Youth Service
This Sunday we had the most totally awesome youth service at our church.It was brought to us by Chris Miller and their impact team and also the youth praise and worship band from Plymouth. The reports that I have been getting from our people are so encouraging. Miss Chris brought a message that has touched the heart of God’s people with a fire to reach this generation and the next gen. to come for Christ.
A great big thank you goes to pastor Herb for giving up some of his key players on their praise and worship team and also the gift of Miss Chris.
I also would like to encourage every pastor I know to have this team minister in their churches as long as pastor Herb has the ability to release them to do so.
Thank you so much Miss Chris and the Plymouth youth for ushering the presence of God in our service today. Please don’t let the fire that burns with in you ever get quenched. Continue doing what God has purpose you to do and that is to reach this nation and others with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jim
Upcoming Events
We have a lot of awesome events coming up at Church of the Heartland. Put these on your calendar so you don’t miss anything!
On July 26th, right after church, the youth are going to France Park! This will be a great time for teens to connect with each other and with our youth team. France Park activities include a cook out, swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, and frisbee golf. Make sure you bring extra clothes, swimsuits, towels, and tennis shoes! Youth is for incoming 6th graders through high school seniors.
Summer in the Heartland Festival is a big event for all of Church of the Heartland. It’s happening on August 2nd, from 5-9 p.m. in Plymouth, and Heartlanders and their friends and families will all fellowship together and enjoy food, inflatables, games, and live bands. The night will end with a combined worship service. I can’t wait! Bring your lawn chairs, and plan to join us on August 2nd on Plymouth!
I am super excited to tell you about an awesome back to school event for our youth. Thursday, August 6 will be HOGSIX night! What in the world, you may be asking? All you need to know is this will be a slammin time energizing our youth for the next school year. Here’s the details:
Thursday, August 6
6:00 – 10:00pm Est (5:00-9:00pm Cen)
Starke County campus
Live Band: Rested Soul
Inspiring message from Pastor Shawn with time of prayer sending our youth out
Bonfire, Food, Inflatables, and more!
It’s time to start praying about and planning for going to Bible college. Classes are from 5-9 pm on Saturday nights at the Winamac campus. I can’t WAIT for Bible college to start. It will definitely change your life and help you discover and fulfill God’s unique plan for your life. Applications will be available soon. For more information, visit our web site at http://ncibc.wordpress.com.
September 20th will be our next Big Sunday outreach at Church of the Heartland. This will begin our sermon series Death Spiral: Is Your Life Spinning out of Control? Begin praying about who you will invite to this event, and start gathering addresses. We will send out special invitations together… More details will follow 
Finally, I have a few things for you to keep in your prayers:
- Healing for Lisa Spencer’s father
- Richard McKinzie’s total healing and recovery from surgery
- Grace Children’s Home Uganda – that all children would be sponsored
We know that we serve a BIG God who hears our prayers and answers them. Let’s trust God and believe together for our brothers and sisters.
Have I mentioned lately that I love doing life with all of you? Have a great week!
Be blessed,
Michele
No Place for Islands
I just read this devotion that reminded me just how much we in the body of Christ need each other. Don’t let the devil trick you into thinking that your gift is less important than someone else’s. Jesus didn’t call us to be islands; he invites us to be part of his body.
No Place for Islands
by Charles R. Swindoll
Romans 15:1-7
Nobody is a whole chain. Each one is a link. But take away one link and the chain is broken.
Nobody is a whole team. Each one is a player. But take away one player and the game is forfeited.
Nobody is a whole orchestra. Each one is a musician. But take away one musician and the symphony is incomplete.
Nobody is a whole play. Each one is an actor. But take away one actor and the performance suffers.
Nobody is a whole hospital. Each one is a part of the staff. But take away one person and it isn’t long before the patient can tell.
Cars are composed of numerous parts. Each one is connected to and dependent upon the other. Even if a tiny screw comes loose and falls out of the carburetor, it can bring the whole vehicle to a stop.
You guessed it. We need each other. You need someone and someone needs you. Isolated islands we’re not. To make this thing called life work, we gotta lean and support. And relate and respond. And give and take. And confess and forgive. And reach out and embrace. And release and rely. Especially in God’s family . . . where working together is Plan A for survival.
And since we’re so different (thanks to the way God built us), love and acceptance are not optional luxuries. Neither is tolerance. Or understanding. Or patience. You know all those things you need from others when your humanity crowds out your divinity. In other words:
Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. (Romans 12:10-13 NLT)
Why? Because each one of us is worth it. Even when we don’t act like it or feel like it or deserve it. Since none of us is a whole, independent, self-sufficient, supercapable, all-powerful hotshot, let’s quit acting like we are. Life’s lonely enough without our playing that silly role. The game’s over. Let’s link up.
We were meant to live for so much more…
My friend Chris Miller is the youth pastor at Church of the Heartland’s Plymouth campus. One of my favorite parts of the week is going youth group! Chris went on the mission trip to Uganda with me, and last week at youth she spoke about living for something bigger than yourself. She showed this video:
Her message was basically this: we were meant to live for so much more! When we fulfill Jesus’ command to love God with all of our hearts, all of our souls, all of our minds, and all of our strength, it won’t matter to us how much stuff we have. We won’t be competing with each other for the best cell phone or the fanciest iPod. When we focus on loving God and caring about what He cares about, the rest of our priorities will line up.
Like most of the teens who were listening, her words challenged me. And I want to challenge YOU – think about what you’re living for, where you spend your time and resources, and what is most important in your life. Do you care about what God cares about? Let’s encourage each other to keep our hearts and minds focused on things that will matter in eternity. Because we were meant to live for so much more….
Leigh Anne
