Pastor Dan's Corner

Hi Riverside-

As you are aware, Riverside's Worship Ministry Team Director, Todd Burkholder, and his family, recently moved to Tennessee.  I want to update you on the Riverside Leadership Team's work to fill this vacancy in our staff.

The Leadership Team has selected six people to serve on a search team to find our next Worship Ministry Team Director.  The search team is Amanda Miller, Becky Wellner, Everette Mills, Jeff Clark, Linda Bogan, and myself.  The search team has already met, agreed upon a search process, and finalized a job description for publication.  The job description is HERE if you know of anyone that may be interested.

While the search team works to evaluate candidates, Becky Wellner and Mike Tetrault have agreed to lead Riverside's Worship Ministry Team.  They will coordinate and lead each week. 

"gods are dead" - Acts 14:8-20

A scientist approached God and said, "Listen, we've decided we no longer need you. Nowadays, we can clone people, transplant hearts and do all kinds of things that were once considered miraculous."

God patiently heard him out, and then said, "All right. To see whether or not you still need me, why don't we have a man-making contest?"

"Okay, great!" the scientist said.

"Now, we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam," God said.

"That's fine," replied the scientist, and he bent to scoop up a handful of dirt.

"Whoa!" God said, shaking his head in disapproval. "Not so fast, pal. You go get your own dirt!"

This past Sunday we read Acts 2:42-47 and discovered what life as a follower of Jesus was like in the very early days of the church.  The first followers of Jesus devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, the breaking of bread and to prayer.  They also shared everything that they had in common.  

Our homework this week was to share a need(s) that you or your family may have.  If you were not at the worship services on Sunday, you can share a need your family has by emailing me (dteefey@rcovenant.org).

Then we want everyone to look through the list of needs and to email me (dteefey@rcovenant.org) if you believe you can help meet the need.  I will then connect you and we will watch as the Spirit uses the resources of some to meet the needs of others.  I will cross out the needs when someone has already agreed to meet it.   Some needs will never be crossed out because they are ongoing.

Last week, we had two tasks.

This week, we have one followup task to those two. 

1) Chat with God and ask Him to help you see the areas of your life that are a contradiction.  What personal characteristics and sins prevent you from being the witness you desire to be to your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors who are not yet followers of Jesus?  What personal characteristics and sins prevent you from fully engaging the suffering, pain and brokenness in our world that burdens you?

I shared a couple examples in my sermon on Sunday.  Perhaps you have a coworker that you desire to know Jesus, but regularly demonstrate your short temper around him.  Or maybe you are burdened by the struggles of the poor in our world, but also spend most of your discretionary income on luxeries such as the latest technology and the newest clothing styles.

This past Sunday we began our summer-long study of the book of Acts.  In Acts, Luke (the same guy that wrote the Gospel) moves from writing about the work of God through Jesus to writing about the work of God through Jesus' followers. 

In Acts 1 we find that Jesus does not leave his followers staring into the sky waiting for him to return, but calls them to be his hands and feet on the earth.  God then gives Jesus' followers the Holy Spirit to empower them to get to work.

When Jesus ascended to be with the Father, he left his earliest followers and us with two primary jobs: the Great Commission and the Greatest Commandments.  The Great Commission is to "make disciples of all nations" and the Greatest Commandments are to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Dear Riverside Family-

This past Sunday morning I shared with you that a faithful member of the Riverside family, Lynn Fisher, has left us to be with our God.  We rejoice that she has found eternal peace, but grieve that she will no longer be with us on earth.  Please continue to pray for the entire Fisher family.

In order to honor Lynn's life and worship God a visitation will be held at the Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel on Saturday (March 12) from 12pm-2pm.  A memorial service will follow at the Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel at 2pm.  The Soller-Baker Lafayette Chapel is located at 400 Twyckenham Blvd., Lafayette, Indiana.

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms."  Deuteronomy 33:27

Blessings,
-Dan