Pastor's Note

Our annual SoupFest celebration is coming up Sunday evening, and it occurs to me that this may be the first SoupFest for a number of our people. So, in preparation, here are some notes and tips to help you prepare!

This ought to be our response should anyone ask how we account for growth in our midst. A simple shrug. Who knows? We put some gospel seed down. We watered it with the word. Then God did the work according to His will.

I mentioned on Sunday that sin in our hearts and minds inevitably affects us physically, and what we do physically affects us spiritually. We could probably find many examples of this. Simply consider how prone you are to sin when you haven't gotten sufficient rest and sleep.

At the board meetings for Multiply, we were able to spend a few hours talking about the state of missions and the work of Multiply within the United States Mennonite Brethren. A portion of this discussion was led by Aaron Box, who has been the USMB National Director for a little over a year. During this time, Aaron spoke about the goals for our denomination over the next few years, as determined by national leaders. I thought these goals were fascinating and helpful, and wanted to pass them along to you, with a few of my own thoughts.

We have supported our missionaries well, and have been privileged to send out some of our own on the mission field. But we need more CBCers to go set foot on foreign soil and see the work of missions up close. Something different happens when you see for yourself where the gospel needs to break through.

This Sunday we begin a new round of Sunday School classes! Here's a little snapshot of what to expect in each.

We are now settling into some of our fall routines at the church, so it's a good opportunity to put some events out there in advance so you can get them on your calendars! Take a look at a few exciting things coming around the corner, a few of which are new for us!

If you are a member or regular attender of CBC, you should soon receive an email about being placed on one of our elders' "Pastoral Care Rosters." If you are newer you might ask, what is a “Pastoral Care Roster,” and how did I get placed on one? Allow me to explain!

We're trying a couple new things on Sunday! First, we will have nametags for everyone. We've actually been kicking around this idea for a while and feel now is the right time to try it.

We are going to try something new in the worship service starting Sunday, September 7th. (We may actually try a couple new things, but I'll just mention this one now.) Starting that Sunday, before dismissing the little kids for children's church, each week I will take a brief few minutes to walk the church through a weekly catechism question.