Inside this edition: I have known this dreaded experience as I m sure many others have.

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1 Two images have been floating in and out of my mind recently. The image of hitting the wall in a metaphorical sense of progress being halted due to some inward mental and emotional hindrance and the image of a turtle on a fence post. I had never heard the latter phrase until just a week ago. I looked it up on line and there were many pictures and stories illustrating this condition and lessons to be learned from it. Either metaphor can be used to identify a person s perception about themselves - movement without progress activity without results. I have known this dreaded experience as I m sure many others have. In my study of the Holy Bible I did find an ancient situation that fits the conditions I ve just described. I found it in the prophet Haggai s words. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it. Haggai 1:6 That fits pretty well in my opinion. Movement but little or no progress in pretty much every aspect of life. The good news is that after the problem is described the prophet Haggai does help by providing a solution. Here it is: Give careful thought to your ways. The context will explain this as the strong command to get your priorities in life examined and back in proper order. If your life doesn t seem to be showing fruit or progress this is the place to start. Examine where you have been investing your time, money and energy. In the Biblical account the prophet challenges the people to stop prioritizing self and make God first. This is done by acknowledging the existence of God, showing reverence for God s authority, and by obeying God s written commands. Recovery programs that work share this starting point. The second step out of the funk of hitting the wall is to ask God to stir up your spirit. The Lord stirred up the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. Haggai 1:14. The God of the Bible is a personal God; the ever present God; the God who partners with earthly folk to accomplish God s work. God can and does divinely motivate people who have hit the wall. God can pick you off the fence post and set you down in a new direction! Ask God to stir up your spirit! There are many remedies to this emotional immobilization. Some turn to anti-depressant drugs or psychotherapy, which can be effective. Others fall into addictive and destructive excesses of all sorts. A few act out in violence toward others. I ask you to consider a spiritual remedy: Make God the number 1 priority in your life. Ask God to get you moving with fresh motivation and vision. Inside this edition: Wonder-Land School 2 Vacation Bible School/ Summer Camp Mission News & Financial Peace University Harbor Youth & Men s Ministry Child Dedications Saying Good Bye & Thank You! Special Dates to Remember & Numbers Report Campus Calendar Women s Lunch Events ARCC News

2 Wonder-Land Christian Preschool (WLS) by Jessica Massey, Director The 50th Year Celebration was a huge success! Thank you to all who help serve, we could not have had a wonderful event with you. It was a pleasure to see Elsie, Nancy and Nick enjoying themselves. The children performance was outstanding! We look forward for the next 50 years! June 1 st at 10AM is the Explorers Graduation, June 6 th starts WLS Summer Program. During the summer program the teacher s have great things plan for the children such as water play, field trips for the after school children and more. June 8th & 9 th is the ARCC/WLS Rummage Sale! To all the wonderful people who made our Wonder-Land School 50th Anniversary so very special. Thank you so much!! Everything was thoughtfully planned and the picture blanket will always be treasured. Elsie, Nancy & Nick 2

3 Rummage Sale Dear Friends: Good News for you this summer. American River Community Church opens its doors for your kids on an impacting island adventure! At Shipwrecked VBS Summer Camp, kids discover that Jesus rescues them! Kids participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, make and devour yummy treats, experience one-of-a-kind Bible adventures, collect Bible Memory Buddies to remind them of God s love, and test out Sciency-Fun Gizmos they ll take home and play with all summer long. Plus, kids will learn to look for evidence of God all around them through something called God Sightings. Each day concludes with the Sail Away Sendoff that gets everyone involved in living what they ve learned. Family members and friends are encouraged to join in a daily exploration of our Jesus rescue! So mark these dates on your calendar: July 23 to 27, the fun starts at 5:00PM and will end at 8:00PM. Call to register your children for this life-changing adventure! Sincerely, Svitlana Kovalev by Svitlana Kovalev 3

4 Missions by Mary Patterson Happy late Spring, church family! Can you believe it s almost June? My dad says time goes by more quickly ever year, and I m having trouble denying that. But then my mom always said, Don t worry the best is yet to come. I can t deny that either. Since Winter Sanctuary I ve been regularly attending the Carmichael HART monthly meetings. I m always amazed at how everyone there has such a caring and compassionate heart for the homeless. There is such promising growth and there always seems to be new people representing different areas of the community wanting to become involved and help however they can. It s amazing how God brings all of us together. So, with the deadline to submit an article for the newsletter this month drawing near, I was thinking, I should submit something as I hadn t for a couple months. But what? Then it dawned on me that just because Winter Sanctuary was over months ago, it really wasn t over. Over the past two months it became Spring Sanctuary. Then in about a month it will be Summer Sanctuary. Then Fall Sanctuary. The homeless are still homeless. They still need us, regardless of what season it is. Homelessness doesn t go by the calendar. Scott Young of Carmichael HART told me at the end of our Winter Sanctuary week to keep coming to the HART meetings because our ability to help doesn t end there. There s so much more we can and need to do. He is so right. So when my phone rang last night and it was Scott Young asking me if I wanted to serve on the Carmichael HART Board and to think about and get back to him, I told him no..i wouldn t be calling him back, because I accept! I thanked Scott for considering me and told him it would be my honor. I m also in the early stages of volunteering to teach bible classes to women inmates at Folsom Prison. I somehow received an from LAST Ministry (LAST is an acronym for Life s Amazing Secret Treasures), a biblical ministry looking for volunteers to join their team. I went to the orientation at their boutique in Orangevale one evening a few weeks ago and was very impressed. I will keep you posted! Also, I m planning a back-to-school supplies donation drive for the Mattress Firm s Foster Kids program sometime during July-August so watch for details and an announcement soon! What if you were following a plan for your money that you KNEW worked? With Dave Ramsey s class Financial Peace University, you CAN take control of your money, get out of debt, and create a plan for your future. If you re interested in learning more about the class, message me! Because we re offering it at American River Community Church just for you starting June 11th. Contact Alex Vassar at or alexvassar@yahoo.com. Or go to our class page to register and pay: www. 4

