Elevation North has News for YOU!

SOMETIMES I GET SO-O-O EXCITED! God and His ways amaze me over … and over … and over! I feel like every day He plans a surprise, a treat, or something special just for me! And I always know that it was Him … because no one else could plan something so incredible, be it big or little!!! The tell-tale signs point right … in His direction! Upon recognition, I find myself instantly thanking Him with outstretched arms. I just want to stretch those arms all the way up to Heaven and give my Heavenly Father a B-I-G hug! I guess I cannot really remember a time in my life when I did not sense His presence. I just know it became more real when as a little six year old girl, I asked Him to come into my heart! His presence just continues to increase and increase, or so it seems. Rather, it might be that I am the one increasing in my desire to know Him more and more. I guess that’s as it should be. For He has always been there for me, never withholding any part of Himself or His gifts – ever. My prayer is that with each passing day I will know Him better and love Him more. As a young girl, I fell in love with the verse in Hebrews 11:1 that says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen.” My child-like mind tried to wrap itself around that concept, and at times when I would grasp a bit more of what that really meant, my head would practically spin trying to take in the wonder of such a thing as “faith” in our God. Listen to how the Amplified Bible expounds on this verse from the Greek: “Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses).” Those explanations help us understand just a little more what faith really is. And yet - faith is not always easily lived out, is it? It’s not so easy to visualize something that yet does not exist. But that’s what faith is, and it goes beyond just seeing it. It’s believing that something will be that has not yet come to pass. Believing, knowing, without a shadow of a doubt – with no way to prove it. When it comes to faith, the hard part is keeping all the doubt out. After all, we are human. And “doubting” is something that comes easily to humans. The Greek explanation for “faith” is: “trust and holy fervor born of faith”. When we step out in faith, something is birthed inside of us that allows us to do our part and implicitly trust God to do what we cannot. I’ve been thinking about our quest to locate and obtain the building that will house more permanently Elevation North and the desire we have to meet the ministry needs of our people and others that we are reaching out to. Do we have a vision in our heart of what that place will look like – or what we can make it look like? Do we have the “faith” to see our church family worshipping there? Do we see it as a place of rescue for souls that are lost and hurting? Do we see it as a done deal – or something that we could never achieve at this point? Just this morning I heard a down-to-earth explanation of what faith really is. If we feel led to do something, and we can do it by ourselves – we don’t need faith to make it happen. But when we feel led to do something, and we cannot do it on our own, but need God’s help – that’s what faith is. Seeking God, being discerning, moving forward, and in faith, believing … that’s what enlists the help from God. Again, we do all we can, and then trust Him for the rest. As we enter the fall season and anticipate kicking off additional ministries within our church, do we have the faith it takes to leap to the next level of ministry and outreach? Do we remember that it is US who are often limited in our finances and our abilities … but it is GOD who has no limits whatsoever? Do we remember that we are His kids … and all of His gifts and resources are at our disposal for His Kingdom purposes? Do we believe His Word when He says in Jeremiah 29:11-14a: “I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on Me, when you come and pray to Me, I’ll listen. When you come looking for Me, you’ll find Me. Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. God’s Decree.” (The Message Bible) And just what is a decree? It’s an official edict. When something is decreed … it is ordained. So back up and read it again. This is what God has said to you, as an individual – and the same goes for us as His children corporately in His church! What an exciting decree! Let’s accept it, claim it, and believe it by faith from this day forward … and let’s see what God will do!!!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- TALK ABOUT EXCITING … that’s how we felt when Pastor Doug preached on part one of “The Gifts of the Spirit”! God has SO much in store for us – and at Elevation North we want it ALL! We don’t want to leave any of His gifts for us unopened and unused! And it was so awesome to see so many of you in God’s House on this summer Sunday!
- A SPECIAL WELCOME to Janeen, who came to worship with us this past Sunday for the first time! We loved having you in our midst, Janeen, and we hope that you will join us again soon! May God bless you more than you can even imagine, is our prayer!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP, focusing on part two of the series on “The 21 Gifts of the Spirit”. It promises to be an uplifting and encouraging time together in the Word as we discover more about how God has blessed and enabled us with gifts to do the work of His Kingdom on this earth!
- CHURCH VISIONARY MEETING following the service – to discuss the opportunities for our own church building and to share financial information concerning our present obligations and what the possible future obligations will be. We encourage your participation and prayers as together we seek God’s perfect will in this!
- 12:00 NOON – OUR PICNIC IN THE PARK … Dartt’s Park, that is! Summer is rapidly coming to a close, and we want our church family to be able to gather together for great food, fun, and fellowship out in the sun (or in the shade, whatever you prefer!) Please bring a dish or two of food to share, and a great appetite! There will be lots to do in the park, or you can sit back and relax – again, your choice! (Meat, buns, beverages, and table service will be provided!)
- NEXT SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP, with the culmination of the series on the Gifts of the Spirit, along with a print-out to refer to! We look forward to this exciting time on Labor Day weekend & hope to see YOU & more new visitors as we continue to reach out beyond the walls of our church!
- COMING UP: Children’s Friend Event on 9.11 / Fall Kick-off for Sunday School w/Spaghetti Lunch & Movie on 9.18 / Progressive Dinner in October / Women of Faith on Oct. 22-23 & Men’s Steak Fry on Oct. 22 / & lots more!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- OUR GOD IS WAITING AND WILLING to bless and heal and bring to pass what we think is impossible! Let’s remember Shirley as she recovers, Julia’s and Tina’s mothers, urgent & unspoken requests, financial needs, our evangelists & missionaries, our military personnel, our students as they soon head back to school, and that God will use us to make a difference in the lives of all who cross our paths!

