With our recent sanctuary renovation, I have been reflecting on what God is doing. There is life in our church and I believe that exciting days are in front of us! Isn't that fun? I shared a story last year about one of my children who drew the Battle Lake sign and put underneath it “God is known here.” I thought that was such a powerful image of what we are ultimately doing here; helping people know Jesus Christ. It turns out that was just the start of a breath of fresh air being breathed into our church.
AWANA
Awana continues to be a draw for many in our community as a place for children to have fun while taking God’s Word into their hearts. Every week a small army of people come to prepare a meal for the families, lead game time, lessons, and small group hand book time with kids of all ages. There is even a nursery staffed for the kids of our Awana leaders who are too young for Awana.
God’s Word will always accomplish His purposes. That means that not only are the kids learning, but also the adults are also growing as they help teach this.
Find out more about Awana on our ministries page.
MOPS
MOPS stands Mothers of Preschoolers and is a small group of moms who meet two times a month at the church. This is a group of moms from different places, communities, and churches, who join together for time to grow closer to Jesus Christ with other moms. There has been genuine care for one another that has come out of this group as these ladies walk through daily life. We also have volunteers who spend time with the children so that the moms can have a little break. We are blessed to have them come to teach these kids!
Why am I excited? Two times a month the church has moms in it with their kids eager to grow together. Check out MOPS on our ministries page.
Sunday School
Over a year ago now we relaunched our Sunday School program because we needed to use the time we had to help people grow in the Lord. The family Sunday school class began with the intent of helping families grow together in the Lord with both young and old together. Adult classes have been offered as well and seem to be gaining popularity. Next year we plan to add another children's class because of the growth!
Praying hands from the family class
Worship
Joining together on a Sunday morning is more than an activity to fill some time. Worshiping God is what everything else in the church flows out of. We sing songs to God, we pray, we celebrate Jesus, and we sit under the teaching of His Word. We have the kids in the service with us because we feel it is important for the adults to rub shoulders with the children to demonstrate that Jesus is worthy! All of this grows us, resets out focus, and keeps the Gospel in front of us. We meet every Sunday at 10 a.m. for worship.
Kids leading us in worship on Palm Sunday
As you can see, there are great things happening and many opportunities to come.
Coming Up
Youth Ministry – We have a growing need for a place for teenagers to grow in the Lord together. Therefore, starting this fall, we will be having a Jr. & Sr. High group meeting at the same time as Awana. This will allow us to build our youth ministry as we go. The opportunities are endless!
Financial Peace University – This fall we will be hosting Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University at the church. This is a practical course designed to help people manage money more effectively. Many people have gone through it and have seen their lives dramatically transformed because of it. We will be offering some financial help for people desiring to go but unable to afford the class.
Refresh Your Marriage – The plan is to host one or more “date night” type events where we have some video content on strengthening marriages and then some time to apply it. Watch for more information.
Retreats – Big Sandy Camp continues to provide wonderful opportunities for us to get away for a weekend retreat. We will continue to encourage people to go to Father/ Son Retreat, Women’s Retreat, Men’s Retreat, Winter Youth Avalanche, and summer camp.
Family Ministry – Between summer campfires, game nights, pool parties, picnics, and family nights, and our very first New Years Eve party this year, we plan to continue to create places for families to get together. We have seen great momentum in this and believe that helping to grow these relationships is important.
From our baptism service in August
And this is just what is on the top of my head right now. My point is that God is moving in our church and leading us to new places. You are welcome to come check out what we are about anytime. God is molding us into the church Battle Lake needs us to be. Join us!
Check out the calendar page for more information or follow us on Facebook.
Watch the video below to help get a sense of who we are.
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