The Flame

The Flame
THE MAGAZINE OF CHRIST CHURCH

SPRING | 2016
CONTENTS
4 UPPING YOUR HQ
20 WORLDY HOPE VS SPIRITUAL

HOPE by Brenne Issa
5 PROJECT 200
21 A HOPE FOR TOMORROW
by Rev. Shane Bishop

by Jeffrey Bishop
6 MY HOPE
by Ethan Alexander
7 DARING TO HOPE
by Dr. Steve Heitkamp
by Shannon Peiffer
22 THE CRASH
by Matt Rygelski
23 TATTOOED SHAME
by Jeffrey Bishop
8 CONNECTING IN HOPE
10 WORSHIP AND HOPE
by Rev. Don Frazure
11 BRIDGING THE GAP

by Kevin Siddle
12 MY STORY OF HOPE
by Ashley Waters
13 HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY

by Dave Merrill
14 CROSSING THE CANYON

by Shannon Durio
15 HOPE UNDETERRED
by Will Howell
16 HOPE IN THE EMPTY SEAT

by Kelli Tobin
17 WANTING HOPE
by Matthew J. LaFrance
18 A TIME FOR HOPE

by Lyndsay Croxford
19 HOW GOD GAVE ME HOPE

by Mackenzie Bradshaw
The Flame Magazine is a quarterly magazine published by Christ Church.

2016 Christ Church. Learn more about Christ Church at MyChristChurch.com.
EDITOR: Carrie Gaxiola DESIGN: Justin Aymer COVER: Mike Creagh
SENIOR PASTOR
Rev. Shane Bishop
ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Rev. Michael Wooton
For a complete listing of the
Christ Church Staff visit:
www.MyChristChurch.com/staff.
WORSHIP TIMES
Fairview Heights Campus
Sunday - 9am, 11am, & 6pm
Saturday - 5pm
Wednesday - 6:30pm
Collinsville/Maryville Campus
Sunday - 10am
Millstadt Campus
Sunday - 10am
Scott Campus
Sunday - 10am
FROM THE EDITOR

Easter came early this year! It seemed to
come early for warmer weather, spring
flowers, and the newest edition of The
Flame with the theme of hope. I was a
little disappointed that our debut date for
this issue was not going to be on Easter
Sunday. After all, isnt that what Easter
embodies - hope? As I thought about it,
though, I realized that the hope we have
as Christians comes through the resurrection story every day of the year!
Christ followers have the hope of heaven, hope of forgiveness and the hope of
a relationship with God our Father dayby-day! Hope is so much more than focusing on the power of the risen Savior
one weekend a year. It is a way of life for
the believer. As you read these pages, you
will find our theme to be more challenging than you suspect. Some of our writers told me as much! Hope can be elusive in trying circumstances and can be
confused with wishes ofttimes. But as we
follow Jesus, there is growth in our desire to hope in Christ alone. As we trust
Mission Of The Flame
Be inspirational through biblical articles

and devotions. Be informative in the
announcement of future events that
connect people in ministry.
in Him more deeply, we have a story to

share with others and the hope of the resurrection spreads. Yes, hope is a challenging topic indeed, but one that we cannot
live without in the world in which we
live. So may we remember this, the Lord
delights in those who fear Him, who put
their hope in His unfailing love. (Psalm
147:11)
The Flame would also like to welcome
two new student writers. Part of our hope
for the future is our younger generation. I
am thrilled to have Ethan and Mackenzie
share their stories with you.
Ill close with this prayer as you read
these pages May the God of hope fill
you with all joy and peace as you trust in
Him, so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans
15:13)
In His Service,
--- CARRIE GAXIOLA ---
The Flame Online:
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Visit MyChristChurch.com/theflame.
Questions about the Flame?
Contact the Editor, Carrie Gaxiola, at:

CarrieGaxiola@MyChristChurch.com
THE FLAME // SPRING 2016
UPPING YOUR HQ
(HOPE QUOTIENT)
BY REV. SHANE L. BISHOP

I have been thinking about hope and how
it relates to happiness. In part, because so
many people seemwellmiserable.
That was my first epiphany upon entering the world of Social Media a few years
back - people are unhappy, there are a
lot of them, and they are happy (pun intended) to post about it. Clearly, there
is something about chronic misery that
makes people suddenly want to share bad
news with others. The mantra seems to
be, If I am unhappy, you should be unhappy too, and I am going to do my best
to help you see the world my way. No
need to thank me. We certainly have
plenty of angry, hapless, jaded, sardonic and melancholy missionaries in this
world! Tragically, most of them have access to a computer.
When I read such calamitous posts there
is one thing their authors all seem to
have in common - a lack of hope. There
seems to be a self-fulfilling pessimism
hardwired into their emotional construct
that they either cant, or dont care to
shake. There is this discordant vibe raging through them that says, Things were
bad, things are bad, and things are going
to continue to be bad. Hopeless.
I was trained in Systems Theory. Systems
Theory simply states that all systems are
designed to produce what they produce,
not what you desire them to produce. So
here is the deal: If you are unhappy with
your life, everything in your life is designed to produce that unhappiness. If
you want to change your outcomes, you
have to change your inputs. I think most
people want to be happy; they are just not
quite sure how to change their inputs,
so they keep entering the same negative
stuff into their systems that they have always entered, as that is all they know how
to do.
Rev. Shane Bishop, Senior Pastor

facebook.com/revshane
@RevShaneBishop
4
SPRING 2016 // THE FLAME
I dont think God went to all the trouble

of sending Jesus to earth and raising him
from the dead so we could be miserable.
We could have been perfectly miserable
without the resurrection! So where is the
hope?
I believe the best route to happiness is
found by drenching, marinating, and saturating our lives with huge helpings of
straight up hope! My favorite steak in the
world is the filet at Andrias Steakhouse
here in Fairview Heights. They choose
great pieces of beef, but the trick is in
their sauce. They marinate those steaks
to the point that every single bite is absolutely delicious. There is no way not (one
of my favorite double negatives) to find
a delicious bite on a filet at Andrias; it is
literally infused with tantalizing hope!
Want different system outcomes? Infuse
your system inputs in hope!
Here are some hope infusions for body,
soul, and spirit!
1. Increase your exposure to hopeful people. Watch hopeful and upbeat people. Read what they post online. Note how they interact with others.
Hang around these folks all you can!
2. Decrease your exposure to hopeless people. If there are people in your
life who consistently bring you down,
limit their access to you! Unfriend them;
hide their posts. Misery is contagious - it
is easy to tell who is infected.
5. Speak positively. I believe words

are powerful things and like boomerangs;
our words tend to fly back in our direction once launched. Dont set any words
into motion that you wouldnt want coming back at you! Encouraging words are
the building blocks of a hopeful world
view.
6. Refrain from speaking negativity. My mom used to say, If you cant say
something nice, dont say anything at all.
That will work.
7. Decrease your time with media.
I am often perplexed when people complain about the negativity in the media,
because media is something we INVITE
into our lives. We choose our Facebook
friends, what we see on the internet, who
we follow on Twitter, and which television stations we watch. Take control. If
you can turn it on, you can turn it off.
8. Increase your time in the Bible.
Stop watching a thirty minute show each
day or perusing your Facebook feed, and
substitute that time with Bible reading.
Start with Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
or Acts. Read the great stories of Genesis. Spend some time in the Psalms. Be
inspired!
9. Stop thinking about yourself.
Hopeless people have very small worlds
that get smaller by the day. Their attention is focused on me and mine and us
and ours.
3. Subscribe to sources that breed

hope and optimism in you. Think
about the things in your life that give you
energy, joy, and fulfillment. Do more of
those things.
10. Start thinking about others.

Hopeful people live in big worlds and
are actively making better worlds. Their
attention is focused on serving God and
serving others.
4. Unsubscribe from sources that

reinforce pessimism.
Think about
the things in your life that give you indigestion, cause stress, and make you feel
crummy about yourself and the world
around you. Do less of these things.
Each of us is a product of the systemic

input we invite into our lives. If you do
not like your life, you are the only person
who can change it. New outcomes require new inputs. I have often said that
we are all full of something and we all
leak. Why not fill ourselves with hope
and leak it everywhere?
Ministry Spotlight
PROJECT 200
DISCIPLESHIP MEETS EVANGELISM AT CHRIST CHURCH

INTERVIEW BY JEFFREY M. BISHOP
Editors note: The Flame recently interviewed Associate Pastor Rev. Mike Wooton
to unpack the Christ Church effort to establish a culture of evangelism in 2016 and
beyond. While a few Project 200 events
have passed since the program kicked off
mid-February at all Christ Church campuses, this article provides the big picture
about the evangelism effort, and shares
how church members can find more information about on ramps that will be
offered throughout the year-long program.
What exactly is Project 200?

