Expeditions

Ladies Summer Calendar

The ladies have lots of fun events planned for this summer.  Click on the link below to download the summer calendar.

Download Ladies summer calendar 2012

Podcast of Sunday's Message

Click on the link below to listen to Pastor Chuck's message "Accord" from Sunday, May 20, 2012.

May 20 Accord

Absolutely Brilliant: Coasting Along?

This is likely one of the last 'AB blogs'. It has been fun over the past 4 years and I hope that some of you have gotten something useful out of the many postings. If nothing else, I hope to serve as a warning to your children (as what to not grow into), but I digress....

I recently took a trip to a country that was largely canabalistic 100 years ago, but today is largely Christian. Now I have to wonder when the first missionaries were discussing communion, were they a bit nervous?  Were the locals a bit confused?  When you talk about ‘drinking my blood’ and ‘eating my body’ to a group of cannibals, it might not have the desired outcome!  In fact, the locals might show an enthusiasm that was completely unexpected when the missionary woke up that morning. 

Christ has been completely amazing for me, my family, and many of the people I know.  Does that mean that everyone is coasting along and all 'hunky dorey'?  Nope, not even close.  People tend to want to do their own thing even though it might be contrary to what God wants.  Concerning the people of the country that I recently visited, are they all saved?  Of course not, people tend to do what they want, no matter how good they might have it. 

In all things, give thanks, and if you’re not going to eat that leg, pass it over!         (just kidding)     ....Absolutely Brilliant!

Podcast of Sunday's Message

Click on the link below to listen to Pastor Chuck's message from Sunday, May 13, 2012.

May 13 Mama Mia

Podcast of Sunday's Message

Sadly, we did not get Pastor Chuck's message from May 6 recorded.

Happily, you can read his notes below.  :)

 

True North Church
Year of Re-Imagining:
May 6, 2012

“Ecclesia:  What’s That Mean?”
---Part 2---

 

This morning I’d like to complete last week’s message: “Ecclesia: What’s That Mean?”. This week will be part two.

By way of short review, we talked last week about the nature, practices and focus of the earliest Christian gatherings…the ecclesia. That word means, literally, the “called out ones”. We translate it into English as “church”.

We talked first about what it was to which the original church devoted itself. The list is found in the book of the Acts of the Apostles in the 2^nd chapter.

It looks like this:

• Apostles’ teaching;
• Fellowship
• Sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper);

• Prayer
• Meeting;
• Sharing possessions;
• Worshipping;
• Praising God

 

If you were here last week you might remember that I re-ordered this list in the list of importance assigned to each action in Scripture.

That list looks like this:

• Prayer;
• Worship;
  • Meeting;
    • In one place;
    • In homes;
• Praising God;
• Fellowship;
  • Meals sharing;
  • Possessions sharing
  • Apostle’s teaching

We talked about how critical prayer is as the foundation for all the church may do. We talked about the fact that corporate worship is the natural result of prayer. We learned that corporate worship results in a desire to gather with others of like mind…both in corporate settings and in smaller groups and that those gatherings produce fellowship…the sharing of meals, resources, needs and grace.

And, we learned that in those gatherings the early Christians also devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…which consisted primarily of the narrative of the Resurrection story and the repeating of Jesus’ teachings.

Finally, we left with a call to re-imagine what our ecclesia here at True North should look like.

Today, we pick up with a look at what this early gathering of believers looked like as a result of doing these things to which they were devoted.

Acts 2:42-47

I’m fascinated by this description of the earliest ecclesia. I’ve been blessed to have been part of a church body that looked like this for a season…it’s almost impossible to describe the experience. You just had to be there.

Honestly, I’d like to see and be part of this experience one more time in my life…right here at True North would be fine with me.

So what did this church look like?

First, there was a deep sense of awe among the people. What do you imagine created this awe? It could have been any number of things, but in my experience the awe one feels in the Body of Christ, the “church”, is the awe that comes from seeing the power of the Holy Spirit change lives. Seeing a person who was wounded, lost, and dead in spirit, literally transformed in front of your eyes…that produces awe!

That kind of transformation cannot be explained by any other means than the power of the Holy Spirit. Wouldn’t it be great if we continued to see this transforming power as we have been…and see even more of it? What if True North were known as a place where great awe abounded?

This early church was also noted as a place where great joy was present. May I ask a pointed question: Did you come to True North today full of great joy? Full of anticipation for what God might do among us today? Are you on the edge of your seat waiting for what might happen? Wouldn’t that be a great church to belong to…a church where if you missed a service you might miss something  special?

It was also an ecclesia where there was great generosity. Meals, resources and money were shared. Acts, chapter 4, tells us that this sharing was so generous that there were no needy people within that church. Can we think about that for a minute…no needy people in that church? What would that look like here at True North?

Next, this gathering of Jesus-followers had a truly remarkable impact on their community…they were covered in goodwill! Given the world in which we live, that’s rather astounding. I’m not sure that’s the description that would be common to ecclasias in our community would you? If it were so, why would the great majority of folks ignore our gatherings each week? That’s a hard fact…it’s not speculation.

