Travis Air Force Base Mission Trip Report #1

Bruised hands, paint in the hair, sleep deprivation, home-made cookies, and lots of new friends- these are just a few of the experiences of the team from New Life Church that is serving at Travis Air Force Base and the hospitality house that reaches out to the airmen and their families.

Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm, let nothing move you, always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:18). This has been the theme verse for our team as we have sought to labor in the Lord's work here in California. We've worked hard setting up for VBS and then serving during the first day, we've worked hard painting at the hospitality house, we've worked hard playing volleyball with airmen (thus the bruised hands), we've worked hard at building relationships with new friends, and we've worked hard eating cookies (oh ya that was a perk). Seriously, our team is operating on a little less sleep than normal, but we are encouraged that nothing is impossible with God. We are standing firm, we are seeking to abide in Christ, we are worshiping together, and trusting the Lord to give us the strength to do well in this ministry for the glory of God. We are encouraged that our labor in the Lord is not in vain!

Please pray for us tomorrow as we will serve at VBS again and then head into San Francisco to see Nate Hanson in the Tenderloin. Pray for our hearts to be filled with the love of Christ for each other, for children, for airmen, and for the hurting of San Francisco.

Slovenia Mission Report #2

Wes and Shelly Rogers are just wrapping up their training for the English Camp ministry they are serving with in Slovenia. They are serving along side their daughter Stephanie, three college aged interns from the USA, and several Slovene team members. They will meet the Slovene members of their team this afternoon. They are very excited to have the entire team together.

They have 34 campers registered, ages 12 to 16, a huge answer to prayer for the Slovene Josiah Venture Ministry. Camp starts Saturday afternoon. Everyone is feeling well, looking forward to start of camp.

Wes says, "Thanks for your prayers and keep praying for courage, strength, humility, and wisdom. Hopefully we'll have some pictures in the next few days."

Remaining in Prayer

It has been two weeks since Prayer Week; lives have picked up with unrelenting schedules again and summer vacations have begun. How do we stay connected to our Heavenly Father when life doesn't stop?

Here are three quick encouragements to stay connected with the Father every day:

1. We pray because when we don't, we waste our time and efforts. Jesus tells us in John 15:5 that when we abide, we bear fruit, but apart from Him we can do nothing. If we are not staying connected to the Father, all of our self-effort will be fruitless. That means that all of our time is wasted if we are not abiding.
2. We pray because when we pray, God answers prayer and is glorified. John 15:7-8 says that when we abide in Him, we can, "ask whatever [we] wish, and it will be done for [us]. By this [the] Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." It is in asking that we are able to bear much fruit and God is glorified. As God's people, our greatest joy comes from being in His presence and seeing Him glorified. Through prayer we get to do both of those things.
3. We pray because we are Jesus' friends and can hear from Him. We don't pray because we are required to or because we merely want to air our list of requests and complaints to God, but because, like any friend, we want to talk with Him. John 15:15 says, "but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." When we pray and listen, God will not only answer our requests, but will speak to us as well. May we all be friends of God through prayer.

For more on prayer and hearing from God, download June's free audiobook, "Hearing God" by Dallas Willard, from ChristianAudio. Or listen to the sermon on John 15:1-17.

The Rogers arrive in Slovenia

Wes and Shelly Rogers have arrived in Slovenia where they are assisting their daughter, New Life Church missionary Stephanie Rogers, in running an English Camp for Slovenian youth. Below is their travel report for the first day and some things for you to pray about for them.

Just a quick note that all arrived in Slovenia just fine, humanoids and baggage. I'm the baggage..... Hot and muggy, lots of sweat. Training starts tonight in the capital city of Ljubljana and then up to the camp on Sunday morning.

Stephanie says "thank you so much" for the duct tape and the athletic stuff that the New Life Awana Clubs collected. Praise God that the camp is pretty much full with 35 Slovene youth registered, which is almost twice as many as last year. Please pray for effective training, team unity, and that we will have courage to share God's love with the campers and to build meaningful relationships.

