Riverside has been blessed over the past year to have experienced numerical growth. Our Sunday worship service attendance has increased by over 25% this past year. We have all seen more people and experienced some cramping in various areas of our facility. This is great, but this does not guarantee that we are a "quality" church. I am fairly confident that if we started showing movies and providing free back massages every Sunday morning we would have lots of people show up, but we would not be the church as Christ intended.
Archives for August 2009
Men’s Bible Study – 2 Peter
The Riverside men have finished up 1 Peter and are now moving into 2 Peter. Join us!
Mondays @ 7pm or
Thursdays @ 6:30am
Monday, August 10 or Thursday, August 13 – 2 Peter 1:1-11
Monday, August 17 or Thursday, August 20 – 2 Peter 1:12-21
Monday, August 24 or Thursday, August 27 – 2 Peter 2:1-22
Monday, August 31 or Thursday, September 3 – 2 Peter 3:1-18
Questions to guide your preparation:
Promiseland Chatter
We are praising our Promiseland children for reaching their mission goal of $130. They purchased one goat, four ducks, and two chickens for a family in another country. This was accomplished in approximately three months. Their new goal will be to help build a school and purchase school supplies. We are very proud of our kids and their willingness to give back to God a portion of what He gives them.
Sr High Mission Trip Voicemails
Normally you would have already read a blog post from Becky this week about the great time she had with the kids in Minnesota for the Sr. High Mission trip. However, just after dropping off the kids, she turned right back around and headed back to Minnesota for some family vacation time.
To tide you over until Becky gets back we have put together a series of voicemail messages that she left for parents giving them updates over the week. It will give you a little idea of the challenges faced, the fun (and work) that took place, and the adventure that our youth went on. These voicemails wont replace hearing the whole story from one of our youth or from Becky, but they should at least hold you over till Becky returns.
Apostles Creed: History and Theology
Lesson from August 2nd, 2009
The Apostle’s Creed is both earlier and later than the Nicene Creed which we have recently examined. It is older in that our version is the expansion of a creed that existed in the mid-second century (the Old Roman Creed). It is later in that this expansion dates to the late 6th Century. As was the case with the Nicene Creed, the Apostle’s Creed functioned in multiple ways in church life. It served as a confession of faith for those entering Christianity; for example those being baptized recited it. It was also used in teaching the faith, that is, catechism. The creed also became a rule of faith, helping the church to maintain consistency of teaching from region to region and over time. Tradition held that Peter began the creed with the first line and that each of the apostle’s then added a clause or phrase.