FEBRUARY MARCH 2010
VOLUME 12 NUMBER 1
connection
our God of hope
volume 12 • number 1
A bimonthly publication, copyright © 2010 Stonebriar Community Church, Frisco, Texas. The material within may not be disseminated in any manner without permission.
by tom hayes
pastor of missions & community impact
All inquiries, comments, suggestions, and story ideas should be directed to Jennifer Brown, director of communications, at 469-252-5200 or by e-mail to Communications@Stonebriar.org.
senior pastor
director of resource ministries
director of communications
senior graphic designer
communications coordinator
writer/designer
volunteer editors and writers
Hope is a powerful thing. It has sustained each of us through some of our own dark times. In Romans 15:13, the Apostle Paul calls our God the “God of Hope.” It is great to know we serve a God who not only gives us hope, but who is called the God of Hope.
Chuck Swindoll
Our world is filled with many people who do not know or understand our God of Hope. Daily we are given opportunities to joyfully share Him with people in our own city and throughout the world. As a church, Stonebriar is committed to Sharing Hope with All People in All Places.
Carol Spencer
Jennifer Brown
On Missions Sunday 2010, you will have the opportunity to learn specifically how we will be sharing hope this next year through Stonebriar’s Missions Ministries. Missions Sunday provides an opportunity for our people to get a taste (sometimes literally) of the places in the world where Stonebriar ministers. Each year, our people are surprised to hear about the many ways and places that we are ministering worldwide.
Kenny Courtenay
Lynn Wilson
Susan Jacobson
Mary Garner Shelly King
Bob Vestal
encouraging all people to pursue a lifelong, joyous relationship with Jesus Christ
www.stonebriar.org
We hope you will join us Sunday, February 21, for the opportunity to see firsthand what ministry looks like in other countries. We will have various tables and exhibits throughout the Atrium for the whole family to enjoy. For example, you will see how medical clinics are used overseas, will experience what it feels like to go to church in India, and will hear testimonies of orphans across the globe who are supported by our church. We hope you will be moved, encouraged, and inspired by everything you see and hear on Missions Sunday. Please pray with us that February 21 will be a day that God moves in the lives of people in our church, and that each person will be encouraged to support our desire to Share Hope with All People in All Places. Throughout the year, please also remember to pray for the many missionaries Stonebriar supports who are serving worldwide.
FEBRUARY | MARCH 2010
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2010 women’s spring retreat find out what it means to bring your dirt to Jesus........3
keeping joy in my itinerary a relaxing trip can often be more stressful than staying home, hear how one woman tackled her to do list......3
memorial garden update SCC’s new memorial garden is nearly complete. find out what finishing touches are needed..................4
if you can explain it, God isn’t doing it learn how God is continuing to move through stonebriar’s spanish congregation....................................5
sharing hope
5 8
during 2010 stonebriar missions’ teams will travel throughout the world. Find out where...........................5
preteen parents & biblical truths discover what two major job descriptions parents have according to the bible.................................7
test your knowledge check out our new word puzzle and test your knowledge of the gospel of mark.....................................7
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deliberate accountability for men stonebriar’s ironman groups help men stay on the right path in the midst of life’s pressures...................... 8
february/march calendar............................ 9 beyond these walls taking new ideas and reaching our community in practical and loving ways ......................... back cover
more stories at www.stonebriar.org
keeping by kim layton
2009 spring retreat attendee
by karen hawkins
pastoral leader of community impact As Christians, we are to love, trust, and follow Jesus even in the midst of life-altering difficulties. So, how do we do this even in a year of drought? During our annual Women’s Spring Retreat on April 9–11, we hope to answer this very question as we “bring our dirt to Jesus” and learn “how our garden grows.” Throughout the weekend, you will hear stories of struggle and celebration from this year’s retreat speaker, RoseAnne Coleman, and see how our “dirt” can be transformed by God’s power and love into a “well-watered garden” that produces eternal fruit.
