not talking about walking around lighter than normal. No weight loss talk this weekend. I'm talking about walking in the light, what the Apostle John encourages us to do in the first chapter of his first letter.

Have you ever hurt yourself in the dark? Stubbed your toe? Walked into a wall? Missed a step? Tripped over a toy? What we could easily have avoided in the light of day becomes a real hazard to us when it’s dark. The same is true in our spiritual life.

Sunday we’ll talk about walking in God’s light. We’ll learn two benefits of walking in the light. We’ll even describe three steps to a light-walking lifestyle. Get your Bible saved to 1 John 1:5-10 and prepare your heart for some bright light! (Want a head start? Here are the Bible app sermon notes.)

I got a chance to hear the praise team for Sunday, along with many of our ladies in the Women's Bible Study. Brandi, Cindy, Ron and Jan were still practicing Wednesday night as many of our women were arriving for their study. This week's praise team sounded great! We'll enjoy an awesome worship experience Sunday. Songs include "Here I Am To Worship," "Cornerstone," "O The Blood," and "Your Grace Is Enough." These are all songs we have sang together many times, so I'm sure you'll sing like you mean it!

We will also enjoy a special remembrance of why we celebrate Memorial Day - one of the best video memorials I have seen in a very long time. Nancy Roop will share our announcements and Jeff Barnes will lead our congregational prayer. Isn't it great to see how Jeff is getting involved around here? He and Brandi will be singing a duet at the end of the worship service that will send you home even more confident in your Christian faith!

Thank You For Birthday Greetings! I want to thank you all for making my birthday this past Tuesday so special. I LOVED the special card many of you signed and mailed to me. How special! I really do wonder how you got away with it. I am usually walking all over the church on Sunday mornings. 

Speaking of walking, Mary Kay gave me a new Fitbit fitness band to wear on my wrist. It counts all my steps throughout the day and measures my activity level and heart rate. (Do you think she is trying to give me a hint?) Anyway, you'll probably see me walking, jogging and biking a little more now. Anyone want to join me in the fitness fun?

I hope you have a great time with family and friends this weekend. Why not invite some of them to church with you Sunday morning? They will be encouraged by all the friendly faces and will thank you in the end. Hope to see you all at 11am Sunday! Blessings in Christ, Pastor Mark

Faith Foundation [Podcast]

We begin our study of 1st John with the importance of Scripture - the eyewitness accounts of Jesus, the Word of Life. He is our connection to God and to one another, and the source of great joy.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

Click to Listen!

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.

Faith Foundation [Video Sermon]

In this video of Sunday's sermon, we begin our study of 1st John with the importance of Scripture - the eyewitness accounts of Jesus, the Word of Life. He is our connection to God and to one another, and the source of great joy.

Faith Foundation from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

This Week at CR: The Light Path Begins!

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

I cannot begin to tell you have thrilled I am that this weekend has finally arrived. I have been working and praying toward May 17th for the better part of two months now. Why? Because this Sunday we begin a new verse by verse study through the book of First John.

Why First John? Because in many ways I believe our congregation is similar to the congregation that John was writing to. They were deeply loved by the Apostle. He calls them "Beloved." I feel the same about you and know that you feel the same toward one another.

He calls them "children of God." Clearly he believed that they were Christ-followers. I believe the same is true of you. Yet every word in the letter of 1st John is also written with the view to stay on the right path... to follow the light and not the darkness. John wanted his readers to know for themselves with great certainty that they were indeed inside the Christian faith. He also wanted them to be able to tell - especially when it came to false teachers - who wasn't inside the Christian faith. 

I believe we will grow much stronger over the course of the next several months as we work our way through this New Testament letter one verse at a time. My encouragement for you before Sunday morning is to take your Bible out and read through the entire book of First John several times. It's only 5 chapters long. It will only take you about 15 minutes. That way, when you come to church on Sunday, you will be ready for the journey that I believe God's Spirit wants us to walk together. Want a head start on Sunday's talk? Check out these online sermon notes or open up your Bible app and click on LIVE.

What an amazing week we have experienced here at Church Requel! The photo above is from last Sunday evening, when the Watoto Children's Choir sang at our church. I counted 222 people on the floor (not counting the 18 children up front.) Everyone who saw them was blessed. Here's a short 1-minute video I recorded to give you some idea of the energy and excitement that we enjoyed last week.

