Fresh Offerings

When sharing your faith, it is sometimes humbling to honestly tell others how much God has done for you. When you are transparent, however, your personal witness is a powerful tool to open people's hearts. Consider the power of the personal testimonies at this link: http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies/

We really have a lot of good things going on this January to keep your heart warm and your mind active. I believe that the winter is the very best time to focus on your faith and make important adjustments in habits and attitudes, moving forward in the most important things in life. "For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:8-9

In addition to all of our regular activities, here a few fresh offerings:
1. CALLING ALL MEN: Driven by Eternity
Saturday mornings at 9:00 am with Pastor Renard Barto.

Driven by Eternity offers a compelling look at what it means to truly live a life that counts. Many people today are building their lives on cultural thinking, emotional feelings, tradition and assumptions of who God is rather than basing their beliefs on the permanent truth of God’s Word. In this video series, John Bevere argues that these people have been deceived and will one day face God for His laws that they have overlooked, ignored or chosen to disobey. Driven by Eternity tackles the notion that it really doesn’t matter how you live or what you do once you’ve become a Christian. Bevere reminds readers that once you make a decision to follow Jesus, everything matters - even more.

2. Fire in the Winter
LEARN TO BURN at this mid-week service series with Pastor Bob Engelhardt. Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.

Fire warms the cold heart! Fire burns away the impurities! Fire lights the way! Fire bakes the fresh bread! Fire ignites the soul with passion! "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11

3. CMCC School of Ministry
Achieving Transformation through Education
Thursday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm with instructors Dean Malaxos and Ross Gill providing two classes of college level learning: God’s Design for the New Testament Church and The Making of a Godly Leader.


4. A.L.I.V.E. - Abundant Life Intersects Vital Empowerment
Saturday mornings, 9:00-10:30am. A fun Bible study series & breakfast club led by Sharon Engelhardt for girls ages 11—16. Define yourself—find your voice—fulfill God’s purposes for you!


5. Special Guest Ministry
Pastor Jim Jorgensen. One of our favorites! January 25, Sunday Service, 10:00 am

6. W.O.W. - 2009 is Mine!

Women of the Word - 2009 Kickoff Meeting Sunday evening, January 25, 6:00 pm, The Chapel - Ladies, this is YOUR year, for victory, strength, peace, purpose, Holy Spirit power. Come, be encouraged, be refreshed by the presence of God.

I hope everyone can make a number of these happenings. As you can see, at CMCC we work double-overtime to ensure a full plate of regular and special activities to keep the Christian heart well cared for. It is our honor to serve you, the King's children.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Bob Engelhardt
http://www.cmcconline.org/

The Harvest

Have you shared your faith with anyone lately? 2009 is the year of harvest and harvesting requires God's entire family working in the fields and bringing in the proverbial sheaves. Your friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members are waiting for you to share Jesus' love with them, and winter is the perfect time to do it. Here are a few ideas:

-Invite someone to church.
-Invite someone to your home to share a meal.
-Write a letter to a loved one.
-Bake some cookies and surprise your neighbor, including a note that says, 'Jesus loves you.'
-Send personal notes to friends via email.
-Invite someone to church.
-Buy someone a book (like 'The Case for Christ' by Lee Strobel).
-Bring a friend to home group.
-Begin praying for everyone in your neighborhood and look for opportunities to serve them.
-Buy a friend a large print, easy-reading version of the Bible.
-Volunteer at CMCC's Family Table as a prayer minister.
-Serve at the Wednesday evening Senior Citizen’s Dinner.
-Invite someone to come to church with you. Meet them outside, stay with them through the service and then take them to lunch afterwards.