Project 200 is our way of sharing that we
want to reach 200 more people for Christ
than we normally would in a given year.
This is us being intentional about sharing
our faith.
Whats involved?
The kind of evangelism we are stressing
is relational evangelism. We want people
to naturally share their faith stories with
those around them and to know how to
offer Christ to others.
Were trying to train people in that way.
The first (workshop) is Project 200: Testimony. Were going to share with others
how you can share your story. The next
one is Project 200: Salvation. Thats more
about, How do I really present the Gospel? Thats the one about sealing the
deal.
How does Project 200 contribute to

Christ Churchs mission to connect
people to Christ?
For some reason, God has chosen us,
these weak vessels, to proclaim the wonderful Treasure of Christ. God wants to
show His power in our weakness. Ones
testimony and evangelism is so much
about us, but in a lot of ways its not; its
about God saying, This is how Ive chosen to reach out to people; this is how Ive
chosen to show my face to people.
We think were not qualified sometimes;
we think our issues are stopping us. Part
of evangelism is showing that, Im struggling with an idol, but Im sure glad that I
can talk to God about it. God really loves

me. God has chosen us to be those vessels, and we really dont have a say in that.
I understand how this helps bring

people into relationship with Christ,
but how does Project 200 help
make disciples?
Being a disciple means we are allowing
Jesus to teach and challenge us. Project
200 is challenging us to look at what Jesus
has done in our lives. The more we do
that, the more we will be like Jesus.
Whats really important is training people
to understand their own faith story. Once
you understand how God has affected
your life, and continues to affect your life
were kind of natural billboards, we
advertise naturally, and it will just come
out of people naturally.
With a goal of 200 in a year, could

evangelism be mis-applied or
over-applied?
Someone might say, Wait a minute? You
want to win 200 souls then what? Do
you just want them for numbers? Heck
no! Were talking about follow-up, were
talking about discipleship; our Connect Groups are as strong as theyve ever
been here. We feel like we have a system
in place here: we win people for Christ,
theyre going to be able to get plugged in
here, and this will be the very beginning
of something very incredible.
Who in our church is this effort

aimed at?
Anyone attending! We thought it would
be cool to have 200 signed up for it!
Weve got the youth on board, and theyre
already trying to win people for Christ.
Its a total church effort; were having
meetings with every department in this
church, and were asking, How can we
make this happen?
Im convinced! How do I learn
more?
Go to mychristchurch.com/project200
so you can sign up and find out more
about the various activities and on-ramps
throughout the year.
I really believe that if we allow God to
work in us as we make this step of faith,
were going to win people for Christ, and
I think theres a blessing for us as well.
Has evangelism and sharing ones

Christian faith story become more
difficult in our current society?
Theres an opening of the eyes that only
God can do. It is difficult to share, and
the non-threatening way to share is to
say what God is doing in my heart. I cant
force God upon you, but you also cant
tell me Gods not working in my life. And
thats what I think we need to be open to
if were going to be effective at evangelism
in these times.
Jeffrey Bishop
Flame Volunteer Writer
Student Connection
MY
HOPE
BY ETHAN ALEXANDER
When I was 8, adults would ask me what

I wanted to be when I grow up; I told
them I wanted to be alive.
I dont want anyone to feel sorry for me,
because I know that everyone has been
through difficult times and many have
been worse off than I. Most people that
know me would consider me to be a very
happy person, but it hasnt always been
this way for me. There have been times
in my past when I felt depressed, wondered if I should be alive, considered how
long I would live and wondered why I
was going through such tough times.
For those who are unaware, I have nephrotic syndrome, which is a rare (about
1 in 6,000) chronic kidney disorder. My
kidneys lose albumin, a protein that regulates fluid levels between bloodstream
and body tissues. Without this protein in
my blood, my cells overhydrate, causing a
lot of swelling. Albumin leakage has also
been shown to cause kidney failure.
Once, when I was in second grade, I was
at home sick for several days and severely
dehydrated. I dont remember much, but
I do remember laying on the bathroom
floor going in and out of consciousness. I
was admitted to Childrens Hospital. The
doctors didnt even know what was going
on inside my body, but they knew I was
dangerously dehydrated. I was hooked up
to four I.V. lines and pumped with fluids;
my cells took all the water they could. It
was a very weird feeling to be so thirsty
and filled with so much water at the same
time.
Ethan Alexander
Then I became disoriented and confused.

When the doctors asked me if I knew
where I was, I just waved my arm at them
and said, Here! in a mumbled voice.
When they asked again, Ethan, where
are you? I replied Kindergarten. I have
no idea where this response came from.
The doctors put me on various medications, all of which tasted awful and have
awful side effects. One day I asked my
dad, Dad why does my medicine have a
pirate flag on it? It turns out that it was
a kind of poison -- a chemotherapy drug
used to treat nephrotic syndrome as well
as many cancers.
The medications and hospitalization were
very expensive. I think that the insurance
company hated us. It was really stressful
on me to see how my parents were struggling to make it, while paying to keep me
alive and healthy. Sometimes I wondered
if it was worth it to pay for all of it.
All the medicines I have been on have
had some sort of immunosuppressive
qualities; needless to say, I was sick often
and was not allowed to be around other
sick kids. On top of that, I have allergies
to nearly everything except snow. My allergies would often cause me to get sick
and miss school. It was really hard to
miss so much school and miss friends.
Not only that, but I couldnt play outside
at recess with the other kids because of
allergies. I felt distant from the other
kids, missing the social interaction of recess.
Since the time of diagnosis, I have had
over 20 relapses, many of which have resulted in multiple days in the intensive
care unit. Somewhere in there I experienced a period of severe hopelessness
and depression. I began meeting with
Dr. Steve Heitkamp, where I remember
talking once or twice a week like he was
a best friend.
I think that the counseling turned me
around and showed me that life is worth
living with the hope found through God.
I realized that my life wasnt really my
own but it belonged to God, and without
God in my life, this pain and struggle is
just meaningless. Without Him, life feels
empty. If we were just some cosmic accident, then this pain just isnt really worth
it and life seems to lack a purpose.
I really like the verse from the song Our
God by Chris Tomlin: And if God is for
us, then who could ever stop us? And if
God is with us, then what could stand
against? This verse speaks to me and
tells me that if our God that created the
universe is for us, then what of this universe could possibly stand in our way?
With God, death is no longer an end, but
rather a beginning. And if death is no
longer something to worry about, then
what on Earth is?
You are either living for God, or barely
living.
DARING
TO HOPE
BY DR. STEVE HEITKAMP
Yet I still dare to Hope when I remember this: the faithful love of
the Lord never ends! .....Therefore, I will Hope in Him.
~ Lamentations 3:21 ~
Hope is a word that is comforting when

obtained and a chasm of emptiness when
missing. We are called to be people of
Hope and we live among people who often have lost Hope.
The Bible is filled with the tension of
Now and Not Yet. The Kingdom of
Heaven has come in the person of Jesus
Christ. We know Him and His blessings now, and in this way, the Kingdom
of Heaven is now. Also, the Kingdom of
God is Not Yet, as we eagerly wait for
that which is to come.
In I Thessalonians 4:13 we hear, ....So
that you will not grieve like people who
have no hope. In Colossians 1:5, we are
reminded that our Confident Hope is
reserved for us in Heaven. These describe the root of our Hope in ultimate
Not Yet fulfilled in eternity. We find
Hope in the promises of what will ultimately be revealed to us. This gives us
Hope!
The Bible is filled with those who believe
in God and those who have lost or grown
weary in Hope. Those named have been
so stressed, crushed, and overwhelmed
that Hope has become an elusive mirage
that disappears when the oasis of relief
evaporates. God reminds us that Hope is
alive and well.
With permission to share their words,
one person with whom I have sat, wrote
this description of Hope in the midst of
severe depression:
Hope. Now theres a topic. Depression
brutalized my ability to Hope, and convinced me nothing would ever change life
for me.
The ways depression interferes with spiritual well-being are as profound as the
ways it interferes with the social, physical

and emotional person. Depression hinders
the ability to put oneself in relationship
with anyone, let alone a creator. Depression mitigates the ability to connect with
beauty and truth, as well as people. A
false gloom is created within the vacuum.
I never would have addressed spiritual
wounds in a direct manner without guidance from my therapist. During our discussions, conversation gravitated toward
the core of my being - where the spiritual
resides.
I was able to work through my lack of
Hope, anger with God and heal the spiritual wounds I felt. I grew from not being
able to enter a church without crying, to
becoming an active member of my faith
community with a rich spiritual life.
The care I have received has allowed me
to remove the squatters and reclaim my
life. I have a new and deep appreciation
for who I am and my core beliefs, because
I worked so diligently to forge them. I am
unstuck.
The image we chose for Horizon Hope
Counseling is a tree. Trees are all
throughout the Bible: from the Garden
of Eden, to the ending scene in Revelation where the tree gives healing to the
nations. The tree is a symbol of Hope
throughout scripture, and to me. On the
wall of our waiting room, there is a quote
from Isaiah 41 which speaks of the Lord
being with us because He will strengthen us. He gives and restores Hope. Later
in that chapter we read verse 19, I will
plant trees in the barren desert. I am doing this so all who see this miracle will
understand what it means - that it is the
Lord who has done this, the Holy One
of Israel who created it. What I have
discovered is, there are some things that
only God can do. God is the only one

who can grow trees in barren deserts, and
He can give Hope when all Hope has become lost.
Psalm 37:34 states, Put your Hope in the
Lord, travel steadily along his path. We
can choose Hope and trust in him who
has saved us, Jesus Christ, our Lord. In
the circumstances listed below, reflect
upon problems you have may have encountered, and solutions the Lord provided for you.
1. Has there been a time in the past when
you lost Hope? Remember how God restored your Hope and share it!
2. Have you lost Hope now? Remember
and focus on what can do, rather than
what is lost!
3. Do you know someone who has lost
Hope? - Listen! - Be patient with them in
the Not Yet of Hope! Be slow to speak,
and when you do -encourage!
Consider this as a prescription back to
the Path of Hope in the God who causes trees to grow in the barren desert. He
creates, gives and sustains Hope within
us.
My Hope is Firm in Christ and in no other.
Dr. Steve Heitkamp

drsteve@horizonhope.org
www.horizonhope.org
CONNECTING
IN HOPE
ply it within life, diminishes fears and
strengthens our faith as we grow together.
Do you think being a part of a group

can allow you to be more hopeful?
In what way?
Ive been involved in a small group in
some way for over ten years, which began
as a group after church services in the old
sanctuary. It has now evolved into our
Wing and a Prayer group that continues
with seven of those original members.
In the past several months, Christ

