Brunswick Reformed Church 3535 Grafton Road Brunswick, Ohio (330)

Transcription

1 Brunswick Reformed Church 3535 Grafton Road Brunswick, Ohio (330) Ministers: The Congregation Pastors: Don Poest Dan Toot Worship & Christian Education Sunday 9:00 & 10:30 a.m.

2 Welcome to Brunswick Reformed Church s worship celebrations. To make our mutual experience more enjoyable today please: 1. Relax - At BRC you can rest assured that you will not be embarrassed, singled out, or put on the spot. 2. Fill Out a Welcome Card - These can be dropped in the offering plate later. The information won t be misused, and will help us know who s been here. It s also a great way to drop a note to, or request a contact from, a staff member. 3. Ask for Prayer - If you have a prayer concern to share, pick up a prayer request form from the cart in back. Give completed forms to an usher or the pastor before the service begins. 4. Know There Are Options for Children - - The small room in the right rear corner has rocking chairs where little ones can be rocked, quieted or nursed. - We have an excellent nursery for ages 0-3 at the far end of our education wing. 5. Join Us for Fellowship - Coffee and juice are served in the fellowship area after each service. Join us and get acquainted. We do ask that you not take drinks into worship with you. 6. Do Not Feel Obligated to Give - If you are a first-time guest, please do not feel obligated to participate in the offering. This is a time when members and regular attendees honor God by giving to his work through this church. Let today be our gift to you. 7. Stop by our Welcome Center for more information about Brunswick Reformed Church! 8. BRC is on the web Who Is BRC? We are a member of the Reformed Church in America, a Protestant denomination that goes back to the Reformation period in Europe when the Church was reformed according to the Word of God. We are a mixture of Christians from many denominational backgrounds, all seeking to grow in our spiritual maturity as we live by faith with Jesus as our forgiver and leader. You will find our calling, mission and core value statements on the back of this bulletin.

3 May 3, 2015 Welcome to worship. Thank you to the worship team for leading us in worship through music. Sunday: 9:00 a.m. Worship service 9:00 a.m.: Romans, Rm 4 Please join Marilyn Zeigler and her family in the fellowship area between services for cake to celebrate her special birthday. 10:30 a.m.: Worship Service 10:30 a.m.: Children s Sunday School classes for preschool-5th grade. Final session on May 31. Children s Church begins June 7. 10:30 a.m.: Through the Bible (Adult) Rm :00 p.m.: Run for God group meets in Room 10. 9:00 p.m.: A.D.: The Bible Continues airs on NBC To get a cd of any of our sermons, simply write cd and the requested date on your Welcome Card. You ll then find your requested cds on the shelf across from the kitchen (usually by Tuesday.) The sermon audio files, sermon outlines, study questions, verses and bulletins are available on the church website Which families are spotlighted this week?

4 REACT Student Ministries... For Sunday, May 3 and upcoming events 9:00 a.m.: Middle School Sunday School class, Room 8. Regular class ending on May 10 th, but students can join the HS class through the remainder of the spring session on May 31. 9:00 a.m.: High School Sunday school class, Room 10. Youth/College Mission Team is taking orders for chocolate covered strawberries and pretzels. $10 a dozen or $1 each. (Deadline for orders is today.) Mandatory meeting for the Youth/College team and parents at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 9. Immediately after the informational meeting the team will be preparing the strawberries and pretzels for Sunday s distribution. Today those from the youth group who signed up will go to the Indians game after 2nd service. Bring a lunch or money for food. Friday: TNT Brunswick HS bible study, meets after school. No youth group on May 10. Enjoy the day with your mom! Advance: May 17 is the Youth Group End of Year Celebration! BRC will honor our high school and college graduates on May 31. If you or someone in your family is graduating, please note the name and school on your welcome card. We probably have a good list of those graduating from high school...but not those graduating from college or a technical program. Please let us know! The deadline for submitting information for the Graduates Bulletin is May 17th. Questions, contact Rhyna Sensiba.

5 THIS WEEK: Monday: Campus Life, 6:30 p.m. Monday: Grief Share, 7:00 p.m. Rooms 8 & 4. Monday: Elders meet at 7:00 p.m. in Room 1. Tuesday: Potter s Workshop meets at 6:30 p.m. in Room 10. Wednesday: Women s Study, 10 am-noon, Room 8 Wednesday: Mature Men s Bible Study, 10:00 a.m., Room 4 WEDNESDAY CONNECTIONS: 7-8:30 p.m. Foundations, Room John Bible Study, Room 1 Kids Club, K-5th, Room Thursday: God s Friends Forever (GFF) meets at 6:30 p.m. Thursday: Worship Team rehearsal, 7:15-8:30 p.m. Friday: Shining Stars meet at 1:30 p.m., studying Acts. Saturday: Yoga Reformed meets at 8:00 a.m. in the Worship Area. Men: Move 2015 is a gathering of men from around Medina County and beyond who are willing to demonstrate unity in making a stand for their faith. There will be a walk on Saturday, May 9, beginning at 9:55 a.m. (registration at 9:30) at Medina High School, marching to Medina Public Square, where there will be prayer and praise and talks given by Coach Ted Ginn, Sr. and retired Medina County Sheriff Neil Hassinger. Dads and sons are encouraged to walk together! There is no cost, but registration is requested by going to

