Posted on: December 9, 2009 by Terri
Isn’t that the title of a rock and roll song? As our CLEAR leadership team continues to think and pray and talk about all the things we want for women, these words keep coming to my my mind - girls, girls, girls. There are little girls, young girls, girls becoming women and women, like me, who like being referred to as a girl! For our team, age isn’t an issue; we want to come alongside all women and help them navigate through the waters of the Christian faith! We keep coming back to what we want most for all girls, young and old, - their own personal relationship with Jesus that transforms their lives.
2010 is almost here and we’ve planned a year full of opportunities for women to be challenged, to be inspired, to bring their friends, to meet other women, to serve other women and to pursue spiritual growth. We want all of you to come along as we continue the journey of becoming amazing women of God!
Watch this blog, talk to me (Terri Stone), Diane Karchner, Becky Preston, Renae Stone or Jennifer Thompson. We’re the CLEAR leadership team and we’re here to help you connect with God and each other and to help you grow in your faith. What are you waiting for? Jump in and be part of what God’s going to do in the lives of so many women!
Tags: Christianity, clear, Faith, friendship, God, individuality, jesus, Relationship, Women Filed Under: Christianity, Community, Influence, Leadership, Relationships, Women
Posted on: November 18, 2009 by Terri
This group is for women who want to talk, question and explore Christianity, the Bible, church life, prayer and whatever else they might be mulling over in their minds! Women of all spiritual backgrounds are invited to participate. There’s no set curriculum, there’s nothing that’s off limits, there’s only open, honest and interesting discussion.
Terri Stone and Diane Karchner lead this group that meets the 3rd Saturday of every month, at 9:00 AM, in classroom #1 in CCV’s children’s building. Join us this Saturday, November 21st!
Posted on: October 17, 2009 by Diane
Today we held the first monthly Conversations for Women. Conversations is not a Bible study, support group, or even a Small Group or Home Team. It is a few women who get together to discuss questions that are on their mind about the Bible, their faith, God, coming from the Catholic church to a non-denominational church like CCV, prayer, and lots of things in between. There were some interesting questions, for sure!! (Thank goodness, Bible-thumper Terri Stone was there to bring some clarity to some of ‘em!!)
I think that all us left knowing a few more answers than when we came in. And just validating that we are not alone on this journey helped to bring some clarity to this God thing!
The beauty of Conversations lies in its format. No prework. No prereading. Just bring your questions, and a willingness to engage in an unformatted, unstructured conversation about what’s on women’s hearts. And, anyone can jump in and out of the monthly Conversation. If you didn’t make it this month, come next month.
Start jotting down your questions now!!
Real discussions! Real Conversations! Hope more of you can join us next month!
Posted on: August 1, 2009 by Diane
from Diane’s desk…
This too shall pass…one of the Bible verses I memorized years ago. Today, for some reason, I went looking for the actual verse in the Bible, and guess what? It’s not there! Nowhere in the Bible. I’ve been a Christian for thirty years and honestly until today thought that verse was in the Bible.
The phrase actually came from a Hebrew story about King Solomon who had a dream about a ring. He asked his advisors to have the ring made. An elderly jeweler made it for him, and engraved the words ‘this too shall pass’ on the inside. Interesting, huh?
So, what’s my theologically deep point about this oh-so-interesting fact?
Simple. We need to own our own faith, never assuming blindly that past - or present - teaching from churches or faiths is accurate. To have the kind of freeing faith that the Bible talks about - that God intends for us - we need to back up our beliefs with a good source. Sometimes the trusted sources are not always accurate or right-thinking!! Sometimes putting beliefs to the litmus test of the Bible means that you may reveal that, embarassingly, you have been believing something for years that just isn’t true!!
Over the last seven years or so - besides ‘this too shall pass’ - I have discovered that a few other beliefs were wrong, learned from well-meaning, but often legalistic, off-track churches and pastors and mentors, who taught me opinions, or denominational rules, but when examined…fell far short of the Bible test.
