Compass 20

ISSUE 20 | JANUARY 2017

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COMPASS MAGAZINE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR | Mark Shetler EDITOR | Melissa Shetler

EXECUTIVE DESIGN | Jessica Ripley

CONTRIBUTORS | Josh Cagle, Larry Mahoney, Mary

Thank you for picking up the COMPASS. This issue is especially designed as a tool to help you

Maples, Matt Newton, Mark Shetler, Willie Wilson

connect—connect with God and connect with our

THE COMPASS IS A PUBLICATION OF

church family. There are lots of ideas to help you get

916.861.2240 • rivercitychristian.org

started, or get more out of, reading your Bible and praying. We’ve also included an interview with our newest staff member, Josh Cagle, Pastor of Student

River City Christian Mailing address

P.O. Box 276450 • Sacramento, CA 95827 Physical address:

10933 Progress Court, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Ministries. And, as always, these pages are filled with info on the various ministries in our church.

Here at River City Christian we believe that following Jesus is the most significant decision anyone can ever make, but we also admit that it’s not always easy. That’s why we need each other. My hope and prayer is that you will find something in the pages that

ABOUT THE COMPASS

will help you better connect with the Lord and with

quarterly publication. In a church our size, it can be

COMPASS Magazine is River City Christian’s

the support our church can offer you as you seek to

an overwhelming task to meet everyone and know

live like Christ.

a platform to bring our church family closer together.

If you have any questions, or if you would like to talk to a pastor, please contact the church office and

everything that is happening. The COMPASS serves as Within its pages, you will find true stories about the

people and ministries of River City Christian. And, most

importantly, it will help guide you farther along The Path to becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ.

we’ll be glad to respond. God bless you and thanks for reading!

CONTENTS

04 • Why Community?

06 • Meet Josh Cagle

08 • Connecting with God

10 • Letter from Christmas Mall 16 • Did you Know?

Jesse Smith, Senior Pastor THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com

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BY MATT NEWTON

“I really want to grow spiritually, but I just don’t have time to be in any type of group.” I hear this statement frequently. The reality is most Christians want to grow in their relationship with Jesus, but that doesn’t happen magically and it certainly doesn’t happen in isolation. There truly is no such thing as “lone ranger” Christianity.

God designed us to share life with others, to commit to one another, to experience authentic, vulnerable and consistent biblical community.

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CHRISTIANIT Y

RANGER”

AS “LONE

SUCH THING

T R U LY I S N O

THERE

WHY COMMUNIT Y?

IT’S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL

removes the focus from self and onto serving others

You have probably heard all of this before, but

in our spiritual family, as well as being disciples who

hearing it is not the same as doing it. The fact is you

make disciples with people who don’t know Jesus

cannot grow to your full potential in Christ without

in our “other places.” This is why Jesus says, “A new

biblical community, and living in community takes

commandment I give to you: Love one another. As

effort and practice. It’s not enough just to admit

I have loved you, so you must love one another. By

your need for other believers; you need to put effort

this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if

into such relationships. When those relationships

you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

don’t meet your expectations, you keep working on them. You must continually remind yourself that

THE CHOICE IS UP TO YOU

relationships matter, that God has orchestrated His

Life is busy. Living in community takes effort. There

Kingdom in such a way that we need one another.

GOD’S COMMUNITY

are always obstacles to connecting with others in biblical community. But it’s worth it. Chip Ingram notes, “One of the most important things in a

We are image bearers of a God who exhibits

person’s life is the people we do life with. The world

community. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit have

tells us that we can do it on our own. So for many of

existed for eternity in perfect harmony as one God in

us, our work demands and our kids take all of our

three persons—in community. Since we are created

time and energy, so then we don’t think we have

in God’s image, we were also designed to live in

enough time for relationships and for spending time

community. In Genesis we see that even while Adam

in biblical community. But we need to make time.

walked blamelessly with God, there was something

God wants community for us. The Scripture is clear:

missing. God said it was not good for man to be

If we want to experience God’s presence, we are to

alone, that he needed to be in relationship with

seek Him through His Word, through the power of

others. Eve was created and community was born.

His Holy Spirit and also through relationships with other people.”

Scripture emphasizes the importance of community by including 59 “one another” instructions about

WAYS TO CONNECT AT RIVER CITY

what the Christian life is to look like. We are called

We want to help revolutionize your life by providing

to forgive one another, love one another, put up with

opportunities for biblical community. We want you

one another, care for one another, teach one another

to be part of a group of people who meet regularly

and encourage one another. You can only do so

to study God’s Word and encourage one another

by consistently rubbing up against others. That’s

to live it out. We have Growth Groups which

not always easy or comfortable, but it transforms

meet on various nights of the week all around the

us more into the image of our Creator. God’s Word

Sacramento region. In addition, we have men’s

commands us to meet together on a consistent,

and women’s groups that meet at the church,

committed basis so that we can grow in love and

Young Professionals, student ministries, Mom’s

challenge each other to always trust in Jesus

Connection, and MOSAIC seniors ministry. If you

(Hebrews 10:24-25). Jesus Himself prayed in John

want to grow, get off the sidelines by making time for

17 that all who would follow Him would be one as

biblical community and get connected with one of

He is one with the Father. Striving for such unity

these ministries.

RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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THE NEXT GENERATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO EITHER CLOSE THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH OR TAKE

Photo: Kyle Barr

HER TO A NEW PLACE.

MEET JOSH CAGLE Josh Cagle is the newest member of the ministry staff at River City. He has a varied and rich background in ministry and will serve as Pastor of Student Ministries. He will be focusing his attention on our high school ministries, but will also be overseeing middle school and college ministries. We want you to get to know Josh so we asked him some questions that we hope you’ll find interesting.

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WHAT KIND OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WERE YOU? I loved sports and pushing life to the edge. I spent a lot of time riding dirt bikes and playing baseball and football.

My senior year I ended up focusing on baseball.

Even though I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home I did not trust Jesus with my life until late in my senior year. I had suffered a baseball injury and observed some events in the lives of friends, all which forced me to look at some deeper questions. God revealed an incredible truth to me—it was time to quit living my parents’ faith and make a personal commitment to him. At the time, I had no idea that this would lead to a life in ministry, but I did know that God was transforming who I was.

AS A FATHER AND A STUDENT MINISTRIES PASTOR, HOW DO YOU THINK BEING A TEENAGER IS DIFFERENT TODAY THAN WHEN YOU WERE A TEENAGER? I believe the world our students are walking in is drastically different than the world I walked in. The opportunities available to students today are incredible, but so is the stress to succeed, to get into the right college, to play the right sport, to

excel in the arts, while maintaining a 4 plus GPA. As a father, I realize there are many times I am a part of the problem. As a pastor, it is my hope to help find answers to this problem. It is my hope to see students encounter Jesus in a real and powerful way that will allow them to bring out their God-given passions and gifts so they can truly impact the world in which they walk.

HOW DO YOU THINK STUDENTS WILL HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE OF THE AMERICAN CHURCH? WHAT CHALLENGES FACE THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE CHURCH? While it has become popular to poke fun at the next generation, I believe the church desperately needs to figure out how to bridge the gap, not make jokes.

The next generation has the potential to either close the doors of the church or take her to a new place. I believe students will dramatically shape the church by forcing her to take action regarding the needs of the world. Students today are volunteering in different capacities all over the city. If the church embraces the gifts and passions of young people, I believe we will see the church more fully embrace the

injustices in our cities, nation and world.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. Amber and I have been married for just about nineteen years. Like any married couple, we have had both incredible highs and incredible challenges to work through. Our first curve ball came early in our marriage when we discovered Amber was pregnant with our oldest son, Caleb. Caleb came a month after our second anniversary, much faster than the five-year plan we had made! Three and half years later came the birth of our second son, Cayden. The boys are now sixteen and twelve.

Both boys are heavily involved in baseball, our family’s great love! If you swing by our house during baseball season it is a safe bet that you will find a game on TV. Our favorite team is the Angels. (Please no emails—I know they are terrible!) Many of our early dates were at Angels games. How lucky am I? HOW DO YOU CREATE A HEALTHY BALANCE BETWEEN CHURCH RESPONSIBILITIES AND FAMILY LIFE? Finding balance is tough.

Between my work, Amber teaching Zumba, Caleb participating in marching band and playing

baseball for Cosumnes Oaks High School and Cayden playing baseball, finding balance seems to be more difficult than ever. Oh, yeah, school fits in there somewhere too, right? We try to set aside a few weeks every year where we shut everything down in order to go on a family trip. It can be camping, the beach or even shutting it down at home for a few days. On a weekly basis, Amber and I make sure to set aside some time for a date—breakfast on a Friday or a night out during the week—we are pretty diligent in making this happen. I also strive to set aside one-on-one time with each boy on a regular basis. Sometimes we just grab a donut and other times we just throw a ball around. We may not execute all of this perfectly, but we keep trying.

OTHER THAN THE BIBLE, WHAT BOOK HAS MOST INFLUENCED YOU AND WHY? When my grandfather gave me a number of books from his library, I found one that continues to challenge me today, A. W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God. Tozer reminds me of who I am and who God is in such a powerful way that it’s hard to believe he wrote the book on a train ride!

WHO HAS HAD THE MOST INFLUENCE ON YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH? This is a tough question, but I would have to say my grandfather. He was a senior pastor in the U.S for many years, but left his position in order to start two churches in Australia and one in Germany. To this day, he has yet to retire from preaching the Gospel.

He and my grandmother now live in an RV park in Yuma, AZ, leading a church they started for the snowbirds. His faith and commitment to the Gospel inspires me.

WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU? I have eaten guinea pig on a few occasions. I have taken trips to Peru where we all sit down and bite into a freshly cooked guinea pig.

Tastes like chicken!

WHAT IS A BIBLE STORY OR PASSAGE THAT FRUSTRATES YOU OR THAT YOU SIMPLY DON’T UNDERSTAND? I actually just read a story that always boggles my mind. It’s the Genesis story of Lot and his family. Seems like a lot of crazy dysfunction! I will never understand!

RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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CONNECTING WITH GOD

BY MARK SHETLER

I

am blessed to have a family with a strong Christian heritage. All four of my grandparents had vibrant relationships with Jesus, although they all expressed their worship of the Creator in their own unique ways.

Both of my grandfathers were pastors.

Grandpa Seese was an extrovert and loved to tell stories. Oh, did he love to tell stories! Each one was crafted to keep the listener in suspense and to offer an amazing, sometimes shocking, conclusion. I could listen to the same story dozens of times and still enjoy every moment. His preaching was very conversational and often contained some serious humor, something not always heard of in the conservative churches of his day.

Grandpa Shetler, on the other hand, was incredibly quiet, gentle and humble. His sermons were thoughtful and passionate, reflecting his careful study of the few commentaries and resources available to him on a limited budget. When in a crowded room, he would not always speak, or at least not speak much. But when he preached, his sincerity spoke loud and clear.

Grandma Seese was an artist at heart.

She taught herself how to paint in oils, depicting numerous biblical stories on canvas, as well as celebrations of the beautiful nature found in rural Pennsylvania. She wrote poetry, kept a diary, participated in a quilting circle and often took a break from the agenda of the day to play hymns on an old upright piano. She often spoke of the Psalms and committed to memory a number of their lyrical passages.

Grandma Shetler was as loud as Grandpa Shetler was quiet. I can still hear her strong voice leading the Mennonite congregation in amazing acapella worship or unashamedly singing solos while

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tending petunias and marigolds in her garden. When old age caused her vocals to become frustratingly weak, Grandma picked up the harmonica to make music for the Lord. (Ironically, the Mennonites of that day shunned musical instruments of any kind!) She also loved to teach the Bible. She made the scriptures come alive to me and all my friends in Sunday School.

All four of my grandparents loved Jesus, but they all expressed their devotion differently. Looking back on the times I spent as a child in their homes, I remember that even their methods of doing “daily devotions” differed. I recall that they all encouraged me to spend time with Jesus every day, but how they modeled that in their own lives revealed multiple options instead of a specific prescription. Every night, Grandma and Grandpa Seese read the Bible together and then knelt down by the bed in prayer. But I don’t ever remember seeing Grandma and Grandpa Shetler sharing those kinds of times. Instead, I saw them every morning (not evening) taking time alone to study God’s Word and to pray. Grandpa retreated to his study and Grandma sat at the dining room table, close enough to the kitchen if she needed to keep an eye on the stove.

I HAVE COME TO REALIZE THAT THERE ARE A VARIETY OF WAYS TO CONNECT WITH GOD. Because of their faith and their love for God and for others, I consider all four of my grandparents as heroes. But the lessons they taught me and their expressions of devotion were markedly diverse. Was one way of doing devotions better than the other? Was it more spiritual to start the day or end the day in quiet time with Jesus? Was one type of sermon preparation or delivery right

and the other one wrong? I’ve concluded the answer to these questions is “no.”

Instead, I have come to realize that there are a variety of ways to connect with God and that part of our spiritual journey is searching for the ways that work best for us during the specific seasons of our lives.

Unfortunately, when some well-meaning Christian leaders discover a spiritual practice that works for them, they then prescribe that discipline for all believers.

But the reality is that just because a particular Bible study method or prayer practice or journaling procedure brought someone spiritual insight doesn’t mean that’s how it’s supposed to be for others.

In fact, it may not even work for them the next time they try it!

The Lord promised the Hebrew people in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” I believe that is true for each of us. We connect with God when we make that relationship a priority in our lives. We experience Him and fall more in love with Him when we are purposeful in making space for Him in our lives. But how we do that is more art than science, more mystery than certainty, more adventure than agenda. The important thing is that we try and that we keep trying and when that doesn’t work, we try something different.

The following pages are ideas to help you connect with God. I don’t want to say that one idea is better than another, and I certainly can’t say that they have all worked for me. But they might work you.

If you really want to connect with Him and if you want to experience spiritual growth, give these ideas a try. Or come up with your own ideas. Or ask someone else what works for them. The Lord will reward your efforts. Seek Him with all your heart.

He wants you to find Him.

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Questioning characters.

For books that contain mostly stories (such as Exodus, the Gospels and Acts) take some time to ask questions of the characters as you consider each story:

BIBLE READING IDEAS Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Reading, studying, interacting with, discussing, meditating on and memorizing God’s Word helps us draw closer to the Lord and provides us with wisdom and encouragement to follow Christ in everyday life. Here are some ideas to help you read the Bible and get more out of it. Whether you consider yourself a Bible rookie or a Bible scholar, these ideas may just help you move to the next level in your understanding of scripture.

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The life of Jesus. Many Christians have never really studied the life of Christ as presented in the Gospels.

Commit to reading through the 16 chapters of the Gospel of Mark. Outline the book as you go noting the significant events and teachings in the life of Jesus.