The nice thing about sharing your faith is that you can be fun and creative doing it. If you look around your world and pray about it, God will show you all kinds of opportunities. Here are two ideas of what other people are doing:

1. I was very inspired last night to see the winning quarterback of the college football championship game, Tim Tebow of the Florida Gators, with John 3:16 written so the cameras couldn't miss it. You gotta love this:


2. And then I came to work this morning and watched the linked clip below, sent to me by Jim Kiley of Word of Jesus in Holbrook, NY. I really hope you take a couple of minutes to watch because it will definitely elevate your day and inspire you to use whatever God has given you to share His love:
   
   http://www.4marks.com/videos/details.html?video_id=723
   
   "God has given us the task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. We are Christ's ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NLT)
   
   See You Sunday,
   Pastor Bob Engelhardt
   http://www.cmcconline.org/

Matthew Jacob Beutel

I'm sorry to have to report that Matthew Beutel, 10 year old son of our own Pastor Kevin and Michelle Beutel, has passed away from complications related to his severe cerebral palsy. Matty's short life was a glorious gift to everyone in CMCC. Please hold the Beutel family up in prayer including Matthew's brothers, Noah and Cameron. I will notify you of arrangements.

The Power of Christmas Traditions

The power of tradition is to memorialize something considered exceptionally important or sacred to a culture and to function as a vehicle to pass down important values from ancestors to their descendants. For example, old European and early American culture gave us many of our most wonderful Christmas traditions, mixing the biblical accounts of the Nativity with other beloved practices. These are the familiar images of baby Jesus in a manger, the wise men, Mary and Joseph, shepherds, angels, Christmas trees, church services, seasonal songs, traditional carols, giving gifts, spreading good will, sharing fictional stories like A Christmas Carol and even old St. Nick. These are all traditions our Christian ancestors initiated and handed down so that future generations might know how much they loved their most valuable treasure; God's original Christmas present: Jesus Christ.

Although our mixed-up world has largely moved away from the true heart and soul of the holiday, Christmas traditions were intentionally designed to stir feelings of goodwill and love among people because the one celebrated is an expression of good will and love from God. What a great idea; to rejoice at God’s gift to the world by transforming an entire home, village, town or city with colorful lights, garland, the sounds of heartwarming songs and celebrating by giving gifts to one another in a common expression of Christmas joy. I believe that we must never forget the main message communicated through our beloved holiday traditions, contending vigorously and reminding the world boldly of their original meaning.

We surely know that God is never far away regardless of how far many have drifted and the great hope for our generation is, as always, in the tireless, timeless work of bringing the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ back into the center of human life. Our ancestors knew this and memorialized it in our Christmas traditions. Therefore this year as we turn our hearts towards Christmas once again, I encourage everyone to keep Christmas as Christmas; a day when we memorialize and celebrate God’s gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, to the world.

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. "And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" Luke 2:8-14

And echoing the words of the immortal Linus, “That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

It's A Wonderful Life

Apostle John Kelly - A Testimonial

It has been a great privilege to be associated with Apostle John Kelly for the past twenty plus years. His personality and ministry style set him apart as a man uniquely equipped to impart vision and direction to a generation of Christian leaders hungry to influence the world for the cause of Christ.

My first exposure to Apostle Kelly's ministry was at Ravena Bible Training Center in upstate New York circa 1987. As an up-and-coming on-fire Christian with a faith-message background, I was excited (though somewhat skeptical) when told that an 'apostle' was coming to speak at a Saturday morning men's breakfast. I figured that in order to prove he was a true apostle he would probably tell awesome stories about the miracles he performed or somehow flex his apostolic muscular prowess through prophecy or healing.

What I got that morning however was much more... he was surely anointed with the Holy Spirit, but John Kelly was logical, earthy and confident with an east-coast style manliness that flowed naturally and was closer to my Bronx-born, WWII veteran father’s personality than any Spirit-filled minister I had ever been exposed to. Prior to Kelly every preacher I considered really anointed had a southern accent. This new perspective blew my mind.

In addition, I found Apostle Kelly to be amazingly perceptive and there was nowhere to hide from his dead-on insights. I still remember feeling sick to my stomach listening, for the first time, to his now often-quoted lines like (speaking on authority), "If you cannot make your own children obey you, how do you expect a demon to?" Ouch! Through the years, I have come to believe that many of John Kelly's one-liners are among the most profound sayings anywhere, having the power to shine a light on critical inconsistencies. I personally quote John Kelly in my ministry far more than any other contemporary source.

