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What is the purpose of the gospel in my life? Is it just that I know it? Is it just for my salvation? How should I share the gospel? Does how I live my life before others matter? Lots of questions! Let’s discover a few answers together from Luke 8:16-21.
Light My World from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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What is the purpose of the gospel in my life? Is it just that I know it? Is it just for my salvation? How should I share the gospel? Does how I live my life before others matter? Lots of questions! Let’s discover a few answers together from Luke 8:16-21.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
How many of you are as excited about this weekend as I am? Memorial Day weekend! I say with all my heart - "Let summer begin!" I'm ready for it. I'm more than ready for it!
One of the really hot things about summers at Church Requel is that your staff makes plans for CR folks to have some special activities together. This past week we met and planned for several hours and developed our 3rd annual "Summer of Fun" calendar for 2016! Yay!
The picture on the left is from the insert you all will receive in your bulletins this coming Sunday morning. You can see it better if you click on it (that will make it larger.) You can also download your own PDF copy here. Of course the easiest way would be just to show up Sunday morning and receive your own insert in the bulletin! No matter how you get it, save it. Post it on your fridge!
I'll share a little inside talk with you. I walked into our staff meeting this past week and offered to our team NOT to organize all the events at once. It does take a lot of time and effort, phone calls, deposits, printing, etc. to get this all put together ahead of time. And I thought maybe I was putting too much pressure on everyone.
"No way!" said Brandi. "My kids LOVE having this posted on the refrigerator. They look forward to it every year!"
So there you go! Get your copy of the "Summer of Fun" and get it posted on your fridge. Get excited. Get pumped. Get ready for a summer of fun at Church Requel!
Kelly's Putt-Putt on June 10th. Our first event of the year will be to go to Kelly's Dairy Bar and Miniature Golf Course from 6:30 to 8:30 on Friday evening, June 10th. This has been so much fun for our families in years past. We will reserve the covered picnic area behind the restaurant next to the putt putt golf course. Here you can enjoy some traditional American food fare, sit around and talk with your friends, and let your kids (big and small) golf to their heart's content.
Men's Chorus This Sunday!!! We have some more special plans for this Sunday morning. We have organized our men's chorus to sing again. You might recall six months ago, when all the guys sang together. They had a lot of fun and sounded pretty good too!
Brandi has put together another great music worship set for us all. I can't speak for all the other guys, but I've really enjoyed listening to the practice CD that Brandi sent out to us. Our rehearsal is tomorrow morning (Saturday) at 11am. Guys - see you then! Gals - make sure your guy shows up!
This Week's Lesson From Luke - "Light My World!" We continue our study from the Gospel of Luke. This week we focus our attention on Luke 8:16-21. These 5 verses are not often preached together as one unit, even though Dr. Luke saw fit - in his editorial capacity - to locate them next to one another. So we will follow Luke's lead. We'll try to figure out what he had in mind when he wrote it. We'll try to figure out what the first readers had in mind when they read it. That's always pretty good advice for anyone studying the Bible.
We'll ask ourselves some questions. What is the purpose of the gospel in my life? Is it just that I know it? Is it just for my salvation? What is my responsibility for others to know it too? How should I share the gospel? Should I figure out the best way to tell the good news? Does how I live my life before others matter? Lots of questions! Let’s discover a few answers together from Luke 8:16-21. Want a head start? Here are the online sermon notes. Or you could just open your Bible app and click on "Events."
Memorial Day Weekend. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty excited to get Memorial Day weekend started. Mary Kay and I have been working on our landscaping all week long. We still have a long ways to go. It's really great, though, to be outside and enjoying the beautiful, warm weather. We'll be attending a wedding reception this weekend for my step-sister's daughter up in Akron on Saturday. And we'll be visiting with my brother Todd and his wife Amy on Sunday and Monday.
