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the heights highlights March 2018
volume 57 | issue 3
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
Page 2 the heights h ighl ights March 2018
Worship Arts Ministry | Eric Radecki, Associate Minister | (317) 783.7714 ext. 15 | [email protected]
I recently took a ride in my friend’s Tesla car. The exterior
beauty and interior luxury – It was just plain cool! As we traveled
down the road, I asked a lot of questions about the features, from
creature comforts to autopilot (yes, the future is here). In my igno-
rance, I declared, “Since it’s electric powered, it probably doesn’t
have much speed.” My friend was quick to correct me, and he
floored the accelerator to prove his point. We literally rocketed
forward from zero to what felt like a million mph. I was genuinely
terrified, and in awe at the same time. After all the excitement, it
dawned on me how quite the car was, even at such top speeds. No
screaming engine, roaring exhaust, or backfire. Just silence.
Silence and power don’t seem a likely a pair to me. The Hebrew
prophet Elijah would agree. The Old Testament records his defeat
over the prophets of the false god Baal on Mount Carmel in the
book of 1 Kings 18. In the 19th chapter Elijah flees from the evil
queen Jezebel, who had marked him for death. So he ran away, hid
in a cave, overwhelmed with loneliness. He had thought the source
of his power was in numbers, but God would teach him a lesson. .
.
The Bible says the Lord sent a great wind that broke the mountain
into pieces, but the Lord was not in the wind. He sent an earth-
quake, but he was not in the earthquake. He sent fire as well, but
the Lord wasn’t in the fire. After all that, the Lord whispered, and
Elijah knew that the Lord was there. No wind, earthquake, or fire.
Just a silent whisper.
Elijah found God in the silence. He had thought power was in
these great displays of fanfare, defeating false prophets and such.
But all along, it was in the quiet whisper of a God who would re-
mind him that he is not alone.
Silence isn’t easy. It goes against our nature and our busy lives. But
think about your sleep cycle. Whether you get by on 4, 6, or 8
hours of sleep each night, during those moments your body is
silent and your mind is able to recharge for the next day. So it is
with silence while you’re awake. For just a few moments, your
heart and mind can refocus and allow the power of clarity into the
scurry of the rest of your life. In keeping silence, we can listen to a
God who reminds us that we are not alone and we find true pow-
er.
So make an effort to practice silence in your schedule this week. Some ideas:
Driving in the car (even if it’s not a Tesla!), turn off talk radio, or listen to your music later; just ride in relative silence.
Wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual just to spend some time alone before you have to interact with other people.
Or, stay up 30 minutes after everyone else has gone to bed, and don’t turn the TV on. Just sit in the silence of the evening.
Grab lunch by yourself – pack a sack lunch and take it to a park.
You can think of other ways to practice silence. It might not be easy at first. But it will be worth it. Complete and utter audible silence may not be totally possible. Still, let the silence speak genu-ine power into your life. In those moments, to help, try praying this old song lyric:
Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me Spirit of the living God, fall fresh on me
Page 3 the heights h ighl ights March 2018
W e all enjoy getting together with
friends— God designed us this way. He
did not create us to go through life alone,
but in relationship with others. In fact,
the Bible says that this togetherness,
which is called fellowship, was a regular and intentional experi-
ence of the earliest Christians.
“They were continually devoting themselves to the
apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of
bread and to prayer.” ~Acts 2:42
Later, when the apostle Paul traveled through the Roman
world leading people to Christ, he considered his work incom-
plete until he had formed these new believers into communi-
ties. He knew that it was only in context of gathering regularly
that Christian growth could take place and the purposes of
Christ be fulfilled.
Part of this truth is worked out in our Sunday morning wor-
ship service (@10:30 AM) and part of a fellowship experience
can be found in our Bible Fellowship classes (@9:00 AM). The
real work of biblical fellowship, however, is more than these
two activities can provide. The real transformation that Paul
mentions in the 12th chapter of Romans, “...but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind.”
This takes place best alongside of others; studying, praying,
questioning and loving one another. This is the reason we en-
courage everyone (100%) to belong to a small group.
But good food, fun and Bible study is only part of the biblical
meaning of fellowship. Fellowship also means sharing. Again,
the apostle Paul praised the Corinthians for their generosity in
sharing (koinonia) and the contribution they made to others.
Service is then an intricate part of small group fellowship.
Simply having fun is important for any group, but when spir-
itual service is added to a mixture of spiritual growth and ful-
filling the purposes of Christ, the kind of transformation Paul
speaks of is possible.
What is a small group?
At SHCC, it is a group from 3-12 people who gather regu-
larly to encourage one another, provide prayer and sup-
port, to study the Bible, to share joys and trials, to use our
spiritual gifts and to fulfill Christ’s dual command to
‘make disciples’ and teach obedience. You can discuss your
questions and concerns with other Christians, where the
goal is to discern God’s message and share with each other
the meaning of scripture.
We also have fun. Small groups are a place where lasting
friendships are made when real people share together and
care for one another as we all face the challenges and joys
of this life.
Here you can actually SEE and FEEL your spirituality
growing and your view of the world maturing.
Why are small groups important?
