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congregational renewal

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Winter INVITATIONAL Focus 2018

2/16/2018

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The Plan

Leading people by baby steps to talk about their faith and inviting others to church.  We are handing out business cards each week with the instructions on them for the week.  If you would like to purchase the original word and publisher files for all 13 weeks, you can do that in the store.  However, the content and path to leading people is helpful.  

How To Do It

The person handing out the homework, or pointing it out in the bulletin should have one story or one answer for the question that helps people start thinking.  Also, people should be planted at fellowship hour to ask the questions for the week and get a conversation going.  

The Weeks

1/7/2018
Think of one story about how this church has affected your life.

1/14/2018
Tell the story of how this church has changed your life at coffee hour to ONE person.

1/21/2018
Think of one story that shows how your life is better because of Jesus.

1/28/2018
Tell the story of how Jesus matters in your life to ONE person at coffee hour.

2/4/2018
Name one thing that is scary about telling people about Jesus and one good thing.
 
2/11/2018
When you feel nervous about telling someone about church or Jesus, what is one thing you can tell yourself to help you do it?

2/18/2018
Think of a person who does not go to church and how Jesus might change their lives.
 
2/25/2018
Contact the person you thought of last week, and mention something about how Jesus changed your life in casual conversation.
 
3/4/2018
Pray for that person and whatever is going on in his or her life. You can share that you've done this, but don't have to.

 
3/11/2018
Hand a flyer with church information casually to TWO people in a one-on-one conversation at one event this week or next.

 
3/18/2018
What good news of Jesus will you invite at least TWO families to hear at Calvary Lutheran this Easter?  Which TWO families?

3/25/201
Invite at least TWO more families to come worship with us on Easter.  Including at least one sentence about why you think Easter matters.  What is the Good News for you, in one sentence?  How does Jesus change your life?

4/1/2018
Send a message or make a phone call to the four families on Saturday letting them know you’ll see them tomorrow for Easter.

The Cards Picture Gallery

Invitation Card Files

$25.00
Add to Cart
Weeks 1 and 2 are in MS Word, while Weeks 4-13 are in publisher.  Weeks 12 and 13 were printed back to back to hand out the Sunday before Easter.  After purchase, you will receive an e-mail will all 12 files for you to edit for your congregation. These were printed on Avery 8871 labels, Avery® Inkjet Clean-Edge Two-Side Printable Business Cards, 2-Sided, 2" x 3 1/2", White Matte.
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Ashes to Ashes. . . Happy Valentines Day!

2/14/2018

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“By the sweat of your face
    you shall eat bread
until you return to the ground,
    for out of it you were taken;
you are dust,
    and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19, NRSV
I’m so excited!  I’m dust, and to dust I shall return.  Every year in the life of the church, we observe a Holy Day called Ash Wednesday.  Ash Wednesday is on Valentine’s Day this year, so I hope to see you at church at 7pm on February 14.  Somehow, we’ll include Love in all this.
Ash Wednesday is the day that starts us on a path to Easter.  This service begins the church season of Lent, the six weeks we use to prepare for Easter.  At this service, I will draw crosses on each person’s forehead while they kneel around the altar. 

Although some find this service “too real” and “too focused on death”, I find great meaning, great joy, and great life in it.  For it communicates so many things.  It lets me know that I belong to God, no matter what.  If I’m a tiny infant, or near death, we all have the same cross on our heads, and we all belong to God the same.  It equalizes the playing field to know that we are all going to die, and I love knowing that even though each of us are sinners (do things that cause separation and hurt), we are all in it together.  We are all made from the same dust, and we will return to the same dust, and we belong to the same God who sees us, knows us, and saves us anyway.

There is a healing aspect to this service, for it brings us together as a community.  We start our journey of six weeks knowing that we belong to God, that God made us, and that we’re all equally guilty, equally messy equally death-dealing, and equally saved.
This is a day when we get real about death, real about the pain we cause each other, God, ourselves, and the planet.  We acknowledge how much the same we are, how much God loves us, and how we are all in it together.
​This is my basic theology of life:
​ “Life is hard, we’re all in it together, Yay Jesus!”
Another thing I love about Ash Wednesday is the journey that it begins.  At the end of six weeks, we’ll end up at the Last Supper, Good Friday, and finally, Easter!  (I’ll explain more about those in March newsletter.)  Welcome to the Journey!
​

This year, for Lent, we’re having classes on Thursday nights beginning Feb. 22 from 4pm-5pm.  We’ll go over the stories of the Christian faith, why they matter, how we live them, how we celebrate them, with a focus on the last meal Jesus shares with his disciples in Matthew 26:17-30.  People of all ages are welcome; please let me know if you plan to attend.  Please also bring your Bible; if you need one, let me know.   Then, on Maundy Thursday (March 29, 7pm), we’ll celebrate First Communion for those who complete the classes and have not yet communed.
Thanks! 

See you on Valentines Day!  I can hardly wait!


Love, Pastor Jess
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    Pastor Jess is all about sharing the life-saving love of Jesus with the world. How she does it is up to the Holy Spirit. 

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  • Pastor Jess
  • Open Space
    • Open Space Resources
    • Consulting: Open Space Bethlehem, DeKalb, IL
  • Spirited Speakeasy
  • Congregational Renewal Stories and Resources
  • Sermon Podcast On A Journey with Jesus
    • Video Sermons
    • Kid's Time (Audio and Video)
  • When Jesus Wears Makeup
  • About
    • Events >
      • Takiya's Birthday Bash
    • Publications
    • Consulting
    • Contact
  • Consent Culture Pledge
    • Consent Culture Pledge Discussion Blog
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    • Family Systems Workshops
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  • Open Heart faith gathering
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    • (re) form sign up
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