Connecting With God

God’s great blessing was upon them all.
Acts 4:33b (NLT)


Our mission at Christian Life Church is to connect people to God. Our relationship with God is the most important relationship any one of us will ever have. It is the relationship that we were created for. It is the relationship that shapes our life’s destiny. It is the relationship that will determine our eternity. Therefore, connecting with God is of the utmost importance for us all.

I recently asked our leadership teams how they connected to God. I received a wide variety of answers as they shared their favorite ways to connect with God. One of the reoccurring ways was through attending church. Whether it was the worship, the Word, the prayer around the altar, or the fellowship, each one described how important this aspect was to their Christian life.

Our verse for this Bible Blog comes at the beginning of the Book of Acts. The Day of Pentecost had come. The new Christians were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. They gathered together sharing their lives in community. The apostles were teaching boldly about Jesus. It sounds like an amazing moment in early church history. It was a time of true unity and great power. And Acts 4:33b says, “God’s great blessing was upon them all.”

I know that we all desire God’s blessing in our lives. We love to feel Him close, His presence working in and all around us. There is no doubt that God’s blessing is in our life when we gather together with other believers as the church and experience Him.

As we seek to connect with God let’s remember Hebrews 10:24-25, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another…”

What are you waiting for?

“What are you waiting for?”
Acts 22:16 (NLT)

I can’t wait for our family vacation this summer. It’s on the calendar and will be here in a couple of weeks. It’s been a very busy season in my life and the life of our church with even bigger things coming this fall season. I need this upcoming down time with my family. Like I said, I can’t wait!

Do you ever get tired of waiting? Waiting for something on the calendar? Waiting for a dream to come true? Waiting for something or someone to change? Waiting for an answer to prayer? Waiting for your miracle?

There are seasons of waiting in our lives. The big problem is that it is the seasons of waiting that the enemy uses to cause us to doubt God and His faithfulness, goodness, etc. We have to remember that every saint of the Old and New Testament went through a season of waiting where they needed to keep their faith in God strong. Even Jesus went through seasons of waiting and yet kept focused on the Father and His will.

It is difficult to wait, especially during difficult seasons of life but always remember these verses…

If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Romans 8:31 (NLT)

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen… 2 Cor. 1:20 (NKJV)

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)

I will stick with you until every word I spoke to you comes true. Jeremiah 1:11 (MSG)

Remember, God’s Word and promises do not have expiration dates. So wait patiently and pray persistently. Don't give up!

Family Reunion

But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
Exodus 20:6 (NLT)

This coming week is the big Merrill Family Reunion. There aren’t many of us, but we sure do have a blast. I can’t wait. We haven’t seen everyone for some time now. I love getting together with our extended family. It’s exciting to see how the kids have grown, spend some quality time having fun, and hear how life has been treating everyone.

This is actually the 4th Merrill family reunion and even though we haven’t gotten together that often there are certain traditions we have begun. When we think about traditions we often think about the past. But traditions are really not about the past. Traditions are actually those special things you want to pass on from the present to the future. While all traditions are special we need to think about the spiritual traditions we pass on with our lives.

There is a strong foundation of faith in our family. My Grandpa and Grandma Merrill were godly people that passed their love for God on to their children and their children’s children. And now there is a whole new generation (their great grandchildren) growing up in the Christian faith.

What is the tradition of faith that you are passing on to your children and your children’s children? It’s never too late to start building new traditions. Begin this summer! As you share your faith with your family may God bless your family “for a thousand generations.”

Pray for your pastor

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
1 Tim 2:1 (NLT)


Thank you to everyone who emailed me (mail@darylmerrill.com) last week expressing a desire to be a part of a new prayer ministry at Christian Life Church. If you are interested and haven’t emailed yet, please take time this week to let me know.

A week doesn’t go by that the pastors and the staff doesn’t spend time praying for each request that comes in. You can join in prayer by visiting www.christianlifechurch.org and clicking on the prayer requests page. We believe God hears our prayers and answers our prayers. That makes prayer powerful!