Church has enjoyed a tremendous
season of interest and growth in
our Connect Group participation. We
currently have over 100 active groups!
Our Lenten Study alone boasted of over
65 individual groups meeting each day of
the week at all different times and places.
The Flame asked our Connections Director, Pam Huff, to ask a couple of people
what Connect Groups mean to them.
Lin Stawarski is a part of the Wing and a
Prayer Group. Heres what she has to say:
Several people along the way have

asked me how I managed to transition
through such events with a level of sanity, strength, and grace. My answer has
always been the same: with Gods love
through some very special people. People
from my Connect Group have shown me
just how much God loves and cares for
me. They have been the ultimate example
on Earth of how much God loves me. You
see, these folks are not just some people
I see once a week. They are my extended
family.
What is the most important thing

you have gained by being a part of a
Connect Group?
The simple answer is fellowship, but it
is so much more than just fellowship!
Two years ago, my husband of 35 years
suddenly passed away. I made a phone
call. Within hours there were people
in my living room to hug me, cry, pray
with me, and to sit silently as I ranted
and paced throughout that entire first
day. These same people embraced not
only me, but my children during that
life-changing time. They stayed by our
side as my family transitioned with our
good-byes, made funeral arrangements,
sold my house, and had to move. They
were there every step of the way with
their prayers, tears, time, and genuine
care.
Our group has quadrupled in size since

the beginning as weve have shared our
prayers, wedding celebrations, baptisms,
hope, healing, laughter, struggles, and
a whole lot of praises! And we dont just
break open Gods word ~ we do it while
breaking bread with a meal together!
The best of both worlds!
What would you say to someone

that is reluctant to join a Connect
Group?
I think it may be intimidating, especially
in the beginning, to be open and honest
within a small group of people. There
may be some reluctance at first by feeling
like an outsider. We were all outsiders
at the start. Ive found that were all basically the same with similar fears, doubts,
or questions. But learning about Gods
word, and more importantly how to ap-
I see my life as a series of steps or pieces of a puzzle that have fit together in
my relationship with God. I grew up in a
different religion, and I was unable to experience that personal relationship with
Him. Now, through my life experiences, I
can see how God was always leading and
forming me with every one of those experiences. I believe that no matter what
life throws at me, I have hope that Ill
move through it because of Gods love
for me. I dont think I would have learned
that so distinctly if it wasnt for the love
my Connect Group has shown me. Having a relationship with these folks was no
accident. It was all a part of Gods care for
me.
Why do you think Connect Groups

are important?
A large church can lose a sense of intimacy and personalization among individual
members. People in a Connect Group
know you and your story. Theres nothing like seeing smiles from people you
know at church on Sundays! My small
group helps me to be accountable within
these commitments. To be honest, there
are times when I dont feel like getting up
and going to church or my small group.
However, I know that people expect me
to be there and are concerned when Im
not!
Jesse Crotser is one of our young adults

involved in a Connect Group known as
the Millennial Group. It is awesome to
see our young people taking ownership
of their faith and building community
through groups offered several times a
week. Here are Jesses thoughts on Connect Groups:
What is the most important thing

you have gained by being a part of a
Connect Group?
Growing up in a small church gave me
the comfort and closeness of a tight-knit
church family. With Christ Church, its
impossible to get close to the other 2000
+ people that attend. Connect groups
provide that small intimate fellowship
we need as Christians and give us the relationships that help us grow in accountability as Christians.
What would you say to someone
that is reluctant to join a Connect
Group?
I would ask them to give it a try. Ive seen
several individuals moved to tears when
they discover how caring and personal
time spent with other Christians can be,
especially those who just want to love on
them.
feel like each weekday Im in the valley,

and when Im in church on Sunday with
fellow believers, Im on the mountain
with Jesus. Time spent outside of church
focusing on the scriptures, prayer, and
fellowship is the greatest tool we have
against the enemy and his hopelessness.
Why do you think Connect Groups

are important?
The information and teaching taken from
a pastor each Sunday is imperative for
your Christian walk, but honestly can still
be distracting from the still small voice
of Christ. We need personal devotional time and small group time to give the
chance for Christ to convict and minister
to our hearts on a more personal level.
Do you see them as an important
part of your growth as a Christian?
Very much so! Its in the small moments
during my small group time when I see
Christ at work all around me, that Im
reaffirmed in my faith, and am reminded
that our relationship with Jesus can be so
personal if we pursue and seek it with all
of our hearts.
JOIN.
LEAD.
HOST.
If you are interesting in leading, hosting

or participating in one of our Connect
Groups, you can view many of the options at www.mychristchurch.com.
You can also contact Pam Huff, Director

of Connections and Adult Discipleship
at pamhuff@mychristchurch.com.
Do you think being a part of a group

can allow you to be more hopeful?
In what way?
Weekly encouragement! Sometimes I
WORSHIP
AND HOPE
BY DON FRAZURE
Many of you will already know that I

am working on my doctorate in worship
studies. All of my formal education has
been in music, so to further my knowledge in my calling, I wanted to pursue
a degree that focused on the theology
and full expression of worship rather
than just worship music. As I continue
to learn, I am beginning to get a picture
of worship which is much more eternal
rather than just an hour on Sunday (or
Saturday, or Wednesday). As Christians,
we have put our faith and hope in Jesus
Christ. Because of Jesus, our worship is
a dialogue; a conversation with God that
has been ongoing since the beginning
of creation and will continue forever. In
this conversation, we talk of our memories, our present joys or struggles and our
hopes for tomorrow. Worship, therefore,
becomes an opportunity to remember the
past, engage in the present and anticipate
the yet to be.

Worship is a retelling of Gods Story. Understand that when I say Story [capital
S], Im referring to Gods redemptive
plan for our salvation. God is the Creator and we were created to be in a relationship with Him. Through our sin we
were separated from God and only God
Himself could make things right. God
sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to show
us how to live and love each other. God
revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, and we
must respond to that revelation. When
we accept the gift of Jesus Christ and His
sacrifice for us our response is to follow
Him. This is all done in and through the
Holy Spirit who is the very real presence
Rev. Don Frazure

Pastor of Worship Arts
DonFrazure@mychristchurch.com
10 SPRING 2016 // THE FLAME
of God in worship and our lives.

The thing that is so amazing about worship is that Gods Story is retold in the
very order of our worship services. The
order of worship that we use is called the
Fourfold order, and it has been in use
by the Church for almost two millennia.
However, just because it has been around
for a long time is not enough justification
to follow this pattern. The justification
is that this pattern is a biblical model of
revelation and response which is echoed
throughout Scripture. When we worship,
we gather at Gods calling and acknowledge who He is [Creator] and who we are
in relation to Him [creation] by singing
songs of praise and prayer. God then reveals Himself to us in worship through
the preaching of the Word. The Word
[Christ] reveals something to us and we
must respond to it. Then, we are sent out
to live out the revelation we have received
[Holy Spirit]. There is hope in worship
because we witness and take part in the
retelling of Gods Story.
We also find hope in worship because we
tell our own story through worship. In
the worship order above, did you notice
how that can also apply to our personal faith stories? One of my professors,
Constance Cherry, calls this the Gospel
Order. If the Fourfold order can be broken down into Gathering, Word, Communion/Response, and Sending, then
the Gospel Order would flow like this: I
was lost, God found me and called me
to Himself [Gathering]; God revealed
Himself through Jesus and His love for
me[Word]; I repented and accepted Je-
sus as my Savior, now I live in relationship with Him [Communion/Response];

Now my life has hope, I have a purpose,
and I want to share my story with others
[Sending]. When we worship, our worship becomes a living testimony to the
hope of our salvation in Jesus Christ.
Lastly, worship is not just about yesterday
and today, it is about hope for tomorrow.
When we worship, we join a great cloud
of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). As they
continually worship God as the saints
who have gone before us, we join them
in the worship that will last for eternity.
Revelation 7 paints a picture of worship
that we will engage in for eternity. As is
often said, we have read the end of the
book. God wins! At last, we will be with
God. We will once again be with Him
in His full presence, the likes of which
we cannot comprehend with our human
limitations. Until then, we have worship
as God has given it to us, through the
power and presence of his Holy Spirit, as
a continuous conversation of hope that is
just as real in time and space as any story
from the Bible.
Worship, therefore,
becomes an
opportunity to
remember the past,
engage in the present
and anticipate the
yet to be.
BRIDGING THE GAP

