April 2013 - Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3)
5150 Chicago Ave S. Minneapolis, MN 55417
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO 32622 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
First Word A Church Family Publication of F irst
Friend of Sinners
Tuseshereto are a lot of titles that Jesus describe himself: Bridegroom, Bread of Life, Chief Cornerstone, Good Shepherd. Within this list there is another one that stands out as completely different than all the rest: “Friend of Sinners” (Luke 7:34).
Seniors are "opening up" god's word & Donating
by Jill Rose
Tdressers his past November at our Advent Service Day, our congregation purchased materials and built fifty to benefit the organization known as BRIDGING. Recently a group from the Senior's ABF took a tour of the BRIDGING warehouse in Bloomington to see first hand how this organization and others' donations help people moving out of homelessness.
This April, Pastor Jay will be teaching the Seniors' ABF Bible study-focused series entitled "Opening Up the Word of God. " In light of the series, the Senior class decided to have a collection for one of BRIDGING's clients' much- needed items: can openers! BRIDGING's Diana Dahlsen told us that can openers are not often donated as part of a kitchen utensil set but are important because many food shelf items are canned! BRIDGING serves seventy-five households (230 individuals) each week which means every week they need seventy-five kitchen tables, dressers, couches & lamps, and 230 kitchen chairs, pillows, blankets, and sheets. Diana also pointed out that while used mattresses and box springs can not be sold, they can be donated and are much appreciated. If you would like to help donate to the can opener drive, contact Jerry or Dorothy Young at the Senior ABF on Sundays or drop off your donation in the class. If you are interested in getting involved with Bridging, contact Jill Rose at 612-501-1198 or [email protected].
Jesus loved lost people. He loved spending time with them. He went to their parties and enjoyed their company. From the Gospels it appears that Jesus, in fact, enjoyed being with seekers far more than being with religious leaders (ouch!). Jesus loved being with people, and they felt it. Even little children wanted to be around Jesus, which speaks volumes about what kind of person he was. Jesus had a passion for the lost.
E vangelical F ree C hurch
by Pastor Joel
No one has ever said “It was your stained glass windows” or “It was your full calendar of activities.” Instead, the most common response I receive is: “I felt an incredible spirit of love toward me that drew me in.” Did you catch the focus of the love in that sentence? Many churches are full of members who love each other, yet the church is still dying or at least not growing. They have a wonderful fellowship among the members, but they don’t have a love for unbelievers. The reason some churches remain small is because they don’t love. People want to go where love is.
“I felt an incredible spirit of love toward me that drew me in.”
I wonder how many people would say that First Free is a church that loves unbelievers. The command to love is the most repeated command in the New Testament. It appears at least 44 times. If we don’t love people, nothing else matters. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8) I like to ask the new people who come to First Free, “What attracted you to our church family?” Out of all the people that I’ve asked this question, I’ve never had one person say, “It is because of your theology.”
Love draws people in like a powerful magnet. The opposite is also true: a lack of love drives people away. We must love unbelievers the way Jesus did. After all, we are Christ-sent disciples. Without His passion for the lost, we will be unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to reach them. This month’s edition of First Word highlights two ways several groups in our church have loved on unbelievers and those outside our church, as well as different opporunties to reach out to our community in the future. As you read their stories, ask yourself where God might be calling on you to be a “friend of sinners.”
April 2013
F irst F ree S taff Joel Sutton, Senior Pastor [email protected] Jay Pound, Associate Pastor [email protected] Mark Meyers, Youth Pastor [email protected] Beth Brown. Children's Ministry Director [email protected] Mike Graff, Worship Ministry Director [email protected] Dee Huanca & Maureen Juarez, Faith Community Nurses [email protected] Administration [email protected] Lydia Russell, Design [email protected] Scott Beckett, Facilities Technician [email protected]
U p coming S ermons : April April 7 - Walking on Water (John 6:14-24) April 14 - Dining onthe Bread of Life (John 6:25-71) April 21 - Anybody Need a Drink? ( John 7:1-52) April 28 - To Tell the Truth (John 8:12-59)
t e r r a c e o n c h i c a g o 2 0 1 3 [Re-cap] Terrace on Chicago was yet again a wonderful success. Thank you to everyone that attended, volunteered, and donated! Here are this year's "stats."
Costa Rica Trip by
Pastor Mark
Upcoming @ First Free
an Interview with Matt & Erin Beckett
1. What prompted you to get involved with this particular trip? We were approached by John Symington who asked if we would be interested in going on a mission trip to Costa Rica. The purpose of the trip was to install an electrical system in a church, and someone was needed to plan the requirements. Since my (Matt) job is designing building electrical systems it seemed like a good fit. We prayed and thought about it for a little and decided to go.
165 served
2. What were you expecting, and were those expectations about the trip met or were you surprised by something you experienced there?