I appreciate it when people tell me they are praying for me. I admit, I need it. If you’re wondering how you can pray for the pastors and staff here are some suggestions.

• Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual strength.
• Pray for time to accomplish the work of ministry and time for family and fun as well.
• Pray for our marriages and families.
• Pray for God’s wisdom and understanding.
• Pray for Christ to live through us – Galatians 2:20
• Pray for time in God’s Word – Psalm 119:11
• Pray for an intimate knowledge of God – Philippians 3:10
• Pray for strength to stand firm – Ephesians 6:10-13
• Pray that we would live by the Holy Spirit’s leading – Galatians 5:25
• Pray that we would lead a life worthy of our calling – Ephesians 4:1

Thanks for your prayers and you can count on ours!

Prayer @ Christian Life

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.
1 Tim 2:1 (NLT)

I am writing this Bible Blog on our most recent Day of Prayer at Christian Life. I always appreciate the opportunity to gather together with our church family to pray. I believe that God’s design for His church is to be a place of prayer. God’s work in this world and in our lives is accomplished only truly when we pray.

Prayer isn’t a gift or ministry for just a few. Paul in Philippians exhorts all of us to pray about everything. In 1 Thessalonians he tells us to pray without ceasing. The role of prayer in the Christian life can never be overstated. Our Christian faith is based upon a relationship with God. Prayer is how we commune with God. It is one of the vital parts of our connection with God.

There are a couple of exciting developments in regards to prayer at Christian Life Church that I would like to share with you.

• We are transitioning our Heritage Room on the west side of the sanctuary into a prayer room that will be available not only on the weekends but also throughout the week for prayer. This room will be used for a wide variety of prayer events at the church.
  
• We are also looking to develop prayer teams at the church. These prayer teams would be taking part in different aspects of prayer such as praying for revival, praying for needs, praying for people before, during, after services, etc.

If you are interested in becoming a part of our prayer ministry at Christian Life please email me (mail@darylmerrill.com) and let me know. Let’s make sure Christian Life Church is called a house of prayer!

Summer

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

It has been an exciting week around the Christian Life offices as we have been feverishly planning for the summer and fall. Pretty soon you will be receiving a mailing outlining all of the wonderful things ahead for our church.

Our mission as a church is to Connect People To God. Throughout the summer and fall there are things planned to connect people to God. There will be activities designed to connect our children and youth to God. There are times planned for our adults to connect with God. There will be special events designed for people who are far from God to connect with Him, maybe for the first time or to reconnect with Him. There are things planned this summer and fall to connect each of us into a deeper and stronger relationship with God.

One of the most exciting things happening this fall is the full-fledged launch of our Randall Road Campus. Weekly weekend services will begin on Sunday September 14, 2008 at 11:30AM!

No doubt you are planning some special activities for this summer. When making your plans, don’t forget about God. Make time this summer to connect with God. Make sure your family and friends are connecting with God as well.

As with all planning in life, remember to seek His plans first for you and your family. I can honestly say that we do not begin planning things for Christian Life Church until we have first sought the Lord and His guidance. It is important to be in prayer and in His Word so that God can guide your steps each day in every way.

Remember, His way is always the best way!

Mission Possible

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20


This week I will be traveling to Florida for the board meeting of Mission Possible, one of the many mission organizations we support as a church. Mission Possible’s motto is, “Strategic projects, in historic times, for God’s glory.” MP (www.mp.org) is active in sharing the Gospel, training leaders, planting churches, and helping the poor on the other side of the world. I am blown away each year when we review what God has done through MP and we at Christian Life are helping them change the world through our support.

But like I said, they are only one of the many missionaries and organizations we support as a church family. I would like to invite you to visit the map in our church lobby and take a look at the various ministries and people we support. Take time to read a letter or two. Say a prayer for the various ministries. Allow God to speak to you about your involvement in world missions. Become a bigger part of building God’s kingdom around the world.

