The Flame July / August 2011

8/6/2019 The Flame July / August 2011

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The FlameThe magazine of Christ Church

Rev. Shane BishopSenior Pastor

Rev. Troy BentonAssociate Pastor

Donna HarrisonEditor

Justin AymerDirector of Communications

Service TimesSunday8:30am, 10:30am, 6:00pm

Saturday5:00pm

Barbara GermanyProof Reader

Christ Church339 Frank Scott Pkwy EFairview Heights, IL 62208618.277.4659

For a complete listing of the ChristChurch Staff and to learn more aboutChrist Church please visit:

www.mychristchurch.com

© Copyright 2011, Christ Church.Questions about the Flame?Contact Donna Harrison at:[email protected]

A Note From The Editor“ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”Luke 12:34 (NLT)

Where is your treasure? At rst glance the answer to that question seemseasy. But as I reect on where and how I spend my money, talents, time,and gifts, I have a long way to go to ensure my heart is in the right place. Ipray that as you read this edition, you are challenged, stretched and movedto make changes where the Holy Spirit leads you.

Blessings in Christ,Donna Harrison

Contents3 The World as I See It…By Rev. Shane L. Bishop

4 Coming to “Connect”By Rev. Troy Benton

5 GIFTSBy Bernie Kneale

6 Parenting PrioritiesBy Leslie Damann

7 Where are your Treasures?By Alan Prass

7 God Is Calling You

8 Auditions

By Don Frazure

9 Getting to Know You

10 Ministry Spotlight

11 Treasure the People in Your LifeBy Larry Weber

11 A Terrible Thing to WasteBy Emily Climaco

12 Thank You Christ ChurchBy Grant Armstrong

13 My Dad’s Lesson on GivingBy Kathy O’Dell

14 Satellite Update

15 Watch Us Grow



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The World

as I See It…By Rev. Shane L. Bishop

And each day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved…Acts 2: 47

The growth curve in weekend worship average forChrist Church since 1997 has truly been remarkable.As we moved from 200 per weekend to almost 1600,we have grown steadily each year. Business guru

Jim Collins calls this consistent and steady kind ofescalation the most preferred kind of growth. It is,simply put…sustainable. One consultant I spokewith took an extended look at our history since the1996 relocation and proclaimed us, “A thinking man’schurch.”

Almost every church in USAmerica desires to seetheir congregation engaged in the kind of fteen yearcycle we have enjoyed, but what makes one churchgrow steadily when most others are seeing decline?Obviously location doesn’t hurt, but there are plenty

of dying churches in great locations all over thecountry. Steady growth requires: 1. A Clear Mission. At Christ Church we exist to “connect people withJesus Christ.” This mission informs everything we doand gives us a language to talk about change. Themission must be a higher core value than both thepersonal preferences of the congregation and the jobsecurity of the staff. 2. Strong Leadership. Growingchurches have pastors, staff and lay leaders who are

visionary, committed, limber and seriousabout doing what it takes to accomplishthe mission of the church. You can get tonatural growth plateaus (200, 400, 7501200) with strong preaching and musicbut it takes leadership to move throughthem. 3. Radical Commitment. Formamembers here support with their prayerspresence, gifts, service and witness. Nochurch can seriously move toward itsmission without a congregation living intothese vows. The accomplishment of greathings for God requires great sacricesfrom people.4. Growing People. Put simply, growingchurches consist of growing people anddying churches consist of dying people. 5Evangelistic Culture People are natura

evangelists! If a person discovers a new restauranor sees a great movie, they will tell everyone they

know, by every means they can. Growing churchesconsist of people who are excited about their churchand are constantly and naturally inviting others toJesus.

Mutual Funds are quick to point out that pastperformance does not guarantee future returns. Fundmanagers must pay attention to national trends, worlddevelopments and earn the trust of their customersevery day. What they accomplished yesterday wilestablish their reputation but what they do todayand tomorrow will determine their future. We havean exciting fteen year tradition of vitality at ChristChurch but the future depends on how we answerthree questions: Will we continue to worship in “spiriand in truth” and serve God with all that is within us?Will we continue to love God and to love our neighbor?Will we continue to allow our mission to guide us? wonder what the next fteen years hold in store fothis congregation? To nd a collective answer, we wileach have to answer the call of Christ individually.

And that’s the world…as I

see it.

