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Ash Wednesday Devotional

Ash Wednesday is a day for reflection and repentance. In light of the fact that today is also Valentines day we wanted to give you this opportunity to participate in the significance of this day without doing a full service at the church. We have provided this video devotional to help you reflect. The other video here is a song and scripture reading to help you worship as well. Take some time to focus on this practice to experience the benefits of the practice. We hope this blesses you on your journey of following Jesus.

Ash Wednesday Devotional2023-06-27T11:46:23-06:00

Jesus Above | STUDY Revelation 1:1-5a

Thanks for joining us as we begin the STUDY part of our week. There are many great religious items you can buy for someone who is being christened, but personalised christening gifts are generally considered to be the best gifts anyone can buy today, because they are often considered to be both special and unique. By personalizing the item you purchase for your friend or loved one, you can show that you care and you can make them feel very special. The best place where you can find this type of gifts is Holyart.

Today, we’ll be exploring one simple but powerful tool you can use when you read any book of the Bible, but especially when you open Revelation.


Have you ever put your foot in your mouth? I don’t mean literally. I mean, have you ever said something out of an assumption rather than based on the reality of a situation? Some of us have got ourselves in trouble by suggesting someone was pregnant, by inferring false intentions when failing to text back, or spreading rumors you thought were true. I’m sure you and I both could share some ridiculous stories resulting from moments like these. This just goes to show that context is everything. Context helps us locate truth.

Thankfully, before John ever gets into the nitty gritty of his apocalyptic visions in Revelation, he begins his letter by giving us the context of his writing. These first verses are key to getting the right context before jumping to any conclusions throughout the entire book.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.” Revelation 1:1-5a

Before you go any further, take a moment to use TOOL #1 CONTEXT. What does John want you, the reader, to know about the context in which he’s writing? In your own words describe the context for the book of Revelation. Feel free to voice it aloud, jot it down on paper, or text it into the notes app on your phone.

Pastor Ryan gave some more detail about the context of this book in his message on Sunday. The Apostle John is on an island, far away from his church family, and far away from the empires that are making life difficult for Jesus-followers. Because of John’s intentional context, Ryan concludes, “This letter, before it’s about any events that are going to happen in the future, it’s about the person who stands above the future.”

So, what does the context of this book mean for us today. The context is Jesus is on his throne, and this is our context too. No matter what circumstances we face. Today, we can praise Jesus for being: “the one who is and who was and who is to come”, the one who sits on “his throne”, the “faithful witness”, the “firstborn of the dead”, and the “ruler of kings on earth”. Amen.


If you missed the weekend message, I’d encourage you to watch it online before continuing the Revelation study with us.

Jesus Above | STUDY Revelation 1:1-5a2019-07-30T17:16:58-06:00

A Conversation With Myself

This is probably better suited as a journal entry but I felt compelled to share it. I think my own battles with insecurity and craving for praise is not unique to me. This journal entry was a little conversation I had with myself as I reflected on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6: 1-4.

6 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Aaron, It’s not like wanting recognition is bad, in fact, it is deeply human and unavoidable. After all, it’s not just you who wants to be seen and appreciated. Isn’t that one of humanities deepest cravings? The problem is not wanting to be seen, it’s when you fail to recognize you are seen fully every movement of every day by God.

That craving you have for praise and recognition slips into pride when you seek that praise from other people. Recognition and praise between humans can’t help but be comparative, a status thing. When you want others to tell you that you did well, it’s always viewed on a scale of you compared to others. The only time it isn’t is when the complement is filtered through the all-seeing and all loving eyes of God. Humility is a sober recognition of all of reality; my strengths compared to God’s, my weaknesses compared to God’s love, and my value apart from what I do and solely based on who God says I am. Humility is not as thought out as that because when my heart is rightly focused I simply forget myself completely. It’s futile to constantly compare myself to God so I either run from him or embrace His nonsensical love for me.

