Posted by Christine Hall

Most of us have a desire to share the Gospel, but we don’t know how. A very easy way to do that is by hosting an evangelistic Christmas Gathering—a holiday party featuring seasonal treats, sharing of Christmas traditions and a brief, non-threatening gospel message.

When I began my walk with Christ I attended a Bible study that came out of a Christmas Gathering. I had never studied the Bible before and the materials were very easy to use. I have since hosted Christmas Gatherings for co-workers, neighbors and mothers at my children’s school. This year my husband and I are hosting one for an apartment complex in our city. I am convinced that hosting a Christmas Gathering is one of the easiest and most effective ways to share my faith.

I will say that I don’t know if sharing my faith is ever comfortable for me. But it is worth it. I’m glad someone took the risk to tell me about Christ. I was very afraid to share Christ with the people I knew. But I had to be willing to risk what other people thought of me if I really cared about them and where they’re spending eternity. Are you willing to risk your reputation for the sake of the gospel?

We provide training, which will be held from 6:15-8:30p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9th at Sonshine Center in Menasha. You will see a demonstration of what actually happens during a Gathering and discuss everything from spiritual preparation to follow up. The cost is $12 and includes a detailed instruction manual.

A trained speaker will be provided for your Gathering (or you can choose your own speaker and have them attend training the same night). Speakers are given a clear presentation of the gospel which they personalize and share at your Gathering.

To register, please call Doris Steinberg at 751-3855 or pick up a brochure at the information station in the CTR lobby.

For many of us, the daily work grind often feels like we’re striving to get our task lists checked off while breathing a prayer of thanks that we are employed (while many of our brothers and sisters are not).

But is it possible to make our jobs something more significant for God’s glory?

Within Christ The Rock, there are people who are working in fields spanning the entire career spectrum, from medical professionals to teachers to mill employees and every position in between. Many are successfully running their own businesses. CTR’s Jean Kieffer has met many of you who are hungry to network and know who does what in the Valley.

“It is incredible the number of people we have at Christ The Rock who want to seek out and support fellow CTR members and attendees who offer business services, and we have a great opportunity to tap into that desire and learn together how to make our careers a calling at the same time,” says Kieffer, Strategic Ministry Developer.

“For instance, many of us know electricians, carpenters, doctors and chiropractors that we go to just because we know them from church and we trust them. We thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great to gather up our workforce and not only network but create an opportunity to learn about our faith in the workplace?’”

To that end, CTR is launching a Christ in the Marketplace Business Breakfast for anyone from Christ The Rock currently employed. The event is from 7:30 – 9 a.m. on Saturday, November 7. Breakfast includes donuts, bagels and beverages, and something else to munch on:

“Our hope is that this Business Breakfast feeds and energizes people in their calling to go back out with a new zeal to reflect Christ where they work,” says co-organizer Eric Rintimaki.

The event is co-sponsored by CTR’s HIScommunity and HERcommunity, our men’s and women’s ministries. The first speaker topic will be ‘Can You Make Your Career a Calling?’ presented by Pastor John Slotten. More speakers and topics for the quarterly breakfasts will be announced soon.

Tickets for the Business Breakfast are only $5, and you can get them here (before November 7th).

When Appleton throws a party, the downtown is packed with thousands of people.

Hungry people.

Since 1981, Octoberfest has been bringing people to downtown Appleton in the spirit of community pride and celebration, and CTR has been a part of it with a strong presence for the past several years.  Octoberfest is fund raising venue that gives ministries like Crossing (our young adult ministry), and Gardens In The Desert a chance to touch others with a message of hope at this community party.

Amid the loud rock music and polkas, the tasty food and often shoulder-to-shoulder crowds, Octoberfest is fun with a purpose!

Thanks to all of you who volunteered or came out and said hello to those working the booths.

Posted by Linda Rue, CTR Writers & Storytellers Team

During any crises of world, country or home, I find great comfort in the fact that God is not surprised by any of it.

Let’s be even more personal by saying that he’s not surprised by the job you just lost, the husband or wife that has just left you, the teenage child that has suddenly rebelled and turned into a monster that you don’t know anymore or even the disconnect notice you just received that followed the overdraft notice from the bank.

