LIFE Notes October 2014 Letting Go to Take Hold of God’s Dream From Pastor Mike L. Do you know that God has a dream and a vision for your life? Many of us have redesigned the vision for our lives to fit into the busyness of our schedules and to make us comfortable and safe. That is not how God desires us to live. He has created us for a future and a hope. He has created us to be difference-makers and to live allout for Him. God has a plan for each of our lives that is bigger than we could ever imagine. We can refer to it as our vision, our calling, our dreams...but however you like to think about it, the key is looking ahead. As Paul says in Philippians, “but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” In other words, your life is in front of you. You will never have vision or attain God’s dream for your life while looking behind you. Things in the past have to be left behind in order to move forward. God’s purpose, plan, and dream for your life is closer than you think. God’s dream for you is already inside you....Just reach out and grab it. We all have ideas and visions and dreams for our lives, but it’s not until we get a hold of God’s dream for our life that things start to happen. Greater days are ahead. Reaching our full potential is not found in ourselves, but in our Father in Heaven. The key to finding God’s dream for our lives is to come before the Father, align with Him and become fully surrendered to His will. When we fully surrender to Him, we are placing our future into His most capable hands. Where else are our futures, our callings, and our dreams safer than in the control of an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-loving God? We will find our futures, visions, and dreams in Christ alone. Pastor Mike Lemp Who’s Who Meet the Dagenharts! Karen is a communications major from Tennessee, and she currently works for FedEx as an international document broker agent. Brian graduated from Francis Howell and is a city truck driver for Dayton Freight. Karen began attending LIFECHURCH in 1999, a couple of years after moving to St. Louis for her job. “I was looking for a church home. So I prayed and asked God to be clear as to where He wanted me to go. I was born and raised a preacher’s kid in another denomination, but I felt like it was time for me to branch out and go somewhere different. I wanted to go to a church where there were all kinds of people and no denomination. Then, one day, I was watching television and Pastor Rick came on. I really enjoyed the sermon, so I called the Church and got directions. Now I’m here and still going strong!” In 2003, Karen met her future husband, Brian, while working at FedEx. He got saved at LIFECHURCH on Easter Sunday in 2004, and the couple was married in 2008. Karen shared, “I get emotional when I think of how God has changed my life through LIFECHURCH. I never knew what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ, and now I’ve been delivered from so many bondages.” Karen and Brian are foster parents to one little girl, Heaven, who is just 15 months old. Their plans are to eventually adopt her. This part of the story is still in process, but here is where we are as the Dagenharts continue to stand in faith for God’s perfect will to be done in order to give Heaven the best life possible: “My desire from when I was a child was always to be married with children. My husband and I were married in 2008, and we kept trying to have a baby, but it never happened. So I asked God to make His will for my life my will. Soon after, my husband came to me and said that God had placed in his heart that we were to adopt a child out of the foster care system. So Brian and I went through the classes and became certified foster parents in May 2013.” “In December of that same year, during my prayer time, God spoke to me and said, ‘I want you to accept the gift I have for you.’ I had no idea what He was talking about. I thought I could be pregnant, but a month later, we received our first foster baby. She was seven months old. The funny things about this story are that she looks exactly like me when I was a baby, her name is Heaven, and she was born on my birthday. I truly believe, with all my heart, that she is our special gift from God, no matter what.” When asked to share one special nugget that she thought others may be encouraged to hear, Karen said, “The things that I feel God has placed in my heart to share with others is that there is nothing too hard for Him. God is eager and ready to help us. Also, prayer is the most important activity for believers, and we have to make it a priority—even if it’s just a short, meaningful prayer, from the heart.” Karen previously served with a street ministry team through LIFECHURCH. She recalls, “It really opened my eyes to the hurts and needs of God’s people. It changed my life and allowed me to look outside of myself