Spring 2015

Spring 2015 | valleyfree.org

MEXICO MISSION TRIP RECAP

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FAITH@HOME PAGE 4

GET IN THE GAME PAGE 8

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The Forgotten Stories Some years ago, a group of families saw a need with one of the families in our congregation. It seems their car needed a new set of tires. Their mechanic said the tires were so bad that they better not drive at highway speeds for too long. But, who has money for new tires?

A champion rose up and quietly asked several families if they wanted to be part of a blessing that included four new tires. The secret generosity was gaining steam. One day, someone borrowed the truck under a false pretense and took it in for its ‘new shoes’. When the moment of revelation came, neither the recipient nor the giver could find the words to express the depth of grace in the gift of four new tires.

I found that story in my generosity sermon file this week. As I reviewed the email, I was overcome with the power of generosity. I was also overcome with the fact that I had completely forgotten about the incident. It made me wonder how many other God-sightings I’ve lost track of.

As the Apostle John concluded his account of the life of Jesus, he said there were so many more things that Jesus had done. In fact, if all that Jesus did were written down, the world couldn’t contain the books (John 21:25).

I wonder how many blessings have come into my life, or passed through my life to others, that I have just forgotten?

There is coming a day when all those things that constitute the life, activity and blessing of Jesus in my life will be reviewed. All those moments and memories that I have forgotten about will be brought to mind in vivid color. I wonder if the Apostle John will remind us again, “See, I told you, the world can’t contain all the books of Jesus’ work.”

We all know that we can’t take our riches, our toys or anything else temporal with us into heaven. The extent of my life will be measured by the fullness of Christ in my life (Ephesians 3:17-19) and the working of His power through me (Ephesians 2:10).

So, what are those things that will be played back as the work of God in our lives? To be sure, our testimony of salvation will be part of it. We are also told that our prayers make a kind of incense that rises to the throne of God. Our generosity will bless not only ourselves but the countless lives of those who receive from us. Our sacrificial love for others will result in praise to God. The list could go on.

There’s a key aspect of God’s work in our lives that will yield a tremendous eternal fruit. That is the working out of the Great Commission in our lives. Essentially, we are called to go, to send and to pray. As we set our eyes on God’s ways and His purposes, we will see His power at work.

That’s why ‘Mission’ is a high value to us here at Valley Free. It is our desire that the blessing and purposes of God flow through us out into the world. Across the street or across the globe, we desire to collaborate with God in passing His blessing of the gospel with all.

I wonder how that will work in heaven? Do you suppose there will be a time when the whole church family of Valley Free will be gathered together to watch the movie of our life together with Jesus?

No matter how it happens, I hope there are so many stories of God’s grace and work among us that we say over and over again, “Oh, I forgot about that. Can you believe what God did then?!

By Pastor Mike Sindelar

Jesus is beyond exciting and our youth can be and many are dynamic disciples of Christ! CruX Student Ministries is all about encouraging students in this endeavor. Sadly there is a common philosophy of youth ministry that says youth groups are a place where adults attempt to provide youth with so much fun that they won't leave the church when they grow older and maybe they'll be good Christian kids too. Some have referred to this as "Pizza and Roller Coaster" youth ministry. This model assumes Jesus isn't very exciting and that we can't hope or expect that kids can know, love and follow Jesus passionately. The focus is all on fun and very little on the truth of who God is and the good news of His Gospel. All of our youth are searching for happiness as they learn to navigate our messed up world. We have a ton of hope to offer them. Scripture points to Jesus as the ultimate source of joy, peace and purpose. As the philosopher Blaise Pascal observed, “All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.” As our kids seek happiness they need direction and hope. If Jesus is as amazing as the Bible promises, and of course, He is, then it makes sense for youth group to be all about introducing our youth to Jesus. If sin is the source of all of the pain in our world, and it is, then is in the best interest of our youth that we introduce them to the antidote, to the One who saves us from sin and who makes sense of our confusing broken world. Our youth are listening and watching us. They want what is real. They want to know the real truth... sometimes. There is clearly a spiritual war going on. The world, the flesh and the devil are