If you'd like to see a video of what camp will be like for the Rogers and the youth attending, click here.

Coffee Cart is Officially Closed for Summer

Our wonderful, energetic, early rising Coffee Cart volunteers served their last cup of coffee for the school year this morning.  Coffee Cart served 15,477 students and staff this year which far exceeded last year's record of 10,034.  May 31 was a record setting day this year on which 149 people dropped in for a hot drink, a sweet snack and a friendly smile.  We are very grateful for our volunteers and for Albertson's and Willamette Coffee House who donated donuts and pastries.

Mission Trip to Slovenia

Wes and Shelley Rogers will be going on a mission trip to Slovenia June 19-July 7. They will be serving in an English Camp along side of their daughter, New Life Church missionary, Stephanie Rogers. The Camp is located in the Gorenjska region of Slovenia, commonly referred to as the Julian Alps near the borders of Italy, Austria, and Slovenia. Wes says, "I’m excited to show these Slovene junior high students the love of Christ, the love of an extended family by working alongside my daughter and wife (definitely a change to normal Slovene life), and that God is real, is personal, and is ready to welcome these students into His family through the gift of His Son Jesus." Please pray for health, wisdom and discernment, and unity among the camp staff. Also, pray for the Slovene staff members who are high school/college aged believers who are shining God’s light to their generation.

Travis Air Force Base Mission Trip

On June 23-30 this team of people from New Life Church will be going on a mission trip to Travis AFB in Fairfield, California (not pictured- Cindy Sollers). We will be helping to conduct a Vacation Bible School on the base for about 200 children of military personnel. In the afternoons we will be helping to paint at a hospitality house run by Cadence International. In the evenings we will be ministering to airmen and their families who attend Bible Studies at the hospitality house.

Our team is excited to see what God will do as we pray and trust Him to use us to proclaim the gospel. The team would like you to pray for these things:·

• Unity- Ephesians 4:2-3
• Life Transformation Colossians 3:1-10
• Faith- James 1:5-7
• Perseverance- Galatians 6:9-10
• Gospel Proclamation- Colossians 4:2-6

A Reason to Pray

A few years ago I was talking with a friend about God and prayer. He told me that he had only truly prayed once. When I asked him what happened he said, “I was living in the city and I needed to get around, so I prayed to God for a bike. A few days later I was in the apartment laundry room and there was a bike with a ‘free’ sign on it.”

“Why haven’t you prayed since,” I asked.

He replied, “I figured if prayer was that powerful, I should save it for special occasions.”

I think this should be reason to pray on more occasions not less. When we pray we do two things: we make known our requests to God (Phil. 4:6), and we make ourselves aware of our specific needs. God is always at work, giving us what we need. When we ask Him for specific things, we are more aware when he provides them.

There may be times and reasons that God doesn’t give us the things that we ask for. In Matthew 7:11, Jesus tells us that if we know how to give good gifts to our children, “how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” Jesus also says, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). God is generous. When we ask, God answers in love so that we will be blessed and praise Him.

Try asking God for something specific this week; ask for physical needs, wisdom, encouragement, or something else. See if He responds. It may increase your faith.

Utah Mission Trip

Take a look at this handsome bunch! Are they models for rock gardens and fancy signage? Nope, its our IGNITE mission team (minus Sydney and John)! The team takes off for Ogden, Utah on June 22nd after finishing two Sports Camps at New Life Robinwood and New Life Wilsonville. They will be serving our friends at Alpine Church and reuniting with Scott and Melanie Creps (former New Life Church interns).

It will be a busy trip with service projects, neighborhood canvassing, H2O homeless outreach, cultural education, and what is shaping up to be the biggest Sports Camp New Life Church has ever been a part of! Please pray that the good news they are prepared to share finds welcoming hearts in Utah, and that the gospel sinks deeper into their own hearts as well. Pray that they serve Alpine well and further the local mission. Pray that young leaders would develop and that the return flight would be a launch into the mission field here at home.

