Elijah Project 08'

This is a short video of our outreach for 2008. We were able to raise over $11,000 to help six families get back on their feet after the devastating floods took everything they had. Thank you Life Church family for making this possible.


Elijah Project 08'-Complete from LIFEchurchnow.org on Vimeo.

Letters to the Next President!

Well, after getting the kids off to school I headed to the Grant Wood AEC to cast my vote. The line was relatively short and the voting went on without a glitch. Holding that large ballot in my hand reminded me of the amazing freedom that we have here in the United States - that ordinary people like you and me have the power to say who will lead our country. My father served in two wars and for the most part he held to the conviction that he was doing his part in promoting that freedom.

In just a few hours we will have a new president. History will be made today one way or the other. Either we will have the first ever African American President or the first ever female Vice President. As that person steps into office what would we say to them? As a follower of Jesus how would we counsel our new President?

Starting this weekend we are kicking off a series called Letters to the Next President. This series is coming together as a result of some of the "You Pick" suggestions for sermon topics and because it is immediately after one of the most historic elections of all time. Be sure to be there as we look at three different Biblical heads of state and how they acted or failed to act. Through this series we expect to gain some leadership lessons that are applicable to those who hold public office all the way to the person who is leading their children in the home. Don't miss this series and be sure to invite a friend.

Come support the LC Band

A group from the Life Church band will be opening up for Shane and Shane on 9/26/08. Tickets are $20

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th @ 8PM
Englert Theatre
221 E. Washington St.
Iowa City, IA 52240
319.688.2653

YOU Pick!

We are currently in an election season and many are focusing on the “topics” that are most important to voters as we seek to elect a new president. Over the centuries the church has often found itself in conflict with popular culture on certain issues. Starting November 9th we will have a conversation about some of these issues. We invite you to post the issue that you would like to talk about. We will collect these issues through October and select the top three and explore what the Bible has to say on these issues. We will also be setting up a “You Pick” polling table at the Ped Mall(volunteers needed!)

Game Day

Every team spends a considerable amount of time training, running drills and preparing for the big game. Life can often be compared to the big game. The objective --- to win. In this new series we are calling everyone out of the stands and into the game. Kick off starts September 14th. See you there and be sure to wear your team jersey.

Help Wanted - LC Drama Team

If you enjoyed the Awaken drama this weekend and are intereseted in joining the LC Drama team, please contact Chris Cary at chris@lifechurchnow.org .

Awaken Team Rings The Bell

Yesterday, the "Awaken" youth team stepped up and rang the bell. They performed their first skit on a Sunday morning and did an amazing job. The human drama was set to the song "Everything" by Lifehouse and really brought the house down. There were quite a few wet eyes in the crowd and I believe that these type of dramas usher in the presence of God in ways that we cannot understand. I am extremely proud of them and can't wait to see what's going to happen in their lives as they realize how amazing they truly are.

If you want to let them know that you appreciate them or that you enjoyed the drama, please post a comment on the "Awaken" facebook wall.

Life Church Women's Retreat, November 14-15

clean

a life church women's retreat

When?
Friday, November 14 & Saturday, November 15

Cost?
$40 per person (includes meals)

What is “Clean"?
A retreat for women, by women, who want to spend time connecting with one another and with Christ. We’re looking forward to hanging out, laughing, worshiping God, reflecting on the teachings, and supporting one another through prayer and group discussions.

For more information, please stop by the got questions? table during the Sunday-morning service and pick up a brochure/registration form. Registration deadline is Oct 31.

Call Heather (319-541-5338) email weber.heather@gmail.com with further questions.

"Everything we have--right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start--comes from God by way of Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 1:30, The Message

Back To School Picnic

Well, school is now in full swing, so we figured it's time for us all to get together and hang out. This coming Saturday, 9/6, Ayla and I will be hosting a Life Church barbecue at our house. Every week we discuss the importance of community and these events are just one of the many things we do to at the LC to support our weekly ramblings.

So, here are the details:

When: Saturday, 9/6, 6:00 to Whenever
(We will have the Wii available, games, and a campfire for Smores)
If you can't make it for supper, stop by later to hang out and play games

Where: Aron and Ayla's, 45 Coll Court

Who: All family members and friends are welcome

What to Bring: Side dish and desert (barbecue food will be provided)
If you'd like a different main dish, please feel free to bring that as well.

RSVP: akolosik@gmail.com

Discipleship @ Life Church

Hey guys,
I am excited about discipleship at Life Church this Fall. We have several spiritual growth opportunities that will be kicking off the week of September 7th. Aron will be leading a study through Luke and Acts. Heather will continue the women's prayer every other Sunday and I am especially excited about Alpha. Alpha is an awesome opportunity for any person at whatever stage of their spiritual journey to explore the meaning of life. It is a ten-week course that circles around a shared meal, a video teaching and small group discussion. I encourage any of you that are ready to ramp up your spiritual journey to consider signing up for the Alpha course. Check out this short promo on Alpha.

Walking in the Spirit

I have been looking over my notes for tomorrow's teaching and I feel like the Holy Spirit is so convincing me of the truth that God wants us to be people that are walking in the Spirit. I love the idea of walking. It's not running, it's not sitting, it's simply walking. Step by step we have an opportunity to link up with the creator of the universe and overcome our human limitations.

What if the Holy Spirit is all around us exhaling his life, his peace, his joy, his victory? And what if our job is to just breath? To simply inhale what God is doing all around us. "God help me to walk in the spirit."

