RCC NEWS

A number of years ago, I learned a phrase that has stuck with me.  It goes like this:  “Under promise.  Over deliver.”  Even typing it out, I see such wisdom in the statement.  We all know someone who does the exact opposite:  “Over promise.  Under deliver.”  These are the people who say, “I’m going to learn Spanish this year” and never get started.  They say, “I’m going to get in shape this year,” but don’t ever try to do anything to make that happen.  Those types of people can often frustrate us, especially if WE are one of those people!  That’s why under promising and over delivering is so much better!  We set realistic expectations (under promise), and then we meet or exceed those expectations (over deliver)!  Brilliant! Compare that to something you’ll be hearing in the coming days and weeks:  “A New Me in 2023!”  Whoa! While I get that that can apply to some people, I think it’s a bit unnecessary to most of us.  Under promise and over deliver makes more sense to me! That’s why I’m approaching my New Year’s resolutions that way.  I don’t want to set the bar so high that I’m destined to fail.  Listen.  I know me better than just about anyone, and I know that I’m not going to run a marathon this year.  I did a half marathon once.  Never.  Again.  I know me.  That’s not me!
 
What I am focused on this year is striving to love and live more like Jesus did.  While that seems like a tall order, my goal isn’t to become a brand-new person. My goal is to simply grow.  God willing, I’m typing this article a year from now and I look back and say “Ya, there was progress!”  If my neighbors recognize Jesus in me just a little more . . . If my family experiences Christ’s love and grace through me just a little bit more . . .

My reasoning for this is because I want to stand out among the crowd.  In a world that is increasing in its lack of trust for Christians, I want to stand out in a way that causes them to think differently about my Jesus.  I know there are many people that call themselves Christians who cast stones at those that don’t see things exactly the way they do.  The world needs less of that and more love and grace.  I know there are Christians who cast stones at people who don’t vote like they do.  The world has more than enough of that. A biblical disciple, though, lives and loves like Jesus. Those people stand in the way of the stones and love difficult people through difficult times.  They don’t hurl stones at sinners, but lovingly encourage them to know and trust in Jesus’ ways.  They look at the broken and the lost and tell them that apart from Christ, they can do nothing, but through Christ, they can be saved!  They tell them that they’re more than their attractions, confusions or politics. Disciples do truth well.  Disciples do love well.  They don’t wield truth as a stone to injure, and they won’t wield love without truth as a stone of conformity.
 
So, how do I plan to do this?  I’m glad you asked because I thought that if I could encourage our church family to strive in any area, it would be to live and love more like Jesus in 2023.  Here are four things I’m doing to grow:
-Choosing to trust what Scripture says over anything else.  As culture continues it’s downhill progression, it pulls at a disciple.  There’s a part of me that wants to consider what it would mean to embrace the popular sins of our times and swim with the current rather than against it.  If, however, I am to follow Christ, it can’t be apart from his words and the words inspired by Holy Spirit.  Following Jesus was never meant to be easy, but it is fulfilling to stand firmly on the truth of Scripture.
-Placing a higher priority on relationships than I do my rights.  I suppose I have a right to get angry at people who vote differently than I do.  I suppose I have a right to get angry at people who cheapen the name of Christ by their personal beliefs and actions.  I suppose I have a right to get angry at that driver going 5 under the speed limit in the passing lane.  I have that right, but what good are all of the rights in the world if I don’t have love in my heart.  I may not agree with everything others say and do, or how they drive, but I will choose to love them more. 
-Constantly be in the Word. Don’t worry, I’m in the Word quite a bit.  However, I want to approach the Word of God for nourishment, not for sermons.  I want to learn more and grow more as a disciple.  I’m very excited about the reading plan that comes in our app! I haven’t read through the Bible in a year in a number of years.  That might be where I’m going!
-Encourage my family to do the same.  I want my family to live and love as Christ as well.  I’m going to continue to work on our family’s culture so that everyone knows to turn to the Word before you turn to anyone else.  I want to model for them what it means to place the highest value on relationships, especially ours.  I want to see them grow in their faithful attention to the Bible through personal reading and study time.

I don’t know what your New Year’s resolutions are, but I hope that you will reflect and consider how God would like to use a new start and a new beginning to create change in you.

God bless you, and Happy New Year, RCC!

