The May 2023 Mission Brief

It’s been a few months since you received a Briefing from me regarding our mission in Moab and beyond. Allow me to review and then look ahead. Over the past couple of months we have had guest speakers on a variety of topics. We also completed the summary of our core values learning that they can be grouped together into the 4 G’s. By the grace of God, we are adopted into a family that Glorifies God, Gathers Together, Grows in numerous ways, and Goes out into the world. I encourage you to use these values to reflect on both your personal faith journey and the corporate one we are on together. You may even choose to get more specific about these categories. Ask how is my glorifying of God going? Is God still the most important person in my life? How do I show His worthiness on a regular basis? Am I making the lives of others better in His Name? Ask how is my Gathering going? Do I have a consistent 70, 12, and 3? Who is speaking into my life? Who am I speaking Jesus into? Who do I practice all the “one another” imperative with? Are my relationships improving and going deeper? Ask how am I Growing? Am I a seeing progress in my faith, in my understanding, and in my consistency? Is there plaguing sin that I am distancing myself from? Is there a ministry skill I see improving? Lastly, ask how am I Going? Who is God bringing into my life? Where can I have meaningful conversations with others about the Lord? Who in my family or circle of friends needs spiritual encouragement? These are just some of the types of questions we can ask to use the 4 G’s as an important discipleship guide.

This last G, Going, led right into the next series we are currently studying together called B.E.L.L.S. Just as Jesus promised, the last will be first and the first will be last, so we started with the S standing for Sent. In order to live a winsome and engaging evangelistic lifestyles, we need to understand that we are the ones Jesus sends out. We have the message of reconciliation which is vital to share but we also highlight God’s beauty, we uphold human dignity by helping those in need, and strive to walk with people back into the wholeness that Jesus offers. In order to do that well, we Learn Jesus, Listen to the Spirit, Bless people, and Eat with them every week. For the rest of the month, we will look at how to do those things naturally well. To help facilitate our growing, going, and glorifying, we are also gathering in small groups. These groups are open and can be joined at any time until they reach their capacities. I’m confident everything in your spiritual life will improve in these learning communities. You will especially become more familiar with the B.E.L.L.S. materials. Consider finding a group that works into your schedule or even consider shifting your schedule to get into one of these valuable groups.

Finally, I want close with how blessed I was to hear from the Casas Por Christo team who constructed a home for the family in Guatemala. It is so encouraging to hear how God worked in your lives and through your labors. We do not all need to go very far to experience similar works of the Lord. As you go through this beautiful month of May, I pray that God will be working in your lives and through your many labors. Have a fantastic month!

With you in Christ, Pastor Kyle

P.S. Let’s Keep Reading

It is so important to be engaging with the scriptures all the time. January is when we restart or start to read through the Bible together. The One Year Bible makes this journey simple and enjoyable. You can pick up one of these devotional Bibles in the sanctuary or church office. This year we are offering the New Living Translation and the English Standard Version, if you need some variety. If you already have one, pick one up for a friend or pass along your old one, encourage those around you to join you on this adventure. You will be glad that you did!

 The February 2023 Mission Briefing

3, 12, 70 Get these numbers etched into your mind. They are going to be guides for our Christian gatherings. The second “G” of our core values stands for “Gathering.” It’s important to understand that gathering is not just on Sunday morning. That is crucial, but we also need to gather in smaller, more intimate groups. Come with me on a journey through the scriptures to consider these numbers and their importance to our spiritual lives in Christ.

The most prevalent of these numbers in scripture is the three. Some of the references we find are more significant than others. Here are only a few of the mentions of three. Abraham traveled three days to offer Isaac. Moses was hidden for three months. Balaam beat his donkey three times. Israel had three annual festivals all adult men were required to participate in. Isaiah prophesied naked for three years. Jonah was in the belly of a fish for three days. Jesus was in the tomb, by Jewish reckoning, for three days. Jesus died at three in the afternoon after three hours of darkness. Paul was blind for three days. Peter saw three visions to allow gentiles to become Christians. These are interesting “threes” but for our purposes, we want to focus on threes as they teach us about our gathering together. So, let’s look at scriptures where three people are involved. Noah had three sons that repopulated the earth after the flood. Abraham had three visitors to reaffirm the coming of Isaac. Moses chose three representatives from each tribe to survey the promised land. David had three mighty warriors. Job and Daniel both had three friends. So…?

A group of two or three in agreement have significant power. In the Mosaic Law, the Jews could carry out capital punishment on the testimony of two or three witnesses. The New Testament maintains this principle. Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (2 Corinthians 13:1) Also, “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19). These verses teach that truth could be established in a binding fashion when two or three people agree. Jesus summed this up nicely. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Now, isn’t Jesus always with a believer? If we understand the “with” to be Jesus’ omnipresence through the Holy Spirit, then “Yes.” Jesus is with us even when we are alone. This is not what Jesus was referring to here. What He is saying is if we gather with another disciple for Jesus then Jesus will also be there for them. So go ahead, ask for what you need. This is a significant truth about the spiritual life many of us overlook or take for granted. It takes two or three coming together to make a “binding” petition. The Christian life is personal but not private. Your prayer life, your service, your studies, your witnessing is all better with one another. Jesus sent out his apostles all two by two for a reason. Solitude has its purposes but don’t neglect the spiritual benefits for everyone when you gather with one or two others. This could be a buddy, a spouse, a child, another couple in the church. Get one or two people you can pray with, share with, and do ministry with. “This is the way.”