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Book immersion. Pick a short book of the Bible such as Philippians, 1 John or James and read through it every day for a week or once a week for a month. Take notes on what speaks to you from your reading and what you notice as you become more and more familiar with the book.

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Bible reading plans.

There are numerous plans available online and on Bible apps that can help you set goals and keep you accountable to those goals. Setting realistic goals is best. Very few of us

will complete a goal of reading through the Bible in a month no matter how inspired we may be!

Share your goals with a spouse, family member or friend. Better yet, invite them to join you in the same plan so that you can encourage each other along the way. (The YouVersion app has a number of great reading plans and you can actually receive daily reminders on your phone.

An internet search of “Bible reading plans” will offer a lot of additional resources.)

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RightNow Media. This free online video library contains many very helpful Bible studies from respected Christian authors, pastors and teachers. Pick a book of the Bible or a theme that you want to study and search the RightNow library for resources you could use. (For a free membership to RightNow Media go to rivercitychristian. org/right-now-media.)

• What did you feel when this happened?

• What were you thinking?

• Why did you do what you did?

• How did this experience change your view of God? • How did this experience change your view of yourself and others?

• If you were to be interviewed by a major news agency about the event, what would you most want to communicate?

You may not know the exact answers, but asking these questions can help you slow down and put yourself into the story in a way that a quick reading will not allow you to do.

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Other translations or paraphrases. If you have read the Bible a lot and generally use only one translation, you may find a breath of fresh air in reading familiar passages in another translation or paraphrase. You may want to read from your standard translation and then read the same passage in one or more translations or paraphrases.

Ask yourself how the different wordings helped you to see something or consider something you had not before.

(YouVersion and biblegateway. com offer a wide variety of free translations and paraphrases.)

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Responses. After reading a passage of scripture, ask yourself, “If this is God’s Word, then how should I respond to what I just read?” This may help you move beyond just the reading of God’s Word to applying God’s Word. You may want to journal your responses and review them periodically.

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Commentaries or study guides. There are so many resources available today. Take advantage of the insights and study methods of biblical scholars. You may find yourself digging deeper simply by following a guide that asks questions about what you’ve read. You may learn a lot by reading a commentary written by someone who has taken time to do research on the book, its author and setting.

Feel free to ask any of our ministry staff for suggestions of resources they have found helpful.

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Journaling. There are multiple ways to journal about your Bible reading. If you’ve never tried it before, start simple with writing down the main thought or impression you got from that day’s reading.

Other ideas include: • writing out a key verse from your reading and then try writing it out in your own words • summarizing the entire reading in a sentence or two • composing a prayer or poem based on that day’s reading • writing down questions you have about what you’ve read RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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and then asking a pastor or more mature Christian about those questions • posting on social media a verse and a sentence about what the day’s reading means to you • creating art that reflects what you’ve read (see pages 12-13 for examples).

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Reading aloud.

Sometimes it is easy just to read through a passage and not take time to really think about it. Reading a passage aloud can be a way to slow down and help your mind to focus. For stories where there is dialogue you may try using different voices for the different characters. We just suggest that you don’t practice this idea while you’re standing in line at the grocery store or sitting in the waiting room of the doctor’s office!

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Listening. Using an app or a purchased recording of the Bible, listen to scripture readings while you’re working out, at lunchtime or on your commute. This can be very helpful if you find yourself making the excuse that you’re just too busy to read your Bible.

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Group sharing. Joining a Growth Group, a men’s or women’s study, youth group, Young Professionals, Mom’s Connection, MOSAIC seniors or other such groups can help you get more out of studying God’s Word. There is power when God’s people come together to discuss what the Bible has to say for our lives today.

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PRAYER IDEAS Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Prayer is simply talking with God. Your words don’t have to be fancy or super-spiritual. You just have to be honest, real and sincerely desiring to communicate with the Lord. Consider some of the following ideas to improve your conversations with the Creator of the universe.

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Prayer list. So this isn’t an earthshattering new concept, but it really can work.

Simply make a list of things you want to pray about and use it as a guide to keep your mind from wandering. It’s also helpful if you leave space on your list for how you’ve seen God answer your prayers regarding the items on your list. Reading back over these answers to prayer can be a huge encouragement.

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Prayer alarms. If you find yourself too often going through the day without having had much, if any, conversation with Jesus, why not set an alarm (or a couple of alarms) on your phone to remind you to pray throughout the day?

Maybe you’ll only be able to take a minute to pray when the alarm goes off, but it’s amazing how just a brief moment of turning to God can help change your attitude during the day.

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Prayer walk. One of the greatest enemies of prayer in our busy world is fatigue that keeps us unfocused. Taking a quick walk around the block in the morning or around the parking lot at lunch can help you stay alert as you turn your attention to God.

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Reciting prayers. Reading and memorizing prayers have always been part of the tradition of the church. While there is a danger that reciting prayers can become routine or even superstitious, using familiar words in prayer can be a way to help you gain focus in your spiritual exercises. Try praying the Lord’s Prayer, the Jesus Prayer, the Serenity Prayer or words from other collections of prayers. Lots of resources are available online; just make sure that the works come from a reliable Christian source.

