From all the staff at Forum, let me extend to you our best wishes for you and your family to have a blessed Christmas. This celebration of God’s gift to us brings a welcome warmth to our hearts.

Thanks for all the great comments connected to the worship service Sunday and the sermon from Sunday. Let me extend to you an invitation to attend our Christmas Eve service that will occur at 5 and 6:30 on Wednesday evening. We’ll unfold “The Tapestry of Christmas.”

As we celebrate the birth of Christ, I would also encourage you to celebrate the transforming power of Christ. Jordan and Jansen Smith were baptized into Christ this past week. When we went down into the water, apparently the heater had gone off because the water was oh so cold. Their decision reminds me that the work of God never stops.

I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday as we finish out our Christmas Classics series as we talk about living a life that counts. See you then. -- Scott

e-news for week of 12/14 - 12/ 20

I’ve got good news for you.

It’s a welcome phrase, isn’t it?

It’s one of the first phrases to tell of Christ entering the world.

Good news!

Good news: it’s a rarity these days. On a personal note, I’ve stopped watching most “news” reports. Most reports tell of bad news, of how someone could have done better, how things are moving in the wrong direction, how people don’t measure up anymore, etc.

I’ve got good news for you: you are of great value to God. You are of such worth that He sent His one and only son into the world for you.
Read this written word carefully and don’t gloss over it: you are of great worth to God. Say it again until it sinks in.

I was recently rereading a portion of “Abba’s Child” by Brennan Manning and he talks about a personal retreat he went on in which he took nothing. No books, no Bible, no media, nothing and spent time alone with just himself and God. It took eleven days until he had a breakdown/breakthrough moment in which he realized he had truly not “felt” anything since he was 9 years old. As I read those words, I could relate oh too well. Allow the living Christ to be real in your life.

Say it again: I am of great worth to God.

Christ came to this world and he came “to you.” We’ll explore this Sunday as we strive to connect with God. Thanks for the encouragement from this past Sunday’s sermon – it truly helps me to strive to give my very best and my all to share God’s word with you.

Let me encourage you to set aside a time of worship on Christmas Eve when we will explore “The Fabric and Tapestry of Christmas.” -- Scott

e-news for week of 12/7 - 12/13

This week we kick into the seasonal dialogue with a new series called, “Christmas Classics.” I’m really excited about the message for this weekend in that a new concept emerged in my insight this week. For someone who has been in and around church as long as me that is kind of a rare thing. The concept all arose out of a conversation I was having with a friend connected to destiny. That’s all I’m going to give you – you’ll have to be here or tune in via podcast to find out the rest. I do want to take a moment to thank Jared Wortman as he closed out the “Bridges” series. I’m really glad God led Jared here and appreciate God’s gifting within his life.

I hope you used this past weekend to jumpstart the Christmas season. I heard nothing but exceptional comments connected to the Central Choir and our kids programs. As ever – the purpose of all that we do is to intentionally connect people to Jesus – that’s what we want to do. We want to create an environment where each of us are connecting with God on a real and personal level.

Here are some of the upcoming ministry opportunities that I would encourage you to be part of:

December 14 - 6 p.m. in the auditorium - "Born a Savior, Born a King" - Presented by the Adult Choir

December 24 – 5 and 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Services - Let me encourage you to invite those you know who aren’t connected to a church to the Christmas Eve service or the service the Sunday before Christmas. It’s a perfect time to help people connect with Jesus.

Teachers Meeting for training on new curriculum for K - 5th grade - December 14 at 5 p.m. If you haven’t already attended one of these training sessions, please try to make this one.

I’m so looking forward to worshiping with you this upcoming Sunday. See you then. -- Scott

e-news for week of 11/30 - 12/6

I’m sure my voice hadn’t changed. I’m sure I had zero coordination. I’m sure that these are the things that precious memories are made of – but somewhere around 10 or 11 I was assigned the Christmas solo “The Little Drummer Boy” for one of our churches Christmas programs complete with plastic drum. Psychologists would call what I’ve done with the memory “blocked,” “repressed,” or “denial.” When I learned, as a young adult, that there was no drummer there that day – frankly – I was pretty ticked. Why was I in that bathrobe, with that drum, singing that song when there was no drummer boy there that day? What’s up with that? Really?

I went to one of our Adult Life Group/Bible Study class parties tonight and Mark Wilson (one of Forum’s drummer boys) shared some excellent ideas about Christ coming into the world. How the gospel of John says, “In the beginning was the word…” and how “word” in the Greek is “logos” from which we get the word “logic.” The word denotes purpose and reason. Purpose and reason entered the world embodied in Jesus. So, as I sat and listened to our drummer boy share this great thought it made me smile deep inside because he hit (get it – drummer – hit?) upon the center both of Christmas and our need: the need for purpose and that life make sense. Jesus within your life and heart does that.

For years and years my grandma would remind me every Christmas, “Scotty (she’s the only one I let get away with that), do you remember when you sang little drummer boy?” “Grandma, I’ll never forget.” From this point forward, at Christmas I’m intending to say something like this to Mark Wilson, “Marky (if he’ll let me get away with it just at Christmas), do you remember when you shared the thoughts about Jesus as the word and “word” denotes reason and purpose? It was inspiring. It helped to kick off the Christmas season in a great way for me in 2008.” The essence of “The Little Drummer Boy” is a boy giving to Jesus what he could. That’s what I did at 10 or 11, that’s what Mark did, and that’s what I’d encourage you to do in many ways this Christmas season. Christmas is all about sharing life together, sharing family time, sharing joy, and even sharing and shouldering some burdens. It’s a season of purpose and goodwill.

Here’s some of the great things that are going over the next weeks designed to enhance your Christmas season:

December 7 - 4:30 p.m. in room 104/106 - "Pizza With the Pastors" - Come learn more about Forum and Who we believe. Childcare provided.

December 7 - 6 p.m. in the auditorium - "Signs of Christmas" - Presented by the Preschool and Children's Choirs and the Bridge Band.

December 14 - 6 p.m. in the auditorium - "Born a Savior, Born a King" - Presented by the Adult Choir

December 24 – 5 and 6:30 p.m. Christmas Eve Services

Teachers Meeting for training on new curriculum for K - 5th grade - December 7 at 5 p.m., December 9 at 7 p.m., and December 14 at 5 p.m.

We’ll finish out the “Bridges” series this Sunday – come prepared to worship Christ to the fullest.

See you then. -- Scott

I just had an ultimately weird revelation that rocked my world. For some of you – this revelation is going to sound _______ (I’m going to let you fill in the blank with an adjective I supply: stupid, terrifying, like you should have already known this in that you are a preacher, unusual, a little out there, weird, possibly arrogant, etc.). Here’s the revelation: I speak for God.

When I started to write this article, the first words I wrote were, “On behalf of God, I’d like to thank you for your overwhelming generosity and growing faith as, from what those who deal with the finance end of the ministry, roughly 80% of our body has participated in giving over and above their regular tithes and offerings toward the second campus.” Mind you, I ALWAYS take the importance of preaching very, very seriously. I know what is on the line every week – I know there are people who need Jesus as Lord – I know there are hurting marriages – I know there are people who are striving to thrive spiritually – I know there are people just trying to make it – I know there are people who have lost friends or family – I know the word of the Lord and how important it is to handle it with reverence – it’s God’s living and active word. All those things I know, but when I penned those words – it reframed some of what I do in a new way. I am to be one of the spokesmen for God. As if the first list wasn’t enough pressure. :) I do believe God would have me to speak words of thankful encouragement to you.

Here are some upcoming events for you to get on your calendars:

December 5 - 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium - Central Christian College of the Bible Chorale will be here to present "Festival of the King"

December 7 - 4:30 p.m. in room 104/106 - "Pizza With the Pastors" - Come learn more about Forum and Who we believe. Childcare provided.

December 7 - 6 p.m. in the auditorium - "Signs of Christmas" - Presented by the Preschool and Children's Choirs and the Bridge Band.

December 14 - 6 p.m. in the auditorium - "Born a Savior, Born a King" - Presented by the Adult Choir

Teachers Meeting for training on new curriculum for K - 5th grade - December 7 at 5 p.m., December 9 at 7 p.m., and December 14 at 5 p.m.

