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“... as a man of confidence in the Bible,

he found out what God had promised and rested on it. 

Faith, to [George] Muller, was finding out what God said or what he permitted,

and doggedly hanging on to the promises

even when circumstances were screaming otherwise.”

 ~ Jim Elliff

What a great reminder for us today!  George Muller’s legendary life of prayer and trust in God was born out of a secure confidence that the Lord was true, and that His promises are sure.

How do we “hang on to the promises, even when circumstances are screaming otherwise?”

In a word, prayer!

Prayer is where we lay hold of God’s nearness.  Prayer is where we pour out our needs, and soak in His truth, until our fears are assuaged, and our affections are stirred.  It’s where faith takes root, as God speaks to our soul in personal ways.  It’s where conviction is nourished, as we test all our motives in His presence.  Prayer is where God’s healing balm is applied for our comfort.  It’s where clouds and confusion are cleared away, and direction is received.  Prayer is where the truth of God comes to bear on our own experience.

If you feel far from the Lord, or discouraged; how is your time in prayer?

In this relationship with our Father through Christ, we will grow through many seasons.  Each of these may teach us new aspects of prayer.  There is not one, single way to pray; but let me offer you some suggestions to consider, if you’re ready for a new venture in your life of prayer with the Lord.  In the coming weeks, we’ll be hearing about prayer as it relates to different aspects of our life: work / school; witness; for our nation; and for believers all over the world.

This week, maybe you’d like to practice one of these disciplines, in some way.  Take a small step of trying something new, dedicate it to the Lord, and just ask Him to meet you:

• with fasting (for a meal, or more)
• pray on the hour (choose topics, make it a day with Christ!)
• start with you, pour out your heart, and then move in circles outward from there
• all-night prayer (Lk. 6:12), or wake up for a “prayer vigil” in the night
• Morning: praises & requests; Evening: thanksgiving & confession
• take a prayer walk (focus more on praying than on walking); invite a friend!

I’d love to hear what the Lord leads you to try, and how it goes!

May He be near, and may His presence be rich.

Frank

 “Your love has given me much joy and comfort...for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.” Philemon 1:7

Let me take a moment to introduce myself to those who do not know me yet.  My name is Heather Johnson. I am quirky, sometimes too serious, sometimes silly, compassionate, and slightly awkward...or maybe more than slightly awkward.  I love God and I love people a lot.  I am not always good at it though. I am a work in progress. One of things that God has placed on my heart as an ongoing ministry, whether it be official or unofficial, is the ministry of uniting people.  We are better together. I believe God created us to be in community and when we are connected with others, we grow, we thrive, and mutual transformation occurs.  Therefore I invite you to keep reading to hear some ideas I have for seeing moms grow in their connection with one another and with their Creator. I can’t do any of these ideas on my own, but I think that if someone else will catch the vision with me, some really beautiful things can be planted and the blooms of which we may see for years to come. 

New Vision

There are a few different elements I would like to integrate into MCC’s mom's ministry. Though the acronym for MOPS is “Mothers of Preschoolers”, I hope to be able to bless and encourage moms of many seasons of life.  I do not want moms to think that they age out of having a mom's ministry simply because their kids are now school age.  So, moms...of ALL stages...we want to hear from you! We want to serve you and be here for you too.  One of the things that drew my family to Mountain Christian Church was how much people looked out for one another. We have experienced so much love and support from many families.  I want other moms in our community to feel as welcomed and loved as I did. Let us continue to love one another and spur one another on to love and good deeds!  Let us look out for each other and intentionally look for ways to encourage one another.  

God created me with a specific passion to see people of diverse backgrounds united. So when I stepped into the MOPS coordinator position this summer, it wasn’t long before I started thinking about how I could combine the moms ministry with my love for people from other countries.  I personally believe that when we are serving in any ministry capacity it is important that we think about how God created us and what passions He has given to us and to integrate our passions into our ministry.  For me this was to integrate our church partnership with International Students Incorporated (ISI) with MCC’s moms ministry.  I have been an international student before and I know the loneliness, the culture shock, the vulnerability that comes with that and I also know the power of kindness from a local person to refresh the heart and bring so much joy and comfort.  I’m imagining the friendships that develop between moms of the east mountains and moms from all around the world, who are currently living in Albuquerque, could lead to a ripple effect of transformation that we cannot even fathom spreading to all ends of the earth.  I see an image of a map with arrows going from East mountains to Albuquerque and from Albuquerque shooting out every direction to all over the globe.  We cannot underestimate the transforming power of intentional relationships.  

Another emphasis that another mom on the leadership team wisely suggested we pursue is recruiting more mentors. We want to set up a mentor-mentee partnership for moms to grow in their connection with moms that have more life experience.  How valuable is it for moms to have older or more experienced moms to learn from and to be encouraged by! This is something that the Titus ministry is doing so well. My hope would be to have one mentor for three moms.  

Connection with God and with others is what leads to positive transformation. When we connect with others, we thrive in our roles. 