BETWEEN HOPE AND FAITH
BY KEVIN SIDDLE
Now faith is the substance of things

hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1)
I am thankful to be able to say that I have
become a new person over the last few
years. I have learned what faith is, and
what it is not. I went through a very difficult time where a spirit of fear and anxiety overwhelmed me. This all stemmed
from the loss of my best friend to cancer
when we were teenagers. Almost fifteen
years after he passed, all of those same
emotions, the hurt, the pain, the fear
came rushing back like a tidal wave. It
was only through the help of a fantastic
Christian counselor did I find peace with
the loss of my friend and was freed of the
fear.
In addition to the healing and peace that
I received, I also discovered that I had a
lack of faith. I wasnt allowing God to
guide my path. I wanted control. I did
not fully trust and believe that the hopes
I placed in God would actually come to
fruition. Once I realized that I had a lack
of faith, this made me start questioning
why I was doing certain things, what my
priorities were, and how I interacted with
other people. Was I truly a living witness
to the power of Christ in my life? Was I
leading my family properly as a man of
God? Was I the same Christian at home,
at work, and at church? The answer to all
of these questions was no.
Like most crises of faith, this forced a

change in my life. I began to pray for
wisdom and discernment, and that God
would do His will in my life. I prayed for
people to mentor me and give me guidance, teaching me what faith actually was.
Lo and behold, those prayers were answered at Christ Church and in Hebrews
11:1.
As I learned what faith actually was,
changes continued to happen. Faith became the foundation for which everything else in my life was weighed against.
Faith changed what it was that I hoped
for. Faith changed the substance. Just as
important, faith changed the confidence I
had in what I hoped for. Up to that point,
my hopes were closer to dreams or wishes. I knew there was an off chance that a
miracle could happen, but Im not sure I
actually believed it.
How was I able to bridge the gap between hope and faith? Trust and surrender. I started to trust that God provides
for His children, in all things. After all,
I had seen it in my own life as God had
delivered me from all that pain and anger and fear. I was able to trust that
Gods will truly was better than anything
I could imagine or create through my
own control. I also learned to trust in the

scriptures by knowing that they are God
breathed, and through those, I can gain
wisdom to apply to my own life.
I also learned to surrender. This was
very difficult for me. Trusting God is one
thing, but letting Him take control of the
wheel was much, much different. This
took significantly longer, but has been
incredibly valuable. By spending time in
prayer and in the Bible I learned what the
character and teachings of Jesus Christ
were. With that foundation, I was able to
more easily discern the whispers of God
from the whispers of the world.
When we place our trust in God, and
surrender to His perfect will, this gives us
great freedom. We can worry less about
the day to day concerns and start giving God our hopes - the big things we
pray that God will use us for in order to
change the world. My prayer for you is
that whatever your hope is that is out of
sight, will be shown to you and that God
will empower your faith to believe that in
Jesus Christ all things are possible.
Scripture quotation taken from The Holy Bible, King James Version
Kevin Siddle
facebook.com/kevin.siddle.12
THE FLAME // SPRING 2016 11
MY STORY
OF HOPE
BY ASHLEY WATERS
As a young Christian, I dealt heavily with

the pressures of expectation and perfection. Although I accepted Christ at an
early age and strived to be the best Christian kid, I felt I never fulfilled the expectations of God and my family.
Through my striving, my relationship with God became a performance.
Church, praying, and reading my Bible
became a way to please God, earn His affection, and dodge my fiery fate in Hell.
When I fell short, I felt full of shame and
guilt. I would feel unlovable and insecure. Since I didnt feel accepted as I was,
I tried to be someone God and others
would want to love. I continued to appease my family and God by my outward
actions, but internally I was empty and
fearful.
Striving for Gods attention and affection
left me exhausted as I got older and I decided to ignore God entirely. Instead, I
sought fulfillment through relationships,
friendships, and social status. Years later,
after a mile long list of failures, I found
my heart was bitter, hardened, and broken. I had spent the majority of my life
pretending to be someone else out of fear
of rejection. My people-pleasing spirit
caused me to give everything away and
I didnt know who I was anymore. I despised the decisions I had made because
of what I thought I had to do to earn love
from people. My happiness had been dependent upon approval of others so my
fear of not being enough was continually
confirmed.
During the height of my brokenness, I
Ashley Waters
wanted to run to God but I thought Hed

never accept me. Coincidentally, I received a postcard inviting me to church.
After weeks of ignoring it, I reluctantly
attended. As I sat in the back with my
head held low in avoidance, I heard the
preacher say something that changed everything. There is nothing you can do
to make God love you more and there
is nothing that you can do to make God
love you less. Hearing the story of Gods
unconditional love for the first time
pierced my cold heart.
With hope in my heart and tears streaming down my face, that day I prayed for
the first time in years. I asked God to renew my heart, and to fill the voids in my
life. I asked for an identity in Him and
to break the urge to be defined through
others approval. I asked to find my confidence in characteristics that held meaning in His eyes. Lastly, I prayed for the
courage to become what He wanted me
to be.
My life changed drastically after I laid
down my constant need for striving and
allowed Christ to complete me. Discovering I was created by my Heavenly Father to be His beloved, and His alone,
has changed how I give and receive love
altogether. Because of His unconditional love, I can be honest and transparent
with others without fear. Others can now
love me for who God has created me to
be. My confidence comes from Christ
alone and I do not have to be afraid of rejection. Through Him, I am enough. I do
not need that sole validation from others
to know I am already loved. He has bro-
ken the people-pleaser in me and redirected my focus to joyfully please Him.

I no longer feel the need to perform or
strive for perfection to gain Gods attention and affection. I am free to have a
genuine relationship with Christ out of
love, not fear. I am eternally grateful for
His love that covers us all, all the time,
and we do not have to do anything to
earn it. We just get to be ourselves and
that is enough for Him.
With hope in
my heart and
tears streaming
down my face,
that day I
prayed for the
first time in
years.
HOPE IS NOT
A STRATEGY
BY DAVE MERRILL
Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, youre my

only hope. Princess Leia: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
Wikipedia defines hope as an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes related to
events and circumstances in ones life or
the world at large. As a verb, its definitions include: to expect with confidence
and to cherish a desire with anticipation.
All too often I fear people define hope as
a selfish expectation of positive outcomes
without the need for any personal contribution to the hopeful result. But hope, by
itself, is not an effective life strategy. I
hope I win the lotto. Youve got to pay if
you want to play; and a good knowledge
of the odds might save you a few bucks.
I hope this cold goes away soon. Listen
to your doctor, drink plenty of fluids, get
lots of rest, pray. I hope I go to heaven.
What do I do with that hope? Ephesians
2:8-9 clearly says, For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faithand this
is not from yourselves, it is the gift of
Godnot by works, so that no one can
boast. Cant I just rest in the knowledge
that Jesus paid the price for my sins and I
am saved by grace without any effort on
my part? I sure hope so.
It is true your salvation comes solely from
the atoning grace of Christs sacrifice on
the cross for your sin. That is the gospel and it is great news! To receive that
grace requires only to accept the gift, and
acceptance gives us a reason for the hope
we have. Let me suggest we can strategically contribute to our hope and enhance
our optimistic attitude and our expectation of positive outcomes in the salvation story. 1st Peter 3:15-16 says, But in
your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always
be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for
the hope that you have. But do this with
gentleness and respect, keeping a clear
conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in
Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
3.
Be gentle and respectful toward others.
Earlier in First Peter, we hear these
words: Live as free people, but do not
use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;
live as Gods slaves. Show proper respect
to everyone, love the family of believers,
fear God, honor the emperor. (1 Peter
2:16-17) You are free, you are saved, but
you are called to live like Christ with respect and love for others.
Peter tells us there are five strategic actions we can practice to be confident in
our hope for salvation:
4. Keep a clear conscience.

When Paul professed his reasons for the
hope he had in Christ in front of the
Emperor Felix, he said, I have the same
hope in God as these men themselves
have, that there will be a resurrection of
both the righteous and the wicked. So I
strive always to keep my conscience clear
before God and man. (Acts 24:15-16) I
pray you have the same hope, and the
same clear conscience.
1. Revere Christ as Lord.

Mark 12:30 reminds us to Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with
all your soul and with all your mind and
with all your strength. That is our act of
reverence in response to the promise of
salvation. Christ did so much for each of
us; we should be thankful and offer Him
our praise.
2.
Be prepared to answer everyone who asks you.
My hope for Christs return is based on
the truth and promises of Gods Word.
To be prepared requires me to know
something about that truth. Study the
Scriptures, remember the promises,
know the truth. Jesus said, If you hold to
my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the
truth will set you free. (John 8:31-32) Be
set free knowing the reasons for the hope
you have in Christ.
5. Demonstrate good behavior.

