Praise Community Fellowship

Wednesday, October 25, 2017

This Sunday!

Praise Community Fellowship will be leading worship this Sunday Oct. 29th at 8:45am. We will be walking in the circle of God's blessings as I look at more evidence from the Bible that shows us that God want's to open our spiritual eyes so that we can see clearly the path to the blessings He has for our life.

Our New Website

Our new site is up and running. We will be adding more features and continue to modify and change things as we move forward. One of the points the new website stresses is that we are not a traditional church. We do not meet every Sunday and that we are a volunteer organization that meets to connect with God and help those in need. Our Website

True Story

For years now I have been walking in God's peace. Sometimes you don't realize how wonderful things are until you lose something. Last week I lost God's peace because of a mistake I made. It hit me like a ton of bricks. One moment life couldn't be more peaceful and the next moment I was in deep distress. I paced, I hurt, I worried, I walked, I prayed, and then realized that the only thing I could do was to go to the Bible and started reading the Psalms. As I read, I struggled to stay focused because of the stress but I continued to read and pray. I read for about 1/2 an hour and I will tell you it was a struggle to keep reading but I forced myself to continue. Now some may say what happened next was a coincidence or the result of other actions that were put into place over the situation but I will tell you the problem was completely resolved as I was reading and praying. Would the same result have appeared if I hadn't been reading the Bible or praying? We will never know, but my peace returned. There is nothing like walking in God's peace! Seek it like a fine treasure. God's peace is found in the circle of blessings. You must be walking toward God to enter His circle of Blessings!

Friday, October 20, 2017

Be careful What You Seek!

I started to talk this past Sunday about walking in the circle of God's Blessings and to give you a real quick re-cap I said there are two very important points you need to grasp about this teaching.

1.) No one is ever out side the circle of God's grace and love no matter how far you have strayed from God. This means that regardless of your current distance, God's grace is still available to you.

2.) It is possible however to be outside the circle of God's blessing! That means that even though God loves you and His Grace is available to you, it is up to you to begin the journey back to him so you can receive the blessings that are awaiting you. In my talk last Sunday I used the example of parents with teen age children who are not obeying the rules of the household. Maybe they are experimenting with underage drinking or staying out past curfew. You still love them, but most parents would probably say, until you can comply with our rules, I am not going to pay for your cell phone bill, or pay your car insurance etc. There are consequences in being outside the circle of Blessings. The Prodigal son teaches this in Luke. You can read that story here. The Prodigal Son

I also mentioned that the shortcut to Gods blessings is to stay close to Him by praying and reading your bible daily. There is a great way to make bible reading easy no matter what your schedule or where you travel. I use a daily plan from Bible Gateway. There are many different reading plans that they will send directly to your email so if you have a smart phone you will always have a daily scripture to read. You can find out more or sign up fro this free service here. Biblegateway reading plans

Your Prayers Matter!

Faye Heuchert will be having back surgery at Barnes Hospital on October 24th.

Pastor John Shear, Jackie's husband. healing grace for diabetes complications.

Cathy Watson continued healing from cancer!

Emily Norris, continued healing and God's direction and peace!
Linda Cassens, continued prayers for healing!

Stan Rutkowski, blessings and healing
Brad Fultz, cont. healing and God's direction and peace!

African Vision of Hope, God's blessing to open hearts for continued support and direction!

PCF and IUMC, God's direction and wisdom

Beverly Farm, prayers for God's blessings, protection and wisdom for the managers and staff

Pastor John Shear, Jackie husband. healing grace for diabetes complications.

Announcements

Our New website is up for it's "beta" review.. I think that means there is still some tweaking to do but you can see it here. New web site

KID’S NIGHT OUT

This Friday, October 20, beginning at 5:30 pm, children ages 3 through those in 5^th grade are invited to attend Kid’s Night Out until 8:30 pm. The evening begins with a meal (tacos are on the menu for this month!) and then enjoy playing games, doing crafts and other activities, then end the evening watching a movie while munching on popcorn. Please RSVP if you know your children are coming by return e-mail or by calling the church office (618) 656-4648. Adult helpers are very much needed. If you can come help with serving or cleaning up the meal, or come to sit with the children while they watch the movie, you would be most welcome. For more information call Kiffon (618) 210-9628 or Jill (314) 422-6734.

