ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

WORSHIP.  Do we truly understand this word, this concept, this experience, this command, this act?  Worship is an invitation, an act of seeking, a gift to our God.  Just what do we make of it?  Is it a boring drudgery or a joyous privilege?  Someone has said, “Worship renews the spirit as sleep renews the body” – which is true, and yet worship is so much more than that.  Because while genuine worship blesses us, it is really all about the Lord Jesus Christ.  Well, it is supposed to be!  It is supposed to bless HIM!  I love how we worship at Elevation North!  We enter into our worship of God prayerfully and yet passionately.  We focus on who our God is and exalt Him for all He is.  We lift our hearts in praise; we want Him to know how much He means to us.  We desire His presence and hunger and thirst after more of Him in our lives.  We offer Him our best in our worship … though none of us are professionals when it comes to praying or seeking or singing or playing instruments.  Which perhaps is a good thing – not that all professionals transform worship into entertainment … but that’s what happens in many churches.  And while worship should be the best that we have to offer, worship and entertainment are two different things!  Worship is a heart thing; more than that, it’s a Kingdom thing.  It is given with the thought of pleasing God, the recipient of our worship.  When you go to buy a gift, do you just grab the first thing in sight – with the least expensive price tag?  Or do you take time to put some thought into it and search until you find just the right gift – sometimes at a sacrificial cost … all because you want to please the recipient!  That’s what should go into our worship!  Seeking and choosing to present ourselves before our God with honor and respect – with devotion and love – with joy and with focus and passion.  With a desire to come before our God cleansed and forgiven so that we can worship Him without all of the dirt and baggage and distractions that can so easily be drug into our time with Him.  That can pertain to church or to home or to wherever we find ourselves offering worship to the One who made our very lives a breathing reality.  We cannot have a divided heart and be in true communion with anyone – much less our Creator!  When you are talking with someone and your heart and mind are a million miles away, you might be saying words but they can tell you are not with them.  What that says is that they are not important enough for you to set everything and everyone else aside to just focus on them and share one-on-one time with them.  The same goes for our Savior.  When we worship, if our heart is filled with anger and negativity and all we can think of is a way to get even, or if we cannot lay down our burdens long enough to truly trust God to handle them in the amazing ways He does … how can we call what we give Him, worship?  Perhaps we’re just thinking about what we’re going to do next – or who we are going to hang out with … whatever we are thinking about, we are definitely not WITH Him!  That’s not worship.  We miss out – and most of all, God misses what we could have given Him!  Worship, though, cannot be forced.  It’s a desire, that of course takes a commitment to carry it through to the Giver of Life!  It’s an outward expression of what’s inside.  That’s why some people can participate in the same time of praise and worship – and some will leave feeling as if they didn’t experience a thing, and others will leave sensing a tremendous blessing of having been with Jesus and being filled with His presence and His power.  One was a non-participant, the other, choosing what was best, setting all else aside to honor and glorify the King of kings, bringing the gift of true worship to Him.  Dear people, let’s be participants in the worship of our Lord and God and bow in awe before His Throne!  “If Shakespeare should come into this room we would all rise; but if Jesus Christ should come in, we would all kneel.” ~ Charles Lamb.  Yes, our God is worthy of our worship … in every facet of our lives!  Will we offer it?  

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

A SPECIAL WELCOME to Helen who worshipped with us this past Sunday; may God bless you with His best!

OUR SPECIAL THANKS to those who have spent hours at the church this past week for phase one of enlarging our sanctuary to create more seating!  And for those who have given sacrificially for needed supplies and carpet, may God bless you richly!!!

                                              ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!

We are enjoying our weekly mornings in Central Park at our Elevation North table where all proceeds are going to Relay for Life!  Our table needs your home-baked items, hand-made crafts, and home-grown plants or vegetables or fruits.  Whatever it is that you can bake, create, or grow … we’d love to have you get on board with us to share funds for the upcoming Relay for Life walk that will take place at the fairgrounds in July!  It’s a great time for fellowship with your church friends and so many others who stop by to support us by making purchases!  See you at the park on Saturday mornings the entire month of June from 7 a.m. to 12 noon!  Our goal is to raise $1100.00 for the fight against cancer.  Questions?  Please see Tina, Wayne, & Verla!