And by the way, Happy Mother’s Day! I would like to honor the mom’s in my life: my fantastic wife, Leslie, my godly mom and grandma, Gerry and Ella, my great sister, Jodi, and my wonderful mother-in-law, Kathy. I am proud of you all! You are the best!

Some Rules From God

I like simple ideas that make a big difference. I enjoyed reading these words this week and wanted to share them with you.

Some Rules From God

WAKE UP! Decide to have a good day. “Today is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

DRESS UP! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

STAND UP! Stand up for what you believe in. Stand for something or you will fall for anything. “Let us not be weary in doing good; for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good…” Galatians 6:9, 10

LIFT UP! Lift up your prayers. “Do not worry about anything; instead PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING.” Philippians 4:6

Written by Joan Palace

National Day of Prayer

This Thursday, May 1, is the National Day of Prayer. At this critical moment in our nation’s history let us join with countless Christians from across our nation as we pray about our future. You can visit www.nationaldayofprayer.org to find out about special prayer events being held in your area. The following is the 2008 prayer for our nation.

2008 Prayer for Our Nation
By Dr. Ravi Zacharias, 2008 Honorary Chairman, National Day of Prayer Task Force

Holy Father, in a world where so many are hungry,
You have given us food in abundance;
In a world where so many are hurting,
You offer to bind up our wounds;
In a world where so many are lonely,
You offer friendship to every heart;
In a world longing for peace,
You offer hope.

Yet, we are so stubborn and resistant.
Have mercy upon us, Lord.

Our nation is at a crossroads this year;
we look to you to be our strength and shield.
Please give us the guidance to elect one who will
honor youand to respond to the wisdom from above
so that our hope may be renewed and our blessings be treasured.

In God's holy name.

Vision

“Everybody ends up somewhere in life. You can end up somewhere on purpose.” This is one of my favorite quotes from the book Visioneering. In his book, Andy Stanley provides twenty vision building blocks.

1. A vision begins with a concern.
2. A vision does not necessarily require immediate action.
3. Pray for opportunities and plan as if you expect God to answer your prayers.
4. God is using your circumstances to position and prepare you to accomplish His vision for your life.
5. What God originates, He orchestrates.
6. Walk before you talk; investigate before you initiate.
7. Communicate your vision as a solution to a problem that must be addressed immediately.
8. Cast your vision to the appropriate people at the appropriate time.
9. Don’t expect others to take greater risks or make greater sacrifices than you have.
10. Don’t confuse your plans with God’s vision.
11. Visions are refined – they don’t change; plans are revised – they rarely stay the same.
12. Respond to criticism with prayer, remembrance, and if necessary a revision of the plan.
13. Visions thrive in an environment of unity; they die in an environment of division.
14. Abandon the vision before your abandon your moral authority.
15. Don’t get distracted.
16. There is divine potential in all you envision to do.
17. The end of a God-ordained vision is God.
18. Maintaining a vision requires adherence to a set of core beliefs and behaviors.
19. Visions require constant attention.
20. Maintaining a vision requires bold leadership.

Pinewood Derby

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…
Ecclesiastes 9:10

For the past couple of weeks Matthew, our 7 year old, and I have been working on a pinewood derby car for a big race this weekend. We finally have the finished product: a bold gold race car, with blue metallic accessories, and lots and lots of decals. We had a blast planning and creating this work of art but it wasn’t without its challenges. We had to contend with dad’s lack of skill in the wood shop, a 7 year olds attention span, and countless trips back to the hobby shop to pick up things we forget (or broke) along the way. So with the fun of making a memory with my son, came some challenges along the way.

What did I learn? I’m glad you asked…

• Take extra time. You can’t rush memories. You can’t microwave real life. Some things with our families take time. Don’t rush. Pray for patience, relax, and enjoy the experience. Our families will produce a lifetime of memories. The question is will they be good ones or bad?
  
