The Journey has come to an end...and a new beginning

As I write this, four Christ Central leaders are attending the Lifeway Women's Ministry Leadership Forum in Nashville, which is where this journey began. We sought to look at women's ministry in a different way, and asked God to show us what He wanted us to do. There was no doubt that we felt something "big" was on the horizon, but month after month, the way remained unclear. What God did do was cause us to seek Him with more dedication and purpose than we ever had. If nothing was accomplished, we are certainly closer to Him now than we were then.

As Cedar Creek Church continues to grow, we will become more focused on our vision, the one of shepherding people through HOME Groups. We believe that in community we experience the life and growth that God wants us to have, and groups will always be our primary focus. This journey has led me to feel strongly about going beyond connecting women in to leading our church in applying that grace we've been given to serve our local community. I have already begun the move from being the Women’s Ministry leader to serving with the Global Outreach Ministry in the area of Local P.E.A.C.E. The shepherding of women will primarily take place through HOME groups, however the church leadership is open to ministries targeted toward women. If you have a passion to reach out to or shepherd women, you may discuss this with your HOME group leader or with David Hardy.

I have been simply amazed at what God is already beginning to do through this new focus at Cedar Creek. Coordination of local outreach will help us focus our efforts and match the gifts and talents within our church members to the areas of greatest need. We are so much happier when we are serving where God has gifted us, and I look forward to partnering with you in that endeavor! I hope you will join us this Sunday evening at 6:00 PM for the most powerful LUMAFest we've ever had and to see the many ministries we are already partnering with for Local P.E.A.C.E. along with the amazing things God is doing around the world.

Now serving you as,
Sandy Spence
Local P.E.A.C.E. Coordinator
Cedar Creek Church
Aiken, SC 29803
803-649-3096 ext. 251

Local Women's Conference

The Miracle of You Conference on October 25-27 at Warrenville Revival Center's Family Life Center (16 Polatty Street, Warrenville, SC) is designed to unmask deceptions and release strong holds by using the biblical record to confirm who we are, what's at stake, and how we can be free and lead others to freedom. It is offered by Wellspring on Williamsburg Ministries in partnership with Christ Central Ministries. The conference is free and runs from 5:30 PM (registration and reception; orientation begins at 7:00) on Thursday, 8:30-5:30 on Friday, and 8:30-11:45 on Saturday.

Daily Devotionals Delivered to your Inbox

Take advantage of all that the internet offers and sign up for a daily or weekly devotional thought. I've been a fan of Prime Time with God for quite a few months now. The written prayers are powerful and scripture laden, while the message is quite challenging and thought-provoking. You can sign up at:

http://www.churchgrowthmail.org/web/pageid/30781/pages.asp

Another I just started getting is called Girlfriends in God (seems appropriate, huh?!). One of the authors, Sharon Jaynes, wrote a really great book called Building an Effective Women's Ministry that my team has read and use as a reference.

http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/Devotions/TodaysDevotion/tabid/97/Default.aspx

What IS so amazing about grace?

I think God is taking me to school. I was given a book a couple of weeks by Christian contemporary artist, Steven Curtis Chapman and his pastor, Scotty Smith, called Speechless: Living in Awe of God's Disruptive Grace. They gave it to me to share a section with my brother, but I got taken in by it. It's a compelling collection of two ministry leaders and their struggles with how God works grace out in their lives. Right before I started reading it, we were told that our church was going to spend 10 weeks on grace in our services. I could not imagine how they could come up with 10 weeks of material. That book has primed the pump for me to see how little I understand about grace. I believe God has a great deal to teach me. Funny how you can be a Christian for so many years and not have a firm grasp on the fundamentals of your faith, nor the awe-inspiring appreciation for what God has done for you.

Notebook and pen in hand...

Diving into the Pool

Heard a great illustration from Bill Hybels during the 2005 Willow Creek Leadership Summit. He spoke of us finding the place God designed us to serve in like diving into a pool. First of all, we have to jump somewhere. Hopefully it will be an area of service that strikes some positive chord in you. It might take several tries, however, to find just the "right spot". The important thing is that we keep trying.

What interested me most, and what I suspect might be happening to me, is when he said that God says, "Here's a new pool." I find myself being a little disconcerted, because I thought I knew where I was going. However, God's been posing the question to me, "Do you really want to serve me, or do you just want to do what you want to do?" Ouch. I find myself clinging to the top of the ladder, not wanting to venture to the end of the board. I guess I need the courage to move to the end and take a leap, knowing that God is waiting to catch me.

Women's Conference in Augusta, GA

It is my continued hope to point women to opportunities for their own spiritual growth outside of Cedar Creek. Another of those is the Women's Community Celebration at Trinity on the Hill United Methodist Church in Augusta, GA on Saturday, October 6, 2007. You can download a copy of the brochure on the Women of the Vine link at www.trinityonthehill.net and mail in the registration by September 26. About twenty of our women were thoroughly inspired last year by Priscilla Shirer and this year's speaker is Roseanne Coleman. I haven't heard her, but I can vouch for the quality of this conference and the amazing amount of prayer that surrounds it. The worship last year was exceptional, and it even included lunch that we were able to share about our experiences together. It's a great opportunity to share a conference with other women in our church and not have to travel far. Brochures are also available at our "Under Construction" kiosk.

What?! No Bible studies this fall at Cedar Creek??

Well, we know that this is not going to be a popular decision, but there will be no organized women’s Bible studies offered this fall at Cedar Creek. As previously mentioned, we believe God wanted us to stop doing any events, Bible studies included, so that we could concentrate on hearing from Him. We want our ministry to be done with excellence, so we plan to wait until we can unveil the full offering of activities at once, hopefully in January. Until then, here are some suggestions to meet some Bible study requests:

• Visit Lifeway.com for three online Bible studies, “Believing God” and “Living Beyond Yourself” by Beth Moore and “Experiencing God” by Henry Blackaby and Claude King.
• Sign up for a regular devotional message to encourage you to get in God’s word (favorite ones listed on the blog—see below)
• Listen to your favorite authors teach Bible lessons on www.oneplace.com.
• Gather a group of girlfriends and do a study together. Visit your local bookstore or online resource (www.lifeway.com or www.christianbook.com) for selections.
  

What’s Going On in Women's Ministry?

Lots more than you think! A team of women has been meeting since February to rethink how we do women’s ministry at Cedar Creek. We are prayerfully seeking how God would have us minister to the women of our church and community. We’ve heard from other ministries at Cedar Creek to see how we can partner with them, read leadership books or listened to ministry leaders around the world. We will soon enter into 40 days of spiritual preparation for our planning retreat.

I ask for your prayers as this team meets monthly. We are obeying God’s call to stop doing anything until He says, “Go!” That means, however, that 2007 will be strangely quiet, but be assured that God is at work in us for the Kingdom. We hope that come January the construction goes away, and we get to the work God has called us to do.

What the Summit "said" for our Women's Ministry

I was confirmed in our "process" of discovering God’s direction for Girlfriends at Cedar Creek. Now I know why it’s felt laborious and slow-moving—it’s because it IS laborious and slow-moving! I believe that we will have ownership in the vision that God gives us, but the refinement and declaration steps were new for me to consider.
We had two other conversations that were notable. We have to consider our ministry as to how it meets the needs of our "consumers" (women) in a way that no other ministry does. When we picked apart the fact that CCC does an exceptional job of bringing women in, Linda pointed out that Girlfriends did indeed connect women and provide small groups to encourage women. We all agreed that we failed to "close the back door" and get women involved in the life of our church. Second, as we talked about the clubs, which really could be the best way to connect women, there were two issues: leadership with the vision and areas of interest that met the needs of "most" women. Linda came up with a great suggestion: create three "types" of groups – intellectual (books, museums, lectures, etc.), activity (walking, line dancing, hiking, games, etc.) and skills (crafts, cooking, etc.), with a different focus each month instead of one group doing the same thing all of the time. Each could be lead by a team of women who would share their gifts and the responsibilities, and they could all still meet at the same time each month. Another snippet of information, came through a book called "Reveal" where Willow details their research to examine the value of their money spent on their congregation to make a difference in their lives. What surprised them (and me too) was that the most devoted followers of Christ said that they feel the least fed at Willow. Bill joked that he’d "hire a seminary prof and feed them until they puke." What captivated me is that I believe CCC is in the same place. I’ve lost several friends to other churches because I could not adequately answer the question "Where do people go to get discipled?" Maybe we need to focus on getting women into God’s Word on their own, not by the vehicle of Bible studies offered.
I am haunted however, by the discussions on poverty and AIDs and the images supplied by Richard Curtis (You can watch them at www.makepovertyhistory.org/video/ ., "Yellow Dress" and "Toddlers" are especially troubling.). God is creating a holy discontent in me to do whatever we can to alleviate the plight of women and children around the world. I truly believe that this breaks the heart of God.

Incredible Summit!

I had the privilege of attending the Willow Creek Leadership Summit simulcast at Stephens Creek Community Church in Augusta, GA on August 9-11 with five of my team members: Linda Neighbor, Dianne Paul, Frances Reynolds, Brandee Green and Melisa Bryant. I knew it was going to be good, but I had no idea how powerful the speakers and the relevancy of their topics would be.
Bill Hybels truly affirmed our vision-seeking process and added some ideas that we had never considered. We are right on track with our plans for this year and I believe we will see it all come together in our retreat in October. They constantly challenged us about the plight of the poor and AIDS victims around the world and called us as a church to take these problems head on. God really tugged at our hearts about women and children around the world. Stephen Porter, strategy guru, encouraged us to view our efforts at "doing good" in our communities with critical eyes. How well are we doing? What mission does a community organization have? What are their goals? It really gave me some benchmarks to evaluate our involvement with local organizations. We need to be effective with every dollar and minute expended! Marcus Buckingham called us to determine our strengths and develop them, not just try to build up our weaknesses. He was one of the most powerful and entertaining speakers. Richard Curtis, well-known film maker, was interviewed and showed how he is using film to raise poverty awareness. What he is capturing on film is haunting. There was so much more, and you can take a look at:

http://wall.willowcreek.com/leaders/#

I have committed that I will be sure that the auditorium at Stephens Creek is much fuller next year, if I have anything to do about it. It is a not-miss opportunity for leaders in the church world and the business world.

Local Women's Conference

The Aiken Baptist Association is sponsoring the Women's Celebration and Evangelism Conference on Saturday, September 29 from 9 AM - 3 PM at Clearwater First Baptist Church (17 Clearwater Road, Clearwater, SC). Women by Design Ministries presents "Here Comes the Bride...of Christ" to help you deepen your love relationship with Jesus. Tickets are $20 which included lunch and the deadline to register is September 15. Contact Karen Todd at 803-270-0719 (KarenTodd303@hotmail.com) or Gail Hodson at 803-593-5467 (Hgloverville@aol.com).

Melissa Bernard's Journey...to Heaven

July 16, 2007 marked the end of a journey that I really had prayed would not come. Melissa Bernard, after eight months of a tremendously fought battle, died from anal cancer. She left an adoring husband, four adorable children and and extended list of family and friends.

I'm not exactly sure when I really got to know Melissa. Must have been the first few years we started attending Cedar Creek. I recognized her husband, Brian, because I had dated his brother in high school. I instantly remembered her to be a bubbly, energetic, fun-loving woman. People just wanted to be around her. My first personal memory of her was in 2004 when she was in charge of crafts for VBS. It was the first--and last--time I had led DJ's group, and I was simply astounded at what she had planned for those kids. Maybe elementary school kids were capable enough to give paint to, but three year olds??!! I could hardly imagine the mess they were going to make, but it was obvious that Melissa had no concerns for that whatsoever. The music was blaring, and she was dancing around with a paper bag hat on her head. And I came home with what is one of my treasured crafts that DJ has done. And why? Because his precious three year old hands painted that pillow. She brought out a creativity in him that I never dreamed would have existed. Just a month later, she and Brenda Klein organized and led the crafts area at our very first Girlfriends Night.

Last summer, I was communicating with Brian and Melissa to try and find his brother's contact information. They sent me an email telling me that he was in prison, married four times and had five children, who's names all rhymed except the fifth who was adopted. They even put a mailing address for a prison in Georgia, which I spent a great deal of time trying to track Chris down, because all of that information is public knowledge. It was the next day or so that they confessed it was an elaborate story, but they had me hook, line and sinker. They were still laughing on that Sunday when I ran into them.

Even as I type this, I still cannot believe that she is gone. The loss I feel is exascerbated by the loss I feel for Brian and the kids and her close friends and family. It is obvious in reading the posts on her website (set up by sister in law Vicki for family and friends to communicate with Melissa during treatments in Birmingham--it's in the links list) that she was loved by so many people. Her impact on this earth will certainly be felt into eternity.

Great article from Lifeway Women's Ministry

Considering the makeover journey we are on with regards to Women's Ministry at Cedar Creek, I thought this article was especially appropriate for us...and maybe you too!

http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D157063%252526M%25253D200858%2C00.html?

Greetings from the beach! The first full day here was my birthday, and it was quite a day with the Father. All of the prayers that went up for Abby to sleep made it to the throne; however, DJ woke up at 5:15 AM (and he was sleeping with us, so the "princess" wouldn't be disturbed during her sleep). I hit the beach for a long walk at 6:00 AM and did something I've never done before. My devotional the night before highlighted the longest Psalm--119--as the reading passage, and so I stood on the shoreline and read it aloud before I walked. If you haven't read it recently, it talks over and over about loving the law, knowing it and meditation on it. It was such a reminder of how God wants us to be emersed in His word. So many things that day were a joke about my age, and as I walked I simply could not remember the words to many of our praise songs. I resorted to what I might never forget---old hymns. I sang "Amazing Grace" and thought of the many families in our church who are dealing with an impending death. The sun had hidden behind the clouds as it came up but then burst forth in such radiant glory that it could only make me think of heaven and God's glory. What a day!

We've been highlighting one question each week to pray about. As I think about "what's missing in our ministry to women," I don't believe that fun or enthusiasm are missing. We really captured that with Girlfriends Unlimited and have that fully under our belts. We are lacking goals--how do we move women from interest to belief to disciple? I know that we cannot get hung up on numbers, but if we don't have some measureable goals then we really won't know if we are accomplishing what we set out to do. I think the passion I'd like to see is one to know God's word and have an intimate relationship with him. One of those quotes I copied recently about knowing God's character when we don't understand the circumstances around us seems to be important for all of us to know, especially right now.

The enemy must have been made keenly aware of the time that the Lord and I were going to have because by lunch time on Thursday I began to feel achy all over and have a severly sore throat. I spent most of the remaining day in bed and a great deal of Friday too. We were supposed to go boating with some friends which we had to cancel. I've felt absolutely miserable and DJ had an even worse night sleeping on Thursday night. We totally regrouped last night and got better sleep, and I am fully loaded on ibuprofen. Thank goodness I'm starting to feel better, but what challenging few days it's been.

Hilarious clip

When I update our link list to add Anita Renfroe, I saw the page about her new video that she had just recorded a few weeks before she came to see us. If you need a laugh today, check out

http://www.anitarenfroe.com/video_clips_main.htm

It's called "MomSense" and if you are a mom or have had a mom (which means, well, everybody!) you are going to love it!

Second Calling

I just read an outstanding book called Second Calling by Dale Hanson Bourke and it is going to become a benchmark for some of our future plans. Hear her passion:

"…If all of the Christian women ages forty and older got truly serious about seeking God and letting him use us in amazing ways, we could completely change our world. We could certainly change our communities and help bring about revival in our churches. We could help bring stability to conflict zones, hold the hand of every person dying of AIDS in Africa, and eradicate world hunger. We could bring peace to many countries, teach literacy to anyone who wanted to read, and build houses for every homeless person in America. We could help bring the kingdom of God to earth in every imaginable way.

But our incredible opportunity would come with a few challenges. We would have to know God well and seek him as if our lives depended on it. We would have to eliminate the frivolous time wasters in our lives and focus on what was really important. We would have to wake up each day and ask God to show us what he wanted us to do. We would have to believe that God wanted to use the second half of our lives with more purpose, power, and passion than anything we ever achieved in the first half.

If millions and millions of women listened to that whisper and followed their second calling, it is simply breath taking to think of what God could do. That’s my dream. It has been a growing vision and a quiet stirring in my heart ever since I started studying the story of Naomi and saw what God was able to do through her. It is the dream that warmed my heart after it had grown empty and dusty from running hard after the wrong goals.

I believe that God wants to redeem all of the broken heels, chipped nails, dead-end jobs, broken marriages, less-than-perfect children, bad perms, fad diets, lost friendships, and PMS of the first half of our lives. He needed us to get those things out of the way. He was with us then, but he wants us to really be with him now. He wants us to trust in something so much bigger than the best diet, the most wonderful sale, the biggest house on the block, the finest china, the top title, even the perfect husband. He wants us to know that just as he can take a woman who feels bitter and empty to being full to overflowing, so too, can he transform even our best lives into something so much more."

It's that passion that we are asking God to ignite in us as He calls us to a calling much greater than we could have ever dreamed. Are you willing to take the risk?