A call to action

There are so many ways you can get involved in making this ministry effective in reaching moms in our community and be a part of the transformation that takes place when moms are encouraged and empowered to thrive in their motherhood.  Maybe you are a mom yourself or maybe you were highly impacted by a mother and you want to support moms to know they are valuable and to be supported in growing in their role.  Here are some ways you may be able to help:

• You can become a friendship partner to an international mom (If you are a mom yourself)
• You can sign up to be a mentor mom and encourage moms weekly through phone call, email, in person, letters or any other way you think of to show your care. 
• You can make homemade gifts or baked goods for the moms in our community and drop them off with the MOPS coordinator.
• You can become a delivery person to deliver gifts or baked goods to moms
• You can host mom and her family for Thanksgiving or Christmas at your home 
• You can be a motivational speaker at a moms event 
• You can bring a meal to a mom who recently delivered a baby or is facing some difficulty.
• You can donate diapers for our moms with infants 
• You can serve on the MOPS leadership team
• You can help recruit other moms to be friendship partners for our international moms. 
• You can be a volunteer driver for our moms who do not have cars.

As I walked into the secretary interview with Frank and Paul I didn't know if I'd get the job. If I'm being honest, I wasn't even sure if I wanted it at the time. Yes, I needed a job. And yes, God seemed to be handing me one right then. But was I ready for this kind of job? Secretary work I'd done before, but church secretary?? That felt like a whole different ball game. I seriously wasn't sure, especially after the interview was finished, if I wanted it. Thank goodness the Lord had different plans and, as y'all well know, I accepted the job Frank and MCC elders offered me. 

So I settled in, learned what I needed, and prepared myself for an onslaught of questions and printing and being available and and and …. 

Except, that's not really what happened. Yes, those things are commonplace in the job itself, but what I wasn't prepared for, or expecting, were the literal blessings I received. From getting to know more people in the church to being involved in all the different ministries by simply serving those who head them up. Or getting to bond with individuals I never thought I would. Forging friendships with many of the ladies in the church I'd never met! And these ladies, as the amazing Titus 2 women in my life know, were ones I may not have ever been in contact with if it hadn't been for my position. 

I quickly learned how humbling it was to work at MCC. To be able to pray daily in the office for those who come in or who submitted a request. Or to simply have a conversation with someone who dropped by. It seriously blessed me and honestly, I'm getting a little teary eyed just thinking about it! 

My year and a half at MCC has zipped by. I never thought it would go so quickly or that I would have gotten SO much out of it. But what I do know is that it will always hold a special place in my memories as I continue down the path as the Lord leads. I am so grateful for the relationships that were built - ones I seriously doubt would have happened otherwise and ones that I needed, nay, still need in my life today.

Ok but... honestly how can I sum this all up? How do I fit in one blog post all of the individual stories? All the amazing moments? All the growth God did in me because of this position? I'm not really sure if I can... although I'm more than happy to sit down and have a cup of coffee with anyone who wants to listen to me ramble about it. So many of you have been tremendous in working with me. It's been an honor to get to be part of this church in this specific way. Thank you to all of you for the way you've poured into me, prayed for me, and been a blessing to me in this position!

Of course, I can't forget to mention the genuine joy I had getting to work closely with amazing people like Pastor Frank, Paul, Jodi and now Jess. It is so fun to be with such wonderful Christians who are striving to walk daily with Christ, serve the church, and still be able to joke around, encourage me, and be excited for all the opportunities I have ahead. 

The last six months have been crazy.  Our work, school, vacation, and worship lives have been cancelled or disrupted. Despite these circumstances, I’d love to take a moment to encourage you to live out of your inheritance, connect in a disconnected world, and reach out to your community (or those around you). I have to confess I sometimes, actually quite often, get caught up in my own current circumstances. Can anyone relate? Last winter was my first time to join the Woman’s Community Bible study. The study was timely as we focused on learning about God’s promises, not promises as the world interprets, but promises straight from His word.  The promise I held firm to throughout the spring was that I can choose daily to live out of my inheritance, not my circumstances. This promise comes from Romans 8:17: “ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

By this time, many of us have settled into some type of rhythm utilizing social media, Zoom, Google Meets, etc.  However, the last several months have made some of us weary, some of us frustrated, some of us ready for life to get back to “normal”, and some not sure what to do or how to move forward as our future feels so uncertain right now. For many people, myself included, it’s simply easier to stand back and watch when things feel uncertain. I want to challenge you to resist this natural tendency. I want to challenge you to lean into discomfort and allow yourselves to connect in a disconnected world.

In his book, “Reaching Out” Henri Nouwen challenges readers, “In the midst of a turbulent, often chaotic, life we are called to reach out, with courageous honesty to our innermost self, with relentless care to our fellow human beings, and with increasing prayer to our God.” What better time than in the midst of a Global Pandemic is there to put this into practice? At MCC we have several ways you can do this RIGHT NOW! You have the opportunity to reach out and connect, pray, fellowship, and be transformed despite your current circumstances.

MCC invites you to join us in connecting more deeply with one another and with our Heavenly Father in one or more of these ways:

• Woman’s Community Bible Study began meeting this week and if you missed it, it’s not too late to join! They will be reading, “The Pursuit of God” by A.W. Tozer. There are two options for meeting together, Tuesday evenings at MCC or Wednesday mornings at Pam Craven’s home. We invite you to join us as we study God's word, pursue Him, and become "children of the burning heart." For more details or to join please call or text Pam Cravens 505-506-0827.
• Gentlemen, now is your opportunity to join with other East Mountain men for the BSF study of the Book of Genesis. This year, the BSF Men’s group hosted at MCC will be led by Paul Catasca. The study will start via Zoom on Sept. 15 at 6:30 pm and move to in-person as Covid-19 restrictions are eased. Women are invited to the same study in Edgewood. For further details, contact Paul at (505)480-6958 or catascap@gmail.com
• Theology Small Group is going to be meeting on Thursday Evenings at Luke Feldner’s home. They are picking up at the beginning of the Humanity and Sin class. If you’d like more information or are interested in joining, please email Luke Feldner at lukefeldner@gmail.com.
• Adult Sunday School lead by Mike Brazie is now meeting in person on Sunday mornings! They meet in the Youth Hall at 9:45am for coffee and fellowship followed studying the book of Genesis at 10:00.

• Opportunities to Serve:

Connectors Ministry is looking for a team leader and/or volunteers to help facilitate connections between visitors and the body of Mountain Christian Church.

Youth Group meets on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and are always looking to welcome volunteers to hang out and/or begin to develop discipleship relationships with the youth. High School meets on Tuesdays from 7-9pm and Middle School meets Wednesdays from 6-8pm. Contact Daniel Cox at danieljcox8@gmail.com to get involved!

For more information on leading or getting involved with one of these ministries, please contact Paul Brouse at pbrouse@hotmail.com for more information!

This list is not exhaustive, there are many more ways to get connected this fall. If you are struggling to find something that fits for you, please email Paul or call the church office and we can point you in the right direction!

I’m pretty good at losing listeners in a casual conversation.  Actually, I’m really good at it.  Want to know my secret?

I like to talk about poor kids in New Mexico.

“Well, Ash,” you could say, “that’s not exactly a fun, party-time topic.  Maybe you could stick to small talk…or you know…just talk about your own kids.”

And it’s certainly easier to do that.  It’s easier to talk about, think about, worry about, and invest in my own kids.  Just my own.  After all, I have relative control over them, their environment, their health, and a myriad of other things.  I don’t have control over anyone else’s.  What can I do for them anyway?  Why discuss something that seems outside of my reach?

Over the past 5 years or so, I’ve come to befriend some people who do have influence in other children’s lives.  They control their environment for large parts of the day and work to advocate for their mental, emotional, and physical health.  They invest large amounts of themselves into personally seeing to these kids’ academic success.  Who are these amazing people?

Teachers.

As I have often said, a large portion of our community’s future sits inside the classrooms of our local public schools.  In New Mexico, a great percentage of those children come to school with significant issues, ranging from food insecurity to neglect and abuse.  These are complex problems that we are not necessarily equipped to fix ourselves.  However, we know some people who are working hard to move these kids forward…to help them dream and reach and grow.  We know some people who are providing the security and support they desperately need, even if it is for only 6 hours a day.   We know some people who are impacting their futures with every lesson they teach.

We can support them.

Usually, we can bring our teachers cookies, help in their classrooms, give them hugs, listen to them, and share meals with them.  Right now, none of that is possible.   They are still trying to do the monumental tasks listed above…but through a computer screen.  Obviously, this is even more challenging, and quite a bit more discouraging. They need our encouragement and support more than ever.  What can we do?

• Don’t underestimate how massively your prayer impacts our community.
• Email an encouraging note to a teacher you may know. If you don’t know any, contact me and I’ll send you contact info for one.  If you want it to go to all teachers at our Shine school, send it to Jordan, the secretary, at bodette@aps.edu
• Consider signing up to do read-alouds using Screencastify for our librarian or a teacher. It saves them loads of time.
• Many teachers and staff members are still working at school in order to take advantage of reliable internet. Drop off some goodies at the front door of the school, then call to tell them the goodies are there.  505-281-0880

These actions seem small, but it makes a massive difference in the life of a teacher to know he or she is seen, appreciated, and supported.

Please consider ways in which you can lend support to the teachers who are investing in and serving “the least of these”.  Though it would be easier to focus only on our own issues at home (and don’t get me wrong…we’ve got them!), we are called to a higher purpose…to consider others as better than ourselves.  It may cost some time and comfort; but if we believe that Jesus is who He says He is, the chance to sacrifice for His sake is always worth it.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” - Phil. 2:3-4

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink?  And when did we see you a stranger, and invite you in, or naked, and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to you?  The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” - Matthew 25:37-40