February 24, 2023
Dear Friends,
I don’t mean to belabor the point. Everybody already knows it. I am a little embarrassed to bring it up again.
But the past few years have been rough. A wilderness time.
I’ve been reaching into the hope barrel and feeling around, there’s not a lot in there. It’s been hard and we are tired. It’s not getting better as fast as we thought.
But what if the desert was actually a place of renewal? What if God uses crisis to birth transformation?
The good news is that when we come to the end of ourselves we are invited to look up and find the One who has been waiting to meet our gaze.
So this Lent season we are courageously and counter-intuitively embracing the desert. We are journeying Into the pain. Into the questions.
And we are looking to Jesus. He shows how to flourish. How to set up an ecosystem of flourishing in our lives.
Because there is a different way. And Jesus (as always) is looking for those who want to learn from him. Who want to come find rest.
As Psalm 107:35 says: “He turned the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into flowing springs.”
That sounds lovely, doesn’t it?
We start the journey this Sunday night at 5PM! See you then!
CALENDAR (see below for details)
Ongoing — Home Churches
3/4 – Newcomer Open House – 3-4PM at the Riley’s. Please RSVP.
3/5 – Casara and Glen Watson Baby shower (ladies only) – 2PM
3/8 – Men’s Gathering 6-7AM
3/9 – Radiant Middle School Gathering 7-8:30PM
3/25 – Women’s Tea 10AM – 12PM
4/9 – Easter Brunch 10:30 AM and Worship 11:30 AM
4/21-23 – Men’s Weekend at Mission Springs (Registration now open – early bird ends 2/15).
4/29 – Love Modesto Service Day
NEWCOMER’S OPEN HOUSE – 3/4 – 3-4PM
Hey, you’ve been hanging out with Radiant a bit (or a lot)! You might be a bit curious about our story, who we are, what we believe as consider making Radiant your church home. We get it, and we’d love to get to know you and your story too. Jill and I are hosting a Newcomer’s hang at our house – 1128 Mills Ave – on Saturday, March 4 from 3-4PM. This will be a space to ask questions and hear about what it means to journey with Radiant as we continue the adventure of church planting. Let Zach know – zach@radcov.org or 209-497-3710 — if you plan on attending.
CASARA AND GLEN WATSON BABY SHOWER – 3/5 – 2PM
Casara and Glen Watson are having a baby! Yahoo! There will be a ladies only baby shower at ELC on Sunday March 5th at 2PM. They are registered at Amazon and at Target.
MEN’S GATHERING – 3/8 – 6-7AM
A bunch of guys met this last Wednesday from 6-7AM at church. It was a great time — honest and simple. We all left with the conviction that we should be doing this regularly. We are going to experiment with an every other week rhythm. Invite some other guys and meet with us from 6-7AM on 3/8.
WOMEN’S TEA – 3/25 – 10AM – 12PM
Ladies, mark your calendars and tell your lady friends! Our Women’s Tea event is back — it will be on Saturday 3/25 at ELC from 10AM-12PM. Our own Jill Riley will be sharing as well as local speaker/ writer Kendra Fletcher. They will share about hope and renewal in this wilderness time.
Register for the event here. In lieu of registration costs we are receiving donations for Redwood Family Center who serve women who are in recovery.
HOME CHURCHES
Our Home Church groups are communities that meet during the week where we learn to practice the way of Jesus. No experience required, all are welcome. We usually share a meal, read scripture, and consider what God is up to in and through our lives. This is a great time to consider plugging into a home as we just restarted in mid-January. If you are interested in learning about available groups and what group might be a good fit for you contact Zach at zach@radcov.org
MEN’S WEEKEND (4/21-4/23) REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
The Men’s Weekend at Mission Springs will soon be here, April 21st-23rd, 2023. We look forward to your joining us for a time of worship, fellowship and growing in your faith journey as we go ‘Back to Basics’. This is an event put on by our regional denominational conference. More information and registration can be found here.
Also — John Fowler has some spots at his private cabin in Mission Springs for those interested in going. This will reduce your registration costs. Contact John at (209) 345-5854.
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 resources. Please join us! https://band.us/n/adaa739aX4Rca
GIVING
Here’s the online link for giving, tithes, and offerings. Thank you for your generosity and partnership in ministry.
Grace and peace!
Zach
