It’s here! The Looking Back/Looking Forward celebration is this Saturday! Come and celebrate with Shoreline Community Church as we celebrate the past and cast vision for the future. It’s going to be a great family event! We hope to see you here!

Location: Shoreline Community Church

Time: 12:00-3:00 p.m.

We still have volunteer opportunities for you to help make this event happen.  We need the most help during the 2^nd shift from 1:00-2:15 p.m. Send us a quick e-mail to let us know if you are available to help.

Next Saturday, March 20^th from 9:45-11:30 a.m. is our monthly Convalescent Visit.  Please join us for this great time of fellowship and worship with these deserving

Homeless Connect is just around the corner!  We are seeking volunteers to help us help them. This event takes place on Wednesday, March 24^th from 10:00a.m-2:00p.m at the Monterey Adult School at 222 Casa Verde Way in Monterey.

We have many opportunities for you to help and be a blessing to others. Make sure to stop by the Community Outreach Booth this Sunday to learn more about all the serving opportunities available!

If you are interested in these or any other opportunities to serve, please contact Erica Alvarado at ealvarado@shorelinechurch.org, Deb Federico at dfederico@shorelinechurch.org or 831.655.0100 x338.

The first thing I want to show you is an amazing bible resource website. www.biblegateway.com . Bible Gateway has over 50 translations in over 20 languages. The best thing about Bible Gateway is it’s completely free. They have keyword searching, a topical index, and a handful of commentaries to accompany the scripture you are reading. I use Bible Gateway whenever I need cross references or insight into a verse, whether for a message or my own studies.

The next resource I want to direct you towards is podcasts. Wikipedia defines a podcast as a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication. There are thousands of podcasts on all sorts of subjects, from politics to cooking recipes. What I have found is that a large amount of churches(including ours) started creating podcasts of their Sunday messages. I have found these very inspiring and useful to learn and see how other pastors and churches do church. One of my favorites are Francis Chan from Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley. Currently, they’re iTunes podcast is down, but here’s a link to their church website’s stream of messages. This is a great way to hear more than one message a week or to catch up on a message you might have missed from Pastor Kevin. There are some amazing speakers out there giving away their knowledge. I believe these podcasts have been well worth my time.

Finally, I want to draw your attention to blogs. Whether it’s a pastor or just a regular “joe shmo”, reading through other people’s ideas and thoughts on Christianity have helped and encouraged me to think through my faith and what I believe. Again, there are hundreds, if not thousands of these around the web. These just happen to be one that I have found useful. Jon Acuff is the creator and author of Stuff Christians Like. This is the description taken from the blog: “Does the stuff we like, ever get in the way of the God we love? That’s the question Stuff Christians Like is all about. Started on March 21, 2008 as a reaction to the wildly popular blog Stuff White People Like which was created by Christian Lander, Stuff Christians Like is a blog about the funny things we Christians do. And what they just might reveal about our faith.”. This blog is packed with hilarity and insight into the world of christians we all know(or might be). Reading not only Jon’s posts, but the replies and post of other people have given me insight into how other people see our world and our God.

Hopefully, if you made it through this whole post, you’ve found at least one thing helpful. If not, sorry about that. Check out this video. I hope that makes up for my incoherent ramblings.

-Stephen

Matt. 5:16

What if a child came to your church and you knew the child’s mother was a single woman who worked in a bar? What if you knew that mother had been married several times and had not used good judgment on any of the marriages? What if the child was not well dressed or very clean, had no manners, and was loud and disruptive? What if you knew the mother took the child to church only so she could have some time off, and the child seemed to want to cause trouble just to get attention?

How would you act toward that child? Would you be kind? Would you treat the child so special she would beg to be able to come back? Would you make the child feel as important as another kid with nice clothes and a solid home, who was clean, and used manners and smelled wonderful? Would you use the extra patience it would take to get to the heart of the problem with that child? Would you love her so she could understand what the Bible means by “he quiets us with his love”?

I am asking that because, years ago, I was that dirty child from a broken home. I was a child that caused everyone to shake their heads when my mother dropped me off at the local church on Sundays and Wednesdays. I was that child with no manners. I was the child you would have voted most likely to fail.

But in the church where my mom dropped me off, I discovered a nurturing group of people who seemed to think I was worth something. Sunday school teachers who went the second mile for me when I had no way of paying them for the first. And church people who told me about characters in the Bible who seemed to have it worse than I did.

First, there was this guy, Joseph, who was dropped in a well by his brothers. This other guy, David, was hiding from a crazy king who wanted to kill him. And there was this girl, Rahab, who had been known to work in a job that wasn’t respected, yet who ended up being mentioned as one of the most faithful people in the Bible. Another girl, Esther, whose parents were no where around, was selected to accomplish a mission that saved the lives of all God’s people.

In Sunday school lessons, I learned of a God who could use anyone or anything committed to him. A God who could take something awful and completely change it so you would never recognize what it used to be. And I learned from the way my teachers treated me that God’s view of everything was different than the world’s. That God saw everyone as having been at one time on the “wrong side of the track,” and what was important was not where we had been but where we were headed. The little church I went to as a child had people in it who seemed to feel that if they acted out God’s love toward a small, dirty child from a broken home, it would make a difference.

And it has.

“Love one another as I have loved you” – John 13:34

PASSING THE BATON: GOLD MEDAL RELATIONSHIPS 5

Will You Be My Neighbor?

Reading for the Week of March 7- 13

Day 1- John 9
Day 2- John 11
Day 3- Matthew 28, Acts 1:1-14, and Luke 10:30-37
Day 4- Psalm 100 and 106
Day 5- Psalm 107 and 118
Day 6- Psalm 136
Bonus- Read Matthew 9 and Luke 10:30-37 each day

Memorize/Reflect- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Reflection- Who is one person you care about that does not have faith in Jesus and what can you do to let God’s love shine through you into their life this week?

Discussion- What are simple acts of service and gestures of love we can extend to our neighbors that will help them see the presence of Jesus?

Prayer Direction- Make a list of three to five people in your life who are not yet followers of Jesus.  Pray each day for: Their heart to grow soft, your life to reflect Jesus, and for opportunities to tell about your relationship with the Savior.

“Live It!” Challenge- Look at your weekly schedule and make sure you are spending time, on a regular basis, with people who are not yet in God’s family.

March Prayer Focus: Praying in Power.  Continue praying against Satan’s strongholds and, in the power of Jesus’ Name, ask God to break them down.  In particular, pray against addictions and fears that paralyze lives.

January-March: Continue trying new ways of fasting that will drive you to prayer and make you hunger more for God?

Resources in the Shoreline Bookstore

Be sure to check out some of the featured resources at the Shoreline books store. Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas, Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas, Fit to be Tied by Bill Hybels, Seismic Shifts by Kevin Harney (Chapters 10-12).

We had the biggest volunteer turnout that Shoreline Clean-Up day has ever had!  Many projects were completed. The Sanctuary was thoroughly cleaned and the Anchor Bay room was cleared out and is looking great.  Landscaping work as well as other projects throughout the building were completed. Many thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who came out and made a big difference in their home church.

Please consider coming this Sunday, March 7th to the Women’s Shelter visit from 7-8:30p.m.   It is a great opportunity to encourage and bless women who are in transition.  Please stop by the Community Outreach booth if you are interested on attending or would like further information.

The next Homeless Connect event takes place on Wednesday, March 24^th at 10 a.m. at the Monterey Adult School at 222 Casa Verde Street in Monterey. This ministry event helps and encourages the homeless to get connected to the services they need. We are seeking volunteers to help us help them.

The Sea Otter Classic is looking for volunteers to help out with these world-renowned bicycle races. We have volunteered help them. We have various positions open during the week of April 12^th-18^th.

If you are interested in these or any other opportunities to serve, please contact Erica Alvarado or Deb Federico or call 831.655.0100 x338

Introducing the brand new Questions and Answers from the C3 staff! Using a new social media site called Form Spring, we plan on taking advantage of their ingenious technology, giving you the opportunity to ask questions unanimously.

To ask a question head over to http://www.formspring.me/ShorelineC3.

Feel free to ask anything you would like from questions about Jesus to Keith’s favorite color. We strive to create an environment where students and parents can feel comfortable and informed about who we are as a youth group. We hope to hear from you soon!

For more information, feel free to contact us at C3@Shorelinechurch.org

Yep, you guessed it…the middle school is having a Game Night at Shoreline March 26th from 6pm-9pm. This night will be loaded with awesome games, competitions, and prizes for the super cool winners, so DON’T LOSE! Kidding, but seriously. Anyways, we’re gonna have a great time. There will also be food provided so why NOT come…?

The middle school game nights are a great time for the students to gather together for a crazy time of fun with friends. This is the perfect setting for first time visitors to simply have a good time and see a little about what church is all about. During this time each of our leaders plays a role and the students enter act with them in fun light hearted settings that lend well to building friendship and trust. Through these times we hope to allow the students to not only win prizes but to also set the stage for build encouraging relationships.

When:    Friday March 26th from 6pm-9pm

Where:   Shoreline Youth Room

Cost:       Free

We are always on the hunt for new volunteers so don’t be scared! Just contact Pastor Andrew for how you can get involved.

EASTER SERIVCE

April 4th

7:45, 9:00, 10:30, and 11:59 AM

BAM!  BOOM!  BIFF!  KA…POW! Who is more powerful than Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Spiderman combined?  The answer is clear…JESUS!  Join us for a three part series that will help you understand and experience the resurrection power of Jesus like never before.  Because Jesus rose from the grave and is alive today, the power of heaven can fill your life, home, work place, and our community. Experience the power of the resurrection this Easter season in fresh and surprising new ways…BAM!