6 In this series on Open Doors we re in the midst of looking at some biblical characters who have walked through those doors: Ruth, Abraham, Esther. It s only appropriate that Abraham is on this list, because he is the patriarch of both Judaism and Christianity. Yet Abraham is a complex study. At times he demonstrates amazingly strong and deep faith, trusting that God is fully in control. At other times his faith is surprisingly less-than as he takes matters into his own control. Yet even then God works with him and through him and blesses him in spite of himself. I find great comfort in that! Why? Because my faith is often less-than what I would want it to be, and yet God continues his faithful care over me. I suspect the same is true for you on this journey of life. The title of today s message may surprise you a bit. I m not suggesting that we don t strive to grow our faith, or that God doesn t care about the depth or strength of our faith. He does. While he says that all we need is faith like a mustard seed, he also says, According to your faith will it be done to you. What I will suggest is that Abraham models something very important for us to understand: Even when his faith seemed small, his God was still BIG. We don t need a big faith, although having one sure helps. We do need and we do have--a big God, no matter the size of our faith. So next time you want to beat yourself up, or someone else is trying to beat you up, for not having more faith, remember this: It s not the size of your faith, but the size of your God, that matters most! Pastor Don Next week s message, based on Esther 1:1-22, will be, Mother s Day Advice for Men

7 YOU DON T NEED A BIG FAITH INTRODUCTION It s not the quality of our faith that saves us. It s the object of our faith Tim Keller certainly true for many heroes of our faith in scripture certainly true for many of us here today GENESIS 12:1-4; HEBREWS 11:8-12 Leave Your Ur was the world s great city of that day your patterns of life, your culture, your gods Your your traditions, your ways of living life the safety of familiarity and comfort Your your significant relationships the things that you most hold dear to you What must you leave before you can become all that God wants? To the land that I will show you Canaan was uncultured, uncivilized, rough, difficult Like a stranger in a foreign country he lived in tents He was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God Why? I will make you into a great nation (Sarah is barren & past childbearing)

8 I will make your name great (direct reference to Tower of Babel?) I will bless those who bless you & whoever curses you I will curse All peoples on earth will be blessed through you God will gift Abraham so that Abraham can become God s gift Abraham allows Lot to choose which land he wants (Gen 13) Abraham gives 10% of everything to Melchizedek (Gen 14) How Big Was Abraham s? He twice pawns Sarah off as his sister, not trusting God to protect them He fathers a child with Hagar, not trusting God for a child with Sarah When God says Sarah will have a baby at 90, Abe fell down laughing He was willing to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, trusting God thru it all If your faith, you re in good company! How Big Was Abraham s? God was big enough to bless him materially Abraham became an incredibly wealthy man for his day he refused to allow others to receive credit for this God was big enough to test him Abraham was 99 and Sarah was 89 and childless God told Abraham to offer Isaac as a sacrifice God was big enough to do the Abe gave glory to God, persuaded God had power to do what he promised Romans 4:21 CONCLUSION The rich young ruler (Mt 19:16ff) has a big faith, but a small God Abraham started with a small faith, but a big God

9 Prayer concerns: Roger Biada will undergo surgery Monday morning at Medina Hospital to remove 8-10 inches of his colon that contains cancer. They are hopeful it is contained and has not spread. Rick Demeter s open heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic was postponed from Friday until Monday. Amanda Jamiol is recovering from a procedure that removed a blood clot from her collarbone; pray there is no reoccurrence. Laura Martz is home from the hospital. Continue to pray for those with ongoing health concerns: Bob Beck, Bob & Vivian Cooperrider, Robin Faughner, Nancy Hanwell, Anna Henry, Peg Jenkins, Flora Kostyak, Rose & Bob Murray, Eileen Raich, Dick Read, Gini Reinke, Betty Sweet, Mary & Ted Szenger, Mary Trzop, Jim Welsh and Nickey Whited. Continue to pray for our military personnel, and for our missionaries, Shelvis and Nancy Smith-Mather, in South Sudan. Attendance last week was 77 & 141, plus 74 for GFF on Thursday. Advance: Transition Team meets on Monday, May 11, at 7:00 p.m. You can add to your Mother's Day celebration with some chocolate! Chocolate covered strawberries or chocolate covered pretzels. Today the youth/college mission team will be taking orders (deadline is today) for this fund raiser for pickup at church after both services on May 10. Cost is $10 for a dozen or $1 each! Order forms will be available in the fellowship area, or write your order on the back of your welcome card. As the school year comes to end, so must our time with our "adopted" Towslee staff. The final delivery for cards or items for your adopted person will be on Thursday, May 21. That will be the delivery to reveal yourself to your staff person. Please make sure you do send a final card or some small item, as we don't want anyone to feel slighted. If you have any questions about the revealing, please contact Donna Cook.

