To Proclaim Good News

This Sunday we will kick off Fruitland Special Needs SERVE. This will be a whole week of excitement for our congregation. A week when participants and their mentors under the direction of the local leadership team will spread out into our community to share the love of God with their hands and their feet.

There's going to be more happening than work. There will be lots of time for fun, for building relationships, for enjoying good food, for relaxing, but the main goal of the week will be to show love for God, and through the power of that love, express love for the world.

As we kick this week off during a special service, we'll spend some time recognizing that that is exactly what Jesus came to do as well.  Jesus, in the book of Luke, suggests that he has come to fulfill a prophecy made by Isaiah and that he has come to proclaim good news, and freedom, and healing, and to end oppression. All bold claims, claims which were rejected by those who heard them.


It's going to be a wonderful morning of song, fellowship, learning, and even lunch. Be sure to join us.

Jesus' Ministry Program

In our scripture reading this week (Mark 6:1-13), Jesus sends his disciples off on a mission trip and gives them pretty clear instructions on how they are to go out and interact. There's something in his instructions that I think can be very helpful to us today. 

Jesus essentially says, "Go light, be nimble, accept hospitality, and don't go alone". He concludes his instructions saying, "If the place you are in doesn't want to hear what you have to say, don't waste your time, pick up and leave"

His words really stand in contrast with the infrastructure we have built for ministry, doesn't it? Our buildings certainly prevent us from being nimble in their unmoving locations, unbending layouts, and unending overhead costs. Our denominational structures, in some cases, add to the burden we carry into ministry, setting direction and adding costs from far away. Our hesitancy to end programs, and even close churches when they no longer appear to meet the needs of our communities and the goals of our ministries, hinders our effectiveness in truly bringing the gospel, bringing healing to our world.

This Sunday, we'll think about Jesus charge to his disciples as he sends them out, as well as his own reaction when his words and ministry don't yield fruit.