in order to pray for the needs of others.” Karen also shares her love of the Lord by serving in the Crosswalk and LAUNCH children’s ministries at our Central West End campus. Brian has a strong gift of compassion and he, like Karen, loves helping others. In addition, Karen feels a call to teach, she enjoys mentoring young women, and she loves to write. “I’ve actually written several children’s books and Brian & Karen Dagenhart Christian short stories; I would love to have them published one day!” The scripture this family stands on is Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the Lord; and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the Lord; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.” ******* Thank you both, so much, for sharing your story with us, and thank you for all you do to contribute to the ministry that goes on in this House! You are such a fun-loving couple, always so friendly and full of joy and laughter that freely flows out and invades the hearts of those around you. The joy and passion you have for life and Jesus provides a great deal of light and encouragement to all who are blessed to know you! Doing LIFE Together Event Highlights LIFECHURCH Vision Conference Everyone is encouraged to join us at our Fenton campus, Sunday, October 5 through Tuesday, October 7, for our Vision Conference. Sessions will begin at 7:00 p.m. each night. This Conference is a great time for all of our campuses to come together in one place to revisit the unified vision of our Church as a whole, and to hear about the focus we will have in the months and years to come. We hope you will make plans now to be here with us! IGNITE: 2015 Winter Retreat IGNITE students are invited to attend our 2015 Winter Retreat at Lake Williamson Christian Center in Carlinville, IL. This powerful weekend retreat will be a great opportunity for students to get away from everything for a couple of days, to have a great time with their friends, and to experience powerful encounters with God. The cost is $120 per student, with the initial $60 deposit due to Pastor Ryan by Sunday, October 5. Students will meet at the Fenton campus at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 23, and will return before noon on Sunday, January 25. The cost covers the two-night stay, five buffet style meals, and transportation. Guest Speaker: Brother Yun Brother Yun—whose autobiography, The Heavenly Man, details his life from the age of sixteen, through his three accounts of incarceration, and ends with his exile to Germany—has been invited to speak at our Fenton campus during our midweek service on Tuesday, October 14. Service starts at 7:00 p.m. Waterloo Pumpkin Fest LIFECHURCH Waterloo is serving and sponsoring a booth at the city’s annual Pumpkin Fest on Saturday, October 11. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up at the Waterloo Welcome Center or contact Pastor Matt at 314-843-5575, ext. 260. Volunteers will meet at the town square (by the courthouse) at 8:30 a.m. Brother Yun has experienced extreme persecutions, including years of torture by government authorities, while miracles and deliverance have happened all around him. Make plans now to be here and be sure to invite your friends and family. It’s sure to be an incredible service! If you can’t volunteer, come out and see us. This day will be filled with wholesome, old-fashioned, family fun including: merchant booths, food, and country pumpkin games. There will also be lots of pumpkin-related contests, such as pie-eating, pumpkin pie baking, best carved pumpkin, best painted pumpkin, pumpkin art, heaviest pumpkin, and a coloring contest. There will also be a costume parade that evening. So it’s an all-day, great time for the whole family! Waterloo Leaf Pick-Up On Saturday, October 25, volunteers are meeting at the Waterloo campus parking lot, at 8:00 a.m., to provide a leaf pick-up for the residents of Waterloo. If you have a truck and would be willing to assist us, please sign-up at the Waterloo Welcome Center or contact Pastor Matt at the Church office, 314843-5575, ext. 260. LIFE Group Leaders Interested in leading a LIFE Group? Register your group on our Website at http://www.lifechurch-stl.com/extension_interest_lifegroups_leaderregistration.htm. LIFE Group Attendees If you discover a LIFE Group you would like to attend, please sign-up any time by visiting http://www.lifechurch-stl.com/extension_interest_lifegroups_groupsignup.htm. 001 G AO Bryan & Debbie Edwards/ Darry & Michelle Castor Bible: Galatians/Related studies Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. | 09/03/14–Ongoing Edwards’ Home – Imperial, MO 63052 012 WO Cori Vargas Book studies and activities involving community outreach Biweekly Mondays at 6:00 p.m. | 09/08/14–Ongoing Vargas’ Home – Fenton, MO 63026 002 G Anton Whitener/Devon Wilson Evangelism and discipleship through personal