• Enjoy the challenges. Anything worth doing in life comes with challenges. Expect them, analyze them, pray about them, and with God’s help solve them.
  
• Learn about your child. I learned Matthew loves to play. Whether it was with the piles of saw dust, the spray paint, or playing tag or hide-n-seek while waiting for paint or glue to dry, my time playing with Matthew was just as important as the task at hand.

(I’m looking forward to sharing where we are and where we’re headed as a church family on Vision Weekend next Saturday and Sunday!)

Happy Easter

It truly is a happy Easter! God blessed us at the Ascension Convention (thanks to everyone for your help… you guys are awesome!) and today we get to celebrate our risen Lord and Savior!

Some may ask what is the historical evidence that Jesus actually rose from the dead? Christian apologist Josh McDowell provides six facts that prove the resurrection of Jesus Christ in history.

Fact 1 – The broken Roman seal
Fact 2 – The empty tomb
Fact 3 – The large stone removed
Fact 4 – The Roman guard goes AWOL
Fact 5 – The graveclothes
Fact 6 – The appearances of Jesus after His resurrection

I don’t have room to go into all of the powerful details of each of these facts, but if you’re serious about looking into this evidence or know someone who is, please visit http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/josh2.html to get the whole story.

Brilianteer

You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17 (The Message)

On a recent flight I read the book Release Your Brilliance by Simon T. Bailey. Even though I wouldn’t call this a religious book, I enjoyed his message that we were each created by God for a purpose only we can fulfill in the world. Simon likened our lives to diamonds. Every diamond is rated on the 4 C’s: clarity, color, cut, and carat. The purpose of the book, in diamond language, is to take you from dull to dazzling in your journey of life. I believe we can all benefit from books that help us to develop our God-given potential.

One of the fascinating insights that came from the book for me was the story of the brillianteer. A brillianteer is the person early in the process that grinds and polishes the diamond preparing it for its ultimate purpose. It’s not quick and easy. This is a long strenuous process that begins to bring out the brilliance of the diamond.

When I thought about the role of the brillianteer I thought about the relationships in my life. Life happens so fast. There are so many events that affect our lives. We need to surround ourselves with the right people with whom we can share our lives. The right crowd will help in the polishing process, bringing out our brilliance, helping us become the person God has called us to be.

What intentional groups of people are your brillianteers? Are you involved in some kind of small group or an accountability group? If you are, good for you! If not, why not? We need other people in our lives. I have three rules for great groups.

• Be safe. If we are going to share the secret things of our life with others we need to feel free and safe to do so.
• Be honest. Your level of honesty in the group will determine the impact of your group.
• Be quiet. Simply put, what is said in the group stays in the group. This is what keeps things safe and honest.

Ever feel less than special?

This weekend Leslie and I were asked to speak at a banquet for Deer Ridge Ministries. Deer Ridge is a retreat ministry for pastors and their spouses. Leslie and I have been blessed by these retreats over the years and are thrilled at the chance to give back to this ministry that has meant so much to our lives, marriage, and ministry. And I must admit it feels good, out of all of the potential pastors, to be the one chosen to speak.

But I have been feeling less than special recently. I wasn’t quite sure why until I read an article in Outreach Magazine, a popular periodical for pastors. The article was about the top 25 largest and most influential churches in the nation. As I read the article I realized that over the past couple of weeks I have had the privilege of meeting and spending quality time with 3 of the pastors in the top 15. Each was kind of a chance meeting. Each were amazing men doing great things for God. In the process of meeting these great men of God, I began to feel small.

One of pastors Leslie and I got to meet and spend time with was Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback and author of the all-time best-selling book, Purpose Driven Life. See why I feel small ;-) I told a little about our meeting with him a couple of weeks ago in a previous Bible Blog. But he said something profound during our time with him. “In your life of ministry you can try to impress people or you can try to impact people.” You can try to impress people, but spend enough time with somebody and at some point you will stop being impressive. We instead need to live lives of impact; touching, healing, changing, etc. as many lives as possible.

