The Current (Feb. 2022)
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. (John 7:38, NIV)
Good morning, everyone! We pray that you would be filled, comforted and challenged by the presence of Jesus this morning, this week and this month.
Now, for some updates …
Upcoming Events
Community Service Project (Sunday, Feb. 27, 5 p.m.): In lieu of a traditional Sunday service, join us to practically demonstrate God’s love to our community. We’ll be working together on two projects (all ages welcome!).
New Sermon Series (starting Sunday, March 6, 5 p.m.): God is working even when we can’t see him. Join us as we dive into the book of Ruth and explore the undercurrent of God’s providence.
Men’s Movie Night (Friday, March 11, 6 p.m.): The guys will be gathering at Adam Bennett’s home to hang out and watch Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), a campy sci-fi movie that’s been called "the best worst movie ever made." Bring snacks to share.
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Notes from Leaders
Pastor David Welker: Every other month, in lieu of our traditional Sunday worship service, we're going to come together as a church to practically demonstrate the love of Jesus to our community. This month we'll have two projects that people (including kids) can participate in. We'll be making fleece tie blankets and we'll be writing camper mail for the children that will be attending the Seeds of Hope camp this summer. We'll hear a little bit about this ministry and learn how the projects we'll be working on will bless some very special children in the community. Seeds of Hope will be providing all of the supplies, we just need to show up with a heart to serve. Join us on Feb. 27 for the first opportunity!
Krista Brandt (Voyagers): Attached below is a photo of some teens who volunteered at the Climb 2 Feed fundraiser for the backpack food program, on Jan. 30. As a group, we're still plugging away at our 1 & 2 Kings study and will finish that up in the next month.
Shannon Welker: We’re looking for volunteers in several key areas: welcome team (greeting visitors at the door and making them feel seen and welcome; need to be at church by 4:30 p.m.); coffee-bar and drink setup (at church by 4:30 p.m.); kids ministry (K-5 teachers; lessons provided). I’m also looking for anyone interested in participating in some random acts of kindness for Random Acts of Kindness Day on Feb. 17. Contact me with any ideas or questions. We’re also very proud of our K-5 class, which recently raised money through chores to provide puzzles for the Seeds of Hope giving tree.
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Small Group Happenings
Brittany Wojtowicz offers updates on each of TRVC’s small groups:
Prayer in the Upper Room Group (meets second and fourth Saturdays at 11 a.m., upstairs at TRVC): The prayer group has been faithful in praying for our church, all our ministries and leaders, our community of Mankato and personal requests as they come up. They have been excited when they have prayed about specific things and then seen the Lord answer! For example, the group has been praying for people to come back to church and every week, they see this prayer answered in a new way. This group is drop-in; just show up!
Bible Book Club (meets second and fourth Saturdays at 7 p.m., upstairs at TRVC): This group has been studying the book of Philippians. Together they have been learning about how Paul found joy, how he stayed connected with the body of believers and how he shared about his faith despite being in jail. This group would be an excellent fit for anyone looking to get deeper in the Word and connect with others. This group is open and ready for you to join!
Croyle Home Group (meets first and third Saturdays at 6:30 p.m., Croyles home): This group has been looking at Scriptures and having discussion that goes along with the sermon series we're in at church. They have found that offering a space where people can further unpack things has been very beneficial. Lately, they've been looking at what the Bible says and discussing prayer. If you are looking for a group of friends to fellowship and deepen relationship with, reach out to David, Shannon, Matt, or Martha to join!
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A New Identity: A Message from Pastor David Welker
When reading the third chapter of Mark's Gospel, we see Jesus facing some serious allegations and criticisms. First the Pharisees plot to kill him after he heals a man on the Sabbath. Later his own family tries to take over his life because they think he is "out of his mind.” Then gets accused of being possessed and controlled by demons. Not an easy day in the life of Christ. In the middle of all of this, we see that Jesus calls and puts together his 12 disciples. Two of the 12 were brothers named James and John. Jesus nicknamed these guys "sons of thunder" because of their fiery temper, feisty preaching and loud voices. These brothers were characters. In Luke we read an account where Jesus is preaching in a village in Samaria with little impact. He's not received well and nobody responds to his message. Angry for their rabbi, James and John suggest calling down fire from heaven to burn the village up! Another account in Mark documents Jesus telling his disciples that he will be betrayed, handed over to be mocked, tortured and killed. I can only imagine the long, awkward pause that followed. Finally, James and John break the silence by saying, “Uh, Jesus, we want you to do whatever we ask. Can we be seated next to you in this kingdom you're establishing?” They wanted to secure powerful positions for themselves. It's an odd request that demonstrates these guys didn't understand a lot of things. Was this the best time to bring this topic up? Even at the most basic understanding, it'd be a bit like asking Jesus if you can have his car after he just told you that he was going to lose his life. These guys didn't have much of a filter, they said what they thought. They were a lot like us, too often hopelessly human and remarkably unremarkable.
But that wasn't the end of their story. James would go from seeking a position of power to understanding sacrificial love, he would become the first disciple to be martyred. Eventually John would refer to himself as the "one that Jesus loved.” Has that ever sounded odd to you? I have a friend in South Africa that would always say to me, "You know, David, I'm God's favorite." I'd say, "Leanne, how can you say that?!" She'd reply, "Oh, don't you worry, you're His favorite, too.”
You see, like my friend Leanne, John came to know that he was completely loved by Jesus. He's the one that, when he'd sit next to Jesus, would rest his head on Jesus' chest. So close that he could hear the heartbeat of God. That closeness changed him. John would go on to write the Gospel, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation. His main pastoral theme in all of his writings was God's love. He couldn't stop talking or writing about it. John would go from being known as a "son of thunder" to the "apostle of love." Jesus changed John's heart, gave him a new name, a new identity. He does that for us today. Stay close to Jesus and let him inform and transform who you are.
Giving and Sharing
One of the ways we worship God is through our tithes and offerings. Consider giving back to TRVC with a donation.
Also, did you know that we're getting noticed online? Reviews mean a lot when people are looking for a church. Have you considered letting others know what you love about TRVC by leaving a review on Google or Facebook?
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Contact
Have something to share in the next newsletter? Or just a general question or comment? Feel free to contact Cody Benjamin (cody@trvc.org) or Pastor David Welker (david@trvc.org). Find us on social media: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram.