Resurrection Sunday is March 27, celebrate with Venture Church, as we gather to worship from 10:00-11:15 am. The theme is “Finding Hope,” which is ultimately found through the resurrection of Christ. We will sing worship songs, hear from God’s Word, and celebrate with people expressing their faith in Jesus through baptism. He is risen! Venture Church gathers to worship in the Chatigny Community Center [Google Maps].
Venture’s Good Friday Service will be held March 25, 7:00-8:00 pm in the Venture Office and Ministry Center [Google Maps]. The service will include a time of worship and reflection on the crucifixion of Christ and sharing communion together. The Good Friday Service is a significant to remember Jesus during the Easter weekend, and a meaningful preparation for the celebration of his resurrection on Sunday morning.
Those who follow Jesus are called to mission. That’s clear.
The mission is fueled by a mystery. What? Not very clear.
When we see the word “mystery,” we usually think of our favorite investigative show. Depending on your generation, you may think of Sherlock, Shawn and Gus, Scooby and Shaggy, Monk, Columbo, Matlock, or some may even think of Jessica Fletcher. A mystery is a problem to be solved, a “whodunit” scenario. The game, it is famously said, is afoot.
In the book of Colossians, however, Paul writes of a different sort of mystery. The gospel is a mystery because it has been hidden for ages and generations, but is now revealed. We don’t need Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown to figure this out — it is a mystery revealed. Throughout the Old Testament, people tried to understand what was being foretold -even the prophets themselves according to 1 Peter 1:10-12. When Jesus finally came, the gospel was revealed. And his last piece of instruction was to share the gospel with everyone…all people, all nations. In the early church, the gospel spread to the Gentiles. God was doing a great thing.
So Paul writes that “God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery…” Notice how Paul piles up lavish descriptions of the mystery: great, riches, glory. We know something powerful is coming. And Paul reveals this mystery:
“Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
It’s a message of inclusion, Gentiles are part of God’s kingdom. It’s also a message of indwelling, Christ IN you is the hope of glory.
And this mystery fuels Paul’s mission. In the surrounding verses, Paul rejoices in his suffering for the sake of the church, he labors, and he struggles. Why? This mystery is great, rich, and glorious, and it’s worth giving your life to share it with others.
Venture Church is preparing for a Missions Sunday. And there is much to celebrate! We like to think of ourselves as a small church with a big vision. And it shows up on Missions Sunday. We will celebrate:
A great mystery has been revealed to us: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Our mission is to reveal this mystery to the nations.
The game is afoot!
Note: A version of this article appeared on Mark Brown’s blog. To access Mark’s blog, click here.
If you’ve been attending Venture and want to explore your next step, consider attending the Membership Class on March 6. Membership Class is the first step towards membership at Venture. Here you will learn exciting information about the beliefs, practices, leadership, and membership at Venture. It is here that we celebrate how God is at work at Venture, and how you can be part of all that is going on. The Membership Class meets at the Venture Office and Ministry Center [Google Maps].
If you are interested in attending, please email Rob Peterson.
February 28 is Missions Sunday at Venture Church. The service, beginning at 10:00 am, will include a sermon by Jonathan Shoemaker, a church planter in Lisbon, Portugal. We will also hear a report from our team that recently served in Thailand. Following the service, we will stay in the Chatigny Center for lunch and an opportunity to mingle with various missions connections. For lunch, we will serve the international Italian favorite – pizza! We will also have ministries set up to interact with. Some of these include Mexico outreaches, E3 Partners, Jonathan and Tracy Shoemaker, and the Thailand team who served with Ohana Ministries. This will be a family event, with a fun challenge for children in KidVenture as well. The lunch and interactive opportunities will last until 12:30 pm.
The theme for the Sunday is “A Task Unfinished,” highlighted by a inspiring song our team learned at the Urbana Mission Conference. It’s a strong reminder that we are called to commit our lives to sharing the gospel, both at home and around the world.
Missions Sunday will be an annual highlight at Venture. February 28 looks to be a meaningful and challenging experience. Make plans to join!
This winter and spring, our Sunday morning sermons will focus on the book of Colossians. The theme of Colossians is the supremacy of Christ, or as we say it, “Christ Above All.”
The church in Colossae was growing in many ways, but like many churches had its share of issues and concerns. Paul’s solution to their problems was to look to Christ. He is preeminent. He is sufficient. He is above all. When we get a fresh glimpse of the exalted Christ, we see there is no reason to look to other places for fulfillment.
The message sent to the Colossian church is an important one for us today. We have our own needs, our own stresses, and our own doubts. The answer given in Colossians is the one we need to hear today: look to Jesus, he is exalted above all, and is sufficient for all of our needs.
By Aaron Milligan
For a guy who’s always secretly been terrified of the idea of being a “missionary”, the thought of going to a missions conference was a bit intimidating. I don’t remember if I actually prayed this, but as a child I at least thought “God, I’ll do anything you want me to do, just please don’t make me be a missionary or a pastor”. When going to Urbana, I tried to make a conscious effort to set aside my fears, preconceived ideas, and excuses and to keep an open mind to what the Lord had/has in store for me. Well God sure had a lot to tell me! I’m actually still processing all the info that I absorbed in those few days in St. Louis. Don’t worry, I won’t recount it all, but let me share a few of the highlights.
First off, let’s address my desperate need for a missions mind set change! I was previously focusing on the cost of following and serving Jesus, I was losing sight of the prize. The things that we may have to “give up” in this brief life are absolutely nothing in comparison to the reward that we have in Christ Jesus. What’s the end game here anyway? It’s not missions. God never intended missions to be our life; He intended a love for Jesus Christ to be our life! Serving God by living out His mission to reach the world with the gospel is an overflow of our love Christ. Too often I’ve viewed it as a chore and duty. No! “Serving” God is a joy and a privilege.
The topic of suffering challenged me. Jesus says in Matthew 5:11, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” So the question arises (in the words of one of my fellow conference attendees): “What if it’s all good in the ‘hood?” What if you’re not experiencing persecution? Hmm, it get’s ya thinkin’, doesn’t it? The fact of the matter is, people will love you when you pay for their lunch, when you’re all smiley, when you take a stand for bullying, when you’re a nice person. People will hate you, however, when you share the gospel, that’s when the persecution happens. So, are you really sharing the gospel? I intend to be more intentional about actually sharing the gospel, telling the good news -the story of God’s redemptive love to others.
So am I planning on packing up and heading to some remote country to be a “missionary” tomorrow? No. Who knows? Maybe someday God will move me out to one of those unreached countries to make disciples there! The idea doesn’t seem quite so scary now…But in the meantime, am I planning on taking to heart what God was revealing to me at Urbana and being more intentional about His mission to go and make disciples right here, right now, especially in and through KidVenture -the ministry He’s currently got me in? Yes, absolutely Yes! I intend to be faithful where Jesus has got me right now. I’m super excited about the opportunities in the year ahead that God is already laying out for me! There are Summer and Christmas outreach programs to plan, children at Venture to encourage in their faith and teach on a weekly basis, a possible opportunity to partner with the Beaumont School District and build relationships and love on the kids and families there, and a whole lot more! I just need to keep my eyes and heart open to what God would have me do to further His kingdom this coming year. I’m just grateful He’s letting me tag along and participate in the amazing things He’s doing here in this community and around the world.
Registration is open now for the Winter session of Life Groups. Groups begin January 17 and conclude before Easter (March 27)Life Life Groups meet in homes at various times throughout the week. Most groups will study the book of Colossians. A complete list of Life Groups is available here. Connect with Venture in a deeper way, as you grow in your faith and in relationship with others through a Life Group.
It is an important part of our mission statement, but what do we mean when we say, “Multiply Disciples?” Throughout January, we will examine important passages and principles surrounding a core value of Venture Church: multiplication. Our desire is to multiply disciples, small groups, and churches. Through the “Multiply” teaching series, we will all be challenged and inspired to join the adventure of being a disciple who makes disciples who make disciples.
Begin 2016 with an evening of worship and prayer with the Venture Church family. We will gather in the Ministry Center (10420 Beaumont Avenue, Cherry Valley) on Sunday, January 3 from 6:00-7:30 pm to worship together in singing and praying for each other, our church, and our community.