Aaron, your failure is not your craving for praise. It’s the fact that you neglect your personal (yes personal) relationship with your good Father. He sees you! He knows when you have done well and he gives you affirmation. He also knows when you have not truly done well and loves you anyway. Your obsession with other people’s praise is more of an indictment on whether you believe a personal relationship with God is possible and real. You do not invest in that living relationship in such a way that His affirmation of you can penetrate your need for it.

Aaron, look at what Jesus is actually teaching in the verses above. Reward based righteousness is not condemned, he is simply asking you to remember God rather than others when seeking a reward. Why the word reward? Is he talking about a prize or trophy? It’s probably the same reward I am seeking by doing my deeds before people. It might be a prize but it’s more likely just the kudos that I’m after. Those kudos are what God gives you. This passage is a deeply relational text.

Human recognition (reward) is never fully satisfying anyway, is it? If human praise is always on a scale of comparison between you and others, it can’t satisfy. There will always be someone above you. Like the text says, “they have received their reward.” When I seek human recognition I may get it but it’s never satisfying. When I do good things in the presence of my all seeing and good Father it is truly satisfying. It can’t be tainted with untruthful exaggeration or pride because he sees all. He also knows how hard it was to do the right thing even if it was a small act of righteousness. No human could see that depth of an act of goodness.

So today Aaron, don’t forget your father sees you. He appreciates who you are because he made you. He sees the struggles you have to do what is right and he celebrates your successes and comforts you when you fail. No need to seek recognition from anyone else, it’s too exhausting anyway. Just spend your energy in a living duologue with God today. Receive his Kudos when you do what is right and accept his loving instruction when you do what is wrong. Remember he sees your secrets and He praises you for the good, forgives you for the bad, and is working to transform the ugly into something beautiful.

A Conversation With Myself2023-06-27T11:46:46-06:00

New Song – Lion and the Lamb

This song has been so fun to do over the past few weeks! There are so many reasons I love this song. There are some songs that seem easier to sing as a group. Many of those songs for us at South Fellowship tend to be majestic slow building songs. This one is so singable but it’s also upbeat and joyful at the same time. It’s just fun!

The lyrics of this song are my favorite part. Deposited in the words is a beautiful contrast that we see in our God. Scripture describes Jesus as both a lion and as a lamb. What does that mean for us? God is powerful like a lion; he has fangs and claws and rippling muscles that are capable. That means he is able to protect, and capable to fight on behalf of his people.

That is good news for anyone who is on his side. At first glance we might feel satisfied with only that one description of God thinking that we are on God’s side. But if we look closer, we must recall that, “None is righteous, no, not one (Rom 3:10.” If we look also to Romans 5 where it says, “while we were enemies we were reconciled to God.” No one has approached God as a pure and and worthy person. That means the lion is not on your side. This “lion of judah” is on the side of what is good and we are not good. In fact, on our own, we are God’s enemies. Without some radical transformation we are what is wrong with the world and this lion is protecting what is good.

This is where the beautiful balance of the second description comes in. Jesus is also the lamb that was slain. At first we might think the point of this description is to conjure ideas of Jesus being sweet and gentle, maybe even a bit cuddly. For Israel, that is not what a lamb represented. Lambs were an animal of sacrifices for sin. Jesus isn’t just a lamb, he is the “lamb that was slain.” This sacrifice is what opens the doors of the forgiveness, reconciliation, and healing. The blood of the lamb is what pays for the evils that we have done in this world. Jesus being a sacrificed lamb allows us to have the option of being on the same side as the lion.

In C.W. Lewis’ masterful series Chronicles of Narnia Aslan is the good King of Narnia. Aslan also happens to be a huge lion. Before any of the children have met Aslan there is a beautiful dialogue that captures some of the ideas that I am writing about. In this scene Mr. Beaver is telling the children about Aslan.

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion.” “Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion”…”Safe?” said Mr Beaver …”Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

I love that line, “Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.” This song is all about that. Our God is both a lion, a very unsafe but good lion. He is also a lamb who lays down his life for his enemies so that all of his strength and power can be on our side.

