The Weekly: March 16, 2025

Hey Friends,

This Sunday newsletter is getting a bit of a re-brand as "The Weekly."

Each week, you'll see some info happening around our church and how you can stay connected.

If you want to see the details from this Sunday's service, you can see our Sunday Preview posted on our blog every Thursday.

Here's what you can see this edition of The Weekly:

• You are sent.

• Abiding in Christ (together)

• Kids' Ministry

"You are sent."

These are the last words you hear each Sunday at our gatherings, and we mean them.

You really are sent by Jesus into the world. Where you live, work, go to school, eat, or get groceries is not an accident. You have been sent there to bring the good news of Jesus.

We talk about a plan to B.L.E.S.S. our community by:

• Beginning with prayer

• Listening with care

• Eating together

• Serving with love

• Sharing the story

Spring at Shallowford is an event for us to live this out as a church. You can invite your friends to build relationships, eat together, and take one step closer to hearing the good news of Jesus.

Our hope is that Spring at Shallowford gives us a chance to invite people to Easter. 

So begin with prayer now - who can you invite to Spring at Shallowford next Saturday, March 22?

Let's pray God will use this event to move people closer to finding Jesus.

Abiding in Christ (together)

John 15 is one of those passages that is so foundation to the Christian life, you might as well memorize it. You'll come back to this time and time again to be reminded of where your life really is. You'll read other passages in the New Testament that you realize point back to this text.

You will never grow past these rhythms of breathing in God's word and breathing out prayer.

In fact, those are the foundational rhythms that make up our life together as a church as well. How can you walk with others in meaningful relationships? This is Paul's application of this principle in Colossians 3: "Let the word of Christ dwell in your richly, teaching and admonishing one another…" The word comes to you and then eventually through you to others.

Prayer is no different, as we pray for others.

While we certainly try to develop ministries that do this, the most powerful way this works in the church is the normal, everyday ministry of you all.

As you reach out to one another, go to coffee, breakfast, lunch, open your home to one another. You can open the word together, share insights and encouragements. You can ask for prayer, and offer it without being asked.

This is how we can abide in Christ together.

Who can you spend time with this week?

Kids' Ministry

One of my favorite aspects of our church is our kids' ministry. We regularly have over 30 kids in across 4 different classes each Sunday. This also means 8 of you are serving in those classes.

The most wild thing is that our kids' ministry is still growing.

• We do not have any 5th graders who will graduate out of our elementary class into middle school, so that class won't get any smaller.

• We have several new babies coming throughout the year.

• We regularly have families visiting the church bringing more kids.

Here's what we're asking: will you pray with us?

• Pray for God to provide 32 volunteers. This is a specific number because it means each volunteer will only serve once a month.

So many of you already serve in many different ways, and we are thankful!

If you want to serve or have questions please email Josh Jack: Josh@Shallowford.Church.

In Christ,

Jonny Day