The second most prevalent number in the scriptures is twelve. Ishmael was the father of twelve rulers. Jacob also had twelve sons,

who four hundred years later became the enormous twelve tribes of Israel. Because of the twelve tribes, we see the number throughout the rest of the scriptures. Some believe it was because of the twelve tribes that Jesus chose twelve apostles. This idea has a lot to it because Jesus was establishing a new covenant people to receive all the promises made to Abraham and Israel. Jesus did not just leave them be a symbolic representation of the new covenant people, however. He takes these twelve, choosing them out of the larger group, and then pulls them aside, instructs them, spends time with Him, before sending them out with power and authority. Sociologists will tell you that groups of eight to twelve are ideal learning communities and working groups. Think about it, most sports have fewer than twelve people on the field for each team at a time. Basketball has five, volleyball has six, baseball has nine, football has eleven, and hockey has eleven. Jesus chose twelve because that is the maximum number for effective life-on-life discipleship gatherings. Any bigger and individuals become labels and categories and there is a loss of connection and influence. What does this mean for our gatherings? We don’t just need a gathering of three, we also need to gather in a group of eight to twelve. We need to be a part of something that requires more than one and more than three. We need small groups that work together to solve problems, grow in a certain area, or get something done. Do you have a twelve? You need a twelve in your life, a small group, extended family gathering for Christ, some group you do life with. You need it. Then, there is the seventy. This is a good-sized crowd. Jacob had seventy members of his family flee to Egypt during the famine. When Israel came out there were seventy elders representing the twelve tribes. Israel was taken into captivity for seventy years. Daniel had a vision from God regarding seventy “sevens.”

Between the old and new testaments, seventy Jewish scholars translated the Jewish scriptures into the Septuagint, the Bible the early Christians used. These are interesting but the example we are most interested in is how Jesus used the seventy. Luke chapter ten tells us the story of when Jesus sends sev- enty-two apostles out two by two ahead of Him to heal the sick, proclaim the coming of the King, encourage repentance, and to cast evil spirits out of people. The number seventy is a large group that shares a common calling. It is a representative group of a greater crowd. The seventy stands for the church. We are the seventy, all chosen by Christ and called out to proclaim His Kingdom with power. During the week, we serve in smaller partnerships but then we come together “with joy and [say], “Lord, even the de- mons submit to us in your Name” (Luke 10:17). We need a time and a place to rejoice together as a larger group. We need a time and place to celebrate Jesus and learn. We cannot connect with everyone in this environment closely but that’s not really the point of Sunday morning worship. It’s to celebrate Christ’s power and victories. You need your seventy.

Let me sum up: We need to gather in twos or threes for intimacy and service. We need to gather in twelves for learning and larger work projects. We gather in seventies or more to rejoice in Jesus and celebrate this new life in Him. Do you have your 3, 12, and 70? It’s God’s design for how we glorify Him, how we gather together, how we grow in Christlikeness, and how go into the world. Wait no longer get your 3, 12, and 70.

With you in Christ, Pastor Kyle

 The January 2023 Mission Briefing

When I first arrived back in Moab two years ago, I wanted to get to know the church I grew up in. On the surface, it seemed like a lot had changed in the twenty years I was gone. There were many new names and faces, the front of the sanctuary was redesigned, a praise team led the music, pastor Keith (dad) was not leading from the front anymore, we had a ton of great food served after worship but no Sunday School classes, services were now broadcast live to almost anywhere on the planet, and because of the circumstances those attending wore masks and practiced social distancing.

Despite these changes, however, the congregation I grew up in remained remarkably the same. You love Jesus, passionately worshipping God together, study the Bible, are fervent in prayer, and you still had a heart for the lost and hurting around you. How can a group comprised of some many different people have so much consistency to the one I grew up with? Pastor Keith’s leadership had much to do with it of course, but the integrity of this church goes deeper still. There are core values in every church or organization that do not change, even after two decades and despite all the changes around them. Core values are what give us our identity as a group and make our ministry distinctive from the world and even other congregations, although they may sound very similar. I would like to remind everyone what these values are through this first preaching series in 2023. I will call them the 4 G’s of the Community Church. Committing these to memory will help you practice our values with more intentionally and be able to communicate them to the community in a winsome way to those currently outside of our family.

By grace.

Who we are does not start with effort or earning but God’s grace. Paul writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am…” He continues, “…and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them-yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). Like Paul, we all have things in our past that we think might disqualify us from meaningful and fruitful ministry today. Paul persecuted Christians, taking property, livelihoods, and even lives from God’s people. Yet, he is an apostle in God’s church because of God’s powerful grace. Grace refers to God meeting us where we are and doing a new work in us that is all gift. This grace in us is not without effect either. The grace we have in Jesus produces fruitful work in us. We do the good things God has “teed up” for us because of and by His grace. We can sum up this work in four topics all beginning with “G.” They are 1) Glorify, 2) Gather, 3) Grow, 4) Go. These are important lifestyle characteristics related to living in Christ as the Community Church in Moab.