When I woke up the morning of the Women’s Spring Retreat, the list of things to do was more overwhelming than usual. Between the kids’ activities, work, and getting things ready for the weekend, I wasn’t sure there were enough hours in the day to get it all done. In fact, I was positive I would fall short. Something had to give. The stress was mounting as I scoured the list, prioritizing and looking for things to cut out in order to make it easier to “check things off.” It was my own fault. Months earlier, my friend Cathy and I had registered to attend the Stonebriar Women’s Retreat and suddenly the weekend had arrived. As my thoughts
This is a great opportunity to get away and enjoy God’s Word as well as connect with other women of Stonebriar. Be sure to mark your calendar and register for this year’s Spring Retreat. It will be a weekend you do not want to miss! Register and learn more about this year’s retreat online [Keyword: SpringRetreat]. If you have questions, contact Karen at 469-252-5241 or e-mail KarenH@Stonebriar.org.
women’s spring retreat april 9–11 lakeview conference center, waxahachie, tx
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lanting season is upon us and P Stonebriar’s new Memorial Garden is taking shape. Flagstone paths have been laid, benches are in place, and the bronze sculpture, Gardener at Rest, sits at the south end of the garden. A fountain even splashes soothingly in the center of the groundwork. The next step will be adding native Texas plants, scheduled to begin in March. Take a peek out the garden hallway windows in the Atrium to keep track of our progress, or take a stroll to your favorite sitting area. For information about how you can contribute in memory of a loved one, e-mail Marge at MargeDitka@Stonebriar.org.
joy in my itinerary Cathy Toups (left) and Kim Layton look forward to this year’s retreat.
raced, I found myself feeling guilty for wishing I had not registered for the retreat. “If only I wasn’t going,” I thought. “How much easier this day would be for me.” But it was too late to cancel; my friend and I had committed to go. We had been counting on the time we would finally have to spend together, so I got ready for the day and tackled the list. That afternoon we met as planned and headed out to the retreat. It didn’t take long for our conversation to turn to the hectic day we’d each had. I even admitted that I’d considered cancelling out on the weekend. As it turned out, she felt the same way. We decided to continue on and enjoy the time together.
What neither of us expected was the overwhelming joy and sharing we experienced that weekend. Women of all ages and stages of life had come together to share experiences and encourage each other. We had each arrived with various issues, challenges, and stress levels, but it didn’t matter what kind of baggage we had brought along. Once we arrived, it was as if the Lord himself greeted us, took our bags, and asked us to make ourselves comfortable. He was in charge now. Christ used all the ladies in attendance and the speaker to draw us closer to Him and to each other. The freedom was incredible. During the weekend my relationship with the Lord and others
deepened, and I met many new friends whom I still see today. As my friend and I drove home on Sunday, engulfed in His love, I reflected on that stressed woman from two days before. How different my priorities had become. If I had cut that retreat from my list, I would have cut the opportunity to experience Christ’s love being lived out through other women—and myself. This year, the Women’s Spring Retreat is a top priority, and I look forward to refreshing my spirit and enjoying all Christ has in store for those few, blessed days. I hope you will take a few moments to add this weekend retreat to your to-do list.
www.stonebriar.org | 4
by carlos zazueta, pastor of stonebriar en español
It is difficult to explain how faithful God has been during the past nine years. During this time, as a Hispanic congregation, we have witnessed Christ’s work in the lives of many people. How all this has taken place, I cannot explain. Perhaps that’s why I love the words written by Warren Wiersbe, “If you can explain what is going on, then God isn’t doing it!” During the past several years, God has blessed my life and the Hispanic Ministry beyond my own expectations and those of many people. In 2002, Stonebriar’s leadership decided to offer a Bible study
B
illions of people in this world are living broken lives. Why are their lives broken? They have no hope. They have no hope for a better meal, a better education, a better life for their children, and certainly do not have the real hope that only comes with life in Jesus. For the past two years, Stonebriar’s Missions Ministries has proclaimed that we will reach All People, All Places. During 2010 we are offering more ways for our church to reach our world. Specifically this year, we encourage you to be part of our mission to share the hope of Jesus Christ. We will continue to use our multi-faceted approach in five countries: Guatemala, India, Lebanon, Russia, and Mozambique. We will focus on sharing hope through evangelism, leadership development, compassion ministries, mass communications (Insight for Living), and business as missions through microfinance. Learn more about each of these focus areas on the Missions website [Keyword: Missions], or pick up a Missions Guide available throughout the church late February. Have more questions about Missions? E-mail us at Missions@Stonebriar.org.