May prayer as we sing this song is that we would remember the beautiful contrast of these two images. May that contrast heighten our appreciation for the Gospel that we have been offered because of the “lamb that was slain.” May we rest in the presence of the Lion of Judah who is strong on our behalf.

Lyrics

Verse 1
He’s coming on the clouds kings and kingdoms will bow down
Every chain will break as broken hearts declare His praise
Who can stop the Lord Almighty

Chorus
Our God is a Lion the Lion of Judah
He’s roaring in power and fighting our battles
And every knee will bow before Him
Our God is a Lamb the Lamb that was slain
For the sins of the world His blood breaks the chains
And every knee will bow before the Lion and the Lamb
Every knee will bow before Him

Verse 2
Open up the gate make way before the King of Kings
The God who comes to save is here to set the captives free
For who can stop the Lord Almighty

Bridge
Who can stop the Lord Almighty
Who can stop the Lord Almighty
Who can stop the Lord Almighty
Who can stop the Lord

New Song – Lion and the Lamb2023-06-27T11:47:16-06:00

The Good News of Judgment

“The word judgment carries negative overtones for a good many people in our liberal and postliberal world. We need to remind ourselves that throughout the Bible God’s coming judgment is a good thing, something to be celebrated, longed for, yearned over. It causes people to shout for joy and the trees of the field to clap their hands. In a world of systematic injustice, bullying, violence, arrogance, and oppression, the thought that there might come a day when the wicked are firmly put in their place and the poor and weak are given their due is the best news there can be. Faced with a world in rebellion, a world full of exploitation and wickedness, a good God must be a God of judgment.”

—N. T. Wright

The Good News of Judgment2017-05-24T00:00:00-06:00

Running on Empty

I hate running on the treadmill, but I do it. I do it because I live in Colorado and would rather run on the treadmill than in the snow. I wasn’t expecting to still be running inside on May 19, but so it goes.

I was all dressed for my run. I grabbed my iPad – because nothing is worse than running on a treadmill with nothing to occupy your mind. It makes a 4 mile run feel like a marathon. The occupied mind makes for energized (or distracted) legs. I opened my iPad and found out that the battery was drained. It wouldn’t even turn on. So, I grabbed my cord, plugged it in, and started to run.

A few mins later, my iPad turned on.

I thought I was good to go, but after a few minutes, it shut off – even though it was still plugged in. It turns out, the energy being used to run the iPad is greater than the energy going into the iPad through the charger.

So, I stared at the wall in my basement and I ran. And I thought. I thought about the way that my life feels a lot like that iPad. I operate under the assumption that I can refuel on the run. Some planes can do that. They’re met in the air by another plane bringing fuel and they don’t even have to stop, they just refuel while they’re flying. But my life doesn’t work that way. I’m guessing yours doesn’t either. We are more like my iPad than the plane.

We must stop to refuel.
Pause.
Cease.
Breathe.
Sabbath.

We all know experientially that we can’t refuel on the run – because the output is always greater than the input. That’s why Jesus was often seen early in the morning sneaking away to spend time his father. He knows that in order to love the people around him, he must first hear the overtures of love that flow from his father. It’s the same reason the Israelites practiced Sabbath. They took one day each week to stop. They stopped producing. They ceased from their work. They simply sat in the reality that the world continued to spin even when they stopped working. They stepped under the truth that they were loved even when they weren’t busy, or useful, or productive.

What a novel concept.

It’s not surprising that Jesus refers to the Sabbath as a a gift to be received, not command to be followed. “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” (Mk 2:27) Because we need to recharge and it doesn’t happen when we’re in production mode. It doesn’t happen while we’re on the move. The output always eclipses the input. We need to stop.

I run for physical well-being, stress management, and personal sanity. But, I’m usually listening something or watching something while I run. Maybe my iPad’s lack of charge was a gift. Maybe today I needed to think. Maybe today I needed to be reminded that plugging in to recharge needs to be a priority in my life. It’s a priority that I’ve certainly neglected lately. How crazy; I’m too busy to fill my life up so that I have something to spill into the lives of those I love – my family, friends, and my faith community.

