Greetings to you all on this beautiful weekend. We would love for you join us for Café Liberty tomorrow from 9:45 AM until Worship @ 10:15 AM.
In this month of mission-renewal, part of our goal is to keep the good news of God’s love on our lips. We know this doesn’t come easily. And yet it is a powerful possibility for every believer. We can bring good news to others by attitudes, a listening ear, a patient spirit (even when we’re under pressure) and by being ready to bring God’s Word in seed-form into conversations.
We meet overwhelmed and distressed people every day. Sadness strikes at the soul and can often lead people to withdraw into unhealthy isolation. So many experiences in life can create barriers between people who could be allies and team-players with each other. When those invisible barriers break down the flow of communication, suspicion and animosity begins to grow like weeds. When followers of Jesus enter a realm of conflict, we hold a special responsibility to be bearers of good news. It may seem impossible in some social settings to bring a word of hope, a gift of grace or an insight of life-changing truth, but it can be done.
That’s why the New Testament truth of fellowship is so powerful. It’s as if we’re “investing”, when we meet up to encourage fellow worshipers or choose to walk alongside a brother or sister in prayer. It’s not trite to say “We need each other” because we do! Good news people spur each other on with encouragement and empathy that flows from the grace God sends to those who admit their needs. (James 5:16)
Quality fellowship is so much more than conversation or social contact. True Christian fellowship calls the soul out of isolation and helps believers of many varied experiences to actively learn from one another, strengthen one another and serve the Lord together. These are valuable experiences that can only become real when we choose to break out of “comfort zones” of our own making.
Would you pray this weekend for all those who serve this church body in serving roles? In the mission we share, I cannot express how valuable each of your gifts of time, attention and care for one another mean. Our goal is to expand mission giving this month with the help of each contributor:
Also, because of so many competing demands on our time, the opportunity to pray personally, one-on-one in a time of need can sometimes be set aside. At times, the connection point of meeting to pray is crucial for re-focusing and re-calibrating in a time of stress. Quite simply, we know that God always hears our prayers but the shared experience of one-on-one praying together sharpens our focus on bold, expectant faith. As Jesus described to His disciples in Luke 11:9-13 as one who comes to the Father with expectancy, we can aid one another in soul-enriching ways.
I love to share these opportunities. Let us know if there’s a connection point in prayer that you need and we’ll set up a time to meet briefly for prayer. Here are timely reminders from last weekend that we want to share with church family and friends.
We invite your participation in each of the following:
(See our Outreach page for more information about each of the below ministries)
1. Challenge Farm’s Corn Supply replenishing project ~ at $28 per bag, these staples for the food preparations at Challenge Farm in Kenya are vitally needed.
Many thanks to all who have given toward the Challenge Farm corn supply project. A gift of any amount (designated for “Corn” or “Kenya”) this month will go directly to that need.
2. We also invite you to pick up information on the Operation Christmas Child table and plan to be part of our team effort with other congregations in Carroll County. We look forward to welcoming the area coordinator for a presentation on October 23rd and we so appreciate Hannah Eberly leading our part in this vital team project for needy children.
3. Pregnancy Care and Support Centers in our area whose ministries are the bridge into life for many at-risk babies as well as providing vital care, counsel and resources for women in every phase of their experience. We’re grateful to send on the offerings of worshipers here at Liberty Church for Alpha Pregnancy Center (Reisterstown) and for the Center for Pregnancy Concerns (Westminster). All those who volunteer in various roles for both of these centers are giving life-saving and life-celebrating options in care to women across the Baltimore and Carroll County region. We’re super grateful for all that these centers do and invite you to add any amount of designated offerings for “pregnancy centers” to a check and/or offering envelope.
Looking ahead….
(See our Events page for more information about each of the events below)
Two events in November are a focal point for the Thanksgiving month: First, please place the 2nd Friday night in November on your calendar (November 11th) for a Thanksgiving style fellowship dinner here at church beginning at 6:30. This is an evening of great food and fellowship for families and singles – all ages are welcome. The turkey and fixings are provided by the church and as we do on other meal events, we invite you to bring side dishes and desserts of your choice. See the sign-up sheet on the Connections Table to RSVP and let us know what you can bring for a Gratitude Gathering on the evening of November 11th.
Also, our next Lord’s Supper observance will be on Sunday November 20th, a time when we share together in communion with worshipers of all ages. A familiar word associated with the Lord’s Table is the term “eucharist”. Though it has varied meanings in it’s historical usage, it’s significant that the term literally means “giving thanks well”!
That core element of God’s redeeming grace (the ‘charis” of unmerited favor) is at the heart of the Lord’s Table, but the word itself hints at the part God offers to each of us in His drama of salvation. In every call to worship, it is an honor to be among those who know how undeserving we are of God’s grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we meet at the Table, that “call to worship” is symbolized by breaking bread and partaking of the cup as a sign of our unity. What a treasure to keep close to our hearts as a church body.
We love for friends to join us in Facebook Live – and here’s that link to find us quickly: Liberty Church Facebook Page
The link for audio podcasts accessible on desktop, tablet or mobile device is here: Liberty Church Sermon podcast on anchor.fm
In His love,
Joe D. Ready
Pastor
Liberty Church
1641 Old Westminster Road,
Westminster MD 21157
Mailing address: P.O. Box 295, Westminster MD 21158-0295
Church Office: 410.857.4313
Pastor’s Cell: 410.596.4096
email: libertychurch@comcast.net