Faith is so much more than a bunch of rules and regulations; or, memorizing catchy little phrases like ‘this too shall pass’…or, ‘God works in mysterious ways’ (also, not in the Bible!) or knowing when to stand up and sit down during a church service. Faith should be freeing, not binding. No fears. Just curiousity. Inquisitiveness. The wonderment of a child getting to know a loving God who is so much bigger and kinder and forgiving than we can ever grasp.
Must have been a really great ring that King Solomon had made for himself, cause the engraving sure has passed the test of time!!
Posted on: July 30, 2009 by Terri
Dictionary.com lists these definitions for obey: to comply with or follow the commands, restrictions, wishes, or instructions of; to comply with or follow; to submit or conform in action to. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20 to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. In John 14:23-24 he said “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.” and “Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”
Jesus also said to “follow me.” Read the definitions again. Follow the commands or instructions, comply with, submit in actions to. Follow, obey hmmm… Are we, who profess faith in and love for Jesus, obeying his teaching; are we following him? He wasn’t just talking to hear himself talk, Jesus told us these things so we would become like him. He was radically different to those around him in his lifetime; he expects the same from us in our lifetime.
If we let ourselves be changed the way he wants us to change, if we obeyed his teaching, the world would be a different place. We Jesus followers wouldn’t be called hypocrites or judgmental, people would want to hear what we have to share, our money management would be the example, and our compassion and love for all people would be a large part of what defines us.
Some of the best ways to learn what he taught are to read our Bibles, to have conversations with one another often and to attend church services regularly. It’s not too complicated or too difficult if we take it one day at a time. We made the decision and shared that with the world in our baptism; now it’s time we take the decision to follow and obey to those around us. Let’s show them how what it really looks like to be the image of God.
Posted on: July 14, 2009 by Terri
I’ve been in five or six small groups over the last nine years. Half the time I was a member; the other I was a leader. None of these groups lasted very long. My track record in groups basically sucks. I believe it’s extremely important to spend time with other people talking about God, personal ups and downs, work, family, politics, etc. Why then haven’t I fit into the “standard” small group model? Why have these groups gone belly up? Honestly, there are a lot of reasons. Regardless, I still wonder why the small group thing hasn’t worked for me. I would venture to guess that I’m not alone.
I think what’s happened is that we Christians haven’t been very creative, deliberate or willing to step out of our comfort zones to develop the community Jesus intended. Somebody told us years ago that we should get in a group with people we don’t know, sit in a circle, answer questions from a book written by someone we don’t know and end the time together in an awkward time of prayer. Oh my gosh - who feels comfortable in that setting? My guess would be almost no one, but it’s all we’ve ever known.
I’m a fan of Jesus’ approach to small groups. He was a leader who went out and personally asked people to be in his “group.” After they joined him, they hung out and did all sorts of things. They talked about God, they ate together, they traveled together, they served together, they prayed together, they told each other the truth, they questioned each other, they were committed to each other.
Spiritual growth and deep, committed relationships form in all different kinds of settings - playing sports, sharing a meal, shopping, talking about books or movies, serving the poor, studying the Bible, etc. My hunch is that most of us aren’t really getting to know other people so we have no idea whether or not we want to hang out with or have anything in common them. We do our thing Monday through Frinday, attend a church service on Sunday, never saying much to those around us in that service, then we go home and start all over again. No spiritual discussions, no real friendships, no spiritual growth, just the same old.
Personally, Jesus’ approach feels more natural to me. I wonder what it would look if we were all reaching out to others developing relationships where spiritual discussions flow free, fun is being had, service to others is a must and life’s ups and downs are being tackled together, not alone.
Posted on: July 9, 2009 by Diane
from Diane’s desk…
I found this picture on my daughter’s website. It reminded me of a pair of shoes I had when I was way-younger! Red shoes. High heels. Mine weren’t polka dotted, but they were blood-red, and patent-leather-shiny! I wore them with very short skirts. I wore them with glossy stockings (it was the 70’s - what can I say!!).
