One word: Fellowship

What are the top 5 reasons to attend Fellowship Church on Mother’s Day?

5.  The people don’t smell like tomato soup.
Let’s face it, a lot of places you go to these days, the people all smell like tomato soup.  Whether it’s the movies or a local restaurant or even watching the kids playing soccer.  That’s right, tomato soup.

4.  There will be lots of moms there. (and none of them smell like tomato soup, as far as I can tell)

3.  The band will be singing a special song to moms, but its not about moms, and it’s way better than this song about moms.

2.  Two words:  Free stuff.

1.  You’ll find out in the book of Hebrews what is just as important as a mother’s love.

SUNDAY MORNINGS @ FELLOWSHIP (10:30 AM)
325 Bullard St
Holden, Massachusetts 01520
www.fellowshipholden.com

This week at Fellowship Church we’ll be starting a new series called “Family Matters”.  The focus will be on the family, and I’m looking forward to highlighting throughout the series this important God-ordained institution of the home.  Here is a list of the message titles at FC for the next several weeks:
(by the way, if these don’t necessarily pertain to you, that’s okay. At Fellowship, we want to be kingdom-minded, which sometimes means moving outside our comfort zones and seeing things through the perspective of others)

April 27 - Family Matters:  He said/she said
May 4 - Family Matters:  Parenting - An Orange perspective
May 11 - Family Matters:  My mom - The Golden Compass
May 18 - Family Matters:  Outlaws/Inlaws

If you have a family, or if you want to have a family, or if you know someone who has a family, then come and invite someone who you know that will be interested in what the Bible has to say about the family.

Sunday Mornings @ Fellowship (10:30 am)
325 Bullard St
Holden, MA 01520

Who’s gonna be there?

Yes, it’s that time of year again.  My wife tells me that her students are getting spring fever already, and I can feel the college students in our church getting busier, more studious, and ready to go home for the summer.

Here in Massachusetts today it’s even going to be a sunny 72 degrees.  A true sign of change.

For churches everywhere it’s time for vacations and here especially it’s time for hanging out at places called “the Cape” and Old Orchard Beach.  And time for church to be expendable.  Every year since I’ve been at Fellowship Church here in Central Mass, I’ve realized this great phenomonon where everyone goes on vacation (not a bad thing, a good thing) and also takes vacation off from church too.

The course, The ocean, the lake, the fair, the Big E, the sales, the sun, and the bed are all things that compete with church each Sunday morning during the days of summer.  And rightfully so.  I believe all these things are a blast, and at times, some of these things demand my attention as well.  So because I go on vacation and because I like all these things, I’m going to refrain from giving you (who attend church) and those who attend Fellowship Church a manipulated guilt trip for missing out this summer.

I’m going to try this another way.

Sometime late last year, I had dinner with this guy, who told me that their church grew last summer, which stoked a fire under me that I cannot recover from.   I then went to my lead team at Fellowship and challenged them to make this summer the best summer ever at FC, and that this would be the first summer ever where we would grow in attendance as a church, and to do that, we will have to compete with the aforementioned activities to do on any given Sunday morning.

So this summer for those of you who attend Fellowship, I cannot promise you a round of golf, but I can say this as the weather becomes beautiful here in New England:  That you and your friends and all of us who  attend Summer Sunday Mornings @ Fellowship, will be led into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ in a relevant and an exciting way.  Of course whenever we grow in Christ it’s exciting, but I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store for us as we come together as a church and allow meeting together (Hebrews 10:24,25) to be our favorite activity this summer!

Here are some highlights of the summer so far:
May -  New Series:  Family Matters
A month long Steve Erkyl dress-up contest (I’ll explain later)
May 11 - Mother’s Day
( I know this isn’t the summer yet, but that’s okay, it’s still all about moms!)
June 1st - Baptisms @ Fellowship
June 8th - New Series:  One Prayer
This is going to be an incredible series, and something that we’ve never done before.
July 6th - Outdoor worship service & Picnic
New series:  Nature Lover
August - New series:  An apple a day
August 31st - Baby Dedications

By the way, this weekend @ Fellowship, Al, our Sunday Morning Programming Director, has thought of something so creative, that it blew my mind!

Can you write something right now that blows my mind?