Sincerely, as we do celebrate Thanksgiving this week – I do believe that Thanksgiving is a two way street – I know I am thankful to God – but I also believe God is appreciative of us aligning with His will. I had a friend in town this week who serves at one of the fastest growing churches in the United States and he came as a favor to act as a fly on the wall and help me/us in terms of us staying on mission and being purposeful. Overall – he gave Forum glowing reviews on the Sunday morning experience with some insight here and there. He asked me a ton of questions over the three days we spent together about our body and the dynamics. He asked me a couple of bottom line questions: 1. Are you enjoying what you are doing? 2. Do you see yourself here long term? (Not level one questions) As I paused and reflected for a moment I told him, “I love what I’m doing and love being here at Forum. I have full assurance that God led us here – no doubt in my mind – and I’ll be here as long as the Lord desires me to be here.” I think God continues to make us into that beautiful, radiant bride He calls His church. When I look out over our crowd on Sunday morning, I see radiating brilliance. I’m so thankful.

See you Sunday. -- Scott

e-news for week of 11/16 - 11/22

As ever – I continue to thank God for what He is doing here. Thanks for the great encouragement connected to the message this past Sunday. One of you in particular really “got it” to the point of me nearly memorizing what we talked about in the lobby connected to the “Who” versus the “What.” If I could apologize for the modern church for taking a person – namely Jesus - and devolving Him into a tenet, I would. He’s not a tenet – He’s the King of kings and Lord of lords. I hope He is your Lord and that you are following in His steps. It’s been another really fun week of ministry – got to baptize a friend, get to share great progress for us as a church, and I’m looking forward to a great encounter this Sunday worshiping God.

I want to truly compliment Forum as a ministry for the steps of faith that is going on in your lives. I’m pleased to be able to communicate the giving we’ve received toward the second campus so far is around $35,000 with additional commitments that will bring the total to around $50,000. I wrote this to our staff, elders, and deacons:


Hey gang,

Just wanted to give you an update from Sunday.

Currently – toward the second campus we’ve received:

Right at $35,000 on hand.

Commitments for another $13,000.

For this being a first time effort and given our current economic climate, I think this is tremendous. Although it falls below what I on a personal level had hoped for, I am completely confident that God knows what we need, when we need it to accomplish His work. I am so very proud of people making this level of sacrifice and stepping out on faith.

I’m always very proud of people when they choose to walk by faith. I know we are striving to walk by faith. I know God is going to continue to raise us up as a church body to truly impact Columbia.

I thank each of you for the commitments you have personally made and we’ll see how God continues to lead us as we follow.

All that said, as a staff, we are going to focus on the current campus in terms of continuing to grow and equip people both for here and the second campus.

At the next elders meeting – given where we are fiscally toward the second campus – we (the staff) will put together an amended spending plan – toward the second campus that falls in alignment with where we are.

Thanks for all you do, -- Scott


Here are some upcoming events:

December 5 - 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium - Central Christian College of the Bible Chorale will be here to present "Festival of the King"

December 7 - 4:30 p.m. in room 104/106 - "Pizza With the Pastors" - Come learn more about Forum and Who we believe. Childcare provided.

December 7 - 6 p.m. in the auditorium - "Signs of Christmas" - Presented by the Preschool and Children's Choirs and the Bridge Band.

December 14 - 6 p.m. in the auditorium - "Born a Savior, Born a King" - Presented by the Adult Choir

Teachers Meeting for training on new curriculum for K - 5th grade - December 7 at 5 p.m., December 9 at 7 p.m., and December 14 at 5 p.m.

Let me encourage you to build bridges of meaningful conversation this week as Jesus did to point Nicodemus toward belief and God’s work of salvation. It’s an epic story about an epic life – let’s share it. Can’t wait to worship with you this Sunday. -- Scott

e-news for week of 11/9 - 11/15

Let’s take a moment to thank God for the way He is leading Forum. Since moving here, I truly have strived to help all of us keep our focus first and foremost on the Lord. I believe this past Sunday all of us got some pictures of the way God is raising us up.

Here is some of the feedback I’ve personally received:

“The atmosphere was electric”

“My wife and I were talking that this didn’t feel that unusual about the time you were saying that from the pulpit.” (I just want to know why they were talking in church. :>)

“My wife and I very much enjoyed the service.”

“From a marketing perspective the whole thing was ideal to help people see the opportunity and how church can be done in that type of venue.”

“I’m just sitting here doing my Bible Study and though about how much I enjoyed Sunday’s “Unity” Service.”

Friends, from my perspective, the day really couldn’t have gone any better overall. I want to thank the entire staff, the deacons, our elders for helping to cast the vision, and all the children’s workers for helping to make the day wonderful.

Were you able to see? To see how a second campus could be done? To see even a larger venue for Forum? To see that God is working here? I want you to realize that we have a staff who will do what it takes, I know we have people who will whatever it takes, and we have a God who has placed in front of us the vision to reach people.

There is something about the larger gathering that gives us a bigger picture, doesn’t it? (Please make sure you read my article in “The Forum Connection” online this week.) Now – go with me here – forecast out a year and a half from now, it’s Easter, and both campuses come together for a “One” Day event at Jesse Hall or the Missouri Theater. Ten years from now, 8 campuses come together for a “One” Day event at Missouri Arena. Twenty years from now, 25 campuses AND all the other churches in Columbia fill Memorial Stadium and bring us all a glimpse of heaven here on this earth. (One of our members brought the last part of that to me after hearing the sermon. Let’s keep dreaming dreams.)

I don’t want to over dramatize this, but the reality is, this Sunday is a commitment and giving Sunday toward the second campus and I’m counting on everyone. I know we all want to reach more people. I also know that we are in crazy economic times. I also know and don’t apologize for this: doing ministry and reaching people is expensive. But I’ve also learned throughout my entire adult life history that when Melody and I give by faith, God is always more than faithful to provide, protect, and even multiply. Let me encourage you to give and commit by faith. People that don’t know Jesus are counting on you and me. -- Scott

e-news for week of 11/2 - 11/8

We continue in the I.C. series this week talking about “I.C. moved earth.” Thanks for the outstanding comments and action that you’ve been sharing with me during this series.

Forum, I’m going to be very forthright and candid. The next couple of weeks are in many ways days of destiny for us as a church. I don’t want to exaggerate but I also don’t want to underplay the significance of these couple of weeks.

First, we’ll worship together all at once under one roof at one moment for the first time since 1974. I have a bunch of thoughts about this that I’ll share next week. Please arrive at Columbia Performing Arts Centre around 10. There is a very good chance that we can pack the place. There is children’s ministry for children grades three and under. From a space scenario, we need you to utilize this opportunity. Katelyn and Jessie have worked hard to have us staffed and good to go. Just to give you a heads up – communion will be served in individual packets that we’ll all take together at once (you’ll understand it when you see it Sunday). You’ll receive that when you are coming in. We’ve got a great time of worship and time engaging in God’s word mapped out.

Then on November 16th, we’ll take up the offering and commitments for the multi-site. As I said in the letter sent to the body, the more you can give up front – the better it helps us toward the launch of the second campus. I would encourage you, as I have the entire time to not tap into your regular giving and to give in a sacrificial manner. If you are not moved toward giving sacrificially, don’t feel guilty about that. God knows what the needs are and He provides. We had a Pizza with the Pastors event Sunday night and one of the people attending it made this great observation, “God has no unfunded mandates.” I thought, “So true.”

Melody and I believe this is where God has led us as a church and we have personally bit some bullets in order to help give another 3% above and beyond our tithes and offerings. I know, by faith, that God is going to use this to reach people for Christ. I know, by faith, that if you choose to dive in and get involved in prayer, in maybe teaching with our children or a life group, in service in our community, or in some new way – that you are going to grow.

Justin Keith, Jody Riley, and I were talking in Justin’s office today – talking about dreams and vision for Forum and possibilities. As we talked, we realized it is easy to allow fear to deter us and Justin remembered a great scripture from Hebrews which says, “We are not those who shrink back…” Faith moves forward. Faith leaps. Faith trusts.

