Elevation North has News for YOU!

GIFTS OF LOVE COME IN SO MANY DIFFERENT SHAPES AND SIZES!!! Leaving work last evening, I listened to my voicemails on my cell phone, and here was this sweet little voice, saying, “Gramma, will you pray for me?” Our ten year old granddaughter had called and left a list of several things that had happened to her in the last few days. None of them sounded much fun, including falling out of her chair and getting a fat lip and a headache. And she was asking me to pray that no more of these occurrences would take place. Immediately, on my drive home, I began to lift her up before the Lord and declare good things for her life. And my heart was so filled! I’ve always told our children and grandchildren that they can gift me with nothing greater than asking me to pray for them! My heart always leaps with joy when they call and ask for prayer for something specific! I consider it a true privilege to be able to lift up our family in prayer, as well as anyone else who calls with needs in their lives. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s a common thing to be thinking of valentine cards and chocolate candies … heart decorations and an endless list of gifts to show our love! But today I’m thinking of another kind of gift that has come in different forms and was also “decorated” in red. Such a long time ago a precious Papa decided to send His only Son to earth so that He could personally deliver our valentine invitation to us – for a party that will last forever! And this first-time hand-delivered valentine continues to be sent, day after day, year after year. Without fail, God keeps the invitation open, hoping that more and more people on earth will decide to RSVP that they are coming! There has never been, nor will there ever be, a valentine that costs as much as this one did. I just read about a lady that collects old valentines – many of them fragile and yellowed, but exquisite, nonetheless. And depending on their age and condition, she could command quite a price for some of them if she ever decided to part with them. But the incredible beauty and value of God’s valentine, is that it cost Him the very life of His Son. His Son was in the very prime of His earthly life, yet He decided to give Him up … for us! He knew that was the only way His valentine would hold any value, any hope, any power to free us from sin. Do you see it? There the Invitation hangs, pegged to a cross with spikes, the red blood of His very life staining His head and brows and covering His hands and feet. Drops of blood, for you and for me. His life-blood decorated the Father’s plan, and He willingly wrote out His love in red. And if there was any chance at all that we might not hear about this Gift, God had it recorded in black and white in a book we call the Bible. His Words declare the power of this Invitation all stained in red, and we are drawn by the Holy Spirit to make our decision to accept it – rather than refuse it. Yet, the final decision is up to us! Knowing what little we know of the real Heaven and the real Hell … still we know enough to know that we’d much rather spend our forever in Heaven! And hearing testimonies of individuals who have gone to Heaven or to Hell for a short period of time and then returned to earth after their real encounters, their descriptions of both places would surely cinch a person’s decision of which place they’d rather spend forever in! I’m truly not trying to make this Valentine message heavy, but I do not apologize for wanting to try to paint the picture of the love that God has for us, and the life-and-death choice every person on this earth faces, accepting it or rejecting it. Who will you share God’s valentine with this week? It could make an eternal difference for that person! Please recognize the importance of “sending out God’s valentines” to everyone you know! They are “written in red” ~ like a very beautiful song states. Just today someone we know experienced a powerful valentine gift from God following hours of prayer, even in the night and throughout the morning! What could have been devastating, causing her and many others to lose everything, was all changed by the Valentine gift written in red: an answer to all the prayers, bringing complete victory and favor through the shed blood of Jesus that day at Calvary! What a God we serve ~ who loves us passionately and fully and pursues us with an everlasting love! (Jeremiah 31:3) His valentines are ever-ready … they are sent to us daily in various forms! May we open our eyes and not miss them, for they cost God what was most precious to Him! Your phone is ringing … it might just be another valentine from God!!!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- NO MATTER WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON, come Sunday morning, we find the greatest experiences in the presence of our Lord God Almighty! And how blessed and challenged we were as Pastor Doug preached his heart out about “Praising God: and how blessing Him opens the floodgates for blessings into our lives!”
- A SPECIAL WELCOME to Mike and Mary Jo Haley and their family as they visited us for the first time! We pray that you sensed God’s Spirit in our midst and were blessed by your time with us! We hope you will visit us again soon!
- LOVING BIRTHDAY WISHES to our daughter-in-love, Melissa, who celebrates on February 14th – may you be blessed wonderfully by our Lord! We thank God for you and love you so much! Also, special anniversary wishes to Jimmy and Nancy on the 14th … and special birthday wishes to Ernie on the 17th! May God’s best be yours is our prayer!
- OUR CONGRATULATIONS to Pam and Chuck on the birth of their new little grandson, Eric James, who was born on February 7th! And congratulations to his mommy, Hannah! May God bless all of you!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug beginning a new series of messages on “God-head Love” – this Sunday sharing about the depths of God’s love from a variety of scriptures. God’s Word is packed full of verses about His love – come and drink in!
- 11:15 A.M. – KINGDOM CONNECTION TIME – your opportunity to grow in fellowship as we live out God’s plan for godly relationships within the body of Christ!
- ELEVATION NORTH 21-DAY FAST – Comes to completion this Sunday, the 13th, and perhaps we will never fully know until eternity just what all was accomplished through this time of prayer and fasting as a church family. May God be glorified as spiritual breakthroughs continue to become evident!
- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH: 7:00-8:00 P.M. – “LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY at Pastor Doug’s and Debbie’s home. Come prepared with eager hearts and your Bibles in hand!
- NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with a Post-Valentine’s Luncheon Celebration to follow - be sure to add your name to the sign-up sheet!
- COMING IN MARCH – SPAGHETTI FEED on the 20th featuring “make your own sundaes” for dessert / and a movie to follow! Invite some friends to church and to lunch and a movie afterwards!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- GOD PROMISES HIS POWER to us ~ because He lives we can face our tough times and come through victorious! This week, let’s continue to lift our church family up in prayer and our evangelists and missionaries as they bring the gospel to those across our nation and around the world!

- REMEMBER . . . “ … as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love.” Psalm 108:11

