Chris Kliner

Sunday Stadium Review

This past weekend we wrapped up our series in the Stadium entitled “Puzzled”,  on the virtue of HOPE… believing that something good can come out of something bad.  We also added a twist to things and taught on a faith skill.  You will see the teaching overview below.  I feel kids really got a grasp of this month’s virtue of HOPE and I encourage you to continue to talk about this topic, especially given the times we are living in.

We are gearing up for a great couple weeks both in the Stadium and the Carnival on Palm and Easter Sunday.  We have some very exciting things planned for kids and their families, not the least our Easter Egg Hunt outreach to the community.  Let me know if you would like to be involved in that event in some way.  We have great needs for candy, prizes and of course… volunteer opportunities for the day of the event.  Check out this week's teaching review below...

 This Week In The Stadium (3-29-09)

But What About You?

Faith Skill #4: Articulate faith (share and defend)

Memory Verse: “‘But what about you?’ he asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’” Matthew 16:15, NIV/NIrV

Bible Story: But What About You? (Peter says Jesus is the Christ) • Matthew 16:13-17

Bottom Line: Who is Jesus?

This week we took a bit of a detour. Instead of focusing on a Bible lesson through the lens of a virtue, we spent some time on a faith skill. A faith skill is a spiritual habit that helps us establish a lifestyle of pursuing a relationship with God. This week’s faith skill was “articulate faith” (share and defend).

Articulating your faith is all about understanding what you believe and why you believe it so you can explain it to others. God inspires faith. When you know who He is and what He’s done, you understand you can’t put your faith and hope in anyone or anything more trustworthy.

God wants us to know what we believe about Him and His Son. This is why Jesus asked His disciples who people thought He was and, more importantly, “but who do YOU say I am?” In fact, each of us is going to be required to answer this question at some point.  But this is not just for our own benefit. It’s so we can tell others about Jesus. When others hear our faith story and why we put our hope in Jesus, they’ll have a chance to respond and maybe something we say—or even more importantly, our actions—will lead them to trust Jesus as their Savior too.  

Let's model this to our kids!

This Past Weekend Review and Weekly Teaching Overview

Well, the excitement just continues to build downstairs in the Stadium!! After having the opportunity to train 26 student leaders at our “Leading from the Lockers” retreat on Friday and Saturday, this past Sunday we again, had record attendance all across the Stadium not to mention our Early Childhood Carnival area which continues to grow and grow and grow!  I want you to know in the last two weeks we have connected 17 new team members to our ministry!  Just plain awesome!  We still have great needs;  especially on Wednesday night and Sunday morning with our youngest of children in the Carnival.  I encourage you to get involved in KidZone somewhere!

This past Sunday, we gave our regular opportunity for a response for kids to receive Jesus as their leader and Savior and we had 30 plus children respond.  God is up to  great things among us!!  I encourage you to talk to your children about this most important decision in their life.  I also hope the change we made at check in alleviated some pressure and made things a bit easier for you.  Please let me know your thoughts on this.  Thanks! 

I got an opportunity to breathe a bit on Sunday afternoon and look ahead with some team members at my house and we have some exciting things coming down the road to facilitate the growth and excitement that we expect to continue in the months ahead!! 

Here is the teaching overview for the week of 3-23-09!!

My Father’s House

 Virtue: Hope—believing that something good can come out of something bad.

Memory Verse: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” Romans 8:28, NIV/NIrV

Bible Story: My Father’s House (Jesus promises heaven) • John 14:1-11a

Bottom Line: Whatever happens, remember what Jesus promised. 

 

Life can bog us down. We deal with the not-so-pleasant-but-mundane things all the time, like paying bills, surviving traffic, and having cavities filled. They’re not what you’d call “biggies,” but they just don’t seem to go away. Then there are the truly heavy punches, like cancer, bankruptcy, or divorce.

Sometimes, in the midst of it all, we can forget what has been promised to us: Heaven.

Highlight this word—promise—and read the definition that pops up for its noun form. (If you’re not reading this in Word, “promise” is an “an assurance that something will be done or not done.” Even better, it’s “an indication that somebody or something will turn out well or successfully.”)

Hope is believing that something good can come out of something bad.  God’s desire and plan for humankind—that NONE should perish and ALL should have eternal life—is the ultimate example of hope.

God wants us to be filled with real hope that can only come from Him: the hope that assures us salvation and heaven through Jesus.   Life is hard, even for Christ follwers, but if we hang on to Jesus’ promise, we don’t have to wallow in hopelessness, no matter how bad things get. If we believe in Jesus, we KNOW that things will turn out right! What better message to share with the fallen, despairing, hopeless world around us?  Let’s model this to our kids!

Get Involved - Easter Egg Hunt 2009

Here is how you can get involved with this great event!!

The Word Is Out!

Let's continue to get the word out.  This is going to be a HUGE event for the Fox Cities!!

Jump In

Well, again a lot has changed in the past few months since the last time I updated but it really is good.  I can honestly say I have never been happier and healthier in life and ministry.  The life and excitement that is at Pathways is amazing.  A new day is here and I am so excited for the springtime.  New beginnings and fresh opportunity are budding all around us.  I love spring.  I love the fresh smell.  I love to watch my kids freak out with spring fever.  I love everything about it.  So, as I turn another page and jump into spring. I jump in with both feet, and a haert wide open anticipating God's belssing to shower down on my family, my church and pray that for you as well.  Jump in!