The book of Proverbs opens up with instructions this way. The proverbs of
Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for gaining wisdom and instruction; for
understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right and just and fair.
(Proverbs 1:1-3) Go to Gods Word, learn
what is right and just and fair. Receive
instruction in prudent behaviorand
have hope!
Dave Merrill
facebook.com/davemerrill819
CROSSING
THE CANYONS
BY SHANNON DURIO
My husband, Beau, and I have been

married for almost two years, and God
has blessed us richly in so many areas. Both of us were married before and
went through painful divorces. We each
spent extensive time healing from those
wounds, and learned that God can take
what is broken and make it whole again. I
dont feel like Beau is my second chance
our love story is more of a redemption
song. God has been good to us.
Since the day we got married, weve talked about expanding our family. I share
custody of my daughter from my previous marriage, and she is pure sunshine.
Our little family does not feel incomplete,
but we would love to have another baby.
We have been trying for almost the duration of our marriage to get pregnant,
praying that God might entrust us with
the life of our own little one.
A year and a half really is not that long in
the grand scheme of life. Many couples
try for much longer, so we have tried to
be patient. A few months ago, I experienced a very early miscarriage, and while
it was easy to justify it in my mind
with statistics about how common miscarriages are, my heart cracked.
I struggled to hang on to hope. I fiercely
believed that God is good but there must
be something wrong. Did He think we
werent ready for this? What else could I
do to prove to Him that we were? I never blamed Him I just desperately tried
to figure out why, in His omniscience, He
did not want this for us in our timetable.
Interestingly, I have spent the last year
serving as the Development Director
Shannon Durio
for Fontebella Maternity Home, a small

faith-based organization in OFallon, Illinois that provides a safe home for women
who are facing an unplanned pregnancy
and are homeless for a variety of reasons.
These women had the seemingly opposite
circumstances of me, and yet, we are the
same.
wait for Him. The Lord is good to those

whose hope is in Him, to the one who
seeks Him. (Lamentations 3:22-25)
That gap between what we can see and

the good He has promised is so often the
hardest place to be. Its scary. We want
to run into the Promised Land, but we
cant figure out if we have what it takes to
make that initial leap of faith.
The same good God who carried me

through my divorce, and who healed the
broken shards of my heart, and who led
me to the truest, most God-honoring
kind of love with Beau He is the same
God who hears the whispers of my heart
for a child.
I replay that image of Wile E. Coyote

confidently chasing the Road Runner to
the edge of the cliff. Just when hes certain
he has caught up, he pumps his legs midair, looks down, and realizes hes run out
of land. Down he goes.
I want the land. I want the tangible security that I wont fall into the canyon.
Whether I have the resources but not the
baby, or the women at Fontebella have
the baby and not the resources, moving
forward requires faith hoping for that
which we cannot see. And faith has no
expiration date. If I believe that God is
good all the time, that means surrendering my own timeline.
At our wedding nearly two years ago, we
included this reading:
Because of the Lords great love we are
not consumed, for His compassions
never fail. They are new every morning;
great is Your faithfulness. I say to myself,
The Lord is my portion; therefore I will
It has completely different meaning for

me now than it did then, but Gods Word
is timeless. Thats why I continue to have
hope.
The same loving God who inspired a

woman to open a home like Fontebella
He is the same gracious God who restores the dignity and self-worth of each
woman who comes there because she has
chosen life for her child.
He sees the big picture when we cant.
Ive been looking for tangible land to
walk on, but I finally realized that sometimes that means I have to look back on
the canyons He already carried me over.
My legs were pumping mid-air, but He
didnt let me fall.
Having hope doesnt mean having all the
answers. It means believing that when
I take the leap of faith, He will carry me
through that canyon, no matter how deep
or wide it may be. The safest place to be is
in His arms.
Great is His faithfulness!
HOPE
UNDETERRED
BY WILL HOWELL
In the middle of this writing, I am going

through a development. I am right now
waiting for the birth of something that
I am expecting to come to pass. Daily, I
have to tell myself to trust God and have
hope that He is going to come through
with the dream that He has for my life.
This scripture is constantly at the forefront of my mind: Hope deferred makes
the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a
tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12) While I was
preparing for this article, I broke down
key words in this passage to expound on
it so that I could understand it better.
Lets break it down together;
Hope: Anticipation that something good
is about to happen.
Deferred: Delayed, postponed.
Makes: To produce; cause to exist or happen.
Sick: Ill.
Fulfilled: Satisfied.
Life: Any specified period of animate existence
Here is the scripture written out in a
more detailed version, based on these defined terms:
morning I lay my request before you and

wait expectantly. (Psalms 5:3, New International Version)
vid knew Gods character of hope, and

developed that spirit of expectancy that
God would come through for him.
Did you catch that? Not only did David

lay his requests before God he then
waited expectantly. A synonym for the
word expectantly is hopefully. David
didnt come to God and lay it at His feet
thinking that God might come through.
Instead, David knew that God would
come through. He waited expectantly and
hopefully.
At the end of the day, God is calling us to

do this: to never give up on hope. Better
put, dont allow the present circumstance
define who you are and your future. I will
end with this: So dont worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own
worries. Todays trouble is enough for today.(Matthew 6:34)
David had hope that God would come at

his aid and honor his request. In Psalms
27:13, David commented, Yet I am confident I will see the Lords goodness while
I am here in the land of the living. There
is one thing that I can be confident in the
hope that God gives us and it is this: we
will surely see it come to pass. Often our
vision is impaired by things that seem
hopeless. Instead, we are called to have
hope. We are called to see it come to pass.
The anticipation that something good is

about to happened being delayed produces illnesses, but a dream that is satisfied is
a tree of animated existence.
David had to step out and develop a spirit of expectancy. It didnt come naturally
to him. Time and time again through the
Bible, we see David facing depression,
heartache, loss and so much more. But
David took God at His word and called
out to Him in the midst of his trouble.
Our hope is an anticipation of something

good. When it is delayed, we tend to lose
hope and our dreams appear to die. The
passion that we had for that dream begins to dwindle. Our drive turns into
just plain parking. But God has so much
more in store for His people. I love how
the Psalmist David wrote: In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the
When Davids enemies surrounded Him,

he called out to God to defend him.
When he was depressed, he called out
to God to lift him up. When his family
turned on him, he called out to God to
vindicate him. David had to have hope
that God would forgive him when he
sinned with Bathsheba. David had to
have hope when he murdered Uriah. Da-
God has planned that we would live one

day at a time. There is hope for today.
There is a plan for today. God has given
us a hope that is for this moment to know
that He has it all taken care of and it is in
the palm of His hand. Wait expectantly
on God to move on your behalf and allow Him to take that hope to a whole new
level!
Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations taken
from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation
Will Howell
HOPE IN THE
EMPTY SEAT
BY KELLI TOBIN
And hope does not disappoint us,

because God has poured out his love
into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,
whom he has given us.
(Romans 5:5)
We have many friends and family who
are missing someone around their table
this year. Some have lost a family member recently. Others are praying to pull
up a high chair in the next nine months,
yet the seat sits empty. How do you handle it when someone is missing from
your life. How do you cope when the
thing you have hoped and prayed for is
not there, once again? That empty chair
is a constant reminder. No birthdays,
phone calls, pictures, and no positive
pregnancy tests.
Please know that if this speaks of your
circumstances, current or past, there
is hope. It is my circumstance. It is my
husbands. It is my familys. It is my close
friends. We live in a world where babies
do not always go to deserving parents,
where parents do not get to see their
children get married or become parents
themselves. Satan, in this broken world,
shines a bright light on that empty dinner seat or those newborn clothes that
Kelli Tobin
Athletic Ministries Coordinator
KelliTobin@mychristchurch.com
go unoccupied. He sneers, points, and

condemns. Why isnt your body good
enough to have a baby? Why didnt you
do more to keep them around? If you had
done this or that, he or she would still be
here. You would get the very thing you
want. We feel entitled to what others
have or envious and bitter of their full tables with many chairs.
Where is the hope? Where is the peace?
May I offer a different perspective. I
cannot answer the why me? or how
come? because I, myself, ask the same
things each day. I can, however, offer
Jesus. Jesus, the comforter and sustainer. Jesus, whose death was mocked over
and jeered at. Yes, we have heartache and
extreme loss, but Jesus death covers that.
Claim that in His name, friends. Remind
yourself daily if you must, but when you
see the empty chair, claim Jesus. No, it
isnt fair, but neither was an innocent
man dying for your and my sins.
My hope and prayer for you is that you

can shift your eyes from the emptiness
to the abundance in heaven; the riches
He has in store. Run to the Father as He
promises a full table someday with old
friends, dads, moms, grandparents and
newborns.
WANTING
HOPE
BY MATTHEW J. LAFRANCE
Hope. Its something mentioned often

in the Bible; 129 times to be exact. Were
told to have hope; strong hope. The Bible
informs us that hope is an integral part of
Christian faith.
As a Christian, Im to hold the Bible as
undeniable truth. Its words are literally
gospel. If I believe one part of it, I am to
believe all parts of it. Which is why Im
confused by how vital hope is preached
as being to the Christian life.
You see, I used to have hope. I spent a lot
of time hoping for things to happen in
my life. And Id get really excited when
it seemed like those things were going to
happen. But then no delivery. Whatever it was I thought was going to happen,
whatever it was I was hoping for would
fall flat, and I would be crushed.
In the end, hope became nothing more
than a backstabbing mistress; promising me a thousand wonderful things and
never delivering on a single one of them.
I stopped hoping, assuming hopes were
like wishes; the things fairy tales and
dreams are made of. But as I continued
advancing in my walk with Christ, a simple question came to my mind: if hope is
so fake, why does the Bible speak so passionately about it?
This was taxing my thoughts quite a bit.
There had to be an answer for it. Was
there something I was doing wrong that
caused the things and occurrences Id
hoped for to be yanked out from under me, like the carpet in an old Charlie
Chaplin bit? Was I misunderstanding
scripture?
Or was I understanding hope wrong?
If you dig into the passages in the Bible
that speak about hope, theyre very specific about what hope should be. For example, Hebrews 11:1 reads, Faith is the
confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about
things we cannot see. And Psalm 147:11
tells us, No, the Lords delight is in those
who fear him, those who put their hope
in his unfailing love. When you add
those two together, you end up with a
very obvious definition: the hope which
the Bible talks about is the hope for the
things which the Lord provides for us,
out of His love because He loves us.
What was the problem with my hopes
then? Simple; I wasnt hoping, I was
wanting. The things I thought I was hoping for, in retrospect, were things which
are garbage; useless in my life, or otherwise poison to my walk with Christ. No
wonder hope wasnt delivering on these
promises; hope was really want in disguise!
I wonder if we as a society dont set ourselves up for that to happen. Think about
how often you hear the word hope
thrown around in your day-to-day lives.
Are you actually hoping for something,
biblically? Or are you, subconsciously, using that word because you think God will
be more willing to give you something
you hope for than He would provide
something you want?
friend, I hope you get that promotion.