Some of our personal crises come from sin, money mismanagement, procrastination, and even stuff that is not our fault at all. We are then placed in a position of reaction. When we can feel ominous things hovering just over the horizon, the stress levels elevate and the irritations of daily life become overwhelming obstacles instead of what they really are – just another opportunity to repent of any conscious wrong doing and then trust that the Lord has a way out designed just for us.

I know what you are thinking. “Right. That really makes me feel better, thanks for sharing”, and then you go back to worrying about it all. I know this because I was the first in line when the enemy handed out the packet on “How to live your life constantly worried about everything”! It wasn’t enough that I was first in line for that packet, I even went back for the sequel packet that teaches, “How to over react to every unpleasant surprise”!

Because of the current economic mess that has become so personal to all of us, I started feasting on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and the like. I discovered that we are all doomed. I began my day with a totally pessimistic attitude and instead of keeping my eyes on Jesus and what His news is, I allowed world affairs to rob me of my perspective, my peace and my smile. The trickle effect of this was truly amazing.

I teach pre-school as well as write for a living and when I started to believe all the negative that the world news was offering as truth, my students became gloomy, my friends accused me of being crabby, my daughter really started to tick me off and in turn, she contemplated getting a new Mom. And then I got sick.

I was sick for weeks, so I didn’t ride my horse, play with my cats, call my parents, or clean my house. I complained about the weather, the cat hair, the smell of the Kaukauna air that always blows into Darboy and swirls around my yard and everything else that was wrong in my world. And then, one night at about two o’clock in the morning when I was struggling with yet another sleepless night, the Lord said to me, “Go to sleep. I’m awake. I can handle it.”

“What? What do you mean Lord? I know you need me to worry, after all, I’m so good at it, ” and then my God said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and My righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you, Linda. Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Go to sleep, my child, rest in My peace.”

Now, I don’t know about you but when Jesus speaks and personalizes Matthew 6:33-34 and loves me on such a personal level, I obey. I went to sleep with a smile on my face for the first time in months and I felt loved and protected. It didn’t matter what trouble was coming, I was assured that my Father could handle it and that he wasn’t surprised by any of the difficulties that I was facing. He has it under control.

By Molly Smits, CTR Writers & Storytellers Team

It’s 7 degrees outside, with a wind-chill much lower than that, and I’m sitting on a wooden bench in the middle of a forest.  I hiked about a mile and a half to get to this spot.

The only part of me that isn’t covered is my tiny round eyes, seeking calmness when my days become consumed with the chaos of this world.

So, here I sit; me, creation, and my Father.  It’s so easy for me to see Him in this place, surrounded by His beauty.

It’s easy to hear Him talk to me and to actually be listening, to feel Him wipe away my tears or lift my chin up to see Him clearer.  It’s so easy to feel clean here when I fall so short surrounded by society, through the whiteness of the snow and my prayers, I feel Him take it all from my shoulders.  So, I come here often, when I need some alone time with my Father.

I am a 27-year-old girl, not yet ready to be a woman, completely fascinated with far too much and seeking comfort that I have slowly come to realize I can’t find without my Lord.  I’ve come to the point in my life that I have actually started trusting in His plan, it’s been a rocky road I’ve traveled to be able to say that I am His daughter.  I’m excited about it, actually.  I’ve been praying and seeking his direction for awhile now, always finding it easiest to talk to him and feel close to him when I’m by myself in His creation.

As I sit here on the bench, I begin to pray for my eyes to be open when he points the way and to trust Him enough to move my heavy feet forward.

“Dear Lord,” I say.  “It’s so easy for me to find you here.”   I stop praying for a second because I start to notice all the noise in the trees and on the lake; in the complete silence of the bitter cold…it’s so noisy.  Before I continue praying, I hear Him say, “Molly, I am always here.”  I smile for a moment, He seems so close.  I repeat the clearly spoken words in my mind, even out loud a few times.  I start to realize what He was saying to me wasn’t exactly what I initially thought.  He was saying that I can find him anywhere.  He is ALWAYS here.  Wherever here may be.  I don’t have to hike out to the middle of nowhere to feel close to Him, I don’t have to hesitate when I feel Him call my name.

