Shippensburg First Church Of God Blog Site: Remain in Love

Sunday is coming!

This weekend we consider two special things that have something in common – they both require you to remain committed!

(pay attention to that word, “Remain”).

On Sunday we will hear an update from our Cub Scouts, and we will also be looking towards Valentine’s Day.

One of the most exciting parts of Scouting is earning Merit Badges! If kids remain involved in the pack, they can learn so much cool stuff and earn lots of neat merit badges. The leaders of our Cub Scout Pack make it easier for the Scouts to earn badges by offering opportunities to work on the requirements for the badges, especially If they remain connected and committed to the pack.

Next week, we will celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is a special day to celebrate connections with people we love.

Here’s the thing about relationships—between a husband & wife, or anyone important to you—if you want your Love to continue to grow and flourish, you have to stay connected. You must spend quality time together, share some interests, and value the same things. It’s important to remain friends.

The same is true about our connection to God—if we want to know God and experience his blessings and peace, if we want to truly follow Jesus into the adventures that he has for us, we have to stay connected. We must remain committed to Jesus.

Our theme verse for this month is John 15:4—

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

“Remain” - That word has a lot of meaning packed into it, as we will see throughout this new series that begins on Sunday. The King James Version uses the word “abide.” The Greek word is “menó.” It conveys the ideas of staying with, dwelling in, waiting on, or being permanently connected to and dependent upon Jesus.

We will begin by focusing on one important and timely aspect of Jesus’ message:

LOVE.

Jesus says in John 15-9-17, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.”

Jesus showed us the full extent of God’s love for us, by laying down his life for his friends. Notice this means he calls us friends! If we give him our lives in how we live, remaining connected to Him, then God’s Love can overflow into the world around us, as we obey his command to “love each other.”

Cross Roads Station Celebrations!

***Next Sunday at 9:45, we will devote our full Sunday School hour for a time of celebration and prayer to give thanks and dedicate Cross Roads Station to the Lord’s Service! Our hope is to have as many people together as possible for this time of prayer, from both services and from all age groups. Prayer and praise will be the main focus, but we will also share some details about the project, some stories, and some financial updates. There will be time for fellowship before and after as well.

Also in March, we hope to host our first all-church fellowship meal in Cross Roads Station after our morning services. A final date is still being determined, but we can begin to look forward to gathering together as a church family to share a meal for the first time in the new Fellowship Hall very soon!

This Sunday

This Sunday is Scout Sunday! Each week, we host over 60 Cub Scouts as they learn to ‘do their best to do their duty to God and country, and to help others.’ In both services, we will hear some brief updates about the scouting program, and scout families are being encouraged to attend. Let’s encourage these children and families and show them a warm welcome!

Get Connected will meet this Sunday at 9:45. It will meet in Room 107 next to the Gathering Place on the first floor. Get Connected is an opportunity to learn about our Sunday School Classes, Care Groups, and other Small Groups and Ministries that are offered here at SFCOG. It’s a great way to learn more about our Church Family and how you can be involved!

Outreach Opportunities

Our Outreach Committee is considering hosting a Wild Game Dinner this Spring and would like to gauge your interest. There will be sign-up sheets in the Sunday School classes and the Gathering Place where you can indicate if you would attend, and also if you would like to help with planning or maybe even provide wild game meat for the cause!

We are still collecting donations for the Circle of Love ministry. They are in need of any size of these items:

shampoo
body wash
conditioner
shaving cream
ladies' deodorant
toothpaste (please note: NO TOOTHBRUSHES are needed at this time)

Collecting will continue through this month in a container in the vestibule of the Sanctuary, closest to Cross Roads Station.

Circle of Love also wishes to extend a word of thanks to our congregation for giving our Christmas Eve offering to their ministry! Your generosity is helping to meet real needs here in Shippensburg.

Men’s Alliance Update

Our Keel Tribe Men’s Alliance group has helped to launch two new tribes in our local area! Pray for these new groups now meeting in Scotland & Chambersburg, and praise the Lord for this growing ministry! All men are welcome to come on Saturdays at 7:00 here in Shippensburg for a work out and Bible Study.

Men’s Alliance will also be starting a more in-depth weekly Bible Study on Monday evenings beginning on February 26^th. All men are welcome and encouraged to attend (even if they are not involved on Saturdays).

Senior Ministry Highlights

We are hoping to resume the Living Stones senior ministry (for people age 50+). If you would like to be involved on a planning team for this ministry, please contact Pastor Gary ( visitation_and_discipleship@shipfcog.org ).

Next Saturday, February 17, there will be a special brunch for Widows, Widowers, & Singles (age 50+) at 10:30 in the Annex. Sign-Up sheets may be found in your Sunday School classes. Come join in for some food and fellowship!

The annual Good Friday Luncheon provided to Senior Citizens (60+) by the Busch Trust Fund will be taking place in the Cross Roads Station fellowship hall on March 29 at Noon. Sign-up sheets will be located in the Sunday School classes. Please Register in advance for planning purposes.

Children & Youth Updates

Our Children and Youth Ministries have some special events planned in the near future, including games and Easter activities for Children and their families, and a Youth Retreat at Camp YoliJwa in March. Keep these events and their leaders in your prayers, and watch for more information from our Children and Youth departments!

Key Notice

As part of the final steps of the Cross Roads Station renovation project, the locks on all 3 of our buildings have been updated. We’ve learned that some existing keys may still work, but some may not (the electronic fobs should all still work). Please contact the church office or talk to one of our trustees if you feel you will need an updated key. We encourage you to stop by the church office during normal office hours (M-F 9-3) prior to a time when you might need access to the building to check your old keys.

I pray that God continues to reveal to you how much He Loves You and the World as you seek to live for Him!

Pastor Rodney Bistline

Shippensburg First Church of God

seniorpastorbistline@shipfcog.org