Or, I hope I can still get tickets; hopefully they arent sold out yet. Is that really
hope you have for those situations? Or
do you just want them to happen? Really
think about it. Because if thats the case,
we will never fully know faith, the way
Hebrews 11:1 depicts it.
The secular world will never know what
true hope is. Theyll never understand
that its meant as to describe the eager anticipation we have for the things the Lord
is doing in our life. Instead, they will
hope for wants, and be sorely let down
when that hope falls through. But we
know. We know that hope in the world is
an empty vase, but hope in God is a chest
full of riches.
Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New Living Translation
...the hope which

the Bible talks
about is the hope
for the things
which the Lord
provides for us, out
of His love because
He loves us.
Consider that the next time you tell a
Matthew J. Lafrance
A TIME
FOR HOPE
BY LYNDSAY CROXFORD
There is a time for

everything, and a season
for every activity
under heaven
(Ecclesiastes 3:1 NIV)
Lyndsay Croxford
Winter might be beautiful with soft snow

falling and quietly crunching under foot,
but the cold is often harsh and the nights
are dark and long. Theres beauty in the
season, but sometimes its hard to find.
However, no winter has passed that didnt
promise a coming spring. The windows
will open again, breathing fresh air and
life throughout the home. The bare, dormant trees will bud green once more, and
flowers will pop up from the warming
earth to stretch and feel the sun. When
God created winter, He created spring.
He may not have initially designed winter to feel so desolate when He first put
man in a vibrant garden, but after sin, He
placed the hope of spring on all of our
hearts. We will have many winters when
tears are shed and all seems lost and
hopeless, but Gods love always promises spring. Even a winter ending in death
gives hope of eternal spring because to
be absent from the body is to be present
with God (2 Corinthians 5:8, NIV). In
every season of life, Christians have hope
in Gods love and faithfulness. The Lord
delights in those who fear Him, who put
their hope in His unfailing love (Psalm
147:11, NIV).
If this season of your life is thriving in
beauty, cherish it and put your hope in
Gods unfailing love. If this season is
filled with despair, confusion, or grief,
still put your hope in Gods unfailing
love. Hold on to this hope, because the
coming of spring is guaranteed and God
is always faithful. Youll even look back
on winter and see that not all was dead
and bare. Growth was happening beneath
the surface, and you may even find a
glimpse of beauty.
HOW GOD
GAVE ME HOPE
BY MACKENZIE BRADSHAW
I asked God to come into my life when I

was six years old. I decided to be baptized
when I was eleven. I had no clue what it
meant to be a Christian and I am only
just starting to understand now that Im
sixteen. Being a Christian can be trying
at times because we live in a fallen world
filled with wicked people who want to
distract us from Gods plan and the path
of faith. The thought of straying from that
path is terrifying. But God has assured
me recently that I do not have to worry.
A few weeks ago, I dreamt I was in a
small church with some friends. We were
making costumes and decorations for
a Christmas play. Suddenly, I was filled
with a terrible dread and everyone shook
with fear. The walls of the church turned
black with all kinds of evil spirits moving
in them. They threw ugly images on the
walls and I swung at them with all my
strength, trying to knock them down. I
was so angry and I refused to accept what
was happening. I started to cry out in defiance, No, you are not welcome here!
I cried out to the Lord, inviting him into
the space to protect us. I yelled, Lord,
please! Bring the Holy Spirit upon the
evil in this place! No evil is welcome! I
walked to the middle of the room, threw
my hands up and continued to yell for
the Lord to come and vanquish all wickedness from our little church, to save and
protect my friends and me.
At that moment, a ball of light appeared
on the ceiling and grew to wash the
whole room in glorious, heavenly light.
You could hear the demons screaming in
utter agony as God destroyed them and
sent them back to where they had come
from. His holy presence filled the entire

church, shielding us from any evil and
purifying our hearts with His love and
goodness.
After the Lords work was done, the light
diminished, but the room was considerably brighter than it had been, even before the evil spirits came. I was calm and
at peace. My friends were still very shaky
and I told them they did not have to be
scared because God had a hold of us all
with his righteous, right hand. He was
never going to let go of us.
The entire dream was so vivid, and I realized it must have been a message sent
from the Lord himself. I cried when I
woke up, not out of fear or sadness, but
because God had proven to me that he
was with me and always had been and
always will be. His mighty power overwhelmed me and it was the most spiritual
experience I have ever had.
The dream gave me hope.
As it says in Joshua 10:25, Joshua said
to them, Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged. Be strong and courageous.
This is what the LORD will do to all the
enemies you are going to fight. I know
my foundation in life is indeed God and I
have a future He has set aside just for me
if I follow His path.
God is my salvation and He fills me with
hope and peace every day of my journey.
He has shown me what it truly means to
be a Christian, and I am hopeful that I
will live a full life with Him.
Joshua said
to them, Do
not be afraid;
do not be
discouraged.
Be strong and
courageous.
This is what
the LORD will
do to all the
enemies you
are going to
fight.
-Joshua 10:25
Mackenzie Bradshaw
WORLDLY HOPE
VS SPIRITUAL HOPE
BY BRENNE ISSA
My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus blood and righteousness; I dare not
trust the sweetest frame, but wholly trust
in Jesus name. On Christ the solid rock
I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.
~ The Solid Rock
Hope - what does it really mean? Arent
hope and faith the same thing? I hope
the Cardinals win the pennant. I hope I
have enough gas in my car to reach my
destination. I hope I have enough money in my checking account. I have hopes
for lasting and meaningful relationships.
My biggest hope these days is for good
health. But are these desires a righteous
use of hope? I had to admit to myself that
outside of natural wishes, I had no clear
cut knowledge, wisdom or understanding
of how God expects hope to work in the
lives of His people.
I needed to conduct some research to
gain some meaningful insight into the
concept of hope. I found that there are
at least two kinds of hope. First, there is
hope which is based solely on our worldly desires, like hoping we get more warm
days or that you get that prime parking
spot at work. Some of us even hope for
a million dollars! There are all kinds of
things for which we hope. The second
kind of hope is based on spiritual belief.
This hope is based on belief in the word
of God. For instance, you may hope and
pray that you recover from an illness,
but spiritual hope gives us the assurance
of the scriptures. In the case of wellness,
the scriptures proclaim, by His stripes ye
were healed. That is a promise from God
on which we can hope and believe.
Brenne M Issa
The difference between worldly and spiritual hope is that hope based on the word
of God has the promises of God to back
it up, but worldly hope, not so much! In
spiritual hope, we confess that it is impossible for God to lie. (Hebrews 6:18)
Therefore, His word is true! Everything
that was written in the past was written
to teach us, so that thru the endurance
and encouragement of the Scriptures we
might have hope. (Romans 15:4) Once
again we find that as humans we cannot have the success God intended for
us without His word being a part of the
equation. Our success is based partly on
reading the Bible and knowing our rights
and privileges. We have to read the Bible;
there is no way around it. It just doesnt
work without reading the scriptures for
yourself. Sustain me according to your
promise, and I will live; do not let my
hopes be dashed. (Psalm 119:116)
We may want and hope for provisions
such as cars, financial prosperity, a new
job, etc. from a worldly perspective but
what about knowing that our God will
provide all of our needs according to
his riches in glory. That passage is from
the word of God and gives us a promise
and hope. Which hope seems more solid
to you? Which one should you rely on,
worldly hope or spiritual hope?
We may also, and often do, hope in the
promises of others. Our loved ones often
give us their word. Hows that working
for you? We know that people, no matter how well-meaning they are, can let
you down and often leave you hopeless,
frustrated and angry! People sometimes
break their promises. God, however, does