Don’t worry, I worked through my feelings of inferiority with my accountability group ;-) I must admit, I am profoundly thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of what God is doing at Christian Life Church. And quite honestly, if God can use me, he can use anybody. Let’s stop trying to impress people with our lives and do our best impact as many lives as we can for the Gospel!

And one more thing this weekend, Happy Birthday Leslie!

Overwhelmed?

As we chase lions in our life we can sometimes get overwhelmed and discouraged. How do we avoid burnout in our already crazy busy lives? It seems like the winter weather is more unpredictable, our schedules are out of control, and we never can catch a break.

How do we recover from feeling overwhelmed? We begin by spending time with God. Read the Psalms. David knew that he needed God in his life. When David was overwhelmed the Bible tells us… David found strength in the LORD his God. 1 Sam 30:6b (NIV)

Here are some practical steps to recover from burnout, motivational speaker Snowden McFall, author of Fired Up, offers her clients, as reported by foxnews.com:

Laugh. "It's been shown to boost the immune system," says McFall. Toddlers laugh several hundred times a day, but the average adult laughs just four times, she adds.

Give back. "When you volunteer to feed people who are starving or stop off at a homeless shelter on your way home from work, it can really put things into perspective and make you think about how well-off you are. And you feel better when you help nurture other people."

Deep breathing. Taking a break and looking inward helps people both mentally and physically, McFall said. "It increases your circulation," she said. Deep breathing also increases your circulation, cuts the duration of hospital stays and leads to fewer business errors.

Exercise. "Sixty percent of Americans do not get enough exercise to keep their immune system functioning properly," McFall said.

Fasting

So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Daniel 9:3

I feel as though God is calling me to a season of fasting. I have been praying about different things I can remove from my life so that I can better hear the voice of God. In fasting we remove things from our lives and use that time to spend with God. Fasting removes distractions so that we can better hear His voice. Fasting will change your life and draw you close to God. I know that when I fast I feel closer to God than any other time in my life.

Our culture has a popular way to fast. It’s secular, but it’s a fast none the less. It’s called rehab. We hear about so many celebrities entering rehab to break the addictions in their life. They go to a place to remove the distractions so that they can heal their lives. They are trying to break a cycle and begin a new life. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t.

When we partake in a spiritual fast we are seeking a breakthrough as well. We are not, however, doing something simply on our own; rather, we are tapping into the supernatural power of God that will change us.

Here are some things you can do if you feel God is calling you to a fast.

• Identify what you are seeking from God. Tell God specifically what you are seeking from Him alone.
• Make your commitment. Remember we grow from our commitments. What are you going to give up (food, TV, etc.) and for how long.
• Identify what you are going to add during your time of fasting. Fasting is not only about removing things from our lives it’s also about adding. For example: What are you going to do with the time that you would spend eating or watching TV? What are you going to do with the money you would save on food and eating out?
  
  Times of fasting are important seasons in our life. Pray for me and I’ll pray for you as we draw near to Him through fasting.
  

"I'd rather die than embarrass Jesus."

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7

This past week I was in Maryland with Leslie teaching at our sister college. Leslie and I were going to spend a couple of extra days at our nation’s capitol to do some sight seeing before we came home. Through a couple of random yet divine events Leslie and I were able to meet Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life” and the “40 Days of Purpose,” and attend a private meeting he was having with select pastors from the Washington DC area. I could tell you the whole story, but you wouldn’t believe it.

When he first arrived Rick jokingly apologized about unimpressive he was up close. But nothing could be further from the truth. What an amazing guy. So real, so genuine, so deep. He shared from his heart recent truths that God had been revealing to him. One thing he said that impacted me was that he would "rather die than embarrass Jesus.” God has entrusted Rick Warren with tremendous influence in the world and he doesn’t want to become another fallen minister. Another statistic. Another reason for unbelievers to doubt the reality of a life-changing relationship with God.

