Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Last weekend Celebration Church volunteered at an event in Taylor, Texas sponsored by Texas Mission of Mercy and the Smile Foundation. These two organizations worked together to provide absolutely free dental care to more than 900 Texans in 2 days! Celebration Church has the opportunity to partner with this remarkable effort at a higher level in 2013 at the Cedar Park Center where 2000 people could potentially receive free dental care!
Celebration SERVES Honduras
God is doing amazing things across the globe… this week. Oftentimes, we hear that, “God is doing amazing ‘things’,” but how often do we really feel personally invested in them? Sometimes when I hear that, I tend to feel as if it’s this distant nebulous thing, but not this week. I’m just amazed at all God is doing throughout the globe through Celebration with people just like you and me who are willing to GO.
This week’s snapshot:
Xai-Xai (Mozambique, Africa)// Pastors Mel & Diane Stauber packed up their lives and their family to move to Africa this week—launching Celebration’s first international campus! With all the years of prayer and preparation, it is incredible to see our vision to expand internationally happen right before our eyes. Pray for them in their first leg of the journey as they are getting acclimated to the culture and learning how to facilitate the feeding program Celebration runs in Xai-Xai (feeding more than 400 children every single day).
Peru// Pastors Joe & Lori Champion are speaking at Camino de Vida Church in Lima, Peru with one of our missionary partners, Pastor Robert Barriger. Pastor Joe is encouraging hundreds of Peruvian men to lead and move forward into all God has for them. They both are providing encouragement to many of the pastors and the church as it makes an impact in the impoverished country of Peru.
Honduras// Inspired by a heart to serve, a team from Celebration left for Honduras this week with hopes to make a difference in every way possible, and that’s exactly what they’re doing. In just a few days, they renovated a house for a mother struggling to provide for her family. With tears of joy she thanked them for thousands of cinder blocks they lugged through the mud to provide a safe shelter for the children. Yesterday, they are shared the Gospel and provided food for an entire village (more than 2600 meals)!
It truly is amazing to see all that God is doing with people who have simply gone to the poor and needy with open hearts willing to serve. Looking to get involved in a trip yourself? That’s great! We have so many opportunities for you to Serve the Globe with Celebration. In fact, the trip to Panama leaves in July. What are you waiting for? Download the Missions Packet and join the team!
Guest Blogger: Krista Williams
Sunday, June 6th & Wednesday June 9th
1 John 3:18 “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”
This verse really could speak for itself! The value of a kind word or a simple smile can be such a blessing at times! We have all had days where we just need to be encouraged. This verse in 1 John encourages us to not just love people with our words, but to show them that we care by our actions! How can you go out of your way today to love someone in truth? To share the love of Jesus could come in many ways; repairing a leak in the roof of a widow, offering a cup of water to a thirsty child, sharing food with a hungry man. Let’s go to the same level that Jesus did in loving people through our actions in truth!
Promotion Weekend – THIS weekend, Sunday, June 6th is when school-aged children move into their 2010-2011 classroom. Parents will check children in to the NEW classrooms.
Kingdom Builders – Our next event is on June 13th at 4 pm! Pastor Joe will share a word and we will head out to the top of the hill to catch a fresh vision for the future!
Pray for our church and families to express love not only by their words, but also in their actions!
Sunday, May 30th & Wednesday June 2nd
Vision:
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (English Standard Version), “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”
HONOR: high respect and esteem.
We respect, honor and highly esteem our God when we worship Him and offer Him our praise and our lives! As we serve Him, and bless Him with all that we have, he also pours out His abundance on us! As the saying goes, “Freedom isn’t free,” what an incredibly true statement. Freedom costs, and Jesus paid the price for us, once and for ALL. This weekend we honor our fellow Americans who have served this great country as well as our graduates! These incredible individuals have served and given time, energy, blood, sweat and tears to ensure a brighter future for our world. As you serve this weekend, do so with gladness, respect and with honor.
Information:
Fifth Sunday – this weekend, Sunday, May 30th is a fifth-Sunday. It is the B Team’s turn to serve. Please communicate with your Lead / Coordinator / Director if you will be out of town or not for Memorial Day weekend.
Promotion Weekend – NEXT weekend, Sunday, June 6th is when school-aged children move into their 2010-2011 classroom. Parents will check children in to the NEW classrooms.
Prayer:
Pray for honor to abound in the House – a sense of gratitude as we serve – and than an awareness of God’s abundant goodness pour upon our teams.
Sunday, May 23rd & Wednesday the 26th
Matthew 20:26-28 (NLT), “But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The term “volunteer” implies that one can sign-in (or check-out) of one’s duties as desired. There’s a sense of self to the word. What Jesus modeled was not volunteerism (an I’ll-do-God-a-favor attitude), but rather servitude (an it’s-the-least-I-can-do stance). It’s from this position that we find true influence in the Kingdom. Serve with a servant’s heart today and, according to Jesus, you’ll be the truest leader there is.
Men’s Momentum – Monday, May 24th at 6pm. Come as a Serve Team or Small Group – and invite neighbors, family & friends to “get hooked” with you!
Fifth Sunday NEXT WEEK – Sunday, May 30th is a fifth-Sunday. It is the B Team’s turn to serve. Please communicate with your Lead / Coordinator / Director if you will be out of town or not for Memorial Day weekend.