Weekend Worship Attendance

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1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011



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Coming to“Connect”By Rev. Troy Benton

“We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God,the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For we haveheard of your faith in Christ Jesus and your love forall of God’s people, which come from your condent

hope of what God has reserved for you in heaven.You have had this expectation ever since you rstheard the truth of the Good News. This same GoodNews that came to you is going out all over the world.It is bearing fruit everywhere by changing lives, just asit changed your lives from the day you rst heard andunderstood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.You learned about the Good News from Epaphras,our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant,and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told usabout the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given

you.” Colossians 1:3-8 NLT

We’re here…nally! Since our time of dialogue withthe leadership team here at Christ Church and theweekend we spent here in April, we have grown in ouranticipation and excitement at this new phase of the

journey serving Christ, and the major changes in ourlives God has prepared for us. Emma, Taylor, Autumn

and myself have boxed, taped, bagged, packed andprayed over everything we have, and have movedour stuff, but more importantly our lives to FairviewHeights for what we believe is both God’s call andGod’s will! For the kids, the opportunity to share innew schools, new pizza places (their favorite!), newpools and new malls, to connect with new friendsand a new church is almost more than they can takeTheir excitement is palpable, and their hopes for greathings are high. For Emma, the transition to a newcity, new friends and church family, new home andnew ministry brings another opportunity for God tomove in her life. For me, our arrival here is a blessingof multiple personal and professional forms. Comingto Christ Church also provides a unique opportunityto continue doing what I’ve been doing all my life…helping others connect with Christ using my giftswhile expanding my skills in new areas of leadershipMy excitement is also palpable, and I come with aneagerness to connect with this tremendous family of

leaders and disciples. Christ Church is making a markin the name of Jesus Christ that cannot be erasedThe landscape of ministry opportunities for ourchurch is vast and wonderful. My twenty-plus yearsof ministry experience have equipped me to lead andserve. I am eager to use these gifts and skills to be apart of this ministry setting that is growing, giving, andgaining souls and signicance for the kingdom! I’mready….GAME ON!!!

All this has occurred in the face of the passage Ihave read almost daily since the day our coming wasannounced. Paul writes these words of greeting to thechurch of Colosse who he has not had the opportunityto know, but who he has become smitten with dueto the transparency and passion of the ways in wordand deed they follow Jesus. More than anythingwe have come in personal ways due to the clearand open passion all of you (led by our pastor, RevShane) are living out your commitment to connectothers to Christ for the transformation of the worldWe come looking forward to the work and resultsGod will provide through you and us as we share as

one family under God in the work of Christ for theglory of our Father. In worship, through preachingin servant leadership through missions, in study ofGod’s instruction and engrossing fellowship (that wehave already experienced), we willingly and joyfullybecome a part of the Christ Church family.

Our hope and mission is to take the power and passionin Jesus Christ we share UNAPOLOGETICALLYgrow together with you as Christ Church, and help



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others connect with Christ! We are on board with thehunger and panting of this faith community. We’re asthirsty as you are to have anyone who needs Jesus,anywhere we can offer Christ, in any way we are ableto do so, discover how much Jesus loves them, andGod’s plan for their lives. We are not only glad tobe here, we’re glad to be a part of the Christ Churchfamily, and a part of a family that lives the gospel. Weare anxious to meet each one of you, and share inthe joy of this season. Most of all, we are ready to

GIFTSBy Bernie Kneale

There are two times a year that we can usually

count on receiving gifts—Christmas and birthdays.

But there are dozens of other occasions when

gifts are considered appropriate: anniversaries,weddings, graduations, etc. Gifts, by denition,

are given voluntarily and at no cost to the receiver.

When I receive a gift, I feel a special affection for

the giver. The gifts that mean the most to me

are the ones that come unexpectedly. A true

gift is one given with no strings attached and no

expectation of getting something in return. God’s

gifts are like that.

Can we agree that God, the creator, omnipresent

(ever present), and omniscient (all knowing) is the

owner of everything? Hence, everything we have

is a gift from God—given at no cost, no strings

attached. These gifts are what we call grace.

Despite our unworthiness, God continues to

lavish His gifts upon us. The best part of the gifts

God gives is that they are thoughtful, useful gifts.

I remember when my children were toddlers. At

Christmas time we carefully selected gifts for

them. But when they unwrapped their presents,

they were more interested in the paper and thebox than the gift. I believe that happens to you

and me with God’s gifts—we are more interested

in the wrapping than the gift. Fortunately, God is

a cheerful giver.

When I give a gift, I am delighted when the

receiver nds it to be a useful gift. Think about

this: Every gift God gives is useful. It is up to you

and me to recognize its usefulness. God gives

us talents, no strings attached, but it sure delights

Him when I use it for His glory. How I use a gift

from God is my thank-you note to Him. A good

thank-you note includes something about how

the gift will be used.

God gives, unconditionally, good gifts that are

useful in His Kingdom. Prayer, study, church

attendance, and fellowship are some of the ways

we identify His gifts and nd ways to honor Him

by using them. God has given you many gifts

The best thing you can ever do for God is to use

what He has given you for His glory. But know

this one thing: You cannot out give God!

follow Christ and the call of discipleship. We come toconnect!

