SUMMER REVIEW: Clothing Exchange
We’d like to extend a huge thanks to all that donated clothing and/or helped out at this year’s Clothing Exchange, held earlier this summer. Well before 8:00am, when we opened, there were just over 70 guests already waiting in line. In the first 30 minutes alone, we handed out over 250 bags for people to fill with clothes. Around 300 bags had been given to guests within the first hour.
Our guests also had the opportunity to visit the Food Pantry while they were here. We ended the event with only about 10 bags of clothes left over, which we donated to the SACS Thrift Store. In addition to meeting needs within our congregation and our surrounding community, we were also able to give clothes to the Brazil summer missions team to take with them to distribute in Beneviedes.
Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
(Matthew 25:34-40 ESV)
If you’d like more information on how to get involvedour thrift store partnership, our Food Pantry, or other community-oriented service opportunities, please visit www.restonbible.org/community
Worship | 6.24.12
Sing To The King (Psalm 47:6-7) – North Point Live by North Point Community Church
God Is Able (Ephesians 3:20-21) – God Is Able by Hillsong
Beautiful Lord (Ephesians 2:4-5) – Sound Of Melodies by Leeland
You Never Let Go (Psalm 23:4) – Beautiful News by Matt Redman
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (Galatians 6:14) – Mission:Worship by Stuart Townend
Worship | 6.17.12
Exalted One (Psalm 121:1-2) – For the Honor by Elevation Worship
Sing, Sing, Sing (Psalm 47:6-7) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing (Psalm 145:10-12) – Original Arrangement
Agnus Dei (Revelation 5:12) – Original Arrangement
Give Me Faith (Psalm 73:25-26) – Kingdom Come by Elevation Worship
Glorious (Psalm 111:2-3) – Passion: Everything Glorious by Chris Tomlin
Worship | 6.10.12
Let Your Kingdom Come (Matthew 6:9-10) – Valley of Vision by Sovereign Grace Music
How Great Thou Art (Psalm 145:3) – Passion: Hymns Ancient and Modern by Charlie Hall
I Lift My Hands (Psalm 46:10) – And If Our God Is For Us… by Chris Tomlin
My Deliverer (Psalm 18:2) – Hello Love by Chris Tomlin
A Rookie’s Adventure in Food Bank Shopping
by Bob Zerrenner, RBC Food Bank volunteer
Recently, I volunteered for to pick up the groceries for the Food Pantry. As a newer volunteer, I thought it would be pretty simple: Drive up to the store, load up the groceries, return to the Food Pantry and unload. The term “shopping” never entered my mind (I personally don’t shop – especially not in stores.) I usually just make a list and search reviews to find the best price to buy. When I go in the store, I don’t meander the aisle thinking about the various products. If it’s not on my list, then I don’t buy it (unless it’s a dessert – then I may do some impulsive justification of why it should be on the list!)
Due to my schedule, I planned on making two trips to two different stores. I went to the first store that had the four products that we needed. I entered the store, got two carts, my binder with notes, our tax-exempt card (don’t forget to hand them that!), a lot of energy, and went to my first aisle to find the first item. I found the space on the shelf where the item was supposed to be …but, alas, no item. I thought I’d ask a friendly associate, but could find any associate at all, let alone a friendly one. Moving on to item two: I needed 200, but found only 30 on shelf. Make that question number two on my friendly associate request list. On to item number three: needed 100 items, but only 19 were on the shelf. Do you see a theme starting here? Move on to the last item where I needed only 4 items and – bingo! – I was able to find all four.
After a little while, I found three associates together in one aisle and figured that the odds were in my favor that at least one would be friendly. After a short conversation, I remembered why I don’t gamble – all three associates were not that helpful at all, even after explaining to them how to use their own inventory scanners to see if any of the products I was searching for were in the back room. Continuing on my search for a friendly associate, I finally found one who explained that a delivery truck was scheduled for that evening to bring the back-ordered items. I should check back tomorrow.