The overall feeling I was left with that morning reminds me of an old song by Roberta Flack called "Killing Me Softly with His Song." The song tells of a woman listening, for the first time, to a particular singer performing and how his song cuts into her soul. Well, the song I could have written about that men’s breakfast might have been named, "Bludgeoning Me Mortally with His Message." And although it was a painful experience, it was the most liberating teaching I have ever heard and left me with two life-changing impressions to this day: 1. Jesus loves the east coast too! 2. Apostle John Kelly represented a vision of unapologetic, strong-side manliness in ministry that, to this day, has never been matched. For that, I am ever grateful.

I tell people that John Kelly is more prophetic by accident than most prophets are on purpose. He has a great gift of being able to tie heaven and earth together and see opportunities and project trends in the church and in the culture before the wave breaks on the horizon. My wife, Nancy, and I are very fortunate to have benefited immeasurably from Apostle Kelly’s wisdom throughout our ministry as we have endeavored to build based on the principles he has forwarded in his teachings and from his personal instruction to us.

In 1990, John and Helena invited me to a local diner one fateful evening and offered me an assignment to pastor a small church plant in the rural Catskill Mountains of New York State. I accepted, of course, and soon found this tiny village, Margaretville, population 600, is so remote that I felt, at first, like Kevin Costner’s character in the beginning of Dances with Wolves. Over the next eighteen years, however, (as I am writing now) that church has grown-up to become a major beacon to the region and a multifaceted apostolic life generator affecting thousands of lives and moving millions of dollars over the years for the cause of Christ. This is John Kelly’s legacy in one small spot in the world.

During the 22 years I have been associated with Apostle John Kelly; he has won many great victories and faced much painful hardship and adversity including physical limitations and the betrayal of friends. Through all this he has shown himself to be a gracious and consummate leader and an innovator. His ability to forgive is astounding. His sense of humor is refreshing. His intelligence is reassuring. His humility is disarming. His insight is profound. His love and compassion are surprisingly delicate but vitally important balance weights to his otherwise warrior attitude. His courage is not rhetoric but real. Apostle John Kelly is the only minister that I have ever really tried to emulate and Catskill Mountain Christian Center is, in no small part, a testimony to his influence.

The Purpose of Christmas - A Recommendation

I’m writing today to recommend a book. The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren. I believe that it will be a blessing to you personally and make a great Christmas gift for friends and relatives. I LOVE THIS BOOK.

I must confess that I do not care for many of the typical light-reading illustrated Christmas gift books being published today, but this is unlike any I have read before. It is a small book and easy reading but it definitely connects the dots in clearly explaining why Jesus’ birth is an event truly worth celebrating. It will reignite your pure faith and has the potential to lead many to salvation. I recommend this book for our home groups (as a December study guide), for family devotions, for unsaved friends & relatives and for your entire gift list. The message is very positive so everyone will enjoy it.

In the book, Warren approaches the purpose of Christmas by describing it as a time for Celebration, a time for Salvation and a time for Reconciliation. In each of these sections he offers relevant illustrations, answers from a mall survey on prevailing attitudes towards Christmas, and outstanding explanations of vital biblical concepts. The book definitely ministers to the heart and illuminates the head.

The following is a reader review from Amazon.com: “Like most people, I've "done" Christmas every year since I was a baby, but honestly, I had never really thought about it much personally. Of course I knew it was the birth of Jesus, but didn't figure that had any relevance to me. It was just an historical event. Then, a week ago, a good friend of mine gave me a copy of this book. It was short, so I thought I'd read it. WOW.... I mean seriously... I had no idea! How did I miss this all these years? Warren explains why Christmas is such a "big deal" around the world, but more important is how he clearly lays out the implications and benefits to your personal life. I did what he said and I will never be the same person anymore. I'm free! I still don't know enough to explain it so I just ordered 9 copies to give to my friends. This will be the best Christmas because now I get it. JONATHAN FARADAY”

I bought my copy for the $17.99 cover price at Barnes & Nobles last week but saw it last night at Wal-Mart for $12.00. Also, at the Amazon link below, you can buy it for $12.23 plus shipping and at the same web page there is also a 2 minute video presentation of Rick Warren talking about the book (It is worth looking at the video).

http://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Christmas-Rick-Warren/dp/1416559000/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_i

Again, I encourage every CMCC family to buy a copy for your own and another for everyone on your list.

See You Sunday,

Pastor Bob Engelhardt