Seeing our church completely filled up has inspired me. Wouldn't it be amazing and God-honoring if we could see this level of excitement every single week at our church? Will you pray with me toward this end? I believe God wants to do amazing things through us, if only we will ask Him. Will you work to this end? Think of all the people you know, who could really benefit from the encouraging talks and music that you and I take for granted every week. Let's not be selfish. Let's invite others to God's weekly party here at Church Requel.

Serving Meals To The Hungry. We have another opportunity to serve together tomorrow evening. Will you volunteer to be the hands and feet of Jesus to our neighbors around us, who could use a square meal? It's really a great joy to serve this way together. As you can see from this photo on the left taken six weeks ago of Brandi and Eddie, smiles abound when we're helping others and giving away all the credit to Christ!

Volunteers should show up at 4pm. Expect to be here until about 6:30pm. We begin serving at 5pm. This is something that the entire family can enjoy together. Yes, this can be a wonderful experience for children. However, Mom or Dad do need to stay with their young ones and work side by side together. We could also use your desserts to give away. Many thanks to Sheri and Jack Nichols, who lead our food ministry.

New Summer Praise Team Policy! Brandi shared a new praise team policy we are experimenting with this summer. Any member of the praise team can sing any week they want to sing this summer - as often or as few as they want. Which also means our weekly team can be as large or as small as it turns out to be. Brandi will work each week with whatever team volunteers for that week. (I've signed up for the first weekend of June. We'll be singing some old-time gospel favorites. Who wants to join me?)

I love this new approach. I believe this will provide the Praise Team an opportunity to draw closer together as a team. They will meet every Thursday evening as a small group, praying and encouraging one another, in addition to preparing for the next Sunday morning. Would you like to be on the Praise Team? If you can sing or play a musical instrument, talk to Brandi. Or check the box on the Connection Card in the pew racks. I'm sure Brandi would love to hear from you!

I am more optimistic than ever before about how God will use Church Requel to further His plans in Mansfield. How about you? Come to church Sunday morning. Bring your enthusiasm. Bring your spiritual hunger. Bring your friend. I can't wait to celebrate with you! - Pastor Mark 

Blessing Of Encouraging Words [Podcast]

Join me for this special Mother's Day 2015 audio message as we talk about how to bless our children and one another with encouraging words. Words are powerful and we should focus them to encourage. We start by changing what we fills our minds and hearts.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

Click to Listen!

Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.

The Blessing Of Encouraging Words [Sermon Video]

Join me for this special Mother's Day 2015 message as we talk about how to bless our children and one another with encouraging words. Words are powerful and we should focus them to encourage. We start by changing what we fills our minds and hearts.

Blessing Of Encouraging Words from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.

Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.

This Week at CR: Watoto Children's Choir!

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

We are so blessed to welcome the Watoto African Children's Choir this Mother's Day evening at 7pm! Be prepared for an amazing experience. Each of the children in the choir has suffered the loss of their parents either through war or disease. They live in Watoto children’s villages. Accompanied by a team of adults, the choir presents Watoto’s vision and mission through their stories, music and dance. Trust me when I tell you that you will not want to miss this. (I would even advise coming early!)

I want to thank those who stepped up and offered their homes for the children and their adult chaperones. Pastor Paul Lintern came to me this week with a problem. Several of the families that had promised early on to provide housing had backed out. Immediately we sent out the call for help to Church Requel families. As always, you stepped up beautifully!

The Watoto Children's Choir will be the ending to our Mother's Day extravaganza. We also are planning an awesome start to the day as well! I will share a brand new talk with you, which I'm calling "Blessing Of Encouraging Words." I began working on this way back in March. My inspiration was this verse from 1 Peter 3:9: "Bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing." I knew two months ago that this would be the perfect topic for Mother's Day.

I'm also excited because Loni Nauman will be reading multiple Bible verses that tell us why our words have such power, especially to our children. Dan Logan & David Hill have been working with Brandi on some special Mother's Day music. Also Tamira and the KidsMin children will be creating some one-of-a-kind Mother's Day gifts to pass out at the end of the worship service Sunday morning.

