June 6, 2024
Hey Radiant,
We had a ton of meetings over the past week.
The Home Church think tank gathered on Tuesday night. Children’s ministry volunteers met last Sunday. Team leaders met earlier that Sunday.
I sometimes wince sending out meeting invites because, well….who needs more meetings in their life? Especially when they are stacked like this! People who serve, lead, and volunteer obviously have multiple commitments elsewhere.
But as I sheepishly scheduled and attended these meetings….something happened.
Something like joy (at least for me) seemed to bubble up as we met and talked and discussed and planned and joked a bit.
I had the growing conviction that God was with us. Yes, God himself. The embers of his presence floated and lingered with us even in the granular details of organizing church stuff at our little church plant in Modesto.
God is with us (even in meetings).
God is for us (even in meetings).
God is on our side (even in meetings).
I was reading this in Psalm 124:
“If the Lord had not been on our side—
let Israel say—
if the Lord had not been on our side
when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive”
What good news that God is on our side! Do you believe this? That God is on your side today in whatever grand or menial tasks you put your hand to? That God is on your “team.”
Of course, this is not a means for pride, asserting moral superiority, or recklessly rubber stamping your plans as God’s.
Rather, we remember that God longs to “do life” with us, that he preserves us, keeps us, and is interceding for us even.
This is what Elijah was trying to communicate to a wayward Israel.
They needed to know that the LORD was and is God. That the best way to “do life” was in fidelity to that Author of Life.
But they were skeptical and confused — after generations of idolatrous drift, their altar stones were scattered, in disarray.
So Elijah, led by the God who was on his side, brings to the people to Mount Carmel to meet again the God who answers with fire.
It’s a wild story. I am excited to share it with you in hopes that we too would encounter the God who answers by fire — who still sends the fire of his presence into our lives.
We’ll see you Sunday at 5!
EVENTS CALENDAR
6/9 – Second Sunday Supper Potluck
6/12 – Women’s Morning Gathering 6-7AM at ELC
6/11 – Emotionally Healthy Relationships course begins
6/13 – RAD YTH NIGHT 5-10PM at ELC
6/23 – Service time “Town hall” Meeting following worship
6/30 – Linger Worship and Prayer Night 6-10PM
7/23 – Linger Worship and Prayer Night 6-10PM
10/4-10/6 – Women’s Retreat at Mission Springs *registration now open.
TOWN HALL MEETING AND SURVEY ABOUT WORSHIP TIMES AND LOCATIONS – JUNE 23
This is pretty big news. It looks like we have an opportunity to rent space at MJC’s recital hall for a morning worship service later this summer and fall. As the vision and leadership teams have discussed this — we are excited about the opportunity to make more disciples of Jesus who practice to the simple way of Jesus for the good of Modesto and beyond. Of course, we want to get a sense of the congregation’s thoughts, preferences, and openness to serve as we consider this move and the multiple options we have before us. We want this to be as collaborative process as possible and practical.
I’m sure you have a lot of questions. So do we!
A couple of things to help get the conversation rolling:
1) Please fill out this survey. This will really help us get a pulse on where people are at.
2) Plan on attending our “town hall” meeting on Sunday June 23 following our worship service where we will present the vision behind this possible move, hash out some details, and have an opportunity for questions and discussion.
3) Zach and the vision team will likely be following up with as many people as possible to engage with this process.
More than anything, this is a matter of prayer and spiritual discernment of all of us. We are creating space for worship and prayer throughout the summer to simply seek the Lord’s face. On June 30th and July 21 following our worship services we will have an open time of prayer and worship from 6pm-10pm (people can come and go during this window of time).
SECOND SUNDAY SUPPER THIS SUNDAY
It’s a potluck following worship! Bring something to share!
PLEASE SIGN UP NOW IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON IT! EMOTIONALLY HEALTH RELATIONSHIPS COURSE
TUESDAYS, 6:30-8:30PM JUNE 11 – JULY 28 (8 SESSIONS)
*if you plan on traveling this summer — there a video streaming options for independently completing sessions you miss.
This powerful 8-week Course will equip you with practical tools to really love people in difficult situations and mature into an adult follower of Jesus. The Emotionally Healthy (EH) Relationships Course has been developed over a 21-year period to directly address core biblical principles to guide you and others into an experience of discipleship that will deeply change your life. In the EH Relationships Course, everyone will learn 8 practical relationship skills to develop mature, loving relationships with others.
This will be a paradigm shifting course — sign up here.
WOMEN’S GATHERING THIS WEDNESDAY – 6-7AM ELC
All women welcome! See you there.
WOMEN’S CONFERENCE AT MISSION SPRINGS OCTOBER 4-6 2024
BLESSED AND BROKEN: Jesus took the bread, blessed the bread, broke the bread, and gave the bread. These four words not only summarize the life of Jesus but are central to our spiritual lives as well. Join us for an unforgettable weekend with other women where we dive into what it means to live as chosen, blessed, broken, and given children of God. This conference is hosted at Mission Springs conference center in Scotts Valley, CA and will be a gathering of women from many Covenant churches in our region. Register here: https://www.missionsprings.com/camp-event/womens-conference/
BAND APP
One way to connect at Radiant is to join our BAND APP group. Think of this as a sort of Radiant message board — our own little social media space. People can extend invites, share about needs and opportunities.
GIVING
Thank you for your generosity and partnership in Radiant’s ministry!
Here’s the link to online giving.
Grace and Peace!
Zach