Finally, and perhaps most important, people’s lives were being transformed and they were joining this ecclesia on a daily basis and the Lord was doing the work.

It’s critical to understand exactly what this looked like. First, what were the people being saved from? The only logical and Scriptural explanation for this is that they were being saved from the futility of trying to please God by rule-keeping…by keeping the law. For a Jew, this was the only way he or she knew to proceed to please God. This early ecclesia offered a better way…the way of accepting the life and heart of Jesus Christ as a new way, a new covenant of God with humankind. It was a completely new way of thinking, and living. And, it came with no systematic theology, no New Testament, no scholarly endeavors…it came with the model of regular people following Christ’s example.

I cannot stress enough that this was the Lord’s plan for adding to the church…the regular, consistent modeling of the life, teaching and heart of Jesus—God who came to live among us. This addition of new lives was not the result of trained cadre’ of evangelists, or a strikingly attractive program of church activities; it was far more natural; a result of the natural life of Jesus-followers.

And notice something…the meet together daily, weekly and whenever they wanted to. And, they engaged their community…that’s how the new people were added. They were invited to the meals, saw the sharing and joy and they met these new Jesus-followers in their daily life.

You may have received a letter from me this week setting out a new way of doing ecclesia here at True North for this coming summer. After much prayer and inquiring of the Lord, your leadership team has decided to intentionally move in the direction of this early model.

We will meet as a body of believers on Thursday evenings. We will share a meal, share music and teaching and we will bring our joy and our generosity with us. Then, we will head out into our community looking for those who the Lord has prepared to add to our fellowship.

You will hear more as we get closer to our start date of June 14^th.

We will share a meal together after our service on May 20^th and you’ll be able to ask any questions you may have.

We’re actively re-imagining what it means to be ecclesia in our world and this time in human history. Join me in seeking God’s mind for your place in this mission to impact our community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

BENEDICTUS:

May the God of the church fold you in his arms today. May the God who called you to be part of the Body of Christ equip you with his vision today. May the God who poured joy, awe and generosity into his church pour them into your life today. And may you, and I, and all of us, commit ourselves to his Son anew today. Amen.

Building Update

The new addition has recently gained a roof!  Check out the progress below:

 

Something New this Summer

A letter from Pastor Chuck recently went out to our True North family, and we wanted our online friends to receive it as well.  Happy Reading!

 

Dear True North Friend:

Greetings in the strong name of our Lord, Jesus Christ! I trust you are enjoying the beautiful colors of spring and the promise of a coming summer. I especially love the varied blossoms and the vibrant colors that come with spring in our area.

I want to inform you of an upcoming change in the pattern of our church practice at True North for the coming summer. Our leadership team has been praying and asking for guidance from the Lord for our approach to ministry this summer.

It’s no secret that here in north Idaho summer is a time for recreation, family time, and gatherings of friends and neighbors. We have a number of years of data showing a distinct drop in our attendance at True North during the summer. Frankly, the summer months create times of conflict…the draw of the Sunday celebration gathering is offset by the tug of the lake, the family camping trip, the neighborhood sports league.

The folks we are trying to reach with the Gospel become harder to capture and bring to church with us…and, honestly, many of us would like to be with them where they are.

After much prayer and conversation, our True North leadership team has made a decision. We are going to move our celebration gathering time from Sunday mornings to Thursday nights for the summer weeks.

Let me give you a brief rationale for this change:

• It follows the model of Jesus’ ministry. He went where the people were…Matthew’s parties, Zacchaeus’s house, along the road. Rarely did he make people come to him;
• Our mission at True North is to: Love God, Love Others, Make Disciples. Being where people are is an essential part of each of these;
• Making connections with our neighbors and friends is vital to impacting our community;
• It helps us see our church as a “force”, not just a “place”;
• It is a thoughtful attempt to embrace the rhythms of our community and our church family;
• If follows the model of the original church of Jesus;
• It is consistent with “re-imagining” our church this year.

Let me also say what this approach is not:

• It is not a gimmick to build our attendance numbers;
• It is not a surrender to the summer schedule of those who miss church on Sunday for part, or most, of the summer;
• It is not change simply for the sake of change.

Our current plans for the Thursday celebration look like this:

1. The evening will start at 6PM with a simple meal provided by True North (we’ve already had a team of “chefs” volunteer to prepare it);
2. We are encouraging you to come directly from work…you won’t need to pick up food for the family; it will be ready when you arrive;
3. We’ll share dinner together until around 6:20 and then have a time of music and celebration. It will follow a similar format to our current Sunday celebration;
4. I will share the message from God’s Word and we will conclude before 7:30PM, leaving daylight for you to get together with friends or have time with your children.

At the same time, we will encourage you to plan to move intentionally into the community during the weekend. We will have a booklet prepared listing all the community activities available during the summer. We will have “captains” who will organize and lead you on outings about which they are knowledgeable.

The underlying motivation is for each of us to find events, gatherings, and groups where we can participae with the presence of Jesus Christ forefront in our minds. Already, I’ve heard of some who want to serve at ONE in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Some are planning to adopt youth sports teams for the summer, providing snacks and just being a booster and supporter to kids that we wouldn’t otherwise reach. Others are planning camping trips with neighbors who wouldn’t be available to come to True North on a Sunday.