If we choose to live by sight – let me be clear – then we will reap in the same way. Anybody can count the seeds in the apple, only God can count the apples in a seed. Friends, it’s time for a faith walk. In way too many ways, we’ve been doing a lot of stepping and seeing and walking by sight– it’s time to leap out – it’s time to trust – it’s only in the leap that living and active faith is learned.

I’m really looking forward to Sunday. Plan for a full house at CPAC – and plan for a great encounter as we worship the Lord. -- Scott

e-news for week of 10/26 - 11/1

Thanks for all the great response to the I.C. series. I hope that by the time this series is completed, all of us will have our eyes opened. I hope we will see more ways to intentionally connect people to Jesus and impact Columbia. This week we will focus in on “I.C. the city.” The book of Jonah will be our primary text.

I also want to thank so very many of you for the questions and support connected to the multi-site launch. We’ll talk a lot about that on November 9, but I just want you to know that God continues to inspire and move us in that direction.

Friday night we’ll have our “Rocktober Fest” from 6 to 8 p.m. Also, if you’re willing to help out that night in some way, please email Katelyn at Katelyn@forumchristian.org. Just in passing, although as a church you are just getting to know her – she’s doing a great job and I’m so glad God led her here.

If you have a facebook account, I would encourage you to become part of the Forum Christian group. I’ve been using that group a little here lately and think it is a great additional way to interact and connect.

I do want to encourage you to keep Justin Keith, our high school minister, and his family in prayer as his grandmother went to be with the Lord on Tuesday. He's going to miss her so much so let me encourage you to pray with him and lift him up.

Upcoming events:

This Sunday, November 2, is the affirmation vote for elders and deacons.
The Girlfriends “Roundup” is Thursday, November 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center.

Our “One” Day gathering will be on November 9 at 10:30 a.m. at the Columbia Performing Art Centre, which is located at 100 N. Cedar Lake Drive East. You will get a map this Sunday.

Sunday, November 16, is our day of commitment and offering. This has been said but we’ll say it again. Let me be clear to the point of tedium: 1. Do only that which God lays on your heart. 2. If the additional money would affect your regular giving, don’t “rob Peter to pay Paul.” Just be faithful in your regular giving. 3. Let me encourage you to give as much of your commitment before January of 2009. That will help with the front-end costs of the second campus. 4. If you sense God wanting you to be one of the workers for the new campus, sign and turn in that card on that day.

By way of reminder – this Sunday is time change week – so fall back! Can’t wait to worship with you this week – you are going to be inspired – no lie. See you Sunday - Scott

e-news for week of 10/19 - 10/25

God places so many opportunities in our paths every day.

Opportunities to pray with someone.

Opportunities to say an encouraging word.

Opportunities to smile and connect with someone.

Opportunities to earn money, to invest, to contribute, to grow assets.

Opportunities to serve in our great community.

Opportunities to help your children.

We are in the I.C. series and this weekend, I want to help all of us to see the abundance of opportunities while not getting paralyzed or anemic by getting pulled in too many directions. I want to help all of us to see the opportunity of reaching people in Columbia and helping to intentionally connect them to God.

Here’s some information and events that are coming up that you need to zero in on:
Elder/deacon selection will be on Sunday, November 2. If you are unable to be here on that Sunday, you can vote absentee this Sunday at the Information Center or come by the office during the week to pick up a ballot.

Our “One” Day gathering will be on November 9 at the Columbia Performing Art Centre at 10:30 a.m. This will be the first time since 1974 that Forum has met in a single service. This will give all a chance to see Forum as a whole – not in 3 segments. It’s going to be great with all of us raising our voices singing, all of us hearing the exact same sermon, and all of us remembering Christ in communion together. Every Sunday is powerful – but I think this one will be highly memorable.

Then, Nov. 16 will be a day of commitment and offering. We mailed out commitment cards and a letter last week connected to that day. Let me be clear to the point of tedium: 1. Do only that which God lays on your heart. 2. If the additional money would affect your regular giving, don’t “rob Peter to pay Paul.” Just be faithful in your regular giving. 3. Let me encourage you to give as much of your commitment before January of 2009 that will help with the front end costs of the second campus. 4. If you sense God wanting you to be one of the workers for the new campus, sign and turn in that card on that day.

Friends, by faith I believe we are going to impact some lives in a great way as we step out by faith. I.C. the field. I.C. the opportunity. Looking forward to intentionally connecting with God with you this Sunday. -- Scott

e-news for week of 10/12 - 10/18

We start a new sermon series this week called, “I.C.”

Ask yourself, “What do I see?”

When you look at yourself, what do you see?

When you think about the future, what do you see?

When you think about people you encounter, what do you see?

We’re going to be taking some vision tests over the next couple of weeks trying to get perspective on this question, “Do I see what God sees?”

As a ministry we are all about Intentionally Connecting people to Jesus. People see it. As a ministry, we want to Impact Columbia – I’m beginning to see it and hope you are to. This series is designed to help us all grow in vision/faith.

Part of this series will be the “One” Day gathering on November 9 at the Columbia Performing Art Centre at 10:30 a.m. This will be the first time since 1974 that Forum has met in a single service. This will give all a chance to see Forum as a whole – not in 3 segments. It’s going to be great all of us raising our voices singing – all of us hearing the exact same sermon (I try hard – but it does vary), and all of us remembering Christ in communion together. Every Sunday is powerful – but I think this one will be highly memorable.

I want to take a moment to thank our deacons for the exceptional service they do at Forum. Recently they led a Saturday morning workday and redid a bunch of the landscaping. It looks awesome. Let me encourage you to say, “Thanks” for these men who serve so diligently.

Let me also encourage you to keep Brice and Amanda Wurdeman in prayers as they serve God in Haiti. They have huge problems still from the hurricane. Take a moment and lift them up in prayer.

Here’s some of the upcoming events:

Preschool and Elementary Choir practice will begin this Sunday, October 19 at 5:30. Bridge band will also begin practice.

There is a Fall Foliage trip planned for October 23. They will be leaving from the church at 9 a.m. Call Bill and Carol Paten if you would like to go.

Katelyn and Jessie are planning a great “Rocktober Fest” for the 5th graders and younger and their families. It will be on Friday, October 31st and will be from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be fun, food, games, and a little mystery! If you would like to help out by donating individually wrapped candies for this event just drop them off at the Information Center or in the office.

Ladies, don’t miss out on the Girlfriends Round Up! It will be November 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Family Life Center.

Look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. -- Scott

e-news for week of 10/5 - 10/11

I’m going to keep my section of this short. Great weekend! Phenomenal picnic – if you missed it – ouch – you missed it. Thanks to the Hemme and Fletcher life groups for all you did to make it happen. Thanks to Tracy Hill – who I love to dub hunter-gatherer PhD – for leading out in cooking all that fish. Yeowzah!

This weekend we finish out the “Gone fishing” series talking about “fishing with dynamite.” Rather than go through upcoming stuff now, I want to turn your attention toward some of our body’s efforts toward intentionally connecting people to Jesus through kingdom efforts all over the place. When you read it, you’ll pause and go, “Wow!"

The mission’s team has attempted to look at the impact of the missions program of Forum during the past year and to see the collective effectiveness of the ministries. What we know and have learned is that so much of God’s work is totally immeasurable in human terms. How do you measure a changed heart; a changed relationship; or a seed that is planted today that may not come to fruition until years later? An effective ministry cannot always be measured by numbers, but is often based on relationships developed over time.

As one of our missionaries stated, “One of the main goals is to make disciples who will make disciples; who will make disciples; who will make disciples….. We are thankful the work goes far beyond us as more and more are sent out as laborers in the harvest field.”

The following is just some evidence of God’s work in missions supported by Forum during the past year.
· 15,876 decisions/baptisms
· 40 new church plants
· 79 Bible Academy graduates
· 250 Bible college graduates
· 177 in children’s homes/orphanages
· 30 children adopted to Christian homes
· 100 missionary recruits
· 200 Apache children weekly receiving a message of hope
· Publishing 36 books in 16 different languages for a total print of 76,000 books
· 656 campers and 150 adult volunteers teaching about Jesus, encouraging and forming relationships
· Grants and scholarships to 4 Bible college students
· Teaching 10 life skills classes and 7 in depth Acts classes to prisoners
· Sharing the principles of Christian faith in a Muslim world
· Ministering to approximately 175 students on a secular campus who we touch through small groups, student ministries, activities and worship
· 12 regular weekly meetings with Chinese students and meeting new student needs, paving the way to share Jesus with them
· 75,000 plus lives touched through medical evangelism

And don’t forget to check out our new Web newsletter, The Forum Connection. Just go to our Web site, www.forumchristian.org, click on resources, click on The Forum Connection, then choose the current monthly issue.

