Pastor Campbell: February 2008 Archives
This Sabbath, if I am well enough, I plan to preach on Ephesians 4:17-5:4 about how to live in the Spirit. We are asked to wear a new set of clothes and specifically six things that the Lord asks of us. I've been knocked off my feet the past couple of days so if I am not better by Sabbath we will be privileged to have Elder Norman Graham give us a message from God's Word.
PRAYER MEETING
Relationships. Our whole new series is about relationships. Prayer meeting was canceled this week so next week we will pick up where we left off: how to improve our relationship with our parents. Would you like to deepen your relationship with your parents? I hope you'll join us for a special prayer meeting. Plus, we have a volunteer who will watch your children for you.
COOKING SCHOOL
Would you like to learn how to cook and live a healthier lifestyle? We're going to launch a cooking school at our church beginning on Sunday, March 9. I hope you'll come and join us for this interactive and spiritual series (which will last four weeks). Come support Lorena Gladding along with the rest of the Personal Ministries team as we create opportunities to better the lives of those who live in our community (as well as in our own church family). Contact Lorena Gladding or Gordon Reichard for more information.
CHURCH WORK BEE
Our church board voted to have a church work bee on Sunday, March 16. A special thank you to our deacons and deaconesses who do so much to maintain our facility. But, it isn't enough each week, some times we need to get those hard to reach places we just can't get to all the time. I want to invite our entire church family to come join us as we seek to take care of the wonderful facilities God has blessed us with.
OPERATION ANDREW
A series of training modules will be held this year at Glacier View Ranch (the first meeting is April 4-6). The topics include: dealing with feelings, art of listening, boundaries, crisis theory and practice, caregiving by telephone, ministering to those experiencing grief, how to make a first caring visit, and many more. There is no cost for attending other than for transportation. I'd like to see a group from Montrose sign-up (space is limited!). So if you're interested in please contact me ASAP.
ShareHIM LAY EVANGELISM RALLY
Gordon Reichard is going to take a small group with him to the ShareHIM Lay Evangelism Rally in Phoenix from April 10-12. The only cost for the trip is the cost of your hotel room. Contact Gordon Reichard if you would like to go. The Rocky Mountain Conference is sponsoring a group of pastors this fall to hold evangelistic meetings (through ShareHIM) this October. I'm one of six pastors signed up to go. If you would like to participate in overseas evangelism this would be a really great opportunity to learn more about how you can get involved.
PASTOR'S BLOG
I'm so thankful for our church family that we have. God is blessing in so many ways. Not the least of which was the public commitment of W. D. & Erlinda's faith in Jesus Christ this past Sabbath through baptism. We've got at least two more baptisms coming on March 22 (Adventurer Sabbath). Praise the Lord for what He is doing. I'm also excited that we have our cooking school and other outreach activities coming up around the corner.
This past Thursday I had a really fun time with pre-k through 4th grade of going down to Ouray to watch the ice climbers do their thing, and then to soak off at the hot springs. I've uploaded some pictures from our trip on Facebook (look for the Montrose Adventist Church group or search my e-mail address). It is really easy to join and it is also one of the easiest ways I've found for sharing pictures (www.facebook.com). Don't worry, I don't make anything by having anyone else sign up. I've just found it a convenient way for sharing information.
On Sunday Heidi and I went snowshoeing in the Black Canyon on a free ranger led snowshoe hike. It was so beautiful. I clearly needed to get up there sooner to reflect on the wonders of God's second book, nature (plus there is no park entrance fee in the winter time). For Emma's birthday we bought her a new backpack carrier (which seems like it is more of a present for me and less strain on my back). Emma fell asleep right away as we rocked from side to side. I also learned about all of the different patterns of snowflakes there are--in addition to the fact that no two snowflakes are the same. Truly we serve a God who cares about the little details. That includes the little details of our lives.
WORSHIP WITH PASTOR CAMPBELL & BAPTISM
This Sabbath Pastor Campbell talk about the purpose of spiritual gifts (based on Ephesians 4:12-16). You will have the opportunity to take the spiritual gifts test. This is a great opportunity to learn about the unique gifts God has entrusted you with that you might not even realize. Plus, this is an extra special Sabbath because W. D. & Erlinda Hess are going to be baptized! And don't forget to stick around for the fellowship meal in their honor afterward.
ADVENTURER MOVIE NIGHT
Don't miss out on a chance to watch a fun, family movie Saturday evening at the school. You can purchase a ticket from one of our Adventurers, or buy it at the door when you arrive.
SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR
Our Spring Creek students will be showing off their science projects at the school this Sunday from 4-6 pm. Please come and show your support for our students by stopping at the school to see the creative minds of our children at work.
PRAYER MEETING
Relationships. Our whole new series is about relationships. This past week we talked about our relationship with our children, and this coming week we are going to look at how to improve our relationship with our parents. Would you like to deepen your relationship with your parents?