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

POSITIONING OURSELVES IN GOD! I am amazed at the wisdom God is imparting to the next generation and the next! I was talking with a young man in his mid-twenties a few days ago, and during the conversation, he revealed his vision for his place in the company he works for. What he revealed was the result of time and planning, you could tell, as he laid out the steps to get where his dream was taking him. On-line schooling with a degree will position him for his next promotion and next step in salary. Add a few more years of experience after that with continued proof of leadership skills and ability, and he was factoring in the possibility of yet another promotion near the top – and a salary that would be astounding for someone that age. Obviously, none of this will become a reality without the dream and the hard work and the commitment to follow through with each step at each level. But, knowing this person’s dedication to something he believes in … I fully believe it will happen! God stirred my heart as I caught a glimpse of what this young person is undertaking. Cannot this same kind of positioning work for us at any age? Cannot this same kind of positioning work for our businesses, careers, and jobs? Cannot this same kind of positioning work for every arena of our lives? For our families, for our finances? And most certainly, cannot this kind of positioning work for God’s Kingdom, including His church? For our personal walk with God? So, what will it take for us to position ourselves in this way? Though it would seem to be difficult at the outset, it really comes down to a very non-complex formula: having a dream or vision; believing enough in that dream to flesh it out with a precise plan; and sticking to that plan, step-by-step, until the dream becomes a reality! Is there anything … anything at all, where we position ourselves in that fashion, where the end results do not take place? Let’s look at it in this simple illustration: a mom wants to make a special meal for her family. She has the idea (the dream, the desire) for the exact menu she wants to prepare. Now she must put her plan on paper, jotting down every ingredient she will need. She plans the trip to the grocery store, she sketches out the time needed to prepare and cook and bake - and serve the meal at the appointed time. Then, amazingly, she has to DO it. If she deviates from her dream and her plan, the meal she had intended will not be served. But most often, most moms do this everyday. They have an idea in their mind for the next meal, and they just do whatever it takes to get that meal prepared and served to their family in a timely fashion. So, what I’m getting at, is if we can position ourselves for something that we could call “as simple as that” ~ then why can we not position ourselves for other dreams God has given us? Most especially, for spiritual dreams and desires to serve God with our all. Most especially, for bringing to reality the most important positioning of all: sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone we can, whether through our local church ministry or every other place we happen to be at! I was sharing the story of Jack LaLanne’s life of nearly 97 years with my ladies at the Senior Chair Exercise Session this week. From a sickly child to the all-time fitness guru he became, he lived out his goal to help others. His dream to become fit and stay fit took shape only as he positioned himself into a plan that would bring it to pass. Once that was achieved, he wasn’t content to keep that knowledge to himself, so he began to live out his goal of helping people help themselves. In later years, in addition to the physical fitness aspect of his legacy, he became known as “that juicer guy” – touting the benefits of great natural foods and nutrition. His physical feats through the years left people shaking their heads in amazement! Example: Swimming handcuffed and shackled, towing 65 boats filled with 6500 pounds of freight, near Tokyo, Japan - or – doing 1,000 star jumps and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour and 22 minutes – or – at age 70, once again handcuffed and shackled, Jack, fighting strong winds and currents as he swam 1.5 miles while towing 70 boats (bearing a total of 70 people) from the Queen’s Way Bridge in Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary! If we as human beings can accomplish these kinds of feats physically … and in business … is there anything too hard for God and us to accomplish together? God’s advice to us for positioning ourselves in Him and in our lives on this earth (which should be one and the same) is this: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7) Dear people of God, get ready, get set, and GO! Awaken your God-given dreams and begin to position yourself for the realization of those dreams!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- IT’S EXCITING TO GO TO CHURCH! That’s how we feel about being in God’s House with His people … deepening our faith in His ways! What a power-packed sermon Pastor Doug gave this past Sunday about “Fasting ~ Seeking God for Breakthrough!” The reports are already surfacing of what God is doing in us as His church through this time of setting other things aside and seeking His face. He has SO much in store!
- OUR SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES go out to Sean on the 9th, Kathy on the 12th, and belatedly to Dan, for January 30th! Our prayer is that God’s blessings will amaze you and uphold you all throughout the year to come!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug sharing the final message in the 3-part series on “Prayer, Fasting, and Praise”. Our entire service will be a celebration of praise to our Heavenly Father, along with searching the scriptures to see what God has to say about praise to us, His people! Come with a praise-filled heart, and leave with a praise-changed life!
- 11:15 A.M. – ANNUAL VISIONARY MEETING with our “DANIEL FAST” CHURCH LUNCHEON to follow – along with the opportunity for great fellowship with your church family! Remember to bring foods that will be in line with the foods that can be enjoyed while on this fast. And plan to be an active part of our church vision for 2011!
- ELEVATION NORTH 21-DAY FAST continues – on Monday we enter our third week of fasting and prayer for divine breakthrough in so many arenas – for our church, for others, and for ourselves! May our God be glorified above all else!
- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH: 7:00-8:00 P.M. – ‘LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY at the home of Pastor Doug and Debbie! They will be awaiting you for this time of focused study, learning, and discussion!
- NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP w/a new series of messages by Pastor D!
- COMING SOON . . . SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH: Post-Valentines’ Dinner Celebration – look for the sign-up sheet!
SUNDAY, MARCH 20TH: SPAGHETTI FEED with all the trimmings, plus “make your own sundaes” for dessert / with a movie afterwards!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- WHO ARE GOD’S GIFTS FOR, if not for His children?! This week, let’s claim those gifts for the Rogers and Spitzack families in their recent losses, for Sharon, Pam, Julia, Brandon and family, Aletta, Roger & Cindy, Kay, and Karrie! May He breathe comfort and healing and life into each one as we lift them up in prayer!

- REMEMBER . . . “God has a purpose for your life ~ and no one can take your place!” ~ unknown


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

“ . . . DO SOMETHING WITH IT!” Now that could mean a lot of things, but the first part of that statement really is, “JESUS, TAKE MY LIFE AND . . . “. Put it all together and you’ve got something really powerful – that is, if you truly mean it: “JESUS, TAKE MY LIFE AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT!” Some people first heard themselves saying this/praying this when they asked Jesus to come into their heart and forgive their sins so that they could live forever with Him. I think it would be great if, as God’s kids, we could pray that every day and mean it! Jesus, TODAY, take my life and DO SOMETHING with it! I must add a few postscripts to the last blog update about “God Sure Knows How To Throw A Party!” After I had published the blog, God brought to my mind some more “noise-maker” moments from our recent trip, and because they were every bit as special as the other ones … I just want to let you know how “big” this party actually was! Take everything that I told you last week, and then add in these … like: one young person unexpectedly filling our vehicle with gas to help us along on our road trip (oh, he has a big heart – we just never thought about him doing this for us)! Like: leaving the next place, and having this guy sneak our vehicle away to fill it with gas before we left for home (yes, he does this every time we come – yet it was the farthest thing from our mind at the time)! Like: others we stopped in to see who poured out their hearts to us about struggles and doubts, grief and sadness, allowing us the gift of ministering to them and holding hands and praying together – and yet in turn, they ministered right back to us! It seems to me that each of these “givers” I’ve mentioned last week and this, must have at one time said to God, “TAKE MY LIFE AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT!” Because … He sure has! I want to challenge YOU to ask yourself today, “Have I ever prayed that prayer?” If not, then there is no time like the present! I believe that when we begin to pray that prayer daily, there will be a noticeable turning point … change-point, if you will … in our lives! After all, our lives are not our own – but all too often, we live like they are. After all, our time is not our own – but all too often, we live like it is. After all, our bodies are not our own – but all too often, we live like they are. After all, our money and our resources are not our own – but all too often, we live like they are. It’s so easy in the world and day we are living in for life to be “all about us!” Most every voice we hear in the media tells us that we deserve it all – right now. The truth is that through the blood of Jesus, and only through the blood of Jesus, we ARE deserving of God’s best! But when that “best” is given to us, there is a reason for all those blessings. I believe that when God gives us increase, it comes for two purposes: that we might glorify God and bless Him back more … and that we might make a difference in the lives of others and bless them more. Any needs we have personally will be met and more, because we did the right and godly thing with our increase! What an exciting way to live! Again, that daily prayer becomes so relevant: “Jesus, take my life TODAY and do something with it!” Be careful when you ask, though, because when you mean it, He WILL do something with it! Then, don’t just hang on for the ride, but get in the driver’s seat with God as your co-pilot! Together, you will see extraordinary things happen that will take the word “boring” right out of your life! You’ll feel like you’ve been given a brand new lease on life! Everywhere you’re going, God is going right there with you! Everything you’re doing, God is right there in the middle of it! Everything you’re giving, God is right there prompting you and providing the increase! What if all of us at Elevation North began to pray this prayer every day, personally, but also corporately? Praying: “GOD, TODAY TAKE ELEVATION NORTH AND DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR CHURCH!” What do you think He will do? We can only imagine all that He will do in us, with us, and through us ~ FOR HIS GLORY! There’s no other reason to ever pray that prayer … except to glorify Him! And when we finally realize that it truly is “all about Him – and Him alone” … then we will really begin to see things happen in a supernatural way! Any mess we’re in, any lack we have, any struggle we’re battling – can all be fixed by a massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our own lives – as well as in the church! God’s given us SO much … and yet we take SO little! In a greedy society, it amazes me that Christians somehow have this skewed belief that they should not be “greedy” when it comes to asking God for ALL He has for His people! We settle for “just a little” ~ “I’ll get by somehow!” I really don’t think Jesus hung on that cross, breathing His last breath so His people, His church could have a “little life” and “somehow just get by!” If so, that was much too big a price to pay for what He gets in return. Let’s put that in perspective and pray with all our might, “JESUS, TAKE MY LIFE … AND OUR CHURCH …TODAY … AND DO SOMETHING WITH IT!” I promise, none of us will ever be the same! (John 10:10)