5 Harbor Youth Group Cyndie & Randy Holland took the Harbor Youth group to Leatherby s for a fun evening! Men s Ministry Thank you Booker T for sharing your faith story with the men last month. 5

6 Mother s Day and Child Dedications Congratulations to the Palaroan and Brandau families for dedicating their children on Mother s Day! Congratulation to the Brown/Hall families and Jackson/VanKoughnet families for dedicating their children on Mother s Day! In Memorial Charlene Mumma, wife of Ken Mumma for 51 years, passed away suddenly Friday May 25, Ken has been a member of our church for decades. Their grandchildren Nate, Mason and Lakota Cummins often attend church with him. Charlene was a baptized Catholic and had just completed a round of cancer treatment. A private viewing was held for family members at Sierra View Chapel in Carmichael. Her desire was to have her ashes scattered in the ocean off Hawaii. Please keep Ken in your thoughts and prayers. Cards of comfort are welcome. Special thanks and recognition to volunteer Cheryl Starr for all her hard work and creativity in preparing the gifts for Mother's Day. 6

7 Special Dates to Remember Birthdays: 06: Jane Jennings 11: Jerry Jennings 12: George Thompson 15: Kathleen Angel 23: Glenn Schussman 26: Susan Mihm 27: Jacob Smirl June Birthstone: Pearl July Birthstone: Ruby 04: Betsey Raya, Betty Hearnley 06: Les Cudworth 09: Alan Brock 10: Ed Davis 12: Samantha Fury, Kaya Brandau 15: Montre Massey, Jr. 16: Peter Hanely 17: Brian Englund & Tim Wilhelm 19: Emily Smirl 20: Torian Hall 23: Ben Willis 26: Doris Reimer & Stella Plain 31: Linda Gates Anniversary's: June Flower: Rose 03: Jenna & Dave Palaroan 06: Angie & Derek Gedarro 13: Darlene & Bob McLean 15: Jane & Alex Vassar 18: Kristy & Tim Stapleton 19: Jane & Larry Bryan 21: Betsey & Jerry Raya 22: Nadia & Alex Valuiski 27: Barbara & Brian Englund 27: Svitlana & Dmitriy Kovalev 28: Pam & Vince Damiano July Flower: Larkspur/Delphinium 30: Todd & Adelle Plain Sunday Attendance 05/06 05/13 05/20 05/27 Worship Nursery: Infant to 3 year olds Numbers Report Martin, Emily, Sarah, Elliana & Jacob Smirl are off to New York! Martin s new job is taking them to a new home, school, church, and community. Children: 4 yr. olds to 5th grade Adult Sunday School We will miss all of them very much. Best of luck always! 7

8 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 10:00AM WLS Explorers Graduation 2 GHC Assessment GHC Focus Group 3 8:45AM Holy Communion 9:30AM One Worship Service 5:00PM Young Couples 4 5 2:00PM Adult Bible Study Diaconate 6 WLS Summer Program Starts Men s Life Group 7 9:45AM Women s Bible Study 8 8:00AM Rummage Sale 9 8:00AM Rummage Sale 10 8:45AM 9:30AM EPIC Bible Study 11 Financial Peace University 12 2:00PM Adult Bible Study 13 Men s Life Group 14 9:45AM Women s Bible Study :00Noon BBQ & Blues 10:35AM Membership Vote on Budget 17 Father s Day 8:45AM 9:30AM EPIC Bible Study 18 Financial Peace University 19 2:00PM Adult Bible Study 20 Men s Life Group 21 9:45AM Women s Bible Study :00PM Harbor Youth 24 8:45AM 9:30AM EPIC Bible Study 25 Financial Peace University 26 2:00PM Adult Bible Study 27 Men s Life Group 28 9:45AM Women s Bible Study

9 The Women s Thursday Morning Bible Study group visited Phyllis Bottino for lunch. 9

10 Phone: Facebook.com/ARCConline 10