Journaling. As stated earlier, journaling can be a useful tool in reading the Bible, but journaling can also be a great way to improve your prayer life. Writing out your prayers in the morning can help you seek God’s guidance for the rest of the day. Writing out your prayers at night can help you process the events of the day and lay down any stress or anger you may have encountered along the way.

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Praying the Psalms. The Psalms are a great guide for the different “moods” of prayer.

They contain proclamations of praise for what God has done but also the honest struggles of believers asking “why?” or “why me?” Pick a psalm, read it and then put it in your own words.

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Current events prayers.

We all know that there is a lot of bad news in our world today. But how often do we take the time to pray about those who are victimized by war, violence, oppression or natural disasters? Take some time to read a news story online or to watch a newscast. Then intentionally take some time to pray for all those affected by the events in that story.

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Prayer partner. Again, this isn’t a brand new idea, but do you have a friend or family member with whom you pray regularly? You could meet before or after a worship service on Sundays to pray for 10 or 15 minutes. You could send each other regular texts or emails about prayer needs. You could plan to meet

once a month to share prayer requests and then pray over those requests. Partnering with someone can help motivate you and encourage you when you are tempted not to pray.

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Fruit inspired prayers.

According to Galatians 5:2223 “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

As believers these words are supposed to describe each of us. Make a commitment for nine days to pray for one of these fruit to be more evident in your life. The first day, pray that you may be more loving.

The second day, pray to exhibit more joy. Work your way through the list, and see how your prayers begin to change you from the inside out.

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Prayer examples.

Search the scriptures and other Christian literature to find what other people have said about prayer. What can I learn from Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-42)? What can I learn from the teachings on prayer from Christian leaders like E. M. Bounds, Andrew Murray, Billy Graham and Philip Yancey?

Who do I know personally who seems to have a good prayer life? Ask them to share with you what they have learned about prayer over the years.

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Group prayer. River City has a prayer ministry that generally meets the second and fourth Monday of every month to pray for the needs of our church family. Join them one evening to experience

an extended time of prayer in a group setting. Contact the church office for the current schedule and room assignment.

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Playdough prayer. For a unique prayer experience, get a couple of cans of playdough or borrow some from the neighbor kids. Allow yourself a minimum of 30 minutes.

Meditate on this verse, “Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8). Ask God what He wants to do in your life at this time, how He wants to use you, what He wants to heal in your life, what characteristics He wants to grow in you. Then, as you continue to pray, start using the playdough to shape symbols of what He is impressing upon you. When you are all done, take a picture so you won’t forget the experience (and so you can give the playdough back to the neighbor kid!)

WORSHIP IDEAS Hebrews 13:15 instructs us, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” Worship is supposed to be a lifestyle, not just something we do on Sunday mornings at church. Often we think of worship as music and so if we are not talented musically we think we don’t have much too offer God in praise. But that’s not true. We are all called to praise Him “continually” so here are some ideas to help you connect with God through the experiences of worship.

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Lyrics. Do an online search for some of your favorite worship songs. You could print them out and sing them in the privacy of your own home. Or take some time to read the words slowly and meditate on what they are really saying. Maybe you can use the words to help you write your own song of praise.

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Hymnal worship. Many of the hymns of past generations contain beautiful and inspiring words of praise to God. Purchase a hymnal online, at a yard sale or at a Christian bookstore. Use it as a devotional book to help you focus more time in worship.

Read a hymn once a day and allow it to help you give Him praise. If you know the hymn you can sing it, but if you don’t know it, just focus on the words. You may even want to underline or highlight phrases that specifically speak to you.

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Nature. There are many scriptural references to things on the earth and in the heavens giving praise to their Creator. Nature can inspire us to praise God. Hiking up a mountain or sitting on a beach listening to the ocean can be special spiritual experiences, but they are not likely to be possible every day. When you do have an opportunity to enjoy nature, be intentional about taking some time to just look around you, hear the sounds, smell the aromas of nature, touch the grass or the sand. Allow your senses to lead you into worship. Even in the busyness of life, you can enjoy nature by studying a flower in the backyard or looking up to see the passing clouds or the stars at night. Ask what these marvels of nature—big and small—can teach you about God. Then praise Him for what you learn about Him. RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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"S upper"

2017 P rayer E xperience C ome experience the L ast S upper in a unique self - guided prayer event.

7 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Thursday, A pril 13 and Friday, A pril 14

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ABCs. Take a journal or notebook and put each letter of the alphabet on the top of its own page. Then for the next month (or six months or year) list things, people or experiences that you want to praise God for under the corresponding letter. For example, on the “A” page you may want to list: Aaron, absolute truth, architecture, awesome friends, Annie, abiding in His presence, the song “Avalanche”, apartment, “Amazing Grace”, etc. During the time you do this, try to fill up each page with praises for that letter (of course q, x, and z might prove to be a little bit more difficult than other letters!)