I left the store and actually was disappointed that my first shopping adventure was a disaster. I returned to the Food Pantry and started to unload the feeble amount of merchandise that I had purchased. As I opened the door to the pantry and saw the shelves – and how empty space was on them – I was instantly reminded how blessed I am. What if I needed assistance and I waited in line and got a bag or two of groceries? Would that be “enough” to feed my family of five? Who would I turn to for assistance? Would I be “happy” with the products provided, or would I want brand name products? Oh, how selfish, self-centered and sinful I am.
The next day, I went to our second store where I knew that a lot of items were waiting for me to pick up (we do an advance order with this particular store each week.) Upon arrival, I was greeted enthusiastically by the manager who proceeded to wheel out two u-trucks full of groceries. She was pleasant, and her whole team was helpful during the process. I loaded the car and realized that I may need a bigger car, but we were able to fit it all in there.
As I drove home that night and came home to a pantry full of stuff, I realized how blessed we truly are. How much do I take for granted that our pantry is filled? How do I react when my favorite chips, cookie or fruit is not at my fingertips? Do I react with a correct heart and mind? Or do I react out of a mindset that tells me I deserve to have this and now? There was a frustration within me that said, “Why can’t I just go out and buy the products and not worry about the cost? Couldn’t just we fill the pantry to the ceiling with food?” Yes we could… but that would be us working and not God working in this ministry. We may only be able to provide some small amount of food each week to the people who need it, but we are also building relationships with those people. We are telling them about eternal food available through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. While we can’t provide for every physical need, we can certainly provide for their spiritual need and point them to the place where the pantry is never empty.
VIDEO: Winston Smith on Marriage Matters
In this video, CCEF counselor Winston Smith discusses the premise of his book, Marriage Matters, which will be the basis of this year’s marriage conference.
Join us on May 4 and 5 at Reston Bible Church for our Spring Marriage Conference, featuring Winston Smith. Winston Smith, M.Div., is an author, counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation(CCEF); he has extensive experience as a marriage and family counselor, and teaches seminary students how to counsel couples.
Winston will draw on his extensive experience as a marriage counselor, and share a simple yet powerful prescription for changing your marriage. He will show us how examining the everyday disappointments and irritations in your marriage will help you understand yourself, your spouse, and your need for God’s love. Interactions that used to devolve into pointless annoyances and fights can become an opportunity for God’s activity and love to become increasingly evident and powerful. These principles can take your marriage to extraordinary places and lead you into a deeper relationship with an extraordinary God. Don’t settle for an ordinary marriage; learn to live out God’s extraordinary love in your most intimate relationship.
GET INFO & REGISTER HERE
VIDEO: Paul Goodnight on Marriage Matters
Paul Goodnight, counseling pastor at Reston Bible Church, invites you to join us on May 4 and 5 for our Spring Marriage Conference, featuring CCEF speaker, counselor and author Winston Smith.
Details and registration info are at restonbible.org/marriage
Conversations 2012: That’s a Wrap
What do you get when you take 80 bakers, 50 coffee servers, 25 ushers, countless food preparers, children’s ministry volunteers, prayer warriors, 2 backstage crew, 38 actors, 7 band members, sound, lights and media volunteers, a director and 3 people willing to be transparent and share about the struggles in their lives and the victory they have found in trusting Christ with their circumstances? Conversations, that’s what you get! Conversations is an annual production including music, drama, humor and real life stories that takes place each evening the week before Easter. It is week where our church comes together to share with our families, friends, co-workers and neighbors the hope that we have in Jesus. This is real hope – hope not based on circumstances or happily-ever-afters, but on the truth of the word of God and His son, Jesus Christ.
Working behind the scenes, we have the privilege of seeing God at work during the entire process of putting Conversations together. The ministry that takes place among the cast and crew is amazing. People of all ages come together to do ministry, connections are made, prayers are answered, and we are each changed through our experience.
Hundreds of hours go into putting on a production like this – writing, rehearsing, building sets, designing graphics and coordinating all the many, many details. But even the most impressive production is worthless if the congregation doesn’t get behind it and do the most important part – invite and bring their unchurched friends and family. We named this event Conversations for two reasons. The music and scenes are based on conversations that go on around us all the time, and our hope is that you would continue to have conversations with the people you brought to see it.