Czech Republic Mission Trip

On July 3-18, Justin Schroeder and Karen Hellweg will be traveling with a small team to serve with Josiah Venture in the Czech Republic. This is the same organization that our missionary Stephanie Rogers serves with in Slovenia.

The Czech Republic (formerly Czechoslovakia) is one of the most atheistic countries in the world, as much of Christianity in Czech was repressed during the largely communistic rule during the 1900′s. Consequently, most Czechs are exceedingly skeptical of religion and deny that there is any sort of God or spiritual world at all, and less than one third of one percent of the country professes Christianity.

Yet a new generation is rising; the youth of Czech are young men and women who have lived free from the Communist regime, and who are growing into strong and open-minded leaders. Josiah Venture seeks to invest into the lives of these individuals, and to see “a movement of God among the youth of Central and Eastern Europe that finds its home in the local church and transforms society.”

Justin Schroeder was asked to assemble a small team of Americans to go and help run an English Camp. These camps are great tools for ministry, as the students come to learn English but also hear about Christ and build deep relationships throughout the whole week. He will be leading a team of six young adults, hailing from both Denver and Portland.

Please pray for the team—for strength and health amidst travel and spiritual warfare, as well as God’s leading in the lives of each individual. Pray for our English Camp, that He would use it to bear much fruit, both this summer and into the future. Pray that He would continue to do a mighty work in the students and future leaders of the Czech Republic.

Prayer Week, June 4th-8th

Frequent Problems with Tithing #3

Profiles of Christians Who Rob God

Used with permission.[Alcorn, Randy (2003-02-01). Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Kindle Locations 4142-4233). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition].

The Situation:

Joe is an outspoken Christian known as a man of faith. He stands up at church business meetings and says he wants the church to build, raise the pastors’ salaries, and expand into new ministries. Joe challenges the church to rise to the occasion and reads passages of Scripture about walking by faith. He inspires everyone. Everyone, that is, except God and the financial secretary, who know the truth: If everyone gave like Joe, the pastors would be laid off, the missionaries would have to leave the field, and the church would close its doors.

The Problem:

Joe has great faith and vision when it comes to other people’s obedience. It’s his own obedience he has trouble with. He fails to ask himself, “If everyone gave like I do, where would this church be?” He’s quick to commit other people’s money but clings to his own. Joe is a hypocrite. He says one thing and does another. In doing so, he heaps up judgment for himself. He’ll be held accountable to God, not only for his lack of giving, but also for his hollow words.

The Situation:

Paula believes in giving but thinks that Scripture says giving should be voluntary. After all, “God loves a cheerful giver.” However, Paula is not yet to the point that she really wants to give. “Given my financial obligations, right now I just can’t give cheerfully,” Paula says. “And if you can’t give cheerfully, you shouldn’t give at all.”

The Problem:

Paula is right that God wants us to give cheerfully. But she is wrong in thinking that she should only give if she feels like it. The tithe belongs to God. It is not Paula’s to withhold, regardless of how she feels about it. Paula’s point about cheerfulness may be relevant to freewill offerings (those beyond the tithe), but not to the tithe itself, since it doesn’t belong to her in the first place. After becoming obedient, Paula will perhaps become more cheerful in her giving. But whether she does or not, she should still be obedient.

The Situation:

Dan is a seminary student headed for the ministry. He and his wife, Karla, have sacrificed to attend seminary. Knowing that God commands them to give to his work, they believe that by giving their tithe to their own tuition they are investing in the ministry, even though they don’t give to their church.

