April 24th 2008
One thing that should be true of us a a community of believers is that we walk with each other in both the good and hard times. I wanted to fill you in on one particular young married couple in our church and explain how we can come alongside them in love.
A few days ago, I met with Eric and Nina King, a newly married couple in our church who are walking through some very difficult times. Last December, right before they got married, they discovered a golf-ball sized tumor in Eric’s pelvic area which they initially ruled as benign and told them to wait for surgery until after their honeymoon. By the time the doctors finally got them in for surgery in February of this year, the tumor was found to be malignant and had rapidly grown to be the size of large grapefruit with an offshoot that had wrapped up to his spine.
The surgery went smoothly in February and Eric has recovered amazingly well. Yet, because of the type of cancer that it was, he is having to go through a very aggressive form of radiation and chemo for the next 7 months. Every few weeks, he will be checking into OHSU for an intense 5 days straight of treatment.
Here’s where our help comes in…
When I talked with them last week, I told them how we as a church want to help them out and show love in very practical ways. We talked about meals, apartment cleaning, and other ways we could pitch in. If you are interested or know of someone who is, please give me a call at the church and I will pass you on the person who is coordinating the meal/cleaning schedule.
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April 15th 2008
This past Saturday, we had a great time with Brett and Kathleen Williams. Thanks to all of you who came and to all of you who helped- it was a great morning. I have already had several people ask for copies of the sessions. Rather than making CD copies for you all, we figured the easiest thing to do was to post them here. We were able to record the first main session and the breakouts that were in the Chapel. That means both the men’s breakout times will remain a mystery since they weren’t recorded. I guess you’ll have to talk to one of the guys who were there for that info.
Download the MP3’s below:
Brett and Kathleen Williams - Main Session
Kathleen Williams - Women’s Breakout
Brett Williams - Women’s Breakout
Posted in Events, Marriage MP3's | 2 Comments »
April 1st 2008
Sorry about this post for those of you without kids- just file this away for some time in your future.
For those of you with young children, let me share with you one of my greatest frustrations. I sit down with my kids every night for a little Bible reading, singing, and prayer before they go to bed. And, as I am reading them the cute story from their children’s illustrated Bible, I find myself having to change what is written to tell them the actual story that happened in the real Bible. Of course you have to be age appropriate, but Noah is not just about animals and a boat, Ruth and Naomi are not just “good friends,” and there’s more to Jonah than a fish ride.
That is why I have absolutely fallen in love with this newer children’s Bible that I have come across in the last year- The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Not only does it have great pictures and accurate stories, it does a great job showing howing the Old Testament stories point to Jesus- the Hero of the story. You will have to start out with the other Bibles when they are younger (ages 2-4), but my five year old loves it.
Let me know if your family has found other books, Bibles, etc that you love too!
Posted in Marriage Helps | 1 Comment »
March 26th 2008
Here’s a recent Family Life broadcast that actually “double dog dares” all married men to step up and be the spiritual leader of their wife, kids, and home. This is broken up into two broadcasts. Follow the links where you can choose to listen to it or read the transcript. I know we all can use some help in making sure our home is a place that is honoring to Christ.
Part 1 - The Call to Discipleship
Part 2- Leading Your Family in Faith
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March 18th 2008
Saturday, April 12th - 9:00 to 11:00 AM - Break away from your normal Saturday routine to hear from our special guest speakers, Brett and Kathleen Williams. As a church, we have been blessed by Brett’s giftings as a pastor, songwriter, and worship leader for many years. Now, hear their journey as a married couple and the many lessons they have learned along the way. The event is free, so, sign up today at a Sunday kiosk or by calling the church office at (360) 256-9711.
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March 18th 2008
I’m not sure the last time (if ever) I heard a sermon preached in church about the issue of birth control. Most couples I know talk about this among themselves, but probably don’t sit around a coffe shop discussing the merits of various birth control methods. Without a doubt, this is a very serious theological issue.