Marty Holman

I wanted to share this piece of writing I found:

“First I slosh a loud slop of chemicals into the porcelain basin. I move from the furthest away in order towards the back. I make a second round, spraying lemon scented foaming spray on the top surfaces, gingerly lifting the ring up with the toe of my shoes and spraying more underneath. On my third trip, I weild the scrub brush in one hand and a roll of paper towels in the other. First, one handed, I attack with the scrubber banishing all potential threats, then with my other hand I swipe away the remaining foam from above and below with an enormous swath of rapidly disintegrating paper towels before I flush away all signs of prior use. When I finish the last one, I stand back and smile at the shiny, lemon scented, sanitized surfaces.

Tonight they are clean. Tomorrow they will be used by people I love, people I lovingly tolerate, and people I don’t even know. Tonight, I pray. Here in this echoing, industrial smelling, place of momentary silence. I could move from here down the hall and into the sanctuary. I could kneel at the front of the sanctuary, under the plain unadorned cross on the wall. I could kneel in the quiet, dark hush of the deserted holy space, on carpet, in warmth, in beauty. I could, but I don’t. I pray here, here where God is just as present as He is there, if not then more.

I pray for the one with the bright smile and the sad eyes, the one with the loud laugh and tired wandering gaze, the one with tears in her eyes, and the one proudly bearing his new son. I pray for the old one who doesn’t speak my language, and for the young one whose mind whirls with things I’ve long forgotten: grades, dating, career choices, curfews, morality. I pray for the tired new mommies, the tottering older men, and all those inbetween, including the newly ordained “potty trained”.

When I am done praying, only then do I gather my supplies and leave, walking backwards and swishing the mop across the floor erasing all signs of myself. In shining up this place, I have shined my own spirit”

The cleaning ministry isn’t my gig, but this is so much bigger than just a piece of writing about cleaning a church.  I think it communicates a mind set that can be so difficult to really get a hold of.   The writer ceraintly seems to be living differently, they certainly seem to be doing more than “wearing the lousy t-shirt”… More over,  If one were to study some of the physical descriptions in this piece of writing, they might notice the church described sounds a lot like FC.  If a person didn’t know better, they might even suspect it was written by somebody at Fellowship, Holden…

Jeff, small group director

Consider the words “good” and the words “tough.”
There are some things which are either one or the other. Steak for example, is either good or tough. Generally it can’t be both.
There are other things which are good because they were tough. I remember a class my senior year of high school on American Government. I worked harder in that class than I ever did in college or graduate school. That class was good because it was tough. I might not have realized it back then. But I do now: that class was good because it was tough.
The words “good” and “tough” can also be applied to a question. We can say “That’s a good question” or “That’s a tough question.”
There are interesting similarities and differences between the questions we classify as “good” and the questions we classify as “tough.” Both types of questions don’t have easy answers. Both types of questions indicate that the questioner has thought it out.
But there are differences. I’m quite likely to tell my kids that they’ve asked a “good” question if I’m comfortable with the idea I don’t know the answer. I’m much more likely to tell a small group member that they are asking a “tough” question if I’m uncomfortable with the idea that I don’t know the answer.
That’s a surprising realization for me: the difference between a “good” and a “tough” question is not in the question itself. It’s not in the person asking the question. It’s in me: my expecations of what I think I’m supposed to know. Or maybe it’s in my fears that I’m going to expose to others what I don’t know. Most likely it’s in both.
There is a level on which this is not good.
The power of a small group is in the process of uncovering truth together. The Holy Spirit does not only work within us. He also works among us, between us.
It is not practical to expect that most small group leads have received thorough, seminary-level training. We should not act like the answer man (or woman) for a variety of reasons.
Wise people who have had the luxury of years of formal religious education struggle with providing the right answer to good (tough) questions. This does not mean that we leaders should not attempt to answer questions.
But it does mean that we should not position ourselves as the dispensor of knowledge. This can be hard. Others might want us to be in this position. It can be enjoyable to be placed in this position. Like many enjoyable things, though, it’s not healthy for us, and it’s not healthy for our members.
Questions begin to look like good ones, and not tough ones, when we recognize that we are not responsible for answering them.
But reframing the questions doesn’t make them go away. As leaders, we don’t need to give verbal answers to good (or tough) questions. But just because we’re not giving the answers, this does not mean that we shouldn’t do anything.
If we are passive, as small group leaders, and do nothing, when people pose tough questions several unfortunate results can occur. The first is that members get a sense that there is no point to asking these questions, that no answer will get found. The second is that we appear to be passive, weak leaders. The third is that unhealthy, unhelpful answers can appear.
Let’s make this concrete.
Suppose that someone in your small group asks about the nature of hell. Our first instinct is to approach this as a tough question. Even if we’re clear in our own hearts about the answer to this question, these answers aren’t easy or popular. It’s easy to feel like as the leader we ought to have some sort of easily accepted, pat explanation. But the truth is, it’s a mistake for the leader to always present herself (or himself) as the teacher.
It’s also a mistake for the leader to do nothing.
If we are passive and silent, some members might attempt to do their best. You probably have somebody in your small group who reads theology books for fun. Perhaps he is not the most sensetive person. If there is a silence, a vaccuum, he’s likely to chime in with some very blunt assertions. Perhaps they will be doctrinally correct. But they are also likely to be divisive, and perhaps even insensitive.
On the other hand, maybe that mellow person who’s sampled other religions will respond to the questions about Hell. Perhaps this person will make statements that are easy to swallow, but out of sync with your understanding of scripture and the church’s doctrine.

