6115 MAHAN DRIVE, TALLAHASSEE, FL 32308 www.capitalcitychristianchurch.org Return Service Requested LOVE CHRIST. LOVE OTHERS.SERVE ALL Children!! Blue Springs Recreational Park LUNCH & LEARN July 12, 11AM Guest speaker: Tom Hart Presentation on Corrie Ten Boom Cost $4 Bring a friend! Sign up in the foyer. Come visit Capital City Christian Church Tom Brown Park, July 4 th 3-10pm Face painting for the kids Glow sticks Free giveaways See Ya there!
So, a couple of weeks ago, Anne Wilder was sharing with me her devotion for a Tuesday prayer circle. She got permission from the author of this article, Stephen Altrogge, and it was so good I wanted to share it with more of you WHAT DID I GET OUT OF CHURCH TODAY? It s a phrase I ve said or thought many times. Church is over, I m sitting at home eating lunch, and I think to myself, I didn t really get much out of church this morning. The worship leader was wearing a loud, distracting plaid shirt that looked like an Amish quilt and a neon sign had been thrown into a blender and then reassembled at American Eagle. We also sang that one song that I really don t like the one that repeats the chorus over and over and over like some sort of druid chant. And the sermon well, it definitely could ve been better. I mean, it was Bible and Jesus and something about holiness, but the pastor definitely can t preach like Matt Chandler. What did I get out of church? Have you ever asked that question? I suspect you have. After all, in our, Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? culture, it s hard to not be self-centered in our spiritual lives. We want to make sure that we re being fed, built-up, and connected when we come to church. And we live in a world that is filled with reviews and evaluations. I loved the shrimp and grits at John s Seafood Shack and gave the place five stars on Yelp! I had an awful customer service experience and I told all my friends on Facebook (I actually did this recently, but don t ask me about it because I get angry every time I tell the story). It s easy to treat church like any other consumer experience. It s interesting though, that when we look at Scripture, we find very few details regarding the things we should get from church. Rather, we find lots of details about what we should bring to church. In 1 Corinthians 14:26, Paul describes what a gathering should look like: What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. Paul describes church as a bunch of people coming From the Senior Minister together and giving themselves away. He expected that every one of the Corinthians would come prepared to give something, whether that be a hymn, lesson, revelation, tongue, or interpretation. For Paul, church was not a spectator sport. It was an all hands on deck kind of thing. No slackers allowed. For Paul, the most important question wasn t, What can I get out of this gathering? Rather, the most important question was, What can I do that will build others up? In Ephesians 4:11-12, Paul says, And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ It can be tempting to think that ministry is the stuff done by pastors, worship leaders, and small group leaders. We let them do the work while we sit back and watch. But the passage from Ephesians makes it clear that ministry is done by every Christian. Pastors and teachers are called to arm the saints for ministry, and then the saints are to go into the battlefields. The most important question isn t, What am I getting out of this ministry? The most important question is, What ministry am I doing? John Frame puts it this way: Worshipers should not take a passive attitude toward worship, such as we usually take toward entertainment. As we have seen, worship is a priestly service. It is latreia, labor, service. Therefore, we should go to church to do something: to bring praise to God and to minister to one another. This perspective should make us less concerned about what we get out of worship and more concerned about what we contribute to God and to our brothers and sisters. (Worship In Spirit and Truth, pg. 80) Obviously, it s important that we attend a church which allows us to experience biblical preaching, fellowship, the sacraments, and all the other important parts of church. But if our main question after every service is, What did I get out of it?, we re asking the wrong question. IT IS TIME TO BE ALL IN! Thank you Stephen for your insightful words and thoughts. Allen G. Coming August 27
July 4-3-10PM Celebrate America Outreach at Tom Brown Park July 4 - Office closed July 5-11:30AM Directed Prayer Circle July 6-6PM Outreach Initiative July 7-10AM Prayer Circle July 9-10AM Bus leaves for Ring of Fire July 10-15 - Middle School Camp Week July 11-6PM Ladies In-Touch Dinner July 12-11AM Lunch & Learn with Tom Hart July 12-6:30PM Board Meeting July 13-6PM Outreach Initiative Communication From the Leadership Depression When I was a kid, I collected buttons. I had hundreds, they had all sorts of sayings I m so broke I can t pay attention; think twice before saying nothing; my job is so secret even I don t know what I m doing! But my favorite was definitely, if wearer is found depressed, administer chocolate immediately. It had a sad looking hippo on the front and I do love chocolate; it was a match made in heaven. Now I know what you are thinking, Christians are always happy and joyful. Nobody ever has any problems. Well that would be great; however I just couldn t find that passage in the Bible. In 1 Kings 19:10-14 we read the account of Elijah; The Lord said, Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? He replied, I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too. Now keep in mind, this is just after his mighty victory over the prophets of Baal. He was having a mountain top experience (no pun intended) and now he was running for his life because he just knew he was going to be killed. Not exactly a happy moment for him. One of the great truths of the Bible is that God is our hope when we are in trouble, including depression. The message is clear. When depression hits, fix your eyes on God, his power, and his love for you: The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. Jeremiah 29:11-12 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; John 14:16 (Jesus said) And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:20 For we live by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians, 5:7 So remember if depression comes, fight back with the word of God. He is there always, He never sleeps, and He never slumbers. The Elders COMING EVENTS FOR JULY July 14-10AM Prayer Circle July 17 - Bus leaves at 1PM for Nice Work July 19-11:30AM Directed Prayer Circle July 20-6PM Outreach Initiative July 21-10AM Prayer Circle July 24-12PM Senior Potluck July 26-11:30AM Directed Prayer Circle July 27-6PM Outreach Initiative July 28-8AM Men s Breakfast at Ruby s July 28-9:30AM Children s Day Trip to Blue Springs Recreational Park July 28-10AM Prayer Circle
Ministry EVENTS Thank You! Dear Pastor Allen & my church family at Capital City, I had a lovely time worshipping with you and sharing about God s work and heart in Jordan. Thank you for sharing your Sunday School time in allowing me to share about that work. I have also very much enjoyed hearing about your heart and ministry in the Tallahassee area. Together may we continue to pray for His will to be done and to walk in His glory. Warmly, Karie (Karima) Payne Dear Members of Capital City Christian Church: I am writing to thank you for your recent donation of diapers, wipes, safety items, clothing, household items, and craft supplies, etc.. All of the items are very much needed and appreciated. At Brehon we currently have 5 residents, 2 infants and 2 toddlers. We are waiting for the next baby who is due any day now. Your contribution helps with the immediate needs of the families we serve. Again, thank you for your support of Brehon House, Shirley O Rear Assistant Executive Director A SEASON OF PRAYER for July: Come join us on Thursday morning at 10AM or on Tuesday mornings at 11:30AM for a time of prayer. We have set aside a room (room 165) dedicated to prayer. You are encouraged to spend time in communication with God. Feel free to use this room individually or as a group to pray about whatever is on your heart. July 12, 11AM Cost $4 Guest speaker: Tom Hart Presentation will be on Corrie Ten Boom July 24, 12 noon Join us for great fun and fellowship! Bring a dish