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- WHAT A BLESSED TIME we had in God’s House this past Sunday as Pastor Doug started the special 3-week series on “Prayer, Fasting, and Praise!” We were challenged as we were reminded of the many ways we’re shown the power of prayer in God’s Word! Oh, that we would truly grasp the life-changing effects of prayer – even with eternal impact!
- IT WAS GREAT to have Christian worship with us on Sunday; and a special thanks to him for all the help following the service! We hope you were blessed, and know that you are always welcome!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 30TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug continuing on with the second message in the series, preaching on “Fasting” from several scriptures. You will be amazed at what God’s Word instructs us to do – and what comes as a result of fasting and prayer! Be sure to bring your Bibles!
- 11:15 A.M. - KINGDOM CONNECTION TIME ~ with fellow believers! Be an encourager and see how God will knit our church family even closer together!
- ELEVATION NORTH 21-DAY FAST – Continue on this journey with your church family as we continue to fast and pray for breakthrough as a church and for provision for a church building, and for spiritual breakthrough in our personal lives, marriage, and families! Remember, God is your strength; draw ever closer to Him and seek His face!
- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND: 7:00-8:00 P.M. – “LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY at Pastor Doug’s and Debbie’s home! Plan to come and think of a few friends that would love to be part of a Bible Study and bring them along!
- NEXT SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with the service zeroed in on PRAISE – both in message and music! You will NOT want to miss this time together in the presence of our God!
- 11:15 A.M. – ANNUAL VISIONARY MEETING w/a Daniel Fast luncheon to follow … please bring foods appropriate for our fast! Call Pastor or Debbie if you have any questions!
- COMING SOON: Sunday, February 20th: Post Valentine’s Dinner Celebration – check out the sign-up sheet! / Sunday, March 20th: Spaghetti Feed complete with tossed salad, garlic bread, & “make your own sundaes” ~ and a great movie to follow!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- WHAT AN AMAZING GOD WE SERVE! Just when we think there is no hope – HE is our hope and HE makes a way for us! We want to pray hope and healing this week over Pam, Tina, and Julia; over Samara, Brandon, and Brianna; over Aletta, Roger, Cindy, Kay, and Karrie; trusting God for His mighty work in each one!

- REMEMBER . . . “That we are alive today is proof positive that God has something for us to do today.” ~ Anna R. B. Lindsay


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

GOD SURE KNOWS HOW TO THROW A PARTY!!! People have this notion that the good times of their lives are had at parties. Well, I am one that believes that great times are had at other places and times, as well. But, whatever you want to call it, we had one great “party” this past week! Wanna hear about it? Well, it almost didn’t get off the ground, though all the plans had been laid out and pre-arranged. At the last minute, I discovered that I would not be receiving vacation pay from one of my jobs for the week we were to be gone … and that loss of pay was definitely NOT in the budget! At first I kind of freaked out, wondering how we were going to make it work. “We need to get away so desperately! We’ve got a precious little baby grandson that we’re so excited about meeting. We’ve got other family and friends we’d love to see! And besides, we haven’t had a day totally off from all of our jobs in forever – who knows when the last time was? How we need a reprieve, some rest, and some renewal!” Then I realized I was stuck on thinking WE had to make it happen, when I suddenly felt like God was asking me, “When have I ever let you down?” I had to shake my head “no” and say, “NEVER!” Once that was established anew in my heart, almost instantly a peace swept over me. I knew it was right to go … I knew it was right to step out in faith, believing for the impossible! I just didn’t know “where – or how – or when” it was all going to come together! I just knew it would! And, would you believe that God had marker signs all over the place, showing us where the party was? Those little “noise-makers” would go off in our hearts at the very best moments … like: seeing our newest grandson, Luke Michael, for the very first time ~ and holding him close to us as much as we could! Like: seeing how much our other little grandsons, Isaiah and Miles, had grown ~ and having them lead us to their bedroom where we would be staying! Like: seeing our kids’ new home for the first time ~ along with all the hard work and added touches they put into it! Like: seeing the breathtaking views from their windows ~ and then taking an adventurous walk with the family out in those same views in balmy temps! Like: going to church and worshipping together as a family! Like: sitting down to eat full home-cooked delicious meals ~ a labor of love by our “daughter”, Becky! Like: getting a tour of our son’s workplace ~ and then hearing a two-hour plus practice session of worship music by Dustin’s band! Like: getting to make cookies with Isaiah and Miles ~ and read stories and play toys with them! Like: getting to hand-deliver newborn baby gifts to little Luke ~ and being able to enjoy a post-Christmas celebration with our family! Like: being gifted with new photos to bring home ~ along with a photo memory book! Like: getting to just sit and talk and relax and talk some more ~ until the night drew to a close! The list could go on and on!!! Alright, let me add to it! Like: meeting up with some friends ~ and spending brief, but special soul-time together! Like: getting to see my almost 87-year old mom ~ and share some memorable hours together with her and two of my siblings and their spouses! Like: getting to chat with several nieces & nephews & their little ones on the phone! Like: stopping at the cemeteries to see both of our dad’s graves ~ but the deep snow kept us from getting as close as we’d like! Like: making a last-minute detour a few miles out of the way ~ and really, really surprising our youngest grand-daughter, Lindsay! Like: having dinner with our son and his wife, DJ and Melissa, and Lindsay ~ and seeing our grandson, Wade – but missing Tyler, as we headed home late at night! Like: arriving safely home in the wee hours of the morning ~ just in time to get ready to go to work! Our hearts were filled full of heart treasures from the anticipated week that God gave us! And just what DID He do? An afternoon phone call while we were at our son’s home in Nebraska brought the news that an extra $100 was being deposited in our bank account that day – a sign to us that God was taking care of our week without my salary. Then, a precious elderly couple passed a twenty dollar bill on to us! And on the last evening there, a very special friend came bearing fun gifts, including envelopes filled with fifties and a hundred dollar bill, to the tune of $300 total! I was speechless! Later, someone pressed five twenties into my husband’s hand, after we had been given $10 to help with food on our way home. My sister and hubby sent us home with a cooler filled with frozen meats and fruits! The “noise-makers” were going off like crazy! And do you know who was blowing them?! GOD – the Party Provider! The Way-Maker! The Lover of Families-Getting-Together! We left on our trip, praying that God would bless our family and others through us. We left to come home, having been blessed indescribably! The vacation time with no pay – no longer an issue! Who says God no longer does miracles? Not us!!! Precious people, be encouraged that God is still on His Throne, and He still loves throwing parties for His children! That’s YOU! And YOU, and YOU!!!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- OUR SPECIAL THANKS to Ryan for ministering to our congregation in our absence last Sunday; to Isaac for all of the preparation and work on Sunday morning for worship; to those who helped lead the praise music; and to everyone who helped in any way! You truly honored God ~ and blessed us! We were praying for all of you!!!
- SPECIAL, LOVING BIRTHDAY WISHES to our grandson, Tyler, who will be celebrating his 21st birthday on Monday, January 24th! May God’s divine favor be present in your life always, we pray! We love you, Tyler!
- OUR SPECIAL THANKS to our “daughter”, Stacey, for updating the music on our church blog! May God bless you for sharing in the ministry of Elevation North in this way!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 23RD: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug beginning a 3-week series on Prayer, Fasting, and Praise! This week’s message will be focused on Prayer and Matthew 6 … don’t miss it!
- 11:15 A.M. – SUNDAY SCHOOL with interesting teaching & discussions straight from God’s Word – for all ages!
- THIS MONDAY, JANUARY 24TH – FEBRUARY 13TH: 21-DAY SPIRITUAL FAST, as we fast and pray for Elevation North, for our families, our spiritual leaders, our nation and its leaders, and for ourselves - that we might be transformed into what God sees we can be! May this fast bring break-through for the glory of God!
- WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26TH: 7:00-8:00 P.M. – “LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY at the home of Pastor Doug and Debbie! Plan to attend, bring your Bibles and notebooks, and even bring a friend!
- NEXT SUNDAY, JANUARY 30TH: 10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP with the message centered on Fasting
- 11:15 A.M. - SUNDAY SCHOOL for everyone!
- SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH: ANNUAL VISIONARY MEETING with reports from the Pastor and the Treasurer – and plans and previews for the future!
- COMING SOON: RE: FUEL YOUTH schedule / FUN FELLOWSHIP opportunities / AND MORE!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- WHEREVER WE GO, we find people who are hurting and who need God’s touch in many different ways! This week please join us in praying for Samara and Brandon, for Pam, Tina, and Julia, for Aletta, Roger, Kay, and Karrie – all for physical healing and God’s strength! Our God is the Great Physician ~ He can be trusted with our very lives!

