Join Us This Fall for “Alien”
When our lives are squeezed, what comes out? In a fallen world, we’ll be stretched and pressed from all sides. We’re sufferers, all of us; none of us can escape the effects of moral and natural evil. But we’re also sinners; as broken people, we’ll be tempted to respond to that suffering with angry hearts and violent deeds. But God’s word calls us to live as saints, or “holy ones”, responding to suffering, despite our sin, with joy. In other words, we’re to look alien, as if we’re from another world.
This fall at Karis, we’ll begin a detailed look at the book of 1 Peter. There the apostle uses that word, “alien,” to describe how He intends Christians, particularly as they suffer, to look. If we’re obedient to our Lord, if we’re submitting to His Spirit, we’ll maintain faith, we’ll extend love, and we’ll even experience joy, in the midst of much trial and affliction. And then, we’ll indeed look like aliens. We’ll appear as foreigners and strangers with our own, distinctive way of thinking, feeling, and acting that will result in additional suffering through persecution, yet will simultaneously result in attraction, as people are drawn to a different manner of life. When squeezed, loving service will come out. When pressed, songs of joy will burst forth. We’ll look like our Lord Jesus, our Creator, who lovingly invaded His creation, trusting His Father and serving us, even to the point of death on a cross. Join us this fall for “Alien” at Karis Community Church.
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What is the Acts 29 Network?
Karis is a part of Acts 29, a network of church-planting churches. Want to know more? Visit the website here.
Comments are off for this postComing this Fall in Columbia and Karis: The Porterbrook Network
Porterbrook is a distance education program developed in the UK and endorsed by Tim Keller, Alan Hirsch, Vaughn Roberts, the Acts 29 Network, and others. It’s not just for vocational ministers. It’s for all Christians. It “seeks to be integrated with your whole Christian life in whatever context you’re serving. It’s not theology for theology’s sake: the course is written by practitioners for practitioners.” The standard two-year program, a slower-paced four-year plan, as well as a la carte, individual courses will all be offered, all at minimal cost.
Begins Sept. 14th. Contact Rob Gaskin (rob@karischurch.org) for more information. Also, see the attached packet of information. It has been revised, with lower fees. To register, visit here.
Some (timely) Words on Service from Aarik Danielsen
- Serving the littlest and dearest among us by working in Karis Kids (members only)
- Serving communion on Sundays (members only)
- Looking out for the safety and care of fellow believers through serving on the security crew (members only)
- Being one of the first, friendly faces someone sees when they walk into the Tiger, serving on connecting team (open)
- Helping foster a welcoming environment conducive to worship by serving on the aesthetics team or through tech/set-up (open)
- Bringing your creativity to bear in the life of the church by serving on the worship team or helping with art, video, graphics, web and print materials, etc.
- Leading a c-group
- Hosting a c-group
- Contributing food/money to relieve the burden off your c-group host/leader
- Offering to help your c-group host/leader clean up/do dishes, etc. at the end of the evening
- Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Service is not the subject, per se, of Bonohoeffer’s work here; it is a classic volume on Christian community. But, as we’ve argued, since service is woven throughout the fabric of community, the subject comes up often. Bonhoeffer encourages the believer to take on the meanest, smallest, most humiliating tasks so that we might see the goodness in those we’ve treated with disdain and see the humanity in those we’ve placed on pedestals. In God’s strength, we see the world as it is, he argues. He exhorts the believer to push past worries that, by serving, we’ll be stepped upon or treated unjustly and instead embrace that reality, knowing that we embrace Christ’s sufferings as we do.
- Celebration of the Disciplines by Richard Foster: Foster’s classic text applies to all the means of grace we’ve studied this summer but his chapter on service is especially heartening, challenging and compelling. He outlines the differences in motivation and result between true and self-righteous service and penetrates the heart by exposing our infatuation with the ‘big deal,’ showing how Christ actually calls us to a life often marked by the menial. Foster also wisely points to the ways that service and humility lead us to victory over sin as, in Christ, our earthly desires begin to pale and we embrace a Godward life.
Will leave you now, friends, to ponder all we’ve talked about and the following thought from a great saint: “I am afraid that as a rule we do not penetrate far enough into the mystery of the cross to realize this situation. What must it have meant to the Son of God whose blessed life had never been disturbed by the least cloud of trouble to enter into that tremendous strain of the divine justice, to feel the waves of guilt and wrath unleashing their fury upon him, so that he cried out in the bitterness of his anguish: ‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsake me?’ All this and more than we can possibly realize lies in this single phrase – that he gave his life a ransom for many. But only in the same proportion that we realize something of all this shall we begin to measure what is meant by the other phrase that he came to serve and what is the unique force of the admonition that we should serve not like, but at an infinite distance serve as he did serve,” – Geerhardus Vos in a sermon on Mark 10:45.
Join Us This Sunday for “God Is…”
What do the attributes of God have to do with our everyday struggles? Everything. A.W. Tozer once said, “What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about is.” Beginning this week at Karis, we’ll look at four realities that, if we can grasp them in our heads and they can move down to our hearts, they’ll transform everything. We’ll be looking at 4 Gs - His greatness, glory, goodness, and grace - beginning with greatness this week, before we launch into another expositional study of 1 Peter. Join us. Learn who God is. Only then can you understand who you’re truly meant to be.
