September 2019 Lamb, Shepherd, King

By Dave Buller, Associate Pastor

The Bible uses a variety of ways to speak about God. Recently, I was reading in Revela- tion and came across the following verse: NIV Revelation 7:17 17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’” Lamb. Shepherd. King. Three titles that describe the Almighty. Each one gives us insight into who God is and how He works. Jesus is the “lamb”. He came to serve (Mark 10:45). He gives his life up. He is the blood sacrifice. Men and women throughout time and distance have sinned against God, so there was a penalty that had to be paid. Jesus paid it. He was the only perfect sacrifice, and he was willing to serve in this way. The lamb had to die. Ironically, the lamb is also called a shepherd. Jesus is the shepherd (John 10). He cares for his sheep. There is something profound here about the nature of God that every human being, even the toughest of men and women have a longing for: someone who cares for them. There comes a point in everyone’s life when we need someone to care for us, protect us from the wolves, feed us, lead us to water. This is what a shepherd does. A shepherd cares for the sheep. In Revelation 7:17 above, it mentions that the “Lamb” is at the “center of the throne.” Who sits on the throne? The king. Jesus is called the King of kings. He is the master over all. He leads his followers in a victory parade and promises their ultimate victory over every enemy. The reward for his servants is promised: an eternal paradise. This is what we would expect from the King of all kings. This is what the best of kings would promise, and this is what the best of kings would do. Jesus is a lamb, a shepherd, and a king, and we are called to imitate him. What does this mean for us? I think that these three ideas of lamb, shepherd, and king communicate truths and practical application for everyone who is a follower of Jesus. What I am about to share is part of what makes church so important because the church is God’s chosen instrument to demonstrate these three truths to the world. First, the church is called to be a lamb. It is called to live sacrificially. The church is called to love on and serve those who are a part of it, and those who are without. How does your church serve your community? Sacrificial love and service is exactly what Jesus modeled for us, and it is what he has called us to do as his followers. Second, the church is called to be a shepherd. We care for people. We protect them from dangers and feed and nourish people spiritually. It is the church’s job to teach people how to have a relationship with their Heavenly Father, to build and foster that relationship, to teach the Word of God. Finally, the church is called to be a king. This is the one that most churches miss, and yet I hope to communicate the importance of this. What does a king do? A king recognizes the value of the people. A king “knights” warriors—just like King Arthur and the…that’s right, the Knights of the Round Table. What makes a great king is a great army and great knights. The church is called to empower people to live the abundant life. The church is called to help people walk in victory, to encourage them, and to live in boldness of a great future hope. The devil is the enemy. The church has the victory. The key to all this is that every church needs to embody all three of these things. We need to be shep- herds, lambs, and kings, and all of this under the banner of Jesus Christ. Check out our new college and young adult ministry that seeks to do just this at www.nexthays.com! So get plugged in. Get involved with your church. Search the Scriptures to see if what I have shared is true. Let’s do this together so that his kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Stand firm! PAGE 2

Youth Ministry News By Dustin Mulkey

It’s hard to believe that the summer is over. And what a great one it was! Around a year ago Jeff Neher and I partnered together for a “Next Steps” retreat with my, then, Cimarron students and his youth from North Oak. I am amazed to see how God has directed my “Next Steps” since then in bringing me here. This year has been one of transition. It is very assuring to know that God is in the transitions and He uses them for His purposes and His glory. What a joy it is to be serving in a church on mission that is passionate about the next generations! To recap the summer, I moved here in June and shortly after had the pleasure of taking students to Junior High Camp in Quapaw, Oklahoma. The camp was one that our Southern District puts on, and it was amazing. I really enjoyed undistracted time with the some of the middle school students in a camp setting. Several youth were involved with the Foster Care event that our church put on. My favorite part of that event was watching the students serve so selflessly in childcare. As a youth team, we had a couple of opportunities to lead the congregation in wor- ship this summer, which was a joy. We have some very talented students in our church, and it is so good to watch them use their gifts to serve the Lord. Another thing we did this summer was a game night. Students seemed to really enjoy that! There are more of those planned for this school year, too. Because I came to Hays in the middle of the summer, it was hard to put together a busy summer calendar, so I mostly used this time to get ready for the upcoming year. We have had two wonderful volunteer meetings, a parent meeting, and I’ve had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time getting to know several students and families in various settings. All of these things make me very excited for the year of ministry that has begun! As we look forward, there are several things I am excited about. This year we will have many opportunities to gather together, serve with one another, and participate in different events and activities. I’m particularly excited for our District Youth Confer- ences. I have the opportunity to serve on our District’s Youth Commission, so it is fun to be part of the planning team for these events. Mostly, though, I am excited to see how God wants to impact this next generation for His Kingdom throughout this year. As a youth ministry, our mission is to Empower Students to be Authentic Followers of Jesus Christ. We do this by encouraging faith firmly rooted in Christ, living in biblical community, empowering families, and having local and global impact. I covet your prayers as we launch into this year. Our focus in this first semester is Growing In Christ – what it truly looks like and how we can do it. Pray that small group leaders would build disciple making relationships with students, and that students would truly experi- ence growth in Christ this year.

