When Normal is Broke...Get Cured!

Something is wrong! Deep down you know it in your soul. You see it on TV. You see it in the Stock Market. You hear it on the radio. Something is wrong. You know it. We, at Rejoice!, know it...

Starting March 1, 2009, Rejoice! will begin a new 6 week teaching series

The Sickness
& The Cure.

Come & receive healing that only God can give.

9:30 A.M. Sundays
@ Family Wellness

Down in the Big Easy...Day 2

Through this whole...a family escaped the rising flood water to their rooftop of their lower 9th Ward home in New Orleans, LA. Some of their neighbors were not so lucky. Some have come back to rebuild. Others like this home owner have not.

So much devestation. So much work to be done. The experts believe it will be 25 years for New Orleans to get back to their pre-Katrina days.

So many images and stories that I want to share with you. I look forward to coming home and sharing them with you. In the meantime, keep the beloved people of God in New Orleans in your prayers and thoughts. Click here for more pictures on my Facebook page.

Give 'em Heaven!

Pastor Tim(serving our Lord in the Big Easy...aka New Orleans)

Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount...many have heard about it, some know who preached it, very few knew what the preacher said. Join us Fall 2008 as we learn more about the famous sermon preached from a mountainside.

• Sept. 7, 2008: Beginning with the Ending - Wise and Foolish Building (Matt. 7:24-29)
• Sept. 14, 2008: Beatitudes – Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Blessedness (Matt. 5:1-12)
• Sept. 21, 2008: Public vs. Private Faith; Doing Things God’s Way (Matt. 5:13-16; 17-20)
• Sept. 28, 2008: What to Do with Anger: (Matt. 5:21-26, 38-48)
• Oct. 5, 2008: A Good, Healthy Sex Life; Stop Swearing (Matt. 5:27-32; 33-37)
• Oct. 12, 2008: Sharing with the Needy (Matt. 6:1-4)
• Oct. 19, 2008: Prayer (Matt. 6:5-15)
• Oct. 26, 2008: The Fast Lane vs. Fasting; Treasures in Heaven (Matt. 6:16-18; 19-24)
• Nov. 2, 2008: Judgment Don’t Worry, Be Happy Blessed (Matt. 6:25-34)
• Nov. 9, 2008: Judgment – Take the Log Out (Matt. 7:1-6)
• Nov. 16, 2008: Ask, Seek, Knock (Matt. 7:7-12)
• Nov. 23, 2008: Narrow and Wide Ways (Matt. 7:13-14)
• Nov. 30, 2008: Trees and Fruit (Matt. 7:15-23)
  

2006 Christmas Video

This was one of our first attempts at podcasting...so the sound was bad...we still were trying to figure out video, but you can at least get an idea of our attempt at a postmodern Christmas Sermon.

Peace Out!

T-Rob

Contagious Christianity

Where did we go wrong? So many live out their spirituality as if it is just as it is a me and Jesus relationship. Trouble is Christ called his followers to share the faith. Faith is meant to be shared. Plain and simple, Christ followers are meant to be contagious.

Our latest teaching series covers this particular subject...Contagious Christianity. We have found at Rejoice! we are excited about our faith...so excited we want to share our faith and spiritual journey. But many do not know how. Many do not know how best to share their faith in their own, personal, unique way. Below is a look at each week:

July 29

Why and How to Be Contagious Spiritually

August 3

Building Faith Relationships

August 10

How to Share Our Spiritual Story

August 10

How to Share His (Jesus') Story

August 17

Leading People to Cross the Line of Faith to Jesus

Growing in God's Way

Life…Health…Growth…These qualities are at the core of God’s creation. Jesus constantly compares the life, health and growth of his people to what occurs naturally in God’s Creation. A mustard seed, lilies in the field, weeds and wheat are but a few examples of Jesus’ famous comparisons. We invite you to join us for our new teaching series “Growing in God’s Way,” where we will explore how God grows people, God grows community and God grows his church.

Join the conversation on our blog. Share stories in where God has grown you and you have experienced the growth of God’s community: the Church. Share also where you feel more growth is needed. May these growth areas become a communal prayer offered to God.





This is the tentative teaching schedule for each week:

• April 6 Discipleship Strength
• April 13 Understanding the Christian Faith
• April 20 Ownership of the Ministry
• April 27 Leadership Development
• May 4 Struggle, Forgiveness, Repentance and Witnessing
• May 11 Mission, Purpose and Plan

God Bless and Give ‘em Heaven!

Pastor Tim

One Question - 24 Great Answers!

“Where do you see Rejoice! in 5 years?” On Sunday, March 16, this simple small question was asked of those who were in worship. Not all answered but those who did gave brilliant answers. Read below and discover that God has placed some great vision on the hearts of the Rejoice! community.