The possibilities are endless!

In coming weeks you will hear much more about this change. We’ll be sharing our dreams and thoughts about making this a significant ministry time for our church.

We’ll even have a “Grill the Pastor” day on May 20^th when we’ll have a potluck meal and you’ll be able to ask me (and the leadership team) any questions you wish.

Our prayerful desire is that you will truly see this as a time to re-imagine your impact on the people you know…a time to think anew about what it means to be a representative of Jesus in our community. No one will be left behind in the process.

Please join your leadership in praying about God’s place for you in building His Kingdom this summer!

God bless you!

Pastor Chuck Wilkes

Podcast of Sunday's Message

Click on the link below to listen to Pastor Chuck's sermon from Sunday, April 29, 2012.

Apr 29 Re-Imagining

Construction Update April 2012

Check out the progress on our building addition:

 

Podcast of Sunday's Message??

Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to record Pastor Chuck's message on Sunday, April 15.

However, his notes are available below.  Happy Reading!

 

TRUE NORTH CHURCH
YEAR OF RE-IMAGINING:
APRIL 15, 2012
Pastor Chuck Wilkes

 

“PEACE—RE-IMAGINED”

We’ve just come through the Easter season…Lent and Holy Week converged last Sunday as Resurrection Day. And we had a great day!

There is sometimes a tendency to move right on past the Easter season. It’s the high point of the Christian year and somehow it just seems right to move on.

However, if one thinks deeply about the post-Easter season it takes on a much more significant flavor than is commonly appreciated.

Today I’d like to re-imagine what it must have been like immediately after Resurrection Day.

Our Scripture passage this morning gives us a hint.

John 20:19-29

I’ve often tried to imagine myself as one of the disciples of Jesus right after the story of his Resurrection reached me. Would I have shouted for joy? Would I have danced with delight? Would I have found the nearest Roman soldier or Jewish leader and told him to blow it out his ear? Sometimes I like to think I would have.

But when I trim my imagination with honesty, I find myself in the same closed and locked room with the rest of the Jesus team. Locked in, doors shut, windows covered, lights down, voices hushed…there we sit wondering what has really happened.

It’s hard to process resurrection. These disciples hadn’t had a lot of experience at it. But…they had had more than most. They knew about Jesus’s friend Lazarus; had been in on that event. They’d been around for healings of people who were as good as dead. Surely you’d think they could appreciate the resurrection of Jesus.

But, they did not…and I probably wouldn’t have either.

So, here they are locked in, fearful, wondering what’s going to happen; and Jesus shows up. The first words from this resurrected Lord are the ones I want us to hear today: “Peace be with you.”

I’m struck by his choice of post-resurrection greeting. It’s not power or joy or strength he speaks into their frightened hearts…it is peace.

As he shows them the wounds in his hands and side they are full of joy, but again he speaks peace to them.

In my mind, peace and joy are linked. Peace is joy at rest; joy is peace dancing.

Here Jesus is focused on peace…and I think I can imagine why.

Jesus knows that the kind of power exhibited in resurrection won’t be received well and all times and all places. Just as his closest friends had heard the resurrection story and responded with fear so would people like you and me down through the centuries.

What is this power? Is it on my side or against me? Will it hurt me or someone I love? These are not questions that immediately create peace.

But Jesus speaks peace to his friends, twice.

It’s interesting to me what happens next. After he leaves, the narrative picks up a bit more than a week later. Note the setting…it’s just the same. Same disciples, same locked room. Undoubtedly the same fear factor.

And he does it again. When Thomas shows up, having missed the first appearance, Jesus immediately speaks peace to them.

When I try to re-imagine peace I see myself with them. I know the power of the Resurrection. We heard two real life stories of that power just last Sunday. But how many of us needed a word of peace this week…or even today.

I know I did. The first thing Monday morning the wheels in my life started to wobble. It hasn’t been the best of weeks and I tend to drop back to the locked door response.

But, in the midst of wobble and weave Jesus spoke peace to me and maybe to you.

I believe the reason for Jesus’s focus on peace is this: Until a person incorporates the power of the Resurrection into their life in the person of the Holy Spirit…that kind of power is just scary, not comforting.

Notice the progression of Jesus words in vv. 19-22:

¹⁹That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁰As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord! ²¹Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” ²²Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

First, peace; then, replication; then Pentecost.

It’s the same progression as the high holidays of the Christian year…Christmas without Easter is just a party day; Christmas and Easter without Pentecost are just scary.

Jesus knew the power of the Resurrection needed to be personalized before it would bring peace and power.

Have you lived this week in the glow of Resurrection power? Or did you, or do you, need a word of peace this morning?

I can tell you on the authority of God’s Word that peace can be yours. The power can be in you and be both your power and your peace.

Resurrection is scary…we need a voice of peace. And sometimes we need is to sound like a human voice. Can we practice today?

BENEDICTUS:

Speaking peace to each other we go today.