not; it is not in His character. Remember,
He does not lie! If we are faithless, He
will remain faithful, for He cannot disown Himself. (2 Timothy 2:13)
What is the difference between faith and
hope? Their meaning and application
are so closely related, their definitions at
times seem to overlap. According to Hebrews 11, faith is the substance of things
hoped for and the evidence of things not
yet seen. Faith is hope in action. Both
faith and hope require that we trust God.
The fact that faith and hope are both unseen is another example of how the two
are often paralleled. Consider also that
faith and hope are Christian characteristics that are surpassed only by love and
that they are pleasing to God.
Dont forget to look to the scriptures.
Your faith and hope are in God.
(1 Peter 1:21)
Sustain me
according to
your promise,
and I will live;
do not let
my hopes be
dashed.
-Psalm 119:116
A HOPE
FOR TOMORROW
BY SHANNON PEIFFER
Ever since I was a young girl, I struggled with having hope. Depression just
seemed to be part of everyday life and the
fact was I didnt care if I lived or died. I
clung to God, because I felt so incredibly
alone. As I grew and finally found myself free of the many circumstances that
caused me to cower and hide, I was finally excited about living. I spent a number
of years just trying to experience life to
the fullest and realized life can be good.
I married and things began to settle
down. As my days became stable, the instabilities of my past rumbled to the surface and I found myself wrapped again in
despair. However, this time I had a new
reason to cling to hope - my spouse and
my progeny. It was because I loved my
family that I sought help. I wanted my
husband to have a good wife; I longed
for a blissful marriage. I desired for my
sons not to have a mother who was on
an emotional roller coaster and could explode in anger. As much as I yearned to
escape my circumstances, I had a bigger
desire to provide a secure, loving, Christian environment for my sons.
I struggled through years of counseling,
medication, classes, and no small amount
of prayer to slowly establish restraint. I
did not want my family to experience the
same upheaval and imbalance I experienced in my own childhood. I worked
hard to create a happy, healthy atmosphere for them, free from the unhinged
lifestyle I had come to know. Finally,
I was able to provide the experience of
the content home I so craved. My hope
for life was renewed, and I found myself
wanting to live.
A big part of what kept me going was
holding on to a better tomorrow. It was
the driving force that revved my engine,
when it all just seemed too hard and I
wanted to give up. I could not find it in
me to walk out on my family, and I was
also unable to quit on myself, when so often I felt they would be better off without
me. Day by day, things got a little better.
Some days I took two steps back, but I
kept moving forward. I could not compare myself to others, but in comparison
to how I did yesterday, some days were
an improvement. As the new day became
better than the day before, I found I had
come pretty far in my journey toward
healing and life became somewhat normal.
Today, the image of my world barely resembles the way it used to look. Sure
I still lose my temper, but nothing like
I did before. I have more control over
my feelings and know how to keep them
from establishing power. I walk away before they get a foothold, and have learned
to use nourishing self-talk instead of degrading cynicism. I still have a long way
to go, but today is better than yesterday
and tomorrow will be even better! Hope
has allowed me to turn discouragement
into optimism.
A scripture that I embrace is Jeremiah
29:11, For I know the plans I have for
you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give
you hope and a future. Bible, NIV. The
Lord wants us to prosper and His word
offers us hope. He is keenly aware of

its necessity for our survival. It was my
hope in Christ that kept me advancing,
because only He could change my situation. Regardless of how hard I tried, it
was God that changed my life. I had the
will, but He had the way. It is my hope
in Christ that keeps me moving onward,
knowing, I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me. Philippians
4:13; Bible, NKJV.
For I know the

plans I have for
you, declares
the Lord, plans
to prosper
you and not
to harm you,
plans to give
you hope and a
future.
-Jeremiah 29:11
Shannon Peiffer
THE
CRASH
BY MATT RYGELSKI
It was loud. I saw it coming. There was

no way to avoid it. At forty miles per
hour, in a 5800-pound utility van, a tractor-trailer semi coming from the other direction decided to make a left turn
and then stop in the middle of the intersection. I had only seconds to think,
and I could only hope to get extra inches of road and try pulling the vehicle to
the left to aim past that back corner of
his flatbed. That wasnt enough. We hit.
WHAM! (Ill never forget that sound.)
White smoke is filling the cabin and
thousands of glass pieces are everywhere.
The passenger side is folded in like an accordion. Had I not turned the wheel, my
body would be squeezed in those metal folds. I could have di I I had to
get out of that cabin. My drivers door is
stuck shut. The white smoke was increasing. I have to get out! I hope someone
can pull this door open. I hope the gas
tank is not on fire. I hope somebody
called the police.
It wasnt until the next day that I hurt.
Adrenaline is powerful, but short lived.
The day, I was reminded of the fragility
of the human body. Everything hurt. I
was told the tractor-trailer driver didnt
even know he was hit. With all that flatbed steel, I probably wouldve been better
to hit a brick wall. At least the brick wall
would give in a little. What caused him to
stop? What was he thinking, blocking the
intersection? I hope that guy knows how
angry I am! I hope I feel better tomorrow.
I hope this doesnt affect my job.
Matt Rygelski
Two years go by. My employer terminated my employment because he felt I

hadnt healed quickly enough. My doctor performed a surgery to fuse my lower
back vertebrae, but I had the same piercing pain and his ego doesnt want to admit the surgery failed. Medical bills are
going unpaid and the companies who I
have credit cards with have all sent me
letters informing me of their decision to
cancel my account for fear that I will be
unable to pay. Old friends dont call anymore. I hope I can pay rent.
Five years now. X-Rays and MRIs would
show that the first surgery never fused
properly. I started seeing a new doctor. I
had later learned my first doctor had lied
on the medical reports. Every appointment he listed that I was healing well and
that I insisted on pain medication, which
he gave reluctantly. In fact, I insisted
that I did not want pain medication any
more, but he would keep asking me to try
this brand or that I think he was trying
to get me addicted. New doctor says Ill
never be pain-free. I hope that first doctor loses his license. I hope this isnt my
life forever.
Its really easy to lose hope. People fail.
Plans fail. Our smooth drive towards one
direction suddenly becomes sideswiped
and detoured. Doubt and suspicion begin to overpower all other thoughts. I
had tossed around hopeful pleas left and
right without really bothering to ask myself, Who is it Im asking to control these
outcomes? When I had all those hopes,
who was I asking for help from?

As I would wait in doctors offices, other
people would tell me their most important life stories -- stories of overcoming
obstacles much greater than mine. I am
humbled by their strength and then I
realize what a comfortable journey my
life has been. Through their toughest of
times and all the people that have helped
them, they see God. For all the people
that have hurt them, they struggle but
still can see God in their heart. They find
hope in knowing that we were created in
the image of God. Even in our darkest
times, the light of God is still inside. It
doesnt matter how dim that light may be,
its worth looking for it especially when it
may not be easy to see.
Through whom also we have obtained
our introduction by faith into this grace
in which we stand; and we exult in hope
of the glory of God. And not only this,
but we also exult in our tribulations,
knowing that tribulation brings about
perseverance; and perseverance, proven
character; and proven character, hope;
and hope does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out
within our hearts through the Holy Spirit
who was given to us. For while we were
still helpless, at the right time Christ died
for the ungodly. For one will hardly die
for a righteous man; though perhaps for
the good man someone would dare even
to die. -Romans 5:2-7
TATTOOED SHAME:
INDELIBLE INK REDEEMED
BY JEFFREY M. BISHOP
I have a tattoo only one and its a

source of shame to me.
A tattoo doesnt seem to be such a big
deal, especially among my generation.
Although I got mine in the early 1990s,
they are all the more common in todays
twenty-teens.
Even most Christ-followers seem ok with
them, despite Old Testament prohibitions lumping tattoos with prostitution
and black magic (Leviticus 19:26-31). A
post-modern seal of approval perhaps
stems from Jesus teaching normally
attributed to food that, nothing outside a person can defile them by going
into them. Rather, it is what comes out of
a person that defiles them (Mark 7:15).
Our tattoos can even be a part of our testimony.
While earnest followers argue for or
against tattoos, my shame isnt for sake of
having skin art. Its not because a friend
of a friend of my sisters did the work
clearly, it must have been his second or
third tat ever. Its not because 25 years
later, on my middle-aged shoulder, this
art is sagging and fading and blurring,
just like wiser people back in the day told
me it would. And its not even because
the design bears an unanticipated resemblance to the Body Glove logo, and the
suggested commercialization of my body
without the proceeds of an endorsement deal embarrasses me.
Rather, this is the source of my shame: I
got the tattoo at the height of my self-reliance, my pride and my rebellion. I was in
my late teens, but to be clear: I wasnt rebelling against my parents or society. Indeed, my immediate circles of loved ones,
friends and acquaintances were what
youd call freethinkers, and if they werent
outright supportive of something like a
tattoo on a young man, they were at least
to each his own about it. Rather, my rebellion was against a God that I didnt yet
believe existed.
remain to give away the mark.
In that respect, the art that I selected

that I designed, I should admit suited
such a worldview perfectly: It is of my
hand print, set inside a machine gear. To
my adolescent understanding, my intellect, creativity, craftsmanship and hard
work is what made me who I am; they
were my means to success and to meaning. Me. My. Mine. Instead of a Holy
God, I was the sole agent of my life god
of me, if you will over something like
Johnny Cashs empire of dirt, as Id figure
out later in life.
And yet, theres hope.
Today, a born-again follower of a sacrificed, risen Christ, I hate my body art. As

described, the depravity of my thinking
B.C. Before Christ is pretty self-evident. It clearly represents my sin, even in
its muddy image.
By my research, getting rid of an unwanted tattoo is futile and vain. Its a
time-honored trick to put a new tattoo
over the old one; to cover up the old stain
with a new stain. But even if no one else
knows whats underneath, I always will.
There are some pretty fancy lasers that
can blast away the pigment of a regretted
tat. But the raised welts of the skin will
Metaphorically, if not also metaphysically, the indelible mark of a tattoo represents the stain of sin on every one of
us. Theres nothing on Earth or in mans
power that can forever remove the permanence of a tattoo. And likewise, theres
nothing that a fallen man like me can do
to rid himself of the stain of his sin.
Our hope is in the Lord, who promises to

wash away all sins, with the blood of His
sacrifice. New. Clean. Pure. Saved. These
words, throughout the Bible, and especially in context of the saving grace of
Jesus, tell us that the worst juice-sin stain
on the white carpet of our souls will be
Oxi-Clean with Jesus.
Arguably the most hope-filled line of
the Bible is where were told that, as far
as the east is from the west, so far has
he removed our transgressions from us
(Psalm 103:12). God also promises us
a new body a body made perfect and
without the blemish of sin (1 Corinthians
15:42-49).
On these promises, Im content to shoulder my stain for the rest of my time here,
as a bitter reminder that in the place of
that once-proud, rebellious young man
is a new creation, filled with hope in redemption for eternal perfection. All because of Jesus.
All scripture from The Holy Bible,
New International Version
Jeffrey Bishop
ALLIANCE
The highest compliment