I also hope to be celebrating the Cavaliers moving on up to the NBA championship!!! Don't you just love basketball in June? Seriously, whatever your plans are for this weekend, I hope you and your families will have wonderful time together. May your plans also include Church Requel on Sunday morning at 11am. See you then! In Christ's love, Pastor Mark
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If you are a Christ-follower, then God’s Word should grow in you. How exactly does that happen? We consider one of Jesus’ most famous parables, “The Sower And The Seed” in Luke 8:4-15. We discover how God's W.O.R.D. will G.R.O.W.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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If you are a Christ-follower, then God’s Word should grow in you. How exactly does that happen? We consider one of Jesus’ most famous parables, “The Sower And The Seed” in Luke 8:4-15. We discover how God's W.O.R.D. will G.R.O.W.
How God's W.O.R.D. Will G.R.O.W. In Me from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
Just how important is the Word of God in your daily life? We hold to the value of the Bible giving voice to God's Word in our lives. I wonder sometimes if this is something that really impacts us the way it should? If you could hear the Creator of the Universe speak to you... if you could experience the Great I AM sitting next to you while you enjoy your morning coffee... wouldn't you discover that the habit of daily reading and studying your Bible to be an anticipated priority each and every day?
This will be the topic for my talk Sunday morning at Church Requel. I will be employing a double acronym (W.O.R.D. and G.R.O.W.) to help you fully understand Jesus' great parable of the Sower and the Seed in Luke 8:4-15. It is my deepest wish that you would all come with an open heart and an open mind to hear the Word of God preached. Extra credit to all who will read the parable a few times between now and Sunday morning. Double extra credit for anyone who actually opens the sermon notes (Events tab) in your Bible app.
I'm excited about the way we are seeing our church grow each week. New families are coming and staying! Watch for new faces in the crowd this Sunday and make it a point to introduce yourself. Let's welcome all those who would worship with us!
Membership Class Sunday Evening! One sure sign of solid growth is the commitment of 14 people within our congregation to take the new members class titled, "Belong." Encourage the following parishioners in their membership journey - Anna Scott, Amy Watson, Aaron Parsons, Chris Thoman, Tamara Engstrom, Jan Calendine, Ron Bolesky, Ken & Karen Jacob, Tamira Barnes, Ed & Paula Walker, and Fred & Susie Wiegand.
Men’s Chorus - Next Sunday! We’re excited about this month having 5 Sundays! Brandi welcomes all of our singing men to be a part of a very special men’s chorus next Sunday, May 29th. If you’re a guy and you like to sing, make sure to ask Brandi for a music packet. Join the fun with Jeff, Mark, Brian, Fred, Aaron, Adam, Steve and Chris as they praise God! (Isn’t it great that so many have signed up so far?)
Church Requel Food Pantry. A big thank you goes out to Sheri for setting up our food pantry! We continue to need non-perishable foods. When you come to church Sunday mornings, bring some food to share with other parishioners. The Food Pantry is downstairs and will be open for 15 minutes after each Sunday service. You are welcome to receive food if you have a need. We are looking for volunteers to work in the food pantry 15 minutes after the worship each Sunday. Please see Sheri if you are able to help give out food.
A Grateful Word To Our Children's Workers. Before I end this week's newsletter I want to share a huge "thank-you" from the bottom of my heart for all of you who work with our children in one way or another. I know this thank you is not my own, but comes from each parishioner at Church Requel. THANK YOU! You are called to an incredibly important mission - to change the lives of our young people.
Whether you teach in our nursery, our elementary, or new-this-year junior high (YAY Cindy!), you are making a huge impact in the lives of our children. They will have your encouraging words of faith to follow them throughout their lives.
Just this past month I had the privilege of taking one of our young women to purchase her own Bible. She recently made the commitment to become a Christ-follower. I love it that she sought me out to tell me about her decision. I am sure that soon, she will also be sharing her decision with all of you too.
As a church we have a responsibility to minister to every age group within our walls. In many ways the youth of our church also minister to the oldest members of our church. Our elder parishioners want to see their church and their faith carry forward. While some churches have not seen many young children and families in their midst, we are blessed with such a great group of youngsters. I estimate that a third of our church participates in KidsMin each week. What a blessing indeed!
This would not be possible without the dedication of so many of you who faithfully serve each month. Again (we really can't say it too many times) THANK YOU!