The Problem:

Dan and Karla are not God, and they are not the church. Giving to themselves is not giving to God or the church, no matter how the money is spent. The people of Israel brought tithes to the storehouse for the spiritually qualified leaders of Israel to distribute, just as the first Christians laid gifts at the apostles’ feet. The Israelites were not given the option of “tithing to themselves”—that is a contradiction in terms. It is not their tithe, it is God’s. Should church leaders or others decide to help Dan and Karla financially, that’s up to them and God—not to Dan and Karla. They are robbing and it’s hard to imagine him blessing them as they steal their way through seminary. This final profile centers not on the amount of giving, but where it goes:

The Situation:

Jim is a successful Christian businessman who wants his dollars to count. “I strongly believe in tithing,” says Jim. “Part of my tithe goes to a missions organization, part to a student ministry, a radio broadcast, and a television ministry. I believe in giving where it matters. Too much of the church’s money goes to salaries and buildings and maintenance. I don’t want my money going to clean restrooms and mow lawns. I’m not that impressed with the church anyway. The services are too crowded, the building needs repairs, and we ought to be giving more money to missions. Why doesn’t this church get on the ball?”

The Problem:

Jim fails to understand the centrality of the local church in God’s kingdom program. Jim is annoyed at the deterioration of the church facilities, yet he doesn’t want his money going to buildings. He would be appalled at dirty restrooms, yet he doesn’t want his money to clean them. He wants and expects his pastors to meet his needs, but he doesn’t want to pay their salaries. He wants the church to give to missions, but he doesn’t give to the church. The church will get on the ball when people like Jim get on the ball.

Frequent Problems with Tithing #2

Profiles of Christians Who Rob God

Used with permission.[Alcorn, Randy (2003-02-01). Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Kindle Locations 4142-4233). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition].

The Situation:

Don and Sue believe that they aren’t under law but grace, and that tithing lends itself to a pharisaical “letter of the law” approach. They believe that God’s law is written in our hearts and we should give freely without compulsion. They are proud of their mature and liberating belief in “grace giving.”

The Problem:

Last year Don and Sue’s “grace giving” amounted to $30 per month—about one-half of one percent of their income. While they laud grace and deplore the law, their actions suggest that grace is one-twentieth as effective as the law. If grace is as ineffective in motivating their sexual purity as it is their giving, they won’t be married much longer. (The problem isn’t grace, of course, but their belief that grace means God has lowered his standards and doesn’t care how we live.)

The Situation:

Ralph was laid off three months ago and collects $1500 a month in unemployment. Others in the church give him an average of $500 per month to supplement his income. Ralph says “amen” to the financial sermons and wishes he were in a position to give too. Ralph assumes that even though God says the tithe belongs to him, it surely doesn’t apply to things like unemployment, social security, benefits, gifts, inheritances, or other “nonsalary” forms of income.

The Problem:

Scripture makes no such distinction between sources of revenue. If it comes in, it’s income. God doesn’t tag monies “tithe exempt.” The source of material blessing is not the point. If I receive $500 to help get me through the month, the first $50 belongs to God. Why should it matter where it comes from? If it’s provision, it comes from the Provider.

The Situation:

“There’s a lot more to stewardship than money,” says Gina. “We can’t all give—but we can teach Sunday school, clean the building, and open our homes to guests. I consider that to be my giving.”

The Problem:

Gina rightly believes that stewardship involves more than money—but she wrongly believes that stewardship ever fails to include money. Her argument is just as faulty as saying, “I can’t give the church any of my time or my gifts and talents, so I’ll just give my money instead.” God expects all of these, not just some of them. We all can and should give, just as we all can and should pray. Gina is attempting to justify robbing God by “making up for it” with things she should be doing anyway.

The Situation:

“I’m so far in debt that I can’t give a dime to the church,” says Tony. “What am I supposed to do, stop my car payments? What kind of testimony would that be? And it would be bad stewardship to sell my car—I’d have to take a $3,000 loss. God doesn’t want me to be stupid, does he?”

The Problem:

Tony has already been stupid. In buying his new car, he put himself in a position to disobey God’s command to give. He violated Scripture by spending money he didn’t have. His greedy and foolish misuse of credit is what put him in this fix. Tony apparently believes that God, his church, and needy people should pay for his foolish choices. Why not take a $3,000 loss in order to get into a position to obey God? Is there any stewardship more terrible than robbing your Creator and Savior? Tony is another person who acts as if the tithe is his, not God’s. Scripture doesn’t say “firstfruits” are to be given to those to whom they will be the best testimony, but to God. If Tony ends up having a bad testimony, it’s because of his foolish choices, which are only complicated by further disobedience. He needs to ask forgiveness and learn from the situation so he doesn’t do it again. But it makes no sense to rob God in order to have a “better testimony” to men.