THIS SUNDAY, JUN 9th:  CHILDREN'S SUNDAY

10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP / SPECIAL SERVICE honoring our tots and children today!

11:30 A.M. - LIGHT LUNCH for children and chaperones going to the Como Zoo today, leaving for the Cities right after lunch.  Zoo closes at 6:00 p.m.  See Wayne and Verla if you have any questions about the event!

SAT, JUN 15th:

7:00 A.M. - 12:00 NOON - RELAY FOR LIFE table at the Farmer's Market/Central Park

See the Spotlight above!

NEXT SUNDAY, JUN 16th:  FATHER'S DAY

10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP / SPECIAL SERVICE honoring our fathers!

10:30 A.M. - KIDZONE CHURCH

PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . . 

Julia, Hazel, Max, Johnnie & Cherry, Audrey, Lundstroms, our children and youth who will be on break for the summer months, many unspoken needs, our church as we expand to reach others, God's provision, and that we will stay on target with God's Word as we walk ever closer to Him!

REMEMBER . . . “O come, let us worship and bow down:  let us kneel before the Lord our maker.”  ~  Psalm 95:6  

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

Pastor Doug and Debbie

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

LIVING HAPPY AND FREE!  Isn’t that everyone’s dream?  Living stressed and in bondage.  Isn’t that how the biggest share of people today live?  Instead of living their dream, they are experiencing their own worst nightmare. I’ve participated in a lot of great, thought-provoking conversations this week – and I have tried to open my eyes and my heart ever wider in an attempt to understand better what living happy and free meant to our Creator when He was planning our lives.  I have a feeling that His script compared to our biographies varies a whole lot!  There’s HIS plan … and then there’s our plan and how we’ve chosen to live our lives.  I guess I’ve been unusually reminiscent of our lives as my husband and I will celebrate forty-two years of marriage this week.  That’s a long time.  I used to think people who were married that long – were OLD!  Not anymore!  My mind has raced across the years and the partial biography we could write thus far.  I try with all my might to not live with regrets.  But being as human as anyone else, there are definitely some things I would do differently if I could live those experiences over again.  Each day God teaches me more, and I hope I am an attentive student and an eager learner.  I really don’t want to make the same mistakes over and over – but yup, sometimes I do!  I think, “Will I ever get this right?”  God knows I will.   While Satan tries his best to throw self-condemnation all over us as God’s kids, I love that there is one thing I have gotten right through all these years.  And that is … “NO MATTER WHAT – I HAVE KNOWN THAT GOD’S LOVE IS STILL WITH ME!”  I don’t think there’s ever been a day that I have felt like God was not with me.  Or that I thought He didn’t love me.  Ever.  There’ve been times that I’ve asked Him, “What in the world are You doing, God?  I’d really like to know, because what’s happening sure doesn’t make any sense to me at all!”  But always, no matter what … I’ve known He is with me and He loves me!  And that knowledge and belief has carried me through a lifetime of joys – and a lifetime of trials.  God has been SO faithful to us every day of these forty-two years – and His love has been SO constant in our lives that we want to be a daily testimonial in front of everyone we cross paths with.  We want to share with them that they, too, can discover happiness and freedom in the knowledge and belief that God’s love is with them.  Still.  Always.  Ever.  Yesterday.  Today.  Tomorrow.  Forever.  Without fail.  WITH them!  That’s scriptural.  One of Jesus’ names, “Emmanuel” means “God with us”!  But in the moments that I stop to really listen to what God is saying to me, I realize how often I respond to my stress-points in ways that prove that I’ve lost focus on the fact that He is still with me … that He still loves me.  For if my focus was on what I know, I would not think I have to figure it all out on my own, or that it must make sense to me.  Sound familiar?  Initially I would not feel like I have to find the solution; I would from the first moment be fully aware that God is my Source for every answer I lack, for every need that I have.  I would have this unshakeable knowledge that no matter what happens to me, no matter what people do to me, no matter what … God is still with me and He still loves me.  He’s already figured it out.  He’s already come to the rescue.  He’s already provided the way out.  He’s already given the peace.  Though we know this, we jump to our own conclusions.  Though we believe it, too often we fail to claim it and exercise it.  Doing so makes ALL the difference in the level of happiness and freedom we live in.  I thank God for the truly incredible times my husband and I have shared throughout our marriage.  The times that have not been so incredible are the times that we have lost the focus that God is still with us – in that moment and in that place.  As we celebrate this week, we will be reminded of treasured times and be thankful for all that God has taught us.  We will be excited about the opportunities and adventures to come … asking for God’s help to get it right more times than not – living out the reality that God’s love is still with us!  And we want nothing more than for all of those we love so much – to get this right, too! 