This practice may just help you realize that you have more to be thankful for than you thought.

you may also want to write to people you wouldn’t normally give a thank you note to. You may want to send a card to the Starbuck’s employee who waits on you every morning, a teacher, a co-worker, your Growth Group leader, the officers at your neighborhood police station, your local firemen, a helpful neighbor or the maintenance staff at the church. If you can find the address for these people, send the card in the mail (what a surprise it is in our day and age to actually receive a handwritten letter in the mail!) or, if you don’t have the address, hand it to them in person.

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Praise posts. Take a picture of something or

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Praise journal. Keep a notebook by your bed and strive nightly to write down three things that you can thank Him for as the day comes to a close. Just a few moments of jotting these praises down may help you connect with God before you go to bed and give you more restful sleep.

rivercitychristian.org/first-steps

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Worship scriptures. Use a concordance online to search for Bible verses talking about praising God. Print out some of your favorites on paper, cut them out and post them on a mirror, a refrigerator or your car’s dashboard—any place you will see them regularly.

These verses can help you develop an attitude of worship as you go throughout your day.

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Giving. The practice of tithing and regular giving to the Lord is a great way to develop a lifestyle of praise. If you do not yet give regularly,

GOD THROUGH ART JOURNALING

Art Journal by Willie Wilson

Gain a firm grasp of the basics of the Christian faith by connecting with another believer who has experience in living as a disciple of Jesus.

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CONNECTING WITH

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Thank you cards. This idea can help you show gratitude for the special people in your life and can also be an encouragement to them. Buy a box of thank you cards and commit to writing one thank you note a week to someone who is a blessing in your life.

Tell them that you thank God for them (even if you don’t know that the person has a relationship with the Lord). Of course, you can write to family members and close friends, but

someone you want to praise God for and post it on social media. Your act of worship may inspire others to do the same.

set a goal for the next six months to do so. If you already give regularly, consider increasing your donations or supporting one of our global outreach partners. Giving helps put your money where your mouth is!

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World praise. Go online and search for videos of Christian worship songs in other languages. Hearing these songs and seeing believers around the world worship the same God, but in a different way, can inspire you to worship.

Take time to contemplate what the artist is trying to communicate. Often works of art can inspire our souls and lead us closer to God.

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Praise interview. Do you know someone who always seems joyful and positive despite their negative circumstances? Ask them some questions about how they remain thankful even in their difficulties. Their story might speak to your heart in a powerful way.

SERVICE IDEAS Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did for me.� Loving God is always connected with loving others. Connecting with others has a huge impact on us connecting with God. Here are some simple ideas to get involved in serving others, which means you will be

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Gallery worship. Visit an art gallery or search for images of Christian art online.

serving Jesus.

1

Neighborhood service.

Jesus told us that we were to love our neighbor. Pray that the Lord would show you some practical ways to love people in your neighborhood.

Does someone need help with their yardwork? Is there someone lonely who would appreciate an invitation to dinner? Could a family benefit from an offer to babysit? Would an older neighbor need their car washed? Are there kids (or adults) who would love some fresh chocolate chip cookies?

Art Journal by Mary Maples

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Snacks for our youth. We all know that teenagers love to snack, so be a blessing to one of our youth groups and purchase a bunch of singleserving chips or a couple cases of soda or have your whole family prep a nacho bar. What a great way to communicate to students that we love them!

To coordinate details, contact jcagle@rivercitychristian.org.

3

River City Kids. Serving the children of our church can be a huge blessing. Contact Shannon Smith at ssmith@ rivercitychristian.org to find out about the many opportunities available on Sundays and throughout the week.

4

Homeless ministry.

Join a group of people from River City to serve a meal or help lead a worship service at the Union Gospel Mission in Sacramento.

Contact Jeff Koons at jkoons@ rivercitychristian.org.

5

Refugee ministries.

Bridges is our multifaceted program to assist and befriend refugees resettling in the Sacramento area.

Volunteers are needed to assemble welcome baskets, set up apartments, provide transportation, prepare meals, visit in homes, practice English, offer tutoring to children and RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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assist in job searches. For more information, contact Mark Shetler at mshetler@ rivercitychristian.org.

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Hospitality team. If you like to be involved in food preparation and/or food service, our hospitality team would love your help.

This team frequently serves families when they are having a memorial service for a loved one. They also help with special events at the church.

If you are interested, contact Karen Lemoure at klemoure@ rivercitychristian.org.

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Global outreach partners.

People who serve the Lord overseas often miss regular communication with members of the church family. Arrange to Skype with some of our partners and let them know some things that are happening in your family. Send them an email with news about ways you are growing in your faith and about things the Lord is teaching you. Share a photo with them of your family saying hello to their family. To get information on how to contact the global outreach partners our church supports, contact Mark Shetler at mshetler@ rivercitychristian.org.

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Visit an elderly member.

There are a number of people who would like to come to our church services but because of health or transportation issues are unable to do so. A quick visit letting an older saint know

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COMPASS MAGAZINE

that they are still an important member of the body could make a world of difference in his or her life. If you need help contacting an older member of our congregation, contact Dan Wade at dwade@ rivercitychristian.org.