Celebration Xai-Xai – We are sending Pastors Mel and Diane Stauber to Mozambique June 1st and will celebrate this Wednesday, May 26th with cupcakes after 7pm service. Join us!
Pray for humility in self and team: that we would see a need and fill it, that we would be moved by compassion, that we be compelled to serve people from a pure heart. Pray that others would sense Christ as a result of our servant-leadership.
Sunday, May 16th & Wednesday the 19th
Vision:
Philemon 1:6-7 “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.” NIV
As we serve God’s people (as we actively share our faith), we grow to understand more fully Christ’s goodness. Isn’t that why we serve? It helps others – and us too! In fact, as we serve Christ and His people, many are overjoyed and encouraged! The wonderful enthusiasm we sense at Celebration is related (directly!) to your heartfelt display of God’s goodness!
Information:
A Most Important Reminder – Everything we do culminates at the invitation to receive Christ during a Celebration service. Please be sensitive to that moment when going to your volunteer post. Sit toward the back – or exit before the invitation and prayer time – in order to respect those who are making an eternal decision.
Team Night – May 18th, 6:30pm. An evening of training and growth for all Serve Teams! Also, invite new team members! Snacks & beverages provided. Childcare provided with pre-registration online or at the Welcome Center.
Men’s Momentum – Monday, May 24th at 6pm. Come as a Serve Team or Small Group – and invite neighbors, family & friends to “get hooked” with you!
Prayer:
Pray that a deeper revelation of the good things we have in Christ emerges as we serve others. Pray our work communicate love and encouragement to those we serve. Pray that each volunteer is refreshed today.
Celebration Church is a force in our community, propelled by a generous and powerful army of volunteers – I thought we would enjoy these thoughts from Granger Community Church’s senior pastor, Mark Beeson, posted on his blog about volunteers and their motivation to serve. He says it well, so here it is.
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Let me offer a few reasons why good people volunteer. It’s not an exhaustive list but it summarizes a few key points for team-building and might be worth considering.
Eight Reasons Good People Volunteer to Help You
Conversely, good people will quit, and leave your team, if they no longer feel welcomed, don’t feel valued, lose their vision for mission success, can’t make a contribution worthy of their effort, don’t like you or find the rest of the volunteers unkind, unreasonable and impossible. 1 Samuel 26:5-7 - David slipped over to Saul’s camp one night to look around. Saul and Abner son of Ner, the commander of his army, were sleeping inside a ring formed by the slumbering warriors. “Who will volunteer to go in there with me?” David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother. “I’ll go with you,” Abishai replied. So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp
Don’t delay. Get involved.
Serve the families of Nashville who have been devestated by the recent flooding. Men join the Celebration First Responder Team to Tennessee: Pack your clothes and bring money for food . The team leaves at 9 pm THIS Wednesday, May 5th (Georgetown Campus).
Follow this link for updates and photos.
For more information or to RSVP, e-mail missions@celebrationchurchtx.com
Sunday, May 9th (Happy Mother’s Day!) & Wednesday the 12th
Vision:
Isaiah 40:3b-5 “Make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; The glory of the LORD shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” NKJV
As we direct people’s cars, greet them, care for their kids, speak a kind word, help them find a seat, or present a video, we help make a path to God. When we give encouragement and hope, the low things are lifted up. When we speak truth and love, the haughty things are brought low. All in an effort to lead people straight into God’s glory – that Christ is revealed and we, together, see Him clearer. Your serving plays a very important part in people coming to Christ!
Information:
Growth Track Sunday – May 16th (3rd Sunday of the month). Connect >>> Grow >>> Serve. What is your next step?
Team Night – May 18th, 6:30pm. An evening of training and growth for all Serve Teams! Also, invite new team members! Snacks & beverages provided. Childcare provided with pre-registration online or at the Welcome Center.
Prayer:
Pray that our team would make a highway for our God in people’s dry places. That, ultimately, His glory is revealed as we serve and love and give. Pray for strength and growth as a team.
This weekly thought is designed to inspire, inform and focus Celebration Serve Teams around why we do what we do.
Vision
Isaiah 52:7 “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
That’s what we do! We declare good news! You know it’s good news if it can be proclaimed loudly. Serve others with gladness, in an attractive and beautiful way. Attractive people aren’t voices of reality, but of possibility. Speak hope and life into people’s future — don’t speak to their present situation — but to all that God has promised will be!
Information
Growth Track THIS Sunday! April 18th Take the next step!
12pm Cedar Park • 3pm Spanish • 6pm Georgetown
Connect – Membership dinner, join the church
Grow – Deepen your Christian walk
Serve – Already serving? attend Serve to grow in your passion for others
Encounter – Make plans now to attend May 7th & 8th Encounter. Already been? Come again with a friend! $25 includes food, childcare & materials.
Baptism – Have you been baptized since you received Christ? Learn more April 25th at 4pm baptism class. Baptisms after every service May 2nd!
Celebration Women – Ladies Luncheons – April 20th (Cedar Park) & 22nd (Georgetown)
Attend the luncheon with your small group / your serve team!
Prayer
Pray that, as a team, we would make good new BIG – boldly proclaiming God’s goodness as we serve and love others. Pray that those who are struggling with bad news would sense the greatness of God and find peace.