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11 The Belgic Confession Article 1: The Only God We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, unchangeable, infinite, almighty; completely wise, just, and good, and the overflowing source of all good. Communion Class for Kids: Parents: If your child (1st thru 6th grade) is ready to understand the meaning of the sacrament of Holy Communion and you wish them to participate in a Communion Class for Kids, please write the child s name and your phone number on the back of your welcome card. Cathy Poest, the class instructor, will then be in contact with you about scheduling. Sermon Questions YOU DON T NEED A BIG FAITH Genesis 12:1-4; Hebrews 11: What s the difference between the quality of our faith and the object of our faith? 2. Have you ever had to leave behind something that was of great value to you? Talk about it. 3. Is there something God wants to you to let go of today? What makes it hard for you to do so? 4. Have you ever been asked to go somewhere you didn t want to go? What did you do? 5. Is there somewhere you are resisting going today? Where might God be sending you? 6. Give some examples where Abraham showed a powerful faith. Give some examples of where Abraham showed a very weak faith. 7. Tell of a time when you showed a strong faith. Tell of a time when you showed a weak faith. 8. How big was Abraham s God? 9. How big is your God? 10. What is one thing you will do differently as a result of this message?

12 Serving at BRC Sunday, May 3 Greeters (9) - Bob & Nancy Hanwell (10:30) - Carol Rounds Welcome Center -Eileen Smalley Nursery (9) - Mark Herbert (10:30) - Cheryl Wright, Renee Garapic, Serena Kramer Ushers (9)-Rick Meyer, Gene Shuster Assisting - Nick Virzi, Mel Wilk (10:30) -Ilze Fultz, Patty Walker Assisting-John Fazekas, Gary Brualdi Verse Cards (9) -Guy & Candice Lenart (10:30)-Jim & Renee Niedermyer Coffee-&Juice (9) - Dick & Rhyna Sensiba Sunday, May 10 Greeters (9) - Gene & Betty Shuster (10:30) - Ilze Fultz Welcome Center - Mark Herbert Nursery (9) - Tammy Smyrak (10:30) - Sandy Goots, Jacob Ceccoli Ushers (9) - Nick Virzi, Mel Wilk Assisting - Paul Buser, Mike Pasko (10:30) - John Fazekas, Gary Brualdi Assisting - Pete Nixon, Jim Niedermyer Verse Cards (9)-Pat Lods, Barb Cognata (10:30)-Donna & Maddie Cook Coffee-&Juice (9) - Gina Koch

13 Sunday, May 17 Greeters (9) - Debbie Reichle (10:30) - Jim & Renee Niedermyer Welcome Center - Guy & Candice Lenart Nursery (9) - Jennifer Poore (10:30) - Kelly Rhue, Emily Beal Ushers (9) - Paul Buser, Mike Pasko Assisting - Paul Morgan, Tom Michelson (10:30) - Pete Nixon, Jim Niedermyer Assisting - John Cook, Harry Centa Verse Cards (9)-Jackie Dalzell, Nadine Hapney (10:30)-Patty Walker, Kathy Rounds Coffee-&Juice (9) - Gene & Betty Shuster Sunday, May 24 Greeters (9) - Mike and Arleen Pasko (10:30) - Patty Walker Welcome Center - J & R niedermyer Nursery (9) - Kristin Toot (10:30) - Cheryl Wright, Renee Garapic, Serena Kramer Ushers (9) - Paul Morgan, Tom Michelson Assisting - Dick Sensiba, Earl Gentile (10:30) - John Cook, Harry Centa Assisting - Carol Dickens, Renee Niedermyer Verse Cards (9) -Guy & Candice Lenart (10:30)-Gary Brualdi, Jeff Jansen Coffee-&Juice (9) -Tammy & Jason Smyrak

14 Brunswick Reformed Church Why Do We Exist? BRC exists to be a church where the love of Jesus is transforming lives. What Do We Do? BRC offers opportunities for Christ-centered worship, discipleship, fellowship, service and outreach. What Are Our Core Values? Scripture: In all of life the Bible governs, guides, shapes and sends us out. Humility: God and his grace is the lens through which we view and respond to ourselves and others. Compassion: The love of Jesus empowers us to value and love all people, and to serve those for whom God is equipping us. To What Values Do We Aspire? Discipleship: We will continue to develop a wise understanding of God s Word, an ability to discern God s will, and an eagerness to obey God s leading. Worship: We will continue to grow in our commitment and love for both personal and corporate worship. Kingdom-focused: We will place involvement in God s mission before personal preferences or human traditions. Faith sharing: With humble confidence we will live out our faith, sharing our stories and inviting others to join us on the journey as we have opportunity. Prayer: We will live all aspects of life dependent on God and in communication with him, sharing our hearts and listening for his leadings.