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Helping Hands. Our men’s ministries are frequently called upon to assist with home repairs or yardwork for people who are injured or have physical limitations.

Contact Jeff Koons at jkoons@ rivercitychristian.org if you would like to help out with these kinds of needs.

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Other service organizations. There are lots of great organizations in the Sacramento area that need your help in serving others in the name of Christ. Contact Mark Shetler at mshetler@ rivercitychristian.org if you want some suggestions of service opportunities that might fit your interests.

• Discover how God has uniquely created you to be a positive influence in the world around you.

• Gain a better understanding of yourself and connect with specific opportunities for ministry within the life of our church and in your “other places.”

shape@rivercitychristian.org

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Ushers and greeters.

Visitors to our church often tell us that they were impressed that a large church could feel so friendly. One of the reasons people feel welcome here is because of the many volunteers we have each week serving as greeters and ushers. You don’t need a lot of experience to do this job—just a warm smile! Contact lmason@rivercitychristian.org to find out how to be put into a rotation of serving.

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School partnership.

River City partners with a local elementary school providing special events, donations and practical support throughout the year. To find out how you can help out this school, contact Fred Hammer at fhammer@rivercitychristian. org.

Want to develop a plan to better love God, love others and live missionally?

Pick up a free Spiritual Health Assessment at the Info Counter on Sundays.

Thank you to our 2016 Golf Tournament Title Sponsors who helped make the Christmas Mall possible.

At the Christmas Mall, our families were treated to appetizers, a live performance, and heard an

important message before having the opportunity to

LETTER FROM CHRISTMAS MALL The Christmas Mall is a highlight of our year at River City LEGACY LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION INC.

Christian. In 2016 over 750 volunteers served 901 guests.

Some of those guests came through our relationship with Rancho Cordova Elementary School. We received the following letter from the school’s principal and wanted to share it with our readers.

CHICK-FIL-A RIVERGATE

T

he holidays are a special time of year for many

people. It’s a time when family and friends come

together to show both generosity and gratitude for life’s blessings. For some, however, the holidays are

a difficult time. We have neighbors in our community

that struggle to provide the kind of holiday experience that others enjoy. In these times of need and in the

spirit of giving, the community at River City Christian

hosts a Christmas Mall event that enables the

families at our school, Rancho Cordova Elementary,

shop for Christmas presents for their families. They

also had the opportunity to have salon treatments and vision screenings. Throughout the event, the

Christmas Mall was filled with helpful staff that was

motivated by the spirit of giving and compassion for

their neighbors. It was an inspirational evening that

was provided at no cost to its participants.

The relationship that we have formed with River City and their dedication to our school community has

They have shown our families that they belong to something larger than themselves and that the true meaning of the holiday season is rooted in generosity and caring. Through been tremendous.

their tireless efforts, they bring our community together for a common good and inspire a season of joy for those that need it most.

LARRY MAHONEY Principal, Rancho Cordova Elementary

to experience the true meaning of Christmas.

QUINLAN & REED CONSTRUCTION

RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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DID YOU K NOW? W

hether you’re brand new to River City or you’ve been here a long time, there’s no way anyone can know everything about all the

ministries in our church family. We thought we’d share with you a few lesser known facts about some of our ministries.

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COMPASS MAGAZINE

In 2016, our Hospitality

Our Tech Team is high tech! We use ten computers to run

Team served meals for

audio, video and lighting during Sunday morning worship

approximately

services.

7,537

guests, plus snacks for

4,000

thousands more! That’s a

It takes over

feet of gaffers tape to secure

lot of yumminess!

cables and dance flooring on the stage each year.

On any given Sunday we use around 15 wireless microphone systems, all of which use rechargeable batteries. That saves about 1,560 standard batteries per year. We are green and budget conscious!

Growth Groups meet all over the Sacramento region, including locations as far away as Natomas, El Dorado Hills and Elk Grove. There’s a growth group near you!

There are nearly

500 River City people

involved in Growth Groups.

Several groups participated in a Mannequin Challenge in the month of December and posted some incredible videos on Facebook that are “still” amazing!

Approximately 24,960 cups of coffee were served on Sunday mornings

River City Kids Special Needs provides loving support for children with a variety of challenges and

last year. That’s a lot of

offers multiple respite opportunities throughout the year.

caffeine!

In 2016, Sunday morning attendance at River City Kids grew by a whopping 70%!

85

To be fully staffed on Sunday mornings, our children’s ministries needs 85 volunteers. Maybe you could be one of those 85!

Young Professionals (YP) do monthly baking challenges, providing the best snacks of any ministry in the church!

The

most popular jobs in Young Professionals are in

the medical field and speech therapy. Other career fields represented in YP include counseling, childcare and education, engineering, photography and design, and government work. Several members not only hold down a full time job, but are also grad students and undergrads!

Over 1,000 people have participated

678 Middle School Ministries involve students from

different schools in the area.

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in DivorceCare and GriefShare small groups since 2006, finding hope and healing from the deep pain of loss.

