Summer of Service is Coming

This summer our emphasis at New Season is the Summer of Service. Here is part of a worship program insert we have made for it...

What is the Summer of Service?
The summer of service is the way that the people of New Season Church will seek to impact the Massaponax and the Greater Fredericksburg community this summer by serving our community and sharing the love of Christ in practical ways. We believe as a church we are not to just “take” from our community but give. By following the example of Jesus who said he came “to serve and not be served” we seek to make the name of Jesus famous in our mission field through these simple acts of service. Small things done in great love can change a community.

What activities will be happening during the Summer of Service?
There are a number of activities planned including give aways at County events such as the Spotsylvania Film Festival and at the Patriot Park Concert series. We also plan to volunteer to help with the Spotsylvania Stars and Stripes Spectacular Fireworks. Every Saturday through out the summer we will seek to give away free water bottles at the Spotsylvania Farmer’s Market. We will also deliver yard sale survival kits to our neighbors having yard sales.

Can children participate?
Yes, by all means, children accompanied by an adult are welcomed and encouraged to participate as their parents deem appropriate. This is a wonderful way to demonstrate to children that part of following Jesus means serving others. Each Sunday during the summer our BLAST Children’s Ministry will be working on a project to benefit someone in our local community.

How do I sign up?
It is really easy to sign up. You may sign up for any of the activities listed on the back of this sheet by filling out the Mother of All Sign Up Sheets in your worship program. Or, you can sign up online at https://newseasonchurch.wufoo.com/forms/summer-of-service-opportunities/.
Jesus told His disciples, "Love each other as I have loved you". (John 13:34 CEV)

Pushing Buttons

This past Sunday we began a brand new message series called "Don't Push My Buttons" that is about dealing with the button pushers in our lives. You know who they are. You love them, but sometimes you wanna drop kick them. How do we handle the difficult people in our lives without destroying them, or going crazy in the process? Believe it or not, there are answers. In this series we will be talking about our button-pushers, discovering ways to hide our "buttons" and learning how to cope when we get "pushed" too far.

We started it off with how to deal with and stay away from toxic people and toxic relationships recognizing that sometimes we just have to give toxic people over to God who is infinite in love, forgiveness and mercy.

Memorial Day Sunday at New Season Church

We had a great Memorial Day Sunday at New Season Church this past Sunday. Every Memorial Day and Labor Day we move our whole set up outside and worship outside. After our worship celebration experience we have a cook out. We did not come up with this idea but stole it from this guy.

This is a great change of pace and is refreshing break from the routine of the same location. It is also really great to "join with all of creation in manifold witness" of how awesome God is by worshipping him. No neighbors have complained about 9AM sound checks and a good time is always had by all.

The only problem is wind. God has a wonderful sense of humor when he allows my message notes to be blown off the music stand. At least it makes the message shorter.

The Malachi Challenge

This past week I issued to the followers of Christ who consider New Season Church their church home what is called the Malachi Challenge. You can see the contents of the challenge below. We can offer such a challenge because...

• We trust God to do what he says he is going to do.
• We know God desires our good.
• We operate from a position of abundance and not scarcity- God owns the whole universe.
• God is faithful to all his promises.
• God calls us to risk.

Here is the Malachi Challenge

Malachi 3:10
"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

Terms:
· I understand that this form must be completed and received by New Season Church prior to my beginning of the Malachi Challenge.
· I understand that I cannot seek a refund prior to the end of my Malachi Challenge Period, and that I cannot seek a refund for any contributions made prior to the beginning of my Malachi Challenge Period.
· I understand that any request for refund must be received by New Season Church within 30 days of the end of my Malachi Challenge Period.
· I would like to test God's faithfulness by accepting the Malachi Challenge. I agree that for the three-month period I state below, my household will contribute to God, through New Season Church, a tithe equal to 10% of our income. At the end of the three-month period, if I am not convinced of God's faithfulness to bless my life as a result of my obedience to his word, then I will be entitled to request a refund of the full amount of contributions made during that 90-day period.

Name (Printed)_______________________________

Signed Name _________________________________

I choose the time for my Malachi Challenge Period
to be from ________________ to _________________.
(Please choose a three month period)

Plastic Surgery

Don't forget this Sunday we are going to be performing a little "PLASTIC SURGERY" at New Season. You do not need to be a doctor for this surgery, have any special instruments besides a pair of scissors, or have thousands of dollars. However, you will ultimately feel a lot better and heck you may even look better too.

This Sunday at New Season we will be "cutting it up." Bring your credit cards to publicly cut up as an act of worship that says "I trust you, not money, O God to provide for all my needs and to give me worth." We will also worship God by shredding all those annoying credit card offers that come in the mail.

So, be praying about what credit card God wants you to cut up in front of him and the community of faith as an act of worship and come kick the credit card companies in the teeth by shredding up their solicitations!

Mad Money Principles

There's two guiding principles when it comes to our "stuff" in this world that totally changes our perspective when we understand them.

1. All that we have- money, possessions, family, clothes, food, our next breath comes from God. The Bible is quite clear that the earth and all that is in it belongs to the Lord. (Psalm 24:1 and many other places).

2. God has given us caretaker responsibilities of all his stuff and he wants us to use it in ways that bring him honor through engaging in the power of positive giving. We will not take it with us as there has yet to be a U-Haul seen entering heaven. The gut wrenching question for everyone, especially in our culture of affluence, is what will we say when asked to give an account of how we took care of his stuff?

Mad Money

We have begun the Mad Money series at New Season Church where we are talking about God's plan for how we use our money and possessions.

For followers of Christ how we use our money and possessions is a discipleship issue. If you want to know where someones passion lies then just consult their checkbook register and their calendar. Where one spends their time and money says something about what they value.

Jesus talked more about money and possessions than about heaven or hell combined. In the consumer culture we live in his messages and the whole of scripture contains important principles that can give us a proper perspective about money and possessions. In the end, money need not drive us mad.