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Dear Friends,

How can I improve the weekly sermon study guides?

After my sermons, on my way home, I always have a series of ‘”gee-I-should-have-said-it-this-way” moments. Until now, I have had to live with the frustration that all messages are completely preached on Sunday morning. But now I can get one more chance…and I am thankful to take it.  I get to come home and write out a Sermon Study Guide for members of our small groups and many other individuals who want to take a second look at the message. Go here to see what I am talking about.

The Sermon Study Guides come out every Tuesday in The Call and are a helpful tool for thinking and sharing at a different and deeper level. For example, this week, the newspaper article I referred to (the one about the church and the dance club) is referenced and linked to in the study guide. Additional ideas about what Paul means by “adoption” are linked to in the study guide. An extended quote from C.S. Lewis about the glory of humanity is listed in the study guide. I do hope you will make it a weekly discipline to use the study guide in your small groups and personal life, too. And if you have any suggestions about ways to improve the study guide, please let me know. You can email me, or leave comments at the end of this post.

Here are a couple of things you should know:

Fall Kick-Off Was Fantastic!
Our Fall Kick Off this past weekend was fantastic. After the 9:15 sermon, I ran over to Archgate Center to see our youth ministry program take shape. I was very pleased.  I spoke to 56 high schoolers, 67 seventh/eighth graders, and 47 sixth graders. I invited them to worship with us in the Sanctuary week by week at 11 a.m. I hope to see many of them in worship, and I invited them to stay connected to the sermon series through Facebook, too.

I also heard a few stories of the youngest members of our church yelling out to their parents after Sunday School. One little guy, without really caring who heard him, shouted that he had attended his Sunday School…and he loved it. He was proud of himself. And you can be proud of our Children’s and Youth Ministries, too. Both programs depend on the commitment of students and their parents to make it work. Christian education does not work without the parent(s) being thoroughly involved! Our staff is dedicated to partnering with the parents to raise their children to know, love, and serve the Lord.

On Point for Men
By the time you read this, the men will have met for their first session of On Point Bible Study. This is a great joy for Fr. Jason and me to teach. Over the six years that I have led this men’s study, I have seen incredible growth and spiritual strength emerge in these men. I love these guys and I try to prepare material that speaks to where they are in life. We deal with issues that connect directly to the life of the men of our church. All men are welcome to attend…and you don’t need prior Bible knowledge to come and get started.

Men, I hope you will make plans to be here next Tuesday at 7 a.m. We are studying the Book of 2 Samuel. You will be welcomed with fresh hot coffee, and we end promptly at 8 a.m.

On Point - Tuesdays 7 a.m....You're Invited!

Finally, I would want you to know that our church offers Christian support for many important areas of life: finances, grief, divorce, marriage, illness, etc. If you are seeking to not just “get through” some issues in your life but also to grow through them, you may want to contact our clergy staff. Don’t be shy. Fr. Clint Kerley can be reached at 214-291-5056.

‘See you soon,
David+