- REMEMBER, “The day will come – and come repeatedly during your life – that you will be so overwhelmed with God’s graciousness that tears will stream down your face!” ~ Bruce Wilkinson



Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

TALKING TO YOURSELF AGAIN?? That used to be a put-down … or a phrase used to tease someone when they heard that person muttering away to themselves. I think we need to re-visit this action, and see that it really does have some very powerful merit to it. You’re probably saying, “What kind of advice is that? You want me to begin talking to myself? People will think I’m crazy!” Well, it’s actually great advice – because it comes from God, first of all. And there’s no time like the present – to start. Today, in fact! And you know what? It really doesn’t matter what other people think! Besides, this kind of talking to yourself isn’t going to be in a verbal stance when you’re in the midst of lots of people. By then, it will be too late to be doing that kind of talking to yourself. You should have already been speaking to yourself before you encounter others throughout the course of your day. You’re probably saying, “What in the world are you talking about?! Get to the point, before I begin to think maybe you’re a little crazy!” Alright, here goes! Let’s see how briefly I can summarize such an extraordinary way to live life! The book of Deuteronomy is rich and clear in instructions that tell us simply: if we listen and obey our God, He will BLESS us … if we do not pay attention to God’s commands, He will CURSE us. It doesn’t get much plainer than that. But just how do we really live out our everyday lives “listening and obeying”? Again, let’s see what God is saying to us: “Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night. Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities so that you’ll live a long time, and your children with you, on the soil that God promised to give your ancestors for as long as there is a sky over the Earth.” (chapter 11, verses 18-21, The Message Bible) Talking doesn’t just mean senseless chatter. It means speaking what is … speaking the truth … declaring what we don’t see as though we will. It’s like getting up in the morning, as I did this morning. I felt as if the long list I had awaiting me today was insurmountable. I could feel the thoughts come, as I was “talking to myself”: I don’t see how I can ever get this all accomplished unless I stay up all night tonight after work – and then face a 12-hour work day tomorrow after not getting any sleep!” Wow, I was dooming myself before I ever started. God brought me up short and reminded me that what I really needed to be saying to myself was: “God, I speak blessing into this day! I declare that this intensely busy day is going to be incredibly orchestrated by You. I have faith that I will see things accomplished supernaturally by Your hand through me and others. I speak blessing into every hour, each moment of this day – for You are my Provider, my Helper, my Blesser!” Now which kind of “talking to myself” do you think is going to set me up for the better day? How my day would have been – would not be God’s fault, or anyone else’s – I was choosing to speak one way or the other. I would be responsible for the way my day turned out, by my very words that I chose to talk to myself with. Powerful, wouldn’t you say? And just as how we speak to ourselves is important, so it is in how we speak to others, and ultimately, how we speak to God. Of course, we can be honest and share what’s on our heart – with God, He knows everything about us anyhow; with others, they’d rather have honesty from us if we say it in the right way; and with ourselves … we’d better be honest or we’re kidding no one but us! But we must be careful to not speak negatively or in ways that curse … for if we do, we will be our own worst downfall. My challenge to you today is … listen to yourself – what kinds of things are you saying to yourself? Listen to how you talk to others – are your words blessing them or taking them down? Listen to what you say to God – are you thanking Him for Who He is and all He does, or are you giving Him a piece of your mind and blaming Him for everything that goes wrong in your life? We are standing at the point of this new year of 2011 just having been birthed ~ but there can be something new being birthed in you, if you will make the choice to allow God to do that “something new” in you! Talking to yourself in the right way … God’s way - will draw Him close to you. Talking to yourself using God’s Words - will bring blessings not curses to you and your family. Talking to yourself in a positive, godly way - will bring health and peace of mind to your body and soul. Run and get your Bible and soak yourself in the book of Deuteronomy, starting with the scripture I’ve shared with you. You can have a life you’ll be excited about … and God tells us exactly how to do it! So let’s get started “talking to ourselves” today, in Jesus’ Name! What we put into our heart – is what comes out of our mouths!!!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- EACH SUNDAY WE ARE SO AWARE that our God keeps His promises! We learn that from His Word, from hearing the testimonies of others, and from our own experiences! It’s so exciting to come to God’s House ~ He always has something special in store for us as His children! Pastor Doug’s final message in the series was outstanding – this one stirred us to be more active when it comes to setting goals in all areas of our lives!
- A SPECIAL WELCOME to Ryan and his family, who are here to minister to the Elevation North family in Pastor Doug and Debbie’s absence. May you be blessed by God even as you bless His people!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 16TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with special guest speaker, Ryan, who will be sharing from God’s Word and his own heart about ministry in the marketplace. Come and soak in this message for these times – people need the Lord! And we can be used to share His love with others as He sets up God-appointments for us!
- NEXT SUNDAY, JANUARY 23RD: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug beginning a new series of messages and a time of passionate praise as we sing to our Lord! Come as you are – and lay everything at the feet of Jesus – and leave knowing that you’ve been in the presence of Almighty God!
- 11:15 A.M. – SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES for the entire family! Bring your Bibles and an eagerness to learn more about the God we love and serve! He never disappoints us when we open the treasures in His Word!
- WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26TH: 7:00 – 8:00 P.M. – ‘LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS” STUDY at the home of Pastor Doug and Debbie – resuming our weekly sessions of time together in the Word of God!
- COMING SOON: RE: FUEL YOUTH sessions … 21 DAYS OF PRAYER & FASTING … ANNUAL VISIONARY MEETING … and FUN FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITIES! More details next week – be watching!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- BEING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD ON OUR KNEES brings a closeness to our Lord and answers to prayer! Pastor Doug and Debbie would appreciate your prayers for safety as they travel and that they will be a blessing to their family & friends. Let’s also remember to lift up Aletta, Roger, and Kay as they continue to look to God for healing from cancer. Nothing is too hard for our God!!! Claim miracles today … through the shed blood of Jesus!

- REMEMBER . . . “Let’s start ‘talking to live’ ~ not just living to talk!”



Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

I FELT LIKE . . . WELL, I REALLY CAN’T EXPLAIN HOW I FELT! Those of you in church on Sunday heard parts of this story as shared by my husband. But I must tell “the rest of the story!” In some ways it’s pretty unbelievable – yet no one will ever convince me that we didn’t see what we saw!! It was New Year’s Eve in the afternoon and we were running some errands to get ready for the church party in the evening. We ran inside one store – and then into another for maybe 20-30 minutes total. When we came outdoors, the windshield on our vehicle was glazed over with frozen ice. The windshield wipers didn’t move it in the slightest, so my husband had to use the ice scraper and put some muscle behind it to clear enough surface so we could see through safely to drive. We made one more stop for another half hour, and went outside to get into our vehicle and experienced a repeat of the earlier window episode. Driving a few blocks from that store to the frontage road to head home, we realized how slick the streets were and how dangerous the road conditions were getting. My husband had one thought on his mind: get home safely. Making a careful stop at the stop sign, something, actually someone - caught our eye from across the other side of the street. Here stood a man holding a sign that said simply in bold black letters, “Stranded. Any help is appreciated. God bless you.” I never thought of it at the time, but as I caught my first glimpse of this man, what I saw first was his eyes. There was something about those eyes. What seems strange now is that I was able to see his eyes that clearly through iced-over windows. It was as if I was caught in their gaze. Jerked back to reality, I suddenly exclaimed as I saw his very red cheeks, “Why would ANYONE be standing outside in this freezing rain that’s glazing everything over?” No matter how stranded or homeless, my thought was that he would have sought shelter inside of a nearby fast-food restaurant at least until the freezing rain subsided. This weather wasn’t fit for anyone to be standing outside in. My heart went out to him, and immediately I knew we needed to help him – or rather, wanted to help him. There was never even a moment’s thought that he was just out to scam anyone. No one in their right mind would stand outside in this – hoping by chance that there would be at least a few compassionate people. We didn’t see anyone stopping to help. I got the muffled words past my throat, “We need to stop!” I could tell my husband agreed – but he was driven by the need to get safely home, and the intersections were the most treacherous places of all. We had just rounded the bend past the frozen, red-cheeked man, and I could still see those eyes. I blurted out, “What if that was Jesus … and we just left Him standing there in the cold?” My voice cracked. I felt such a strong, strong urge that we needed to go back. My heart was pulled as if a strong magnet was drawing me back. But I wasn’t driving, and my sweet husband was wanting to get us home safely. Finally, from somewhere deep in my soul, I heard myself praying, “God, if that was You on the corner, please do whatever it takes – so that we can do what we need to do to help You. You know our hearts, Lord.” The few miles between us and home rolled slowly by under our wheels over the icy roads, and at some point, a peace came over me. But I could still see those eyes. The New Year’s Eve party got cancelled – and we had an unexpected quiet evening at home. The thoughts of the man on the street corner dimmed for awhile, but as soon as I laid my head on the pillow at bedtime, I saw those eyes again. Without warning, tears began to roll down my cheeks, and I whispered … “Honey, I think that was Jesus! Somehow, I really think it was!” The tears continued to flow – but a sweet presence enveloped me and sleep came as I talked to Him. My alarm went off so I could be at work early, and my husband offered to take me over the icy roads. We were almost there, and as I was looking down, my husband said, “There he is!” I said, “What?” – and looked up in that instant to see that same man standing there. My heart nearly skipped a beat in the excitement at having been given a second chance to minister to him. My husband was slowing to a stop, and I in a tremendous hurry to get to the cash that I miraculously had in my purse (I usually never have any with me!) – just reached for the first bill I could put my hands on. Trying to roll the window down, it wouldn’t open. It was frozen shut. In one fell swoop, I motioned for the man to come over and I shoved the door open, and he was right there in front of me. I saw the same very red cheeks … and those eyes. I reached the money to him through the open door, and in the kindest voice he said, “Thank you! God bless you!” Unplanned words spilled from me … “He already has – He does! And I KNOW that God will take care of you!” And then we were moving. I don’t know why, but I was shaking inside from that unexpected encounter. It had happened so fast, there wasn’t time to think. But again, I came to my senses, and I realized that in my hurry, I had just pulled something from my purse, but it should have been more. The two twenties were on the bottom of the few tens on top. And I had just grabbed from the top. “Honey, it should have been more. Here, please take this to him and give him more. Find out what his story is. I’m so ashamed that’s all we gave him! Especially if that was Jesus!” My husband left on a mission with the money, and I was left at work with an indescribable feeling that I couldn’t shake. Though I couldn’t explain it, from somewhere in the depths of my soul, I knew that man had been Jesus. And when my husband got back to that street corner some minutes later, that man was gone. We never saw him again. Suddenly I realized that Jesus had come to us the last day of the old year – and when we missed Him, He came back to us the first day of the new year! We cannot explain it … we just know what we know in our hearts. And we’ll never forget … those eyes! Our prayer for all of us this new year – is that we will choose to see with His eyes and have His heart for the world around us! None of us ever know just when He will appear before us … let’s be ready!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- THOUGH COLD OUTSIDE, inside the sweet presence of the Lord enveloped us and warmed our hearts as we worshipped, praised, and sought to honor Him with our very best! Pastor Doug gave a stirring message from God’s Word, and God’s people seemed to be in one accord as we began the new year in His House! What God-appointments and opportunities will 2011 hold for Elevation North and for each of us?!
- A SPECIAL HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Keona … who celebrated her birthday on January 1st!!! God bless you, Keona ~ may your year be wonderful!
- IT WAS EXCITING to hear Cierra share about her witnessing mission in the Cities last week! God gave hundreds of college students open doors to share about His love and they were able to minister to many on a very personal level. There were testimonies of several who gave their hearts to God right on the spot! Pray for Cierra that God will clearly show her His perfect will as she serves Him, and that He will keep the fire and passion alive in her spirit!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 9TH: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP with Pastor Doug sharing the final message in the “Season” series – this one on “Season Your Goal-Setting” from Philippians 4:2-13. Come and be challenged by this timely message at the start of the new year!
- 11:15 A.M. – SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES for everyone who wants to deepen their knowledge of the Word of God! We encourage you to stay after – and join your fellow believers in this enjoyable learning experience!
- MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES resume on Wednesday, January 26th
- RE: FUEL YOUTH sessions resume in late January – watch for details
- LOTS OF EXCITING THINGS are being planned for the coming months, including a progressive dinner, community ministry opportunities, DVD sessions with pertinent topics for believers today, planning for Women of Faith, and much more!!! You’ll be hearing more soon!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE! Let’s continue to pray for each other, for our world around us, for those who need Jesus, for our students, our military, our nation’s leaders, for those who serve the Lord in many kinds of ministries – and for our churches! This week, remember Aletta, Cindy & Roger, Julia, and Kay, for God’s touch!

- REMEMBER . . . “Whatever we do for the overlooked and ignored, that is Jesus – we do it for Him!” (from Matthew 25:40)



Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

DO YOU SEE WHAT HE SEES? God has ANOTHER gift to give us! We’ve just celebrated the Gift of His Son, Jesus … and now He’s placing in front of us a new year. Never yet opened. Never yet used. Never yet lived. Do we know what this gift will hold? NO! A million times NO! But what a wondrous gift it is! We get to open it one second at a time … one moment at a time! And we get to spend it, fill it, use it, give it, learn from it, treasure it, invest it, and thank God for it! TIME ~ what a gift. God sees down through it and leads us through it. He sees what it will hold, for He’s planned each moment from before the very beginning of time as we know it. For Him, there never WAS a beginning. How I love knowing that while I don’t know what today – or – tomorrow will hold, God knows. He’s already been there ahead of me. When I first walk into a new day, He’s already been in that place and time, and He’ll remain there with me. And now as we walk into the New Year of 2011 … He’s already there! He’s created it, ordained it, planned it. I’m sure He’s excited about this gift He’s giving us, but He sees it much differently than we do! We tend to look at a new year as being something brand new, clean, and pure. Like a blank, empty slate. Like a fresh start. It’s kind of like looking out of our windows this winter season and seeing the billions of snowflakes that have piled up into “mountains” of snow everywhere. Everything is sparkling white and pure right after a snowfall. The earth is covered in perfect form and all imperfections are invisible. Then the falling snow stops – and life happens all over the snow. Tracks, footprints, the grit of sand and salt. It’s not so white anymore … not so perfect in its covering. The beauty of the wintery design has gotten marred and rearranged. Soon there comes another snowfall – and within minutes the snow-prints are filled in and covered up, as if they’ve never been. No longer visible. I think that’s the difference between how God sees the new year and how we see it. We see at the outset only the fresh, clean start – hoping we’ll do better this year. Hoping we’ll make less mistakes. Hoping we’ll not disappoint those we love, and most certainly, God. Hoping for less trauma and heartache and lack. Just out of the starting gate – we begin strong and sure. Then … we stumble and fall. Suddenly there are prints and splats in what used to be the perfect snowscape. Those marred spots scream failure and hurt and bewilderment. We cry out, “God, we’ve messed it up already!” He turns and looks and sees something so much different. He sees us getting back up again – because He knows He’ll help us up! He sees us getting up stronger – because He knows He’ll renew our strength and increase it. He sees us emerging more powerful and more free – because He knows He’ll give us all we will ever need, even as He is setting us free. He sees the wandering tracks and the full body-splats covered by His love and His blood … and they remain to be seen no more! That’s just the kind of God He is. And that’s just the kind of gifts He gives! But His gifts don’t stop there. He looks a bit further down the snow-covered lanes, and while we are wishing that we could be so much more than we are right now – He sees what we CAN be, what we WILL be! In all those tracks and footprints and grit, He’s been preparing us for the next plateau. He’s elevating us to the next opportunity He has in mind for us. While He could have chosen to use angels in His Kingdom work … He chose to use US! But He knows we’ve got to be equipped and prepared and ready to step into that next appointment He has planned for us. So He allows us to wade through the sometimes deep, hard snowbanks … and all the while, He’s holding our hands. And just when we feel as if we cannot plunge through one more snowdrift, here comes the Son and He rescues us – literally. His answers start raining down much like a picture-perfect, soft, peaceful snowfall. The one-of-a-kind snowflakes of God’s love begin filling in the holes in our heart left by discouragement and hurt and sadness, and soon the scars and mars are no more. No longer visible. And God looks at us and sees beautiful, powerful daughters and sons of the King ~ for that’s who we are. Not just in His eyes – THAT’S WHO WE ARE! We just need to walk into our God-given potential and destiny! As the final seconds of 2010 tick down to the birth of 2011, let these moments be a turning point, a change-point in your life. Desire to see your life and this new year as God sees it. Claim all He has for you, declare it and speak it into being. Quote from the Lord’s Prayer, “Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” – and mean it! (Matthew 6:10) For His will is for us to be reflections of Christ … and He will daily continue to love us and nurture us to our fullest potential in Christ! How exciting! And that leads us right into our new church theme for the new year: “Reconnect with Heaven ~ in 2011!” May we expect God to be at work in us and through us, with miracles and signs and wonders! Let’s expect them … see them … live them … all for the glory of God!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- WHAT BETTER PLACE TO BE the day after Christmas, than in God’s House! And what a blessed time it was as we gathered together to worship and exalt our Lord and Savior! God’s goodness always shines through our circumstances when we let it … and how He honors our faith in Him! He’s been faithful all year long at Elevation North and this last Sunday of the year was no exception! To God be the glory!
- A SPECIAL WELCOME to Wayne and Verla, our brother and sister, who worshipped with us and shared so many blessings during their visit … and to Amber, Zoyee, Timmy, Leon, Kristin, & Kenyin ~ how we loved having you in our midst and we pray that you sensed God’s blessings and presence!
- OUR SPECIAL THANKS to Mary for devotedly serving as our church treasurer this past year, to Isaac and Pam for adding their wonderful voices to our worship team, and to Isaac, as well, for faithfully taking care of sound and powerpoint and set-up and tear-down each week! We are so grateful, and we know God has been blessed because of your loving service to Him! To everyone in our church family who helps and serves and gives from their heart … thank you … you truly bless us!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 2ND: 10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP centering around a service of challenge and commitment for the New Year of 2011 as Pastor Doug preaches about “Seasoning Your Getting”. Sharing from Luke 1:26-38 and I Thessalonians 5:18, he will remind us that how we serve not only meets the need of God’s people, but it overflows in expressions of our thanks to God! (2 Corinthians 9:12) Don’t miss this call to action!
- 11:15 A.M. – SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES with opportunities to dig into God’s Word and learn more … to share with other believers … being renewed with the Word of God! Plan to join us after worship!
- MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES will resume on Wednesday, January 26th … be looking towards an uninterrupted time of gleaning treasures from the Word of God!
- RE: FUEL YOUTH sessions with devotions and activities are being planned – see Pastor Doug for more details!
- A NEW CALENDAR OF CHURCH MINISTRIES & EVENTS is underway for 2011 … you will be seeing this soon!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- THIS IS A PERFECT TIME to praise our Almighty God for His wondrous works in our lives throughout this past year … and as we look to the new year, recommit to standing in the gap in prayer for others who needs God’s touch!

- REMEMBER . . . “Every ending is a new beginning!” ~ unknown


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY NO CLUE!!! It was so awesome! While we as a church had been planning Jesus’ birthday gift for the past several weeks … this family had NO CLUE that they would be the recipients this past Sunday at the close of our Christmas celebration service! We loved all the planning and the gathering of love gifts - both the monetary and also the tangible ones that each of us gift-wrapped. We loved keeping the secret – and the element of surprise! We loved every part of the process, because first of all, we knew we were doing it for Jesus, wanting to honor Him for His birthday! Secondly, we knew how much we loved this family in our church, and how exciting it was to be able to be God’s hands extended to meet some of their needs and share generously with the love of Jesus spilling from our hearts! Just a week earlier, the winter storm had kept us from gathering together on Sunday morning. So to make sure that no one forgot about the birthday gift for Jesus, throughout the week we made phone calls and sent off letters as a last-minute reminder to everyone. We needn’t have been concerned, though, because when God ordains something, He sees it through to the finish. Suddenly, everyone began to jump on board ~ and we began to get even more excited! Sizable donations were coming in … some cash … some gift cards … and we began to receive phone calls from people who were shopping and wrapping gifts for Sunday morning! Some gave from a limited income, some gave that had their own little family to buy gifts for, others that probably could have spent more on their own family instead chose to share some of that to go shopping for “Jesus’ birthday gifts”. The best part is that everyone did it joyfully out of love, and could hardly wait for Sunday morning to arrive! We believe this birthday gift for Jesus was so important to God that He even enlisted someone from out-of-state – without them knowing anything about it! One of the gifts we were planning to give to this family – got channeled to another needy family when God led us to give it away. We began to wonder, now what? We want to give to them … and we will … but just where is it coming from, Lord? And then within hours, we received a phone call from someone that supports us monthly through automatic deposit. Twice a month $100 is placed in our bank account – without fail. But this person was telling us that we were going to see an extra $100 in our account the next morning because they had received a Christmas bonus. And from their deposit, the first $100 was being transferred to our account because that’s how the bank has it set up. I immediately resisted – strongly, because this had occurred a few times before. This individual would receive a bonus, and an extra hundred dollars would show up in our account. And each time he would refuse to let us send it back. “God has blessed me,” he would say. “Just keep it and use it however you need to.” This time, I stated, “We’ll send it right back to you – that’s YOUR gift!” He resisted right back, “No, you keep it. I don’t need it; God has given me lots more.” As I began to resist again, suddenly I saw the re-play of the gift we had that God had asked us to give away. And before I could even think about it, I heard myself asking him, “since you don’t want the money back, would you like to be a part of Jesus’ birthday gift from Elevation North and we’ll use the ‘surprise $100’ to bless this family?” He immediately joined in on the opportunity to share, and in that moment I realized how incredibly God the Father had arranged all of this for His Son’s birthday! Tears streamed down my face … not unlike the tears that streamed down the face of these young grandparents as they stood at the front of the church on Sunday morning receiving the gifts that THEY HAD NO CLUE they would be getting! Their little granddaughter, who they are raising, stood with them, eyes big with wonderment and amazement. Money, gift cards, presents, and all the love our hearts could hold were lavished on them, and we were blessed beyond words! We could tell they were, too. With humble gratitude they tried to speak through their tears. And as a church family we understood the language of their hearts as we embraced them with joy and love! Giving early birthday gifts to Jesus on Sunday morning definitely outshone every celebration we will have this Christmas season … because it’s ALL about HIM! And this family was on His mind when He led us to share His gifts with them! Can it get any better than that?! Well, only if you realize that at so many times in all of our lives when we’ve struggled and wondered and despaired – often WE HAVE NO CLUE – what’s just around the corner! God is there … waiting with surprises and blessings and miracles that will cause us to CELEBRATE!!!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- WELL, YOU’VE ALREADY GOTTEN AN INSIDE PEEK at last Sunday morning through our eyes, and the entire Christmas worship celebration was both powerful and precious! Emmanuel – “God With Us” – was present in our midst and we carried the essence of His presence with us to the places and people we sang carols to in the afternoon! What a great time we had proclaiming the message of Jesus’ birth so long ago! And a special thanks to everyone for bringing such wonderful food for our Christmas lunch! You’re the BEST!!
- OUR DEEPEST GRATITUDE to each of our faithful and generous supporters of Elevation North and Pastor Doug and Debbie this year of 2010, both prayerfully and financially! Because of you, so much more was accomplished for the Kingdom of God! We love you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26TH: 9:30 A.M. – (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE AGAIN FOR THIS WEEK, due to another afternoon reservation at Clinton Falls – next Sunday we will be back to our regular worship time.) END-OF-YEAR CHALLENGE/COMMITMENT/CELEBRATION SERVICE - Pastor Doug will be preaching on “Seasoning Your Glorifying” based on scriptures from Psalm 149:1-6a and Matthew 1:18-25. Come expecting God to reveal to us how to better glorify Him in His House and in our hearts! God is so worthy of our praise and glory! Come expecting to give God your best worship – He will meet you where you are at and take you to new levels in Christ!
- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31ST: 7-10 P.M. – NEW YEAR’S EVE GATHERING at Elevation North with lots of fun and food and fellowship planned! Come with family and friends and enjoy games, a movie, and a delicious breakfast before we bid farewell to 2010 and join in prayer for the new year!
- SATURDAY, JANUARY 1ST: HAPPY NEW YEAR to our church family ~ may God’s blessings pour forth upon all!
- NEXT SUNDAY, JANUARY 2ND: 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE / 11:15 A.M. – SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- JUST A REMINDER that YOU are a CHILD OF THE KING! All He has is YOURS! So this week let’s be focused on interceding in prayer for others AND then in listening to what God is telling us! Do we miss the answer sometimes because we don’t take time to hear what He wants to say to us? Let’s be in prayer for each other in the Body of Christ, for a closer walk with our Lord, for spiritual growth, for healing, for opportunities to share Christ with the lost, for a place Elevation North can call “home”, for our students on break, for our families as they travel back from Christmas visits, for renewal and strength and rest, for our nation, its leaders, and our military, and for our pastors and evangelists and missionaries who serve God so faithfully! Prayer makes ALL the difference!