A word of open thanks to Rev. Shane, Melissa, ourSenior and Church Staff, and everyone else for yourhelp in our transition. Everyone has been exceedinglygrace-lled and loving as we have transitioned hereThere’s more to share, but for now, we say…here weare! Thanks for your prayers, your acts of love andyour help as we join you to connect others with theChrist we all love and honor.



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Parenting PrioritiesBy Leslie Damann

We have been blessed withsome great kids here atChrist Church. I think thisis the most important callingGod has given us - to raisekids that will inuence thenext generation for God, tobroadcast His glory to all thenations. But when it comesto our kids, how can a parent

in this busy world with work, school, activities, etc. ndtime to talk and teach their children about Jesus andshow them how to tell His story to the world?

I think we rst need to get rid of the notion of a pictureperfect family. Reality is different for every family.

Look in the Bible. There are no perfect families as wethink of them. Noah had a drinking problem, Abrahamoffered his wife to another man, Rebekah schemedwith her son and deceived her husband, Jacob’s sonssold their brother into slavery, David had an affair,and his son started a rebellion, and Eli lost control ofhis sons in church. Even Jesus’ family lost Him forthree days in Jerusalem. But God chose to use thosefamilies to show His mercy and grace and display Hisredemptive power and that He is a God of restoration.The same way He can use our families to do the same.

When it comes to our children, no one has morepotential to inuence a child that a parent. To put thatin perspective, in any given year, a church will onlyhave, on average, 40 hours a year to invest in a child’slife. In the same year, a parent has 4,000 hours of timeto invest in a child’s life. No one else can come closeto that kind of inuence. Wow! You may be thinkingI don’t have 4,000 hours with my kids! We all do, andwe need to be intentional about how we spend thosehours. Have you ever stopped to think about what llsyour days? What is lling your kid’s days?

Second, parents aren’t the only inuence a childneeds. At some point in a child’s life, they will beginto seek approval, afrmation and guidance from otherpeople. When parents accept this fact, they havea better potential to impact their child’s future in apositive way.

Third, two combined inuences will make a greaterimpact. A parent’s capacity to impact their children

is strengthened when the circle is widened, whenparents partner with the Church.

In Children’s Ministry at Christ Church our mission isto connect our kids with Jesus Christ. We want to domore than teach our kids about the Bible – we want ito be more than academic or programming. We wanto create an environment for children to hear the HolySpirit and respond. We want children to be able toown their faith and make it personal. We want to showthem that their spiritual journey is not separate fromthe rest of their life. Part of our vision is to partner withparents and empower them to engage our children ina relationship with Jesus Christ.

This can happen in a few ways. One, if you have aheart for kids, join the K4C team. Walk along sidea child and be that Godly inuence they can turn tooutside their family. Two, take advantage of the manyresources we have available to you as parents as you

walk (or run) through your day.

1. Every week when your child leaves kids worship(1st to 5th) they have a God Time card/Fridge notesIn Creation Corner the kids get a small talk card. Usethese throughout the week to start a conversation withyour kids.

2. Download an app! Yes, there is an app for thatoo! On your iPhone or iPad download “Parent Cue”This goes right along with our curriculum on Sundaymornings. You can watch videos, read articles and iwill give you great ideas for connecting with your kidsabout Jesus. I love this app!!

3. Log your kids onto www.Studio252.tv . Awesomeweb site with games, videos, blogs, bible storiesmusic and much more.

4. Join me and Rachel Frazure in the fall for aconnection class over the book “Parenting BeyondYour Capacity.” You won’t want to miss this one. Comeand join us Wednesday nights starting in September.

5. Orange Parents – http://www.orangeparents.orgAnother good resource for parents!

6. Save the Date!! As a family join us for our rsFamily Experience on August 26th. More detailscoming soon!

God wants to tell His story through us, through ourfamilies and through the Church. Let us partner withyou in one of life’s most challenging joys – raising kids



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Where are yourTreasures?By Alan Prass

Jesus was not a nancialadvisor, but he did teach us alot about money and how we

need to be careful not to fallin love with it. In Matthew,chapter 6, Jesus warns usnot to store up treasures onearth, but to store up ourtreasures in heaven, “Forwhere your treasure is, there

your heart will also be.” This begs the question, whereare your treasures?

In this material-driven culture the high paid marketing

executives on Madison Avenue work hard to convinceus what and where our ‘treasures’ should be andare very good at it. We have choices about how wemanage what the Lord gives us; for many of us it is atug-of-war between what we need and what we want.Jesus reminds us that we can nd where our heartis by looking at what we treasure. I interpret this tomean that if we analyze what we spend our moneyon, we can better understand our value system.

