What is God's Gift to Us? - Kayla's Korner

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15

What is God’s Gift to us? The answer to this question is quite simple. God sent His one and only Son Jesus Christ to earth to be the final sacrifice for our sins. I don’t know about you, but to me, that is one of the most special gifts I have ever received.

Let’s breakdown 2 Corinthians 9:15 for a moment to really understand what Paul is trying to share with us. “Thanks be to God…”, Here we read that Paul burst out in an exclamation of appreciation to God. “…for His indescribable…” The Greek word for indescribable is not used anywhere else in the New Testament and is translated as “Unutterable.” This means that words cannot describe, and no human can fully appreciate the magnitude of the gift.

Gift giving is something that I love to do, gift giving brings joy to my heart. Seeing the other person open their gift from me, and seeing their reaction warms my heart with Joy. I know gift giving isn’t everyone’s cup of tea and that’s ok. Jesus and His sacrifice is the most indescribable gift we could receive. Christmas time can be stressful, but it can also be a joyous time. While you are gift shopping this season, remember God who gave the most incredible gift to each one of us and maybe this year gift giving will be a little more joyous for you. I can’t begin to imagine how God feels each time someone accepts His gift of Christ.

Blessings Kayla Hass

Dear God,

We thank you for giving the gift of grace. For giving us the opportunity of receiving a relationship with you. As we move into the Christmas season this year, let us remember all you have done for us and continue to do. Let us not get wrapped up in the gifts, but rather focus on you and the gift you have given us. Amen

Kayla Marie Hass

Thanks and Giving - Reece's Peaces

November starts our stewardship campaign. It is time as a congregation that we take note of what God has given us and what we want to give toward in the future. I think this year is an incredibly important stewardship campaign because we just finished deciding our vision and our mission for the next 5 years. We are giving toward that mission and the vision that we have for the church.

Starting this quarter, we have refocused our Care-Share groups. We now have three Family Ministers, each headed by two of our church Elders. These family ministries will meet quarterly to create solid relationships and connections within each family. They will care for you and you will care for them, just as you care for your relatives now. You will support one another in good and bad times with cards, meals, and whatever else is needed. Our families will make sure that every member of Hurstbourne feels loved and supported.

Additionally, on January 1st, we will begin to examine how each one of our projects, events, and activities align with our new vision. Every event will be reimagined with our new vision and mission in mind. This will make every segment of our church aligned with our greater goals. We will continue to grow our Christian education program, expand our service to the community, and become a welcoming place for all.

This year, 2022, showed the resilience of our church. It was our first full year without a COVID-19 shutdown and it reminded us how good it feels to be back in church. It also shows us the possibilities of the future.

2023 will be a year of great and amazing changes to our church: changes as we continue to grow in membership and become a welcoming place for all God’s children changes as we continue to grow in discipleship, and changes as we seek new and unique ways to serve the community of which we are part.

So, as we start our stewardship campaign, let us remember what it is we are thankful for and what it is we are giving toward.

The Theology of the Russian War in Ukraine - Reece's Peace's

I was halfway through writing a wonderfully fun article on the turning of the season when I saw a report that the Russian Orthodox Patriarch stated that all Russians that die in battle will have all of their sins forgiven.

It stopped me in my tracks. Russia invaded Ukraine for no valid reason. They have spent months killing civilians and military personal fighting to defend their home country. Now the Russian Church has turned into a mouthpiece for this genocide and promises eternal salvation for those who die in this offensive war. Patriarch Kirill went so far as to compare the sacrifice of Christ to that of Russian Soldiers. This is against all Christian reasoning and theology. Christ never fought in a war. Throughout all of Christ’s ministry he fought against the oppression of good people by tyrannical authorities. The idea that Jesus offers salvation not because of faith in God, but instead because of participation in a vindictive war brought on by petty individuals, is completely inappropriate.

Even more troubling is the fact that more than 90% of Christians in Russia are members of the Russian Orthodox church. For almost all Christians inside Russia, this absurd theology is the only opinion they hear. They will not hear Pope Francis’s public address stating, “In the name of God, I ask you: stop this massacre,” calling the invasion an act of “unacceptable armed aggression.” They will not hear the number of other ministers and priests around the world that have condemned this act. They will not even be able to read this article.

In their own country, religious voices have been silenced as Russia continues it mobilization for war. In the beginning months of the conflict Russian parishes independently began to rid themselves of connection to the Russian Patriarch, removing Kirill’s name for church worship. However, inside Russia, those churches have now too been silenced.

I wish that I had a better topic to write about for this article. I wish I could have written a loving piece about the changing colors of leaves, bonfires, and hayrides. However, I couldn’t. It is not that there is much any of us can do to stop this, but still, we must acknowledge the problem with religious statements like this one. Jesus is not for war. Hopefully, we can come together as a community of faith and pray for a peaceful end to this senseless war.

Standing Firm - Kayla's Korner

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

As Christians, we are called to be alert to various dangers, we are to be steadfast in our faith, we are to act like an adult, and have a strong will so we can remain pure in faith. We should be careful to not allow ourselves to become corrupted by the ways of the world. We should continue to believe in the scriptures. We should have a strong will to oppose people who try to corrupt or divide us.

Something I have noticed about today’s world, is people are afraid to speak up, because they don’t want to offend people. I want to ask you, Do you think Jesus spoke up or do you think He sat back because He didn’t want to offend others… Jesus came to earth to turn each of us away from our wicked ways, so that we could inherit the kingdom of God. In order for Him to turn each one of us from our wicked ways, He had to stand firm in what God had called Him to do and what Jesus believed was right.

We must follow Jesus’ example….In order to stand firm, believers must plan to utilize all tools available to them. I want you all to also note that Paul calls the devil’s work against believers “Schemes”. He appears to seek to destroy the good work of all believers. Thankfully his power is no match to the power of God. My fellow Christians, I encourage you to stand firm in your belief of God. Don’t allow others to persuade you to question your belief. Put your foot down, stand strong and be bold in the name of Jesus.

Our Vison, Our Mission

What will Hurstbourne Christian Church look like in five years?

What makes Hurstbourne Christian Church different?

What is God’s vision for Hurstbourne Christian Church and what will we do to become that Church?

Since January we have grappled with these questions. On the first Sunday of the year, I asked you what Hurstbourne Christian will look like in five years. What will our missions look like? What will our church look like? Those questions were the start of our journey.

Next, our entire church prayerfully answered a survey describing the vision each of us as individuals have for the church. We combined those answers into one complete document.

Then we took the collection of individual answers and formed a vision team, connecting all aspects of the Church into one body. This team continued together information by surveying the Hurstbourne neighborhood. We asked our neighbors what they thought of our church and what their community needed in a church. Some of their answers were shocking but truthful! The vision team spent many nights debating and discussing our mission and our vision, evenings spent prayerfully working to listen and discern God’s will.

After numerous hours the vision team developed a new vision, new mission, and a plan to make them a reality. Now it is time for you to celebrate the fruits of our labor: the plan to bring about a church that is ready for the roaring (20)20’s, a vision that keeps the heart of the church of the past but with a new energy that is ready for the future.

On September 11 we are celebrating our Vision Sunday and the whole church must be ready to support this vision! United we stand, divided we fall. Frankly, our vision is something that is impossible not to unite behind. It is a vision for a loving, biblically-based church, ready to make actionable change in the world!