The small groups in 678 regularly compete against each other in spirited dodgeball games, Bible memorization challenges and tournaments involving a variety of food.

There’s got to be another use for Spam!

Mom’s Connection has eleven mentor moms whose average age is 63 and who help facilitate discussion at

our weekly meetings. Plus they give some excellent potty training tips!

RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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One of our Equipping Class teachers discovered

Last year’s Reasonable Faith Apologetics Conference, an Equipping Class event,

his calling to teach by

sold out three weeks in advance

attending the SHAPE Equipping Class.

and had over 750 in attendance.

Women’s INC offers an online Equipping Class for women who are not able to attend our

The SHAPE class not

Since a major goal of

only helps you begin the

Club 45 is to teach

journey of finding where

students more about

you fit in ministry at River

scripture, the group

City, but it also helps you

plays some seriously

discover how you have

Bible Trivia games every fun

been uniquely created to relate with your family, friends and coworkers.

River City Christian Preschool opened in September 2005 and

Sunday morning. Do you remember who Ehud was?

687 children have been enrolled since that time.

That includes six sets of twins over the years!

18.25 College Ministries

volleyball games in the gym every Friday at 6:30 p.m. hosts

and welcomes people of any age to join them in the relatively “friendly” competition.

18.25 loves to serve… and not just volleyballs! Many of our college students serve weekly in children’s and student ministries.

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COMPASS MAGAZINE

The most common girls’

Six students in Club 45 are the children of church staff.

names in the preschool

52 WEEKS/YEAR

weekly on-campus classes. It’s a great way to connect even if life is busy.

Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered program promoting freedom from hurts, habits and hang ups, meets 52 weeks a year and has done so for over 10 years.

A highlight of the year for Celebrate Recovery is their Thanksgiving Dinner.

Pass the mashed potatoes and gravy!

Celebrate Recovery has a program specially designed for kids called

Station.

Celebration

over the years have been Ava, Grace and Madelyn; while the most common boys’ names were Ryan, Logan and Noah.

AVA NOAH GRACE

LOGAN

MADELYN

RYAN

Club 45 members spend two nights away from home each spring for their first Global Outreach Trip in the Bay Area.

1,483 YEARS At a recent meeting, members of our MOSAIC Seniors Ministry determined that they had a combined total of 1,483 years of serving the Lord. Impressive!

MOSAIC offers gift wrapping services for hundreds of guests at the Christmas Mall each year. We have no idea how many rolls of tape have been used, but it’s a lot!

For the last six years members of our Renovate High School Ministries have served thousands of guests as waiters and waitresses at the Christmas Mall.

And the students look really sharp in their black and white uniforms!

Every year

high school students

have the opportunity to take various leadership

responsibilities on the Mexicali Global Outreach Trip. Many students preach for the first time, share testimonies, lead worship, teach children’s lessons, prepare crafts, and take care of administrative details.

We’re proud of our young people!

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INSTRUCTORS

250 STUDENTS Our Ignite Dance Academy, which opened in 2002, currently boasts 20 instructors, four assistants, an additional intern, and 250 students.

Ignite Dance Academy staff’s “other

River City has been doing ministry in Mexicali for

place” professions include an attorney,

eight local churches as well as with homeless and

model, an elementary school teacher,

over 30 years and currently partners with deportation ministries.

a candidate for a PhD in Chemistry, a a human resources consultant a fashion expert, a music teacher, an occupational therapist, and a seamstress.

For the last three years Men’s Ministries has served at Sacramento’s Union Gospel Mission.

The third Monday of the month they serve dinner and the third Tuesday of the month they lead the guests in a full worship

Ignite is frequently involved in Our Café team works hard to provide a quality experience. We even get many of our pastries

Freeport Bakery. Delicious! from

service.

outreach opportunities including the

ST. JOHN’S SHELTER, Sutter Hospital Children’s wing, the RIVER CATS GAMES, Christmas Mall,

the State and County Fairs,

DISNEYLAND, and convalescent homes.

You don’t have to know how to read music or even how to sing to join our

Classic Choir. We’ll

teach you and promise you’ll have fun along the way!

Helping Hands is part

The current age range for the choir is from the mid-

of Men’s Ministries and

20s to 80. High school students, college students,

serves people in need by providing regularly

services in landscaping, home repair, transportation, moving, and meal preparation.

Our guys are both skilled and helpful!

adults, retirees—everyone is welcome! Now is the perfect time to join as we prepare for Easter.

D

o you want to get more info about how to connect to one or more of these ministries? Give us a call in the church

office at 916.861.2240 or email compass@rivercitychristian.org.

RIVERCITYCHRISTIAN.ORG

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Easter Worship Prayer Experience

MODERN: Saturday, April 15 at 5 p.m. | Sunday, April 16 at 10 and 11:30 a.m.

CLASSIC: Sunday, April 16 at 8:30 a.m.

HIGH ENERGY KID’S CARNIVAL for children through 5th grade at all services.

Prepare for Easter by experiencing the Last Supper in a unique self-guided prayer event. 7 a.m.- 8 p.m. Thursday, April 13 and Friday, April 14.