Here is a sermon where one NW pastor tackles this issue in what I felt was a pretty clear and informative way. This is not meant to advocate a certain method (or necessarily all of his teaching), but to inform a couple about thinking through this issue in a biblical way.
Here is the link to either watch the sermon video or to download the audio.
Here is the link to read through the notes and the extra material he posted.
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March 6th 2008
Just a head’s up that this coming weekend is an event at the church designed for all marrieds- young and old.
On Saturday, March 8, from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM join Pastor Louie Leonardo as we come together to take a fresh look at marriage and learn more about exciting upcoming events and activities. There will be free childcare for children ages newborn to 5th grade and refreshments. Sign up today at the Marriage Ministry kiosk or e-mail jkenck@crossroadschurch.net.
We will be doing some marrieds event with all the married couples in the church, and at times we will do some “Young Marrieds” only events. Make sure to come on Saturday morning and check out what’s going on.
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January 18th 2008
I just wanted to invite all you engaged and young married couples to our next Young Marrieds MInistry event coming up Friday, February 1st. We will be getting together in the church gym at 7:00 PM for a fun event called “The Marriage Dance.”
Here’s what the night will look like-
We are bringing in a professional dance instructor who will have plenty of time to both teach us some easy swing dance steps and lead us in some fun dance time with your partner. Don’t worry if you have two left feet- all skill levels are welcomed and I know it will be a memorable date night. After a season of dancing, we are going to take a break for some dessert and some practical teaching about marriage itself. There are so many parallels between what it takes to be in step with your dance partner and what it takes to have a healthy marriage. We will also be talking about some of the other upcoming marriage ministry events and opportunities to join some new young married home bases that will be launching in the next couple months.
So, come, invite some couples from your neighborhood, and get ready to laugh a lot with each other. The cost is only $10 per couple and there is childcare provided at no extra cost. You do need to register for this event before deadline on Wednesday, January 30th. Sign up at a kiosk on Sunday mornings or you can also register by sending me an e-mail - pjones@crossroadschurch.net
If you have any questions (or need helping convincing your husband who is scared to death about dancing), let me know!
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November 30th 2007
With Christmas right around the corner, the stores are getting crowded, the houses in your neighborhood are lighting up, and your kids (or maybe spouse) will soon be wanting the Christmas tree up again. In America, it is so easy to get caught up in the materialism, the hype, and the busyness. For those very reasons, there are different ministries and churches taking some novel approaches to allow Christ followers to remain centered on Him this Christmas. I would encourage you to check out what Imago Dei is proposing (The Advent Conspiracy) and take advantage of the Advent Calendars that you will be receiving and hearing about this Sunday at Crossroads.
But here’s what I am proposing to you all- the Young Marrieds of our church.
Every year, our church puts up a “Giving Tree” in the Family Room. This is a way for you as a family to sponser another family from our church or community who needs a little extra help this Christmas. By picking up a family’s card, you find out the ages of the kids and family members to help you buy for them. I would love to see us each pick up a card and sponsor a family this year- whether that be just your family, your Home Base, your extended family, or a group of your friends. If you know of others in your neighborhood or circle of friends who could benefit from this (on the receiving end), let us know so that we can add them to the tree.
As the saying goes, “Christmas was meant to change the world.” Let’s not just consume more for our closets… let’s commit to showing the love of Jesus to someone else. If you have any other ideas or input, let us know!
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November 30th 2007
I just wanted to remind you all and invite you all to come to the Dinner for 8 event scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday, December 1st). I realize that this is an extremely busy time of year that we are heading into, but I would encourage you to take one night to get away with your spouse and enjoy getting to know some more couples in the church.
We will meet in the church Chapel at 5:00 PM for some announcements and general instructions before heading off to dinner with 3 other couples that we will randomly select. Once again, bring money for your own meal and know that since we will all be off campus, no childcare will be provided.
I know that the forecast includes a possibility of snow tomorrow, but I am planning on still having this event unless it gets really bad. I will post something on the Young Marrieds website tomorrow afternoon around 4 PM if we need to cancel.
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