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Get Up: Turn Your Valley of Achor into a Door of Hope By Karen Rigler – Children’s Ministry Director

Joshua Chapter 7 relays the first defeat in the Promised Land for the Israelites. They had just defeated Jericho and were ready to take on the whole land. Their next battle was with the smaller city of Ai. Yet, this battle did not turn out well. In fact, 36 men were killed and all were chased away. Joshua was the leader of Israel at this time. He fell on his face before God, tore his clothes, put dust on his head and sat in utter defeat. Suddenly, the plan to conquer the entire Promised Land looked completely hopeless. God responds to Joshua beginning in verse 10. “Get up! Why have you fallen on your face? Israel has sinned; they have transgressed my covenant that I commanded them; they have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen and lied and put them among their own belongings. Therefore, the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies… I will be with you no more, unless you destroy the devoted things from among you. Get up!” God doesn’t console. He just states the facts of what happened and expected the people to GET UP. The people discovered one man, Achan, did take devoted things. He and his entire family were taken out of camp and stoned. The Bible says they burned them with fire and stoned them with stones. “And they raised over him a great heap of stones that remains to this day. Then the Lord turned from his burning anger. Therefore, to this day the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor.” The word Achor means “trouble.” The Valley of Trouble. Ever been there? In the valley of trouble.. You feel like you have been dealt a rough hand and now you aren’t ready to face the inevitable. God is serious about sin. He can’t be around it. If we represent Him, we need to learn His ways and walk in them. The people had many victories after this incident. They defeated Ai and many other cities beyond. But, they did not take the devoted things anymore. They learned a hard lesson. That is NOT the end of this story. God had other plans for the Valley of Achor. It never satisfies God to leave a story hopeless. The next time we see this valley in the Scripture is in the book of Isaiah. “Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, for my people who have sought me.” Isaiah 65:10 In this chapter of Isaiah, he is speaking of salvation. God’s plan of salvation is like His plan to turn the Valley of Trouble into a place where herds lie down. This would mean the valley is full of peace. Fully restored, blessed, safe and se- cure in the redemptive love of the Savior. And it shows up again in Hosea 2:15 – God is speaking of His mercy on Israel – “And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.” God is speaking to the people that have been walking as a prostitute to Him. They love other “gods” and dishonor Him and do NOT walk in the fear of the Lord. And yet, God is saying He is going to bring vineyards and turn the Valley of Achor into “a Door of HOPE.” Do you hear the love in that phrase? Do you see the compassion and mercy of a God who would send His only Son to save the world He loves? He CAN turn our valley of trouble into a door of hope!! What must we do? We must repent. We must turn to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith and start living life HIS way. We must walk by faith and not by sight. We must walk in the freedom Christ purchased on the cross. If the Valley of Trouble ends up taking you to the feet of Jesus, it cannot be considered a loss. He will then lead you in the way everlasting and His leading will never fail. It will not comfort your flesh, but it will give you abundant life. It’s time to GET UP! Don’t fall on your face and wallow in your failure. Admit defeat, stand up, set it straight and move forward into the beautiful promises of God. We don’t get these promises by acting like spoiled children. We get these promises when we walk in Faith after God’s own heart and obey Him because we LOVE HIM. God wants to bless you. He wants to open doors of hope to you. We must do our part. He will never fail to do His! PAGE 4 Vacation Bible School 2019– The Incredible Race was Incredible!! This year we had an average of 155 students come each day to North Oak to Vaca- tion Bible School. The whole place was busy with children from 0 – 5th Grade! The lessons centered around the Tower of Ba- bel and how we are all one Hu- man RACE and our Father is GOD. It was a great way to connect with the kids and bring unity to all peoples of all na- tions. Our mission project was to help Abun- dant Life Home in Thailand in purchasing school uniforms for the children. We were also able to send enough money to purchase 3 picnic tables and there was more left over to bless Katie Mount and the kids that live in the homes. We raised $3,518.52! Two children came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior at VBS this year, and 7 children were given a Bible to take home and begin reading. We are so thankful for ALL of the kids that were able to join us the first week of June and for the wonderful spirit of JOY and PEACE that rested on the church the entire week. PAGE 5

Heroes for Life

Heroes for Life Preview:

Heroes for Life will begin September 4th this year. Our theme this year is Discovering the God of HOPE and LOVE. We will be spending a lot of time on the parables of Jesus and sharing the Good News with kids from all the schools in our community. We are so excited to start the year with great volunteers and much prayer! We are still looking for a few volunteers. We need nursery workers, a Lead Kindergarten Teacher, and a few people to help transport kids after school. If you are feeling led to help out, please do no wait any longer! We need your help! Please contact Karen Rigler @ [email protected]