to share. Senior Trips Peach State Summer Theatre Ring of Fire July 9 10AM The bus will leave for Valdosta promptly at 10AM. Arrive at Cheddar s Restaurant at 11:30-11:45, enjoy a wonderful lunch and then arrive at the Theatre at 1:30PM. Show starts at 2PM. Peach State Summer Theatre Nice Work If You Can Get It! July 17 1PM Bring your lunch and we will eat in the Fellowship Hall before we leave for Valdosta. The bus will leave at 1PM. Children s Ministry Join us in Sunday School Children s Church for: Nursery Pre-K & K 1 st -2 nd Grade 3 rd -5 th Grade July 3 Charlotte NeSmith Don & Linda Meeks Cindy Meeks Becky Carter July 10 Debi Smith Don & Linda Meeks Cindy Meeks Becky Carter July 17 Marilyn Bryan Don & Linda Meeks Cindy Meeks Becky Carter July 24 Becky Griffin Don & Linda Meeks Cindy Meeks Becky Carter July 31 Charlotte NeSmith Don & Linda Meeks Cindy Meeks Becky Carter For more information: call 877-7315 or visit www.capitalcitychristianchurch.org Children s Church/Worship Nursery K 5th Grade July 3 Marilyn Bryan Juanita Tatum July 10 Becky Griffin Becky Carter July 17 Charlotte NeSmith Cindy Meeks July 24 Rylee Gonzalez Juanita Tatum July 31 Debi Smith Becky Carter
Sun M o n T ue Wed T hu F ri Sat Happy Birthday: 1 - Beverley Whitaker 1 - Jeanette Busby 19 - Jan Pitts 22 - Beth Foy 4PM Rice Life Group 4PM Rice Life Group 1PM Senior Trip to PSST 24 12 Senior Potluck 4PM Rice Life Group 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 11:30AM Prayer Circle 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 31 24 - Shirley O Rear 28 - Jim Cammons CELEBRATE AMERICA 3-10PM 6PM Ladies Dinner 11:30AM Prayer Circle 6PM Church Growth & Outreach Initiative Prayer and Study J U LY 2 0 1 6 25 26 27 8AM Men s Breakfast 28 29 30 Upcoming Events: July 9 - Ring Of Fire at PSST Bus leaves promptly at 10AM, lunch at Cheddar s and theatre at 2PM July 12-11AM Lunch & Learn, Speaker: Tom Hart $4 Tom will have a presentation about Corrie ten Boom July 17 - Nice Work if you can get it at PSST Bus leaves at 1PM Bring your lunch and join us in the Fellowship Hall after services. July 24-12PM Senior Potluck Call the office 850-877-7315 for more information. 10AM Prayer Circle 6PM Church Growth & 11AM Lunch & Outreach Initiative 10AM Prayer Circle Learn 6:30PM Board Meeting Middle School Camp Week at Tri-State 11:30AM Prayer Circle 11:30AM Prayer Circle 6PM Church Growth & Outreach Initiative Prayer and Study 6PM Church Growth & Outreach Initiative Prayer and Study 10AM Prayer Circle 10AM Prayer Circle 9:30AM Blue Springs Children s Trip Ladies In Touch Dinner Meeting July 11 th at 6PM 10AM Senior Trip to PSST All Ladies are encouraged to attend. Devotion: Believing God Dinner: Summer Cook Out For More information contact Donna Gonzalez Don t forget to register for A Time For You September 17 10-4 HERE ARE SOME EVENTS THAT ARE EASY TO INVITE YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS: Celebrate America Outreach at Tom Brown Park July 4th Ladies Dinner, July 11, 6PM Lunch & Learn 11AM, July 12 Senior Potluck, July 24 Food Pantry Our Food Pantry provides food for those in immediate need. If you or someone you know is in need please see Allen or Trish and check out the Food Pantry. You can make monetary donations to the pantry by designating Pantry on your check and placing it in the offering.
Our purpose is to LOVE CHRIST, LOVE OTHERS and SERVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR WORSHIP: Bible Study 9:00 AM Coffee Break 10:00 AM Worship 10:30 AM Life Group 4:00PM Sunday Evening Life Group 5:00 PM Wednesday Bible Discussion Groups 6:30 PM YOUTH & CHILDREN Sunday Evening Wednesday Evening 5:00 PM 6:30 PM OUR STAFF: Allen Gonzalez Mike Seay Trish Rice Senior Minister Worship Director Administrative Assistant Leadership: ELDERS: Don Meeks, Tim Thorson STATISTICS FOR June 2016 ATTENDANCE Average AM Worship 67 GIVING General Giving Missions May Budget Need $ 15,984 $ 2,375 $11,556.49 $2,165.00 DEACONS: Dave Sterling, Clayton Wilder, Jim Cammons ASL MINISTRY: An ASL interpreter is available to The Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community at the Sunday morning10:30am service. NEWSLETTER DEADLINE ~ The Deadline for AUGUST 2016 Newsletter is JULY 27th