Looking forward to Sunday -- Scott

I had an engaging conversation with one of our church members this week in that the whole, “What are you doing?” from Sunday was kind of haunting/bugging him. Couldn’t get it off of his mind. Really sticking with him. All I can say is, “Good – let’s get going. Let’s tell people about Jesus. Let’s live lives that are to His glory. Let’s make our time here count.”

This Sunday we’ll continue in the “Gone Fishing” series talking about fish stories. Do you have a fish story you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it. In fact, I already heard one this last Sunday about several of our church members who were fishing in Canada kind of moaning about the slow performance of their boat when they realized they had drug the anchor all the way across the lake, anybody want to fess up to that?

One time, when I was fishing I was using a tremble hook with some liver bait on it bottom fishing for catfish – thought the line was hung on the bottom – kept slowly pulling and pulling and pulling and the line kept slowly drawing in. Ended up there was a huge snapping turtle on the end of the line. The turtle filled a 5-gallon bucket. Turtle soup was on the docket.

One time, when we were fishing…

I love fishing stories. Can’t wait to get into this Sunday.

Here are some upcoming events:

Oct. 5 & 12 – The Salvation Army food pantry is running dangerously low. On These two Sundays we will provide receptacles in the foyer if you would like to help out with donations of canned goods or any non-perishable food items.

Oct. 5 – Annual church picnic at Twin Lakes. We will meet at 4:00 p.m. and dinner will be served around 5:00. Each family is asked to bring a couple of dishes to share. Meat, drinks, and table service will be provided.

Oct. 7 – Our next “Pizza with the Pastors” will meet on Tuesday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. in room 104/106. This is a great time for those new to Forum to meet with some of our staff and learn more about our overall teaching.

Nov. 9 – “One” day will be a morning in which all three services will meet at the same time. We are one church, yet due to our desire to utilize our space with great fiscal stewardship – we have three services. November 9 at 10:30 a.m. we will meet as one at the Columbia Performing Arts Center. What an exciting opportunity to see how big our Forum family really is.

Nov. 16 – We will have a day for over and above giving and one-year commitment for multi-site. You’ll get a mailer next week with information about that. Please continue to pray for those in Columbia who don’t know Jesus. Invite, pray for, and live a life that glorifies God.

See you this Sunday -- Scott

e-news for week of 9/21 - 9/27

As we continue with the “Gone Fishing” series this week – let me give you a middle of the week life application. Invite someone to church this week. Remember Ben’s words, “74% of all people who come to know Jesus were first introduced to him because someone invited them to church.” On a personal level, I’m going to strive to do that this week. So Ben is 82 years old and still going strong for Jesus as is his wife Pat. Don’t you hope to be serving Jesus so strongly when you are that age? Don’t you know that God honors that type of service and devotion? I hope to serve God with total zeal my entire life – whether that’s me at 80 rocking babies, running the hologram projection unit in children’s church, teaching the 6th grade young men, preaching at the Forum extreme west campus in Rocheport, going on my eighth mission trip to India with Ajai with the 10 million Christians they will have reached, or whatever the Lord would have us doing. I’m reminded of the scripture that tells us to not grow weary from doing good because in due time we will reap a harvest if we don’t give up. Let’s all stay intentional about connecting people to Jesus and never let up – how’s that work for you? As ever, I’m really looking forward to being in God’s word with you this Sunday.

We are getting close to being fully equipped with our sound system. Frankly, we’ve all put on our game face and hopefully everyone hasn’t noticed too much. I want to thank Bill and all those involved in the worship ministry for facilitating worship with way less than optimum circumstances. Being totally transparent – I don’t ever pray for patience and if any of you are praying for me to grow in patience – stop it – I got the message.

The staff will be on retreat this Thursday and Friday so the office will not be open. If an emergency arises, please call Dr. Jim Ferneau.

Here are some great opportunities coming up for you over the next several weeks:

Our new online newsletter, The Forum Connection, can be accessed by going to our website, www.forumchristian.org, click on Resources, The Forum Connection, and The Forum Connection – September 2008.

Oct. 2 – Let me encourage you to make October 2 part of your planned schedule. We will have a “Forum forum” to talk about questions you might have as a church concerning our plans for multi-site. I’m asking that if you have questions – please submit them at Carolyn@forumchristian.org so we can be fully prepared to answer questions you have. We will meet in the auditorium at 6:30 with questions and answers and then follow with a time of prayer.

Oct. 4 – There will be an outside church workday on Saturday October 4 from 7:00 a.m. til noon. We need 47 people with shovels, wheelbarrows, tractors, trailers, and lots of muscles!

Oct. 5 & 12 – The Salvation Army food pantry is running dangerously low. On These two Sundays we will provide receptacles in the foyer if you would like to help out with donations of canned goods or any non-perishable food items.

Oct. 5 – Annual church picnic at Twin Lakes. We will meet at 4:00 p.m. and dinner will be served around 5:00. Each family is asked to bring a couple of dishes to share. Meat, drinks, and table service will be provided.

Oct. 7 – Our next “Pizza with the Pastors” will meet on Tuesday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. in room 104/106. This is a great time for those new to Forum to meet with some of our staff and learn more about our overall teaching.

Nov. 9 – “One” day will be a morning in which all three services will meet at the same time. We are one church, yet due to our desire to utilize our space with great fiscal stewardship – we have three services. November 9 at 10:30 a.m. we will meet as one at the Columbia Performing Arts Center. What an exciting opportunity to see how big our Forum family really is.

Nov. 16 – special offering and day of commitment for over and above giving toward multi-site.

The Adult Choir practices Sunday nights at 6:30 in the choir room. This year’s Christmas musical will be “Born A Savior, Born A King” with new songs and traditional carols. New members are always welcome.

Love this church body and always look forward to connecting with God with you. -- Scott

e-news for week of 9/14 - 9/20

I grew up in an unusual home. While I know that many fathers and sons talked about baseball, football, hunting, fishing, etc. and while those things were part of the dialogues dad and I had, his passion in life was preaching. As other young men went to bed with stories of Gehrig, Musial, Berra, DiMaggio, and Mantle, I was tucked in to stories of some of the great preachers: Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham, and Peter Marshall. One name came up more than all: Ben Merold. Ben has been one of the primary shapers of so many ministers in non-denominational churches all over the world – and I am more than pleased to have him with us this Sunday. The phrase that says the most is, “Living Legend.” If he were a pitcher – his E.R.A. would be .57. If we were talking records such as a consecutive game streak – his life eclipses Ripken and Gehrig. If we were talking home runs – he’s parked more than Ruth and Aaron combined. Ben is continuing on in our “Gone Fishing” series dealing with baits and lures. We all need to be here this Sunday. I can’t wait to be in the word with him.

Beyond that, let me encourage you to make October 2 part of your planned schedule. We will have a “Forum forum” to talk about questions you might have as a church concerning our plans for multi-site. I’m asking that if you have questions – please submit them at Carolyn@forumchristian.org so we can be fully prepared to answer questions you have.

I also want to highlight the new online newsletter we are putting out. You can access this by going to our website, www.forumchristian.org, click on Resources, The Forum Connection, and The Forum Connection – September 2008.

Other events:

Girlfriends Bible Study will begin on Tuesday, September 23 at 9:00 – 11 a.m. and 6:30 – 8 p.m. or Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. You can pick up your book at the Information Center this Sunday. There will also be a MOMs (Mothers of Miracles) group that will meet on Tuesdays from 9 – 11 a.m. beginning September 30. You can also sign up for the MOMs group at the Information Center this Sunday.

· Our Annual Church Picnic will be October 5th at Twin Lakes Park. We are asking families to bring a couple of dishes to share. Meat and drinks will be provided. We will meet at 4 p.m. and the meal will be served at 5 p.m.