Red was my color. For the longest time, it defined me. How I saw myself. How others saw me. Red. Hot. Wild. Spontaneous. But the ‘red’ has left me. Drained out. Maybe it was the cancer. Financial challenges. Kids and jobs and cars and mortgages. Maybe it was the insecurity of being a woman in the midst of the sexual revolution. It was supposed to be so freeing. But it was so hard to find a place to fit.
Add to that, being a Christian caught in the legalism of denominations that didn’t keep up with culture - many still don’t. While the culture was saying ‘be what you want to be’, churches were saying ’stay in your place, woman!’ I imploded my ‘redness’ into a washed out shade of me.
There was a show called Dharma and Greg on a few years ago. A cute sitcom about a free spirited, hippy-like woman married to a buttoned up, uptight lawyer. My husband remarked that Dharma reminded him of me - or at least the me that he had married decades before. I agreed. Dharma was ‘red’. And it made me very sad.
So who is the real me, the one that God created me to be?
I really think the real me is who I am right now. The ‘red’ Diane is still in there. The real me is the one who God created me to be right now. To be searching and lurking close to becoming all that he has envisioned me to be. And that’s what I think life is. Knowing different hues of yourself. Striving and growing and seeking and getting clearer on who and what and how.
There is never a wrong time to rediscover the ‘red’ in you - but there is something wrong in staying stuck. I believe that God is a remarkable painter, and the ‘red’ that I am becoming is a deeper hue than I could ever have imagined when youth was coloring my self-image, when life hadn’t deepened my soul, when God hadn’t worked on me, and in me, and through me.
I’m becoming - I haven’t yet become - a new ‘red’…
Posted on: July 7, 2009 by Terri
Sometimes it seems like we, who are in paid ministry, are on the outside looking in. There’s a world of people out there that Jesus told us to go reach and teach. Everything we do is focused on two things: 1) telling anyone and everyone what it means to have faith in Jesus; and 2) teaching those with faith in Jesus how to be his followers. Sometimes it’s very apparent that we’re worlds apart and we don’t really understand what the other is about. This makes me think we ministry folk need to be even more aware that we’re not only looking out at the world; but that they’re looking back at us as well. The window goes both ways.I wonder what those people on the outside see when they look in on us? Do they think we work hard like they do, burning the midnight oil to get the job done? Do they believe we do what we do with pure intentions and that it’s not about the money? Is it hard for them to imagine there’s any work that goes on outside of what they see during a Sunday service? Do we compare to them and what they do even though we’re in a different industry? Are we considered professionals?
Then you have the other side of the window; we ministry people on the outside looking in on the world of people we’re trying to reach and teach. We’re a lot like them. We have jobs, homes, kids, pets, marriages, illnesses, money struggles, decisions to make, etc. We wonder why they don’t believe what we’re saying. We talk at length about what their needs are and how we can meet those needs. We ask ourselves how we can better equip God’s people to do the work he gave us to do. We consistently strive to break down the barriers between the church and the world. We want to introduce them to the God of the Bible, not the God human beings have created.
I’d love to have all the answers of how to get rid of the looking glass. I’ve committed my life to that very thing. For us who follow Jesus it means being on the streets out amongst them like Jesus was during his lifetime. He knew the people. He knew their needs. He met them where they were. We need to do the same. From those early days in Jesus’ life, we humans have made God an untouchable, strict schoolmaster, who only a few were worthy of knowing. For the church to be what Jesus intended, it needs to be accessible, interesting, relevant, exciting, honest and meaningful. That’s who Jesus was. He didn’t just look at people and wonder; he was in the mix with them. People got to know who he was and what God wanted him to do. They didn’t have to wonder about him either. They were drawn to God through him and ultimately committed their lives to doing the same work he did.
How are we doing when it comes to breaking the glass like Jesus did?