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competing for their hearts. They are throwing everything at our kids promising kingdoms of joy and happiness all the while delivering pain and brokenness. Even so they have some pretty convincing material. By God's grace we win! We have the opportunity to share the Way, the Truth and the Life to our kids that promises eternal joy and life and He delivers. In CruX Student Ministries we are working hard to share the reality of Jesus with our kids. We study scripture to know our God of the Bible, to learn who He is and what that means for us. Our hope is that each and every kid who comes to our gatherings becomes "someone who worships Jesus, is changed by Jesus and obeys Jesus' commands" and all of this because of the joy Jesus gives them. We worship together in song and in serving each other. We have fun and we pray for each other. We serve those around us. If our kids love Jesus then they are the church and the church hangs out together. We like to call it fellowship. Sometimes pizza and roller coasters are a great way to fellowship. We have tons of fun because Jesus is awesome and has set us free. We have fun because we love each other and we want others to experience the love the Holy Spirit has poured into our hearts (Romans 5:5). The secret is out of the bag. We love Jesus, worship him and pizza and all-nighters can be a wonderful way to celebrate. Jesus is the one who brings us together so we have fun. We love each other in the good times and the bad. We eat pizza and donuts. We laugh and cry. It is good to work with students!

By Nate Streed, Interim Student Ministries Director

Yep, and it is even way better than thatYep, and it is even way better than that!!

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As Deuteronomy opens, the Israelites stand ready to enter the Promised Land. In chapters 1-3, Moses recounts their adventures of the last 40 years. He then reminds them who God is and of the laws given at Mt. Sinai. He encourages the Israelites to obey the law and not forget it. The first commandment is to love God with their entire being. The very next thing he tells them is to internalize God’s commands and then “get them inside your children” (The Message). God’s law is to be the topic of conversation when they are at home, while traveling, and from the time they get up in the morning until they go to bed at night. The apostle Paul echoes Moses’ instruction in Eph. 6:4, “Bring your children up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” The Message paraphrase says, “Take your children by the hand and lead them in the way of the Master.”

It should be quite obvious that God intends the home to be the primary place where a child’s faith is nurtured and that parents are to be the primary nurturers. But what if you’re unsure of where or how to begin, what faith topics to cover, and at what age you should introduce those topics?

Faith@Home classes and events here at Valley are designed to provide the answer. Family is one of our core values and we desire to come alongside and support you as you lay spiritual foundations and build your child’s faith. Our role is to be a committed, valuable, life-long partner for your family.

Faith@Home classes are held monthly on a variety of different topics such as prayer, family devotions, generosity, stewardship, worship, salvation, communion and baptism. They are open to everyone, including grandparents, step-parents, relatives, and any adults who invest in the lives of children. Fun activities, engaging lessons and take-home resources are all designed to help you learn a new faith skill that you can start implementing in your home right away.

UPCOMING FAITH@HOME CLASSES:

On March 8 at 10:30 in the Sun Room, Dennis Flom will be teaching about Generosity and Service.

At 6:30 p.m. on March 19, Pastor Mike will teach a class on Communion in preparation for the upcoming Good Friday/Easter services. This class is for adults only, but parents will be given a take-home resource to use in discussing communion with their child.

Sex by Design, taught by Abby Ludvigson, will be held on March 22 at 6:00 p.m. for adults and March 25 at 6:00 p.m. for 6th-12th grade students.

Leaving a Spiritual Legacy will be held on June 21 at 10:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.

A class on Baptism will also be held this summer. More information will be communicated closer to the date, so watch your bulletin and e-mails for more details.

May God’s blessing be upon our families as they are firmly established in God’s wisdom and adults and children move together through these formative years.

By Mary Lou Menning

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Two years ago during a church service, a small group of guys stood up front and talked about the missions trip they took to an orphanage in Mexico. I thought it sounded fantastic

and something I would enjoy,

because it was hands-on projects and involved kids. But the one concern I had was that they were all men and it seemed to be a guy thing. I’m not so hip on breaking down gender barriers, but I really felt like God wanted me to go, so I took a deep breath and dove right in. The five of us, Mel Swanson, Peter Larson, Jon Ranzau, Kjell Plath and myself made our way to Pharr, TX where we met up with 17 others from a church in Gifford, IL. Luckily for me, there were a wonderful group of ladies from IL so I had some kindred spirits. The entire team met up at Children’s Haven International (CHI) in Pharr for the ride into Mexico together in the CHI vans. The home is called Refugio Internacional de Ninos and is overseen by CHI, whose sole purpose is providing loving Christian care for needy children. The home sits on 14 acres outside of Reynosa, Mexico and has 7 homes, 2 school buildings, an auditorium/lunch room and a gymnasium along with several outbuildings. There are currently 5 homes in use for the 50-60 children staying at RIN. Each home has 4 bedrooms and five bathrooms for the children and a 2 room suite for the house parents. For three of the evening meals during our stay, we had supper at a different home each night which was a great opportunity to get to know the kids and house parents a little bit better. At each of the homes, there was usually at least one person who understood a

little English or a little Spanish or we just used a lot of hand gestures, so we managed to communicate. As the week went on, we got better and better at understanding each other without even using language.