$12,462 raised
We were expecting the culture to be laid back and a slower pace, but everything seemed to be very fast moving. Especially the vehicles.
71 volunteers 50 lbs of Cornish game hen
W omen ' s B ible S tudy wednesdays @ 9:30 a . m .
60 lbs beef short ribs 45 students going on mission trips 10 adults going on mission trips
NEW STUDY A pril 10-M ay 1 st
starting
J oin us for a unique B ible study , by P riscilla S hirer , called " seed ." W omen ' s G uild A pril 2 @ 1:00 p . m . C ommissions /C ouncil M eeting april 7 @ 5:30 p . m . S eekers ' P otluck A pril 7 & 21 @ 12:30 p . m . Men’s Night Out NCAA Basketball Final April 8 @ 7:00 p.m. - ?? Pizza, Junk food, Mini-golf and MiniFrisbee, & Prizes for Predictions! M en ' s S oul S hare B reakfast A pril 20 @ 9:00 a . m . E xpressions A pril 15 & 29 @ 7:00 p . m . P inewood D erby A pril 26 @ 6:30 p . m . T he D eep A pril 28 @ 6:30 p . m .
( last
one of the season )
more info @ www.firstfreechurch.org
3. What was the most meaningful experience you had while in Costa Rica? The most meaningful parts of the trip were connecting with people down there. From the pastor of the church, the children in the community, to the people in our own group. Ultimately, the most meaningful part for us was connecting with a young missionary couple from Minneapolis who have been down there for a little over a year. We were able to spend a day with them before the rest of our group arrived. They used to live about a mile from First Free and knew friends and family back home that we knew. It was a great to make that connection and to encourage each other. 4. How has God been working in you leading up to the trip, during the trip, and now that the trip is over? There were many parts of this trip that were very stressful just from a logistical prospective. A lot of time and energy went into just trying to get around town and be places at the right time. At times we were ready to be done when there was still work to do. One of the biggest things we learned is that a mission trip isn't just about being on a spiritual high; sometimes it's just about doing the work of God's kingdom, and that isn't always enjoyable at the time. But he uses us and grows us through those situations.
VBC # SUmmer 2013! It's almost that time again! Kids (entering grades 1-6) & Parents, hold the date for First Free's VBC 2013! Volunteers are also needed, and a pre-school program and nursery care is provided for the children of all volunteer helpers! Contact Beth with any questions at: [email protected]
Registration Starts: Sunday, April 28
VBC week: June 17-21
NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID TWIN CITIES MN PERMIT NO 32622 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
First Word A Church Family Publication of F irst
Friend of Sinners
Tuseshereto are a lot of titles that Jesus describe himself: Bridegroom, Bread of Life, Chief Cornerstone, Good Shepherd. Within this list there is another one that stands out as completely different than all the rest: “Friend of Sinners” (Luke 7:34).
Seniors are "opening up" god's word & Donating
by Jill Rose
Tdressers his past November at our Advent Service Day, our congregation purchased materials and built fifty to benefit the organization known as BRIDGING. Recently a group from the Senior's ABF took a tour of the BRIDGING warehouse in Bloomington to see first hand how this organization and others' donations help people moving out of homelessness.
This April, Pastor Jay will be teaching the Seniors' ABF Bible study-focused series entitled "Opening Up the Word of God. " In light of the series, the Senior class decided to have a collection for one of BRIDGING's clients' much- needed items: can openers! BRIDGING's Diana Dahlsen told us that can openers are not often donated as part of a kitchen utensil set but are important because many food shelf items are canned! BRIDGING serves seventy-five households (230 individuals) each week which means every week they need seventy-five kitchen tables, dressers, couches & lamps, and 230 kitchen chairs, pillows, blankets, and sheets. Diana also pointed out that while used mattresses and box springs can not be sold, they can be donated and are much appreciated. If you would like to help donate to the can opener drive, contact Jerry or Dorothy Young at the Senior ABF on Sundays or drop off your donation in the class. If you are interested in getting involved with Bridging, contact Jill Rose at 612-501-1198 or [email protected].
Jesus loved lost people. He loved spending time with them. He went to their parties and enjoyed their company. From the Gospels it appears that Jesus, in fact, enjoyed being with seekers far more than being with religious leaders (ouch!). Jesus loved being with people, and they felt it. Even little children wanted to be around Jesus, which speaks volumes about what kind of person he was. Jesus had a passion for the lost.
E vangelical F ree C hurch
by Pastor Joel
No one has ever said “It was your stained glass windows” or “It was your full calendar of activities.” Instead, the most common response I receive is: “I felt an incredible spirit of love toward me that drew me in.” Did you catch the focus of the love in that sentence? Many churches are full of members who love each other, yet the church is still dying or at least not growing. They have a wonderful fellowship among the members, but they don’t have a love for unbelievers. The reason some churches remain small is because they don’t love. People want to go where love is.
