The Blessing of DailyLife

Every time I talk with other churches about how Five Oaks is doing small groups and engaging our people with Scripture, they are always blown away by 2 things.

1. The number of people in our small groups.
2. That we have our own volunteer writing team. (And it's a writing team that our people actually love!)

I just met with our DailyLife writing team this past weekend. It is an eclectic bunch who absolutely love bringing the story of God to life through engaging people with daily Bible reading and reflection.  This is a multi-week process of writing, content editing, and format editing.  It's incredible what this team is able to do each and every week!

I shared with them a story of a man in our church recently challenged to read and reflect on Scripture daily. DailyLife was put forth as an option for him.  This guy came back weeks later saying, "I look at each day differently. My perspectives are changing. My wife is commenting on changes seen in me." (etc. etc.!) God can work mightily in and through us as we take time to listen to him through the scriptures.

I am thankful for this team that makes a huge impact on the hundreds of subscribers, everyday. And if you aren't signed up, here's how: sign up for DailyLife.

-Jonathan

A place to dwell

It's been a busy few months in our house. Unfortunetly, a lot of times, that means that time with kids gets pushed back to "another day". The busy schedule leaves room for too many empty promises of time together. As a parent, my heart begins to ache to just dwell with them. With that ache in my heart, I can only imagine theirs as they reach out for a time and place to just sit with me. 

When we review the Word of God we see that over and over, God makes a place for Him to fill His longing to dwell with His people. The Garden of Eden, where God revealed Himself to Adam and Eve. The tent in the wilderness was a dwelling place where He was able to demonstrate Himself to the people of Isreal. Jesus was (and is) the tabernacle where God displayed Himself to humanity.  

The Tabernacle was just such a place and He desired a specific experience with His people. Israel followed God's very specific instructions on how to build this tabernacle. The people gave joyfully and generously as God equipped them and provided for them what they needed to build a place where He could dwell with them.  

He created us to dwell with Him and He longs to dwell with us, and to accomplish the fullfilment of these desires, He sent His only Son, Jesus, to "tabernacle", or dwell with God's people. How grateful I am that through Him, we are given the opportunity to dwell with God forever. 

The tabernacle story is one filled with a great promise and hope of the opportunity to dwell with our Hevanly Father. It's a story that we can carry the example of in to our homes as we desire to dwell together with our kids and they with us. 

Take time this week to ask your kids how they long to be with you, and share with them how you long to be with them as you share the story of the tabernacle and how God longs to dwell with His people.  

Blessings~

Rhiannon

Coming soon to a theater near you...(or your computer)...

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The Connections Team has not had team trainings for a long while. If you’re a long-time veteran of this ministry, you may realize this. If you’re newer, you may not. Either way, a better way to get consistent guidelines out to everyone on each team is needed.

We think we have found that way. Your Team Leaders are working to create training videos that each of you will be able to watch from your own computer. They will contain the basic info for serving on the Connections Team (good review!) and the guidelines for each separate team (you will only be assigned the video for the team you’re on which you serve).

The goal is to have these complete and ready for viewing by the end of January. Keep an eye on your email inbox for an invitation from
GoodToG o.Group.com. You will get a link / invitation to respond; from there you will be able to see videos assigned to you.

Each one of you plays a very important role in the welcoming and caring that our church provides, and you do it naturally, as part of your gifts. Thank you! I am eager to see how we will grow as a ministry, given more tools (like online training videos) to inform and encourage one another to good works for His glory.

God bless each and every one of you. Thank you for reminding me of the joy of serving each weekend.

Carol Jorgensen
Connections Manager

New Year, New Me

One of my least favorite things about the new year is the actual date. It takes me at least three months to get into the habit of writing the correct year. This has caused many bills and checks to be returned, as the checks appear to be outdated by a year! This always makes me laugh because it happens during this time every single year.

I often hear many people say, “New Year, New Me” along with a list of many resolutions. For instance, the gym always seem to be busiest this time of year. As the year progresses it seems that many of the “New Year New Me” resolutions tend to dissolve. This has been my experience at least. I always tell myself I’m going to stick with that certain thing this year. “This year will be the year!” turns into, "Next year will be the year!" and so on. What would it take for this year to be different? 

I have found that it comes down to our attitudes and how we approach life. I have served with a middle school mission organization called the The Jeremiah Project every year for the last seven years. We lead middle schoolers in repairing and rebuilding homes whose owners can’t afford the repairs. One “training” tip we always give the students is to say, “There is lots of potential here” when walking into a home that might look or smell different from what the students are used to. It’s this attitude of seeing the potential to help and to make the home better that helps our students overcome the initial shock of the situation. It also helps to show respect to the homeowner. I have seen this attitude change the lives and thoughts of many students and leaders.

I’m starting this new year by seeing all that I want to do and change simply as “a lot of potential." This attitude helps me joyfully journey through every endeavor. I challenge you to do the same: during this new year, try seeing every opportunity or situation as one with “lots of potential." I pray this change in attitude and approach blesses you this year! God is always faithful and able! 

In Christ,
Justin Talk
Associate Director of Youth Ministry

Five Oaks Missionaries

Did you know that Five Oaks supports 14 Missionary Families? 
Come and pray for them with us on January 22.  They work with:

  • The Roma people (“Gypsies”) all across Europe 
  • Church planting in the global crossroads city of Berlin, Germany.
  • Camp ministries that reach children, youth, young adults, and families in two of the largest secularized countries in Europe: France and Spain. Both countries also have large Muslim populations.
  • Marginalized urban populations in Louisville and Los Angeles.
  • International Students: Future world leaders on our doorstep!
  • Community outreach and Leadership Development in the most populous country in the world: China 
  • Relief, education, discipleship, and leadership developmentin Haiti
  • Unreached people groups in Peru and residents of the slums in Rio.
  • Strategic global direction for Reach Global, our missions organization, including crisis response, child sponsorship, and internships.