We glorify.

This means that we have lifestyles of worship. We highly value authentic encounters with God. Often times, these encounters come through corporate worship on Sunday morning but they also come in personal prayer time, Bible reading, relationships with other believers, and doing ministry, just to name a few. Our relationship with the Father, through the Son, and by the Holy Spirit is central to who we are and the things we do.

We gather.

This means we have lifestyles of togetherness. We highly value community believing we are stronger together in every way. We demonstrate this through living as a family. We love each other, invest in one another, “rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). We belong to each other. We are committed to living out the “one anothers” of scripture. We see this practiced on Sunday mornings, early morning prayer meetings, potlucks, small groups, and a number of other outreach ministries. We can be spiritual without gathering together, but we cannot be the Church. Gathering is vital for us and others.

We grow.

This means we have lifestyles of learning. God’s grace is producing renewed minds and hearts. We are being made new continually (Romans 12:2, Colossian 3:10, Titus 3:5). God is shaping us over time to use us for His good purposes in this world. Grace is the beginning, but all of our lives are lived in it. This means grace is preparing us for new endeavors and empowering us to meet new challenges with new gifts. We also demonstrate more of Jesus in our lives with increasing godliness, which demonstrate our total holiness. We grow in relationship with God and one another, reading our Bibles, praying, serving, innovating ministries, developing new skills, interacting with the community, and engaging with one another. God is actively making us grow.

We go.

This means we have missional lifestyles. We serve those inside the church and aspire to go outside our four walls. We develop close relationship in the church but go together out to change lives through relational evangelism and missional love. We want to see God in the lives of our friends and neighbors. Therefore, we go across the street, volunteer all over the community, give to missions and build homes in Mexico. God gives us grace to share it with others.

The Four “G’s” accurately demonstrate what Christ Jesus has given us by His grace to be and do. These values will shape everything we do in this coming year and for generations, that is if the Lord’s return continues to be delayed. Yet, even then, I see these values enduring far beyond that. Let’s keep practicing them!

By the grace of God,

Pastor Kyle

 The December 2022 Mission Briefing

As I sit down to reflect on the month of December and our calling to serve Christ in this community, we are already in the second week of Advent. But what does that mean? Advent may be a new and strange term for many of you. You only really hear the word “Advent” used in the context of Christmas, and then it is only common in congregations that follow some sort of worship calendar. Allow me to use this space to unpack some of the excitement inherent in this word’s description for the season we have the joy to be in presently.

Advent comes from a Latin root meaning “to come toward.” We might translate it most literally as “approach.” It is defined as the arrival of a notable person or event. That is exactly what we are celebrating at Christmas! As we light candles and worship together, we are remembering God’s breaking into creation as the long-awaited King. This season is both the recognition of a notable person as well as a notable event. The baby and later the man Jesus is the incarnation of God to walk with humanity and for humanity in our desperation. Jesus is God, the Son, the Creator of all things, the Author of Life, Eternal Life itself, becoming a part of the creation, sharing in the very things that make us human, emptying Himself not of divinity but divine prerogatives. At His arrival, angels sing, shepherds quake, and all of them worship at a manger! This is the most notable arrival in human history and therefore also a notable event for sure.

Since the Fall of humanity, all creation has been groaning while it waits for this moment. The inaugural event that begins the rescue. The Savior of the world has arrived! The kingdom of God is among human beings in the presence of this unique baby. Soon, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, and the lost will be found. Righteousness will be established. A righteousness that is first and last through faith in this man, Jesus. This is the historical moment when God arrived to take back what is His with justice and with grace.

Understanding Advent is central to the Christian faith as well as truly rejoicing at Christmas. This whole month, we are invited to participate in all that advent means. God is still breaking into creation. He has come and scooped us up out of the sinful lives we were stuck in, so we could be a part of His adventure. Our word adventure comes from the same Latin word for “approach.” Christ’s advent into our lives is the arrival for us of participation in a daring and exciting experience. We are the new creation. Because of Jesus, the old is gone and the new has come. Christmas is full of joy when we grasp this incredibly, awesome adventure we are now on under the kingship of Christ. We live these new lives awaiting another advent. The second coming of Jesus to complete what He has started in us and to fulfill the rest of the scriptures about His reign over the entire world. As we wait, don’t do it passively from the sidelines. Christians are the quintessential adventurers because we are those who find our identity in the God who advents.

Adventuring with You in Christ,

Pastor Kyle

The November 2022 Mission Briefing

As we move into the holiday season, our ministry is ramping up for the occasions ahead. Our collection for Operation Christmas Child will come to an end on November 13th. Please bring any donations you would like to give to the church building by then. We will pack boxes to be sent off by the 21st. We could use more of everything. You also have that much time to fill your own gift box and leave it here also. Remember the postage. You are probably aware that we have launched a new community outreach initiative. Every 2nd Tuesday, we will host an “Is it Possible?” event. These evenings have food, an engaging film or event, and refreshments afterward allowing for connections and conversations. Mark your calendars for every 2nd Tuesday, it will be a blessing and an important opportunity to engage with the others regarding interesting facts about God and our world. This month’s film will be another documentary piece based on Lee Strobel’s book, “The Case for the Creator.” It includes scientific evidence for the existence of God.