· There will be a Men of Impact Retreat on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18. Watch for more details. The theme is “Staying on the Right Path.” Cost for the weekend is $15.

I truly can’t wait to be a part of a great Sunday – look forward to seeing you then, Scott

e-news for week of 9/7 - 9/13

Before I start into my article, let me bare my heart for a moment. I’m writing this on 9-11. I pray we never forget and I hope we pray for our country, our president, our current leaders, our military, and our future leaders. Scripture commands it and my heart loves this great country. After reading the rest of this – and you want to read it all – please spend some moments in prayer for our nation.

Now here’s some of the Forum stuff that I love to share. I’m already really enjoying this new series, “Gone Fishing” and can’t wait to see where it will lead us as a church. I appreciate both Jared and Justin speaking over the past two Sundays as I planned sermons and trajectory for 2009. They are both great, aren’t they? (that’s rhetorical – I don’t want a flood of emails to confirm what I already know) This Sunday I’ll be sharing about fishing with a net. We’re going to look at a very familiar passage but I promise you – you’ll never look at it and fishing for that matter in the same way again. I hope you will be inspired on multi levels.

Secondly, I’m stoked. Frankly, it’s been one of those weeks of God activity. About 3 weeks ago I sent letters to 75 of my friends asking them to help support our multi-site effort with prayer and even funds. I received a couple of responses on Monday and the first one contained a daily promise to pray, a check for $1,000, and a letter of encouragement to me and to our body that I’ll share excerpts from at a future point. I’m startled when I think that here’s someone who will probably never attend Forum, who has no relationship to MO, yet because they view this as God’s activity – they want to partner and join Him at work. We’ll have a special offering/time of commitment for over and above our regular tithes and offerings that will occur on November 16. Please be praying about what you can do in terms of sacrificial giving.

And speaking of the activity of God – we have been praying about a place for what we’re calling our “One” day worship and this week God aligned things for us. First, let me tell you what the “One” day event is, what it’s designed to do, and where it will take place. “One” day will be a morning in which all three services will meet at the same time. We are one church, yet due to our desire to utilize our space with great fiscal stewardship – we have three services. November 9 at 10:30 a.m. we will meet as one at the Columbia Performing Arts Center. This is designed to accomplish a couple of things: 1. This will help all to get a glimpse of what our second campus will feel like. 2. It will help you to get a bigger picture as to the impact Forum has. Those who come to 8:15 worship tend to think of Forum as 125 people, 9:30 – 200 people, and 11 – 325 people with 140 in our children’s areas would be the overall rough “high” numbers in those services. I think it will be ultimately healthy for us to blow the roof off of a place as we assemble for “One” day. We’ll give you full details soon.

Here are some of the upcoming ministry opportunities that are in front of us:

· Pre-K through 5th grade Kickball Camp is being postponed until next Sunday night, Sept. 21 at 5:30 due to the rainy weather.

· September 21 Ben Merold – one of the all time legends where church growth and preaching are concerned - will be preaching in all three of our services. The Harvester Christian Church that he ministered to entered into a multi-site ministry several years ago. Should be a great time of challenge.

· Girlfriends Bible Study will begin on Tuesday, September 23 at 9:00 – 11 a.m. and 6:30 – 8 p.m. or Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. You can pick up your book at the Information Center this Sunday. There will also be a MOMs (Mothers of Miracles) group that will meet on Tuesdays from 9 – 11 a.m. beginning September 30. You can also sign up for the MOMs group at the Information Center this Sunday.

· A Forum Forum on October 2 from 6:30 – 8 pm will be a time for our church body to hear about multi-site, to have questions answered concerning multi-site, and to spend time in prayer for our church body as we strive to intentionally connect people to Jesus. We ask that questions you might have be presubmitted by emailing carolyn@forumchristian.org so that we can tightly answer questions you might have.

· Our Annual Church Picnic will be October 5th at Twin Lakes Park. We are asking families to bring a couple of dishes to share. Meat and drinks will be provided. We will meet at 4 p.m. and the meal will be served at 5 p.m.

· There will be a Men of Impact Retreat on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18. Watch for more details. The theme is “Staying on the Right Path.” Cost for the weekend is $15.

Truly looking forward to encountering God with you this Sunday -- Scott

e-news for week of 8/31 -9/6

We start a new sermon series this Sunday called, “Gone Fishing.” There’s a lot of fun and adventure when one goes fishing – luring the fish, hooking the fish, trying to think like a fish, and the exhilaration of reeling one in. Christ, the master of metaphor, calls us to fish for men. As we head into this spring, let me encourage you to be on purpose and on mission when it comes to this aspect of God’s purpose for your life.

Over my lifetime I’ve heard catchphrases like, “Each one reach one” and “If everyone wins one person and they in turn reach one person, then the whole world will know Jesus.” And while I agree with the sentiment and while it is true – being purposeful about reaching people with the message of Jesus is not about catchy clichés or well worded sentiment. It starts when you simply walk across a room and meet someone new and get to know them. It happens when you look someone who you love dearly in their eyes and let them know you love them and that you pray for them. It happens when, by your service and lifestyle, you demonstrate Christ in your home to your children or perhaps a spouse who is not a believer.

Let me continue to remind you that on November 9 we will have a special offering and time of commitment that is to be over and above your regular tithes and offerings that will go toward the second campus. In order for us to do this with excellence, we need to raise $150,000 over and above our regular giving. My encouragement to all of us is to make some personal sacrifices and give from those sacrifices. We put out a brochure that we handed out a couple of weeks ago about where God has led us in terms of our efforts to “fish” Columbia. Trust me when I say it is far from “fished out.” God truly wants us to reach people – and I’m on board – hope you are too.

Here are some of the upcoming events that I’d encourage you to get involved in:

Elder and Deacon nominations are due this Sunday. Nomination forms are available at the Information Center.

· Fall children and youth programs are in full swing. Pre-K through 5th grade will start off with a Kickball Camp this Sunday night at 5:30 and will have another session next Sunday, the 14th. Jr. High “Synergy Sundays” begins this Sunday, Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in room 211. High School “Synergy” happens on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the FLC.

· If you still haven’t become part of a Life Group, please contact Ted Mountjoy. This is a great way to form some lifetime relationships.

· September 21st Ben Merold – one of the all time legends where church growth and preaching are concerned will be preaching in all three of our services. The Harvester Christian Church that he ministered to entered into a multi-site ministry several years ago. Should be a great time of challenge.

· Girlfriends Bible Study will begin on Tuesday, September 23 at 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. or Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. There will also be a MOMs (Mothers of Miracles) group that will meet on Tuesdays from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. beginning September 30.

· A Forum Forum on October 2nd will be a gathering in the middle of the week for information sharing. It’ll happen in the auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

· Our Annual Church Picnic will be October 5th at Twin Lakes Park. We’ll fill you in on the details soon.

· There will be a Men of Impact Retreat on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18. Watch for more details.

See you Sunday -- Scott

e-news for week of 8/24 - 8/30

As we honored the life of Tom Mitchell this week, I realized more and more how important this Sunday's message is because it is a message of hope, promise, and the future. I am happy that Forum stands firm on God's word, that we are not wishy washy about the things of God, and that we take assurance from the promises of God. That's faith.

I hope that both on a personal level and a congregational level we cultivate and grow great faith. Great faith looks at the event of death and knows without doubt that the person is with the Lord. Great faith sacrifices time, talents, and treasure to accomplish what God calls us to do. Great faith leaps without seeing the outcome. Great faith follows in spite of all the mental exercises that we put ourselves through. The writer of Hebrews would remind us: Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1) How about you? Are you striving to look at God? To see His promises? To trust Him at His word? To live by faith, not by sight? I hope so.

Here's some of the upcoming fall ministry that is occurring, let me encourage you to utilize everything you can and grow in following God.

· Fall program kick offs are just around the corner. High School “Synergy” began last Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in the FLC and Jr. High “Synergy Sundays” begin Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in room 211.

· If you still haven’t become part of a Life Group, please contact Ted Mountjoy. Those will be in full swing within the next couple .

· September 21st Ben Merold – one of the all time legends where church growth and preaching are concerned will be preaching in all three of our services. The Harvester Christian Church that he ministered to entered into a multi-site ministry several years ago. Should be a great time of challenge.