With so many things tugging at our money, we wonderhow we are going to have enough money to cover

day-to-day expenses, save for the future, give ourtithes and offerings and enjoy life. A good managersets priorities, then assigns the correct amount ofresources to accomplish them. The average annual

household income is roughly $41,000. The typicaworker will work about 32 years. $41,000 over 32years equals 1.3 million dollars excluding cost-of-living wage increases. With over a million dollarsowing through our hands over our working careerone should be able to invest in what we value anddeem a priority. If we’ve neglected our priorities, that’sindicative that there’s something we’re doing with oumoney, whether we realize it or not, that we deem tobe more important.

What happened to our retirement plan? Perhapswe’re driving it in the form of car payments that wecannot afford. What happened to our child’s collegefund? Perhaps we’re living, sitting, and sleeping in iin the form of house and furniture payments that wecan’t afford. What happened to the money we hadplanned to give to our church and favorite charities?Perhaps we’re paying off the large balance on a creditcard. Madison Avenue has successfully persuaded

our priorities to earthly possessions, leaving us nomoney to invest in heavenly treasures.

Christ Church will offer a biblically based personanance course called “Financial Peace University”featuring Dave Ramsey. Dave Ramsey’s syndicatedradio program “The Dave Ramsey Show” is heardon over 450 radio stations throughout the U.Sand Canada. He has written numerous books andfeatures a Christian perspective to personal nanceThis course will teach you how to reach your nanciagoals by eliminating debt, giving like never beforeand saving for the future. We encourage everyone totake this course so that we may all invest in heavenlytreasures.

God Is Calling You

91 Days to Beat Debt…and Build Wealth! Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University is coming to Christ ChurchFairview Heights and Collinsville/Maryville.

This fall’s “God Is Calling You” connection classes include a section of FPU on each week night, Monday throughThursday. The classes run for 13 weeks with Dave Ramsey sharing with us how to Get Control of Your MoneyStop Struggling to Make Ends Meet, Tell Your Money What to Do and Change Your Family’s Future. The averagefamily eliminates $5,300 in debt while saving $2,700 in Financial Peace University. Investment is less than $50per family for a lifetime membership with Dave Ramsey’s FPU. Sign up online at www.mychristchurch.com



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AuditionsBy Don Frazure

As a professional singer I have been on manyauditions. When I lived in New York, I would averagethree or four a week during the fall audition season.For each audition I would bring ve songs that I thoughtbest displayed my talents. I usually brought the samesongs because they were the ones I could do in mysleep; however, when auditioning for a specic role,I would usually include a number from that show aswell. I would also have to schedule an accompanistto play piano for me which usually ran $25 - $35. Wedidn’t rehearse other than just a talk through beforewe walked in to audition. The pianists I used were proswho knew all the songs that were out there - besides,a rehearsal with them would have cost more money.Sometimes, none of my regular pianists could make itso I would show up to the audition extremely early and

hire someone after they nished playing for anothersinger (which of course made the price go up - supplyand demand). When my time came, I would singone song from my list and then they would choosea second song. I always had a strategy in choosingwhich song I would sing rst because that choicewould have an inuence on which song they wouldchoose next. I was pretty good at guessing whichsong they would ask for, although I was surprised bytheir choice on more than one occasion. All of thesevariables combined to make auditioning a stressfulpart of my singing career. If that weren’t enough, then

I had to deal with my nerves.

In the early part of my career, I got rather nervousbefore auditioning. After all, I was putting my abilitiesup for scrutiny in the hopes of getting a role. It tooksome time, but after a while I was not concernedabout what they thought. They could hire me or not,but I didn’t question the gifts that I have been given. Iknew that auditioning was a part of the process. Theproducers needed to see if I would be successful

in contributing to the vision they had for whateveropera or musical they were producing. If I didn’t gethe job, it didn’t mean that I was bad or didn’t haveenough talent (although I did sing an audition when was sick and it was rather bad...they didn’t hire me..ever.) Conversely, just because I got the job did nonecessarily mean that I was any better than the nextperson - again, I just happen to t the producer’s

vision.

The Christ Church Worship Arts Team is looking forvocalists, musicians and tech personnel to join us aswe connect people with Jesus Christ through worshipTo help us identify talented people who want to servewe created the Worship Arts Express Lane. This isour audition process to join the Worship Arts Team(WAT). Yes, you heard it correctly; I said auditionWhile I know that the word audition can frighten apotential team member, it is the only truthful way todescribe how we assess your abilities and nd if the

WAT is the right t for you. We’ve developed thisprocess to make it easy for you to prepare and to easewhatever anxiety you may have about auditioningBelieve me, it is a painless process. Interested? Jusgo to www.mychristchurch.com/expresslane to signup to audition for band or vocals. Be sure to enteyour email address correctly. If you don’t receive aconrmation email after you sign up, then you mayhave entered your email address incorrectly and you’lneed to start over.