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in Spanish, with the purpose of reaching out to the Hispanic community of Frisco. The plan was to share the Gospel and teach the Bible in Spanish. That was it! We began by discipling a young married couple in one of the smallest rooms in the church. With limited resources and practical service projects, we spread the word about this new ministry for our Spanish-speaking community. A year later, we held our first Spanish church service on Easter; approximately 35 people attended. Since that moment, God has been responsible for duplicating each year the number of people attending and serving in our ministry. Today we are a family of nearly 300 adults, youth, and children. What began as a small Bible study has become a ministry that encourages people to have a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. And this is not only for Hispanic families, but for anyone who desires to be ministered to in Spanish.
We have begun 2010 with great excitement and a challenge that includes a name change and a new meeting location. To better reflect our ministry, Hispanic Ministries is now Iglesia Stonebriar en Español. On January 17, we held our first 10:30 a.m. worship service in the church’s former Worship Center (now the MultiPurpose Room). This new space offers an incredible new place for us to glorify and to exalt the name of God, with the singing, reading, and exposition of God’s Word in Spanish. However, it also provides a great challenge as we look to minister and grow into this new space. I suppose you will think that I am boasting a little. But if I am doing it, I am boasting for God. When I trusted Jesus as my Lord, God did not exactly catch a great fish. I was not (and still I’m not) a celebrity or a brilliant person. I simply was a disturbed 16-year-old boy. But God took
this ordinary and simple young man and transformed his life completely. The passage of the Scriptures that best describes my life and ministry is 1 Corinthians 1:26–29: “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him”(NIV). The best teaching that I have learned in these last nine years of ministry is this: “You can never be too small for God to use, only too big.” God uses people who are faithful in the small things. In His time and in His way, God will entrust us with bigger things. The most important thing is to be sure we are in His will.
2010 Short-Term Trip Opportunities India february 27–march 7 • cost: $2,600/person
Branson, Missouri march 13–17, week of frisco ISD spring break • cost: $200/family
Guatemala late june • cost: $1,700/person
Poland july 14–25 • cost: $2,500/adult woman
China late july • cost: $3,000/person
Ireland late october • cost: $2,500/person
www.stonebriar.org | 6
by joe harms
associate pastor of preteen ministries God gave parents two major job descriptions in Deuteronomy 6:5–7 . . . 1) Love God deeply. 2) Teach God’s ways to your children diligently, througout the entire day. Following the second parental job description can often be a challenge. It’s easy to spend many hours each week participating in our children’s activities and sports events, but it’s much more challenging to spend 30 minutes, not to mention the entire day, intentionally passing on spiritual wisdom. During March, we invite parents of fifthand-sixth-graders to live out Deuteronomy 6:5–7 by spending a weekend away with your daughter or son during our Mother/Daughter or Father/Son retreat.
Father/Son Retreat
Both retreats are focused on teaching a biblical definition of a godly man or woman. Not only will this be a great opportunity to spend time with your preteen, but it also will be a time to share in God’s Word together. Personally, I can’t think of anything more important than helping preteens learn biblical truths, especially when you consider the confusing messages that bombard our children throughout their entire day.
March 26–28 Camp Hoblitzelle Midlothian, TX
Cost: $100 per person Guest speaker: Steve Fischer
Mother/Daughter Retreat March 5–6 Camp Hoblitzelle
Cost: $75 per person Guest speaker: Karen Hawkins Registrations may be downloaded at the church website [Keyword: Preteen], or e-mail ConnieB@Stonebriar.org.