It’s easy at this point, to wonder: Just what should a leader do? If he shouldn’t always answer the question head-on, and he shouldn’t sit back and be passive, what else is there!?!?
The truth is there is no one-size-fits-all, easy answer. There will be times that you will do too much. There will be times that you won’t do enough. Despite appearances, though, there is a pretty wide menu of options available to a leader that don’t involve directly answering the question at hand. See the post following this one for some of these.

<p><strong><a href=”http://jeffsdeepthoughts.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/tips-for-small-group-leaders-tough-questions-part-i/”>Here</a></strong> is a link to a post where I explain why I believe small group leaders should often resist the urge to offer up answers to questions that can be seen as tough.  If we’re not answering questions, the natural question is this: Just what should a small group leader do when tough questions arise…<br />
The truth is there is no one-size-fits-all, easy answer.  There will be times that you will do too much.  There will be times that you won’t do enough.  But realize that you have a wide number of options open to you.  Consider these:<br />
#1) Pray Do it right there on the spot.  But pray for real: it’s such a tempting thing in these circumstances to use prayer as a soap box to broadcast what you really think is the answer.  While giving the appearance of prayer.  This is a bad idea for all kinds of reasons, of course.</p>
<p>#2) Know how your church leadership would like you to do with tough questions before you get to them.    You will get questions that are hard to answer.  If your Small Group Pastor, Director, or Coach hasn’t given you some direction in this area already, you’d be wise to seek some direction out.<br />
There are several different layers of support you should ask for.<br />
 A) If you have good reasons to expect a certain question will come up, you might ask for the specific response leadership would like you to give.<br />
 B) If you feel over your head, you ought to ask for a contact person for you to go to with questions and concerns.<br />
C) You might ask for go-to people and useful resources that you can direct questioners to within the church.</p>
<p>#3) Validate the importance of the question  O.K.  Most of us are probably sick of hearing about active listening, the importance of restating what we hear, and all those related skills.  But the truth is, the reason that so much is made out of these is because they are so very import.  It’s likely that the person asking is nervous about the question they are asking; they probably know that it is a good/tough question.  You response will create a community that feels safe in asking these questions.  A few specific ways to validate the importance of the question:<br />
 A) Emphasize with the aspects of the question that you also struggle with.<br />
 B) Comment on the importance of the question.  What are the stakes of choosing right or choosing wrong in this case.<br />
C) Thank the questioner for their courage in asking the tough questions.</p>
<p>#4) Pass the buck to somebody else.    Many of us rarely tap into the power we have when leading a discussion.  The ability to ask a specific person who might be gifted and wise in a certain area is tremendous.  If the question is one which requires a sensetive response, ask a sensetive person if they have any suggestions.  If it’s a complex theological issue turn to your resident theologion.  A variety of things are accomplished through this technique.  First, you demonstrate your faith in the other members of the group.  Secondly, you avoid positioning yourself as the dispenser of wisdom.  Thirdly, you put the question in the best hands within your group… Or perhaps outside of your group.  Perhaps you can suggest that the questioner brings the question to someone outside the group who you know is well-suited to answer it.  Maybe you’ll ask for permission yourself to bring it to someone.  If nothing else, asking the group for counsel, asking them if they know anyone with the right kind of discernment for the issue at hand is always an option.</p>
<p>#5 Engage in a content-to-process shift.  The content of a question is  the meaning of the question itself.  The process is the question of how the question is formed, and why the person is asking it.  A content-to-process shift is a way to change the focus of ourselves and our group.<br />
  Ordinarily we focus on the words people say.  Sometimes, though, what someone says is not so important as why they say a thing.  This is often the case with questions.<br />
 A person who questions the reliability of scripture might in fact really want to know if God is trustworthy.  If it appears that a person is wrestling with a certain aspect of God, it might be the case that the person is really wrestling with this aspect of themselves.  A person who asks why the pastor did such-and-such might really be asking if the pastor is a good person.<br />
 Sometimes the questioner might be aware of the thing they want to ask.  Other times they may not.  Either way, the tricky part of a content-to-process shift is to go about it in a way that does not look like you are condescending to the questioner.<br />
 I find it helpful to go about this in the form of a question; when possible I draw a connection between myself and the other person by saying things like “You know, sometimes when I ask those sorts of questions, I eventually find out that the real question I’m not letting myself ask is (fill in the blank) I wonder if that’s the case with you.”  Or I might say “I notice that you’ve got lots of questions about (whatever it is)  I wonder what makes you so curious about that.”<br />
 There are times that this might not be helpful.  There are times that people mean what they say and say what they mean.  If this is the case, a content-to-process shift won’t generally accomplish much.</p>
<p>#6 Make a plan Often times whatever words you or others might offer won’t change much, no matter how well-intentioned or wise they are.  There all sorts of things that a group can plan to do to help resolve questions.  After making these plans, a plan to revisit the issue (perhaps at the next group meeting) would be wise.<br />
 A) Plan to pray over the issue, perhaps each day.<br />
B) Plan to think it over and communicate through out the week.<br />
C)Plan to seek out counsel from others outside the group.<br />
D) Plan to utilize resources such as condordances and the internet to research scriptural perspectives on the topic.  </p>