“I felt an incredible spirit of love toward me that drew me in.”
I wonder how many people would say that First Free is a church that loves unbelievers. The command to love is the most repeated command in the New Testament. It appears at least 44 times. If we don’t love people, nothing else matters. “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8) I like to ask the new people who come to First Free, “What attracted you to our church family?” Out of all the people that I’ve asked this question, I’ve never had one person say, “It is because of your theology.”
Love draws people in like a powerful magnet. The opposite is also true: a lack of love drives people away. We must love unbelievers the way Jesus did. After all, we are Christ-sent disciples. Without His passion for the lost, we will be unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to reach them. This month’s edition of First Word highlights two ways several groups in our church have loved on unbelievers and those outside our church, as well as different opporunties to reach out to our community in the future. As you read their stories, ask yourself where God might be calling on you to be a “friend of sinners.”
April 2013
F irst F ree S taff Joel Sutton, Senior Pastor [email protected] Jay Pound, Associate Pastor [email protected] Mark Meyers, Youth Pastor [email protected] Beth Brown. Children's Ministry Director [email protected] Mike Graff, Worship Ministry Director [email protected] Dee Huanca & Maureen Juarez, Faith Community Nurses [email protected] Administration [email protected] Lydia Russell, Design [email protected] Scott Beckett, Facilities Technician [email protected]
U p coming S ermons : April April 7 - Walking on Water (John 6:14-24) April 14 - Dining onthe Bread of Life (John 6:25-71) April 21 - Anybody Need a Drink? ( John 7:1-52) April 28 - To Tell the Truth (John 8:12-59)
t e r r a c e o n c h i c a g o 2 0 1 3 [Re-cap] Terrace on Chicago was yet again a wonderful success. Thank you to everyone that attended, volunteered, and donated! Here are this year's "stats."
Costa Rica Trip by
Pastor Mark
Upcoming @ First Free
an Interview with Matt & Erin Beckett
1. What prompted you to get involved with this particular trip? We were approached by John Symington who asked if we would be interested in going on a mission trip to Costa Rica. The purpose of the trip was to install an electrical system in a church, and someone was needed to plan the requirements. Since my (Matt) job is designing building electrical systems it seemed like a good fit. We prayed and thought about it for a little and decided to go.
165 served
2. What were you expecting, and were those expectations about the trip met or were you surprised by something you experienced there?
$12,462 raised
We were expecting the culture to be laid back and a slower pace, but everything seemed to be very fast moving. Especially the vehicles.
71 volunteers 50 lbs of Cornish game hen
W omen ' s B ible S tudy wednesdays @ 9:30 a . m .
60 lbs beef short ribs 45 students going on mission trips 10 adults going on mission trips
NEW STUDY A pril 10-M ay 1 st
starting
J oin us for a unique B ible study , by P riscilla S hirer , called " seed ." W omen ' s G uild A pril 2 @ 1:00 p . m . C ommissions /C ouncil M eeting april 7 @ 5:30 p . m . S eekers ' P otluck A pril 7 & 21 @ 12:30 p . m . Men’s Night Out NCAA Basketball Final April 8 @ 7:00 p.m. - ?? Pizza, Junk food, Mini-golf and MiniFrisbee, & Prizes for Predictions! M en ' s S oul S hare B reakfast A pril 20 @ 9:00 a . m . E xpressions A pril 15 & 29 @ 7:00 p . m . P inewood D erby A pril 26 @ 6:30 p . m . T he D eep A pril 28 @ 6:30 p . m .
( last
one of the season )
more info @ www.firstfreechurch.org
3. What was the most meaningful experience you had while in Costa Rica? The most meaningful parts of the trip were connecting with people down there. From the pastor of the church, the children in the community, to the people in our own group. Ultimately, the most meaningful part for us was connecting with a young missionary couple from Minneapolis who have been down there for a little over a year. We were able to spend a day with them before the rest of our group arrived. They used to live about a mile from First Free and knew friends and family back home that we knew. It was a great to make that connection and to encourage each other. 4. How has God been working in you leading up to the trip, during the trip, and now that the trip is over? There were many parts of this trip that were very stressful just from a logistical prospective. A lot of time and energy went into just trying to get around town and be places at the right time. At times we were ready to be done when there was still work to do. One of the biggest things we learned is that a mission trip isn't just about being on a spiritual high; sometimes it's just about doing the work of God's kingdom, and that isn't always enjoyable at the time. But he uses us and grows us through those situations.
VBC # SUmmer 2013! It's almost that time again! Kids (entering grades 1-6) & Parents, hold the date for First Free's VBC 2013! Volunteers are also needed, and a pre-school program and nursery care is provided for the children of all volunteer helpers! Contact Beth with any questions at: [email protected]
Registration Starts: Sunday, April 28
VBC week: June 17-21