This summer I may end up in Los Angeles for a summer internship in Journalism. I may stay here in Wisconsin and continue to work and be surrounded with friends and family.  I may end up in another country interning with a Missionary.  Or I may end up somewhere else.  It’s his plan that I’m following.  He is there with me.  Across the World, He is there.  Surrounded by a blur of people, He is there.  When I’m alone and I wonder what this routine is really all about, He is there.  His words complete me.

So, when I think about “Reaching Farther” in 2009, I realize that it’s not our plan; it’s His plan for our lives.  I know if we trust in his words, “I am ALWAYS here,” that we will take that step.

Understand this; He’s right there with us, taking every single step by our side.  Let’s reach farther this year-whatever that may mean for you.  Let’s leave the comforts of a place that wasn’t made to be comfortable in.  It may mean letting go of the constant thoughts of worldly wants and surrendering to our Savior’s will.  It might mean that when the thought to actually tell people about a Lord that leads your life, you go with it; you speak up for the man who sacrificed so much, for you.  It might mean trusting God to use your gifts wherever they can be used, even if it involves leaving the United States or serving somewhere in our own country.  It might be lifting your hands to a God who deserves praise every day when normally, out of fear, you wouldn’t stand up for Him.  It might mean financially supporting a Missionary, or an organization focused on reaching a people who have absolutely nothing.  Whatever “Reaching Farther” means for you and your life, I have a pretty good feeling that in 2009 our Lord will let you know.  He has this amazing way of making it really clear.

By  Heather Verhagen,

Those of us who have accepted Christ would all agree that the best Christmas present we have received was free and what Master Card would call “Priceless.”   But what about the gifts from Him that we have chosen to leave wrapped?

The Bible is full of virtually unknown promises for the children of God that still go unclaimed by them. When Jesus came and became a man to die on the cross, He didn’t only do it so that we could have an eternal life with Him. Because He had victory, we can be sure that the life Jesus lived on earth on earth allows us to overcome the world as He has and to live our lives to the fullest.

Have you ever done your best to get everything together in order to do something you feel you are called to do, and it all seems overwhelming or like it won’t work out? Well, that’s how I’ve felt these last three weeks or so. Today I came across an article by Joyce Meyer titled, Calm Down, Cheer Up. She tells us that “worrying does us absolutely no good.” I had been getting depressed and frustrated instead of focusing on Him and trusting God’s prospering plans for me!

This past Sunday morning, I was reminded that whether you are looking for peace, joy, hope, guidance, healing or who you are, you can find all of these and more while you sit on your Father’s lap and surrender your burdens to Him.

On Christmas morning, while you listen to the sound of wrapping paper being massacred by your grinning children or grandchildren, ask yourself if you have unwrapped all of your presents from Him. Who knows, there may be one with your name on it that He has eagerly been waiting for you to open!

If you’ve been coming to Christ The Rock in the past year, you may have heard the gorgeous voice of Danen Kane, a local musician from Little Chute.

There is just something about his authenticity and honesty as he sings to and plays for his Creator, and that’s what makes Danen such an inspirational worship leader on weekends here. We are blessed to have him on our team and in the missions field where Danen ministers to people locally and globally who are hungry for a message of healing and hope.

Next weekend Danen will be at Cup O’ Joy in Green Bay for a concert, and you can catch him Friday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. He is encouraging all who come to bring a non-perishable food item for the Salvation Army Food Pantry. Click here to find out more, or visit Danen’s MySpace page.

From raking leaves to giving rides to church to helping people move in an emergency situation, Christ The Rock volunteers have rolled up their sleeves to help those in the Fox Valley when they’ve called.  Two years ago we decided to call this ministry OAKS, which stands for Organized Acts of Kindness and Sacrifice.

Pastor John Slotten and volunteer Dean Roddy organized the OAKS volunteer base to answer the many calls for painting walls, fixing broken plumbing and any number of requests for help.  Since that time, the volunteer pool has grown almost as huge as the needs that are called in.  But within the past several months the need has become so tremendous that it was time to fortify OAKS and plan for this ministry’s growth into the future.

