OL IV E T T E Rapril 2015

community in context

removing the plastic

What does Christian com-

munity look like in other

parts of the world?

christiancommunity

“Just stand around any

Sunday and listen to the

people of your church

greet one another...”

page 8

page 6

www.olivetwichita.com

ESL Class

Matthew Aston | Lead Pastor Kathy Dakin | Finance

Ron Pracht | Associate Pastor Mike Phipps | Building Engineer

Sheila Warner | Children Mike Edwards | Custodian

Heather Neumann | Preschool Gordon Dorian | Pastor Emeritus

Cheryl Phipps | Secretary Courtney Aston | Communications

A new ESL class is in the works and set to start Sun-day April 12th. The class will take place during the SMBS hour. If you are inter-ested in helping please con-tact Courtney Aston or Lori Stockstill. Please invite any English language learner you know!

www.olivetwichita.com

GOOD NEIGHBOR CENTER:MARCH NUMBERS

Families served 545

Individuals Served 1,548

New Families Served 56

New Individuals Served 147

Bibles Distributed 29

C U L T I V A T I N GC O M M U N I T Y“The God that you and I serve is a

God who deeply cares about His

followers living in community.”

The God that you and I serve is a God who deeply cares about liv-ing in community. Probably the clearest argument for this is the fact that He has eternally existed in community. Long before He created the world God dwelled in perfect unity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

When God created mankind, He did so with the intention that we would portray this pattern of living in community with one an-other. It was not good for Adam to be alone, so God gave him Eve to live unity with him. Then, in Psalm 133:1, God said, “Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!”

“Ask good questions. Listen more. Talk less.”

Easter Breakfast

APRIL

Invite friends, coworkers, and

neighbors to join us from

9-10:30 on Easter morning. Cost

is free but you can bring a sweet

breakfast treat if you’d like!

05

EVENTSSpring

SNO: Fireside Chats

APRIL

The youth will be gathering at

the Carleton’s home to enjoy a

campfire, marshmallows and S’mores, games, and quality

conversation.

18Installation Service

MAY

Join us as we formally cele-

brate Matthew Aston as Olivet’s

new lead pastor.

03but knowing stories. Not merely recognizing faces but recognizing hurts and needs. Not merely smiling at people in the hall but feeling a heartfelt burden for their well being in your heart.

This isn’t rocket science. Just take an interest in others. Ask good questions. Listen more. Talk less. Remember names. Get to know families. Invite others to lunch or dinner. Meet for coffee with someone. Join a community group. Exercise hospitality by regularly having people into your home. The opportu-nities are endless! Commit to be known.In order to truly know others you, in turn, have to be knowable yourself. Are you knowable? How hard would someone have to work to truly get to know you?

Do us all a favor, please. Be knowable. Let others into your mess that is called life. Don’t seclude your-self away from your faith family. Attend our Sunday morning corporate worship gatherings. Linger after the service and open yourself up to chat with people. Go to lunch or dinner with others. Join a community group (Notice a trend? )

I desperately want to see a culture of deep community spread throughout our church. Do you desire this? If you do, then make these two simple commitments with me: to know and be knownfor the glory of God.

Matthew Aston, Lead Pastor

God’s desire for the local church is no different. He intends for us to be marked by unity, authentic-ity, love, and meaningful relation-ships. Said briefly, to be marked by community.

How do we develop this type of community at Olivet? What per-sonal commitments do we need to make to see this type of culture come to fruition amon us?

Committ to know. Dwelling in com-munity involves knowing others. Commit yourself to know others at Olivet. And I mean to really know them. Not merely knowing names

page 5page 4

turkey: the hensley family

seattle: keith & julie ferguson

guatemala: brandon & heather culp

In Turkey, community is all about trust. Where trust exists, deep community is formed and the body of Christ functions as intended. Unfortunately it is difficult to establish trust when the primary form of persecution comes along relational lines. Please pray for deep trust to be established among the believ-ers of Turkey.

In Seattle with Ekklesia, we are really attempting a ‘grass-roots’ effort to get back-to-the-basics with Christian commu-nity. We gather in what we call ‘missional communities’ that operate with a monthly rhythm of ‘play-study-serve-study.’ We desire the sharpening of the whole person, which demands Bible study as well as regular, planned opportunities to sim-ply enjoy and to serve with one another. We are talking about meaningful, gospel-driven shared experiences; the more you have, and the more varied they are, the more Christian com-munity is built.

One of the ways that Christian community happens down here is over meals. Families invite us to come into their home to share a meal and after the meal it is customary to sit around and talk about life for the rest of the evening. Another cool aspect for us is that with groups coming down each week to build we get to meet with them and listen to pastors or other spiritual leaders from all over give different devotions each night of the week. One of the best parts about mission trips is that it pulls people out of their comfort zone so we get to hear people’s stories and struggles and share ours with them and this is one of our favorite parts of our Christian community down here.

C O M M U N I T Y I N C O N T E X T

seattle: amber keppel

Living in community within the context of a new church plant for me is being stripped of all that I thought I was in order to allow God to fill me up with all that I am supposed to be in Christ. It is being completely vulnerable to a group of strangers and allowing them to know me and to be known. It is trusting Christ to take me outside of my comfort zone, in order to have gospel conversations with people I meet in my daily life. It is investing my life in my neighbors, Beacon Hill, and in the city of Seattle. Living in community is building up the body of God, for the Glory of God and its a beautiful thing.

