Laughter the Doorway to the Heart

by Brian LaMew

It has been a couple weeks now since Women's Comedy Night Out and the story is still being told. I was in a local restaurant this week and the manager commented that she attended comedy night out. As she was telling me the story, one of the waitresses came over and the manager said, "this guy is from the church that I was telling you about with the great comedy night. It is a great church!" It is exciting to think about the thousands of people in our community who heard about Community Church.

The beautiful thing about Community Church--the thing I absolutely love-- is that Community Church believes the Christian life and the church can be a place of laughter and joy, a place of creativity and comedy. Jesus' ministry was to bring hope and joy to those facing sorrow and the challenges of life. It was to point to the blessings big and small in life and to introduce people to a God who longs to bring blessings that tickle our hearts. It was a great week to see so many people involved in showing hospitality and grace to the women of central Michigan.

Great Small Group Study Options

As we move into the holiday season, there are some small groups at Community Church that will be looking for some study materials. I have prepared a list of materials that I have previewed and think will be helpful to you.

I have developed a simple one session small group study that can be used during the Christmas season. This study will connect with the Christmas message series that kicks off in December.

SONGS OF CHRISTMAS

Best Gifts Come in Small Packages

One session study based on the much-loved Christmas carol "The Little Town of Bethlehem." Discover the heart of the Christmas message through discussion and some practical steps anyone can take to experience the gift of Christmas afresh this season.

Click on this link for the text of the study. You will want to print out enough copies for the people in your group.

http://peakreflections.blogspot.com/2007/11/songs-of-christmas-study.html

HOPE AND ACTION

A small group study on the difference we can make in Global AIDS Crisis

This two session study comes highly recommended from our Community Church AIDS Team. Hope and Action is a DVD curriculum developed by Bill and Lynne Hybels from Willowcreek Community Church during their trip to sub-Saharan Africa.

This study can be purchased at the following link for $5.00:

http://www.willowcreek.com/wca_prod.asp?invtid=PR29311

NOOMA FILMS

Rob Bell from Mars Hill Bible Church in Grand Rapids has created a series of one session studies. These DVD based studies are creatively designed with great teachings. You purchase these videos at Barnes and Noble's website. Here is a link directly to a list of these resources:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?SID=510652

EXPLORING THE SEVEN PEAKS

Take a road trip through high points of Upper Michigan with Community Church pastors as they share on-location teachings on the journey of spiritual growth. This seven part series and companion study guide will help you grow in the spiritual disciplines. The study guide is $10.00 and the DVDs are $15.00. Contact the church office to get these materials.

The Road Trip Begins!

About nine months ago, Scott and I were brainstorming in my office when we first discussed the possibility of shooting a small group curriculum in Washington D.C. Out of that conversation a team was formed and the development of "Finding God in DC" began. Hundreds of hours have been put into this curriculum from storyboarding video sessions and some basic previsualization shoots to creative writing and graphic design. It has been truly extraordinary to see a project move from idea to reality. This Sunday, the curriculum will be available for purchase. What I am most excited about is seeing people's lives being affected by knowing God better. What a great picture of the Church at work when a team of people with all kinds of different gifts and contributions come together to provide an opportunity for others to take new steps in their walk with God.

Just last night as the finishing touches were being put in the videos, I had the chance to watch them in one sitting. Scott, Caz, and I really had a great journey together through our nation's capital and together we uncovered a deeper understanding of God's divine nature. We can't wait until you take a look at it. You can pick up a DVD and Travel Guide this Sunday!!