Happy New 365 Opportunities to Grow Spiritually
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Welcome to a new year of progress with spiritual growth!
This Sunday I invite us to think about how the Lord helps each of us (and the whole church) gradually, a little at a time, based on the good habits we implement and maintain for spiritual growth. The thing I love about meeting regularly as a group for worship and learning from the Lord's Word is that spiritual growth happens incrementally. It's not a once-and-done event. It takes daily, monthly, yearly
efforts to grow, and changes happen throughout the process making education and encouragement important all along.
I've been reading and reflecting on this through the insights of a new book, Atomic Habits, by James Clear. Although it is not geared to spiritual growth, it is totally applicable, and I'm looking forward to sharing some of what I'm learning as it connects with our teachings and as it applies to spiritual practices.
Holy Supper will follow the sermon as is our custom on the first Sunday of the new year. I invite you to use this sacrament as a reflective time to consider changes you want to implement in the coming days and months.
We made it! THANKS TO YOU for your generous year-end donations to the General Fund!
Because of both regular donations and extra donations toward the $4,000 anonymous remote match, we made our six-month financial goal and then some! This means that Sunrise Chapel's general fund is solvent for the time being, and we have another six months to creatively figure out how to improve our income - hopefully through new events and rentals, new fundraising activities, and new donors. One of my
personal goals this year is to have fun giving. After all, it is for such a good, worthy cause! Giving in any form - time, talent, treasure - is meant to be enjoyable and useful, not onerous or burdensome. Who wants to join the fun?
Elise and I had a lovely visit with our adult kids and our grandchildren, and we feel recharged and ready to work together with all you for the health and growth of our beloved church in this new year. We are really enjoying thinking of all the opportunities we will have with you all to make a difference in our lives together.
With love and respect and prayers for many blessings,
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THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES AT SUNRISE CHAPEL
SATURDAY 1/4/2019
3-10 pm Private Reception in Friendship Hall
SUNDAY 1/5/2020
FIRST SUNDAY OF THE NEW YEAR - NEW LITTLE HABITS, BIG CHANGES
10 am Music rehearsal
11 am Worship Service - Nathan Gladish, preaching
INCLUDING HOLY SUPPER
12 noon Luncheon
MONDAY 1/6/2020
11 am Tai Chi class - Friendship Hall
TUESDAY 1/7/2020
6:30 pm Bereavement Support Group in the Chapel
WEDNESDAY 1/8/2020
9:30 am Worship Team meeting resumes today
FRIDAY 1/10/2020
4:30 pm Teen Time with the Pastor at the church
SUNDAY 1/12/2020
11 am Worship Service - Nathan Gladish, preaching
12 noon Luncheon
What is your Sweet Spot for volunteering?
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In our teachings, the church on earth is intended to be an image and likeness of heaven. Heaven is not a spiritual retirement home. It is people happily working together, being useful for the common good. The more the merrier, as in heaven, so upon the earth.
Thank you to everyone who volunteers!
It is heartwarming to witness all the energy and enthusiasm that you all share.
And now, in this new year, dear reader, I encourage you to consider making a fresh commitment to volunteer in some way that suits you - to build up the health and growth of Sunrise Chapel. There are many ways to get involved either regularly or occasionally. It could mean taking on a routine behind-the-scenes task, or leading an activity or small group once a quarter. There is something for everyone!
What could YOUR volunteer sweet spot be this year?
~Nathan
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A SUCCESSFUL DOUBLING OF DONATIONS!
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Great News! Between December 7th and the 31st, local donors went the extra mile and raised the $4,000 challenge from a generous remote supporter of Sunrise Chapel! And so it's double the funds! The check is in
the mail! Thank you to everyone who supported this rare opportunity.
The anonymous donor's wish was that "as many people as possible invest in the success of Sunrise Chapel's efforts." When I told the donor of our success, his reply was,
"Continue the great work. You guys are awesome!"
Indeed! There is hope.
Want to donate with a credit card or electronically? Our treasurer, Bill Smith, can now swipe credit cards in the church office, or you can go to the Donate page on sunrisechapel.org or go directly to the church's PayPal account .
Thank you for supporting Sunrise Chapel!
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Readings for this Sunday's 11 am
Worship Service
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God Helps Little by Little
Exodus 23 (parts)
God spoke to Moses, “See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says… If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites,
Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out...
I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run… But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animals too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land."
A Call to Persevere in Faith
Hebrews 10:19-25 (parts)
"Brothers and sisters…, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings... And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
Spiritual Growth Happens Little by Little
Secrets of Heaven §9336 (parts)
In the book of Exodus, "Little by little I will drive them out from before you" refers to falsities and evils being removed from a person who is being spiritually reborn. The removal happens gradually according to order.
Evils and falsities must be removed in order that the new life, which is that of heaven, may be implanted.
This cannot possibly be done hurriedly, for every deep-rooted evil, together with its falsities, is interconnected with all other evils and their falsities, which are countless, and their interconnection is so complex that it cannot be comprehended, not even by angels, only by the Lord.
The life of hell with a person cannot be destroyed suddenly; for if it were destroyed suddenly the person too would perish. Nor can the life of heaven be implanted suddenly, for if this were implanted suddenly the person would again perish.
There are thousands and thousands of hidden ways, scarcely a single one of which is known to us, by which the Lord leads a person from the life of hell to the life of heaven.
Some think that the life of hell with a person can be changed to the life of heaven in an instant, by mercy. But in actual fact mercy lies in the whole process of regeneration
Therefore to enable heaven to come into being in anyone, it is necessary for them to receive Divine Truth in the goodness they have from the Lord. This can be brought into effect only gradually.
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Livestream and Archive Videos of our 11 am
Worship Services
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Thank you to our volunteers in the sound booth every Sunday for helping make our livestream happen. We are finding that it is a long learning curve to get all the sound levels tuned, so thank you for your patience. And please give me input based on your listening experience.
If you subscribe to our YouTube channel, you can get an alert when we go live on Sunday morning. If you bookmark the link in your favorite browser, you can also easily view any available archived service anytime.
There is really no substitute for worshiping together in person with all the nuances of community, personal connection, and interaction, but modern technology does provide a great window into the experience. ~ Nathan
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Your church home for partnering with the Lord and each other in the practice of cultivating spiritual growth and choosing heavenly joy www.sunrisechapel.org nathan@sunrisechapel.org Office 520-298-1245 |
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