This time of year I also ask our teams to begin thinking about their annual reports to the church. If there is any unfinished plans you would like to carry out before the year ends, now is the time. If not, begin drafting your board and committee reports so next month we can start putting together our year end in review. Also, to anyone who has pictures of church community activities, send them to info@moabncommunitychurch.com.

Finally, this month is that time, we especially, reflect on all we have to be thankful for. As I begin to think about this, I am very grateful for all the pastor appreciation gifts, cards, meals, and time that you all gave to me this month. A month is a long time to be the focus of appreciation. Let me in a small way turn the tables and write some very general statements of my appreciation for all of you. You have been so loving and supportive of me over the past year. I
won’t go into details, but I have weathered the most difficult time in my life over the past ten months. All of you, whether you knew it or not, were essential to me getting through this. I don’t know what people do in the worst circumstances of life without a loving church family that will be there, like you were, with ministries of presence, prayer, empathy, and counsel. I love you so much! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am thankful for the times church members have brought me and my family food, ran kids to activities, and offered themselves repeatedly again and again for such tasks. You have saved the day and by doing so propped me for more. I have never lacked. Your commitment to this ministry has given my life stability in a stormy time. I can’t thank you and the LORD enough.

You are dearly loved,

Pastor Kyle

The October 2022 Mission Briefing

Fall is here. With the passage of time, more than just the leaves
change. As I prepare this Mission Briefing for October, Crystal is preparing to move to her new home in Virginia. With heavy hearts, we tell her “Until
Next Time,” (as Crystal puts it.) and say “Welcome” to a new face in the office. We prayed for Crystal’s replacement to come for months now and God has provided us with a new office manager in Shirley Mannel. We praise God for her willingness to take on the responsibilities of this position. If you are not already friends with Shirley, I’m confident you will be. She works with competence, a joyful smile, Shirley Mannel was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She has been married to her husband Bill for 41 years. He is a gentle giant who actively works at the Canyonlands Gateway RV Park (previously the Archview RV Park). He is hardworking and very efficient at what he does. Shirley and
Bill have three children, five grandchildren, and five great grandchildren, whom they all dearly love. Shirley is a natural entrepreneur. She owns her own business called “My Favorite Aprons.” You can find more information about this under that name on Facebook. She recently stopped selling Shirley was raised Roman Catholic, claiming to totally love God since she was six years old. Years later, after a divorce, she realized there was much more to God than she had previously known or could have imagined. This discovery brought her to an Assembly of God church. One Sunday morning in 1982, the pastor offered an altar call and she flew down to the front before Bill and Shirly moved to Moab from Grand Junction five years ago when Bill took a job at the Moab KOA. They have a son named Chris that also lives here in Moab. They desire to stay here because of the beautiful red rocks, their son, and now their wonderful church community. They became members of the Community Church last year because they fell in love with the wonderful people and the pastor. If you would like to say,
“Hi” or if you have any business to do with the church office, the office hours are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Shirley will take Monday’s off to share that day with Bill. We welcome you to come get better acquainted.

Change is always happening, we get to roll with those changes as they come. In fact, we welcome them as ways God leads us into new fruitfulness. Remember during this season of change, that what matters most is unchangeable. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the Rock. He is the refuge. He is our Safety.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Kyle

The September 2022 Mission Briefing

Let’s think about happiness. A few months ago, pastor Matt Wolf was our guest speaker and presented several ideas about the place of happiness in Christianity. He recommended we read Randy Alcorn’s nearly 500-page book called Happiness. The other day while on the phone with my older brother Derek, he also
recommended I investigate this excellent book. When I receive multiple  reinforcement from different sources from different places, I pay attention. This is how God sometimes gets our attention.

I was open to God speaking through these two, so I used my Audible credit for August, and now I’m listening to this 22-hour book on Christian happiness while commuting around town. Using scripture and reliable Christian theologians of the past, Alcorn challenges many misconceptions I have had about happiness in the Christian life. Let me recommend this book to you by sharing a few helpful thoughts from my listening so far. First, the Lord created in all of us an innate desire for happiness. It is a deep motivator for what we do. Think
about it: what does a vacation, a prestigious award, a raise at work, a marriage, and starting school have in common with staying home, avoiding crowds, changing jobs, getting a divorce, and finishing school? They seem like opposites, but these are all things people do believing it will make them happy. The pursuit of happiness is in all of us. We want different things but for the same reason. We are in the pursuit of happiness. God understands this and, in His books to us, has communicated how to be truly and deeply happy. This leads
us to the next thought.

