I just finished reading "The Prodigal God" by Timothy Keller.  Wow!!  He puts in a precise way what we want Clear Creek Neighborhood church to be about.  Listen to this statement:  "If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishoners do not have the same effect on people that Jesus had, then we must be declaring a different message than Jesus did."
That is a compelling statement!!  We believe that a new kind of church in Clear Creek county Colorado is starting to emerge.  It has the deep desire and conviction to declare the message of Jesus, maybe best summed up in Galatians 4:1-7.
Since we last posted a blog we have continued our Sunday night meetings.  This past Sunday night we had about seventeen people at an Advent party.  We have one more meeting this coming Sunday night and then we will take a break until after the first of the year.
We have more intentionally entered into a partnership with a young couple--in their twenties--Kevin and Anna Trivits and their brand new baby girl, Daphne Rose.  We will tell you more about this in coming news.  With them, in January we are starting twice a month, "Family Nights".  These will be at Kevin and Anna's home to start with and a time and place to invite people to gather and share a meal and gospel stories.
Also in 2014 we hope to start our first 'worship gatherings' and a relationship seminar which will focus on blended family challenges relevant to all relationships.
We are excited and thankful for these developments that have given our work here some momentum.
Thank you for your continued prayer and support.

Things are getting mighty interesting up here in Clear Creek County Colorado!!  Our second Sonship class on Sept 22nd in the Empire town hall found 17 of us there, almost double our first week!  People were really engaged as Bill Senyard and I led us through the lesson which pointed us to our great need for a miracle in order to have any hope of walking in the truth of our son/daughter-ship of God (Galatians 3:5).

One of the really exciting things that happened is that we had two brand new couples with whom we have had little contact!

Then this past Sunday (9/29) we met in our home and our little living room was filled.  One of the new couples came and brought a friend.  We listened to  a lecture on CD together and then had some discussion.  Check out the picture of our group.

One other open door of noted:  I (Bill) have done pulpit supply at the United Church of Idaho Springs the past two Sundays and I will be preaching at the community worship service this coming Sunday October 6th.  Pretty exciting opportunities for which we are really thankful.

We so appreciate your continued prayers for us and our work here in Clear Creek County.

September 8th, Empire Town Hall, the first official meeting of Clear Creek Neighborhood church.  How cool was it that there were actually people there!!  Nine of us counting Mary and I and Bill Senyard, the Lead Pastor from Lookout Mountain Community church.  We met from 6:30 pm to 8:30pm.  We went through the introductory material for the Sonship course.  It was great!!  People were really interested and engaged.
The first session dealt a lot with where we get our righteousness and discovered it comes to us entirely as a gift from our gracious heavenly Father and is received by faith  (Romans 3:22; Romans 10:4; II Cor. 5:21).
We also talked about how we often live like 'orphans' rather than 'children of God'.  A believer is living like an 'orphan' when he or she has in some way or another lost touch with the grace of God and His presence.  In isolation from the promises, the orphan has developed a small view of Christ and a small view of the gospel.  Sons and daughters, in contrast, have a large Christ and a large gospel.  The fact is we waffle between living like 'orphans' and 'children' of God many times a day.
It is exciting to see the interest and enthusiasm on the part of the people that were there.  We are anticipating really good things as God begins to really get hold of our heart!!

It has been a little while since last we posted anything.  Much has happened.
-August 18th--a second BBQ picnic at Minton Park in Empire.  The weather had a bit of an impact on attendance but still a great time.
-September 8th--we are set to go with our first "Sonship" class which will run every other week through December.  "Sonship" is a discipleship training tool that makes a clear distinction between the gospel and religion.  It really is for people who have a sense that there is more to the Christian life than what they are currently experiencing.
-Finances--we are at about 30% of our monthly need.
-Worship services--we are being encouraged by a couple of locals to just "open the doors".  We are giving some serious thought to doing that with monthly worship times in Empire maybe even as early as October.  We still have to confirm a spot for these events and the "Sonship" class.  I have a meeting today (8/28) to find out for sure if we will be able to use the little historic church building that is on the main drag in Empire.
-Personally--August was busy month with family visiting.  It was great!!  We are so thankful for our families.  Mary is doing respite care for a special needs 32 year old man about 4 hours a week.  I continue to work about 20 hours a week for ROP which is a youth corrections program.
We would be delighted to hear from you and how we can pray for you.  We are forever thankful for the many friends and family members who are an amazing support system to us!!