How does Rick stay on track with God? How can we? We must defeat the schemes of the enemy in our lives. The devil has three attacks: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). These are the temptations: to feel good (hedonism), to have (materialism), and to simply be selfish. The devil uses these things to destroy our lives and render our testimonies useless. God has antidotes for each of these temptations. We need three things in our lives: integrity, generosity, and humility.

How do we resist the devil and become the children of God we were created to be? Fight the temptations with the integrity, humility, and generosity of the purpose driven life.

Retreats

I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
Leviticus 26:12


This coming Friday and Saturday is our annual Women’s Retreat at Christian Life Church. I’m jealous. I’ve been told I’m not allowed to attend. ;-) I know that our children, youth, men, etc. have similar plans for retreats later this year. I love retreats. I love to see people break out of their routine, stop, and gather together to meet with God.

I believe God honors our commitment and sacrifice to attend sacred gatherings like retreats. When Israel was separated from the world during their extended time in the wilderness, that is when they drew near to God. You are taking your valuable time and setting it apart for God and His work in your life. When we honor God in that way, He shows up big in our lives.

Here are the details for this weekend. If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to call or email Jeri Oleksy in the church office at 847-259-3090 or mail@christianlifechurch.org.

Women’s Retreat
Friday (2/8) @ 7PM
& Saturday (2/9) @ 9AM
Roberta Crane-Fitch Ministering

Women, don’t miss out on this special, set-apart time with God!

What's Your Story?

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
2 Samuel 23:20

What’s Your Story?

We are learning in these first weeks of 2008 about Benaiah and how he chased a lion. What a story! I bet every family member and friend of Beniah loved to hear him repeat the story of how he chased the lion on a snowy day.

What’s your story? The one you are proud to tell. The one everyone wants to hear again and again. What story are you writing with the life God gave you?

While we are called to be good stewards, sometimes we so carefully manage our lives that we never accomplish anything great for God. Our risk management is so precise that we end up like the servant who hid his master’s talents in Matthew 24. We arrive safely at death accomplishing little or nothing for God. Not a happy ending to the story of our life.

God has a story. He made man, so that we could live in relationship with Him. Man sinned and was separated from that relationship with God. God sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to take the punishment of our sin on the cross so that we could once again be in right relationship with God and spend eternity with Him. That’s God’s story. God wants everyone to hear His story. We are called to tell His story to a lost and dying world.

What are you risking to tell His story? What lions are you facing as you live for Him? Just like Benaiah, live life to the full, take risks, defy the odds, and tell the story! And when we survive, we have our story.

West Campus

Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given complete authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:18-20

Last Sunday was our first “second sunday” of 2008. “second sunday” is our weekend service for a new church campus we are planting in the far western suburbs. Along with our one weekend a month service we also hold a weekly midweek get together on Thursdays at 7PM. One of our goals as a church for 2008 will be to have weekly weekend services at our west campus.

We have a great core of people already living out west. They are all working hard and sacrificing to make this effort a success. Even though most of our church family lives near our Mount Prospect campus and will never venture out west, I would like everyone to pray for the west campus. This area of Chicagoland is one of the fastest growing communities in the United States. There are many lives in this growing area that we will be able to touch with a strong church campus.

Pray for…

• Children’s Ministry – Many people moving out west are young families with small children. Children’s ministry will be a key ingredient for growth.
• Worship Team – Worship, like children’s ministry, is a core value of Christian Life. Pray that God provides the musicians and singers that will usher us into the presence of God.
• Teaching – The Word is what changes our lives. As in each of these prayer points, our present pastors and staff are working for both campuses. Pray that we develop a capable and anointed teaching team for both campuses.

Thank you for your prayers! You can visit our west campus web site at www.clcwest.org.