I
still remember a story from many years ago that illustrates this point entitled “The Lonely Ember.” A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a big chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself comfortable but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the play of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet fascination. As the one lone ember’s flame diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and “dead as a doornail.”
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new year brings a new opportunity to spur on your spiritual growth! We will be continuing to focus on prioritizing Fellowship in all aspects of our ministry. Inside this booklet, you will find many opportunities to get connected and build new friendships. My hope and prayer is that you will take a step to get connected.
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hy is getting connected so important? I believe God never intended us to live the Christian life in a solo manner. Although many will still vainly try to live life on their own terms and alone, I believe we will never experience the joy and vitality in Christ that we are meant to have unless we experience it in genuine Christian community.
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ot a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. Just before the pastor was ready to leave, he picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. As the pastor reached the door to leave, his host said, “Thank you so much for your visit and especially for the fiery sermon. I shall be back in church next Sunday.”
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y hope is that we will all burn brightly with the warmth and the light of Christ! We need each other to do that. So it’s not just that you need to get connected and build new friendships for yourself, but we need you just as much as you need us! I hope and pray this year brings you incredible spiritual growth.
more info at cccnow.com/events JAN
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How did you find Christ Community Church?
Shantel recently graduated from college in Wisconsin, and in October of 2019, she landed a job in Sacramento at a commercial design firm. In the process, she had to leave her friends and family in order to begin this exciting, but challanging, new adventure. Having grown up in the church, she knew the value of finding a community of believers where she could find true connections and discipleship. A few days after moving to the area, Shantel randomly passed by Christ Community and decided to come back that Sunday to check it out. She immediately made connections with other young adults who attend the Sunday Evening Service. We caught up with her to hear about what it has been like to connect at Christ Community. What brought you to California? Shantel: “I started searching for a job in August and by October, I was moving into a new life here in Sacramento! What an unbelievable journey it has been. Even though it was hard to leave home, my eyes were opened to all of the love and support I am continuously given from family and friends.”
What was it like to move to a new city on your own and start a new job? Shantel: “I knew I wanted to leave home when I was searching for my first job. I’m blessed that the opportunity was given to me to move to California. As soon as I accepted my job, I was so excited to start the move. About a week before I left Minnesota, I began to realize how real the situation was getting. I suddenly wanted everything to freeze because I finally understood that I was leaving my home! Everything that was so familiar was changing. All of my family and friends are in the Midwest, and I didn’t know anyone in California. What was I doing? But of course, God reminded me how He was working in my life. Ephesians 3:20 teaches us, “Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine.” Throughout my journey thus far, God has pushed me to say yes to things I never even dreamed I’d be able to do, some exciting and some terrifying. He’s taught me that I must let go of things in the past in order to reveal to me the beauty of being present. I’ve been shown so much love in the short time I’ve lived here, and it’s made me want to spread it!”
Shantel: “God continues to be so good to me. My first week in California was a crazy one. Appointments, errands, and simply trying to navigate the area were all I had time for it seemed. My parents and I were on our way to an appointment when we drove by CCC. I think God was trying to remind us to slow down, so I decided to visit that weekend…and the rest is history! CCC has been crucial in building my foundation here in Sacramento. I was welcomed instantly and have felt so much love from the church family. I am constantly thankful for every moment I’ve had at CCC!” What has it been like to get connected and find fellowship as someone who is brand new? Shantel: “Connections and fellowship are so important to me, especially after moving to a place where I didn’t know anyone. I wanted to try to be as involved as I could at the very beginning, in order to start building friendships and learning the different lifestyle. With such a busy culture, I find fellowship to be one of the most crucial parts of life. I love taking the time to slow down, grab coffee, and have a good conversation with someone. It reminds me to reset my priorities, and I always find that I learn something new when taking the time to connect with others. I also found comfort in having people to reach out to. I love the energy and interntionality that I’ve been shown at CCC. It’s made life so joyful and easy! I’m always looking forward to the next time I get come back to CCC!“
SUNDAYS @ 9:00AM / 10:45AM / 5:00PM Our Kid’s Ministry is a place where kids learn fun, age-appropriate Bible teaching through large teach, skits, worship music, activities, and small groups. Our goal is that your child will love Jesus, desire a personal relationship with Him, and see that church is FUN!
WEDNESDAYS @ 6:30PM We kick off our Wednesday Night programs for our kids on January 8th. Your kids will have so much fun learning all about Jesus in a tangible way through large teach, crafts, and games with scrumptious snacks!!
CCCNOW.COM/CHILDREN
SUNDAY CHILDREN’S CURRICULUM
FACEBOOK: CCC CHILDREN’S MINISTRY PASTOR OF CHILDREN’S MINISTRY JACKIE LAMBERT |
JACKIE@CCCNOW.COM
CLUB 54 ASSISTANT ANDREA SHORT |
ANDREA.SHORT@CCCNOW.COM
Starting January 12th, all Kindergarten to 5th grade children will have their classrooms transformed into a Winter Extreme!! Our new Sunday series will teach us to live an Extreme life for God by showing us an Extreme look at the teachings of Jesus.
Starting March 15th in Children’s Ministry, your children will experience the true meaning of Easter! Our message will teach them that the best thing about Easter is not the sweet candy in our baskets, but the sweet news that the candy reminds us of.
K-3 ASSISTANT MOSES PARK|
MOSES.PARK@CCCNOW.COM
SUNDAYS @ 9:00AM | TUESDAYS @ 7:00PM We are passionate about inviting students into authentic relationships with others and seeing them experience the life-transforming truth of the Gospel that comes through Jesus. We understand the challenges of being a follower of Jesus as a High School Student, which is why we have lifechanging trips, exciting events and weekly gatherings where students will regularly encounter passionate worship, culturally relevant messages, and encouraging leaders who will walk alongside them in their journey.