As I sign off I also want to extend a thank you to so many of you, who made my birthday so special yesterday. It was one of the best. Love you all much, Pastor Mark
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What was Jesus’ view of women and their role in the Christian ministry? We learn much by observing how he allowed women to interact with him as well as the stories he told. In this sermon we consider just 3 verses, Luke 8:1-3. We’ll discover that our gifts and blessings are much more important to ministry than is our gender.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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What was Jesus’ view of women and their role in the Christian ministry? We learn much by observing how he allowed women to interact with him as well as the stories he told. In this sermon we consider just 3 verses, Luke 8:1-3. We’ll discover that our gifts and blessings are much more important to ministry than is our gender.
Women In Church 1.0 from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
Before we talk about our plans for this weekend, we need to review God's wonderful work from last weekend. We planned for a fantastic Mothers Day with a special video, Mothers Day posters all over the walls, and special crafty gifts for the moms all created by our own children. With the kiddos also involved in almost every aspect of our worship, it was a totally awesome experience.
God had even greater plans in mind for us. In addition to the many family guests showing up at Church Requel, we also had an abused mom walk several miles to our front steps. She was carrying everything she owned in a rolling suitcase and a white trash bag. She wasn't intending to come to our church or any church - she just wanted to escape. She wrote down her story on a prayer request card and asked that we share it with the congregation.
"After getting out of the hospital... my son passed away. He was stillborn. I have been in an abusive relationship for 11 years, since I was 16... He was 31... after a broken jaw, nose & tail bone and him not even showing up at the hospital... I've finally left. But I had to leave my kids behind... on Mothers Day. I just can't take it anymore. Have you ever been so sick and tired of being sick and tired... 2 years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer stage 2 type A... And by God's Grace I beat it. But without [Name left out] I'm nothing. I'm no one. He has me so isolated, scared, alone. I don't have any family or friends. But when I look at my 4 beautiful little girls, I cry and feel like a failure because they deserve so much more than what they have seen. So I left!"
When this young lady showed up at our church and asked for a pastor, my son came running downstairs to find me. I came up the stairs to find this young lady surrounded by many of you. You invited her in to our worship. You told her you would provide her transportation. You offered her food. You gave her the number of the women's shelter. You gave her a telephone to make the call. You surrounded her with love and prayer and concern.
I've never been more certain of God's calling upon our church than I was in that moment.
I wish I could give you more of a follow up than is possible for me to do. We know that she had a bed provided to her from the shelter. We know she called Roger and told him that she had a ride to the shelter. Mary and I followed up with the shelter and provided our contact information and offered any help needed from the church. However, understandably, the shelter cannot even confirm that this young mom even made it to the shelter and we have not yet heard back from her ourselves.
What we can do - and what I ask you to do without fail - is to pray for her. Pray that she and her children find the help and the support they desperately need. And pray that if she does seek our help that we will be both wise and able to provide just the right help that God would want us to provide.
Pray also that God would continue to reveal his plans for us. Clearly it is no accident that God has provided us this downtown location. We need merely continue to obey and show up and see what God will do in our midst. Pray too that I will be the leader He needs me to be so that together we might follow God's leading.
Saturday Night Meal. We have another opportunity to be Jesus' hands and feet this Saturday evening (tomorrow night) as we serve over a hundred free, hot meals to those within our community who need them. If you'd like to volunteer to helps us out, show up at 4pm to prepare everything. This is an easy first serve. No experience necessary. Just show up and we will point the way! We begin serving meals at 5pm. We are usually finished with the work by 6:30pm. Also, if you are feeling especially generous, please bring a dessert to share.
Sunday Morning Worship. We do have a special time of worship planned for Sunday. Brandi, Trish, Missie, Chris and Tamara will lead our praise and singing time. We plan to sing songs you all know so well: "Everlasting God," "Man Of Sorrows," "There Is Power," and "You Are Good." Nancy and Sheri will talk to us about upcoming ministry opportunities. Sheri will update us on some of the exciting ways our new food pantry is being used to get food into the hands of those who need it. I can vouch for what's happening here - I saw a young man leave last Sunday with his knapsack filled with food he wouldn't otherwise have had.