· Girlfriends Bible Study will begin on Tuesday, September 23 at 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. or Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. There will also be a MOMs (Mothers of Miracles) group that will meet on Tuesdays from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. beginning September 30.

· A Forum Forum on October 2nd will be a gathering in the middle of the week for information sharing. It’ll happen in the auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

· Our Annual Church Picnic will be October 5th at Twin Lakes Park. We’ll fill you in on the details soon.

· There will be a Men of Impact Retreat on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18. Watch for more details.

God is doing great things within our ministry, let me encourage you to keep elevating and striving to become like Jesus. -- Scott

e-news for week of 8/17 - 8/23

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.

I love the great Big Truths of the word, don’t you?

The conversation went something like this:

“I don’t know how people who don’t have any faith or hope can make it through times like these…”

“I don’t either. If there is no God, it’s a pretty cold universe dictated by cold, hard math yet filled with random events which have no meaning.”

Pretty stark, yet from a bottom line standpoint without God, that is the reality.

This Sunday we will focus in on hope and the one who defines hope. In every “Behind the Music” scenario there is often an attempted comeback. We are going to look at the comeback of the ages and what it means for us. Bottom line – we are going to focus on our hope in Jesus. God is our hope and our strength. In You, oh Lord, I put my trust. I turn my eyes to the hills from whence my hope comes – my hope comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.

As I write this, quite frankly I’m pretty bummed out in that one of the rock solid men of our church, one who has served in great ways within this body – namely, Tom Mitchell – is having very serious physical trouble right now. Tom had a very serious stroke last night and medically speaking, he’s not doing well. I would encourage all of you to pray for Tom and Melody and the family as they go through this together. Their faith and hope rest securely in the Lord and it is to the Lord that we turn. Won’t you please pray for them now?

Here are some of the ministry opportunities on the horizon:

· This Sunday morning at 9:30 and 11:00 the people who went on the Mexico Mission Trip will present a recap of their trip in the FLC. Everyone is welcome.

· Fall program kick offs are just around the corner. High School “Synergy” begins Wednesday, August 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the FLC and Jr. High “Synergy Sundays” begin Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. in room 211.

· If you still haven’t become part of a Life Group, please contact Ted Mountjoy. Those will be in full swing within the next month.

· September 21st Ben Merold – one of the all time legends where church growth and preaching are concerned will be preaching in all three of our services. The Harvester Christian Church that he ministered to entered into a multi-site ministry several years ago. Should be a great time of challenge.

· Girlfriends Bible Study will begin on Tuesday, September 23 at 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. or Wednesday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. There will also be a MOMs (Mothers of Miracles) group that will meet on Tuesdays from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m. beginning September 30.

· A Forum Forum on October 2nd will be a gathering in the middle of the week for information sharing. It’ll happen in the auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

· Our Annual Church Picnic will be October 5th at Twin Lakes Park. We’ll fill you in on the details soon.

· There will be a Men of Impact Retreat on Friday and Saturday, October 17 and 18. Watch for more details.

Let’s keep trying to intentionally connect people to Jesus – he’s the hope of the world and all people need the hope found in him. Can’t wait to worship with you this Sunday. -- Scott

e-news for week of 8/10 - 8/16

Intentionally connecting people to Jesus. I now say it in my sleep. I examine my day to day routine through it. I try and order my schedule around that phrase. Forum, this is our driving impetus. I recently read an observation that described all that occurs in heaven: worship, love, a state of perfection and peace, genuine community, new bodies, and more than our words can describe. The reality is: one thing that is no longer an option in heaven is leading someone who doesn’t know Jesus to him. Last week you were given an informational brochure entitled, “I. C.” that lays out some of the details about a focused and aggressive plan to strive to intentionally connect people to Jesus and impact Columbia. If you didn’t get one of those, please pick one up this Sunday.

Toward this end, I recently sent letters to over 70 of my personal friends in churches that I’ve served asking them for prayer primarily. By the time I’m done with the letters we will have sent those out to nearly 150 families who are kingdom minded. We are already getting a lot of response to this. Other people in God’s kingdom are going to be on their knees daily for this effort. Some of them are expressing the desire to help Forum financially toward this end. Primarily I wanted prayer warriors both within and outside of Forum to be praying for us. I do want to challenge each family within Forum to begin to pray about a sacrificial gift over and above your normal tithe to go toward this effort. Melody and I are committed to this effort and if every family were to give sacrificially as we have chosen to do, the entire effort would be fully financed many times over. That’s simply me communicating that I believe this is a God thing and that we need to hop on board. I firmly believe that when God is leading a ministry in a specific direction you are to join God where He is working/leading. That’s the type of thing that led my family to Forum, the type of thing that led Jared here, the type of thing that led…. (the list could go on and on) Let me encourage you to make this a significant part of your prayer life as well as asking the Lord what He would have you to do fiscally and service wise toward this effort. I love serving the Lord here with you and can’t wait to see how the answered prayers unfold as we see more people intentionally connected to Jesus.

Here’s some of what’s happening on the forefront:

· Fall program kick offs are just around the corner. So watch the web site and your bulletin for specific dates and times.

· If you still haven’t become part of a Life Group, please contact Ted Mountjoy. Those will be in full swing within the next month.

· September 21st Ben Merold – one of the all time legends where church growth and preaching are concerned will be preaching in all three of our services. The Harvester Christian Church that he ministered to entered into a multi-site ministry several years ago. Should be a great time of challenge.

· A Forum Forum on October 2nd will be a gathering in the middle of the week for information sharing. It’ll happen in the auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

· Our Annual Church Picnic will be October 5th at Twin Lakes Park. We’ll fill you in on the details soon.

· Katelyn still needs help with the 4th and 5th grade class at 11:00. She has two Sundays a month that are open. Would you be willing to help out one or both of those Sundays? If so, please contact Katelyn.

e-news for week of 8/3 - 8/9

Thanks for the volume of feedback connected to the sermon this past weekend. I’m stoked about this Sunday’s sermon in that I believe this weekend could be one of those great catalyst times for us as a body to grow and gain vision. We need everyone to prioritize being here this weekend if you can make it. We’ll be giving out some of the important information connected to the launch of a second campus for 2009 this weekend. The sermon arises out of 1 Corinthians 12 and deals with all of us working together within the body. Should be a great encounter with God and what He wants us to do. Here are some important dates for this effort:

September 21st Ben Merold – one of the all time legends where church growth and preaching are concerned will be preaching in all three of our services. The Harvester Christian Church that he ministered to entered into a multi-site ministry several years ago. Should be a great time of challenge.

A Forum Forum on October 2nd will be a gathering in the middle of the week for information sharing. It’ll happen in the auditorium from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

November 9th will be a day of sacrificial giving and commitment for this effort. The goal of this effort will be an additional $150,000 in sacrificial giving over and above regular offerings and commitments. Let me go ahead and encourage you to start praying about what you can do financially toward this effort. You’ll hear more about this as we continue to roll out the plan.

I need a huge prayer favor: We would like to have one church service (all three services under one roof at one moment) this fall. We have petitioned the Columbia Public Schools specifically for Rock Bridge High School and we are not getting a response. This would be of great benefit for a lot of reasons:

1. Each of us tends to think of Forum as the church size of the service we attend. I think everyone would be greatly surprised at the impact Forum has.

2. It will help all of us to get a perspective of what the multi-site worship experience would feel like.

3. I also think if we choose to have this “one day” type of event it would be a great time to invite friends to experience the whole Forum family.

Please make this a prayer priority.

Couple of things:

1. Outdoor workday this Saturday starting at 6:00 a.m. Bring your work gloves. Many hands make light work.

2. Brice Wurdeman will be here this Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center. He will be speaking to the combined adult classes about his work with Sonlight Ministries in Haiti.

3. Next Sunday, August 17, Show-Me Christian Youth Home will be here to present their program at 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium. That is also when the back-to-school gifts will be given to the children.

See you this Sunday -- Scott

e-news for week of 7/27 - 8/2

Hope you are having a great summer! I was reading through our deacons’ report and couldn’t help but notice the level of excitement and dedication that those men have for the Lord and what God is doing here at Forum. As a church, we are truly having a blessed summer. Thanks for the response you’ve given connected to the “”Behind the Music” series. I think God has us on a great growing curve and I truly want to lift up Jesus to you every week. Hope you are connecting with Him.