Zach Davis

Happy New Year!! We are glad that the hustle and bustle of the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year season is finally over! We can sit back, enjoy family (or time to ourselves), and set goals and prayerfully plan for 2023.
            I am so proud of our volunteers in the Worship Ministry and Community Group Ministry! Throughout the month of December, those on the platform and at the production desks gave much time and effort away from their families so that the services could be the best they could be. We literally couldn’t have done it without them! So much more time and effort go toward preparation of the services than can be seen just by attending the services. We are blessed with hard working, dedicated, and talented people who love to serve God with their musical abilities. I constantly receive encouragement and positive comments about our volunteers in the Worship Ministry.
            Our Community Groups have never been so vibrant, passionate, and well attended! Our group leaders love and serve their groups by preparing their lessons and pastoring those within their groups. It has been a constant joy in my life to be a part of this wonderful ministry. Let me encourage you to get involved in a Community Group if you aren’t already. Thank you to all our group leaders and hosts! We are preparing a fantastic Spring semester which starts on Wednesday, January11th.
            May each of you live the coming days for our Lord. May there continually be a new song in your hearts to sing to Him no matter what comes. May you always trust in Him and live as if His mercies are always new every morning. May you be encouraged in the days ahead and lean into His everlasting arms.

Servin’ God and Lovin’ It!
Allen

Calendar February/March

February 19th - WINTERJAM -   We'll be leaving from the church at 1:00 pm for Tulsa, OK to go to WINTERJAM: the best Christian Concert tour of the year! $20 per student.  Must sign up to attend by contacting Isaac.  Seating is limited, so make sure you sign up!

DATE CHANGED ** Now March 3-4  - RISE: An All Girls Weekend! - Girls will be meeting at RCC at 4:30 pm Friday for 24 hours of Girls Only exploration of God's plan for their lives.  There will be late night activities, fun food, serving, and 3 sessions of looking at the Bible together! $70 per student! Must sign up to attend!

March 22 - The Big Serve - We'll be heading out from RCC's parking lot at 7:00 am to go to Maranatha Bible Camp to help them get ready for Summer Camp!  We'll be doing clean up and light construction, so where your work clothes.  We plan on being back by 6:00 pm.  Must Sign Up to attend at the Hub. 
 
///SUMMER: 

CIY MOVE CONFERENCE - JUNE 23rd-30th  -  $520 per person  -  Glorieta, NM
JR. HIGH CAMP: July 9th-14th - $255
SR. HIGH CAMP: July 23rd-28th - $255

TO SIGN UP FOR EVENTS - PLEASE TEXT, CALL OR EMAIL ISAAC, OUR STUDENT PASTOR, OR SIGN UP AT THE HUB IN THE STUDENT CENTER.
479-426-5897  //  isaac@rogerscc.org

Happy New Year!
I pray you had the best month celebrating Jesus with your family! We are so blessed by a Father who loves us enough to send His son to die for us. That’s worth celebrating and I hope you did just that!

Sunday Morning:
“When I’m older!” “When I’m taller!” Every kid is excited to grow up — even if it’s just to finally ride that big kid roller coaster they’ve had their eye on. This five-week series is about another kid who grew up — Jesus!  Through stories from Jesus’ early life and ministry, kids will learn five important truths to help them continue growing: God guides us to safety, we can love God with our actions, we can follow Jesus, God makes us ready at the right time, and God’s words help us make wise choices.

Wednesday Nights:
We will resume regular Wednesday night programming on January 11. We will learn about the spiritual habit of "Spending Time with God." We will focus on making habits stick to achieve the goal of spending more time with God - consistently. Hope to see your kids when we come back from Christmas break!

Love to all,
Jamie
479-224-1539
jamie@rogerscc.org

Upcoming events:
- SUPERSTART- March 10th-11th. This is an incredible conference geared toward preteens in 4th and 5th grades! There will be fantastic teaching, worship, and SO much fun! Cost is $100, and a $25 non-refundable deposit is due by January 31st to save your spot. Balance due 3/1.

Hey friends! I’m looking to fill some volunteer needs within Children’s ministry.  Let me know if you feel like any of these might be a good fit for you:
1) Special needs buddies.  We are working toward finding buddies for all of the kiddos who are coming that need a bit more accommodations or help with things. Specifically during second service at this time; I need half a dozen people or more.  No experience needed, training will be provided.
2) Wednesday night leaders. We have a phenomenal volunteer base but are rapidly growing and need more hands on deck!!  Dinner is provided every week!
3) First hour classroom assistants. We are needing classroom assistants in our Preschool and Kindergarten classrooms during the Bible Study hour.
4) Tech help during second hour.  Run the computer/sound.
5) Tech help in preparation for services.  Help download and load things into the presentation software.  This is super flexible timing and can be done weekly or monthly.
6) Help to create and disciple serve teams. I'd love to create serve teams for the kids that they can lead. Examples are a tech team, first impressions team, and communion team. Volunteer to help lead one of these teams!