CCCNOW.COM/HSM
UPCOMING EVENTS
@HSM.CCC PASTOR OF HIGH SCHOOL MINISTRY MARK KROEKER |
MARK@CCCNOW.COM
ASSISTANT HIGH SCHOOL PASTOR BLAKE COX |
BLAKE@CCCNOW.COM
3.7.20 This year’s High School Ministry Fundraiser, which includes a Dinner, Raffle, and Auction, is all about enjoying the Talent of CCC. This fun and exciting evening will be both entertaining and incredibly beneficial to the HSM students who are going on the Mission Trip and Summer Camp Trip, by providing the necessary funds to help them encounter God in transformational ways.
4.5.20 - 4.9.20 The High School Ministry is heading to Fresno to serve at Breakaway 2020. We will be partnering with People’s Church to serve the greater Fresno area through service activities like trash pickup, painting, VBS at schools and apartments, and other work projects. Cost is $250 and students just need to go to cccnow.com/hsm to register.
SUNDAYS @ 10:45AM | WEDNESDAYS @ 6:30PM Middle School Ministry exists to transform Middle School students into fully committed followers of Jesus Christ through love, acceptance, and forgiveness. We do this by creating a safe place where Middle School students can build authentic relationships with each other and adults that will encourage them to connect with Jesus so that they are equipped to go out and be a light in their world.
UPCOMING EVENTS CCCNOW.COM/MSM INSTAGRAM @CCC_MIDDLESCHOOL
7.13.20 - 7.18.20
4.5.20 - 4.9.20 PASTOR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL MINISTRY RYAN BALBI |
RYAN@CCCNOW.COM
The Middle School Ministry is heading to Fresno to serve at Breakaway 2020. We will be partnering with People’s Church to serve the greater Fresno area through service activities like trash pickup, painting, VBS at schools and apartments, and other work projects. Cost is $250 and parents just need to go to cccnow.com/msm to register.
Elevate Summer Camp is one of the best weeks of the year for our Middle School students. We get away from everything to connect with God, leaders, and friends. Join us for an amazing week of worship, games, swimming, hanging out with friends, and so much more.
THURSDAYS @ 7:30PM The Young Adults Ministry is a place for college students and 20-somethings to connect and deepen their faith. We aim to create authentic community and experience the love and glory of Jesus together. We gather on Thursday nights in the Tent and study through the Bible together. We also worship together at the Sunday Evening Service at 5:00pm in the MP Room.
CCCNOW.COM/YAM INSTAGRAM
PASTOR OF YOUNG ADULTS
@CCC.YA
RYAN BALBI |
YA RETREAT 2019
RYAN@CCCNOW.COM
FRIENDSGIVING
The Young Adults Ministry is very intentional about living into fellowship by sharing meals together and having regular time together. We also value serving together in the life of the church, and using our time, talents, and treasures for God’s purpose. Join us as we encourage one another in what God is doing in our lives.
GAME NIGHT
CORN MAZE
CCCNOW.C
COM/GROUP
191 PEOPLE SERVE ON THE WORSHIP & TECH TEAMS
SERVESTORY | cccnow.com/serve BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL, CONTEMPORARY, AND
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Saved People EVENING SERVICES.
When I look back on how far God has brought me, I am so amazed. I’ve been to quite a few churches but none like ours. To say I had church-hurt is putting it lightly. I’ve always felt like an outcast in other churches. I’ve felt judged and pushed to the side. I’ve been through so much in my life from being abused at the age 8 to surviving 16 years of an extremely abusive relationship. I am also a recovering alcoholic. God started grabbing my attention in 2009 when I attended church with my cousin Nicole. But it wasn’t until 2014 that I truly accepted Christ into my life. That’s when I started attending Christ Community. I wasn’t attending regularly,
ut that all changed in 2018 when God released me from that abusive relationship. Then the kids and I started going ALL the time. I’ve never once felt like an outcast or judged. We have always felt love and acceptance. Last summer when Jackie Lambert, Pastor of Children’s Ministry, asked me to be a volunteer for Kidfest, I agreed to work, but I was so scared. I have always loved working with kids. As a child all I ever wanted was to be a mom when I grew up. As Kidfest was ending, I remember Dru Bagwell, a 4th and 5th grade teacher, coming up to me and saying that working with kids was my calling.
s I began to pray on it, it was clearer than t ever. I am so thankful to be able to pour into the little souls of these children every week. I genuinely look forward to it! I am thankful for Jackie’s friendship!! When I prayed back in March asking God to please send a Godly woman into my life, He sent Jackie. I am grateful for Jackie, her staff (Dru, Andrea, Kim, and Moses), Pastor Greg, and all the other leaders. My life and my children’s lives are forever changed.”
Serve Poeple
ANDREA WILLIS
CHILDREN’S MINISTRY VOLUNTEER
191 PEOPLE SERVE ON THE WORSHIP & TECH TEAMS
BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL, CAREMINISTRY | learn more atCONTEMPORARY, cccnow.com/careAND EVENING SERVICES.
CELEBRATERECOVERY | SUNDAYS AT 6:00PM cccnow.com/celebraterecovery | Contact Marc Stormont at cr@cccnow.com We celebrate freedom from life’s hurts, hang-ups, and habits through Christ-centered principles. We seek to serve God by reaching out to others so they can step out of denial into God’s grace, by helping them get right with God, with themselves and with others, and by allowing them to grow in Christ while helping others.
5025 Manzanita Avenue Carmichael, CA 95608 | Office: 916.344.2382 | cccnow.com