Two great questions

We've met for four months now, asking God what He would have us do with and for women at Cedar Creek. It's no coincidence that our pastoral transition has been announced during this time as well. I am in awe of how God is working in my own life to mold and shape me into the woman that He wants me to be. And I am so thankful that He cares enough to do that very thing.

I just listened to two messages, one by Bill Hybels and one by Rick Warren from the 2006 Leadership Summit at Willow Creek. I've been emersing myself in leadership material, and these were no less profound than others I've heard. Bill talked about that thing that gives us a burning vision, a holy discontent, as he called it. He asked the question, "What is it that you can't stand, that wrecks you?" He begged us to get real with that question, and I have to admit that I have an inkling but God and I are going to have to spend some time together dealing with it. Rick encouraged us to ask the second question, which is "What is in my hands?" He dared us to pray the dangerous prayer, "Lord, use me." When we choose to lay down our identity, income and influence, God can and will make them come alive. Great and challenging questions.

It is so tempting in this process to start jumping in this direction and that, because the ministry options are so alluring and inviting. I just pray for patience. It will be so much better all in God's timing.

Bible Studies owned by Cedar Creek

We are happy to share the resources God has provided to us to any other church or small group desiring to use them. Please call Teresa Redd at 649-3096, x101 for availability and to check them out.

These are Lifeway products and details can be viewed on their website:
A Woman’s Heart: God’s Dwelling Place (Beth Moore, 1995-11 sessions)
A Heart Like His (Beth Moore, 1996-11 sessions)
To Live is Christ: The Life and Ministry of Paul (Beth Moore, 1997-11 sessions)
Breaking Free: Making Liberty in Christ a Reality in Life (Beth Moore, 1999-11 sessions)
Jesus the One and Only (Beth Moore, 2000-11 sessions)
Beloved Disciple: The Life and Ministry of John (Beth Moore, 2002-11 sessions)
When Godly People Do Ungodly Things (Beth Moore, 2003-7 sessions)
Believing God (Beth Moore, 2003-11 sessions)
Living Beyond Yourself : Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit (Beth Moore, 2004-11 sessions)
The Patriarchs (Beth Moore, 2005-11 sessions)
Walking By Faith: Lessons Learned in the Dark (Jennifer Rothschild, 2004-7 sessions)
He Speaks to Me (Priscilla Shirer, 2005-7 sessions)

These are from a variety of publishers, so the description is included:

Seeking Him: Experiencing the Joy of Personal Revival (Nancy Lee DeMoss, 2005)
Are you tired of trying to be a good Christian? Are you overloaded and worn out with church activities? Do you sometimes feel like you’re just going through the motions of the Christian life? Do you often find yourself running on empty spiritually? Do you experience heaviness or shame more than joy and freedom in your Christian life? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then perhaps God is calling you to something deeper. Maybe you’re ready to experience personal revival! (12 sessions)
Bringing Up Boys (Dr. James Dobson, 2002)
Raise boys right, from a solid biblical perspective, and they will not depart from it. Each of these video sessions covers essential parenting topics, like affirming boys' masculinity, the impact of fathers on sons, special advice for single moms, and more. (11 sessions)
Loved By God: Trusting His Promises and Experiencing His Blessings (Liz Curtis Higgs, 2004)
This exciting study of Genesis 25 and 27-29 explores the lives of Jacob and Esau, Leah and Rachael You’ll discover that God’s plans for us are bigger than we can imagine and that His love is powerful enough to change your heart! You’ll laugh…you’ll cry…you’ll be blessed. Studying the Bible has never been more refreshing. (7 sessions)
A Woman After God’s Own Heart (Elizabeth George, 2005)
Based on her best-selling book and taught by the author herself, this topical 10-week study teaches you how to develop a heart for God and his Word, for prayer and personal discipline…plus how to develop a heart of love for your husband, your children, your friends and others! You’ll discover a new passion for living through the power of prayer and God’s Word. (10 sessions)

Anita Renfroe Rocks!

Chocolate and comedy are a fabulous combination! Over 900 women (and a few brave men) laughed until they almost wet their pants for Anita Renfroe's "Purse Driven Comedy." It was a huge way to bless our community and our women in our new worship center. Hardly a day goes by that somebody doesn't comment on what a great time they had and how much they look forward to another one!

Funny thing, though...that "quit" that God directed means this is our only event for 2007. I know that will come as a disappointment to some, but the morning of the concert, a group of godly women committed themselves to leading the ministry to women wherever God takes us. We've wiped the slate clean and given God the chalk!