Community News from Dr. Bob – 6/07/23
Whew! We have a lot going on at Rancho Community Church as we head into summer! It’s been exciting to see and be a part of all that God is doing in and through us.
Prayer is the Work.
“Prayer is not the preparation for the work; it is the work” (Oswald Chambers). Community, it’s time to get to work! We’re launching a weekly prayer walk: every Wednesday from 8:30am-8:50am. We’ll meet in the courtyard and spend this time praising God, praying for the church, and praying for our community. Here’s more from one of our prayer team leaders, Mike Acheson. Click Here.
Looking Ahead.
It’s goals and budget season here at Community. This will be a big year for the church as we prepare to welcome a new senior pastor. The goals and budget that we outlined this weekend will set the pace for this season of transition. What’s the pace? Forward. We want to continue to move forward towards a healthy and vibrant church, even as we are in a season of transition. If you didn’t grab a handout on Sunday, you can download the overview of our priorities and budget right here. Click Here.
I spent time unpacking these priorities at our town hall on Sunday. If you didn’t have a chance to attend, let me encourage you to listen to it online here . The recording is about 30 minutes long. If you have questions, concerns, or affirmations about the budget, we do have board members available after both services this Sunday in room 107. They would love to hear from you!
What can we do right now to prepare our church for the upcoming season? Lean in. Engage. That can start right here, by staying current with what’s going on in these priority areas, with our specific objectives and budget, as well as with our senior pastor search and our direction for the future.
What I really want you to see through all of these goals and benchmarks is that God is doing good things, building his church. It’s only been 38 days since Pastor Rob retired and we’re seeing more and more people experiencing God and catching a vision for what God is and will be doing here among us. We have much to be optimistic about in the future—because although we are part of it, it’s not all up to us. God is leading and he is at work and what he is doing is bubbling over to us in all its abundance. God will oversee the process; we are simply called to be faithful and be engaged.
I share with you this blessing that I shared at the town hall gathering as well:
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. (Hebrews 13:20-21)
Community Kids Ministry
Community Kids had a fabulous time at our Bubble Party this past week. We had a few local churches support us and volunteer to partner with us, and we had kids attend from several different avenues: not just our church, but from home schools, from social media, and from personal invitations. The theme of the Bubble Party was becoming a “fisher of men,” and one of our third graders put that idea into action immediately, inviting a friend to join her a church on Sunday for the first time! I love that kind of faith. Our kids are leading the way!
We are also looking forward to Star Voyagers, our Vacation Bible School theme for this summer. We’ll be meeting July 16 through Aug 13—that’s five consecutive Sundays from 9am to 12pm. This timeframe provides a less-intimidating way for families who are not already part of our church to engage without making a full-week commitment. Then during VBS on Sunday mornings, the parents can attend one of our services and get brunch or run some kid-free errands. Let this be an opportunity for you to be a fisher of men as well—invite your neighbors to be a part of Star Voyagers this summer! Sign-up here if you can serve with our VBS.
Save the Date: June 25
On June 25, all of our partners will have the chance to vote on our new annual budget. You’ll be able to vote at either service that Sunday, or via email (keep an eye out for an online ballot the week of June 19th). Remember that only partners are voting members of the church, and we do take votes on important issues such as the budget and the next senior pastor. If you’d like to explore what it means to be a partner, please contact Pastor Brett at brettsanner@findcommunity.com to set up a conversation.
Pray for our Guatemala team!
We prayed in-person for our Guatemala missions team during both of the services this past weekend, but please continue praying as they leave in just a few days. They’ll be out on the field from June 9-17.
Beach trip update
And finally, just a brief update from our Community Students Ministry that our beach trip was a success! We lost no students and had zero drownings. With that impressive safety record in mind, you can look forward to hearing more about our upcoming camp in future newsletters.
Thankful for each of you!
Dr. Bob