Developing relationships and building faith makes a mem-
ber of a small group important. Your relationship with
Jesus and other Christians are the two most important
building blocks of your faith foundation.
Small groups are also important because they connect you
with history. For over 250 years, the early church met in
small groups and experienced the most radical growth and
change the church would ever experience.
Not only is membership in a small group important to a
maturing Christian faith, but they are fun too. Gathering
in friends’ homes for food, fun and fellowship is no doubt
—continued on page 4
Page 4 the heights h igh l ights March 2018
the reason the earliest churches chose to
meet in small groups patterned after the
words of the Apostle Luke in Acts 2:42-
47, becoming a community of believers
meeting their own needs and reaching out
to their world.
Why should I get involved?
In a Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demands that
Linus change TV channels and then
threatens him with her fist if he doesn’t.
“What makes you think you can walk in here and
take over?” asks Linus.
“These five fingers.” says Lucy. “Individually,
they are nothing, but when I curl them together
like this into a single unit, they form a weapon
that is terrible to behold.”
“What channel do you want?” asks Linus.
Turning away, he looks at his fingers and
says, “Why can’t you guys get organized like
that??!?”
While this is a cute cartoon with a pow-
erful message, it also answers the ques-
tion of “why should I get involved?”
When we join together as the body of
Christ, we become an influential force in
our community. There is no better or easi-
er way that is more fun and personally
fulfilling than to join forces with others in
one of our small groups.
“The unfolding of thy words gives
light.” -Psalm 119:130
A small group is: a place to belong,
a place to grow and a place to serve.
We invite you to join one of our existing small
groups, or start one of your own. For more
information, or for meeting times and loca-
tions, please call the church office (317-783-
7714). We always need more members and
more teachers. If you can fill a need, please let
us know.
Let’s not just meet. Let’s do life together.
Current Small
Groups @ SHCC
Linton Small Group (for women)
2nd & 4th Mondays @ 7:00 PM at the home of Carol Linton.
New members are welcome.
For more information, contact Carol Linton at 317-781-8119.
Meyer Small Group
1st & 3rd Wednesdays @ 7:00 PM (September-May), rotating homes of
group members. They are currently studying the ‘Holy Spirit’ video series.
They are open to new members.
For more information, contact Greg Meyer at 317-215-4019.
Daycare Small Group
Weekly on Thursdays at 6:00 PM in the church Library.
Currently studying: ‘Not A Fan’ by Ken Idleman. Currently the group is at
capacity and not open to anyone else joining at this time.
Brookhouse Small Group
2nd & 4th Thursdays at 6:30 PM, rotating homes of group members.
They are currently studying the prophecies of the Messiah and are open to
new members.
For more information, contact Russ or Candy at 317-882-2060.
Soul Sisters Small Group (for women)
Currently meeting on the 1st & 3rd Sundays until the end of March, and
then they will resume their 1st & 3rd Fridays at rotating homes. Right
now, they are studying Max Lucado’s ‘Anxious for Nothing.’
For more information, contact Sue Jones at 317-430-8237
or Tina Tryon at 317-697-7242.
If you would like to start a small group, please
contact the Church Office (317-783-7714) and we
can point you in the right direction to
get started.
Page 5 the heights h igh l ights March 2018
For K-6th Grade students | Sundays @ 10:30 AM in Room 252 This month in
PRESCHOOL
WORSHIP (each Sunday @ 10:30
AM in Room 252) is
about Gone Fishin’.
It just seems perfect
since this month is all
about Jesus and how
He taught the disciples to be fishers of men. How did they
learn to be fishers of men? Well, they followed Jesus! And—
we want our preschoolers to know that they can follow Jesus
too!
We will start the month with the man who introduced Jesus to
the world — John the Baptist. He even baptized him!
WEDuring week two, we’ll hear Jesus say, “follow me” to four
different men. When Jesus asks you to follow Him, you drop
whatever you’re doing and do just that—FOLLOW HIM.
In week three, we’ll stick to the idea of “follow me” and meet
Matthew, the tax collector. Even though Matthew had made
some bad choices and wasn’t liked by the masses, he still fol-
lowed Jesus when He asked.
We’ll end the month with a celebration. Week four is Palm
Sunday, and Palm Sunday is a party! WE celebrate Jesus be-
cause He is special. He is God’s Son. When the people heard
He was coming to town, they were excited and they yelled,
“Hosanna! Hosanna! Yay Jesus!”
This is going to be a wonderful month as we help your pre-
schoolers prepare to celebrate the biggest act of love ever
known to man—EASTER. And when they’re old enough to
hear Jesus say ‘follow me’, we want them to be ready to say
yes!
K-6th Grade Sunday Night Youth Groups 6:00-7:30 PM in Room 252
No youth group March 18 & 25 due to Spring Break.
Children’s Ministry News | Tanya Henthorn, Next Gen Minister | (317) 783.7714 x16 | [email protected]
3.4 Why is it so hard to give up what you think is fair? We start the month in Genesis 13:5-18, God blessed Abram and his nephew, Lot, with a large amount of flocks and herds, so many that the land they were on couldn’t sustain all of them. Bottom Line: Prove you care more about others by letting go of “what’s fair.”