 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

 

WELCOME BACK to Laura, A.J., Lilia, and Chris, Katie, and Natalie who worshipped with us this past Sunday; may God bless you!

 

THIS SUN, JUN 02:

10;00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP

10:30 A.M. - KIDZONE

SAT, JUN 08:
7 A.M. - NOON - RELAY FOR LIFE table at the
Farmer's Market downtown in Central Park
(please bring anything hand-made, home-baked, or
home-grown - and come help out at the table if you can!)

5:00 P.M. - PARK TO PARK PROGRESSIVE PICNIC 

(see Spotlight below!)

NEXT SUN, JUN 09:

10:00 A.M. - CHILDREN'S SUNDAY

COMO ZOO EVENT to follow

(see Spotlight below!)

 

ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!

Our first ever PARK TO PARK PROGRESSIVE PICNIC will be mapped out for you, starting at the church at 5:00 p.m. this coming Saturday, June 8^th, with beverages.  We will caravan over to Lincoln Park for appetizers, move on to Lake Kohlmeier for salads, then make our way to Morehouse Park for the main dishes.  There will be tables and beverages at each park, and each family is asked to bring food to share (check out the sign-up sheet), their own lawn chairs or blankets and their own table service to eat on.  There will be time for fun, fellowship and free time at each park.  Finally, we will make our way back to the church to conclude with dessert by Hazel!  In case of rain, we have alternate locations planned.  Be sure to join us for the fun!

CHILDREN’S SUNDAY will be celebrated on June 9^th at 10:00 a.m. with worship being centered around the children … and a trip to Como Zoo in Minneapolis to follow!  A light lunch of hot dogs, chips, and beverages will be served at the church before we leave.  The zoo closes at 6:00 p.m.  More details to come!

 

REMEMBER . . . “The God of the universe … cares deeply about you and your identity and the events of your life!” ~ B. Larson 

 

 

 Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

TREASURES OR TORNADOES?  Have you ever been described as one or the other?  This week, again as a nation we watched and were stunned.  The mighty force of two tornadoes struck with an unrivaled level of devastation in the lives of the people in Moore, Oklahoma.  The effect is impossible to measure.  If you have viewed the before and after photos on the internet, you most likely found yourself speechless – like me.  You most likely could not find adequate words to describe what your eyes saw – like me.  And that was only photos.  That could be us, standing by our flattened homes, or grieving over the sudden loss of someone we love more than we can say.  What we can say is that without a doubt, these people’s lives will never be the same.  Those who know God personally will find their strength in Him – and in this testing of their faith, they will discover how ever-present and all-sufficient He is.  They will see His heart-prints turning the ashes into beauty, because that’s the kind of God He is.  Others will blame God – because they do not know Him.  They do not understand His heart or His ways.  They do not understand like His children do, that sometimes the righteous suffer with the unrighteous.  But because we run to Jesus for our shelter and our comfort, we are carried and provided for.  And because they curse Him and accuse Him, they run here and there relentlessly in search of help and answers and peace.  Their search is futile; they come up empty-handed and hard-hearted.  I think we need to take a fresh, hard look at which kind of a person we are.  God tells us that “we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”  (II Corinthians 4:7)  Simply put, that means that while in ourselves we may look as unassuming as a jar of clay, we have within us this precious treasure of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Our lives are really about the fact that while we are insufficient, God’s complete sufficiency shows through us!  Did you ever wonder how light shines out of some object that contains its contents?  Or how fragrance is released from a bottle?  Or how Christ shines most brightly and powerfully through us?  Every time we encounter a storm and get tossed around and cracked, split, and broken a bit … more of that Light shines out.  The tornadoes come, and we cry over the loss that tragedies bring into our lives.  Spiritual attacks bring the same kind of devastation to hearts as tornadoes do to the earth and everything in their paths.  That’s why those who do not know Christ are left looking like “the walking dead.”  There’s no Light in their clay jars.  But then, take a look at these true-life devastations in the lives of those who do know Christ.  A homeless man stops by and asks where there is a church so he can get help for his wife and children standing outside the door.  A young single mom slips into deep depression because she has been terminated without warning from the job that allowed her to feed her children and keep a roof over their heads.  A family has been churchless for some time because wherever they’ve gone, they’ve not felt unconditionally loved and accepted.  A mom and dad have cried more tears than they’ve ever thought they had inside them over a teenage child who is experiencing a tremendous pull from the world and the spiritual battle is fierce.  The heartaches are real, and with each new heartbreak, we feel the rips and the tears. The cuts and the breaks in our jars of clay are evident.  We wonder if we’ll hold together or if we’ll crumble apart from the onslaughts of the enemy.  At times we feel as if all that remains of us are the splinters and the debris.  But wait!  Can you see what’s happening?  The more we become vulnerable and the more transparent we are to those around us about the tornadoes that have swept over us, the more the treasure that is within us shows forth!  The wattage of the Light inside us increases with each deepening crack, and suddenly we wear our battle scars with pride and joy, knowing that there was a heavenly purpose for each earthly hurt.  And while we may never fully understand God’s reason for it all now, we can be confident that He is not wasting our pain … He is using it for His greater and perfect plan if we are willing to reveal the treasures within.  This week the entire world watched the people of Moore, Oklahoma, and saw and heard countless testimonies of God’s protection and miracles as they affirmed their faith in the God they trust – no matter what comes!  You see, we CAN be treasures in the midst of tornadoes!   