If you are interested in PRODUCTION (audio, videolighting), you can contact Nathan Tobin, TechnicaDirector at [email protected]. Youare always welcome to email me at [email protected] if you have any questions. I prayyou will consider auditioning for the WAT and not letthe word “audition” deter you. If God has blessed youwith musical or technical talents, please pray abouit and step out in faith to use your gifts for His gloryThat’s why He gave you talents in the rst place.



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Getting to Know YouName: Samantha AllardJob Title: Financial AdministratorJob Description: Oversee the church nances incooperation with the Finance Committee, ExecutiveDirector and Treasurer. Manage the daily nancialneeds as well as supervise the Contributions Team,Accounts Payable and Receivable, and offer supportto the Bookstore.

Are you an adventurous person by nature or do

you prefer playing it safe?

I like to describe myself as a cautiously adventurousperson. J There are a lot of things I’ve never done

that I would love to try, but not without rst doing

research to ensure that my experience will be as safe

and enjoyable as possible.

Do you like to cook?

NO…and my family prefers that I don’t try to cook!

I think this preference stems from the time that I

substituted Worcestershire Sauce for Soy Sauce when

making a stir fry…..or maybe it was when I wanted to

make sloppy joes, but didn’t have any ground beef soI used Italian Sausage instead. (I don’t recommend

that you try either of these substitutions at home!)

Fortunately for my family, my husband loves to cook

and is a wonderful chef!

Would you rather take pictures or be in pictures?

While it drives my family (including the dogs) a little

crazy, I thoroughly enjoy taking pictures, but denitely

have an aversion to being in front of the camera.

What is your taste in music?

I grew up with a very musically talented family. Most

of us can play at least one instrument and those who

don’t play instruments have beautiful voices. So music

has always been a big part of my life. Over the years I

have developed an eclectic taste in music….classical

jazz, pop, rock, alternative rock. However, there is one

genre of music that I do not have much appreciation

for….country. There may be a song or two that don’

make me want to delve into a deep depression, but for

the most part I stay away from country (sort of unusua

for a girl from Kentucky!).

What type of pets do you have?

Currently we have three pets: two dogs and a cat. One

of the stipulations to getting dogs was that my husband

would get to name them. So….our cairn terrier’s name

is Mick Mars of Crue and the papillion’s name is Nikk

Sixx. (I bet you can’t guess my husband’s favorite

band!) Our daughter adopted our cat from the shelteand he already had a name…Jose’ Cuervo.

Who has inuenced your life the most?

There have been a few people in my life that have

been hugely inuential, but the person who is most

responsible for shaping me into the person I am today

would have to be my mother. Through her example

I learned to be responsible, an individual, nurturing

determined, a listener, communicator and a woman

faith. Of course, the list could go on forever, but I don’t

think this article is supposed to be that long! (Thank

you, Mom!)

Where are you from?

I was born in Banner Elk, NC (just down the road from

Horny Hollow, NC….seriously….that was the town’s

name), but was raised in Madisonville, KY.

Which sport do you like?

I’m not a very ‘sporty’ person. As a spectator I enjoywatching basketball and mixed martial arts. As aparticipant, I enjoy running.

Are you a beach, country or city person?I love the country…not country music…but openelds, farms, minimal trafc, gravel roads, and quietHowever, I prefer to not be too far from civilization eithebecause I also enjoy shopping, concerts, theatre, andmuseums. So maybe I am an urban country person!



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Ministry Spotlight900 students...that’s how many showed up askingfor backpacks, school supplies and uniforms at lastyear’s Christian Activity Center (CAC) “Back to SchoolDays.” It was almost overwhelming, yet so organizedand orderly. What I witnessed were parents waitingin long lines with their children. I saw a mission teamfrom North Carolina happily distributing everythingamidst the heat and swarms of people. Because ofyour generosity, 300 fully supplied backpacks, 75uniforms and school supplies made a difference in350 kids’ lives that day. But, I also witnessed kids

leaving without backpacks and instead, going homewith a baggie lled with available supplies.

This year, our church is doing another backpackdrive for the CAC in East St. Louis. The elementarySunday school classes will participate in this missionoutreach with Leslie Burns as the point of contact.While I fully believe our church alone can collect900 full backpacks, 3 other churches have agreed

to collaborate with us! This year St. MatthewsUnited Methodist, Cornerstone Christian Church and

Whitelaw Ave Baptist Church will be simultaneouslycollecting backpacks and supplies alongside us!