SUDSY SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER

During the month of October we are asking for donations of dishwashing soap, laundry detergent, liquid soap and conditioner for the Glen-Ed Food Pantry. This past Sunday you contributed 27 lbs for the Pantry, which included 6 conditioners, 8 toilet paper, 1 package sanitary napkins, 1 hand soap, 3 detergents, 1 toothpaste and 2 deodorants. We appreciate your contributions! Remember to bring contributions for our Sudsy Sundays for the remainder of October.

See you Sunday at 8:45am located at 800 North Main Street Edwardsville. Sincerely, pastor kent

Tuesday, October 10, 2017

This Coming Sunday. "Blessings Flow!"

This Sunday The PCF praise team will be back and we will be having a dedication, and a look into what happens when your spiritual eyes are opened. Blessings Flow!

When you are able to read the Bible with spiritual eyes and spiritual understanding, you realize that the entire bible was written to you, about you and for you! We have stifled the power of God and His word in our lives but that can be reversed. Learn how to start walking within the circle of God's blessings everyday. It is going to be an amazing Sunday!

PCF Board Activities

Last night we had a board meeting and the board will have some exciting news to present this coming Sunday. All I'll say now is, "There are going to be some very blessed people because of the generosity of of the PCF family!

We will be launching our new website later this week. I'll keep you posted.

Annual Halloween Parade Free Hot Dog Giveaway

Once again we will sponsor a free hotdog giveaway at the Glen Ed halloween parade on October 31st at 6:00pm. We meet at the Joiner Law office located at 116 West Street Edwardsville. There is very limited parking there so it is recommended if you are gong to join the fun to come early and park somewhere close and walk to the property. This is our 3rd or 4th year and it is a blast. Thanks to Barb Joiner who generously allows us to cook our hotdogs in her kitchen and use her parking lot for the giveaway!

Your Prayers Matter!

Cathy Watson Praises for good days, continued healing from cancer!

Emily Norris, continued healing and God's direction and peace!
Linda Cassens, continued prayers for healing!

Stan Rutkowski, blessings and healing

Brad Fultz, cont. healing and God's direction and peace!

Jeff Wiles, direction and healing.

Cynthia Bastholm heart failure and other complications, God's peace!

Jack Butler, praises for feeling better, continued healing prayers!

Mary Knapp praises for good days and continued healing!

Mike Rodgers, continued healing and God's peace!

Gaye Kell, Krista's mom praises for good surgery results and cont, healing!

African Vision of Hope, God's blessing to open hearts for continued support and direction!

PCF and IUMC, God's direction and wisdom

Beverly Farm, prayers for God's blessings, protection and wisdom for the managers and staff

See you Sunday at 8:45am located at 800 North Main Street Edwardsville. It's going to be a great Sunday!
Love, pastor Kent

Thursday, October 5, 2017

This Sunday

A reminder that this Sunday Immanuel United Methodist will be sponsoring a chicken dinner at the Edwardsville Moose located at 7371 Marine Road (RTE 143) from 11:00am until 3:00pm. Carryouts are available and the proceeds are being used for the Immanuel Property Maintenance projects. It's a win/win. Eat chicken, raise money for the building improvements.

Pastor Jackie will be leading worship this Sunday. Her Sermon topic is centered on living freely in God's mercy to do justice.

God has a plan for your life but you must get in contact with Him to get the details!

Hope to see you soon! Love, pastor kent

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Is there a Short Cut?

John 11:25-26

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

As Jesus said to Martha, the brother of Lazarus, "Do you believe this?" Believers will never die. A great God given peace comes to those who can grasp the truth of this scripture, a great peace!

I know that the world is filled with tragedies. Monday's news of the Las Vegas shootings being another example of how fragile and unpredictable this life can be. Our physical existence in this physical world, as beautiful as it can be, is also a world of pain and suffering. Jesus is the answer. That is the short and long answer.

A true story about Short Cuts

Definition of a short cut: An accelerated way of doing or achieving something.

