WE: New Series in 56ers for May 2011

WE: Series Overview
In following Christ, there is one truth that most of us forget—we were never meant to do this alone. We need other people. It’s critical not just because we need friends, but also because in community we understand more about who God is. We see how He is working in other people’s lives. We learn things that God has taught them, and we get an opportunity to love and serve others. The WE series helps us discover the “WHY” behind community—why we need it, why we should pursue it.

Session One (May 1)- led by Jr. High Pastor Rob Mudde
We need other people. We get that when we feel lonely, don’t we? But the reality is that there are times when the last thing we want is someone around—whether it’s our own grumpiness or because we just don’t want to be hurt again. But God made us in such a way that people fill a very specific need in our lives. And while God does supply all our needs, He created us to need other people, too.

Session One Parent Cue: Where do you have the greatest sense of community in your life? How has this been a good thing? How has it been a difficult thing?

SHIFT: Easter Sunday

Session Three: The Empty Tomb (Sunday, April 24)
People who die don’t get up. The grave is usually the end of someone’s story. That’s what people thought about Jesus—that His story was over. He died a brutal death and was placed in a tomb. Those close to Him were in shock, others were glad that He was gone. But things were about to shift. The tomb would not keep Jesus, and because of that the grave is no longer the end of our stories. The place of death became a place of life—not only for Jesus, but for each one of us as well. And what once seemed hopeless now shifts to become hopeful.

Session Three Parent Cue: Have you ever thought something was over, only to find out that there was still “life” to the situation or dream?

SHIFT: Sunday, April 17 = Palm Sunday

This Sunday, 56ers will be sitting in the Big House and cheering for the 56ers (and everyone else) that are getting baptized. We will meet in the 56er classroom at 9:00 & 11:00, then move downstairs to the Big House to sit as a group for the service. Your 56er can also choose to sit with your family, if they choose.

There is NO 6:30 K4 or 56ers, as the majority of the kids are getting baptized at the 6:30 Service. Big Splash Birthday cake to follow in the cafe!

SHIFT:Sunday, April 10

SHIFT: Series Overview
Over 2,000 years ago, people were looking for a change. They wanted their lives to look different. They wanted freedom, they wanted a shift. Many thought that would come through a political takeover. Some thought it would come through personal gain. But in the last days leading up to and following Jesus’ death, there was a significant shift that happened. A shift that forever changed the way you and I connect to God. A shift that redefined who we are. A shift that brought freedom and change—even if it looked completely different than what we expected.

Session One: The Triumphal Entry (Sunday, April 10, 2011)
Have you ever noticed how sometimes things don’t turn out the way you expect them to? Okay, for some of us, that happens a lot. Sometimes our expectations are really big—we think one person, one event, one word will change everything in our lives. And while that may make things different for a while, it never seems to last, does it? And when it doesn’t end up lasting, it’s easy to be really disappointed in that person, that event, those words. But what if the problem isn’t with any of those things? Consider this—what if God, who sees and knows everything, has a bigger picture than you or I can see? And the things that we think will either fulfill or advance our lives aren’t even close to what we need in order to become who we were intended to be. If so, maybe it’s time for a shift in what you and I are expecting from life—and from God.

Session One Parent Cue: Have you ever experienced a time when your expectations weren’t met, but later you saw that what you were focused on really wasn’t that big of a deal? What caused you to come to that realization?