Please bring backpacks, school supplies (list below)and uniforms to the church in Scripture Hall from July17-July 31. If you’d like to learn more about the CACgo to www.cacesl.org

Spiral notebooks, pencils, colored pencils, markerscrayons, looseleaf paper, composition notebooks3-ring binders, glue sticks, pencil sharpeners, erasers

uniforms: size 6-18 in pale blue and white collaredshirts, long and short sleeve, navy or black pants.

Thank you for helping!Mim Phillips



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A Terrible Thing toWasteBy Emily Climaco

I hate to waste food. I’d never realized this until I had atoddler who wastes food with abandon. I could serveher less food, but I can never predict whether shewill be ravenous or indifferent. One day she devoursonion rings like blessed manna from heaven; then aweek later she scrutinizes them like a crime scenebefore declaring, “No.”

As much as I hate to waste food, there are worsethings. Wasting your gifts, for example. Even themost modest of us realize that God has given ussome degree of valuable talent. Or maybe you don’trealize it. In that case, let me assert that God hasgiven you gifts to use to advance His Kingdom. Paulwarned Timothy, “Do not neglect your gift . . .” and hisadmonition goes for us as well (1 Tim. 4:14). In LewisHyde’s book The Gift, he elaborates on the idea thatgifts are meant to be given:

“There is a sense in which our gifts are not fully oursuntil they have been given away... Leviticus records

the Lord’s instruction to Moses: ‘The land shall besold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you arestrangers and sojourners with me.’ Likewise, we aresojourners with our gifts, not their owners; even ourcreations—especially our creations—do not belong tous” (364).

Remember the old Michael W. Smith song? “Loveisn’t love ‘til you give it away.” Similarly, gifts aren’tuseful until you put them to use. Perhaps the easiestway to neglect a gift is to forget about it. Sure, youused to sing in the choir, or you used to volunteer inthe 3-year-olds class, but you’ve been so busy latelyThat’s how neglect starts—not out of malice butthrough the minutiae of everyday life crowding outeven the noblest of longings.

Memory is faulty, but writing helps. If God has givenyou a gift to use but you’ve neglected it, I challenge youto record it. Jot it down on post-it notes and put them incan’t-miss places: your silverware drawer, dashboardbathroom mirror, or even your forehead. Maybe notyour forehead. But it is important to remember yougifts, thank God for them, commit them to His gloryand be prepared to use them. A gift is a terrible thingto waste.

Treasure the Peoplein Your LifeBy Larry Weber

I turned to Nancy, my friend of over 45 years and wifeof nearly 41 years, for inspiration to write this piece.When I told her that I did not want to write about tithing

or ministries for this month’s FLAME, she remindedme that the true treasures in our life, after our Savior,are the people we make a part of our life.

This summer our family will gather together for aweek-long vacation in the Smoky Mountains. Theseven children we parent (yes, even though they areadults, we still parent); their spouses and signicantothers; the grandchildren; plus my mother will betogether for nearly a week in July. The last time wedid this was ve years ago. A lot has changed since

that last family vacation-my dad has passed, our sonshave graduated, their sisters have born additionalgrandchildren and I retired from one profession to

begin another. But the one constant is the love wehave for each other. Are any of us perfect-no, but weare treasures to each other. Our children are theisiblings’ best friends. The girls still call their mothealmost daily. The boys still kiss their mom and dadwhen they enter or leave the house. We still hopeeach other’s dreams will come true. And we treasureour time together.

I have another family; the one here at Christ ChurchI look forward to being with you each Sunday andthroughout the week. I hope for your dreams to cometrue. We hug and are best friends. We know we arenot perfect but we still plan for how we might increasethe size of our Christ Church family by connectingothers with Jesus Christ just as Nancy and I hope foradditional grandchildren. As you get ready for youvacation, consider whom you treasure. Ask them tobe a part of your family; the one you have here atChrist Church.



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Thank You ChristChurchBy Grant Armstrong

We rst showed up on the doorstep of Christ Churchin Fairview Heights in the fall of 2000 when my wifeAmy and I moved to the area. I was on the fenceabout Christianity, largely because the Christianity Ihad experienced so often growing up seemed on thefence about itself. The practice of religion in whichI was raised evidenced no urgency, no passion, no

relevance, and certainly no action. I had plenty ofthings demanding my time in those days. Religionhad not proven very useful to me, so I had very littlepatience with it.

Well, Christ Church has changed my perspectivesomewhat. If you’ve experienced Christ Church forany amount of time, you have an idea of what I’mtalking about. There was a laser focus on transformingpeople like me into fully committed student-followersof Jesus Christ through worship, service and love. Ihad never experienced anything like that before, but

that Christ-focus has the power to radically alter thetrajectory of someone’s life. It changed my life so muchthat on Friday, June 3 of 2011, I was ordained an elderin the United Methodist Church. Rev. Shane Bishopwas standing right behind me, praying God’s graceand power over me while Bishop Gregory Palmer laidhis hands on my head and called upon me to take upthe authority of an elder. So how does somebody gofrom sitting on the fence to being fully committed to

the life and work of God’s church? Not without help.