I’m amazed at how sometimes when life seems crazy and things are moving 100 mph in 1,000 different directions how all of a sudden, certain themes can rise through the chaos and into your head, united and ready to move you to a new place in your life.

Like the time when all seemed lost in the football world and the evil empire of the dark lord Bill Bellicheck and his jedi apprentice Tom Brady were amassing several super bowls in a row, and out of that chaos came a young football QB named Ben and an old bus who was ready to return home.  All seemed lost, yet light came from all of that darkness.

This month seemed a bit like that to me when I was moving very fast in a lot of different directions and was having trouble focusing,and then this week happened.  To put it bluntly, I was looking for God to do something, to move in a way, and to take me to “the next level.”  I know, I know, it all seems so abstract, and it was.  That was the problem.

Then the last two weeks happened.  On Sunday Morning @ Fellowship, I’m going through a series called,”Live Different“, where I’m focusing on ways that we as the body of Christ, individually and corporately, can make a difference by living differently.  On Easter, we started it off by discussing “Living passionately”and then we’ve dealt with “Living generously”and “Living Truthfully.”

I suppose last week when I was studying truth is when it all started.  I just really had a feeling, like I have had for a while, that sometimes Christians hijack the word truth to their own end, and go who knows where with it.  This week’s topic really hit me - “Living Free”.

And all of a sudden, I believe I was being hit over the head with this topic in every area of my life, and continue to be.  People were coming to me talking about their situations in this area.  I was having conversations with friends about this and trying to figure out why we constantly enslave ourselves as humans to every fleeting fad and event.  Carie and I had begun to discucc this topic regularly in our conversations.  And then my life group went there because we’ve been reading the book, “I became a Christian and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.” 

The chapter we read was 6, entitled “Hungry”.  In it, the author Vince Antonucci, pastor of Forefront Church in Virginia gives this amazing illustration of being hungry for Christ, and how we, as followers of Him, so many times try to feed our hunger by things and material possessions and relationships and Atari game systems (not sure what he was thinking).

He goes more into detail about how our relationship with Jesus is good, and it certainly is better than a religion, but it is not as good as abiding in Christ, which is where Christ says we should be heading.  You see, relationship is good, but abiding, or being in Him, and allowing Him to be in you, is better.