Second, there is no better source for teaching about happiness than the Bible. It is the authority of God and humanity and the way to be happy. This is one of its major themes, the idea is everywhere complete with instruction and illustrations. Sometimes the Bible mentions the actual word happy and other times it uses synonyms like blessed, joy, merriment, or in verb forms like rejoice or be glad. In fact, considering these very common verbs, God repeatedly commands us to be happy. Surely, if He commands us to be happy, He also empowers us to be happy. In fact, this is what the gospel is all about. As the angels sang in Luke 2, they have the good news that bring great joy. The Lord has made you to share in His happiness, coming as the Son to make your happiness a reality. If we are serious about being happy, we need to listen to Him. This brings us to the last idea.

Third, happiness is not the opposite of holiness. They are part of the same thing in God’s eyes. We tend to think that to be holy is to give up on happiness. We count the cost and might consider that if we follow Jesus we will never be happy again. Does that lie sound familiar? Inversely, we think that seeking after happiness means that we are abandoning holiness. This is not the case at all. There will be times that we are tempted to rebel against God because we think it will make us happy. Lying, cheating, and stealing seem like the path to happiness in the moment, but they never deliver what they promise. When was the last time you were happy for any substantial amount of time because of sin? It was a lie! What you thought would lead to happiness only brought guilt and shame. God wants to spare us of this. If you want to be happy, choose Jesus. Choose love, choose the cross, and choose obedience because living for God is the happiest way to live.

Sure, there will be circumstances that dampen our happiness but because it is based on Jesus alone, happiness will win the day. It’s why He came. It’s why He died. It’s why He rose. It’s why He prepares a place for us even now. God wants you and He wants you to share in His happiness. This is why the good news is so good!

Rejoicing with you in Christ,
Kyle

The August 2022 Mission Briefing

Last week I spent time in Denver for a class called “Relational and Vocational Foundations for Ministry.” (I know sounds enthralling.) Most of the classes in this program heavily emphasize ideas. It’s meant to train pastors to be ministry researchers, analysts, and innovators. We thoroughly evaluate theology, scripture, our community, our practices, and other ministry data. The focus tends to be on the head, however, this class targeted the heart. We talked about attachment theory, hearts at peace, emotional intelligence, pastoral resilience, and the “soft skills” of leadership. The entire course was structured around the parable of the Lost Son in Luke 15:11-32. As part of the course, we did a theological reflection on Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son, which I thought I would share with you.

Now, I’m no art historian, but after spending some time with this late piece of Rembrandt’s, I’ve become a fan and persuaded of the power Christian art has on moving head knowledge into our hearts. Take a minute to look at this picture and make a few observations of painting. I’ve lightened the contrasts so you can see the figures lurking in the darkness.

Let me list a few observations and their potential significance. First, the father: He looks noble almost regal. The brightest light is shining from his face, a face that is wearied from watching and yearning for this day. His left hand is strong and masculine, while his left appears gentle and feminine. Here is a beautiful picture of God, who is majestic, loving, and strong. He bears the weight of our sin on His face and yet can still shines His light upon us in the moment of our greatest need. He is a loving Father who doesn’t hesitate to embrace us despite our filth.
Second, the prodigal son: He looks even more worn out and impoverished. He is exposed for what he is, the wasteful one. There is shame and regret all over him, yet he is com-forted in his father’s arms. His shaven head makes him look like an infant, who is to be received with tenderness and love. In fact, Rembrandt could be depicting him exactly this way, returning to the womb for a fresh start. With his father, this son will experience restoration, renewal, and rebirth.

Finally, the older brother. To the right of all this, on the other side of the darkness, that is actually in the very center of the painting, is one who is dressed like the father. He appears to have a confused and indecisive look on his face. He looks like the father on the outside, but will he resemble the father and step through the darkness to welcome his brother? This was the main thrust for Jesus telling this parable. The religious leaders who resented Jesus’ embracing of sinners are invited to abandon their self-righteousness and step through the darkness to welcome repentant sinners as brothers. This is why this parable is not really about the prodigal son, a better name would be the parable of the Lost Sons. They both just wanted to father’s riches. One demanded inheritance and left, the other stayed, obediently serving but cared more about a goat with friends than the father, whom he was with all the time.

Who do you tend to be? We will experience all of these at times. We can be selfish fools who treat people as objects. We can be resentful people who cannot open our hearts to sinners, thinking God a fool for His abundant grace to them. What Jesus calls us to, and the Holy Spirit empowers us for, is to bear the pain of sin caused by others, give them grace, forgive them, wait for them, and receive them back without an apology or an explanation. I pray we can all minister to our families and communities with the heart of our Father.

Surrendered in Christ,
Kyle

The July 2022 Mission Briefing

The book we read twice through the year is called the Psalms or the Psalter. It ends with some magnificent praises to the LORD. Psalm 147 is one of these great songs, sung by the nation of Israel and Christ’s Church over millennia. Our mission briefing for this month will call us back to being the worshiping community. Wherever you are geographically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually, take this moment to prepare to draw near to our Lord.

