Jesus'ing Alone? Is it Possible?

Dear Brothers and Sisters of FAC

Someone shared with me recently that they almost gave up on Church until they started attending FAC. I was encouraged but saddened by this. Encouraged of course that FAC rescued them from a growing trend away from church prevalent among young people in our culture. I was saddened however that, according to a recent Barna study, only 3 out of 10 young people who grow up in Church will continue to follow Jesus by going to Church. Do you notice the way I worded that: "follow Jesus by going to Church"? This Sunday I will be referring to a book called "Bowling Alone" written in an attempt to understand the diminishing of community in America. Its a secular book, but describes well what is also happening in Christian community. (You will have to come Sunday to hear the premise for the book.) Is it possible to live for Jesus apart from community? I am so glad my friend concluded that it is not. By the way, note the number of times in Mark's gospel that Jesus taught in the Synagogue (the church of his day)? Community mattered to Jesus. He taught where people assembled, but he also mobilized the assembled (the church, not the individual) to carry out His Great Commission. You don' read much about individualism in the scriptures. It's challenging then to take such an inter-dependent model of community and figure out how to fit it into a culture that is so independent. I sure look forward to talking about how this all brings renewed life into our christian experience. And of course, I cannot wait to worship with you this Sunday.

Its About the Gospel

This Sunday we begin a fifteen week message series on Mark's Gospel. Mark begins with the banner headline that his narrative is just the beginning of the Gospel about Jesus the Son of God and quickly introduces us to a man, by the name of John (some say he was a baptist but I think he was non denominational - okay that was bad!), who was driven by that gospel. He was born for this and he died for this. He was also described by Mark as a voice (not THE VOICE) calling, or crying in the wilderness "prepare the way for the Lord". This encourages me as it invites me to be an other voice with the same call to more people still stranded in today's wilderness. If John had been the only voice there would not have been much for us to do, but we have all been invited to join him to cry out the gospel message and to line up our entire life to be driven by it. I sure am eager to see how the Holy Spirit will use this to simplify our lives. Whether you are in the kitchen, or out talking to people about Jesus, you have been left here for the Gospel! The Good News - that Jesus lives, that Jesus is Coming and that Jesus Reigns.

Pastor Mitch