Trunk or Treat will be on Thursday, October 31, from 5:30 -7:00pm in the NOCC parking lot. This annual community out- reach event is a great way to shine the light of Christ and have lots of fun doing it! Invite your friends, neighbors and co-workers. Bring your whole family and enjoy the festivities together! More information is coming soon about how you can get involved, so please check the website and upcoming bulletins. Fostering Growth in Foster Families PAGE 6

By: Jess Albin Advent conspiracy Planning Team

Yes, we are still talking about Advent Conspiracy 2018! God is still using your generous contributions to this project for His work within families and children who are in crisis. In July our church hosted a remarkable training event for foster families, Fostering Growth in Foster Families. We encouraged over 30 foster families and provided childcare for over 80 of their children. By all accounts, the event was a success because God’s sovereign hand of goodness and provision was on us, and because of the servant hearts of so many in our church family. Rather than use our own words to further describe the event, here are some comments from those who were there:

“I want to again express my gratitude for the foster parent training. Everything was awesome. Lots of work and lots of love. It was just the BEST. I hope you are told enough thank you’s by the parents. AWESOMENESS!! A+!!! Loved Bubba and Heather’s presentations. Everyone involved was Jesus serving in humans. Loved it! Thank you!” -Attendee

“Tonight we are tired but happy, weary but encouraged, typically overwhelmed but hopeful. Thank you for an excellent, positive ex- perience. The speakers were good, the panel discussion was excellent, the food was delicious, and the child-care was brilliant. Our kids had an even better day than we did….It was obvious that a lot of people had put a lot of time and energy into making this a great day for all of us….Thank you all so much for all of your efforts. Christ has used you today, and may He continue to bless your ministry.” –Attendee

“Thank you so much for the foster event today. The speakers were awesome. What an uplifting and encouraging couple. The lunch was delicious. Having day care helped so much. Our 7 year old thought she had so much fun. Our 2 year wasn't crying so I am sure she had fun, too. I know it took a lot of volunteers and planning to host that, but I really appreciated all of it.” -Attendee

“We are definitely going to try North Oak. I really enjoyed the positivity I observed there!” –Panel Ex- pert

“I cannot thank you enough for all the work you did to make Saturday such an amazing opportunity for foster families. Everyone I spoke with was really enjoying the day. I have worked for Saint Fran- cis for almost 14 years and until last year we never had anyone step up and help with the need for homes in Hays…. It is amazing and I am so excited for what the future holds for children and families that are struggling.” –Saint Francis Ministries’ Employee

The Advent Conspiracy 2018 Planning Team has even more plans currently in progress and plans for the future as well! Funds are currently being used to provide breakfast and coffee for a support group being hosted for Saint Francis Ministries employees at Breathe Coffee House. We have a lunch scheduled for September for the child welfare agency’s offices in Hays, we are looking to rent a storage unit to hold additional donated items for future CarePortal requests and the completed beds from the Advent Conspiracy project, and we have a Christmas Packing Party in the works to help child welfare workers get all their Christmas preparation done! Finally, we have been able to use some Advent Conspiracy funds to meet some unfulfilled CarePortal requests that have come through. God has been so faithful! -Jess Albin for the Advent Conspiracy 2018 Planning Team PAGE 7 FAMILY ALBUM

BIRTHS: Congratulations to Jessica Norris on the birth of Asher Allen. He was born at Hays Med on August 25 at 3:10 am weighing 6 lbs., 9 oz., and 18.75 inches long.

Congratulations to Justin, Pam, Alexander, Elena and Andrew Greenleaf on the birth of Anthony Paul. He was born at Hays Med on June 16 at 4:17am weighing 10 lbs., 4.4 oz. and 22.5 inches long.

SYMPATHY: Ron and Gail Gallaway’s, son Carlos Gallaway, passed away on Aug.24. He was 28.

Chad Maier’s grandmother, Doris Maier, passed away August 17. She was 92.

Melody Boone’s mother passed away June 6 in Missouri.

Jenny Prine’s sister, Gayla Amend, 55, passed away May 29 in Wichita.

Eileen Jensen’s niece, Jennifer Farley, passed away May 23 in Arizona. She was 46.

WEDDINGS: Callie Weeks and Jeb Johnson were married June 8 in Kansas City.

PARENT/CHILD DEDICATIONS: June 30, 2019 Greg & Jessica Atkins~~~~Ancora Claire Atkins Ron & Gail Gallaway~~~~~Hallie Ava & Kamyah Agnes Gallaway Billy &Chantelle Arnold~~~Sofia Lynn Garcia Justin & Pam Greenleaf~~~Anthony Paul Greenleaf June 23, 2019 Josh Ficken & Kat Muench~~~~Karter Lee Ficken James & Dawn Carter~~~~~~~~Harper Eden Carter

BAPTISMS at Cedar Bluff Lake on August 25: Evan Betz Dakota Maier Judah Rigler

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3000 Oak Hays, Kansas 67601

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