- REMEMBER . . . “Turn your prayers from a plea to a proclamation!” ~ unknown


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

NO MORE GOOD-BYES! That will be one of the best parts of Heaven … no more good-byes! Living so far away from our families, good-byes are never easy – whether it’s your three little grandsons or your grown children. Whether it’s your eighty-seven year old mother or your siblings, it’s hard to say “good-bye”! You wait and wait for that first glance of them as you approach their house. Coming down the final stretch after hundreds of miles … something catches our eyes … and there they were! Our youngest son standing there at the edge of the road near their house … with our little grandsons eagerly watching for our coming – they had BIG smiles as we pulled into the driveway! Within a few seconds and a few leaps of their little legs, they were on our laps and riding with us the few remaining yards to their front door! There we were greeted by their mommy and baby brother! And so began the adventure of three fast-flying days that provided lots of love and lots of fun and lots of very special moments! The great talks, the yummy food around the table, the fishing off the dock, the blasting off of a high-soaring rocket and then searching for it in the tall grass with four-wheelers at dusk, reading stories and playing games, the morning send-off to kindergarten for Isaiah on his very first day, Miles wanting to pack his little suit-case and come home with us, and the ever happy smiles and baby talk of little Luke as he reached out his chubby arms to be held! There’s something so incredible about being loved and wanted; there’s no feeling quite like it. When someone you love so much wants to spend time with you … you cannot describe that feeling to anyone else – it just has to be experienced! Likewise, it’s an honor to have the God of the universe request OUR time! Sometimes we travel long distances of time throughout the course of our night or day to get to the Father’s drive-way. Finally, we near the turn to His House. And, there He stands … waiting. The Father, with His Son. Just inside, the Holy Spirit greets us. They are so excited that we have come! It wouldn’t have taken us this long to “arrive”, after all we only need speak their names, and they come to us. But, the Father has invited us time and time again to come and to enjoy His presence. So here we are! And we plan to stay for awhile! They know we are hungry, and the table is set. Jesus speaks now and reminds me of what He had said earlier: “If you hear Me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you.” (Revelation 3:20) It matters not whether He comes to my place, or I go to His. We eat together, and I am fed and filled. The look in His eyes tells me that He is so excited to have me here with Him! We talk and laugh. I talk - and He listens to every thought I voice. He talks - and I sit enthralled at His every syllable! Then, He tells me, “Come to Me!” I move closer so as not to miss a single word. He emphasizes again, “Come to Me!” And He continues with this invitation and instruction: “Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matthew 11:28) Wow! He didn’t need to invite me twice. What a perfect ending to our get-away to see family. Returning to a deluge of schedules and work, I will remember with great delight, not only our newly-made memories with those we love so much, but the time spent with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Just like our children, they are wonderful hosts, and I found myself not wanting to say “good-bye”. Suddenly, I realized that I didn’t have to say “good-bye”. EVER. That’s MY story … what’s YOURS? If saying “good-byes” are difficult for you, and you have no assurance that you will ever see Heaven or your loved ones again – then today … NOW … is the time to bow your head and call out to God for His help and forgiveness and salvation. Today is the day to begin a new life with Him by your side! You will never regret praying this prayer of surrender and empowerment … and the bonus is that you will truly never, ever have to say “good-bye”! Because for all of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ personally … for us, it’s “we’ll see you later!”

