Good morning!
I hope you have had a great week!
The word disciple is one that is often defined in a myriad of ways. In it’s simplest from it means a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. The thing that is interesting here is that the idea of being a disciple isn’t just about following, but also studying and vice versa. I know I have had seasons of life where I would lean more into one than the other. But the idea of a disciple is one of constant learning and doing. The other thing about being a disciple in the Christian context is the idea that disciples are to make other disciples. This, of course, was Jesus’ final command before His ascension:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” ~Matthew 28:19-20.
Here are a couple of questions to wrestle with: What does a specific disciple-making plan look like for your life? Do you primarily see yourself as a student of Jesus but not as much a follower? How about a follower but not as much a student?
There are a few other things going on around the Park that we want you to know about:
Exodus Community Group Leaders: Community Groups at the Park track with the Sunday sermons. Starting in April we are going to begin studying the book of Exodus. Any time we start a new book of the bible we engage our community to find out if anyone would like to start a new group. Since community is a core value of the Park, we encourage everyone to get into a Community Group. If there isn’t one that connects to you, start one! It isn’t as hard as you may think. If you are interested in finding out more, contact Chris at chris@theparksa.org
Missional Partner Spotlight: At the Park we partner with individuals and organizations around our city and the world to extend the great message of the gospel through words and actions. We pray for these partners as well as help fund many of their projects, initiatives, and personal needs. For a complete list of our current partners go to: http://theparksa.org/ministry-partners/
Embassy of Hope is a faith-based, 501(c)3, non-profit organization that seeks to raise awareness about the issues of human trafficking and provide services to at-risk youth and exploited young women, ages 16-24. This is an issue that is gaining more awareness but is still relatively unknown to the majority of the population.
Embassy of Hope is having an Art Show Benefit fundraiser on April 7th, Sunday, from 1 – 6 pm. Dr. Natalie Hughson, psychiatrist and the artist, is from the Ukraine and was the first art theorist in the Ukraine. She is now a professor at one of the universities in Arizona. Her book, Psychology of Creativity has sold thousands of copies. There will be live harp music and food. Tickets are a donation of $20 and they will also have sponsor packets available. The tickets and a portion of the sales from any artwork will benefit EOH.
For more information go to: http://www.embassyofhopecenter.org/
Please join us in praying and supporting the work being done through Embassy of Hope!
Luke Teaching Series: This Sunday we will begin our study of
Luke 22. One way to get more out of Sunday mornings is to read ahead before coming. So read through
Luke 22 a couple of times and come ready to take some notes.
Staff Highlights:
At the Park, all of our staff people are bi-vocational and we want to support them in any way possible. So, we will be letting you know who these amazing people are and what they do. Help us spread the word on these folks!
Kyle Isenhower is one of the Co-Founders of the Park and also runs his own production business called Isenhower Productions. Kyle has created much of the content you see on Sundays and can usually be found by the sound board and computers. He is extremely talented, creative, and professional. He designed our current website which is amazing and easy to navigate.
If you haven’t met Kyle on a Sunday, you should change that this week!
Find out more about Kyle’s work at: http://www.isenhowerproductions.com/
We look forward to all He will do in this new year. See you Sunday!
Chris