Meet Bobby and Derek, New Karis Staff
Karis Community Church is excited to announce two new, part-time staff people. Bobby Schembre will now serve as Music Coordinator. He has spent the past three years serving under and alongside Luke Daugherty, learning how to plan the Karis liturgy, lead our body in corporate worship, and develop musicians and leaders. Bobby is a gifted musician and loving man. Our music will continue to be a distinguishing aspect of Karis life.
Derek Zimmermann will also serve as Assistant to the Lead Pastor. He will work alongside Kevin Larson, serving him in any way possible, but particularly helping to manage communication and administrative tasks. Derek is a great servant and gifted brother. He will be of great service during this time of transition for Karis.
Comments are off for this postKaris P.M. Returns August 22nd
On Sunday, August 22nd, Karis Community Church will again offer its evening worship gathering, Karis P.M., to the city of Columbia. Karis P.M. is a second, duplicate gathering that begins at 6:00 p.m. Spread the word. Karis P.M. is back (almost).
Comments are off for this postWe Love You, Daughertys! (Kevin Larson)
Yesterday was the last Sunday for Luke and Ann Daugherty, along with their son Ian, at Karis. Luke has served as the Pastor for Worship and Mission since our early days. He is moving his family to Louisville, Kentucky where he can attend Southern Seminary. Luke has been an amazing servant to Karis. He has served humbly and faithfully. He exhibits great conviction, competency, and character. More than that, he’s just a wonderful brother and friend. God used Luke and Ann almost as a co-planting family with the Larsons. Karis wouldn’t be here apart from God’s work through them. May God richly bless you, Luke and Ann. We love you - more than we could ever say.
Additionally, as I said yesterday, it’s hard to let people go. If we want to establish a church, we will be motivated to hold on to leaders. If we want to start a movement, we must release them. As Scott Thomas recently stated, a missional church sends off its best leaders. Luke is definitely one of the best I’ve ever met. His best years are ahead of him. We send him off, bound by God’s Spirit, confident of God’s grace. We trust God with the Daughertys’ lives. We trust Him to continue to work in Karis.
Bobby Schembre will be taking over the music responsibilities from Luke. Bobby is a gifted musician and a godly man. He has been discipled by Luke for about three years. He is up for the task and will do a great job.
Although this is a hard time, I’m confident for our future, Karis. He is in control. He is good.
A Couple of Brazil Videos
Earlier this month, a team of 12 from Karis went to Rio de Janeiro to work with Jay Bauman and Restore Brazil. Here are two videos we showed Sunday night, sharing various aspects of what was an amazing trip.
Comments are off for this postSunday’s Prayer
Maureen Harris led our corporate prayer this past Sunday morning. It was fabulous. Here is the text:
Comments are off for this postDear Heavenly Father. You are more massive than our wildest imagination. Bigger that the biggest words we have to describe you. And today, right now, you are sustaining galaxies all by yourself, holding every star in place, dropping every raindrop, breathing out the wind, you birth life, you ordain death. You have created every color of the sunset and every flowering thing. These are all your ideas. Your designs. And in the midst of it all, you still have time to be intimately acquainted with the everyday affairs of everyone of the planet.
Lord, you are the great I am. This makes us the Great I am not. We are not the center of everything. We are not in control. We are not the solution. We are not calling the shots. We are not the owner of anything. We are not the Lord. That’s your job.
So, we come to you right now, saying sorry for the way we get caught up in our jobs, our stuff, our desires, our sins, our hopes, our looks, our money, our plans, ourselves. If we just had this one thing, life would be good. If we just could change in this one way, we would be just fine. Forgive us for not wrapping ourselves in you. Forgive us for relying on other people to make up or take away for the hurt we feel, for the brokenness this world gives us. Only you can satisfy. And it’s only through your cross where we are made whole.
Jesus, I pray for the little children of our church. Jesus, you welcomed, loved, and cherished all of the kids…may we do the same. Provide a hedge of physical protection over their little bodies, protecting them from disease and danger. Provide a hedge of spiritual protection, guarding them from temptations, sins, and the garbage that this world feeds them. May they grow up to be men and women who know you and find hope in none other but you. But now, may they be little kids that know and love you today. Jesus, we ask that you take care of Hadley, Melia, Kylen, Loreli, Joseph, Ian, Nathan, Ella, Ezra, Chloe…
Jesus, I pray for the women of this church. Jesus, some many of us are wounded, broken, hurt, betrayed by family members, friends, even ourselves. May we run to you, our Savior for a gentle touch from your Saving hand. Jesus, I pray that learn what it means to trust in you more than our men or the hope of a man. God, it’s so easy to rely on a person because we can see them. But you call us out of that and call us to yourself. Father, help us to see your beauty and the work of your hands when we look in the mirror, rather than complaining about how your made us…We are truly beautiful in your sight. And lastly, teach us what is means to have a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in your sight.
Father, I pray for the men of this church. Father, I pray for a new sense of vision and passion for their schooling, jobs, families, and church. I pray that the fears and insecurities that can run so deep would not cripple or numb them any longer. Would you reach down in their hearts and show them that they are free and no longer need to be afraid of what they don’t have but see what they do have in you. Father, many of the men here are tempted to be led by their own strengths, their own experiences, giftedness, but they are limited in these things. May our men be men of the holy spirit, waiting on your timing and not according to a schedule. May our men take time to step behind your Spirit and follow Him in all times, even if they are perceived as weak or dependent. May our men know times of solitude as they turn off the electronics and drink from your Word, drawing strength from You. Grant them courage, adventure, and a pure passion for you.
So, father, I lift up the children, the women, and the men of Karis Church. Lead us, protect us, speak to us.
In your holy name,
Amen.