I’ve been running on empty. I’m grateful that the black screen reminded me today that my soul needs fuel – and I need to stop in order to give it.

Running on Empty2017-05-19T00:00:00-06:00

Easter. Who Cares?

Every year followers of Jesus gather to celebrate the resurrection. Churches circle this day on their calendar as “the day.” They hold it as one of the most important and significant days of the entire year. Some go so far as to say that Easter is the most important holiday on the Christian calendar.

Why?

I think that’s a fair question. Let’s assume that we believe that Jesus did rise from the dead over 2,000 years ago. I wrote here arguing that I believe the best evidence does point to a literal bodily resurrection. However, that in and of itself doesn’t make it important. There are a number of other people who claimed to have been risen from the dead – in fact, there are at least 10 resurrections recorded in the Bible. There are others who have written books about dying and coming back to life. But we don’t celebrate their resurrection with liturgy and pageantry on an annual basis. What makes the resurrection of Jesus different? Why should we care about this Galilean man walking out of the grave on that first Easter morning?

The Scriptures give several reasons Jesus’ resurrection changed everything:

1. Faith

While there have been a number of others who have been raised from the dead, there haven’t been any other people who have predicted that they would be crucified and then raised – and actually pulled it off (Mt. 16:21). The fact that Jesus was able to predict his own death and come through on his promise, puts his resurrection in a different category. The resurrection declares that Jesus is validated as the Son of God that he claimed to be. Now, we must accept his teaching as authoritative and binding.

The Apostle Paul reasoned about the implications of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:14, 19 writing, “14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain… 19If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” If the resurrection didn’t happen, then our faith is in vain and we are to be pitied. On the contrary, if the resurrection did happen, our faith should be anchored in Jesus.

The resurrection makes the clear claim that it’s God’s design for us to have faith in Jesus. His teaching is validated. His way is vindicated. His life is victorious.

2. Firstfruits

The Scriptures use an interesting term when they discuss the Jesus’ bodily resurrection – ‘firstfruits.’ “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20) Firstfruits were the earliest crop of the year. It was the grain or wheat that sprouted and came to fruition before the rest. But, here’s the important part – it was the same type of that which was coming after it. The firstfruits weren’t a different kind of crop, they were simply the first of the type. After the rest of the crop had ripened, there would be a flood of the same kind of ‘fruit’ that followed.

When the Scriptures state that Jesus is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (died), they are claiming that those who are dead will one day be resurrected in the same way that Jesus was resurrected. He is the prototype or the first of a kind, but there are many to follow. And we will be just like him. With a body. On this (renewed) earth. Immortal.

The fact that Jesus is the firstfruits of resurrection reality and destiny, should breathe hope into the collective soul of humanity. John, one of Jesus’ disciples and good friends, drives the hope home for the early followers of Jesus by writing, “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3) Notice what John was arguing. First, we shall be like him. Secondly, this should give us a renewed sense of hope. Because his resurrection changes everything.

3. Forgiveness

The anthem of the early church was not simply that Jesus rose from the dead accomplishing some crazy, other-worldly stunt. They believed that Jesus’ resurrection had done something for them. Once again, the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” If the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth never happened, then forgiveness is an unrealized hope. One of the most fundament human needs would remain unmet and unattainable.

However, if Christ has been raised, he has done so with forgiveness in his hand! Forgiveness is the deepest, truest, most life-altering reality. The great author, Ronald Rolheiser, accurately states, “The world contains only one thing that is truly novel, forgiveness. Everything else is an old tape repeating itself endlessly over and over again.” This forgiveness, the slate being wiped clean, is new… and it changes the way we live and move and have our being. John the Baptizer claimed that Jesus was the “lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Jesus was the God-man who, instead of killing his enemies, laid down his life for him. He walked out of the grave and into a new world. A world where sin had lost its grip on humanity. A world where death was no longer king. A world where guilt and shame no longer got the finally word.