Please make the sacrifice of time and money, and bring your preteen to these retreats. You won’t regret it! These truly are life-changing events.
test your knowledge
P M A R JL H E O B E
J G
E S
P
L S E U
LG
E
U
O S
A
T
I HINT: These 12 men followed Jesus.
R I T
S S O HINT: These 12 men followed Jesus. E
K
H O PA EV L
S
M P
B
B P M A
K
P R ET I B
P T I
L
S L M E
A V HINT:
Jesus fed these to S the multitudes. L A S O S T L S J I R O F S SO A I A TT E I MO PN A T T
S M
HINT: Jesus fed these to the multitudes.
J O
F A
I O N T
Pastor Chuck has been teaching from the Gospel of Mark. Fill in the missing letters to complete words that relate to this book of the Bible. Then unscramble the circled letters to answer the question below. What is referred to in Mark 1:2–3 that foretells Christ’s coming? H
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H
P
P
F
I F
See lower-right corner of page 10 for the answer.
deliberate accountability for men by scott burday, stonebriar ironman facilitator The number of challenges that men face in their daily lives is immense. Not only do they face the external pressures of family, job, and home, but also the internal pressures of anger, pride, and sexual temptation. As Peter warned his fellow brothers in Christ: “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Satan continually attempts to destroy everything that God has put into our lives. Thankfully, there are ways to cope with these pressures. First and foremost, you must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Only through His redemptive power can you survive and thrive. If Christ is not your personal Savior, seek Him today and He will start your healing process. Then surround yourself with other godly men who will lift up and strengthen you—men of integrity, character, and commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word. Men who will pray and lift you up as you, in turn, encourage and support them. And most importantly, men who will hold you accountable to your actions and words. It is this step of deliberate accountability that will help motivate you to stay on God’s path for your life. At Stonebriar, groups of four to ten men meet on a regular basis to support, mentor, protect, pray for, and encourage each other. These IronMan groups study God’s Word as well as read and discuss books written to strengthen men’s lives. They openly discuss challenges and hold to a commitment of confidentiality. Through these times together, new friendships are established that usually don’t happen just on Sunday mornings. If you want other men to share your trials, help ease your burdens, encourage your walk, and help you be a better man, take the first step to be deliberately accountable and join an IronMan group. You can search for a group in your area on Stonebriar’s website [Keyword: IronMan]. Would you like to partner with us in facilitating a small group for men? Training will be held April 11, 18, and 25. Fill out an IronMan Facilitator Training Application at the Information Desk on Sunday mornings and return it to the church office by Monday, March 29.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” — Proverbs 27:17
www.stonebriar.org | 8
FEBRUARY MARCH find more events and details or sign up to volunteer at www.stonebriar.org
churchwide
weekly
weekly
stonebriar prays wednesdays at 5 p.m. in worship center
2/1, 3/1 cancer encouragement group find comfort and encouragement, 7–8:30 p.m.
2/7
communion sunday
2/2, 3/2 in His time
benevolence offering
2/15
presidents’ day
stonebriar offices closed
2/7, 3/7 first sunday at five join us as we pray for our nation at 5 p.m.
2/21
baptism class for adults
2/28
baptism services for adults, youth, and children 1 p.m., multi-purpose room
www.stonebriar.org
3/15–19 frisco isd spring break
no weekday activities for preschool pals, children’s, or student ministries. no wednesday adult studies
4/2
good friday
stonebriar offices closed. worship service 7 p.m.