First, there is no denying that Jesus Christ has carriedmy family to this point. When we were starting thisprocess of discernment 7 years ago at Christ Churchwe asked God to close the door on this endeavor ithis was not His plan for us. I used to have all sortsof plans for myself – plans to be locally famous andmodestly wealthy, for example. I kept experiencingthis compelling feeling while I was at Christ Churchhowever – this strange sense that my goals were tooshallow and small because they all had me at thecenter. When I nally traded my goals for Christ’s andsurrendered my future to Him, it has been nothingshort of humbling to see the ways God has openeddoors of opportunity for service.

God has often opened those doors through you. Ifyou have pastored us, prayed for us, mentored metaken a chance on me, challenged me, let me serve

alongside you, encouraged us, given us gifts forsurvival or blessing, taught me, seen me fall down aight of stairs on a big screen, praised God while played a bass, listened to my teaching and preachingat varying levels of decency, gone with me into missionand made a way for me to serve, blessed our childrenbound our hurts, celebrated our joys, or even givenyour heart to Jesus Christ because God saw t tomake our paths cross - thank you. Your love, serviceand sacrice carried us here. Your faithfulness toChrist made a difference.

I’m now an ordained elder because someone botheredto share Jesus Christ with me, and trusted God withthe results. I’m a pastor because someone botheredto challenge me with the possibility that God had abigger plan for my life than I had for myself. I’m herebecause once I experienced that transformation, couldn’t imagine giving my life to any other purposeSee, once you taste the joys and challenges of thekingdom of God and His righteousness, it’s hard tochase after “all these things” parts of Matthew 6:33because they no longer satisfy.

So I’ve got some kingdom work to do. I want to shareJesus Christ with others as Christ was once sharedwith me, and let people know that God may just havea bigger plan for their lives than what they imagine forthemselves. I will trust God with the journey, becauseHe is trustworthy. I especially want to thank the peopleof Christ Church who helped my family to know thatand pursue it with our whole hearts, souls, minds, andstrength. We are grateful.



13

My Dad’s Lesson onGivingBy Kathy O’Dell

I received my most memorable lesson on giving frommy father just days before his death.

It was a Sunday morning when he asked me to writea check for the church offering and I refused. Oh,

I had my parents’ checkbook and had done theircheck writing for some time. But I also knew a checkin the amount he requested would take the accountdangerously low.

Besides, my parents’ retirement checks would bedeposited in a few days – so I decided it would bewise to write their check the following Sunday.

In that week my father suffered a major heart attackand died.

The next Sunday I did put the check in the offering asplanned, but I had disobeyed my Dad. My refusal todo what he asked still haunts me, but I believe Godused that act of disobedience for good. That mistakewas the beginning of my “giving” journey.

Over a period of years God has:• Provided family members who, through theirwillingness to share their stories of generosity, becamemy “giving” coaches.

• Led me to follow His direction in scriptures to becomea tither.• Opened the way for a new job in resource developmen(friend and fund raising) a role that included studyinglistening to people’s needs and experiencing their joyof giving.• Called me to ongoing Bible study with speciaemphasis on passages about generosity.• Opened my eyes to dozens of books on the positiverelationship between generosity and spiritual growth.• Encouraged careful management of the income He

has provided.• Called Christian women in 2010 to form Women4-Given, which promotes generosity while supportingwomen and/or children in Christian love.

The details of giving are always an individual matter

but the Word doesn’t really leave any question on

whether or not we are to give.

2 Corinthians 9:6-9

“Remember this, a farmer who plants only a few

seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants

generously will get a generous crop. You must each

decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t

give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God

loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God wil

generously provide all you need. Then you will always

have everything you need and plenty left over to share

with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely

and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds wil

be remembered forever.”



14

Satellite UpdateThe Collinsville/Maryville leadership team has beenformed and was introduced to the congregation andcommissioned Sunday, June 5th. The church-in-a-boxthat provides all the equipment and supplies for oursecond site has been ordered from Portable ChurchIndustries. The portable church trailer is scheduled tobe delivered early August to allow our new team 3 to4 weeks of dry run practices setting up and tearingdown prior to the rst scheduled service. The rstworship service with live praise band and Rev. Shanepreaching is scheduled for 10:00am on September 11at the YMCA in Maryville.

The pre-launch evangelism has begun. We areprayerful that our church family will step up to thecalling to help in a variety of ways. To name a few:

Pioneers - We need 25 to 50 people to join the launchteam by helping to establish the church through therst 12 months.