A world swimming in forgiveness.

Jesus walked out of the grave only after purchasing forgiveness through the shedding of his blood. It is one of the central reasons Christians celebrate his resurrection. Unlike any other rising, he did so for us, and his resurrection was effective in securing forgiveness for all of humanity (1 Tim. 4:10).

Who cares about Jesus’ resurrection?

I do.

You should too. It changed everything. Your faith is not futile. Your destiny is sealed. Your sins are forgiven. All because Jesus went into the ground on Friday, and walked out of the grave on Sunday. That’s why we celebrate.

I invite you, join the anthem of the redeemed.

Easter. Who Cares?2017-04-14T00:00:00-06:00

New Song: Exalted Over All

We have been singing this song over the past several weeks. I love finding songs that have a strong connection to a passage of scripture and this song is like that. This songs was birthed from Philippians chapter 2

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

This text is one of my favorites because it teaches us of the extent to which Christ went to save us. He humbled himself to become a human. When he did that he set aside his heavenly power only to be beaten and killed for us. These truths demonstrate God’s extravagant love for you and I. The passage goes on to tell us that after Jesus rose again he was given the name above every other name. God had not only conquered sin but he had defeated death and earned a name above every other name.

One of the theologically significant things that took place through Jesus was the proving of his nature. Jesus was and has always been worthy of highest praise but because of his life death and resurrection he demonstrated that worth in a unique way. Hebrews teaches us this idea in multiple places saying things like, “learned obedience” through what he suffered (Her 5:8). Jesus was perfect and complete before he because human but he demonstrated his perfection through his life. Jesus proves that God isn’t all talk when it comes to love. Jesus demonstrated he isn’t all talk when it comes to how we should live. He put action to his love and commands. Jesus has earned the name above every name by not just being God but by remaining holy even in his human form.

When we sing this song I want us to reflect on how evident Jesus’ worth is. He is exalted over all for so many reasons. I love raising our voices together to say that because it feels like we are doing exactly what we will be doing in all of eternity. Our entire future is going to be filled with lives that reflect, sing, and exalt Jesus above all else. Let’s start that process today, let’s use this song to help us.

Lyrics

From heaven’s throne, You came to us
And set your heart upon the cross
We’ll never know the sacrifice You’ve made
For all our sin and all our shame
You took the nails, You took our place
No one else could do what You have done
One name is higher
One name is stronger
Than any grave, than any throne
Christ exalted over all
From the grave, where death would die
You rose again and brought us life
You’re reigning now, the Saviour of the world
You’re reigning now, the Saviour of the worldOne name is higher
One name is stronger
Than any grave, than any throne
Christ exalted over all
The only Saviour, Jesus Messiah
To You alone our praise belongs
Christ exalted over all

We’ll sing your praise
We’ll sing your praise
We’ll sing your praise forever
We lift your name
We lift your name
Jesus over all

|2x|

One name is higher
One name is stronger
Than any grave, than any throne
Christ exalted over all
The only Saviour, Jesus Messiah
To You alone our praise belongs
Christ exalted over all
To You alone our praise belongs
Christ exalted over all

We’ll sing your praise
We’ll sing your praise
We’ll sing your praise forever
We lift your name
We lift your name
Jesus over all

|4x|

One name is higher
One name is stronger
Than any grave, than any throne
Christ exalted over all
The only Saviour, Jesus Messiah
To You alone our praise belongs
Christ exalted over all
To You alone our praise belongs
Christ exalted over all

New Song: Exalted Over All2023-06-27T11:47:39-06:00

John Wesley’s Self-Examination Quiz

JOHN WESLEY’S SELF-EXAMINATION QUIZ

John Wesley is one of the founders of the Methodist movement that began in the 18th century. Before Methodism was a denomination, it was a method. Imagine that. Wesley had a method he wanted his followers to embrace – a way for them to connect with God and follow Him. The questions below have their origin in the spiritual accountability group started by Wesley when he was a student at Oxford — a group that detractors called “The Holy Club.”