intimacy with God Mondays at 6:30 p.m. | 09/08/14–Ongoing Salvation Army Fellowship Hall – Maplewood, MO 63143 013 WO Keri Dummerth Book: Restless by Jenny Allen Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. | 09/0414–Ongoing Dummerth’s Home – Fenton, MO 63026 003 G Gale Loveland/Nancy Greer Bible Study: The Book of Isaiah Biweekly Mondays at 7:00 p.m. | 09/08/14–Ongoing Greer’s Home – Arnold, MO 63010 G – General AO – Adults Only CW – Children Welcome WO – Women Only MO – Men Only MC – Married Couples Only S – Singles Only T – Teens YA – Young Adults SP – Spanish Only 004 WO SP Gabriela Weldon Encouragement for mothers & prayer for children Mondays at 7:00 p.m. | 09/08/14–Ongoing Weldon’s Home – Fenton, MO 63026 005 WO Mary Ann Rohan Bible Study: Various Books of the Bible Biweekly Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. | 09/18/14–Ongoing St. Louis Bread Company – Fenton, MO 63026 006 AO SP Ligia Drury Worship & Bible Study Fridays at 6:00 p.m. | 09/05/14–Ongoing Drury’s Home – Crestwood, MO 63126 007 G Lawrence & Juliet Chiteshe Book: Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer Biweekly Sundays at 5:30 p.m. | 09/15/14–Ongoing Chiteshe’s Home – Maryland Heights, MO 63043 008 G AO Darryl Asselmeier/David Mott Fenton Campus’ Weekly Message Study Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. | 09/04/14–Ongoing St. Louis Bread Company on Chippewa – St. Louis, MO 63109 009 WO Maria Crockett Book: A Confident Heart by Renee Swope Biweekly Mondays at 6:30 p.m. | 09/08/14–Ongoing Coffee Cartel – Central West End, MO 63108 010 WO Christina Lang This group will study the Book of Ephesians Study Guide by Anne Graham-Lotz Biweekly Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. | 09/14/14–Ongoing Coffee Cartel – Central West End, MO 63108 011 G Drew & Allison McCausland Activity: Health & Fitness Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. | 09/06/14–Ongoing JB Park in South St. Louis County, MO 63125 014 MO Osvaldo Montes de Oca Book: Men’s Fraternity – The Quest for Authentic Manhood Saturdays at 7:00 a.m. | 09/0614–Ongoing Osvaldo’s Home – Manchester, MO 63021 Calendar of Events October 5 Membership Class (Waterloo) 10:00 a.m. | Classroom October 5, 6, & 7 Vision Conference 7:00 p.m. Nightly | Auditorium (Fenton) October 10 Food Pantry Distribution Day 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. | LIFEHOUSE October 11 Pumpkin Fest (Waterloo) 8:00 a.m. - Contest Entries Accepted 9:00 a.m. - Festival Begins 5:00 p.m. - Costume Parade | Monroe County Courthouse Square 015 MO Tom Bazow Study Material: 180 Degrees to Freedom Biweekly Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. | 09/0414 – 12/11/14 Bazow’s Home – Fenton, MO 63026 October 14 016 G Jason Kopecky Book: Grace by Max Lucado Biweekly Sundays at 7:00 p.m. | 09/28/14–12/07/14 St. Louis Bread Company – Brentwood, MO 63144 October 15 017 WO Sheila Prusacki Activity Group: Art Expressions of Praise Sundays at 2:00 p.m. | 09/07/14 – Ongoing Fenton Park – Fenton, MO 63026 018 A WO Kristi Lemp/Keri Hayes Book: Holy Spirit by John Bevere Biweekly Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. | 09/02/14–10/28/14 Barnes and Noble – Fenton, MO 63026 019 WO Peggy Tranchilla/Amy Graham Activity: Exercise and Dance Group Wednesdays at 8:00 a.m. | 10/01/14–Ongoing LIFECHURCH Youth Center – Fenton, MO 63026 020 AO Dan & Eileen Ingrim/ Maria Crockett Bible: Walking Out Sanctification through the Book of Romans Sundays at 5:00 p.m. | 10/12/14–Ongoing Ingrim’s Home – Downtown St. Louis, MO 63103 021 MC CW Marcus & Jessica Alston Activity: Video Series – Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage by Mark Gungor Biweekly Sundays at 5:30 p.m. | 10/26/14–01/25/15 Rotating Homes – Beginning in South City St. Louis, MO 63116 Special Guest: Brother Yun 7:00 p.m. | Auditorium (Fenton) LIFECHURCH Men’s Barbecue 7:00 p.m. | Youth Center (Fenton) | $5 October 18 JOYs’ Bonfire & Hotdog Roast Noon–3:00 p.m. | Fenton Campus October 19 Membership Classes (Fenton & CWE) 9:00 a.m. | Mahler Ballroom (CWE) 9:30 a.m. | Administration Building (Fenton) Baby Dedications 11:00 a.m. Service Only | Auditorium (Fenton) October 21 Water Baptisms (Fenton) 6:00 p.m. | Atrium Lobby October 25 Leaf Pick-Up (Waterloo) 8:00 a.m. | Waterloo Campus Parking Lot Food Pantry Distribution Day 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. | LIFEHOUSE * Meetings are weekly unless otherwise noted. ** Book Group Attendees: Please be prepared to purchase books at your own expense. Fenton Campus Central West End Campus Waterloo Campus 1416 Larkin Williams Road 4915 Washington Boulevard 400 Park Street Fenton, MO 63026 St. Louis, MO 63108 Waterloo, IL 62298 www.lifechurch-stl.com | lifechurch_st.louis, mo | lifechurch_stl Remember to visit our Website at www.lifechurch-stl.com and click on “Events” for more details! LIFE Groups