Settler’s - We need to identify 25 to 50 people to jointhe launch team by making this your permanent placeof worship helping to build this new community ofbelievers.

Yard Signs - We need all our church family thatcurrently reside in the Collinsville/Maryville/Troy areasto help advertise our new site.

We have many family and individual activities that youcan participate in like working one of the area paradesor a booth at a festival event.

We need 50 to 75 people to help with the Hang andRun event and another 50 to 75 people to sign up andhelp with our Knock and Talks.

Please note that it is not necessary to agree to attendthe second site to offer your assistance. In fact, we

will need our entire church family involved in one ormore of the events this summer to make this launcha success.

For additional information or to sign up for an event,please contact:

Mike [email protected]

Collinsville Catsup Festival

July 10Time: 2-Hour Time Slots TBDActivity: Pass out free bottled waterOpportunity: Pass out literature and talk to peopleabout the new site while providing free cold bottledwater.Number of people needed: 24

VBS At Collinsville/Maryville YMCA

July 16 & 17Time: 4:00 to 6:00pmActivity: Set-up, tear down, clean-up, and assisactivitiesOpportunity: Reach local children connecting themto Jesus Christ. Hand out literature about new siteInvite participants and families to YMCA Family NightShare new site opportunity with families.Number of people needed: 20 to 25

YMCA Family NightJuly 17Time: 6:00 to 8:00pmActivity: Set-up, tear down, food and gamesOpportunity: Participate in fun, food and games whilesharing information about our new site launch.Number of people needed: 20 families

Hang & Run

July 16 & 23Time: 9:00am to 12:00pmActivity: Distribute door hangers to 75 homes in themission site areaParticipants must have transportation. This is a greafamily activity. We will meet at the YMCA parking lot todistribute materials and maps that will cover areas ofCollinsville and Maryville.Number of people needed: 50 - 75 both days

Knock & TalkAugust 13 and September 3Time: 9:00am to 12:00pmActivity: Participants will go door to door in communitieshaving conversations with local residents. Must haveyour own transportation.Number of people needed: 50 - 75 people



15

Watch Us Grow

New Members--------------------------------

May Kara Melvin, Tyson Melvin, Pamela Taylor, HannahElizabeth Alexander, Andrea Allen, Alexis T. Anderson,Christopher Isaiah Barrett, Gabrielle Barton, AllisonNicole Costello, Tessa Marie Eberhart, Dylan ThomasFriedman, Colin Graham, Amber Gail Kelso, AbigaleRose Miller, Ainsley Mckechnie O’Donnell, JacobSarkis Safarian, Audrey Virginia Schuetz, SydneySchwahn, Samuel B. Smith, Jr., Gabriel LessardTinge, Elizabeth Ward

June Angela Barnes, Caitlyn Nicole Barnes, Austin Barnes,Rose McKenzie Nichols, Steve W. Rader, AllisonRemick, Dawn Marie Corwin, Kelly M. Chitty, MichaelA. Chitty, Ryan Chitty, Maddie Schlueter, Andrea Jean

Massey, Jared Edward Massey

Baptisms--------------------------------

May

Emma Marie Lercher, Dylan Gunner Melvin, IngridMae Benedict, Lola Jane Benedict, Marilyn JosephineBenedict, Landon Matthew Steely, Addison LucilleCope

June Austin William Barnes, Caitlyn Nicole Barnes, DawnMarie Corwin, Alyssa Lynn Chitty, Maddie Schlueter,Hunter Edward Massey

Member Passings

--------------------------------Marjorie P. Anderson – April 15

Wedding--------------------------------

Kenneth E. Krieg andSamantha B. Schuetzenhofer – April 30

Judy Catherine Curcuro andTerrance Matthew Fleming – June 11

David Howe and Elizabeth Smith – June 18

Attendance--------------------------------May Worship avg. = 1389May Connection Classes avg. = 232Year Avg. Worship = 1581

Finances (as of 06-16-11)

--------------------------------General Budget YTD Giving = $938,935.46

YTD Expenses = $906,774.50Annual Budget = $2,041,873.99

Building Fund Total $172,872.83



N o n p r o f t

O r g a n i z a t i o n

U . S .

P o s t a g e

P A I D

E .

S t . L o u i s ,

I L

P e r m i t # 2 2 9 0

3 3 9 F r a n k S c o t t P a r k w a y E a s t

F a i r v

i e w H e i g h t s , I L 6 2 2 0 8

Services begin Sep. 11

Sundays 10:00am

Collinsville / Maryville YMCA

C/M CampusComing Soon

Be a part of the Collinsville / Maryville Campus.

Volunteer at events to help spread the word, pray

for the campus and leaders or sign up to be part of

the pioneer congregation. See page 14 for details.

You can help

Documents

The Flame July / August 2011