  1. Am I creating the impression that I am better than I realy am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
  2. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
  3. Can I be trusted?
  4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
  5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
  6. Did the Bible live in me today?
  7. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
  8. Am I enjoying prayer?
  9. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
  10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
  11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
  12. Do I disobey God in anything?
  13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
  14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
  15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
  16. How do I spend my spare time?
  17. Am I proud?
  18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the tax collector?
  19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? What am I doing about it?
  20. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
  21. Is Christ real to me?

I’ve found that these questions are helpful as we seek to become disciples of Jesus. As you engage them, I pray your heart is stirred for him.

John Wesley’s Self-Examination Quiz2017-02-23T00:00:00-07:00

Year End Giving – 2016

December, 2016

Dear South Fellowship Church,

Merry Christmas to you and your family! It’s hard to believe another year is coming to a close. I find times of transition are a good chance to step back and reflect on the past year. As with any year, there were ups and downs; but we saw God’s good and gracious hand at work in it all. He has sustained us, he has grown us, and we give him all the glory and praise for the good things he has done. His mercy continues to be displayed in and through this church on a daily basis. I’m thankful for another year of living out gospel transformation, life giving community, and visible faith!

One of the words that epitomizes this past year for our church is ‘change.’ We’ve added three new staff members to our team in the past year and we promoted one person to a new position. Josh Billings came on board as Executive Pastor, Josh Suddath took over as Youth Pastor, Amy Palma joined our team as the Director of Kids Ministry, and Yvonne Biel took over as the director of Young Adult Ministry. God has brought us passionate, gifted, Jesus-loving people and it is a joy to work alongside them for the sake of the gospel!

In addition to the many roles that we have filled over the past year, we have continued to see God move in mighty ways – changing lives and drawing people to Jesus! Among other things, we have seen many people take the step of faith to be baptized, we have seen our Sunday attendance continue to increase, God has breathed new energy and passion into our kid’s ministry, and we hosted Perspectives and saw 42 South Fellowship attendees complete the course. In 2016 we began writing a daily devotional (The Daily) that follows along with our sermon series. We’ve seen hundreds of people engage with the content and use it as a way and we continue to see many people engaging our gospel-centered content online. Praise the Lord, for it is he who causes the growth!

This past year, South Fellowship continued its long tradition of being a blessing to the community. The Food Bank continues to operate at torrid pace, feeding 70-100 families in the community every week. The Early Learning Center and Solid Grounds are not only contributing financially to South Fellowship, they are also doing significant ministry. In addition, we continue to open our facility to over 70 outside groups and organizations on an annual basis. Our facility is truly viewed as a community center and we love it! The fact the building is used so much does mean there is regular maintenance and upgrades that need to take place. In the past year we were able to make facility upgrades to the kids wing; bringing it into the 21st century. We also are in the beginning stages of making some much needed improvements to the Student Center. Additionally, we just finished a sound system renovation in the sanctuary. We love having a space that is so usable for our church family and to those around us who need to hear the good news of Jesus.

If you’re a part of South Fellowship, I want to thank you for the ways you have given generously of yourself and your finances over this past year. As you consider organizations and ministries to contribute to at the end of this year, I would ask that you prayerfully consider a gift to South Fellowship Church. Your above-and-beyond gifts allow us to continue making improvements to our facilities as well as expanding the impact of our ministries. For your convenience we have included a response form highlighting different ways to give. Your year-end gifts need to be postmarked by December 31st in order to be counted on your 2016 taxes. In addition to partnering together financially, I’d like to encourage you to use the postcard included to invite someone to come to a Christmas Eve service with you. We are going to have a great night remembering the Christmas story and worshiping our God – who hears and comes to our rescue!

It is an absolute joy to be one of your pastors! Shepherding this church alongside our staff and elders is one of the great privileges of my life. If there is any way I can serve you, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time celebrating the coming of The King – Jesus Christ!

Grace + Peace,

Pastor Ryan Paulson

Year End Giving – 20162019-02-09T12:20:46-07:00
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