September 10, 2015

Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:

During September and October, our MLEPC sermon series is entitled God's New Community. As mentioned in last week's letter, on Sunday mornings we'll be considering Acts 2:42-47 which gives us ten characteristics of a healthy and dynamic church. This coming Sunday, we'll look at the second characteristic: God's New Community is "devoted to 'the fellowship'" (verse 42). The Greek word used for fellowship is koinonia and refers to relationships among Christians marked by warmth, care, commitment, mutual respect, and ultimately by love above all. This fellowship not only blessed the early followers of Jesus; it further attracted non-believers who thirsted for a deep community that they simply could not find elsewhere in their culture.  

Our church calls its Wednesday night programming "Family Fusion" for very intentional reasons. According to dictionary.com, the word "fusion" means "to combine or blend together" or "to unite or blend into a whole." Of course, the family we seek to fuse together is God's New Community at our church. We intend Wednesday nights to be a great opportunity to combine, unite, and blend our congregation in a special way that may not happen at other times. We begin with 6:00 p.m. dinner shared around tables for people of all ages. The most senior saints has opportunity to sit with elementary school children, if they so choose. People who go to Lamplighters or Cornerstone or Crossroads or the Welcome Sunday school classes can share time with fellow members who are not in their classes. Folks who attend the Heritage service have opportunity to befriend those who go to the Contact service, and vice versa. In effect, we set the table for the fusion of our church family in koinonia fellowship. The cost is only $5 for adults and $3 for kids. Plan to join us, and let the church do the cooking for Wednesday night dinner.

We are offering another golden opportunity to fuse our church family during the 7 to 8 p.m. hour, immediately following dinner this fall. Wednesday Evening Worship will provide a service that is open and accessible to us all. We plan to feature great music that brings out the great hymns and blends it with the best of songs being written today. Pastor Steve and Meg Conover will lead this segment. We'll also hear an inspirational and devotional word each week based on the nine "Fruit of the Holy Spirit" that God intends to grow in our lives. I (Pastor Tim) will provide these brief messages. A final portion of the service will feature testimonies, interviews, prayer, special music, and other possibilities to encourage our faith. By the way, we also think that this service will be an excellent place to bring newcomers or non-believers, too.

We kick all of this off with an All Church Picnic on the MLEPC rooftop, Wednesday, September 16 with dinner from 6 to 6:50 p.m., which then will be followed with worship led by Pastor Steve and Meg, as well as an introduction to the Fruit of the Spirit by Pastor Tim. We plan to wrap up by 7:30 p.m. This is a "kid-friendly" event, so bring your children, too!

Then for the ensuing nine Wednesdays, we'll look to fuse our church family with dinner in the Fellowship Hall at 6 p.m. followed with Wednesday Night Worship in the Sanctuary at 7 p.m. Nursery will be available. Ashley Gardner will provide a program for our children. Andy Hromoko will do the same with our youth.

This fall, let's be "devoted to . . . the fellowship" (Acts 2:42) as we come together for Family Fusion on Wednesday evenings. See you there!

Pastor Tim
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