We will continue our sermon series from the Gospel of Luke with a focus on Luke 8:1-3. We will learn just how different Jesus was in his attitude toward women in his ministry. I've been preparing for several weeks for this particular talk and am looking forward to sharing it. Some of you undoubtedly will wonder why this seems like such a big deal, because women have been so involved for so long at Church Requel. Historically women have not always been treated well both before the church and even within church history. I hope we will discover together on Sunday that this is not what Christ had in mind.
Sunday KidsMin. Karen and Bethany will be working with our Kidsmin children. Their goal will be to help kids understand that God wants them to be thankful and faithful in all circumstances, rather than comparing what they have to what someone else has. They will be talking about jealously and looking at the story of King Saul becoming jealous of David. To put it into terms your kiddos will be excited about: What do drinking straws, a green eyed monster, water, juice and the Bible have in common? Come to Kidsmin Sunday to find out!
Membership Class - May 22nd. We are happy to report that our 2016 Belong Class is off to a rousing start. Our next class is scheduled for next Sunday evening May 22nd at 6pm. Encourage the following parishioners in their membership journey - Anna Scott, Amy Watson, Aaron Parsons, Chris Thoman, Tamara Engstrom, Jan Calendine, Ron Bolesky, Ken & Karen Jacob, Tamira Barnes, Ed & Paula Walker, and Fred & Susie Wiegand. I hope you all plan to come back for our second session. I so enjoyed the first one with you!
Men’s Chorus May 29th! We’re excited about this month having 5 Sundays! Brandi welcomes all of our singing men to be a part of a very special men’s chorus on May 29th. If you’re a guy and you like to sing, make sure to ask Brandi for a music packet so you can participate! So far we have 5 guys who have signed up. I am certain we can do so much better than that! Last time we did this we filled the front of the church with men. Talk to Brandi and she'll tell you all about the exciting music she has selected.
Community Night Of Worship. Mark down Tuesday, June 21st at 7pm on your calendar! That’s the night we join with several other churches for a community night of worship, led by local worship leaders including our own Brandi Walker. This event will take place at Crossroads Community Church. Let’s worship together with other brothers and sisters in Christ!
More Prayer Requests. Keep praying for Rosie. Many of you asked God on her behalf for a new job. Good news! She got one! Now let's pray it works out really well for her.
Also pray for Damien Betts (pictured on the right). He graduated this week from North Central State College. May he be blessed as he seeks the next phase of his life.
Finally, pray for our own DeeDee Logan. She lost her brother this week. She is asking that we pray specifically for her brother's two children, Briauna and Bradlee Barton, as they cope with the loss of their dad. DeeDee prays they can move forward and that healing and peace can prevail in their hearts through God's love. DeeDee, we join you in that prayer!
The newsletter is longer than usual. But then the things God has been accomplishing lately are anything but usual, right? So let's keep praying. Let's keep showing up. Let's keep doing whatever we can - together - to see God's will accomplished in our Church Requel. I love partnering with you in ministry!
Love you all much! Pastor Mark
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How would you respond if you hosted a dinner party for a celebrated religion teacher and a prostitute showed up… and the prostitute washed the teacher’s feet with her tears… and then broke a bottle of perfume over his feet… AND THE TEACHER LET IT HAPPEN? That’s the shocking story we study today from Luke 7:36-50. Along the way we gain six insights into authentic worship.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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How would you respond if you hosted a dinner party for a celebrated religion teacher and a prostitute showed up… and the prostitute washed the teacher’s feet with her tears… and then broke a bottle of perfume over his feet… AND THE TEACHER LET IT HAPPEN? That’s the shocking story we study today from Luke 7:36-50. Along the way we gain six insights into authentic worship.
Authentic Worship from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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Good Friday morning Church Requel!
MOTHER'S DAY! It comes around only once a year. It's always a highlight at Church Requel. This year will be no exception. Your staff has been working with your children and grandchildren for the last month to make this coming Sunday extra special. Thank you Tamira and Brandi and all the kiddos! You know how much I want to tell you so much about the so much that's going to happen (which is kind of the whole point of this weekly newsletter.)
Yet I'm sworn to secrecy.
Less is more for this week's writing. You're just going to have to trust me. Come. Show up Sunday. You won't be disappointed!