1. Rejoice! will be a church – a community – of common, ordinary people doing extraordinary things for others. We’ll be known as people who serve others and share the message of God’s love.


2. A community of love and peace not afraid to show others. Rejoice! is an inviting community of Christ followers who enjoy studying the word of God and going out and doing his good works. This church family welcomes all no matter where an individual is on their spiritual walk.


3. Reaching people at exactly the right time with exactly the right words and exactly the right love with exactly the right God.


4. To bring all the body of Christ and to know him – young, old, and even the broken.


5. A life saving station who plants churches. A place were miracles happen and people pray. A place and a community were the unchurched experience Jesus.


6. I pray for…not just a building, but to be a people who are maintained as one people…broken pieces, accepting of one another, caring and sharing. As we grow…may we always reach out to others in the community, continually! May spiritual growth continue through small groups and loving accountability groups as well.


7. Family: Togetherness at home and church. Uniting the two worlds that is my wish for Rejoice!


8. I pray that Rejoice! would stay the life saving hut from Chuck Swindol’s story. That it would be a true mission…loving it like now…not another clubhouse. The building is not the mission. We need just him and each other to “be sent” – in each of our lives – to each ministry to which we are called in our home, at work, in society, in politics and in life. Perhaps it would be good to read Swindol’s story about "the life savaing station" once a year to keep Rejoice! on our mission. God bless you! God bless us all!


9. I see a large and loving place where any age will fee comfortable to learn more about their faith and be renewed.


10. Rejoice! is a place where people can come and experience joyous living and friends are only a handshake away.


11. A church that serves and then leads the unchurched they have served to find Jesus in their church.


12. Regardless of where Rejoice! is at physically – my hope is that Rejoice! will continue to find ways to reach out into the community. This is what has attracted me to Rejoice! It is about building relationships with each other and with Jesus the will make this church continue to grow.


13. I would like us to financially sound more than anything so we can focus on ministry, servant projects, instead of paying for a building. I think financial health at our entire congregation plays a large part in that. One will take care of the other.


14. I pray for the Rejoice! community and that we continue to serve the rest of the community. I pray for us to keep bringing others to Rejoice! and more importantly to Jesus. Rejoice! has helped me to become better connected to Him (God) and I hope and pray that we bring others like me to find Christ .


15. I pray that our church will always be the Servant Church. As our numbers and size grows, so will our acts of service to our community.


16. Successes where He (God) is first without distractions.


17. Always serving others…doors wide open…Bible centered coworkers of Christ


18. Building…Youth Ministry (high school)…multiple services…solid praise bands…classes to teach individual outreach…online services (that is broadcast live and recorded worship) via the internet to the entire world.


19. Dear God thank you for Rejoice! and all my church family…all of you help me to grow in the Lord.


20. God centered!...Outreach…Fun…Sense of Community…Caring Support of One Another…Welcoming to Those Who Do Not Have a Support Network…Be the Hands and Feet of Christ.


21. Rejoice! is a place that will help you find your way when you are lost. With a strong sense of community, they help to strengthen your faith.


22. Family


23. A place where people are reached by others who love them – just as they are – warts and all. Reached through small groups, one-on-one visits, prayer, worship – in whatever way they need. A place where everyone counts and everyone has a place…a place that is a true life saving station.


24. Men’s and Women’s small groups where love, support and accountability help individuals grow…mentoring or young women and new mothers.

Wow I am so proud of my tribe/community/sisters/brothers/fellow-Chist-followers. Today it is easy to use my normal salutation, “Give ‘em Heaven!” Obviously that is what Rejoicers are all about!

Give ‘em Heaven!

Pastor Tim

P.S. One person had a question of her/his own. Since a name was not left…I will just include his/her question and try to answer it. “Why isn’t Rejoice! listed in the ELCA section of the Argus Leader (Sioux Falls’) newspaper? This is a great question. It is not the first time we have heard this question. Well #1 we would love to have an add in the paper, but it is expensive. #2 Newspaper adds about local churches are for people who are already churched…Rejoice’s mission is primarily to the un-churched and de-churched…so for the same amount of money, we have chosen to advertize where un-churched and de-churched people are…namely at the movies…that is the WestMall7 theater where our ad has run for about 8 months. #3 and probably most importantly, we believe Rejoice! will grow better through word of mouth invitations partnered with creative advertizing and service events. We don’t feel called to be just another Lutheran church, we feel called to be a different sort of church for a world that would love to see a church that makes a difference. All the same this was a great question. Thanks for asking it. Email me if this answer was not satisfactory for you. I am not saying this is the right answer forever…it just has been the right answer for our first year and half.