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- WHAT A BLESSING to experience God’s anointing and His presence in our midst each Lord’s Day! It is so awesome to come to His House carrying whatever heavy load we may have, and leave – knowing that He has lifted it from our shoulders and His answer is on the way! When we “do something” … God can take our action and do something even greater with it! We dare not be passive – we must be positively active about God’s Kingdom work!
- WELCOME BACK to Marty and Kelly and A SPECIAL WELCOME to their son, Spencer, who worshipped with us for the first time last Sunday! May God’s blessings rest upon each of you, is our prayer!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 21ST: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP, with the beginning of a two-week series on “The 21 Gifts of the Spirit”. Bring your Bibles so you can follow along and glean the blessings from I Corinthians chapter 12. Pastor Doug will be sharing from God’s Word and encouraging each of us to seek God’s gifts for us and then to use them for His glory! Bring a friend or two to church with you!
- NEXT SUNDAY, AUGUST 28TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP, continuing with part two of “The 21 Gifts of the Spirit”, with Pastor Doug preaching from Titus, I & II Timothy, and several other texts.
- CHURCH VISIONARY MEETING following the service – as we discuss the plans and feasibility of new location possibilities for our church. Plan to be in attendance and participate as we pray and seek God for His perfect will!
- ALL CHURCH PICNIC IN THE PARK at noon-time: Please bring a dish of food to share, and your own table service. The meat and beverages will be provided. Plan on some great food and fellowship and fun … and there will be games for the children! The location of the park will be announced.
- SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH: KICK-OFF OF FALL MINISTRIES … including a CHILDREN’S FRIEND EVENT with pizza at the church following the service, an exciting Bible lesson, and then on to swimming at the Serengetti Park at Holiday Inn. This event is for all children who are potty-trained through 5th grade. Who can YOU invite?! The swimming tickets will be provided, as well as the pizza for lunch.
- SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH: SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES begin again for all ages … we will provide them the best we can in our present facility, looking towards our new building as God provides needed classrooms for the KIDZ of Elevation North!
- WOMEN OF FAITH CONFERENCE, “IMAGINE”, on October 21-22 in St. Paul … check out the sign-up sheet and each one is encouraged to reach another woman and have her sign up, as well! See Debbie for more details!
- ALL CHURCH MEN’S STEAK FRY with special guests on October 21st … full details to come! Each guy is encouraged to invite their sons and several friends for this awesome event!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- WE OFTEN LIMIT GOD or lack faith to expect all that God is capable of and willing to do on our behalf! Let’s not buy into those tricks of Satan – let’s claim every good and perfect gift from above for those who are sick and needy and homeless and lost without Christ. Let’s claim God’s best for each other, as well! He is ABLE!!!

- REMEMBER . . . “The light of God surrounds me, the love of God enfolds me, the presence of God protects me, God is always with me.”~ unknown

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie