Hi Family,
Let’s celebrate this Sunday on the grass (or online) and sing to God, learn and see each other.
Oh, and it’s Cupcake Sunday! Why? First, I’m telling you stories about bakers – one who lives far away and one who lives close by and goes to Valley. Here’s one of the two, hard at work. You might know him.
Another reason why it’s Cupcake Sunday is that someone answering one of the survey questions gave me the “have a treat” idea as a practical way to honor Peter’s teaching in 1 Peter 4:13, a key verse we’ll be talking about. Yes, having cupcakes will help us with a discipleship habit. I’ll explain more during the message.
Now, I’d hate to be accused of false advertising. The cupcakes we’re giving away aren’t those fresh, made-from-the-kitchens-of-our-church family members. Those are the best! We’ll get back to those days when we can make food and deserts for each other.
The truth is, the ones we’re giving away are Hostess Cupcakes from Safeway! It’s a Covid thing. (Some of you are secretly pleased, because now you have a good excuse to have one.) OK, I know they’re not too healthy, but who cares about always being healthy (“there’s a time for everything” – Ecc. 3:1). Let’s rejoice in our great God (and brothers and sisters) this Sunday.
By the way, I’ll be touching on the subject of gay marriage and the Bible. If you know people who wrestle with these issues or who think Christians are unkind and unprincipled in their stances, please invite them. I’d love to meet any friends you bring, regardless of their backgrounds and opinions.
Oh, regarding the survey, thanks for answering my questions. I got many funny, interesting and deep answers. In fact, I’ve woven in some of your responses to the message. It’s fun to see how God works.
Here’s a picture from last Sunday. This is Favour on the right, one of our Women’s Ministry Leaders, giving a Mother’s Day chocolate on trust that Ross would give it to his wife Mi-Yung. (I have it on good authority that Ross was indeed a faithful courier.)
But speaking of Women’s Ministries, Sisters, you have to know about this upcoming event…
“Friendship in Real Life” for Women
Sisters, please come to our “Friendship In Real Life” on Saturday, May 22, from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm at Valley Church. Our guest speaker, Liz Ditty, will be speaking on the theme of friendship. No childcare provided. All covid protocols followed by Valley Church on Sundays will be in place. Register online at tinyurl.com/23fweru6. Register by May 20 to get a free gift!
And, Brothers, don’t worry, you’re not left out! We’re having a Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, June 12, from 8 am – 10:00 am. And, not to be outdone by our sisters who have a great guest speaker, we have author/apologist/speaker Neil Mammen. You can register now with this LINK.
I just grabbed this picture of Neil off of the internet. He must have been on Eric Metaxas’ radio show at one point.
OK, Sunday’s weather looks PERFECT. Our Church on the Grass numbers are trending upward as more and more of our brothers and sisters feel confident to worship in person. Let’s keep that momentum.
Our Church on the Grass outdoor worship service is this Sunday, May 16 at 10:45 am. Bring your own lawn chair and/or blanket. If you haven’t already done so, you can register with this LINK. You can also register via this webpage. Please read through the instructions on safety before you attend. If you are unable to join the outdoor service, please attend one of our two online options. Just visit valleychurch.org and click on the colorful join us online banner.
Because it’s sweet to know Jesus,
Darren