- REMEMBER . . . “For unto us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

Elevation North has News for YOU!

HE’S HERE! The ringing of the phone awakened us at 1:58 a.m. on Saturday morning, December 11th … and instinctively I reached for the phone while still trying to wake up. I heard our youngest son saying, “Hey, I just wanted to call and tell you that you have another grandson!” Emerging from my deep zone of slumber, my mind and voice were simultaneously attempting to respond. “Grandson?! Oh, he’s here already? How awesome … congratulations, Dustin! Another precious little boy! What did you name him?” “We’re still deciding mom … we’ll call you later!” What I did learn at that point was that he came into our family at 12:42 a.m. their time, so he was only sixteen minutes old when we got the call! His daddy knew he was 6 lbs. and 11 oz. and either 19 or 19 ½ inches long, the latter being the accurate measurement! I couldn’t contain my joy and excitement and shared the great news with my hubby! Just think, grandchild #8 is here! Snuggled warmly in our bed, we chatted awhile and thanked God for the gift of this new little life in our family and for bringing him safely to us! What will they name him, we wondered? Morning came, and off to work we went, with this new grandbaby on our mind! We excitedly shared the news with co-workers. What does he look like, we wondered? How we’d LOVE to be there, we thought! On our breaks we would call back to Nebraska, sometimes missing them and having to just leave a message. By the time lunch came, we connected – and learned that this baby had a first name . . . Luke! That seemed like just the right name for this little one, but mommy and daddy were having a more difficult choice with the middle name. What will they choose, we wondered? At 10:15 p.m. that evening after we had chatted a few more times, we received a text message, simply: “Luke Michael Jones”! That was IT! The perfect name … it didn’t only sound right – it was meant to be! For after all, little Luke Michael is the third generation of three boys … and Michael is his Grampa Doug’s middle name! What a special honor for his grampa! The very next morning, an on-line photo album awaited us, and we loved viewing the delightful story in pictures of our son’s family as they welcomed little Luke into their lives and into this world. What a sweet little boy – with lots of dark hair!! Welcome, precious grandson … we are so blessed that you are here and we are awaiting that moment when we will get to see you and hold you for the first time!

HE’S HERE! The ringing announcement of the angel startled the shepherds on the hillside during their night watch that very first Christmas. But it was that same angel glowing with God’s glory that calmed the shepherds’ initial surprise with words that have echoed down through the generations ever after - until this day even. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.” And it was after this incredible announcement by just one angel, that he was joined by a huge choir of angels who filled the skies with their beautiful, clear voices! And what were they singing? They were thanking God and praising Him for this Gift of all gifts: “Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please Him.” (from Luke chapter 2, The Message Bible) You just cannot keep news like this to yourself ~ the whole world has to know! We want to see the Gift … we want to share the Gift … we want to ponder and cherish the Gift. Just like we wanted to let the whole world know about our little grandson, Luke - we need to see the Gift of Jesus in that same way. He’s the best Gift we can ever hope to share with our world. And our world right now needs Him SO much! And NOW THAT HE’S HERE … what do we do with Him? I think that answer comes straight from the words He spoke to his parents as a youngster when they found Him in the Temple. He told them, “I must be about my Father’s business!” We believe that should be the focus of our last few remaining days before Christmas Day arrives. We need to daily be about our Father’s business, seeking out people to touch and ways to bless them. We need to quiet our souls before our Lord and let Him speak to us – while we listen. Really listen. We just might hear the instructions we need to guide us to the right places and right people who need us to be their miracle just before Christmas. While He could come down here to earth and take care of it all by Himself, going here and doing this … going there and doing that, He’s chosen to LET US get in on this joy of announcing His coming! Your song might sound different than ours. Your gift-delivery destination might be different than ours. Your packaging might look different than ours. But … they will ALL contain the same news … the same message … the same GIFT! And His Name is Jesus! HE’S HERE!!!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- THIS PAST SUNDAY with its major snowstorm - found all of us homebound, but safe and warm! It was a day to worship God in our homes and to be with our families. We missed our fellowship together, but counted our private fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ a special privilege! We pray that you were blessed!
- LOVING BIRTHDAY WISHES are sent to our youngest son, Dustin, on December 21st! May your day and your entire year to come be filled with celebration, love, and God’s favor! We love you and thank God for you, son!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19TH: 9:30 A.M. – (NOTE THE TIME CHANGE FOR THIS WEEK ONLY, due to an afternoon reservation at Clinton Falls.) JOIN US for our CHRISTMAS COMMUNION SERVICE & JESUS’ BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION! Pastor Doug will be sharing a meaningful Christmas message on “Seasoning Your Gatherings” from Colossians 3:1-17. It’s never too late to purpose in your heart that because of Jesus in you – you can make your gatherings rich and meaningful … not just the status quo of getting through another occasion! AND REMEMBER TO BRING YOUR GIFTS FOR JESUS’ BIRTHDAY so we can share them with the recipients and bless their hearts & touch their lives! You will NOT want to miss this time in God’s House!
- CHRISTMAS CAROLING is being planned for today following the church service, since we had to cancel last week. Let’s join our happy voices and deliver some Christmas joy to those who are shut in around our community! We will wrap things up with some steaming hot chili and crackers, and hot chocolate & Christmas treats at our last stop! We need YOUR voice and YOUR presence as we sing the wondrous Christmas carols! Thanks to everyone who signed up to help bring food for our gathering!
- CHRISTMAS EVE: Enjoy this special evening surrounded by your family in the presence of the Lord!
- CHRISTMAS DAY: Pastor Doug and Debbie wish everyone a BLESSED celebration of the birth of Jesus … and pray that this Christmas will be extraordinary in every way for you and your loved ones! We love and appreciate each of you!
- NEXTSUNDAY, DECEMBER 26TH: END-OF-YEAR CHALLENGE/COMMITMENT/CELEBRATION SERVICE
- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31ST: NEW YEAR’S EVE GATHERING w/games, a movie, and … even breakfast!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- EACH WEEK WE ARE REMINDED THAT HE’S HERE! He walks with us & talks with us & gifts us with blessings and miracles that astound us! We honor & glorify our Lord as we continue to lift each other up before His Throne!