3.11 How do you walk away from a fight? Throug- out Genesis 26, we find Abraham’s son, Isaac, settles in his father’s land and reopens some wells. Prove you care more about others by walking away from a fight.
3.18 What are ways you can be a peacemaker? In 1 Samuel 25:1-35, Abigail intervenes when her husband picks a fight with David. Abigail immed- iately knew what was happening and made a plan to present gifts to David and calm his anger. Her quick actions promoted peace between the two men. Prove you care more about others by being part of the solution.
3.25 Who do you need to make peace with? We finish out our month in the book of Colossians. In Colossians 1:20, Paul reminds us that us that peace originated with God’s love for us and Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. And as we’ll disco- ver in Colossians 3:15, we should live at peace with those around us because of everything Christ did for us. We can make peace with others because God made peace with us.
Page 6 the heights h igh l ights March 2018
Hey Parents!— Bring
your kids to Sunday school so they can grow deeper, and so can you! There are several classes to choose from for adults. Stop by the Chil-dren’s Ministry Desk and I will point you in the right direction. Classes are available every Sunday at 9:00 AM.
—Tanya
Searchers (facilitated by Bob Chase) - Room 238 | Currently studying Matthew
Lydians (women—facilitated by Rosie Baker) - Library | They are ‘taking a walk’ through
the Bible.
Open Door (facilitated by Ron Hull) - Fireplace Room
Mosaic (facilitated by Pastor Steve) - Room 236 | This is a new class beginning March 4.
Little Peeks | News and information for other ministries in and around Southport Heights
KEENAGERS Tue., March 13 @ 5:30 PM in the Fireplace Room. Join us for a “Spring Surprise”. Eve-ryone age 55 and older are invited to come out and en-joy a delicious meal, fellow-ship and fun. Questions? Contact Debbie Meyer at 317-535-1200.
MEN’S BREAKFAST & STUDY Sat., March 17 @ 8:00 AM in the Fireplace Room. All men are welcome to join Steve and others for breakfast, Bible study and fellowship. Sign up in the lobby today if you plan to come!
CDCMF—Men’s Fellowship Mon., March 19 @ 6:00 PM at @ Victory Christian Church. Sign up in the lob-by if you plan to attend!
WOMEN’S MINISTRY Mon., March 19 @ 7:00 PM in the Fireplace Room. Questions? Contact Jackie Meurer at 317-371-5623.
Page 7 the heights h ighl ights March 2018
Looking for the monthly Calendar? You can check your weekly bulletin for the weekly events, or you can go online to http://cal.southportheights.org/cgi-bin/calendar.pl to see other dates.
Have something you want to highlight? Send it to [email protected].
THANK YOU’s
Thank you to ALL for your kind-ness and love showed to Joan all of these years! We thank you for the donation from the Sunday School class for your new cross. What a wonderful thing to get! Blessings to you all!
—The family of Joan Stone (Lesa Gomez, Marie King,
Carolyn & Dick Crosby) * * *
Recently, my smoke alarm started chirping in the middle of the night. It continued off/on until the next day. It was so annoying. The church heard about it and Denny Fulker-son was sent. He spent a couple of days because there was an unusual problem with one. (I have five alarms!) But, Denny can fix any-thing! Thank the Lord! So THANK YOU, DENNY and THANK YOU, CHURCH for taking care of my problem.
—Sincerely, Virginia Boruff
SISTERS IN SONG The Sisters in Song enjoyed a nice Christmas break and start-ed practicing on their regular program for the rest of the sea-son. Due to bad weather, they missed one engagement, but are making it up on their scheduled “snow day”. We lost a dear member and sang at the funeral of Joanne Hobbs in January. Due to sickness and members going away for the winter, the group has had to be on plan “b, c and sometimes d” but always manage to put on a very profes-sional program for the residents. Come to one of the following facilities in the month of March and see how much everyone enjoys these programs! 3.2 PACE Franciscan Health (8325 E. Southport Rd.) 3.9 Masonic Home Residential (690 S. State St., Franklin) 3.16 University Heights Health & Living (1380 E. County Line Rd., Indy) 3.23 Greenwood Village Pavilion (183 Smock Dr., Greenwood) Want to get involved? Contact Evelyn Badgley at 317-787-7866.
Have a kid you want to register for 2018 summer camp? It’s not
too late! Contact Tanya today! (317) 783-7714 ext. 16.
HONORS GOD l LOVES JESUS l LOVES OTHERS l INVITES ALL
v o l u m e 5 7 | i s s u e 3 | m a r c h 2 0 1 8
Periodical Postage Paid Indianapolis, IN
922000
7154 South McFarland Road, Indianapolis, IN 46227
(317) 783.7714
The Heights Highlights (USPS--922000) is a monthly publication of Southport Heights Christian Church Periodical postage paid at Indianapolis, IN POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: THE HEIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS * 7154 S. McFarland Road, Indianapolis, IN 46227 * Phone (317) 783.7714 * (317) 784.2084 fax
MARCH 11
Please remember to set
your clocks ahead one
hour before bed on
Sat., March 10.
