LIFE Notes October 2014 Letting Go to Take Hold of God’s Dream

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 |
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