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Posts Tagged ‘church’

Conestoga Fun Day

April 19th, 2023 No comments

Sunday, June 11, 2023
10am-3pm at Safe Harbor Park in Conestoga
Outdoor Worship Service is from 10-11am
This event is rain or shine.

Thanks to a local group of families and businesses, the 7th Annual Conestoga Fun Day is completely free to the public and a perfect opportunity to meet new people, and have fun in the process. Come and slow your pace, enjoy a sense of community, and unwind with family and friends!

Live with Purpose Church info at livewithpurposechurch.org

Free Coffee House

April 3rd, 2023 No comments

On Friday, April 28, 2023 at 7:00 PM, Enola First Church of God is hosting a FREE COFFEE HOUSE featuring entertainment by Greg Morrison of the Life and Death Worship Band (LifeOrDeathWB.com). The Coffee House will be held in our lower level Fellowship Hall. Come join us for free snacks, beverages, and Christian entertainment in an informal atmosphere! A freewill offering will be received. For a schedule of upcoming Coffee Houses throughout 2023, visit our website at www.enolacog.com/coffee-house.

Food Truck Fridays at Spring Creek Church of the Brethren

June 10th, 2022 No comments
Spring Creek Church of the Brethren hosts the final summer Food Truck Friday on August 26, 2022, from 5-8 PM in the church parking lot located at the end of Areba Avenue, Hershey (335 East Areba), rain or shine. The event is free and open to the public — just pay as you eat!
Purchase from a variety of food trucks including: Mac Stack, Wich Way Sandwiches, A Taste of Italy, Shredderz BBQ, Cheesesteak Shuttle, Premium Shaved Ice, Maple Street Barkery with doggie treats, as well as fresh bouquets for sale from Palmyra Greenhouse’s flower truck. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Enjoy delicious food while supporting local businesses.
Plus come see the Unit 66 Search & Rescue Dog Team from 5-8 PM and the Party Animalz Petting Zoo from 6-7 PM. Be sure to stop by our “Food for Thought” table and prayer labyrinth.
For event details: 717-533-7192 or www.facebook.com/SpringCreekCoB.

Word of Encouragement-Church

June 15th, 2021 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is the Church.

Some people think of church as a building, but in reality, the church is the people of God. Jesus is the Head of the church and the builder of the church. He has designed the church to take the gospel to the world, and today, that assignment is still in motion.

It is also significant to note that Jesus loves the church. He died for the church and is in the process of purifying the church until He returns for His followers.

Ephesians 5:25 compares the relationship between Christ and His church to the intimacy of a marriage relationship. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”

Find encouragement in God’s love and purpose for the church in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Word of Encouragement-Ministry

February 9th, 2021 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Word of Encouragement is Ministry.

To have a ministry is to have some form of service that meets people’s needs for the glory of God.

Many times, we might think of pastors and evangelists as having ministries. But there are others in the body of Christ with a vibrant ministry too, such as greeters, worship leaders, small group leaders, and the set-up crew.

In the early church, Tabitha helped the poor by making clothing.  Barnabas had a ministry of encouragement. Epaphras was faithful in prayer. Aquila and Priscilla had the ministry of hospitality as they opened their home to believers for times of worship.

Effective ministry reflects the attitude of Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in Second Corinthians 5:18 that God “reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.”

Find encouragement in the ministry that God entrusts to you in the Year of Endurance.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

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Daily Challenge-Meaningful Connections with Other Believers

January 23rd, 2021 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Endurance, today’s Challenge motivates us to take a step toward meaningful connections with other believers.

One of the ways that God helps us to grow in our walk with Christ is to bring other believers into our lives for encouragement. And we can support others in the faith with our friendship.

Hebrew 10:24 and 25 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

The Pandemic has limited larger gatherings over the past year.  However, the principle of connecting with other believers is still relevant, whether that means online connections or meeting in a socially distant setting. We bring out the best in each other through encouragement. That happens through meaningful connections in the body of Christ.