Verses 1, 7, 12, and 20 call us to praise, extol, and sing while the rest of the verses list the reasons why. Our best spiritual refreshment comes when we remember why God is so great. I don’t know what it is but sometimes when I come to worship or even sit down to pray, I come with my mind blank. I must take a moment to think through the specifics of what God does. This is exactly what this psalm provides for us. From it, we can learn how to think about God in preparation for worship. Do this as often as you can.
Focusing on the verbs, the first cluster of verses remind us that God builds, gathers, heals, and bandages our wounds. These verses speak about God’s work to restore Israel to former glory. This is still what He is doing for His people. He rescues us from sin by bandaging our broken hearts with His grace and truth in Christ Jesus. He does this through His infinite wisdom as illustrated in the following verses about Him setting each star in place and calling them each by name. He is our mighty God with limitless understanding, who according to that, cares for the humble but discards the wicked. Praise Him.

He is the One who produces the clouds and gives rain upon the earth. This water produces the food we eat. He sustains all living things and the whole cycle of life. He feeds even the ravens that call out to Him. We might ask, “How can we please such a Provider?” It is not with our strength and power. In other words, we do not please Him with what we can muscle out with our own efforts, talents, and determination. What pleases Him is our awe of His glory and putting all our hope in His unfailing love. Let me ask, “What do you depend upon?” The wisdom of your education or the strength of your back? While those are gifts from God, He desires reverence and He wants us to receive the outpouring of His love. He wants us to put our hands up in surrender, drop everything, and receive Him. Praise Him.

He is the One who gives you security in a dangerous world with blessings and peace. He is the one who satisfies us with our wants and needs. He does this by sending His Word to His people. He gives the message with icy blasts and warm breezes, so that we might sincerely know Him. This is the only way to approach God, through His unique revelation. The psalmist is referring to the Law of Moses and the words of His prophets but these all point us to Christ as the apostle John wrote, “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known (John 1:17-18).

When you come to pray alone or with others at home or in the sanctuary, remember God is your wise Savior, Sustainer, and Securer. What He desires from you is to open your eyes, your mind, and your heart to Him. He has unfailing love for you. Even though we fail, His unfailing love will not. Empty yourself of all the junk you depend on for happiness and take hold of the One who will give you exactly what you want and need. Praise Him. Take some time to list off your own praises to the Lord, specific to your life. What has He rescued you from? What has He rescued you for? How has He bandaged up your broken heart? How has He provided for you in your time of need? How has He secured you with lasting peace? What is He really asking of you? Praise Him.
Contented in Christ,

Kyle

The June 2022 Mission Briefing

June is the month we mark our halfway point in reading through the scriptures together. For some of you this is your second year. Whether this is your first year or your tenth, let me ask: Are you finding new and powerful ideas? The Holy Spirit is consistently able to impress upon us His anciently revealed truth in very relevant ways. This is partly explained through what is called the hermeneutical spiral. This is better illustrated than simply described and it can be illustrated in various ways. I like this one below. We begin with pre-understanding but through study, reflection, and/or experience gain some new understanding about a particular subject. We bring this insight into our daily lives as changed people. Yet, there is more to learn. (There is always something to learn.) Perhaps, a year later we read the passage again but now having combined our new understanding with our previous understanding, we gain something deeper or broader than what we learned before.

This just keeps happening almost everyday year-after-year. Each time you get that deeper or broader understanding it feels like God put it there just for you to find, and perhaps He did. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve read through the scriptures, I marvel at God’s wisdom and grace. He gives old stories new significance and tells them to me just when I need them most. This year He has guided me through some storms and mazes just by listening to His words almost every day. (Yeah, I miss days too.) If you haven’t yet jumped into experiencing the hermeneutical spiral or if you got busy and put your Bible reading aside for a season, I encourage you to pick it up again. Based on my own experience, I can vouch that there will be something meaningful for you every day. God still speaks to those who will listen. There is no more direct way of listening to the Lord than reading His inspired and infallible messages to us. You will see your own life in the stories. You will hear sage advice in the proverbs. You will be given the words for your prayers in the psalms. The prophets’ and apostles’ letters will encourage you all through the year. If you are a reader, printed Bibles are available in the sanctuary and the church office. If you prefer to read or listen online, go to: https://oneyearbibleonline.com/daily-oyb/?version=51&startmmdd=0101.

That’s a lot to type, so here is a QR code for you to scan to get there quicker on your mobile device. Just open your camera and point it at the bar code on the left. (You may need to touch the screen to cue your device to direct you to the website.) I encourage you to stay in the word, good people. Our Lord has some wonderful truths to whisper into your lives.

With much love,

Pastor Kyle

The May 2022 Mission Briefing

Life is so busy. It’s so easy to fill our plates so full, moments pass into months and months into years. I want to report on the business of our ministry but before doing so, it is important to first encourage you to slow down and smell the flowers around you. One truth I’m living into more and more is life improves with awareness.

Mindful eating improves our diets. Being attentive to other peoples’ feelings improves our relationships. Admiring the views, makes us grateful to our mighty Creator. There is much happening on display but also behind the scenes at the Community Church. We want to be busy for the Lord,but do be mindfully busy, appreciating His grace all along the way. After all, our busyness happens in relationship with the Almighty God of grace. I pray you can rejoice in it along the way. With that disclaimer,let me update you on what is happening in our fellowship.