Posted on: June 29, 2009 by Terri
“For everyone who asks receives; those who seek find; and to those who knock, the door will be opened.” Why don’t we do this? These are Jesus’ words! We hold on so tightly to what we have always believed, done or have been taught, my fear is that we’re unable to ask, seek and knock. We Christians debate, disagree, misinterpret, point fingers, hang on every word the preacher says without researching it for ourselves which, I believe, keeps us relying on ourselves and others for the answers and not going to God, first, for the answers.
We become so preoccupied with our disagreements and our own beliefs that we’re not sharing our faith, we’re not giving our time and money, we’re not serving inside and outside the church, we’re not praying regularly and we’re not reading and studying our Bibles. We head out to look for a new church home: one that is more like what we’re used to, where the people all believe the same things we do and the building looks more like what a church should look like.
I think we should all try something new! Start reading the Bible as a story. Don’t be afraid. Start with one of the gospels, write down our questions, starting thinking and praying about what’s written and then start talking about what we find. Some of it we’ll understand and some of it we won’t. In the pages we’ll find: Jesus’ prayer for his followers to be unified, who he reprimanded and who he reached out to, what the first church members did and how they treated each other, disagreements amongst early church leaders and recommendations for what members of the church should be focused on! Look for the things “you’ve always known or seen.” Are these “things” actually in the Bible? If they are, does what you know and believe line up? If they’re not, why are you holding on so tightly to something that’s not there?
Let’s go to God and his word first and ask, seek and knock. Let’s look at our faith, our beliefs, the Bible, the Church, and God from a fresh perspective. No more disagreements, pointing fingers and harsh judgments of one another - let’s focus on what Jesus called the greatest commandment - to love God and to love one another as we love ourselves.
Posted on: June 26, 2009 by Diane
In Crazy Love, Francis Chen writes about Christians who say they are true believers in the God who sacrificed it all for them, and those who are just play-acting the role…
Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling guilty. They want to do the bare minimum to be ‘good enough’ without it requiring much of them.
Years ago, I volunteered once a month in the first grade Sunday School class at my church. I’d like to say I did it cause I wanted to serve God and I loved kids, but both would be lies. I did it so I wouldn’t feel guilty. Plain and simple. My formula for no guilt - volunteer once a month. God’s work accomplished. Commitment-to-God-activity checked off for the month! But I always sensed that there was something missing.
Fast forward twenty years - and lots of life experiences later…
I’m on the security team at my first CCV Kids’ Camp. The team leader says, “Hey, Diane, volunteers are late for Babyland (babysitting for the babies of volunteers). Lend a hand until someone else arrives.” I flew to the room - SuperWoman to save the day - only to find myself ankle-deep in 6 (oh yeah, six!!) whining, crying, hot, slobbery babies. All I did for that excruciating 14 minutes (when help arrived!) was pray to God for the strength, the right attitude and that the babies would be safe in my inept hands! (Fortunately, all survived!)
What happened over the twenty years to change my attitude - from being motivated by avoiding guilt to jumping in without a thought? I can trace it to only one thing.
A decision.
I got bored with my safe life. I decided to stop seeking people answers and start trying to figure out the God answers. Instead of just looking for ways to relieve guilt, I started looking for needs that needed filling, for hurts and tears and fears that needed soothing. And, when I do that, nothing is the same.
I will never claim to have it all picture perfect. I still fail more often than I succeed. But I don’t feel as lukewarm as I used to. I don’t feel as stagnant and safe. I feel a little unsettled and off balance - but strangely peaceful. I feel that I need God’s help a whole lot more than I used to. And it’s a wonderfully exhilarating way to live.
What about you - you feeling real comfortable just checking off your God-box each week? But yet…feel like you are missing out on something. Perhaps you are where I was. Perhaps you need to step away from the lukewarm, and get into some heat!! Jesus certainly stepped into the heat for us!!
It starts with a decision. Your decision to step away from the safety of the lukewarm. God will show up. He won’t leave you. He will not forget about you. He is faithful.
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