OPERATION ANDREW
A series of training modules will be held this year at Glacier View Ranch (the first meeting is April 4-6). The topics include: dealing with feelings, art of listening, boundaries, crisis theory and practice, caregiving by telephone, ministering to those experiencing grief, how to make a first caring visit, and many more. There is no cost for attending other than for transportation. I'd like to see a group from Montrose sign-up (space is limited!). So if you're interested in please contact me ASAP.
PASTOR'S BLOG FOR FEBRUARY 21
The past couple of weeks I've found a couple of people who like to play raquetball (if you like to play please let me know!). I'm so glad I did because I desperately needed to get some exercise. Fortunately I was able to start getting in shape for the Health Fair we had on Sunday (thanks, Jacque!). We had Dr. Wes Cooper doing vision tests, a local group that had a display on mental health, flexibility exercises, and a gadget that helped you measure your body composition. It was really cool. I understand our church is going to be doing this again to help foster health awareness in our church family. I know I had a lot of fun and if you missed it you should make sure to be there next time.
On Sunday afternoon we drove over to Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. It was neat to see the water coming out of the side of the mountain and you can sit in pools next to the creek. Emma particularly loved playing with the pebbles in the shallow water. And even though there was snow on the ground, the steam rising up kept you warm. The purpose of the trip was to make sure I was in Canon City for our pastoral cluster group Monday morning. We have six pastors from southwestern Colorado who get together once a month, we read a book ahead of time, and we talk about ministry. Just as important, it gives us a chance to pray for one another. I really look forward to when our group can meet (the only drawback was the flashing lights that appeared in my rearview mirror on the drive home).
We did manage to squeeze in a National Park on the way back--Florissant Fossil Beds. We took a small hike around to see the humungous remnants of great Redwood Trees that at one time grew in Colorado. It reminds me of how the world was before the flood wiped everything out. I'm looking forward to learning more about geology during our church camping trip at Dinosaur National Park this summer from July 8-10. Watch for a flyer coming out soon with information about how you can sign up (I've reserved every site I can in the entire National Park so we will have enough room!).
WORSHIP WITH ELDER RYAN
This Sabbath Elder Mike Ryan will be preaching on Luke 5:1-11 about Christ's call for service. I hope you'll come and learn about faithfulness and how to be involved in God's mission. Elder Ryan is one of our denominational leaders and we are privileged to have him and his wife, Jeannie, here with us as we worship together this Sabbath.
HEALTH FAIR
This Sunday from 8:00 to 11:00 we will have a health fair, led by our health ministries coordinator, Jacque Adragna. There will be various booths set up to cover different aspects of health. I'm planning to be there for a booth about spiritual life and health. We're a health conscious church--since the very beginnings of our movement--so let's support Jacque and learn how to live our lives to the fullness that God intended.
PRAYER MEETING
Relationships. Our whole new series is about relationships. This past week we talked about our relationship to God, this coming Tuesday we're covering our relationship with our children. Would you like to develop some strategies for relating to your children better? If so then this coming week is for you! Plus, we have two adults who have volunteered to watch your kids for you. As we celebrate Valentine's Day today I invite you to come learn with us on Tuesday night about how to grow your relationships with those around you.
OPERATION ANDREW
A series of training modules will be held this year at Glacier View Ranch (the first meeting is April 4-6). Some of the topics include: dealing with feelings, art of listening, boundaries, crisis theory and practice, caregiving by telephone, ministering to those experiencing grief, how to make a first caring visit, and many more. There is no cost for attending other than for transportation. I'd like to see a group from Montrose sign-up (space is limited!). So if you're interested in please contact me ASAP so we can finalize on our group.
PASTOR'S BLOG FOR FEBRUARY 14
During prayer meeting, thanks to Celia George, my daughter made her first valentine which I now proudly place on the fridge door. I know Heidi helped so it is an extra special to have a Valentine from my wife and daughter expressing their love. Valentine's Day is so much fun because we can tell those around us we care about them. Did you know that over a billion Valentine's are mailed each year making it the second busiest card sending holiday? Click here for some interesting tidbits on the history of Valentine's.
I just finished reading a book entitled Simple Church (by Thom S. Rainer & Eric Geiger). What I really appreciate is how important it is to make sure we have a clear and single focus as a church family. What is our purpose as a church? And, how do all of the programs and activities in our church coherently relate to one another? I'm planning to make this a major topic for our upcoming church board meeting because I want us to look strategically at our church family so we can best advance the work of God here in Montrose.
I want to thank our generous church family for their contributions to the Darlene Johnson fund--we've raised approximately $1,200 to help defray the costs of her funeral. For those of you who haven't had a chance to contribute, it isn't too late! Mark your tithe envelope on Sabbath. I'm proud of our church family and the difference we make in our community!
Happy Valentine's Day,
Pastor Michael Campbell
PASTOR'S BLOG FOR FEBRUARY 7