This month the governance review committee will begin looking at our governance structure and governing policies. This work will culminate in a new constitution or governance policy manual next year.In conjunction with this review, we are filing new documentation with the federal government to have ourown tax-exempt status apart from the American Baptist Churches, USA. Until this is finalized, we remain tax-exempt through the denomination. Pray for this behind-the-scenes work because there is wonderful potential here for improving organizational health across the board. The committee is strongly gifted for this task, pray for God’s wisdom to be expressed through them.

The Christian Education Board is drafting up their own vision for what a Christian disciple who formed through the ministries of the Community Church should look like. What do they know? What can they do?Who are they really? Based on this, we will draft a more intentional disciple making process that 1) Prepares young people for the challenges of college/adult life and 2) Prepares residents with the maturity to advance the Kingdom of Jesus effectively here. Look for new ministries in the coming months to address these. Until the programming is more developed, I invite you not to wait. Please make an appointment to come in for an hour to write up an individual spiritual learning plan with me. Together we will look at your person needs, find resources to address them, and look at the new habits and behaviors that bring what you are learning to life.We all need to take initiative in our own spiritual formation and remember that the Church is here to help.The diaconate (Deacons and Deaconess Boards) this month will be working on how to integrate visitors and new members into the fellowship. We call this the onboarding process. This process will walk first time visitors through steps to become fully engaged ministers for Christ through and in connection with others at the Community Church. Along with this, they will be looking at ways to move attenders toward membership, members toward serving, and inactive folks toward more engagement. Pray for the wisdom they need to do this important work.

There is more going on you can pray for generically. God is on the move! Talking about growth and engagement, most often our greatest spiritual growth and transformation comes in the struggles of life. We don’t need to look for struggles to grow our faith, just don’t shy away from them. God will give us exactly what we need to form us for His purposes. Remember Romans 5:3-5: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character,hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

With you in the struggle,

Pastor Kyle

The April 2022 Mission Briefing

In Moab, Easter week is THE week! The town has been busy for a month already but here it comes, JEEP Safari. This is when Moab, is above all, the place to be for outdoor adventure on four wheels. Easter week is not just about outdoor adventure. Long before the masses assembled for rock crawling, the masses assembled to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Many, not all, of our immediate culture has traded the Christ adventure and celebration for the outdoor adventure and celebration. While enjoying both is a possibility, as the Church, we want to keep first things first in our lives. I would encourage you to give 100% at your jobs, give the visitors something to remember, enjoy creation, shout and sing with joy doing what you do, but in doing that remember the joy of the resurrected Christ and the adventure He calls us on that far overshadows anything else in this world. We rejoice because sin is defeated. Our past, present, and future sins were all paid for on the cross, decisively. We rejoice that death is no longer something to be feared because after death comes new life. We rejoice in a new path to walk, one in partnership and in unity with Christ, full of hope and purpose. We rejoice not just because we are no longer cut off from God, we rejoice because we are no longer cut off from each other. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2:13-18, 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Easter is the time to rejoice and celebrate, but it is also the peak of adventure. Without the guilt of sin holding you back, you can run free. You can be the you Jesus has created you to be. You can live every day with the thrill of being in a relationship with the Creator, Redeemer, and King of all. You can walk in His holy and awesome purposes. We can do this adventure with the people we love and who love us. This is the week Christ is on peoples’ minds more than usual. Easter provides an opportunity for us to declare boldly that we are on the side of the guy who defeated death. Pray the Spirit of God would touch people this month. Pray He would give a powerful hunger to people, who have walked away from their faith, to come back. Pray He would orchestrate the reorganization of some peoples’ priorities so they would seek the biggest adventure of all. Pray He would be energizing our services so that the joy and excitement of Jesus may be experienced by all. Pray He would bring those who have never heard the gospel to saving faith. This is a good month, one of the best. It has a good week, one of the best. Don’t’ miss what God is going to do. In addition, invite your friends, family and neighbors so they do not miss out either. The adventure is here. We will have some special programming this month. Dr. John Delancey will be here for a Palm Sunday weekend. Details of his sessions are listed in this newsletter. We will be hosting a new Good Friday service including prayer and scripture readings at 6:30 pm. We will continue to host the Easter Sunrise service in Arches National Park at 6:20 am. (Busses leave the park visitor’s center at 5:45 a.m.) Lastly, we will have our regular worship 10:00 to come back to our regular worship service and celebrate Christ.

The March 2022 Mission Briefing

In last Sunday’s message (02/27/2022), I mentioned that we all have blind spots in our lives. A blind spot is an area of our thinking, character, and behavior that we do not see in us. They could be glaringly obvious and destructive or subtle and tolerable, but for some reason go unnoticed, and therefore are not dealt with. These blind spots prohibit us from seeing the bigger picture or important details up close.