Modest would describe our expectations as we approached the first public 'unveiling' of Clear Creek Neighborhood Church.  As we planned for food we said there could be anywhere from 20 people to 100 people though we thought that 100 was nigh on to impossible.  The BBQ picnic included, hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, a pasta salad and chips.  Friends, Brian and Peggy O'Rourke, agreed to provide some music for us.  The town park in Empire is a beautiful spot, as the pictures show.  We arrived about 4pm.  Ray and Suzanne Bothner, friends from Lookout Mountain, arrived with the grill just ahead of us.  Set up and preparations went smooth.  It was a beautiful high summer afternoon in Colorado.  People started showing up around 4:45pm and just kept coming and coming.  Many friends from Lookout Mountain were in attendance, but also many from Clear Creek County including, Empire, Georgetown and Idaho Springs.  We estimated it was about a 50-50 ratio of people from our sending church, Lookout Mountain, and those we know and many we didn't from Clear Creek County.  Total in attendance counting all the 'kiddos' was probably close to 70!  By any measure it was a great turnout and we were greatly encouraged.  Our sign-up sheet was full.  The only downside was the fact that those who had to travel back on I-70 east were stuck in the horrendous Sunday afternoon traffic.  We are sorry for our many friends from Lookout who had to endure that but we can never thank you enough for your amazing support of us! We are feeling quite encouraged about the "movement" we are seeing on this journey of faith.

Interview, part 1

This is the first of 3 interviews we did to introduce ClearCreekNeighborhoodChurch's beginnings and vision. Please "join" us and stay tuned for part 2 and part 3! 

Empire "Frog Rodeo"

Empire, Colorado.  Frog Rodeo Days.  This was the occasion for the first public introduction of Clear Creek Neighborhood Church.  Mary and I rode our tandem bicycle in the parade, throwing out candy.  And we didn't tip over!!!  Mary made t-shirts advertising who we were and the church.  We helped run a carnival game for the kids as well.  It was a fun day which included a conversation with the mayor of Empire.

Bill and Mary with their tandem

Bill with the Mayor of Empire and her hubby.

The frog races!!

We continue to move ahead, raising support, meeting with people attempting to find those who might be committed to being part of a initial group which form the foundation of a new church. God is doing amazing things, opening doors and bringing people to join us who have a heart for Clear Clear Creek County. More of those stories to come.

Clear Creek Neighborhood Church

We never would have believed that we would be part of starting a new church at this stage in our lives but it is gradually becoming a reality--in Empire, CO of all places!!  The pieces are coming together ie: a group of people who want a church, a building available, a supportive sending church, and it appears we have denominational support from the Presbytery of the West of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. This piece is not yet official but I met with two leaders a few days ago who were very encouraging.
To put this in the category of 'Stones of Remembrance'...we were going an entirely different direction two months ago.  It was then I got a call from a friend in Empire about a vacated church building being turned over to the town of Empire with the question "would that Pastor Bill want to have a church there?"  We took the idea to the leadership of our home church, Lookout Mountain Community, and one of the elders said, "It sounds like a Macedonian call."
And now here we are!
Empire is a small mountain town of about 450 people.  It is on US Hwy 40 which traverses Berthoud Pass.  People who ski or mountain bike in Winter Park drive through Empire.
Clear Creek Neighborhood Church will start here but it has vision for all of Clear Creek County.  We will have some pictures on here soon so you can see the place.

Watch for 'stone' stories-- Ebenezer stones that is.

I can't believe we are doing this.  I guess it goes to disprove the old adage that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks."  We are old dogs.  At least I (Bill) am an old dog so here goes our first blog post of significance.

Somewhere in our family history, on my mom's side--the Stam side--Ebenezer was a motto.  I will confirm with my cousin but I remembers seeing a plaque with that word on it.
Interestingly, as Mary and I have been reading through the book of I Samuel in the Old Testament in the Bible, we came across the origin of that family motto.  It is found in I Samuel 7:12.  The context is this.  The nation of Israel is in one of its many conflicts with the Philistines.  They have been defeated a couple of times.  The ark of the covenant was taken for a time and then returned.  Samuel instructs the people gather to Mizpah vs. 5.  The Philistines learn that they are gathered there and decide to go up against them and when the Israelites hear this they are afraid (v. 7).  Then we read that the "...the sons of Israel say to Samuel, 'Do not cease to cry to the Lord our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines.'"  Samuel does this and also offers a sacrifice to the Lord.  When the battle is set to begin 'the Lord thundered a great thunder' and confused the Philistines and the battle was over before it even began.  And then we come to vs. 12:  "Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen and named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far the Lord has helped us.'"  Ebenezer is the 'stone of help'.
Some years ago Mary started a note book of 'remembrances'.  She called it 'stones of remembrance.'  We think it is pretty cool that this ties into an old family tradition and one of the things we are going to do on the site is recall some of those 'stones' to trace how 'thus far the Lord has helped us.'  
Should be fun!!

Happy Summer family and friends. We are on our way to becoming bloggers! Stay tuned for further developments in our journey into cyber space!!!!