Don't you love how everyone at CR seems to be stepping up and finding their gifts and passions? I was pleasantly surprised this past Monday morning at the CR office, when 4 of our guys showed up to do some maintenance to the church. I didn't know about it or plan it. They just took it on themselves. Fantastic! As a result, when you come to church this Sunday, we'll enjoy the summer breezes flowing through the sanctuary. The storm windows have been removed and the screens have been installed. Thanks Dave, Steve, Don and Jack!

This is one of my favorite times of the year for our church. We don't have air conditioning. Some might think that's a big deal. What we have is even better. Cool air on morning breezes... along with the sounds of a vibrant city outside. I'm always reminded that we don't just "do church" inside these 4 walls - we get out there! We serve! We love!

While we are on the topic of serving and loving, I am also loving what's going on with our women's ministry. You ladies are really making this place come alive on Wednesday nights. This past Wednesday we had twenty women - more than ever - come to hear Angela Thomas teach her Bible Study. We're calling it "Brave." This last week you learned 8 ways God can help you when you feel worn out.  If you haven't attended yet, it's not too late. There are 6 more sessions. The ladies begin every Wednesday at 6:30 pm. It's a real inspiration in the middle of the week.

Last week I wrote to you that I'm surprised by joy. This week's theme might be more that I'm surprised by your joy. What a pleasant surprise it is too! I know I shouldn't be surprised. It's not that I don't have faith in you as a congregation. We have seen so many new faces over the last year. Yet no one seems to be a stranger around here. Fellowship has always been a strength of CR. Lately, though, it seems to me we have all experienced another level of closeness and bonding. Sometimes through celebration, and sadly, sometimes through tough times. Your joy, however, shines brightly through.

Can't wait to see you this Sunday! Let's live some joy together! - Pastor Mark

This Week at CR: Surprised By Joy

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

May Day. Have you ever considered that May Day can mean two completely different things? If you hear someone yelling "May Day! May Day!" you would think that an airplane disaster is imminent. On the first day of May, like today, you think of flowers and the fulfillment of Spring. One combination of words, two different outcomes.

 

I've been thinking a lot about that this week after Dr. Byron's sermon last Sunday - except the word for me has been "seminary." One word with multiple outcomes. Several times John Byron mentioned his remembrances of me back then. Some things haven't changed - I still like to sit in the front row - fewer distractions that way.  On the other hand, I cut my long hair - fewer distractions that way.

 

When I attended Ashland Theological Seminary I was anticipating a staff pastoral career. Unlike most seminarians, I started with the job and then figured I should get the education. What I did not anticipate was losing the job that propelled me to seminary. What I did not anticipate one decade later was Church Requel.

 

Even in my former career as a financial planner I knew the events of life we do not plan sometimes bring us the greatest joy. Jillian immediately comes to mind - my happiest surprise. Church Requel was another unplanned birth that has since brought me tremendous joy. Didn't plan for it. Wasn't expecting it. Didn't prepare for it.

 

But you know what? God was preparing me. And if you've since found your way to Church Requel, God was preparing you as well. We are together the most unlikely group of people to assemble in worship. What we did not plan or anticipate, God in His great grace and sovereignty, provided for us. 

 

I am surprised by joy! 

 

Wednesday night another wave of unanticipated happiness washed over me as I watched the women in our church worship together. Here was another event I did not personally plan. I just had a back row seat to watch. I watched as Mary Kay found the curriculum. I watched as Brandi found the babysitters. I watched as one woman after another signed up to be a participant. Then I watched from the tech booth as our ladies burst forth with praise for our Lord.

 

 

Our next couple of weeks will continue to overflow our joy meters. This Sunday 22 high schoolers will sing and speak their praises to Christ on the platform of Church Requel. Two Sundays from now 18 children will travel from the African continent to sing and speak their praises to Christ on the platform of Church Requel. We will sit back and marvel at what God has done!

 

This Sunday come to Church Requel with your hearts ready to be filled with joy. And come with your pot luck dishes to share so that your stomachs also might be filled with joy. These days it really is a party Sunday mornings at Church Requel. You don't want to miss it!

 

Looking forward to our joy together Sunday morning, Pastor Mark