If they are so invisible, why look for them at all? The truth is blind spots are never good. In a vehicle, failing to scrape frost completely off your windshield could lead you to colliding into another vehicle. The same can happen if your mirror gets fogged. Blind spots in your thinking, character, and behavior can take you in wrong directions, lead you to say and do the wrong things, rob you of efficiency and cause great strain in your relationships with other people. It is important to shine light on these for all these reasons. So, what are some common blind spots in people like us? They may be theological. Perhaps there is something about God’s attributes that are foggy. Viewing God as less than all powerful and all good will affect your trust and the outworking of your faith. This would be a blind spot to correct. Blind spots might deal with our personalities. Maybe you are egocentric. Everything is perceived through how it affects you. Perhaps you are compulsive and cannot keep yourself from unhealthy things. In cases of personality, it is quite helpful to acknowledge our tendencies, so they do not become too destructive. Another blind spot is our culture. The way we grew up, who are friends are, what generation we are in powerfully shape what we see and especially what we care about. Boomers (1946-1964) have very different blind spots (and perceptions in general) than Millennials (1981-1996). It’s like these two groups see an entirely different world. That’s because they are so culturally different.

We could go on about the many reasons for differing blind spots but let’s move on by asking how we discover our own. If we are blind to our spots, then how do we see them? They can be elusive but not impossible to find. If we paused to reflect on our lives, perhaps just slowing down would help us discover these. We might pray and trust the Holy Spirit to point these out to us. I’ve found many of my blind spots reading the scriptures. Whenever the inspired writings say something I’m uncomfortable with or challenged by, it is probably a great time to stop and reflect, asking, “What about this truth is shining light on some darkness in me or my views?” When this happens, congratulations, you just found a blind spot!

These are good ways of surfacing things about us but the fastest, easiest, and most relevant to us is to get feedback from other people. Friends, family, and especially the church know things about your thinking, your character, and your behavior that you do not have a clue about. (Can I get an Amen?) If you ask these folks for feedback, they will probably give you the truth in love. Go ahead as ask them, 1) What do you see in me that could be holding me back from effective ministry or intimacy with Jesus? 2) What about me offends or annoys you? 3) If you were me, what would you work on? If you ask several people, one or two suggestions will be repeated, and you can be sure that this is your blind spot area.

Once you have isolated a blind spot, attack it. Be intentional about it. Pray for it. Write up a learning contract. (See Mission Briefing from March 2021 for more about this.) Get help. You might need a coach, a role model, an accountability partner, or a subject expert. Your help can be in a direct relationship with these people or more indirectly through teaching videos or books. Others have been where you are. Find someone to who has been through the obstacle you find in your life. If you read books, I would still encourage you to engage with another person about your learning, someone who is patient, loves you, and wants to see you grow. Blind spots might be something in our lives that can be eliminated immediately through insight. Some, however, take a lot of time, attention, and perseverance. Just remember that you are not alone. Jesus is the One on the path that we follow. He is our Subject Expert as well as our personal Intercessor. Commit your journey to Him in prayer and plug into His body the Church. Eventually, you will see the truth and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).

Entering into Christ’s light with you,

Pastor Kyle

The February 2022 Mission Briefing

The Community Church of Moab is on mission to advance the Kingdom of Jesus. This has many concrete expressions but “advancing the Kingdom” basically means that we are God’s nation of royal priests representing Him and His Good News to the world, as such we take ground wherever and whenever we can. As we have been learning at Connection Class in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, no church is perfect or
comfortable. This reality gives us two subjects to reflect on.

First, we have blind spots and inconsistencies in what we do and how we do it that need to be repented of. This is key to a healthy church. It is absolutely vital that we, as a church, keep listening to Jesus. By His Spirit, He will continually guide us toward faithfulness expressed in healthy functioning, that is, if we listen and allow change to take place. These changes might include returning to our first love, doing the good we did at first, and not tolerating obvious sins in various forms. Repentance was the way forward for most of the
Revelation churches.

Second, the churches were encouraged to overcome many forms of suffering. This suffering came through spiritual forces, state persecutions, and hostile religious groups. We may find it somewhat surprising that Christ’s church had to suffer in order to advance the Kingdom. I like to think that when we do the right things, for the right reasons, good things will come. This wasn’t the case in the first century and we shouldn’t always expect it today either. Being on mission for Jesus, includes loss and heartache on the way to a
victorious reward.

This reward is what keeps us going through the inconsistencies and the sufferings. Jesus promises those who press through: 1) The right to eat from the tree of life, 2) Freedom from harm by the second death, 3) The hidden manna and a white stone with a new name, 4) Authority to rule over the nations and the gift of the morning star, 5) White clothes and their names in the book of life, 6) Being made into a pillar in the future temple, and 7) The right to sit with Christ on His throne. These all describe eternal and abundant life as gifts to those who don’t quit despite internal and external pressures.

This description had led some to believe that Christians need to be militant in their taking ground, like soldiers of God. Let’s admit that we need the mental fortitude of well-trained soldiers, yet we take ground very differently from the world. Our reading in Exodus has an important point for us. In chapter 14, here the Egyptian chariots and horsemen are closing in on Israel. Some of the Israelites then began to panic. Then Moses passed on this message: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Be faithful through listening, repenting, persevering, and let the Lord part the waters.

Be Blessed as you are also a Blessing,

Pastor Kyle