 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .
 

OUR SPECIAL THANKS to the Graff family for the awesome sound boards in the sanctuary!  May you be richly blessed!

 

 

MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES will resume in the Fall!

 

THIS SUNDAY, MAY 26:

10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP

10:30 A.M. - KIDZONE

MON, MAY 27:

Celebrate MEMORIAL DAY with your family and friends, honoring

those who have given so much and remembering  loved ones gone on

before!

WED, MAY 29:

3:00 P.M. - RE;FUEL YOUTH with Pastor D / planning session

SAT, JUN 01:

9:00 A.M. - Barnabas Team Meeting at the church

NEXT SUNDAY, JUN 02:

10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP

10:30 A.M. - KIDZONE

 

ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!

WOMEN OF FAITH ladies … we hope you are making plans now for the power-packed weekend that awaits us on October 18-19 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul!  The theme for 2013 is “Believe God Can Do Anything!”  You will experience “music that moves, stories that strengthen, and teaching that transforms” – all pointing to the power and love of Christ!  This life-changing, live Christian event is coming our way!  Someone has paid for our tickets in advance at last fall’s conference to obtain the biggest discount, and the deadline for turning in our ticket money to her is by June 2^nd.  There were 18 tickets reserved for our church ladies & friends at your request.  The cost for each ticket is $81 (a savings of $20 each!).  See Debbie for details!

 

REMEMBER . . . “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” ~ John 16:33 

 

 

 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . . 