Recently Bonni and I were in in Maine where I visited an art gallery. I love looking at oil paintings of local artists. I was talking with the owner of this particular gallery who also had some of his own work on display. I asked him how he learned how to paint so well, and if he studied art. His answer was wonderful. He said he was a retired physicist and that he always wanted to learn how to paint but he knew he didn't have the time to spend years learning all the various techniques of oil painting so he began taking lessons directly from accomplished artists that he admired. He said this saved him years of trial and error as he learned the craft. In other words, he didn't spend years in a classroom talking about theory and technique, instead he watched and learned directly from established artists who he said greatly shortened the learning curve.

The point

Be a short cutter when it comes to walking with Jesus. Go directly to His word (the Bible) and directly to Him (prayer) and learn from the master Himself. That is the fastest way to know what God want's for your life, and the fastest way to know His voice and His direction. Pastors and churches can be part of that plan, but the shortcut is to go direct to the source! The source wants to speak directly to you.

Our Prayer List

Cathy Watson Praises for good days, continued healing from cancer!

Emily Norris, continued healing and God's direction and peace!
Linda Cassens continued prayers for healing!

Stan Rutkowski continues to battle pressure wounds.

Brad Fultz, cont. healing and God's direction and peace!
Jeff Wiles for back pain!
Cynthia Bastholm heart failure and other complications, God's peace!
Jack Butler, praises for feeling better, continued healing prayers!
Mary Knapp praises for good days and continued healing!
Mike Rodgers, continued healing from latest back surgery!
Gaye Kell, Krista's mom praises for good surgery results and cont, healing!
African Vision of Hope, God's blessing to open hearts for continued support and direction!
PCF and IUMC, God's direction and wisdom as we continue our relationship!

See you soon! Love, pastor kent

Thursday, September 28, 2017

The Power of One

Right now, as you read this blog, there are millions of people all over the world in desperate need. Need of food, shelter, clothing, love, protection, and hope. As a Christian we are called by Jesus to intervene and be a blessing to those in need.

If someone came to you and said, "Could you give $1 dollar a month each month to help someone from suffering?" Most of us would do that without hesitation. I would imagine that many people may even ask, "Only a Dollar a month, what good will that do?" $1 dollar certainly doesn't seem very significant by its self, however if you multiply that $1 dollar times a million donors it becomes very significant. If a million people would commit to just $1 per month, $12 million dollars could be raised in a year. $12 million dollars could help a lot of people. Even though this seems like a no brainer, we all know it isn't that simple.

The need in this world is so great that we often get numb to all the requests. So how can we become more effective stewards of the blessings we have been given? It begins with prayer, bible reading and obediance. Go to God and ask him to open your eyes to a need and what He wants you to commit to regarding that need. It may be more than just writing a check. God may want you to get involved in other ways. What I do know is that God is looking for an open and willing heart to work through. We as Christians are the answer to the needs of the world. But we are given free will. We can listen and obey, or we can turn our heads and close our eyes and ears and ignore. The choice is always ours. I will begin a series of teachings on walking in God's blessings beginning on Oct 15th. I can tell you this, when you become a blessing, you receive a blessing.

Isaiah 58:10

If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.

Proverbs 19:17

Who ever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.

Acts 20:35

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

Announcements:
This Sunday we will be celebrating World Communion Sunday where we are invited to remember that we worship and work for God's Kingdom with other faith communities and interfaith partners. But what does working for God's Kingdom in the world look like for a small local community?
The message this Sunday will be delivered by Jordan Grammer and his sermon title is: Justice for All.

Shauna Boad, who is developing Amazing Grace at Logan Place a place to mentor young girls, is looking for volunteers. She is currently looking for help to hang yard sale flyers in local businesses and for help at the sale on October the 21st. You can see all the progress Shauna and her volunteers have made by driving by the property at #7 Logan Place Edwardsville. You can reach Shauna at 618-971-5029.

Monday, September 25, 2017

It's About Your Outcome!

People everywhere are trying to figure out how to improve their life! It seems as if there is always something we wish we could make better; our work life, our health, our relationships, our financial stability, our attitude, etc...

