3 minute read
ENTER THE STORY
Three Summer Stretch small groups—such as this one on the cover—planted 500 pine saplings along Lord of Life’s campus perimeter. It’s a great analogy for the Children, Youth & Family department’s mission. All of us may not see trees (or children!) reach full maturity— yet still seedlings are planted & nurtured for the future. Lord of Life believes in youth and invests in faith formation. And this month, it is very exciting to invite all adults to enter a faith formation journey with The Story (see Pastor Joel’s lead article)!
The August issue traditionally features youth in summer programming; this month is no different. Lord of Life’s children and youth were in Adventure Week, Vacation Bible School (VBS) for preschoolers/kindergarteners, and Summer Stretch. Occurring during August is also a middle school mission trip to Milwaukee, WI, and more VBS for elementary ages. Whew! May we also learn about Finding Balance in Bible 101 by Brian Schroeder (Pages 10-11)!
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—Bev Mello
ENTER THE STORY................................................................2-3 BIBLE 101: FINDING BALANCE ...........................................4-5 PRESCHOOL - KINDERGARTEN VBS....................................6-7 ADVENTURE WEEK...............................................................8-9 SUMMER STRETCH / CONTACT US .................................10-11 WHICH IS BEST COMPASS FOR YOU & YOUR FAITH? ........12
by Lead Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem (joel@lordoflife.org)
Our brains are wired to make connections. I recently attended a conference where I did not know any of the other attendees. Whenever I’d meet another new person, I found myself trying to find connections between them and me. Hometown, family situation, job history, what have you.
What I found was that I was able to make connections with each person I met since our shared humanity gave us a common space. It was up to me to find out what it was.
This all points to ideas about our identity. Who are you? Who are we? And maybe most importantly, whose are you?
Beginning this fall, you will have the opportunity to make all those connections within the biblical story. As people of faith, we want to understand how we’re connected to God’s grand story. Lord of Life will be using a great resource called The Story as a way for us to learn about the scope of the entire Bible and see just how we fit into God’s story. (Spoiler alert about whose we are: we are God’s!)
The Story is both a great resource and the journey we’ll be taking over the next eight months. We will travel through the entire Bible over 31 weeks, from Genesis to Revelation. We will hear of God’s promises and love. We will connect with imperfect biblical characters who wrestle with similar issues to what we do today. We will be
ENTER THE STORY
refreshed in our understanding of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. We will be inspired by the Holy Spirit to live out this good news of God.
The key resource is a condensed chronological Bible, and in our church-wide journey through it we’re going to discover how our story fits into God’s story. Copies of the book and a study guide will be available for purchase at Lord of Life.
Worship and learning events for all ages will center on The Story. Each week we will encounter and engage the same biblical stories and texts, at age-appropriate levels. The Story is well worth your time, energy, and dedication. I hope that this journey will be a top priority for you, as a meaningful way to let your faith in God inform absolutely everything in your life.
The Story will be the first year of a three-year focus at Lord of Life called “Discover Your Story.” The entire scope will look like this:
2022-23: Hear the Story, with a focus on the Discipleship Practices of Worship and Learn 2023-24: Live the Story, with a focus on the Discipleship Practices of Serve and Give
2024-25: Share the Story, with a focus on the Discipleship Practice of Invite
I hope and pray that you’ll be an active part of this exciting three-year journey. We will be able to make meaningful connections, grow deeper in our faith, grow closer to God and one another, and serve others in life-giving ways. More information will be available in upcoming issues of Compass, as well as on the Lord of Life website and social media platforms.
2022-23 2023-24
2024-25 lordoflife.org/practices 3
