Get The Word Out..... Sun Rise Service

Next Sunday, weather permitting we will once again be meeting at Glik Park for a Sun Rise Service.
The Sun comes up at 6:38 AM so we will start our service at 6:45 AM

This coming Sunday September 15th, Glik Park 6:45 AM.  weather permitting. I will keep you posted.
 Last time we had hot coffee and "tons' of fresh donuts thanks to Brad and Barb Joiner.  No promises about that but who knows.

Hope you will make plans to join us as we continue our Faith Journey.


Love, Pastor Kent

Tonight: Staying The Course With God, A Vision Unfolding

We will gather tonight and I will be talking about where we are and where we are going. Not just as Praise Community Fellowship but as Christians.

I am going to talk very frankly about what lies ahead for us and how it will depend on our "faith" in the reality of God and who He is.

I hope you will join us no matter what church you attend or are a member of. This is a message for all Christians but it will be especially relevant for PCF and our future.

We are on the banks of the Jordan river and are being led to cross over into a new land. I hope you will come with an open mind and heart tonight as the Holy Spirit begins leading us into the promised land.

See you tonight. Love, Pastor Kent

This Sunday, Are you a "Caleb or Joshua?" or one of the other "10?"

 If you would, please take the time to read the following chapters in the old testament: Numbers Chapter 13 through Numbers 14:10. This is going to be a very important story for our lesson this Sunday.

Be prepared!  We are on the verge of a great faith journey.  Come one come all if you want to step out in a faith walk that will take you into a whole new experience with your relationship with the living God.

See you Sunday at 6:30 PM.  Love, Pastor Kent

The Dream: To Watch God Work His Plan

This Sunday I will culminate the series on Hearing Gods Voice by talking about us, Praise Community Fellowship. I think the title of the sermon will be "Staying the Course because We Trust and Believe!"

Last post I said there are great things on the Horizon for PCF.  There are great things but, we must be anchored in Gods word and listen to His voice if we expect to see these great and mighty things.

I hope you will join us for this very important message on hearing Gods Voice and Direction for PCF this Sunday Sept. 8th.

We will share communion and come before God to learn, to listen and to hear from the Creator of the Universe.

This Sunday at 6:30,  come with expectations of meeting God and the path He is setting before us.

See you Sunday, Love, Pastor Kent

Everyday

Everyday you have the ability to make someone happy.

Everyday you can make the choice to love someone that may seem unlovable.

Everyday you can choose to spend time with God.

See you Sunday at 6:30pm.
There are great things on the horizon for Praise Community Fellowship.

Love, Pastor Kent

African Story # 2 Dirt roads, chickens in church and a cemetery

The roads we traveled on in Zambia were definitely unforgettable.  For you country folks, think of the worst field road you have been on.  Dirt, dust, giant holes, dips and places where if you get a tire stuck, you have to get out and push.  Our bus held about 27 people legally, and some days we had over 30 stuffed in there.  There were supposed to be 3 seats across, but a seat folded down in the aisle for extra coziness.  One day we squashed 5 people across as we bumped and dipped down the dusty dirt roads.  It was not unusual to have someone’s shoulder practically up your nose.  Personal space: Ha!  What is that?  On the way to one of the communities we tilted so far to one side, that it felt as if we would tip over.  We leaned to the other side to try and balance out the weight as our driver navigated the road (or path) to our destination.  When we got there, and entered the dirt floor church built out of boards letting in the outside light, some women were cooking in the back.  Three live chickens looked at us as they sat in a box right next to a pot warming up on the hot coals.

As soon as we were seated in plastic lawn chairs (some which only had three legs) the sound of joyful singing surrounded us.  We didn’t sit for long.  When you go to church in Africa, be ready to stand, clap, stomp, sing and yes, even dance.  The songs go on and on.  They don’t worry about what song they will sing next, or how long it will last or when they get to sit down.  They just sing praises as long as they feel like it.  They are grateful for the present.  After our welcome, our mission team filed outside to meet with the people.  As we walked by, I noticed those three chickens were gone and the pot was boiling.  How is that for fresh food?

After we were finished with our groups, we had plenty of time to hang out.  Some of our girls, soon found themselves in the middle of a hair styling party.  Holding kids on their lap, they were soon surrounded by more Zambian children who styled and braided our “Azungu” or “white people” hair.  Their jovial voices sang continuously in English and in their native tongue of Nyanja.  Caleb, one of the teens on the trip, pulled out a soccer ball and started a game on the rocky, uneven, dusty terrain.  That was a treat, because their usual soccer ball is made out of trash, held together by a plastic bag and bound together by string.  They make due with what they have.  The singing from the hair styling party and the energetic voices playing soccer blended together brought tears to my eyes as I thought of how content and grateful these people are.

When it was time to go, hugs, warm handshakes, kids holding our hands and thank you’s were abundant as we tried to inch our way to our bus.  Remember the chicken? That was for the church community.  Peanut butter sandwiches awaited us on our bus.

Before leaving, we were directed to an open field in front of the church.  I could tell something was up, but did not know what.  Everyone got quiet as Andrew, who is the director of African Vision of Hope operations in Zambia, asked us if we knew where we were standing.  Dried up grass crunched under our feet as we looked down at some trash scattered here and there on some uneven mounds of dirt.   We stood very close to where the kids played soccer, where we had our hair styling party and close to where this village came to worship.   The chatting among us stopped as we realized where we were surrounded by mounds of dirt with little makeshift markers.  A cemetery stretched out as far behind us as we could see.  I noticed several smaller mounds of dirt.  These were the graves of children.   Forty percent do not make it to age 5 and for those who do, their parents may not make it.  This community is hard hit by AIDS, other diseases and extreme poverty.  Here, death is a part of life.

We had a sobering, eye-opening end to a joy-filled day.  Their contagious laughter, singing, praise and constant smiles ministered to us.  As we drove away I figured out that they are just thankful for every day they are alive.  They do not rely on material possessions, or a fancy church to make them happy.  They have God and they have Jesus and they have each other.  Each day is a reason to celebrate and be grateful.   By Laurie Frey

What kind of God do we Worship?

Most Christians can recite John 3:16

John 3:16
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

But John 3:17 is also an amazing verse of scripture.

John 3:17
¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

God sent His Son to SAVE the world. Jesus wants to save us, not condemn us. 

Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit is Jesus' Spirit that will live in you when you accept Him as your Lord and Savior.

So......if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior you have the Lord of the Universe living inside of you. The Lord that wants to save you and give you life here and now and life everlasting.  Sounds like the Gospel to me.

By the way for you sports fans.  When the Cardinals manager Mike Matheny signs autographs he always puts John 3:17 after his name.  Sounds like Mike likes the "good news" of Jesus.

See you all next Sunday. We will come together to break bread and worship our "Savior" and hear more good news.

See you then. Love Pastor, Kent