New Series - Just Breathe

I am excited about this new series that we are kicking off Sunday. It's called Just Breathe and it is a teaching on the Holy Spirit. Now I know that for some this may send chills down your spine and for others you welcome a teaching on the Holy Spirit. I believe that God has put something on my heart that will challenge us all to live lives full of the Holy Spirit. What if God was exhaling His Spirit all around us and our job was to just breathe? I hope you can join us for this amazing series as we seek to be a people that are full of God, full of his spirit.

Members Meeting - Saturday, August 9th

Hey Life Church,
We are having our very first members meeting this coming Saturday, August 9th at the Coralville Public Library. The new library has meeting rooms on the lower level. We will be meeting in the old auditorium at 9am sharp! If you consider Life Church your home church then we strongly urge you to plan on being there for this members meeting. We have a lot of information to share. It is going to be an awesome time of vision casting and momentum building. We are excited about the potential for exponential growth and we believe you play an important role in this.

Child care will be provided. We have reserved the meeting room at the Coralville Rec. Center for the children. If you have an infant you may consider just bringing them along to the meeting. But, if your child is "potty" trained and willing to stay with some baby sitters you can drop them off at the Rec. Center.

If you plan on using the childcare services please let us know so that we can hire enough people. You can simply email Aron at aron@LifeChurchNow.org to let us know.

See you there!

Men's Breakfast Reminder

Hey guys, just wanted to post a quick reminder about the men's breakfast scheduled for tomorrow morning at Rich's house.

The details are:

Start Time: 9:30
Location: 39 Chad Court, Coralville, IA
Phone #: (319) 594-0837

This is just a great time to hang out, get to know each other, and get full. Cya tomorrow.

It's Official - Life Church Has Hit Facebook

Last week I had an epic failure and succumbed to peer pressure by signing up to facebook. Today is my tenth day on facebook and I must admit, it's really been an awesome tool to open lines of communication with new friends and old friends. So, because of my failure, I've decided to try to bring others with me and created a "Life Church - Iowa City" facebook group. It really is a great communication tool and is simple to maintain. As we continue to experiment with living life together, we need to keep trying new things to create community and facebook is just another one of those ways.

40 Days of Prayer

Last week we kicked off in a very subtle way a 40 days of prayer challenge. Today, Heather Weber, in her message encouraged us that as followers of Jesus Christ God has given us authority to realize the Kingdom of God here on earth. What an awesome challenge to pray and believe that we can have a part in ushering in peace, righteousness and joy into our lives and the communities that we live in.

Heather also challenged us to pray for the country of Ethiopia and the current famine and drought that is killing so many innocents...

"Father, these are your children, your creation and our brothers and sisters. We feel the pain of dying children, mothers and fathers. Father, will you bring rain into that dry land. Father will you miraculously touch the malnourished. Father, will you supply adequate food to those on the brink of starvation. Father, will you reveal your love and concern for these precious people. Hear our prayer."

33 days to go.
rgg

Life Church BBQ/Potluck (July 19th)

Come join us for a time of fun and fellowship at the Greenes. All are welcome. Brats, burgers and drinks will be provided. Bring a side dish, a dessert or a salad. Be sure to invite a friend and we look forward to seeing you this Saturday at 4:30pm.

Here are some ideas of stuff to bring:
Vegetable trays
Pasta salads
chips and dip
casseroles
fruit salads
pies, brownies, cookies
cheese and crackers
etc.

Here are the directions to the Greenes:

View Larger Map

See you there.

Cleanup help July 7th and 8th

Here is another opportunity for us to help out our community. If you are available, the information below will get you started.
Thanks Life Church
---------------------------
Help at New Life
July 7, 2008 - 10:45 AM

New Life still needs some volunteers for Monday and Tuesday, July 7 & 8. We are still in a clean phase, so wear appropriate clothing. I think we have masks here. Water and Red Cross meals are available for free.

Contact Josh at 563.505.0808

Details for Tomorrow's Flood Clean-Up

For those of you who can volunteer to do clean-up for local residents affected by the flood, please report tomorrow at 8 a.m. to the New Life Church Parking Lot on the Coraville Strip (New Life is located beind Lone Star restaurant). We will form teams and disperse from there to go into local neighborhoods.

Please bring tools if you have them, such as crowbars, hammers, shovels, wheelbarrows, or wagons. Also, please bring your own mask and gloves if you are able so that we can leave the masks and gloves in the flood buckets to residents who will be cleaning after we leave.

Saturday Flood Clean-Up Teams

The needs in our community for flood clean-up are urgent. Many homeowners have recently or are just getting access to their homes. They are racing against the clock to get water-damaged items out of their homes, such as furniture, carpets, appliances, and cabinetry, and then stripping drywall off the walls in order to prevent mold growth in the studs.

We would like to form teams of volunteers to target our selected neighborhood and offer help to homeowners on Saturday morning. At this point, the exact time and location is still to be determined but we'd like to recruit your help in advance. Please contact me (information below) if you are available.

In the meantime, you are looking for ways to be of service during the work-week, the best route to go is to find a homeowner in a flood-affected neighborhood and offer your assistance. There are many, many people in need right now and one could literally walk through a neighborhood and join with many teams doing clean-up. When you help, it's ideal to go prepared with some basics, such as: Rubber and cotton gloves; masks; old tennis shoes; crowbar (for knocking down drywall); wheelbarrow or wagon (for pulling drywall, carpet, misc. items to the curb); and water.

Also, the flood relief kits and garbage bags that were donated by Convoy of Hope are stored in the United Methodist Church's west parking lot. Please help yourselves to these as needed, or take them with you when you go to volunteer. Our only request is that you contact me with the number of supplies you've taken (for grant/accounting purposes).

Contact Info: 541-5338 or weber.heather@gmail.com