- REMEMBER . . . “Christmas is the day that holds all time together.” ~ Alexander Smith


Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

WHAT CAN WE GIVE YOU FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY, JESUS? I know … because You know everything … we cannot “surprise” you! It takes planning, though, like any other gift, to present You with Your birthday gifts. In fact, choosing and praying about what we will give to honor You is a year-long process – that culminates on Christmas Eve when we present Your gifts to You in our private, family setting. We get so excited about the little hints You drop into our hearts … and then sometimes there are the BIG nudges – and we think, “Wow, You must REALLY want THAT gift!” We’ve got it, Lord … and we’ll do our best to have it ready for You on Your birthday!” It’s truly amazing how this part of celebrating Your birth has become the most meaningful part of our family celebrations ~ whether it’s a Christmas where it’s just my husband and me … or whether we are surrounded by sons and daughters and grandchildren and our moms! We first heard about this idea of actually “giving gifts” to Jesus in an article we read several years ago back in 1998. This family decided rather than to spend so much money on themselves, they would put their efforts into choosing a gift or gifts that they could give Jesus – and then on Christmas morning, they would all eagerly converge around the Christmas tree to reveal what they were giving Him! Granted, those with wealth can do more than others – but we can all do something that Jesus will love and be touched by! One year this dad outfitted the high school sports team with new uniforms because the school did not have the funds to do so and they were badly in need of being replaced. So he did it to honor Jesus. Another family member bought shoes for a child that wouldn’t have had them otherwise. I could feel their excitement as I read about their delight in being able to celebrate Jesus’ birthday this way … and in that moment, I knew that our Christmases would forever be changed. Yes, we would still celebrate with gifts to our family ~ but our focus would be on choosing gifts that would make a real difference for someone else that would ultimately please the Lord Jesus Christ. And all year long, we seek to find gifts that we can present to Him on His special day … some of them being discovered just in time! Center-front on our Christmas tree is the same envelope with Jesus’ Name on it that we started with in 1998. Each year, we write Him a note telling Him about the gifts we are giving Him ~ and with this being our thirteenth year, that little white envelope is beginning to bulge! The notes aren’t important really, but they represent individuals, families, the homeless, the hungry, little ones whose parents are in prison, those who are lost and do not even have a copy of God’s Word, people in third-world countries who are in need of milk and food and medicine, and etc., etc. God took this passion in our hearts and expanded it to the churches that we’ve pastored through the last thirteen years – and each Christmas we’ve chosen a special project to present to Jesus for His birthday. One year it was all of us at church giving from our hearts … and we were able to present a check to our missionary friends so that a roof could be put on one of the churches in Africa. The people would faithfully come to the church and sit in the blistering heat or be drenched in pouring rain – with no roof over their heads. And we were privileged to give Jesus the roof on that church for His birthday. We were also able to send enough money for 400 Bibles in their Bemba language, because no one could afford Bibles – most often not even the pastors! And giving God’s Word to those without it, was a very precious gift to present to Jesus that year! This year in 2010, our new, small church has taken on something that God has put in our hearts to do. We are aware of a family … mom and dad and young girl … who will probably not get to celebrate Christmas without some loving people becoming God’s hands extended to them this year. And so we are placing the opportunity in your hands to be a part of blessing this family in need. When you get to church this Sunday, there will be a poster board display with post-it-notes listing items that they can desperately use. There will even be a few with some fun ideas to bring some extra joy to them! We hope you will be as generous as possible – for while this will bless them, it really is our birthday gift to Jesus this year … and we know that He will be pleased and honored! Sacrifices that cost us something are more precious in God’s sight than nonchalantly giving just anything that doesn’t affect us one way or the other. After all, what if Jesus came physically to our church as we present these gifts to Him? Wouldn’t we want them to be our most beautifully wrapped and very best gifts of all?! Wouldn’t we want to please Him more than anything else? Join us in celebrating Jesus’ birthday at Elevation North … and remember that it is always “more blessed to give than to receive!” This can be your best Christmas ever ~ because you gave to Jesus!

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

- OUR CHURCH FAMILY is so blessed to be celebrating this Christmas season together, and how we loved this second Sunday of Advent as our service centered around “Seasoning our Giving!” What a wonderful preface to prepare our hearts for giving to Jesus and others! And what a great time we had in the evening as we enjoyed singing Christmas carols, munching on yummy snacks, and watching “The Christmas Shoes” together!
- OUR WISHES FOR A HAPPY ANNIVERSARY go out to DJ and Melissa, our oldest son and his wife, as they celebrate 11 years of marriage on the 11th of December! AND LOVING BIRTHDAY WISHES are sent to our grandson, Dylan, as he celebrates his 15th birthday on the 15th of December! May God bless you all of you with His loving favor … we love you and thank God for you! ALSO, SPECIAL BIRTHDAY WISHES are in order for Joel, who will be celebrating on December 18th … may this be your best year ever, with God’s blessings!

- LOOKING AHEAD . . .

- THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12TH: 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE – with our hearts open and ready for God’s touch as we focus on God’s Word and Pastor D’s message for this third Sunday of Advent – “Seasoning Your Gatherings” – from Colossians 3:1-17. Do you long to make your connections with one another rich and purposeful … then come and see how we can season our gatherings with the presence of Christ!
- CHRISTMAS CAROLING - Join us following worship as we connect with our community, bringing joyful Christmas sounds to those who are shut-in. We will make several stops to sing Christmas carols, and then we will come back to church to warm up with piping hot chili and crackers and Christmas treats! We want YOU with us!
- SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19TH: CHRISTMAS SUNDAY w/COMMUNION & JESUS’ BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
- SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26TH: END-OF-YEAR CHALLENGE/COMMITMENT/CELEBRATION SERVICE
- FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31ST: NEW YEAR’S EVE GATHERING w/games, a movie, and … breakfast!

- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .

- WHAT A MIGHTY GOD WE SERVE! Each week we are witness to God’s power as He demonstrates His love toward us and His work in us! It is our privilege to hold each other up in prayer, so let’s remember Tina, Hazel, Henry, Julia & her brother, Cierra, Karrie, Aletta, Kay, Roger & Cindy, Sharon, April, Elissa, Lundstrom’s, Seykora’s, and several unspoken requests. God knows all about each of these needs and He is truly more than able to answer! And how we thank Him for all He has already done … He is SO worthy of our praise!!!

- REMEMBER . . . “The fact of Jesus’ coming is the final and unanswerable proof that God cares!” ~ William Barclay



Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie