Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

Students Lead Worship This Sunday!

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

I hope this morning's pastoral newsletter finds you and yours doing well... and staying warm! Minus 1 F this week? Really? What's up with that?

Our worship this Sunday will be led by our students! How exciting! It's so wonderful to see our student ministry coming back strong under the guidance and leadership of Eddie Walker. Each quarter of the year in the 5-Sunday month we plan to encourage our students to not only join us upstairs - but also to lead us in our worship!

Our praise team vocalists will be Paityn Hall, Leia Walker, Kailey Costello, and Izzy Thoman. Here are the worship songs they will be leading: "Walk On Water" by Elevation Rhythm; "Run To The Father" by Cody Carnes; "Stand In Your Love" by Josh Baldwin; "See A Victory" by Elevation Worship; and "Glorious Day" by Passion.

Tre Walker will share our announcements. Izzy Thoman will read our Scripture Reading. Paityn Hall will lead our congregational prayer time. Eddie Walker, our student ministry director, will lead our communion time.

For those who cannot attend in person, you are invited to watch online either on Facebook Live or on YouTube (both are the same). The link to watch on YouTube is https://youtu.be/KqZbBhksUXc.

Our sermon Sunday is from Joshua 1:1-9. I have very deliberately taken the very next Bible passage that our students would be studying in their classroom on Sunday... and it is a really great Scripture! The title of sermon is "When Big Change Comes My Way."

Life is full of changes. Most of the time the changes are small or expected. We become accustomed to small changes and learn to adapt. But every now and again, big change comes our way - unexpected, sudden… life changing! A lost job. Relocation. A baby. Breakup in a relationship. A loss of a loved one. What do we do when life throws a big change our way? How do we handle it?

I think this sermon will be a helpful one to all of our congregation, not just our students. If you would like a head start, you can find the sermon in your Bible app under Events OR you can click on this link: http://bible.com/events/48833997.

Mayor's Lunch With Pastors. Yesterday I had the opportunity to join many other pastors and enjoyed a luncheon with Mayor Tim Theaker. I must tell you that what I heard was sobering. We heard from the mayor, the fire chief, the assistant police chief, and the juvenile court judge. The number of calls to our safety forces is as high as they have ever been. Yet our manpower is at a low and likely going lower. Police officers are being called into work early and are being forced to work late. Morale is at an all time low.

While I was listening I made a commitment to join in with other pastors and prayer warriors to pray for our city and our safety forces every Monday morning at 8:15 there in the Mayor's office. If any of you wish to join me, let me know. I also plan to be as much a part of the Christian church community especially joining in with the other Godsfield churches within our immediate neighborhood.

You'll also have the chance to pray for our city in another month as the March of Prayer begins - 31 days in March, each evening from 6-8pm, at a different church. Our night to host will be Friday, March 4th. More details to come.

Bible Study Saturday at Noon. Brian Betts welcomes all of you to join in to our Bible study tomorrow at noon at the church. We will be continuing our video teaching series taking us through the entire Bible. Tomorrow we will receive an overview of 1st and 2nd Corinthians. Brian describes it this way:

"The church in Corinth... giving hope for 2,000 years by reminding leaders that your church could always be worse!"

Opportunities To Feed The Hungry. Tomorrow morning Church Requel will be serving the meal at the People Helping People Pavilion. Those of you who would like to help out should show up at church at 9am. We will be heading down to the Pavilion at 10:30 to serve at 11am.

We need crockpots to keep the lunch warm, so bring one or two with you if you can. Also bring a package or two of cookies so we can give away a smorgasbord of desserts. We are planning to feed 60 people tomorrow.

AND...  we will be giving away coats (see picture above right) to help people stay warm. On the topic of staying warm, dress warm tomorrow yourselves. The weather report says the temperature will be about 6 degrees at 10am! Yikes!

Despite the cold, tomorrow promises to be a great day to be Jesus' hands and feet to our neighborhood. You won't want to miss it! (And if you want, you can stick around for the Bible Study afterwards. Super sweet!)

Speaking of our neighborhood... the next Neighborhood Meal will be Saturday, February 12th. Volunteers should show up by 4pm. We serve the meal at 5pm. We are usually finished by 6pm. This is always a fun opportunity to serve together.

Keep praying. Keep up your daily devotions. Keep up your spiritual disciplines! Keep serving. Keep loving. Sure hope to "see" you all either Saturday or Sunday (or both!)

Love you much! Pastor Mark

Live Long And Prosper!

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

I sure do hope that this week's email newsletter has found you prospering... And yes! I do wish you long life! I know... sounds like you are receiving a greeting from our favorite Vulcan, Mr. Spock, of Star Trek fame.

You might be surprised to learn that the phrase, "Live long and prosper," isn't really a Vulcan saying, but rather a saying right out of our own Bibles! Check out Proverbs 3:1-2 GNTA:

“My child, don’t forget what I teach you. Always remember what I tell you to do. My teaching will give you a long and prosperous life.”

Makes one wonder if King Solomon had pointy ears!?! Seriously - this is what the wisdom book of Solomon promises to those who "remember what I tell you to do." So this Sunday we will talk about the 5 ways Proverbs 3 provides to live long and prosper. Hope you're like me - I can't wait!

If you can't wait until Sunday to find out the 5 ways we can live long and prosper, I got you covered. Check out the sermon notes here! http://bible.com/events/48830132

Here are the songs we are singing Sunday: "Fathers House" by Cory Asbury; "The Blessing" by Kari Jobe; "Next To Me" by Jordan Felize; "Here With Me" by Mercy Me; "No Longer Slaves" by Bethel; and "Battle Belongs by Phil Wickham.  

Some of us live far away from Mansfield, Ohio. Some of us are staying home to avoid the risk of Covid. We hope that you will worship with us from home - even if you can't physically be with us in church. You will be able to find the worship stream online on our Facebook page or on YouTube. Here is the YouTube link for Sunday. https://youtu.be/gHtdKq7-ReQ

Tampa Surprise. Before I sign off I just have to share what a delightful surprise Mary Kay and I enjoyed yesterday. I have written you all many times about the very special relationship we share with Leanna Perdue, who is a very active member of our tech team. Leanna runs our weekly online worship from wherever she is located - she travels a lot! Yet, Mary Kay and I had never actually met Leanna in person… until yesterday. Leanna traveled overnight Wednesday to be in Tampa and find us (among tens of thousands of people) at the Florida RV Super-show.

What a surprise! What a delight! There was a lot of rejoicing together last night. And we are so looking forward to spending the day together today too! While Leanna orchestrated the details, I can’t help but believe that our Lord had His hand in this moment too. Church IS community. We are reminded that our purpose is “to be a community loving God and loving people.” Sometimes, I think, we forget what this looks like. I caught another glimpse of it yesterday.

I believe that someday God will unite so many of us and loved ones together who have been separated not only by location, but also by time and even death. Let’s continue our loving as much as we can here and now while never losing hope in the future surprises God has waiting for us.

Hope to "see" you Sunday morning, one way or the other! Love you much! Pastor Mark

Godsfield Ministries Unite To Become Jesus' Hands & Feet

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

I will continue to regard our Friday mornings together as "good" even though Covid continues to run rampant. This morning I just learned another dear friend of mine is very sick with the illness. How many opportunities to pray right now! I do urge you not to grow tired of praying for one another. We have the chance to strengthen our praying vocal cords right now - and that is a good thing!

The New Godsfield Co-op. This past Wednesday morning I attended the monthly meeting of the Godsfield Co-op. This used to be known as the Inter-church Council of Mansfield, which as I understood it was made up mostly of leaders of the Downtown Mansfield churches. This past October this group, under the leadership of Paul Lintern, transitioned to become the "Godsfield Co-op."

Godsfield met at the newly begun Fresh Start resale store at 115 PAW, across from the Holiday Inn

Beyond the change in the name, the group has welcomed other important supportive ministries beyond churches and has welcomed lay leaders of these various groups to represent them in the monthly cooperative meetings. Ministries such as Love, Inc., Addy's Attic, Fresh Start, and Elijah's House (and many others) join together in common Christian purpose with churches in Mansfield. What began 3 years ago as a prayer ministry (and certainly continues - the 31 Day March of Prayer is just around the corner) has become a means of working closely together to be the hands and feet of Jesus. 

To say that I LOVE this is the under-statement of the year! Another thing I love about this is that the group is made up of more lay leaders than pastors! If any of you would like to join me in attending this wonderful group of caring AND doing people, let me know! The Godsfield Co-op group meets monthly on the second Wednesday morning at 10am. Each month is in a different church or ministry location so we have the opportunity to see these ministries in action. So cool!

Our Worship Plans For Sunday. I know many of you are concerned about Covid right now and so are not gathering in public places like you once did. I really hate this, but at the same time I do understand your concern. I do pray that you don't neglect the opportunity to gather with us online using either Facebook or YouTube. It is even more vital during these trying times to remain connected with the body of Christ!

When you do connect online, work on your focus! Get rid of other distractions. This is not the time to do two things at once. If anything, watching online requires even more dedication than if you were sitting in the pew. Here are some tips for watching online:

• Tune In Early. We usually begin the stream a few minutes before 11am. This is your chance to put everything else away and prioritize your worship.
• Make prayer a priority. This is not just TV you're watching or just another video... this is your weekly chance to worship the MOST, HIGH GOD! Begin and end with your private prayers. Share any prayer requests or praises in the comments too!
• Write a comment... or two... or three. This is how we build community together when we cannot physically be together. Let your presence be known! I cannot tell you how encouraging it is to see your comments as you watch. A written "amen" comment is perhaps even more important than one exclaimed from the pew.
• Share the experience. If anything, we have MORE of an opportunity to share church with others than ever before. Now you are not limited to only people you know who live nearby. The Internet is worldwide. If someone speaks English, they can join in and understand!

Here is the YouTube link for this coming Sunday. https://youtu.be/hPM72yeWgXo.

These are the songs we plan to sing: "Might Get Loud" by Elevation Worship; "Open The Eyes Of My Heart Lord" by Micheal W. Smith; "Death Was Arrested" by North Point Worship; "Restless" by Audrey Assad; "Something Good" by Gateway Worship; and "There's Nothing That Our God Can't Do" by Passion. Great selection Brandi! Thank you!

Our sermon Sunday morning is entitled, "Six Steps To Real Rest." We live in a busy world. We live a hurried life. Surprisingly over the past 2 Covid years, our lives have become even more busy and more hurried. More demanding hours. More demanding rules. The life pressures of our new Covid lifestyle are only now being revealed.

Sunday I would like to talk to you about six steps that we can take that will help us recover from the pressures many of us are facing. This is ancient wisdom was given to us by our Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30. For those of you who would like a head start, here are my sermon notes for Sunday morning: http://bible.com/events/48828204.

Well, once again it seems I have been loquacious. (Sounds so much better than long-winded.) If you've gotten this far, thank you! Let me know. Some of you write me back a note or message each week and I so appreciate that! It encourages me to write again the next Friday. I pray you are doing well. Continue to seek Christ in all you do. One way or the other I hope we will be able to "see" one another Sunday at 11am EST.

Love you much! Pastor Mark

The Gang's All Here / Website Changes

Good Friday morning dear Church Requel!

Before we talk about our plans for this weekend, I want to urge you to lift up two important prayer requests this morning - both involving families of our online church community.

First, please pray for Leanna's mom, who was taken via EMS to the hospital early this morning. Both Leanna and her mom have been fighting COVID 19 like symptoms all week, but seemed to be on the mend yesterday. For unknown reasons, Leanna's mom took a turn for the worst this morning - vomiting to the point of dry heaving. She's weak and hurting.

Second, let's continue to pray for Jack and Cheryl in Virginia. Their property was ground zero for the winter storm tornado that hit this past Monday. Their power is still out. They lost 4 trees on their property, but miraculously none hit their home. Pray that power will soon be restored and that they will continue to stay warm and fed and healthy in the meantime.

The Gang's All Back For Sunday! The Walkers and the Logans have returned from their vacation, so we will have a full praise team this Sunday morning! Yay! Here are the songs we plan to sing this Sunday morning:

• "By The Spirit" by Pat Barrett
• "Mighty To Save" by Hillsong
• "Break Every Chain" by Jesus Culture
• (NEW) "Hurry" by Jesus Culture
• "O The Blood" by Gateway Worship
• "Unstoppable God" by Elevation Worship

I am looking forward to delivering my first sermon of 2022 by talking about "Resolutions God's Way." The new year always brings us the opportunity to establish resolutions for the new year. By one week in, most of us have already forgotten or failed our resolutions. Most of us didn't even really try. What does God make of our resolutions? How are God resolutions different than the ones we make? We will consider 4 different Old Testament Bible stories to understand how God  wants to make resolutions in our lives.

Want to get a head start on this week's sermon? You can find it in your Bible app by searching for Church Requel under "Events". You can also check out this link: http://bible.com/events/48824058.

We know that many are concerned about the recent new surge in Covid cases, so if you wish to worship from home - make sure you plan to join in with us on either Facebook or on YouTube. Let us know you're watching with comments throughout the worship. It really does help encourage us to "see" you out there watching! Here is the YouTube link for this Sunday: https://youtu.be/_r0RaR56ClM.

Recent Tech Changes. At our end-of-year leadership meeting, we make some decisions regarding some of our technology. We will be focusing even more on what is working and dropping some things that aren't working so well.

#1 - We will be changing our main church website over from ChurchRequel.org over to ChurchRequel.com. Frankly very few of our own congregation ever used the .org site and we have not seen very many visitors come from there either. Further, most people just automatically assume that a website is .com anyway. So we will be emphasizing the .com site in the future. We own the rights to the .org registration through most of 2022 so we have plenty of time to make the transition.

#2 - We will be stepping up our use of our Church Requel Facebook Page even more this year. This is the place where most people - including our own congregation - find us. We have developed an entire team of Facebook editors from within our own church, who publish there each week. Brian is so faithful putting up Bible verses and encouraging words for us. Stephenie has become our church photographer and puts up cool pictures for us each week. Cheryl has become the leader prayer warrior. Each week Cheryl puts up our prayer requests on our Church Requel Prayer Chain and also reminds us to pray on our Facebook Page. Don lets us know what's happening with benevolence each week. Brandi and Eddie let us know what's going on with our worship and student ministries. I take the responsibility to write this weekly newsletter and also publish the short videos from the past Sunday's worship service. Thanks so much to this team that keeps us so well informed! Make sure you encourage them with lots of "likes" and positive comments.

#3 - Because of #1 above, we will be changing over our online giving location to Give.ChurchRequel.com. For the next year, both "Give" sites will work. So if you use the .org ending, no worries. The church will still very thankfully receive your contribution. However, it would be a good idea to get in the habit of using the .com extension because eventually the .org will not be available to us. (Also - it's not like you could be sending money to some unknown place. The link will just stop working.)

Thanks so much for your continued support - both financially and even more importantly, with your prayers. Keep Leanna and Cheryl and Jack in your prayers. Hope to "see" most of you Sunday morning! Love you much! Pastor Mark