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

STRAIGHTFORWARD!  You know when someone has spoken their mind.  You know when there are no options – just rules or commands.  You know when the truth is being spoken.  There is no deviating from what is right.  It is what it is – no matter what you think.  Today I flipped open a publication for seniors that crossed my desk (no, not high school seniors)!  That still sounds strange when I use the word “seniors” referring to my age group – though I am still on the young end of that spectrum!  Alright, I’m getting off the subject.  The quote I read as I flipped through the pages caught my eye and I turned the page back again for a second look.  I read it carefully . . . “You need to take responsibility for being the healthiest person you can be.  No one else is going to do it for you.”  Though I consider my health to be a precious gift from God that I need to take care of to the best of my ability – as I read that statement, I thought about how pertinent it is in pretty much every area of my life!  I thought about my walk with God.  I thought about my family relationships, friendships, and church family.  About ministry and marketplace opportunities, alike.  I thought about my dreams and aspirations.  My need for rest and relaxation and renewal.  My desire for true revival.  As my mind ran through the many-faceted parts of my life, I realized the validity of the above statement.  While our God enables and empowers us in everything we seek His help for, still it comes down to us taking responsibility, doesn’t it?  Let’s revisit the original quote:  God gifts us with life and health, but it is ultimately our responsibility to make right choices about how we can remain healthy.  God has paid the price for our salvation, but then it is up to us to make daily decisions about how we nurture our new life in Christ – whether we desire and pursue a more intimate relationship – or whether we just allow what was birthed to never grow beyond that infant stage.  Great relationships take a lot of work and commitment – they don’t just happen on their own.  The other persons in your family, in your circle of friends, in your church … may hold back and not reach out to you.  So if you desire any kind of a close relationship at all, you must take the responsibility to reach out to them and nurture the bond you desire with them.  How healthy are things in our church or at our job (or jobs)?  If what takes place there is not as healthy as we would like, then we need to take responsibility to seek God for ways that we can help make a godly impact in these important arenas of our lives, for His glory and honor.  And who is responsible for the hard work and effort that goes into making dreams come true?  Or for making sure that we look at the clock and decide that it’s alright to go to bed a bit earlier – or to just say “time out” from all the demands that our lives impose on us?  And who makes the heart-decision to do whatever it takes to seek God for personal and corporate revival in our lives … other than us, personally?  You see, we’ve got more power within us than we give ourselves credit for.  God could snap His fingers, and everything in our lives would just fall into perfect place!  But God gives us choices:  to sit back and do nothing – and hope for the best, to do as little as possible – and hope that someone else will fill in where we left off, or get engaged in hands-on commitment and action that comes from taking responsibility to be the best we can be.  In every part of our lives!  Yes, we can count on God to help us; but no, He is not going to do it for us.  We are in this together with Him – we do our part and He does His!  God gives us straightforward choices to make every day – may we invite His wisdom and help! 

 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

A SPECIAL WELCOME to Ruth, Erika, and John; and welcome back to Connie, and to Carianne & children, who worshipped with us on Sunday!  May God bless each of you!

 

 

SUN, MAY 19:

10:00 A.M. - Praise & Worship

10:30 A.M. - KidZone Church

11:30 A.M. - All Church Luncheon (potluck)

WED/THU. MAY 22/23:

Mid-week Bible Studies will resume in the fall

Continue to study God's Word with your family!

SUN, MAY 26:

10:00 A.M. - Praise & Worship

10:30 A.M. - KidZone Church

 

ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!

Fellowship Opportunities

 

AN ALL CHURCH LUNCHEON will be held following this Sunday’s worship service, May 19^th, and we hope you will plan to stay and join in on this perfect time to get to know your church family better!  Everyone is bringing their favorite food dish to pass, there will be lots of great conversation, and as always, the food is delicious and plentiful!  We encourage everyone to come!

 

OUR ALL NEW … PARK TO PARK PROGRESSIVE PICNIC is being planned for Saturday, June 8^th, at 5:00 p.m.  We will start at the church and end at the church – with stops at three parks in between, with food and fun at each stop!  Check out the sign-up sheet to see how you can be a part!  Plan to bring your lawn chair(s) and a blanket for small ones to sit on.  Don’t miss this!

 

REMEMBER . . . “When God is about to do something great, He starts with a difficulty.  When He is about to do something truly magnificent, He starts with an impossibility.” ~ Armin Gesswein / “ … all things are possible with God.”  Mark 10:27b 

 

 

 Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

 Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY THAT I LOVE YOU?  Some of you might remember that phrase from an old song.  But in all actuality, we should not have to ask that question of those we love!  We should tell them that we love them so frequently, that we will distinctly remember the last time we spoke those words.  And of course, they will, as well!  With Mother’s Day here, love will be flowing through commercials in every form of media, appealing to the emotions of those who genuinely love their moms and want to express that love – and to those who will make purchases out of guilt, because they are the first to acknowledge it’s been way too long since they voiced the words, “I love you, mom!”  If these words had been spoken generationally in more frequent measure over these past fifty years, our nation would be much healthier – mentally and emotionally.  We would not have as many lonely moms who are now elderly, because their children would be more honoring and add value and esteem to their lives by the words we speak to them.  And they would not be words alone, but those words would take on form in the attention, help, and devotion we gift them with.  There would not be as many children, either adult or young people, messed up because they could not seem to rise above the words spoken to them that had them believing that they were without worth.  Or by the unspoken words they had longed to hear all their lives.  Just once, they would have loved to hear their mom say to them, “I love you!”  Period.  Love breeds worth.  And worth equates into healthy, productive, contented living.  Do you see the amazing relativity of speaking love and worth into the lives of others?  And it should not happen just once a year on “Mother’s Day” – because the words will sound foreign to us they are spoken, and not as believable as they should to the ears of our moms!   God knew how we would look without love.  He knew how empty we would be.  He understood the value of genuine love and what it can do – for He created the ability within us to be capable of giving love and receiving it.  His love is the perfect example, and allows each of us to love like He teaches us to.  If we attempt to follow the example of earthly individuals, our love will be flawed – because none of us can truly love as fully or perfectly or sacrificially as our God does.  His love cannot be measured … ours can.  He always and forever loves unconditionally and purely.  We do not.  Yet, in spite of our humanity, God teaches us and shows us how to love!  God-like love can pour out of us onto others, lavishing them with the love they’ve only always wished for – but never experienced.  It’s like squeezing water onto a dry sponge.  Love that oozes into the lives of others whose hopes and dreams have dried up – begins to expand into that person’s life and suddenly the forlorn feelings blossom into belief levels that they never knew they had within!  A transformation, a metamorphosis takes place – and a beautiful, confident human being emerges!  Today, I thank God for a mom who loved me … who at age 89 still loves me!  That’s why I was SO sad when extreme winter storms kept me from getting to her to celebrate her birthday with her in person.  Soon, I will!  Today I thank God for my husband’s mom who loved me enough to accept me as her son’s wife – and as her own daughter.  Every day I feel loved and prayed for by these two moms, and whenever I talk with them, I always want them to hear, “I love you, mom” … because I mean it!  Is any mother/daughter relationship 100% perfect?  Of course not!  But it’s perfect enough to carry us through our earthly days into eternity – where we will finally be able to love with love that exudes perfection to the umpteenth degree!  And while yet on earth, one of my greatest joys is the knowledge that our sons and their families know that I love them more than I could ever express … and they hear over and over, “I love you, I love you, I love you!”  And in reply, some of the sweetest words I’ve ever heard, are, “I love you, mom!”  So if you are someone who is not prone to expressing your love, how about beginning now?  It is never too late to start – God will fill you with an abundance that flows right from His heart and spills out onto those you love so much.  They just need to hear it!  

 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

 

A SPECIAL WELCOME to Leslie, Sergio, and Han, who worshipped with us this past Sunday!  May God bless each one of you!

 

SUN, MAY 12^TH:  HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!                         

10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP                                              

10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHURCH                                                   

WED, MAY 15^th:                                                        

3:00 P.M. – RE:FUEL YOUTH w/Pastor D                                     

7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES (Wed/Thu)                    

FRI, MAY 17^TH:                                                                  

7:00 P.M. – LADIES NIGHT OUT/Christian Comedy!                     

SAT, MAY 18^TH:  MEN’S EVENT POSTPONED! 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!

Most of you will agree that it's been too long since we have had one of our great church family luncheons!  So we have added one to the calendar for next Sunday, May 19th, following the worship service!  Plan to bring one or two of your favorite food dishes to share with everyone - and be sure to add your name to the sign-up sheet so we know what you are bringing!  We will provide the table service, so just bring your food to share, your appetite, and plan to stay and enjoy!

 

 

 REMEMBER . . . Jesus didn’t suggest it; He put it this way - “My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.” ~ John 15:12 

 

 

 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie

 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH has NEWS for YOU!

 