We had 2 projects that we were to work on. One of the houses was in the process of being renovated and needed new sheet rock installed on the ceiling. The majority of the men were assigned to this project. The other project was painting the outside of the school, the bathrooms and the pergola between school buildings. The majority of women volunteered for this task. Kjell had the exciting job of working on the metal doors for the bathrooms

which had rusted. Unfortunately for him, this was also where all the women were painting. Let’s just say Kjell is a very patient man, because he had to endure nine pretty unique women talking about every topic you can imagine. Mel and Peter ventured down to help paint some as well, but Jon pretty much stayed up at the house. I’m sure it was because his skills were better used in sheet rocking and not because the women were intimidating. School each day went from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. The school not only services the children from the home, but in the last two years they have been able to open the doors to neighborhood children to attend as well. There are about 100 children attending school at RIN. Everyday at 1 p.m., we ate lunch with the children from RIN and the house parents which gave us additional opportunity to get to know them better. The team was able to complete all the projects that were

By Lisa Nkhata

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Offering Forgiveness…to a Wolf? This morning, my son, Marcus, woke up with a thought racing through his mind. Just a few moments after opening his eyes, he came to me and said, “Daddy, isn’t it possible that the wolf could come to us in our yard and ask forgiveness for eating our chickens?”

I laughed, but after that I had to think more seriously about what Marcus had asked.

The way Marcus perceived the wolf’s visit was a little strange for me, both as an adult and the one who suffered the loss. I was the one who saw several chickens taken and I wasn’t the least bit interested in this particular view of the events. “The wolf would come and ask forgiveness…a wolf is just a wolf,” I thought. In the Kingdom of God, the idea of a wolf, in the name of Jesus Christ, coming to ask forgiveness is a possibility. The Apostle Paul was at one time a wolf. You and I have all been wolves at one time or another.

So, what does that mean for those around us? Do they stand a chance?

In the view of Marcus, the possibility exists for those who have participated in bad things to come and seek forgiveness.

Matthew 18:3 says, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The world offers no hope for anyone to experience this kind of transformed life. But for Jesus, those who have fallen many times should have the opportunity to come to us with a spirit of repentance and to receive forgiveness.

Jesus, and our kids, understand this important truth!

assigned and a few extra. Betsy and Randall said that next year she would be better prepared since we far exceeded their expectations this year. The team completed sheet rocking the ceiling and was able to install kitchen cabinets and a sink. The painting crew was able to complete the painting projects with 2 coats of paint. It’s amazing how God brought together just the right skill sets and expertise to get the jobs done. I had a great time not only getting to know the kids and supporting an excellent ministry, but gaining new friends and deeper relationships was an added bonus. I can’t wait to go back again. Anyone up for 2016?

By Cristi Golas Pastor, Adunarea Speranta Vie

Pitesti, Romania

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It started with a simple phone call. Pastor Mike asked me to follow up on a phone call the church office received. The manager of an assisted living facility asked if there was an opportunity for her residents to get involved in our church. Some were interested in a Bible study, attending services, helping with projects, or simply enjoying the fellowship of a church community. I contacted one of our experienced visitation team members. He made a visit to the facility and what happened is nothing short of experiencing God’s redeeming grace. The story follows in his words: The first Bible study started and in the middle of it I noticed a young man on the parameter listening but trying not to be noticed. I had mentioned that I was a basketball coach earlier and after the study he came up to me and introduced himself. He began to tell his story. He is 35 and has MS. Several years ago he was a very

talented basketball player and had been recruited by a number of Division I schools. The summer before he was to start at the college he tore his ACL and would not be able to play the next season. He was very quick to add that he could have maintained his scholarship and played the following year but he made some very poor choices that changed his life forever. The scholarship was revoked and he was swept into a life filled with broken dreams. He didn’t want to expound on the poor choices, but it was easy to see he had a lot of pain.

We began building a relationship and I asked him if he would like to come with me to a basketball practice. His face lit up immediately. The next day I picked him up to attend our varsity BB practice at the high school gym. The team knew he was coming and welcomed him with open arms. The minute we stepped into the gym he held onto his walker and stopped. He said, “Can you smell that?” I have missed that smell and all those great memories for a long time. The head coach (who happens to be my son) introduced him to the team and Mike shared his story. The boys were very quiet and attentive. Practice began and when practice was nearly over the team met with the coaches at half court . Mike took his walker and the basketball and went to the free throw line. The first 4 baskets didn’t go in. Then he made the next 6. The team watched and by the 5th basket were cheering him on. The next night I picked up Mike for the game. He sat at the end of the bench where the team members would give him a high five whenever they returned to the bench. He was a part of the team and the intensity of the game was great therapy. After the game, the team presented him with a jersey signed with all their names on it. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. The ride home was rather quiet for both of us. So much to think about and ponder. When I got home there was a text from him.