How is it working? Check out this story about an ex-convict who called for help:

Since his release from jail, this man has struggled to put his life back on track so that he can become a contributing member of society. He is taking classes and working. But despite his hard work, he was falling through the cracks of local agencies. That’s when he called one of Christ The Rock’s OAKS Facilitators.

She kindly listened with God’s heart to what the man was saying. The man explained that he had called one of the social agencies in the Valley but nothing was done.  Our Facilitator could discern that this difficulty with the person at the social organization was because of sin on both sides that needed repentance. She gently discussed this with the man and then offered to call the social agency for him. He thanked her for restoring his hope and for being so kind to him.

She called and the issue is being resolved. In this case, the caller didn’t need CTR money or any kind of physical assistance after all. He needed someone to offer him hope and kindness. Our chief goal with our OAKS, Benevolence, Food Pantry, and Auto Ministry is to offer that hope in the form of Jesus. Even when we cannot assist someone in any other way, if we’ve been a light for Jesus and been able to offer His hope, we have succeeded. This is why OAKS was formed. This is why we do what we do. It isn’t about offering “things.”  The “things” we can do for people are icing on the cake of Hope. We can ask no more.

So we have OAKS to reach out to our community. You can reach out too, even if it is just with prayer or a kind word. You, as the children of the Most High God, are the messengers of hope in whatever you do in the community, whether it is coaching Little League, making a meal for a neighbor who just got out of the hospital, giving someone a ride somewhere, buying groceries for someone, praying for a friend, listening to a person behind you in the checkout line, or helping out with an OAKS need. He allows us to be His light and it is with great joy that we serve Him in serving others.

OAKS Structure:

We’ve structured our volunteers so that they can serve the community in which they live. Relationship is an important aspect of reaching out. How better to do that than to serve those who live near you!

Here’s how OAKS will be fully re-defined by the end of 2008:

OAKS Lead Team: Dean Roddy, Jean Kieffer, Tracy Komassa, Todd Vorel, Pastor John Slotten, Chrisanne Knapp.

OAKS Ministry Leaders: Dean Roddy, Todd Vorel

OAKS Assessors: This group of individuals will go out to a job to assess whether or not our OAKS volunteers can handle the job. They are called in when expertise is needed, the job requires money, or the job will take longer than 2 days work.

OAKS Facilitators: This is a group of discerning and merciful individuals who listen to the need of the “client”, discern what the need is, both physically and spiritually, gather information, and schedule volunteers to get the work done.

OAKS Team Leaders: These are the front line leaders of groups of approximately 10 volunteers. They schedule the work to be done with the “client” and the volunteers who will be doing the work. They gather stories and pictures. They are responsible for the completion of the work and for getting back to the Facilitator when the work is done.

OAKS Team Members: This is you! We have over 300 volunteers from almost every community our church serves. They are both people from our church and from our community. They need not attend CTR to serve! These are the people who joyfully and sacrificially get the work done.

If you desire to be a OAKS volunteer or if you know of someone needing assistance, you can contact us in two ways.

· Click here to sign up as a volunteer under OAKS (Organized Acts of Kindness and Sacrifice).

· Click here to fill out a form for assistance of various kinds.

· If you’d rather just call, call the OAKS Hotline at 920-751-8383.

Time continues to pass, many things change in our lives… but we’re surely glad that God stays the same.  How blessed are we that we continue to gather together in worship to our King?  Always good…

This was a snapshot of our time together @ Crossing Friday night

God is love. If we get this right, we get it all right. Jesus said that if we love God with all that we are and love one another as we love ourselves, then we fulfill all the law and the prophets. Instead of giving us 1500 rules to keep, Jesus tells us to love. He’s not talking about the kind of love that just makes us feel good, but the kind of love He demonstrated by loving, accepting and forgiving us. The kind of love that has others best interest in mind no matter what the sacrifice or service on our parts. Love is patient and kind! Oh God, please give us more of your kind of love.