• What’s Missing in CH___CH? Now on the first day of the week…the disciples came together to break bread. Acts 20:7 Earlier this year, the American Enterprise Institute released a study showing that since the outbreak of COVID-19, a third of Americans who previously attended church have stopped going.1 Another study last year by the Barna Group found the rate of burnout among pastors rose dramatically between 2021 and 2022.2 Go to church on Sunday. Get involved in a small group. Pray for your pastor and church staff. Invite someone to join you at church. Find a personal ministry to pursue. You’ll be following the great pattern anchored in the glorious pages of the book of Acts.   Christians cannot grow spiritually as they ought to in isolation from one another. Gene Getz

    1. Attached is The Messenger for May 2023

      1. If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. Luke 9:23 It's not easy being a Christian, but the peace and rewards make it worth it all. It was easy for Christ either.

        1. “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” —Ephesians 6:17 We are definitely in a spiritual war that is fast approaching an all out physical onslaught of the Church and we must be prepared first and foremost with the whole armor of God.

          1. To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. Ephesians 3:19 How wonderful it is to know the love of Christ. It is deeper and more enduring than anything else we could possibly ever experience.

            1. “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. ” —Philippians 4:8  We need to fill ourselves with that which is good so that there isn't room left that which is evil.

              1. “For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.” —1 John 5:4  Victory Through Faith

                1. “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” —Ephesians 6:11

                  1. “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. ” —1 Corinthians 10:12  When we trust in our own strengths and abilities we are setting ourselves up to fall. Our areas of strength can be our biggest weakness if we trust in ourselves instead of God.

                    1. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Psalm 145:3 If we all would concentrate on the greatness of God and work to give him the praise he is worthy of, we would not have time to notice everyone else's flaws and criticize each other.