Frequent Problems with Tithing #1

The Life on Loan series of messages at New Life Church has generated quite a bit of discussion. Every family is unique and every situation is different. Yet, Randy Alcorn, in his book Money, Possessions and Eternity highlights twelve common situations that many families face. I hope these profiles, over the next couple days, will help you think about your situation and plan for tithing.

Profiles of Christians Who Rob God

Used with permission. [Alcorn, Randy (2003-02-01). Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Kindle Locations 4142-4233). Tyndale House Publishers. Kindle Edition].

The Situation:

Bill and Donna are in their midthirties. Bill has steady work, but there’s always too much month left at the end of their money. Bill and Donna sincerely intend to put in the offering box whatever’s left at the end of the month. But between house payments, bills, and sticking a little into savings, there’s never anything left. They feel bad, but what can they do when they’re out of money?

The Problem:

Bill and Donna don’t understand “firstfruits.” They should give to the Lord off the top, not out of what’s left—or not left. They don’t realize that the tithe belongs to God, and that there’s a word for taking money that doesn’t belong to them—stealing.

The Situation:

Joan’s a twenty-two-year-old, just finishing college. Her thirty-hour-a-week job pays just over minimum wage. She earns $800 a month. Joan’s parents still provide room and board, but she has to take care of her tuition, books, and other expenses. “I can’t afford to give,” says Joan. “I’m barely making it now. If I gave a tithe, it would be $80 a month, and I’d probably have to drop out of school. I’d like to give, but I just can’t.”

The Problem:

Joan is not only robbing God, she’s robbing herself of the opportunity to grow in faith. Right now she doesn’t believe God’s promise in Malachi 3 (confirmed in Matthew 6:33 and Luke 6:38) that he’ll take care of her if she puts God first by giving him what’s his. If God is capable of helping her get by on $800 a month, isn’t he capable of helping her get by on $720 a month? Joan’s God doesn’t seem very big—he can’t even compensate for an $80 shortfall.

The Situation:

Bob and Elaine are in their early fifties. Elaine says, “For years we frittered away our income on all kinds of luxuries. Now we’re twelve years from retirement and we don’t have anything saved. On top of that, we’ve still got two kids in college.” “We’d like to give to the church,” Bob explains, “but Scripture says we’ve got to provide for our family first. After we get our kids through school and get a nest egg started, then we’ll start giving.”

The Problem:

Bob and Elaine are keeping what belongs to God in order to compensate for their poor planning and lack of discipline. Their first debt is not to their children’s college education. Their first debt is to God. If it wasn’t tuition costs, it would be something else. Since they have no standard of giving, they’ll always find reasons not to give.

The Situation:

Phil and Pam enjoy giving. With their little blue Santa’s helper (credit card) they just gave each other a DVD player and a large-screen television. The kids got a new computer to keep them busy while their parents enjoy the city’s finer restaurants. They’re tired of their three-year-old Chevy, so they just bought a new model. “Next year I’ve got a big promotion coming,” says Phil. “Then we’ll start giving. Right now the budget’s tight. It’s not that we don’t ever give to God’s work,” Phil adds. “Why, when we were in Hawaii last month we attended a church service on the beach and I dropped $20 in the offering.”

The Problem:

Phil and Pam are blind. They say there’s no money left to give—and they do their best to make sure of it! No matter what they say, their lifestyle proves that toys, trips, and cars are more important to them than God and others. They say they’ll give when they earn more, but they won’t. If Phil and Pam have been unfaithful with a little (more than a little), they’ll be unfaithful with a lot. Their expenditures will always rise to meet their income. Making more money will only make them guilty of robbing God more. Phil and Pam don’t understand that the tithe belongs to God, not them, and they should return to him the “firstfruits,” not “last fruits” or “no fruits.”