Take the daily challenge to walk in relationship with other believers on the journey of faith.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Good News Focus-Belonging to God and His Church

June 10th, 2020 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Good News Focus is on Galatians 3:26.

“So, in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.”

Each member of God’s family has many spiritual blessings to celebrate. We are connected to the people of God. He places us in a spiritual family with His believers. That spiritual family is called the church. There are times of rich fellowship together as we share what God is doing in our lives. 

The most precious blessing is that we belong to God as one of His children. He is our Father. Jesus is our Savior. The Holy Spirit is our Counselor. We live with an awareness that the One who made us is the One who loves us with an everlasting love.

Jesus is our Source of Good News, leading us to a place of belonging to God and His spiritual family in the Year of Vision.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Reason To Believe-God’s Provision for a Godly Life

October 10th, 2016 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Exploration, today’s Reason to Believe is the provision of God to live a godly life.

Second Peter 1:3 says that “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him, who called us by his own glory and goodness.”

Life is a spiritual battlefield. There are sinister forces that work against our soul, seeking to destroy us and separate us from God’s love. But God has resources too, to help us overcome those forces that wage war against our soul. Three of those resources are the Holy Spirit, the Bible, and the Church.

The Holy Spirit fills us with love and hope. He reminds us of Jesus’ words, and guides us in the truth.

The Bible is the word of God, encouraging us with the message of grace and making known His will for our lives.

The church gives us a support structure in the Christian life and a place of belonging in His family of believers.

God’s provision for us to live a godly life is a reason to believe in God’s good news.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Encounter With Jesus-Impact of God’s Grace

October 1st, 2015 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – In the Year of Connection, today’s Encounter with Jesus examines the life-changing impact of His grace.

This is evident in the life of the Apostle Paul, whose conversion to Christ stirred the early church to praise God.

Reflecting on those early days as a follower of Christ, Paul said in Galatians 1:22, “I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: ‘The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy. And they praised God because of me.”

At one time, Paul brought harm to the church. After conversion, he would be an instrument to help the church.

At one time, Paul sought to destroy the church. After conversion, he would be an instrument to build the church.

At one time, Paul held hatred in his heart for Christians. After conversion, he would be filled with love for the followers of Jesus.

A daily connection with Christ motivates us to bless God’s people and build up His church.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Categories: John Shirk, Staff Pages Tags: ,

Relationship Building Principle-Recognizing Others

August 13th, 2015 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from First Corinthians 12:21-23.

The church is compared to a body, with various functions of the body working together for a common purpose. Trouble begins when we start making comparisons with other parts of the body. If we respond with superior thoughts that we are more important than other parts, the unity breaks down. The Apostle Paul wanted to stop that from happening. This is what he said:

“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor.”

When you think of the people in the body of Christ that you serve beside, who comes to mind? They have an important part of helping you to serve effectively. One way we can build that part of the body of Christ is by recognizing their contribution and showing our appreciation for what they do.

Recognizing the contributions of others is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com

Relationship Building Principle-Recognizing Spiritual Gifts

August 12th, 2015 No comments

JOHN SHIRK – Today’s Relationship-Building Principle comes from First Corinthians 12:14-16.

The church is compared to a body, with Christ at the Head, and the other members of the body serving in different capacities.

“Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.”

The Bible emphasizes the importance of every part of the body to contribute to the work of the church. Maybe we are not gifted to offer hospitality by cooking a meal, but we might have a friendly personality who can greet someone at the door of the church. We might not be able to preach like the pastor, but we might have opportunities to share God’s love with a friend next door. This passage cautions us from making comparisons with others that leave us feeling inferior. Our role may be different, but it is also an important contribution to the body of Christ. The important thing is that we are thankful for how God has gifted us and use that gift for the glory of His name.

Recognizing the significance of our spiritual gift is a vital relationship-building principle to take to heart in the Year of Connection.

John Shirk

john@wjtl.com