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE GLEESON’S

Who is your community group leader and where do you meet?

Brent Carleton is our leader and Ken and Laura Ferguson host.

What have you enjoyed about being part of a community group?

Making new friends. Getting to know other members of Olivet

How has being in a community group grown your faith?

A good habit to take notes during the sermon and then discuss with others. Hear other opinions of the sermon.

What was something unexpected that you gained while being a part of the group?

Friendship and fellowship.

What would you tell someone who was “on the fence” about joining a community group?

Community groups were new to us and we weren’t sure if we would like it or not. But we are very glad that we joined our group. Everyone should sign up for one. A great way to meet new people and get plugged in at Olivet.

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY IN ONE WORDA poll was conducted recently on facebook asking others to define Christian Community us-ing only one word. Here are a few of their answers:

LOVE {7} FAMILY {4}FELLOWSHIP {2}BODY {2}

CHURCH {2}GRACE {2}

service alive

trinity

hope

imperfect

forgivenauthentic

accountability

vulnerable

transparent

page 6 page 7

REMOVING THE PLASTIC SMILE: COMMUNITY GROUPS AS CATALYSTS FOR TRANSPARENCY

Just stand around any Sunday and listen to the people in your church greet one another. You’ll hear numerous varieties of “What’s up? How you doing?” But no matter how good or bad things are,

you’ll hear one predominant answer: “Fine!” It doesn’t matter if my marriage is falling apart, the kids broke curfew for the third night in a row, or I’m about to lose my job. The answer is always the same.

On one level it’s understandable. Lots of times “How ya doing?” just means “I see you.” We don’t really want or expect an answer. But even when the question is sin-cere and the concern genuine, the answer is usually the same: “Fine. How about you?”

Now, there are a number of reasons why this is so. To begin with, in larger social settings, we’re usually more concerned with image than honesty, especially when strangers or casual acquaintances might be listening in.

On top of that, the church doesn’t exactly have the best record when it comes to responding to those who want to talk about struggles and hardship. We want every-one to be happy. We want to make God look good. We don’t want to hang out our dirty linen in public. A non-Christian might hear and be turned off—or a gossip might hear and be turned on.

As a result, transparency is hardly the hallmark of most churches. So much so that for most people, the stereotype of a church is a place with lots of plastic smiles. Small groups can change that, because by their nature and structure, they naturally foster greater honesty and transparency. Their location, size, and makeup are much more conducive to authenticity than any sanctuary or Sunday school class can ever hope to be.

Just think about it. Where would you be more likely to be open and honest? In a living room or a classroom? With twelve people or twenty-five people? In a group where there’s always a new face, or a group where you already know everyone?

For most of us, the answers would be the living room, the group of twelve, and the group where we know ev-eryone. The small group setting wins hand down. And over time, the honesty that naturally takes place in small groups begins to leak out into the entire church.

Fact is, most Christians don’t know that it’s okay to be honest, to share their problems, to ask for prayer for their own needs rather than Uncle Fred’s battle with cancer. But once they learn its okay to be real in their small group—that they won’t be shot or ostracized—people tend to start being real in other places as well, eventually even at church.

Taken and adapted from Sticky Church by Larry Osbourne. Copyright © 2008 by Larry Osbourne

“...over time, the honesty that

naturally takes place in small

groups begins to leak out into

the entire church.”

I recently came across an article that I want to bring to your atten-tion as Matthew becomes our Lead Pastor. For the past twenty-six years you have faithfully prayed for Cindy and me and our family. Words cannot express how grate-ful we are for your faithfulness.

The article was written by R.W. Glenn, pastor of the Redeemer Bible Church in Minnetonka, MN. In the article he listed nine ways his congregation could pray for him. This is what I will be pray-ing for Matthew as he assumes his role as Lead Pastor.

1. Pray that the Gospel would be the focal point of his life and iden-tity - who he is in Christ.

2. Pray that he would not fear man by desiring the admiration of people; that the Lord’s “Well done” would be the goal and desire of his heart.

3. Pray that the Lord would not let Matthew go long between repen-tances, that he would keep short accounts with the Father and be sensitive to and ruthless with his sin.

4. Pray that he will continue to grow in the character qualities of a man of God.

5. Pray that he will have a consis-tent, powerful, diligent life of pri-vate prayer.

6. Pray that the Lord will give him great diligence in study and ser-mon preparation.

7. Pray that his preaching and teaching ministry will be empow-ered by the Holy Spirit.

PRAYING FOR OUR PASTOR

8. Pray that he will boldly and faithfully, humbly, joyfully and in-tentionally share the Gospel with non-Christians.9. Pray that he will see Jesus as supremely valuable, his greatest treasure and his dearest friend.

In a recent message I added an additional request I will be pray-ing for Matthew:

10. Pray for him, Courtney and their children: Pray for him to have wisdom in balancing responsibilities of ministry and family, always putting family before ministry. Pray for Courtney as she begins a new chapter in her life as a pastor’s wife. Pray that their children will be nourished spiritually and encouraged and pro-tected from becoming jealous of the church the demand it places on Matthew.

This is how I will be praying for Matthew. Will you join me?

Ron Pracht, Associate Pastor

page 9page 8