BREAKING POINTS!  It would have been so much fun to run little May Day baskets around the neighborhood – filled with spring flowers and homemade goodies.  Instead we found ourselves peering out the windows exclaiming over the huge snowflakes dropping to earth and rapidly covering the growing green blades of grass.  They piled on top of each other as if in a contest to see who would end up on top of the growing icing that swirled the surfaces  of everything visible.  It was like Spring hurried to don her cap before she got too chilled and too wet!  Long before darkness fell we knew that even the weather forecasters had fallen short of what this snowstorm had in store for us.  Hour by hour and inch by inch … the depth of snowfall rose until in morning’s light, some “official person” measured it for the record:  an astounding 17 inches!  Pretty?  Yes.  Welcome?  Not really.  It is May Day, after all!  Destructive?  Most certainly!  I asked my sweet husband to give me a short little tour around town right after work to see all the downed branches from those huge, stately trees.  It’s hard to believe.  They seemed so strong, so able to withstand anything that came their way.  But an accumulation of snowflakes resting on their branches and limbs snapped them at their weakest points, as if struck by lightning or tornado-force winds.  And there they lay … all over town.  And then the thought struck me.  We drive by people every day.  We pass them along the streets.  They look strong and functional - as if nothing could take them down.  They seem to resist swaying in the winds of adversity.  They seem to rise above the high levels of stress.  They weather all kinds of storms:  loss, lack, sadness, sickness, deadlines, rejection, demands.  They just keep on going.  Nothing seems to deter them; they’ve stood strong and tall through it all.  To this point.  This day.  And then “the unexpected May Day storm” comes and piles the burdens on in record-breaking heaviness.  Without much warning, they begin to bend beneath the weight.  But this time, they do not bounce back.  They snap.  They break.  They fall.  Will others drive by as if touring and assessing the damage – but not stop to help and pick them up?  Thank God, there is a difference between trees breaking and broken people!  We cannot restore broken tree limbs and put them together again.  Crews come with chain saws and cut the large pieces into firewood, and the small twigs and broken splinters are gathered and taken away.  After the clean-up, what remains is the gaping evidence of freshly revealed tree rings where the tree was fractured and ripped apart.  I believe it is our job and our privilege as God’s children to be the “restoration crew” when we see others breaking apart at the most critical stress points in their lives.  While a part of them looks strong and may be strong, there are other parts that are close to being split apart.  Their weak parts are wearing dangerously thin, and any unexpected, added weight of heartbreak or turmoil may cause them to be only a portion of what they once were.  Broken, stripped, beaten, vulnerable and visible for all to see.  This is where we are to shine with the love of Christ!  We need to run to them and offer splints of strength and hope and hands-on help as we pick them up again.  We need to remind them that we, too, have been broken and fragmented, and show them the proof of God’s faithfulness as they see that our scars have made us stronger in character, and more valuable to God’s Kingdom work.  We now can come along side with our rescue tools and give out doses of genuine compassion and generosity along with the promises of God.  Our restored hearts and limbs stand ready to share with strangers … testimonies to God’s amazing power!  Wanna see our “before” and “after” photos?  Soon we will be taking theirs … what was broken is now beautiful again.  What was fractured is now healed.  They look better after … than before the storm.  Who can do such a thing?  Only our God!  And this weekend is the perfect time to practice our rescue skills as we come alongside a stranger, one we’ve never met.  A young woman, stabbed to within a heartbeat of her life, running for her very life with two small children in tow, somehow God miraculously spared her.  She’s down, but not out.  We get to be a part of helping pick her up again, and if she does not know Jesus, our prayer is that she will see Jesus in us and come to know Him as her Savior and Restorer! 

 

 

 

IN A NUTSHELL . . .

 

A SPECIAL WELCOME to each of our several visitors who came to worship with us for the first time!  May God bless you!

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS to Hazel and everyone who helped with the most amazing VINTAGE TEA for the ladies and girls!!!

 

SUN, MAY 5^TH:                                                         

10:00 A.M. – PRAISE & WORSHIP/COMMUNION                                   

10:30 A.M. – KIDZONE CHURCH                                                 

WED, MAY 8^TH:                                                                  

3:00 P.M. – RE:FUEL YOUTH w/Pastor D                                     

7:00 P.M. – MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDIES (Wed/Thu)                    

SAT, MAY 11^TH:                                                         

9:00 A.M. – LADIES PRASE & PRAYER / MEN’S                          

FELLOWSHIP / BARABAS TEAM MEETING 

 

 

ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!

At the close of this Sunday's service, we have a young man who will be with us to stand in the gap for the young woman in our area who you heard about in the news - stabbed to within a heartbeat of her life.  We may not know her like he does, but we sense that God is asking us to come running to help rescue her and bring her hope in her recovery.  We know that what was meant for harm can be used of God to bring much good to her - for His glory in her life!                             

 

REMEMBER . . . “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  ~  Psalm 34:18

 

 

Serving Christ Joyfully . . .

 

 

Pastor Doug and Debbie