If you have had a memorable conversation with one of your guests since bringing them to Conversations, we would love to praise with you and pray for you. To share a conversation or story that happened as a result of Conversations, please email us at stories@restonbible.org.
Thanks to RBCer Mike Kelly for the great photos. You can see his Conversations 2012 photo gallery here.
Also, since so many of you asked so nicely, below is The Elevator Scene:
VIDEO: Winston Smith on Healthy Marriages
Join us on May 4 and 5 at Reston Bible Church for our Spring Marriage Conference, featuring Winston Smith. Winston Smith, M.Div., is an author, counselor and faculty member at the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF); he has extensive experience as a marriage and family counselor, and teaches seminary students how to counsel couples.
Winston will draw on his extensive experience as a marriage counselor, and share a simple yet powerful prescription for changing your marriage. He will show us how examining the everyday disappointments and irritations in your marriage will help you understand yourself, your spouse, and your need for God’s love. Interactions that used to devolve into pointless annoyances and fights can become an opportunity for God’s activity and love to become increasingly evident and powerful. These principles can take your marriage to extraordinary places and lead you into a deeper relationship with an extraordinary God. Don’t settle for an ordinary marriage; learn to live out God’s extraordinary love in your most intimate relationship.
GET INFO & REGISTER HERE
Marriage Struggling?
MARRIAGE STRUGGLING? HERE’S WHY.
1. When you were dating you thought to yourself, “When we get married, I will change him/her.” That introvert personality will come out of their shell. Those strange irritating habits will fall by the wayside. This is equivalent to believing a dog can teach a cat to bark. It won’t happen. One’s personality is not a sin. Sin lies in character, morals, ethics, and behavior but not in personality.
2. Heading down the aisle, you were quite sure the two of you were of one mind in thought and purpose – but time has proven otherwise. There was more of a distance between the two of you when you said “I do” than you could have ever imagined. That unknown distance is the unexplored territory that marriage reveals. All marriages are programmed to fail if this territory is not navigated with humility and wisdom. To neglect this piece of real estate is to run from responsibility.
3. Recognize that all your expectations before you got married were performance based. “If I can get him/her to change, then I will have a happy marriage.” When such expectations are not realized, the lingering weight of disappointment only exacerbates the situation.
4. Love is not based on what your spouse can do for you but what you can do for your spouse.
5. Proverbs 18:17 says, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” If this verse could be measured in speed, it would be lighting fast. If measured in power, it would be 500-horse power. If measured in bytes, it would be a million gigs. Tattoo this verse on the back of your eyelids and let it be the guide for your tongue all the days of your life. What you say to your spouse does not reveal their heart, but yours (Matt.12:34).
6. When the changes you were counting on didn’t happen, angry words are exchanged. Attacks and counter attacks become the norm. Both sides begin to retreat into their own private world of work, TV, video games, and endless hours of entertainment to deaden the pain. Emotional or legal divorce is soon to follow.
7. We can control what we eat, but we cannot control what we hear. We can remove what goes into our mouth but not what goes into the ear, which is the gateway to the soul. Once it is said, it cannot be retracted.
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?
1. It is never too late to get things back on track. It will take courage, time, energy, wise counsel, and most of all humility.
2. Take a hard look at your contribution to the demise of the marriage. Do not focus on your spouse’s failures. That is their responsibility, not yours
3. Once the two of you have taken careful inventory of your failure, you will need to seek forgiveness from the other. This is not just saying I’m sorry but looking your spouse in the eye and stating what you have done to damage the relationship and saying “Will you forgive me for…..?”
4. You will then need to plan out a strategy for how you will deal with conflict in the future. There will need to be ongoing maintenance to keep the marriage on a biblical track. Marriage requires work and lots of it. Even the best of marriages require time and energy. The cruise control on your car works well on the highway but cruise control in marriage will result in a wreck.
5. Follow God’s blueprint, and leave the results to Him.