Then Vince shares this illustration of a baby inside of a mother’s womb, who is abiding inside his or her mother.  If you were to ask the baby how his relationship is with his mother, the baby (if it could plainly communicate the way we communicate) would probably say that he has a relationship with his mother, but actually, he could not live without his mother. He is connected to his mother. He remains inside his mother.

I have a great relationship with Jesus.  I hang out with Him. I talk to Him.  I even think He likes me.  But I don’t want the kind of relationship with Him that I have with pretty much every other friend I have - that is, the kind that if they or I were away or moved away that I could live without them.  I want to be in so tight with Him and His Father that I can’t live without Him.

I think that’s where true freedom lies.

JOIN US EACH SUNDAY MORNING @ FELLOWSHIP - 10:30 am
325 Bullard St.
Holden, MA 01520

fellowshipholden.com

Many people don’t know that they can find my blog at martyholman.com.  I think this is important information because everyday people find my blog using the search words, “Marty Holman.”  Come on peeps, just put those words together and slap a .com at the end.  Walaa!

Things are going amazing right now at Fellowship Church, and I’m so proud of my church for the way they have banded together in their life groups and in their service teams and on Sunday Mornings @ Fellowship to lead other people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.  There is such a kingdom-mindset right now, and I’m privileged to be the pastor of this outstanding group of Christ followers.

At the forefront of this group is several leaders who have sacrificed of themselves to spearhead this movement of God.  I’m so proud to be working on a regular basis with guys like Steve, Al, Billy, Jeff, and Jay.   They are inspiring and teachable, ready to work and ready to wait, and most of all, they have been available for God to use them in a great way.

I put out a challenge to our team back in January that I wanted our church to grow in every way in the summer of 2008.  Seem ordinary?  I want you to know that in the 9 years that I’ve been here now, our church has never grown in the summer, and I have been praying,and I think it’s about time God changes all that.

So if you are a member or an attender of Fellowship Church or you just follow one of our blogs, would you begin praying for this to happen here in Holden, Massachusetts?  We’re starting to see momentum happen on a weekly basis, and God is moving here - no doubt!

One more thing.  I’ve also been praying about being involved in this in June.  It seems like hundreds, if not thousands of churches across America are taking part in it (which is not a reason in and of itself to do it), but I really want God’s direction here.  Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the subject.  Unless of course you are a natural critic and just think that anyone who would do this hates God.  Then you can keep your comments to yourself.  But if you have any constructive thoughts, good or bad, throw them in. 

Anyone have any thoughts on it?

Until next time… 

Some of you may now that we did a coffee tasting on Sunday at FC.  I talked about it here.  We were choosing the new official Fellowship Church coffee.  The Coffe comes from 963 coffee  a “fair trade coffee supplier that does a lot of work in the communities of the farmers.  They are a great company and I am excited that we can partner with them.  Well with out further delay I am proud to announce the New Official Fellowship Church Coffee.  And the winner is…

(drum roll please)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

“The Triple Tango” is a Latin american blend with a medium roast.

32 votes were cast in our coffee sampling and in a route 21 votes went to the winner.  We will begin brewing this coffee in our cafe’ hopefully on Sunday.  The order was placed yesterday now it is just a matter of roasting and shipping. 

For those interested we will have all of the different coffees for sale at the cafe’ or by clicking the link below. 

963coffee.com

Later,

Billy

Finally, a bit of time to do some blogging today.

Of course this weekend is Easter Weekend, and I wanted to write to you Fellowshippers and share with you how excited I am about this week at FC.  We’re going to have a combined service this week, and I believe God’s going to bring us a packed house.  It will be good to see everyone back this week after lots of sickness and travels, and here are some things I’ll be looking forward to this weekend:

*The band will be off the hook as they will be covering a new song from the group “Leeland,” and be leading us in a new worship song by Chris Tomlin.  Can’t say which one though.  Looking forward to having Al’s brother Christian with us.
*The transformation project - Let me just say that this will be a killer.
*During my message we will be unveiling the new theme for Fellowship Church this year.  This is why we haven’t announced the next series.  I’ll also be sharing with you how to vote! 
*Meeting many of your family and friends who will be attending with you this Sunday. 
*Our church coming together and begining to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, like we’ve never done before.
*That the focus will be on our risen Savior Jesus Christ.

Looking forward to seeing you there too.  If you’re in the area of Worcester, Massachusetts this week, check us out at

Fellowship Church
325 Bullard St
Holden, MA 01520

Fellowshipholden.com

Until next time…