Hey TC Family,

Prayer

I am excited to announce that we plan to continue our monthly Friday evening prayer/worship times. We hosted a Friday night prayer/worship night in June and July. We took the month of August off, but we are going to dive in and host these every month. 

Join us on Friday, September 29, at 7 p.m. for a night of prayer and worship. On these nights, we plan to sing 12-15 songs of worship and praise to God, and there will be prayer focuses throughout our time together. It is an excellent opportunity to gather as a community and spend focused time praising and crying out to our lord and King, Jesus Christ. 

On September 29, our theme will be transformation. There will be an opportunity to come and receive prayer for personal transformation and an encounter with the living God. We will also spend time praying for people we know who do not yet know Jesus and asking Him to reveal Himself to these friends, acquaintances and loved ones. 

Jesus taught that the church is to be a house of prayer. I look forward to gathering with you to pray as Jesus taught and teaches us to do. 

Volunteers Needed

Our leadership team has been discussing our need for more volunteers as of late. Jeremy Darrow, who oversees the volunteer intake process, has put this appeal together for our church community:

God's interactions with people are sometimes hilarious. 

Take some time this weekend and read Genesis 1:1-2 and then skip over and read Exodus 3:13-17. 

God reveals Himself to Moses through a burning bush in the Exodus passage. Seriously, Moses converses with God through a bush that is on fire but isn't burning up. In this conversation, God gives Moses an assignment; He says, "Go and tell the Israelites that I sent you to free them from Egyptian slavery" (my paraphrase). 

At this point in the story, very little is known about God, who He is, and what He is like. So, Moses asks God, "So what name do I call you? Who do I tell them you are?" (again, my paraphrase). God responds and says, "I AM. Tell them I AM sent you." 

It seems pretty vague, right? If I put myself in Moses' shoes I want to ask, what does "I AM" mean?? 

That is what we are going to dive into on Sunday. As you ponder these passages, I encourage you to think deeply about the first two verses of Genesis 1. What do you think was going on before creation? What do you think it means that "darkness was over the face of the deep" and "The spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Did something exist before God began filling and making a home out of the earth? 

And then, in the Exodus passage...what is God getting at by telling us that His name is "I AM"? That must mean that God simply is...He exists. He existed before anything else existed. That means He is self-existent, eternal, infinite, and self-sufficient. 

What an awesome God we serve. He is far above what our minds can grasp, yet He wants to be known by us. How incredible! 

If you are interested in learning more about God's name, I AM, check out this short, engaging video from the Bible Project. Simply click the button below. 

On Tuesday, October 3rd, we are starting our Overcomers ministry. 

Overcomers is a Christ-centered 12-step program. This material is excellent. If you or someone you know wants to take serious steps forward in their walk with Jesus but has been held back by addiction, habit, struggle or hang-up, then Overcomers is the place to be. 

My father-in-law, Randy Pirie, has been working with the Overcomers material for several years. Before his retirement, he worked at an addiction recovery program and taught this course all the way through many times. He told me that this material is not just for those struggling with drug and alcohol abuse. He said that he believes every Jesus follower would benefit greatly if they went through this program. 

This program is not just for people who come to TC; it is open to anyone, so feel free to put the word out.