I don’t like to use this weekly e-mailer for housekeeping for us. I truly resist this for a lot of reasons and only do it when I deem it necessary. We are at one of those necessary crossroads as a church.

As a ministry, God desires us to intentionally connect people to Jesus. Frankly, I hope we are a church of thousands of children before we are a body of thousands of adults. Children are a whole lot more pliable and moldable. As a church, we want to have excellent ministry for our children – and I’m sure we all agree on that. We’ve recently added an exceptional young woman named Katelyn Morris to our team as the director of our children’s ministries. We are in need of people to teach during our 9:30 hour in some of our children’s areas starting in September. I have zero doubt that God is going to prompt people within Forum to fill these vital areas of ministry. Listed below are the current needs. Katelyn is brand new on our staff and I truly desire her to have a relatively stress free experience – so please give her a call and explore what you can do to help.

If you are new to Forum, we want to invite you to "Pizza with the Pastors" this Sunday night at 5 p.m. in room 104/106. This is a time to learn more about Forum and to ask any questions that you might have. Childcare is provided. -- Scott

9:30
Sunday School Teachers
Term: September 2008 – August 2009

2nd Grade -- All four Sundays

4th Grade -- First and Third Sundays

Please see Katelyn to fill these vacancies.
Thank you!

e-news for week of 7/20 - 7/27

It was good to be with you last week as we continued our Behind the Music sermon series. This week, Scott will be back in town and will teach from 1 Corinthians chapter 3. If you get the chance, I encourage you to read this text before the Sunday service. The message will deal with building as a master builder versus building a foundation that is haphazard. Scott will also take time to address some common questions regarding the upcoming multi-site.

I hope you all weathered the storm from earlier this week without too much difficulty. The church was hit pretty hard by all of the lightning — computers, light dimmers, and some other equipment were all hit during the storm. There was a point this week when we were seriously considering having church by candlelight. A special thanks to all of those who did in fact get us back up and running — all will be as normal. And yet, even with the electric and air conditioning back on, I think we were all reminded that regardless of what electric power we do or don’t have, God’s power remains the same. -- Jared

e-news for week of 7/13 - 7/19

Hey Gang,

I truly hope you are having a great summer! As a church, we are having a stellar summer in so many ways. God is working all over the place in so many lives - I just wish I had space to talk about it all. I feel like the gospel writer John where he says something like, "If all the things that Jesus did were written in a book, all the books in the world couldn't contain it all." God continues to change lives, to elevate us as a church, and to put in front of us a great vision to intentionally connect people to Jesus.

I've had several lunches here lately with people that are new to Forum - people talking about being baptized, joining, etc. and there is an across the board excitement of what God is doing, how He is impacting their lives, and what a great church Forum is.

I also want thank you for the great feedback from last Sunday's sermon. This series is soooooo important for a lot of reasons. The biggest reason is that as a church we must have both high commitment, high capacity, and high unity in order to truly pull off what God has put in front of us to impact Columbia. I think God has a great fall out in front of us with a bunch of fun and joy along the road coupled with great challenge. I'm personally up for the ride, how about you?

I also want to comment about the way God has brought together a really fun and servant hearted staff. I'm writing at 12:07 a.m. on Thursday night after having served at a 5,6 grade week of camp with Jody Riley - our Junior High minister, my daughter Natasha, Justin Keith - our Senior High minister, DJ Pittman, Diana Grayson, and Dave Holtgraeve. It was a blast - mainly because Jody - who was the dean - put together a great week. It's great to see our staff in action - they are a great team.

This Sunday we continue in the "Behind the Music" series (BTW - the video this past Sunday was just toooo funny - shout out to Justin Keith for that) with a message titled, "The backstage pass." Do you realize the access you have with the Lord? Do you realize the power that is at work in your life? Do you understand the capacity and potential at work in your life? I hope Sunday you'll get a deeper glimpse and a spiritual boost.

Continue to see God working. Scott

e-news for week of 7/6 - 7/12

Thanks for all the great feedback connected to the iLife series. I hope the Lord is central in your life – that you are building on the rock and that you are applying His words to your life. I’ve seen a lot of growth and excitement in so many lives. God’s word does that. The word of God is life. Jesus is the word and as a church we truly want to intentionally connect people to Jesus.

We start into a new study series that will deal with body life in God’s church. God designed His church to function as a living, vibrant body. The church is the hope of the world. When you function within the church as you are designed, the church grows and thrives, the world is touched, and God is honored. This series will focus in on a church that works the way God designed it to work rather than a church of dysfunction. We’ll be the 1 Corinthians for this series. The Corinthians had a lot of issues – the bulk of them stemming from body life issues connected to unity and division. The motif will be the VH1 “Behind the music” where, at times, things may look good “on stage” but backstage “things were falling apart.” As a church, we are going to learn from these early struggles and mature in Christ. Ultimately, we want to be 1 Corinthians 13 kind of Christians.

This series is vitally important to comprehend as we get ready to move toward the ministry expansion through the use of multi-site models. You’ll be hearing a lot of information about multi-site over the next several months. The concepts from the sermon series are a must learn/apply for our body.

Be in serious prayer about the impact God would have us to make in Columbia. There are some elements even for this fall that we want to try that will only occur if we are praying for open doors and opportunities.

We’ve been having a great summer and I thank you as a church body for continuing to be so faithful. We’ve been blessed with a super team of staff as well as a great body of believers. You share your faith, you invite friends, you serve others around you, and you are honoring God with your lives. You are one of those beautiful churches that God designed. I can’t wait to worship with you this Sunday. Scott

e-news for week of 6/29 - 7/5

Scott is out of town this week attending the North American Christian Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio. I spoke to him briefly yesterday long enough for him to detail the tremendous quality of speakers and workshops that he had attended thus far. The rest of the staff and I look forward to his return to get the full scoop on what he has gleaned over this past week.

In the update for this week, I would simply like to echo what Scott said last week when highlighting the many positive elements at play right now at Forum.

We continue to receive feedback from many of you, detailing that the study on the Sermon on the Mount has been healthy on both individual and corporate levels. There is great beauty and potential for us as a congregation when we truly allow Jesus’ words to play out in our daily lives.

I hope that you will be able to come out this week as Scott will be back to teach and wrap up the iLife sermon series. The focus this week will touch on what it truly means to live an integrated and holistic life.

It has been a great summer in regards to our kids of all ages. From VBS, multiple weeks of church camp, mission trips, special events, and retreats, we have taken seriously the task of investing in the future leaders of the church. We could not be more thrilled by the stories of deepened spiritual commitment and growth. Additionally, we are so blessed to have Katelyn and Tyler serving at Forum. They
are both extremely talented, and we look forward to all that they will do to heighten Forum as a faith community.

I ask that you continue to pray that God works through each of us at Forum to impact and make a difference in Columbia.

Ladies, remember that the Mother/Daughter Girlfriends Night is next Friday, July 11th at 6:00 p.m. here at the church. Dinner is $10 for adults and $5 for kids 9 and under. The title is “Motherhood Unending” by Judy Ann Mumford, PhD. (Craft room will be available for the little girls.)Please register this Sunday at the Information Center or call the church office no later than Tuesday, July 8th. Call Penny Holtgraewe or e-mail davidholtgraewe@centurytel.net with any questions.

Day Camp for K & 1st grade will be Saturday, July 12th. See Katelyn if you still need to register.

Hope to see you this Sunday!

— Jared

e-news for week of 6/22 - 6/28

This past Sunday's message seemed to resonate with a lot of you. I
appreciate the feedback - but know that most of all my weekly goal is
to help all of us to connect with God. As a ministry we are all about
intentionally connecting people to Jesus. This iLife series coming out
of the Sermon on the Mount has helped all of us center on one of the
premier blocks of Jesus' manifesto for our lives.

I want to compliment our youth ministry for an outstanding week
coupling with Cookson Hills Christian Children's Home. We've receive
great feedback from students, sponsors, and Cookson as well. It's great
to hear of a group of willing teens and sponsors who sacrifice a week
of their summer to go and serve.