This past week, Bonni and I returned home from two weeks of work travel with the Shriners Hospitals for children. We visited the Hospital in Erie PA. and ended at the hospital in Boston MA. The hospital in Boston is a burn trauma hospital. It is one of the best hospitals in the world when it comes to treating children with severe burns. While we were working at that hospital I sat in on the interviews with the doctors. These people are the best of the best. They are not only top rated doctors specializing in burn trauma but many of them are also involved in the research and development which continues to improve the outcomes for their patients.

As I listened to the interviews with these amazing men and women who are affecting the outcomes of children lives every day, I realized what they were saying and doing was practicing many of the things that Jesus taught.

Here are just a couple of the profound messages I got while listening tho these doctors speak about their work at Shriners Hospital for children.

The first thing that struck me was this saying, "We care beyond Costs!" The whole staff at Shriners hospitals live by this. It's all-about the children's "outcome!" They love and care for these kids and have made a commitment that means they will do what ever it takes to restore them back to as close to normal as is within their ability to do so regardless of what it costs!

God has done this exact thing for you and I! He said, I love you so much, and want to restore you back to me so much, that I am willing to do what ever it takes, regardless of the cost! And so He sent his only son Jesus to die for or sins so that we could be restored back to Him. Now that is love!

One of the doctors being interviewed said there was a time about 20 years ago when we defined success for these children with serious burns as survival. In other words if they lived, we considered it a successful outcome. The problem with that definition was quality of life after surviving the initial trauma. We knew we could get much better and redefine what success should look like. So over the years we have diligently poured ourselves into research and study, and have been continually developing new and better ways of doing treatments so that the "Outcome" for the patients continues to improve. This doctor said there was a time when a patient who came in with 25% of their body severely burned, they would have about a 20% chance of survival. Now, a child can come in with 80% severe burns and there is more like a 90% chance of survival. But because of their tenacity of study and research, they are taking their patients far beyond just survival. With their ever improving treatments, the kids are now enjoying much greater outcomes for their lives.

The doctors at Shriners Hospitals develop a specific program for each patient and keep these patients "In Treatment" over a period of years so that greater functionality can be restored so that their life experience is greatly enhanced. Outcomes at Shriners Hospitals keep improving.

Christians please reread that last paragraph. How are we defining success within the church? Are we continuing to to improve the outcomes for people who come to us? Are we continually researching, and studying, and then practicing new ways of thinking and doing?

Do you want a better outcome for your life?

I think the church could learn a great deal from the Shriners Hospitals for Children because they continue to study, stay focused, and develop new ways to positively affect the outcomes of peoples lives!

One of the doctors commented that they have a had a few children come in for treatment, and then for whatever reason the parents decide not to stay with the treatment program. They drop out. The doctor made this profound statement about these kids, "Children who drop out of the treatment program have significantly reduced "Outcomes" for their lives. The message is clear, if you want a better outcome, you need to stay in the treatment program! I believe this is the exact message Christians need to hear today. If you want a better outcome for your life, you must remain in treatment! In other words, if you want the blessings that are possible for Christians, meaning a better life outcome, you must do what the doctors at Shriners Hospitals do. Research, study, change your ways of thinking and then start doing according to the teachings of Jesus.

I will begin a teaching series coming up in October on Walking in God's Blessings.

The bottom line, if you want to change the outcome of your life for the better! Stay in Treatment! and for the Christian that means we remain in treatment our entire life!

Please continue t lift these people in prayer:

Cathy Watson Praises for good days, continued healing from cancer.

Emily Norris, continued healing from cancer and God's direction and peace.
Linda Cassens continued prayers for healing.

Stan Rutkowski continues to battle pressure wounds.

Brad Fultz, God's peace and healing!
Jeff Wiles for back pain!
Cynthia Bastholm prayers for healing.
Mary Knapp praises for good days and continued healing!
Mike Rodgers, continued healing from latest back surgery
Gaye Kell, Krista's mom praises for good surgery results and cont, healing!

Hope to see you soon. Need to talk? Call me or text me at 618-334-3575.
Love, pastor kent