I can receive is the referral
of friends, family,
& business partners,
Its a pleasure serving

our community
~ Thank You ~
Carie Bradshaw
(618) 593-3258
carie@cariebradshaw.com
Steve White
Steve.White@strano.com
Providing Our Community
and Military/VA with Options
Carie Bradshaw
(618) 593-3258
carie@cariebradshaw.com
Mobile: (618) 407-9110

www.strano.com/stevewhite
CHRIST CHURCH BUSINESS OWNERS

You can help Christ Church produce the Flame magazine by
becoming a sponsor. Call us at 618-277-4659 for details.
TURN YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS INTO

FINANCIAL SUCCESS.
Ryan Blaha
Fairview Hts
(618) 589-7047 x7047
ryanblaha.nm.com
05-4000 2015 The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (Northwestern Mutual).
GOD AT WORK
NEW MEMBERS
JANUARY 2016
Neil Emerson
Adam Gaxiola
Gabrielle Kopjas
Lori Gerke
Dana Lewis
James Lynch
Kathy Lynch
Kerry Maynard
Kim Maynard
Kent Muniz
Melissa Muelchi
Gerrie Rutledge
Jim Stauder
Janis Stauder
Helen Weible
Joseph Young, Sr.
Jessica Young
Sarah Trent
Hillary Funk
Wesley Harris
Mary Harris
Kimberly Morris
Richard Steward
Nancy Steward
Gene Robinson
Bonnie Robinson
Lawrence Klobuka
Kimberly Klobuka
Lauren PopovMuniz
FEBRUARY 2016
Brad Bowyer
Tristah Bowyer
Jessica Carrier
Todd Carrier
Tina Carrier
Charles Conrad
Donald Gaston, Sr.
Susan Gaston
Brett Gehrig
Maria Gehrig
Douglas Grahmann
Craig Mckinley
Connie Mckinley
Susan Meister
Patti Neal
Scott Rummage
Lynn Rummage
Bruce Alan Simms
Marjie Ellen Beam
Simms
Michael Simpson
Chris Simpson
Gaines Smith
Elizabeth Smith
BAPTISMS
DECEMBER 2015
Isabella Thompson
Emileah Thompson
Benjamin Proffitt
Dennis Jones, Jr.
Elizabeth Flanagan
Tammy Hernandez
Jessica Crudale
Sophia Valerius
Julius Hawkins
Tarra Fant
Travis Allen
Lamar Backus
Jayce Valerius
Diana Watkins
Nicholas Noblitt
Sarah Cantwell
Samantha Ballard
Allyson Wuebbels
Kimberly Venable
Ashly Ellison
Haley Rask
Amber Vandenburgh
Timothy Kennedy
Shane Seward
Donald Grider, Sr.
MEMBERS PASSING
Norma Jean Harper - Dec 30, 2015
Myra Walden Feb 9, 2016
ATTENDANCE
2015
December Worship Avg = 2,951
December Connection Avg = 463
2015 Year End Worship Avg = 2,145
2015 Year End Connection Avg = 440
2016
January Worship Avg = 2,237
January Connection Avg = 528
February Worship Avg = 2,138
February Connection Avg = 622
GETTING TO KNOW YOU

Ryan Gillam
Job Title
Worship Leader and Assistant Music Director
Job Description
Band leader, help with tech support
and anything Don tells me to do.
What made you decide to attend

this church? At the time I was looking
for a church where I could serve. My aunt
and uncle are Campus Leaders at the
Scott Campus. They thought it would be
a great fit. I met Don Frazure and auditioned for the band. At the time I was living in Sterling, Illinois and when I made
the cut, I moved to the area. The rest is,
well, history.
Do you feel you have a purpose or
calling in life? Yes! Ever since I was
young, I knew I was going to be a worship pastor. I just always knew thats what
God was calling me to do.
What do you think delights God
above everything else? Obedience.
Do you attend a small group? Yes! I
attend the millennial group on Sunday
nights!
spiritual gift.
If you could go on a road trip with

any person (dead or alive), who
would you choose and where would
you go? Don Frazure! Anywhere! Because who wouldnt want to go on a road
trip with Don Frazure?
What have you learned recently
from another Christian? It is ok to
have fun with your faith!
Who do you respect the most? My
mom. She has always been there for me.
Are you a Cubs or Cardinal fan? I am
a Cardinal fan! Even though I grew up in
the Chicago area.
What drives you crazy? People chewing with their mouth open!
Does your faith show while driving?

Not even a little bit.
Whats the best birthday gift youve

ever received? An Xbox 360 when I
was younger!
What song describes your life journey? Dont Stop Believing - by Journey
Whats the tallest building youve

been in? Our house - its 3 stories!
If you could change places with a

Bible character, who would you
choose? I wouldve loved to be one of
the disciple when Jesus chewed out Peter.
I love watching people get chewed out!
What movie would we find you in, a

western, comedy or romance? Comedy all the way.
What cartoon character best describes you? Bugs Bunny! I love carrots.
If you could live anywhere in the
world for a year, where would it be?
Australia!
If you knew you could try anything
and not fail, what dream would you
attempt? Skydiving!
What are you best at? Im actually
really good at the game spoons. Its my
Have you ever come face to face

with a dangerous animal? Unless my
brothers cat counts, no.
What world problem would you like
to see resolved this year? Hunger.
Are you a reality show junkie? Not
really. They kind of annoy me.
What holiday could the USA do
without? I think we could do without
Valentines Day. Because I feel bad for all
the people who are single.
Do you prefer to text or talk on the
phone? I prefer to talk on the phone, because I can never tell if someone is joking
over text!
Are you a Facebook person? Yes I am
Most hated chore on the household
chore list? Dishes! They stink!
What ice cream flavor would you invent? Bacon is always a good one!
What store in the mall would we
see you in the most? Probably Dillards!
Would you like to be President of
the USA? Nope! I couldnt deal with the
pressure.
What TV talk show host would you
like to be interviewed by? Howie
Mandel!
TEXT2GIVE
Christ Church is making it super easy to give your tithes and

offerings! We are excited to announce our Text 2 Give program. Its simple, just text our keyword CC and your donation
amount to this number 28950.
GET STARTED TODAY!

1. Text CC and your
donation amount to
28950.
(Ex: CC 150 - this keyword equals a
$150 donation to Christ Church.)
2. Follow the registration

link to set up your
account.
(you will only have to do this the first

time you give)
3. Give Again by texting CC

and your donation amount
to 28950!
OUR KEYWORDS
CC - General Fund
CCBuild - Building Fund
CCNOC - Network of Caring

CCMission - Missionary Fund
CCSpecial - Special Events / Offerings
More information about our Text 2 Give program is on the back.

Contact Alan Prass at AlanPrass@mychristchurch.com with any questions.
How do
Send a
28950.
a space,
give.
For Exam
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THE MAGAZINE OF CHRIST CHURCH

20 WORLDY HOPE VS SPIRITUAL

21 A HOPE FOR TOMORROW

by Rev. Shane Bishop

11 BRIDGING THE GAP

13 HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY

14 CROSSING THE CANYON

16 HOPE IN THE EMPTY SEAT

18 A TIME FOR HOPE

19 HOW GOD GAVE ME HOPE

The Flame Magazine is a quarterly magazine published by Christ Church.

FROM THE EDITOR

Mission Of The Flame

Be inspirational through biblical articles

in Him more deeply, we have a story to

The Flame Online:

Get The Flame Magazine online. Sign

Questions about the Flame?

Contact the Editor, Carrie Gaxiola, at:

THE FLAME // SPRING 2016

BY REV. SHANE L. BISHOP

Rev. Shane Bishop, Senior Pastor

SPRING 2016 // THE FLAME

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5. Speak positively. I believe words

3. Subscribe to sources that breed

10. Start thinking about others.

4. Unsubscribe from sources that

Each of us is a product of the systemic

DISCIPLESHIP MEETS EVANGELISM AT CHRIST CHURCH

What exactly is Project 200?

How does Project 200 contribute to

can talk to God about it. God really loves

I understand how this helps bring

With a goal of 200 in a year, could

Who in our church is this effort

Has evangelism and sharing ones

THE FLAME // SPRING 2016

When I was 8, adults would ask me what

SPRING 2016 // THE FLAME

Then I became disoriented and confused.

Hope is a word that is comforting when

ways it interferes with the social, physical

only God can do. God is the only one

Dr. Steve Heitkamp

Do you think being a part of a group

In the past several months, Christ

Several people along the way have

What is the most important thing

Our group has quadrupled in size since

SPRING 2016 // THE FLAME

What would you say to someone

Why do you think Connect Groups

Jesse Crotser is one of our young adults

What is the most important thing

feel like each weekday Im in the valley,

Why do you think Connect Groups

If you are interesting in leading, hosting

You can also contact Pam Huff, Director

Do you think being a part of a group

Many of you will already know that I

Rev. Don Frazure

of God in worship and our lives.