If I can answer any questions, please ask!  I need some fantastic people- men and women- to help shape these little minds and help them know Jesus is King!  I can add you to the schedule weekly or even just once a month! ~~~~

Hello  RCC Family!
  In the month of February, children in
 the nursery will be learning lessons  all
about how  God gives us families!
Our theme will be based out of the verse in Psalm 68:6a "God sets the lonely in families."
We will help your child to begin to associate God and Jesus with loving people at home and at church and how to respond to demonstrations of affection from their family.

Ideas to connect the theme with your kids at home:

                                    Scribbling
Young children first write by swinging their
arms up and down, back and forth, and by jabbing
and poking at the paper. This scribbling
helps develop the hand-eye coordination that
will be needed for drawing and writing.
• Provide plenty of paper when your child is
interested in scribbling. Let your child use one
material at a time. He or she will enjoy contrast:
ing materials such as a red marker on white
paper or a black crayon on yellow paper. Talk to
your child about the colors he or she is using
Say:
 I see you are coloring with the blue crayon. You're making lots of blue marks. You can use your crayons to make a picture. Here is a picture of our family that God made. He gave us a family to live in and grow with. I am so glad God made you a part of our family!


Sing it!

                       My Family
(Tune: "Row, Row, Row Your Boat)
Thank, thank, thank You, God
For my family!
God made families to love
And care for you and me!
Sing this song to your child as he or she plays
with a doll, toy dishes or household items. Talk
about ways you show love to your child.

Say:
I give you good things to eat because I love
you. I play with you because I love you. I'm
glad we're a family together. God gives us
families. 

Your child will begin to develop an
awareness of God being associated with the
love he or she experiences with you at home.
___________________________________________________________________________
 
 
Here are some current ministry volunteer needs we have in the RCC nursery:

- 1st service check-in desk volunteers- the Check-in desk is a fun, faster-paced environment where you really can get to know all the families we serve at RCC as they drop off their kids for service, and help greet new guests as we get their needed info!

- 1st and 2nd service nursery workers- I need several volunteers; especially the 3rd Sunday each month, each service time . You get to love on little ones and teach them simple lessons that are provided each week.
Additionally, I would love to have some who are willing to commit to volunteering  multiple Sundays  a month; being a more long-term teacher for our older Sea Lions nursery class!

- 1st and 2nd service nursery subs- We always need people willing to step in last minute to help  serve when others are sick or out of town! If you would like to help occasionally and could be available last minute before Sunday morning, let me know!

If you are interested in serving in The Harbor Nursery Ministry or at the Check-in desk, please email Becky King with the form below, or text at 479-426-3319.
Love you all and Thank You!

Blessings! May the Lord our God find you well!

Last month I asked, who will you bless through your hardship?

Just the thought of that sounds like an oxymoron. We aim to be comfortable in our life and only think about me, myself, and I. So, when we go through some difficulties, we tend to be the center of attention and the thought of the hardship being a blessing for others is foreign to us.

Is that what a disciple of Christ should be? To start, we are to rejoice when we go through difficulties, James 1:2-4. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

We are to serve one another. Jesus Christ gave us the best example Philipians 2:5-8.
"In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death even death on a cross!"

I have not found a verse in the Bible that explicitly mentions that we are to bless others in our hardship, but it’s a concept that is all over the bible. The very best example, again, done by Christ. He carried all of our sins, and he became sin, so we can have eternal life with the father. John 19:30 "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

We are here to be blessed and to bless others. Have you found your purpose in life?

In Christ,
Freddy Alas

There were a lot of setbacks last year for the churches and organizations we support, especially in light of the devastating natural disasters our brothers and sisters had to navigate. But what’s amazing is that in spite of these issues, these churches managed to baptize so many people, furthering God’s kingdom and relying on Christ to continue His mission. In the Abra churches in the Philippines alone, 48 people were baptized. Praise God that even in the midst of seemingly unconquerable circumstances, He still moves and gathers His people.

-The International Missions Committee

Are you crafty?  Or do you just have a heart for those in pain? Join this ministry!

Pray, while making a shawl, for an individual who has a long term illness  (Illness lasting 6+ months)

How you can help:
1. If you can crochet or knit, your help in making shawls would be greatly appreciated
2. Donations to help with the yarn for making shawls. (Just an average cost for the yarn to make a shawl is approximately $15.)
3. Send in names for people to receive a shawl. Text or call 479-426-5687 or send a  Facebook message to Heather Fyffe.