4/4
easter sunday
service times: 7:30, 9, and 10:45 a.m. adult fellowships do not meet
care ministries
reengage tuesdays, 6:30 p.m., room B241-242
6:30 p.m., room A129
children
web keyword: children
2/22
children’s ministries summer preview
preview for parents of K–6 summer events including Vacation Bible School and camps 7 p.m., room B241–242
2/27
awana grand prix
kits available for $15 in education building lobby
2/28
child dedication services
community impact web keyword: community impact
web keyword: care
weekly
beyond these walls (outreach planning)
weekly
reach up, reach out
sundays at 12:15 p.m., portable A
divorcecare [Keyword: DivorceCare, DC4K]
griefshare [Keyword: GriefShare]
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fridays at 7 a.m., room B243-244
divorcecare and divorcecare for kids meets wednesdays
support during the grieving process, wednesdays from 6:30–8 p.m.
equipping
web keyword: equipping
2/5,19 3/5, 19
mosaic for singles in their 20s 7 p.m., multi-purpose room
2/7
home adult fellowship facilitator training class 9 a.m.
men/women
stonebriar en español
weekly
women of grace
weekly
stonebriar en español
tuesdays at 7 p.m., rooms B201–204
men’s wednesday bible fellowship 6:30 p.m., worship center
led by pastor Carlos Zazueta sundays, 10:30 a.m., multi-purpose room
2/5,19 3/5, 19
home study/prayer group
web keyword: men or women
women’s wednesday bible study 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., room B241-242
mom2mom fridays at 9:30 a.m., multi-purpose room
2/13, 3/13 books and bagels 3/6
mom2mom conference
Truffles from Heaven [Keyword: Truffles]
missions
web keyword: missions
2/18, 3/25 the pursuit
6:30 p.m., room B203
2/21
missions sunday
3/13–17 branson family mission trip e-mail ShortTermTrips@Stonebriar.org
web keyword: espanol
2/7, 21 3/7, 21
proverbios 31 reunión de jóvenes
students
web keyword: students
2/5 2/7
hsm dogma theology: God’s alien nature
jhm frisco cup flag football game
jhm and hsm super bowl parties
2/12, 26 hsm dogma morning bible study 3/12, 26 7–8 a.m. at original pancake house 2/19–20 jhm planet wisdom conference 2/27
hsm mudbowl
preteens
3/5
jhm crash course: soteriology
3/16
no critical mass (spring break)
3/5–6
3/17
no fusion (spring break)
web keyword: preteen
junction 56 mother/daughter retreat
3/26–28 junction 56 father/son retreat
projectserve
web keyword: projectserve
volunteer opportunities
visit our website regularly to find ways to serve or to download a volunteer application
worship & music web keyword: worship
2/4, 3/4 sanctuary choir open house weekly
celebration singers
rehearsal, mondays at 6:30 p.m., choir room
Answer to puzzle on page 8: The Prophecy of Isaiah
www.stonebriar.org | 10
resurrection sunday services
turning ideas into action Since last fall, Stonebriar’s new Community Impact fellowship group, Beyond These Walls, has been busy serving our local community through prayer and service. During the holiday season, Beyond These Walls, alongside Stonebriar en Español, reached out to a nearby neighborhood with door-todoor invitations to our church. This team also shared Christ’s love and message of salvation during a Christmas caroling event. By the end of the night, several individuals shared that they had placed their faith in Christ.
sunday, april 4 at 7:30, 9 & 10:45 a.m. Childcare and children’s programming will not be offered during the 7:30 a.m. service.
good friday communion service friday, april 2 at 7 p.m.
This winter we’ve had many opportunities to serve. In addition to assisting with church-sponsored food and clothing drives, this group visited local nursing homes, participated in a New Year’s Eve outreach for the homeless, supported local missionaries, and took a trip to Galveston to repair a hurricane-damaged home. Isaiah 58:10 reminds us “. . . and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday” (NIV). Are you looking for a way to get involved at Stonebriar and reach out to the community around you? Discover how God can use you in His great plan by joining us this Sunday at 12:15 p.m. in Portable A as we discuss new ways to reach out to the surrounding community [Keyword: Beyond]. We’d love to hear your ideas.
sunday worship 9 & 10:45 a.m. Chuck Swindoll, senior pastor
4801 legendary drive, frisco, texas 75034 • 469.252.5200 • www.stonebriar.org