Worship News 6/26

From Jay

UNDIVIDED

I used to travel with a group of guys in a singing ministry, and I learned something about team over the years. I learned that in a team, one of the most important things is chemistry. The way that we relate to one another, the way we treat one another, the way we work through things, the way that we resolve conflict, handle disagreements, listen to one another and speak to one another, had a greater effect on our ministry than learning the right notes, or the right places to be, etc. When we were unified, our ministry and effectiveness and even our sound was dramatically different. When we weren’t right with each other, when we weren’t resolved our ministry suffered, and we weren’t as effective. You probably know this from teams you are on or serve in.

I think of the verse in Matthew 12 where Jesus said, 25"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” (The context of this verse is when the Pharisees accused Jesus of using Satan’s power to perform His miracles.)

In much the same way a team needs to be unified to function well, and as individuals our hearts need to be undivided when it comes to our relationship with the Lord.

Exodus 20:3: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Here are some different translations of that same verse:

"You shall have no gods but me."
"You should not defy me by making other gods your own."
“You should have no other gods beside Me.”
"You shall have no gods to set against Me."

When I first came to know Christ, it felt way easier to have an undivided heart… it seemed more natural that Christ was all consuming. Today it seems harder; it’s increasingly harder for me to have an undivided heart. So many things pull at my heart; they vie for it… subtly and not so subtly. Good things and bad things are a constant threat trying to become god and make Christ only a piece of my heart.

Proverbs 4:20-23:
20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

Guarding our heart is absolutely critical to keeping it undivided… and a team of undivided hearts is a powerful and effective witness to the love and hope we have in Christ.

Excerpt from News & Views by Pastor Ron

Financial Update
At our Session meeting last Thursday Jeff Peterson brought a report from the Finance Committee. I think you should hear this message directly from Jeff. Here’s what he has to say:

Dear Congregation:

I continue to be encouraged and humbled by God’s financial provisions for and from our church body. Many in our body have had severe financial hardships this year, and yet we are able to support our new level of spending after we have made so many financial sacrifices over the last year. At our last finance meeting we came to some conclusions which I would like to share with you.
· Given our current giving rate, for the 2009-2010 ministry year we are recommending a total budget number of no greater than $3.2 million from the operating fund (which is approximately 10% less than the 08-09 budget). We think that with a budget of $3.2 million we can fund ministry programs at the same level as this year.
· Our team believes that we should “treat our employees right”. We would love to restore benefits/wages/hours that were cut in March 2009. In order to achieve this, either giving will need to increase or more cuts will need to be made.
· We hope for some excess funds for this year and next year (which we have not really seen yet) which would allow us to build up our reserves for building maintenance and unforeseen expenses that may arise. We feel that extra funds in this area are critical to maintain our current property.
Although the giving has been good, and we are meeting our current budget, there is no indication that we can make any increases in our 2010 budget. If God has blessed you, and you are able to give more, we could really use your gifts at this time.

Sincerely,
Jeff Peterson, Elder of Finance

Don’t forget our Sunday evening service has changed to 6:00 pm.

Opportunities to Serve

Worship Choir
We are looking for people who enjoy expressing their love for God through singing. Worship choir will sing July 26th and August 23rd. If you plan to sing on those dates, please attend rehearsal at 8pm in the Sanctuary the Thursday before the Sunday’s listed. Interested but aren’t sure yet? Then contact Jill at jillhofer@sunsetpres.org for more information. All ages welcome.

SEASONS OF SERVICE
At Sunset we meet in a building on Cornell Road. But perhaps the truest expression of the church is when it goes outside the walls and becomes knee deep in community involvement. Seasons of Service is a cohesive strategy of community outreach that allows individuals, care groups, small groups, ministry teams and families to serve.
Sunset’s strategy of outreach focus’s our efforts in three areas:
· Serving our schools
· Serving the hungry and poor
· Ministering to the multi-ethnicSeasons of Service is divided into spring, summer, and Fall/Winter serving opportunities. We are kicking off our Summer Season of Service. Click here for more information about opportunities to serve. Click here to volunteer for a Seasons of Service event.

Safety at Sunset
One of the “holes” left after our recent layoffs is the need for a representative from W&CA on the Safety Team. We’d like to fill that hole with a volunteer. Safety on our campus is a responsibility of the Operations team, but they need input and support from all the other teams to handle the variety of needs at Sunset. Those needs range from maintaining a safe work environment for our staff to handling an emergency that might occur on our campus.

If you’re interested in representing W&CA and being a part of Sunset’s Safety Team, please contact Carrie at carriepeeples@sunsetpres.org. The Safety Team meets once a month on the fourth Thursday from 10 to 11am; however, they may be open to changing the time.

Production/Tech Team Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for people to fill the following roles:
· Service Director
· Lighting
· Graphics
· FOH Camera Op Week
· Message Slide Designer

In addition we have a new volunteer role: Video production. We'd like to find some video editors in our midst. Are you or do you know someone who could do simple projects for us? (i.e. this week, we have white text (provided) on black screen and need someone to edit.) The level of the projects will depend on who we discover. The content is generally available a couple weeks in advance of the deadline. If you have this skill or know someone at Sunset who does, please email me janetfraser@sunsetpres.org.

Upcoming Events
July 12-16 – Middle School Camp, click here for more info
August 3-8 – High School Camp, click here for more info
August 18-23 – Kids Camp, click here for more info