One last word about Mother's Day after gushing so enthusiastically. Mother's Day is not the same happy occasion for everyone. I want you to know I get it. Some will be missing their moms (count me in that group.) Some will be wishing they could be moms. Some will be wishing they had better moms themselves. Still - it should be a day we celebrate together for all the special moms in our midst. We'll follow the advice of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:
"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances."
Worship With The Forgiven. That's our sermon topic for Sunday morning. How would you respond if you hosted a dinner party for a celebrated religion teacher and a prostitute showed up?... and the prostitute washed the teacher’s feet with her tears?... and then broke a bottle of perfume over his feet?... and the teacher allowed it to happen? That’s the shocking story we will study Sunday from Luke 7:36-50. It's one of my favorite gospel texts. So many things are going on in this story. Along the way I hope we will gain insight into what goes into authentic worship.
Neighborhood Meal. Our next opportunity to serve our free neighborhood meal is next Saturday, May 14th (8 days from today). We will need volunteers to arrive by 4 pm and plan to serve until 6:30. We would also appreciate your donations of desserts to share. Look for the signup sheet in the foyer. Help us be Jesus’ hands and feet as we share God’s love with those around us. It's one of my favorite events as we serve others together!
Membership Class - May 22nd. We are happy to report that our 2016 Belong Class is off to a rousing start. Our next class is scheduled for Sunday evening May 22nd at 6pm. Encourage the following parishioners in their membership journey - Anna Scott, Amy Watson, Aaron Parsons, Chris Thoman, Tamara Engstrom, Jan Calendine, Ron Bolesky, Ken & Karen Jacob, Tamira Barnes, Ed & Paula Walker, and Fred & Susie Wiegand. Isn't it great to see our church grow?
Last Saturday I had the privilege of taking Anna to the Bookery to buy her a Bible. In our last membership meeting, Anna told me about her decision to follow Christ. She was quite enthusiastic about it! I asked her if she owned a Bible and she told me she did not. We had a great time together last Saturday looking at all the great choices. It gave me great joy to watch her reading her Bible Sunday morning in church.
Within the next couple of weeks, I'm going to give you all the opportunity to sign her Bible, include a line of Christian encouragement and your favorite Bible verse. Won't that make her Bible even more precious in the years to come? Also I'd be looking for a baptism service during our worship soon!
Men’s Chorus May 29th! We’re excited about this month having five Sundays! Brandi welcomes all of our singing men to be a part of a very special Men’s Chorus on May 29th. If you’re a guy and you like to sing, make sure to ask Brandi for a music packet so you can be part of this exciting worship event.
Leadership Team News. Finally, let me wrap up this week's newsletter with some good words about our leadership team. They met for two hours together this past Wednesday evening. I'm pleased to tell you that your financial faithfulness has allowed us to be $55 to the good for April and $208 to the good for our 2016 year to date. Sure there are ministries we would love to engage, but we have been able to do what we have done so far this year and have remained financially responsible in the process.
We reviewed all the month's ministry opportunities and talked extensively about our dreams for the rest of this year. Most of what I appreciated about this team, though, was their extensive prayer time together at the end our meeting. We made a list of all our needs, both corporately and what we knew about you all individually, and then we went around the table and prayed fervently. If you get the chance let Nancy, Sheri, Dan, Roger and Dave know just how much you appreciate them.
Love you all much, Pastor Mark
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Have you ever experienced the disloyalty of someone you thought to be a friend? Have you ever been falsely accused? The subject of gossip? Were your friends fickle in their defense of you? We continue our consideration of John the Baptist in jail and see what Jesus had to say. Along the way we’ll discover what makes for a good friend.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
Podcast: Subscribe in iTunes | Play or Download in new window.
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Have you ever experienced the disloyalty of someone you thought to be a friend? Have you ever been falsely accused? The subject of gossip? Were your friends fickle in their defense of you? We continue our consideration of John the Baptist in jail and see what Jesus had to say. Along the way we’ll discover what makes for a good friend.
Fickle Friends from Mark Pierce on Vimeo.
Follow along with the online sermon notes or download the PDF fill-in-the-blanks sermon outline.
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