By Marcia Flom, Faith Community Nurse

Using your passions

to reach others for Christ

“ You caught me at a strange time in my life. I cannot thank you enough for the last couple days. The photos, the jersey and all of that was the nicest thing anyone has done for me and it came at a time where I was starting to not see a light at the end of the tunnel. I cannot repay you for what this meant to me but I hope to do something similar for someone else that is in a bad situation. That’s how I can repay you. Thank you”.

As a Faith Community Nurse, it is times like this that make every bone in my body cry out to God and thank Him for a time such as this. Often times we get the opportunity to do hands-on care, but as we train and recruit volunteers we also get to see others experience the significance of touching a life and meeting them where they’re at. From Jesus Calling, it says; I am with you and for you. When you decide on a course of action that is in line with My will, nothing in heaven or on earth can stop you. With God all things are possible. Thanks be to God.

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One of the commands many young Christians find challenging to accept is the one about saving sex for marriage. This ‘rule’ seems like God is out to ruin their fun and restrict their freedom. However, the Bible says Jesus came to set us free. Free from guilt, condemnation and the consequences of sin.

The problem is that the world is chasing after a fake form of freedom and in the end not finding fulfillment at all. To them, freedom means living without boundaries and allowing their feelings to guide their actions.

God calls us to live by faith – and choosing to live pure in a sex-crazed culture requires just that! When we say ‘yes’ to purity we are saying ‘yes’ to:

honoring God with our bodies.

intimacy the way He designed it. freedom from natural consequences that come from sex outside of marriage.

Join us for this insightful seminar with Abby Ludvigson! ADULTS—March 22, 6:00 pm STUDENTS (6-12 grades) - March 25, 6:00 pm Video Promo at www.abbyludvigson.com/about/meet-abby/

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CHRISTINE THOMPSON

Office Administrative Assistant I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve Valley as well as the community at large! I grew up in Eden Prairie and have a background in Human Resources. I have been in a variety of roles from HR, admin and a child wrangler (or nanny) for 2 families. I love details, organizing but most of all working with people. I met my husband Tyler at church and we were married in April 2013. We moved to Shakopee this past fall and we love it! Tyler and I are passionate about helping kids with special needs and their families. We also love spending time up north, riding 4 wheelers and biking together. Many fall weekends are spent up north deer hunting with his family. I am extremely excited to work here with such a great team and with Jesus at the center of all we do! I look forward to meeting you soon!

NATE STREED

Interim Youth Director Just a little over 20 years ago I met a beautiful farm girl from South Dakota who loved Jesus and had a passion for working with youth. Jenni and I hit it off and we both have been blessed to have the opportunity to serve youth and their families ever since. We worked together as co-directors of the Custer Youth House in Custer, SD where we mentored youth in the community. After a couple of years there I was interviewed by a brand new school in the Southwest Metro Area that was less than a year old and I was soon hired on by Southwest Christian High School where I served as a teacher, coach and athletic director. After seven years we jumped at an opportunity for me to study at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, OR for a year where I received a Graduate Certificate in Bible. During my time in Portland I was asked to be the youth pastor at a church in Eden Prairie where I ended up serving youth, young adults, and the larger congregation as the youth/associate pastor for 8 years. We have five children, ranging in age from sixteen to seven, so we have a hopping household. We generally enjoy each other's company. ;) Both Jenni and I love following Jesus and we have a passion for equipping and releasing disciples. We are now happy to be serving Jesus, youth and their families in the very youth group I attended in 8th-12th grade, Valley Free. We have been living in Chaska for six years and we are excited to be a part of what God is doing in our church and in my home town. Our family looks forward to getting to know your families and to serving along side of you.

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Chili/Appetizer Cook-off Winners! 1st Place Chili: Mike Duzan 2nd Place Chili: Katharine Menning 1st Place Appetizer: Mary Lou Menning 2nd Place Appetizer: Janis Soule

We exist to bring glory to God by calling all people into an abundant life with Jesus Christ

150 Engler Blvd

Chaska, MN 55318

Phone: 952-448-6144

Fax: 952-448-5119

[email protected]

www.valleyfree.org

July 26 – July 30 6:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Feeding the Community MARCH: Kidney Beans

APRIL: Boxed Dinners

MAY: Boxed Potatoes

Place donations in the marked box near the church office.