And speaking of mission trips, there's a group from Forum heading down
to Ninos de Mexico which is just outside of Mexico City to work and
serve. Let's keep them in prayer as they are getting ready to leave in
the next couple of weeks.

I also want to highlight Katelyn Morris, our new children's director,
and her husband Tyler as they are transitioning into Forum. Although
they've been with us for only a short time, they have dived in and are
doing great. I feel that one of my primary roles within our ministry is
to manage expectations. (Let me be ultra and hyper clear on this point
- no one has said one negative word to me in any way shape or form)
This is Katelyn's first children's ministry position and as a church we
are going to give her the latitude to learn, to try new things, to grow
into the role of vision caster and we are going to nurture her in great
fashion. She's a wonderful addition to our staff and I see nothing but
a great future as she continues to both learn and settle in. I'm hoping
that some of you within the ministry are inviting them into your homes
or to lunch to get to know you and your children. I am hoping that you
are praying for her in this role. I am hoping that you are praying for
our children to just thrive.

This Sunday we'll be talking about the iPath that Christ puts in front
of us. I would encourage you to invite anybody you know that struggles
with sin to this weeks message (which pretty much means anyone and
everyone). They'll thank you for it. This message has the potential to
elevate people's lives to new heights - I'm hoping I can grab hold and
apply these great truths for life in a new and deeper manner.

Can't wait to worship with you this Sunday. See you then, Scott

e-news for week of 6/15 - 6/21

I’m excited about this weekend and our worship together. We are going to look at a very, very familiar scripture but I think you are going to see it in the fuller context maybe even for the first time. The central text is, “Judge not or you will be judged…” When applied, this passage has the capacity to help elevate your life, attitude, relationships, and most of all – your primary relationship with God.

One of the constant themes I purposefully keep in front of us is that we continually see God working. N.T. Wright wrote about Jesus, “Wherever he went, people were excited because they believed that God was on the move, that a new rescue operation was in the air, that things were going to be put right.” That’s what is going on here at Forum. God is on the move. God is transforming people. The living kingdom of God is unfolding and we are God’s agents put into place to reveal this kingdom.

Over the past several weeks, we have partnered with God in a lot of ways:

· Vacation Bible school took place ministering to hundreds of children who got to experience the Bible in a hands on, experiential kind of way. One of the nights I sat down at one of the tables and listened to both the teachers and the students interact with one another in a way that demonstrated the depth of learning that was taking place.

· Our teens are working at Cookson Hills children’s ranch in Kansas, Oklahoma. I look forward to hearing about how God used our teens there.

· Those who serve in behind the scenes ways such as taking care of the grounds, communion preparation, serving in the nursery, or the children’s classrooms, etc. continue to do so for the glory of God. They strive for excellence because that reflects the nature of God.

· Prayer and funding continue to be ongoing toward the launch of the second campus on March 1, 2009 with plans and details being put together so as to best help all to understand what the Lord has placed in front of us.

Let me be transparently honest here – when it comes to the multi-site approach to impacting Columbia, I wish I could just get in a time machine and fast forward a year or two or three down the road to see the results. I’m an American which equates, “I want it now.” This has been an emerging vision for nearly two years within my heart. On the front end of the emerging vision, I kept it between myself and the Lord. As events, learning curves, exposure, and opportunities culminated and confirmed – I began to share the vision with the rest of the elders and our staff. Friends, building consensus, momentum, unity, and then the willingness to take leaps of faith – especially in a “volunteer” entity (no one makes us come to Forum – we are all here by choice) that is a 50 plus year old ministry is something only God can do. Which leads me to the big truth for this update: this is God’s work – God is on the move – this is something new He is orchestrating and as impatient as I might personally be to launch, to get things up and running, to see the outcome – we all need to have the maturity, the patience, and the unity to understand that the process that God takes us through is God’s work as well. This process will shape Forum in new levels of purposefulness, aggressiveness for lost people, deepening people, coaching and training people, in leadership development, the leadership thought, and most of all, in our faith. Come fall – you will hear a lot about all of this – it will be our organizing force ramping up to March 09. Right now here is what you can do:

1. Pray

2. Be praying about an amount to give toward this effort that will come at the end of October or early November.

3. Be praying about roles you might be able to serve in either at the current campus or the campus on the north end of town (children’s ministry, worship, preparation team, grounds readiness, etc.)

4. Keep the elders and staff encouraged and lifted up.

Here are some upcoming envents where you can connect with God and people:

We still would like to have volunteers who would like to work at the Show-Me Games. If we can get at least 12 volunteers, they will put our name on the back of the shirts. Call the office, pick up a registration form at the Information Center, or you can register online at smsg.org.

This Saturday, June 21st, is Men of IMPACT here at the church. It all begins at 7:45 a.m. with breakfast and will end around 11:00 a.m. Bill Penkethman with High Quest Ministries will be the speaker for the morning.

If you haven’t registered your kids for camp, there’s still time. See Katelyn for registration forms.

Can't wait to worship with you men this Saturday morning and the whole body on Sunday. See you then, Scott

e-news for week of 6/8 - 6/14

It’s really been a great week around the Forum campus this week! Kids have had a chance to explore, in a hands-on way, the city of Jerusalem. Kids have baked bread, made crafts, petted animals, visited the apothecary shop, gone to synagogue, learned memory verses, sang worship songs, and a whole lot more – all the while interacting with all of the story tellers and learning the Bible in a hands-on kind of way. It’s been a great joy to see. It’s one of those things that I wish every parent and child could have been here to experience. I truly want to thank Jessie Spellman and Pam Tamerius for putting together a world-class event for our kids.

The offering for the week is going toward the multi-site expansion of the ministry of Forum. Just in a nutshell, let me give you a quick update: the second campus is targeted to start on March 1, 2009. There is a team of people who are working on finding and securing a site on the northern end of town where the campus will meet. We will have an over and above sacrificial giving effort this fall that will go toward funding this aggressive step to intentionally connect people to Jesus. There will be a brochure coming out in the very near future that will address some of the questions you might have. In the fall, we will have an intense time of focus, prayer, mobilization, training for those who are moved to serve at the new campus, and – hopefully –one great worship opportunity where all of the nearly 1200 members of Forum can gather under one roof at one moment.

I realize and know that is a lot of information – people continue to ask me – what is the best thing I can do right now? Very simply – you can pray. I don’t mean that tritely. This is a God sized project that I believe God has led us toward. I believe this is one step toward making a significant kingdom of God impact in Columbia. I was telling our staff – right now the key is for all of us, as a staff, as a body, as leaders, etc. to strive to “peak” at the right time. If we peak too early – when it comes time for the launch we’ll be all ready to go in the middle of winter with the launch 3 months away. If we dawdle, lag, and foot drag – it’ll be March of 2009 and we’ll not be fully prepared. Our simple prayer needs to be: God, we want to be in step with you – not out in front of you, not lagging behind, but Lord – may we be in step, in synch with You.

Let’s keep our teens in prayer as they are doing a mission trip with Cookson Hills children’s home down in Kansas, OK. They leave out on Monday. There are weeks of church camp upcoming as well that you can still involve your children in.
I would also highlight the Men of Impact gathering this next Saturday, June 21 – the time on it is: 7:45 a.m. to around 11:00 a.m. Bill Pinkerton will be the speaker for the morning. We are truly striving to have men who are intentional about the spiritual leadership roles God has called them to within our homes, our community, and within our church.

This Sunday is Father’s Day, and we’ll tune in with Christ in Matthew 6. This sermon has the potential to alter your life in a deep and profound way. There will be a gift for all dads. We’ll be in the part of the Sermon on the Mount that is commonly called, “The Lord’s Prayer.” I know you ‘know’ it, but do you KNOW it? It’s one of those profoundly simple and revolutionary teachings of Jesus. I’m very much expecting great things this Sunday – can’t wait to see you then, Scott

e-news for week of 6/1 - 6/7

I know that I don’t speak for every family in Columbia, but I will speak for the Sutherlands when I say, “We’re so glad school is out for summer.” With that comes a lot of options for kids and teenagers in terms of summer activities. It also means time for vacations and time at the lake for some families.

Let me give you some summer tips we’ve learned over the years from people and ministers who know a lot more than us, so this is passed on wisdom:

1. Select summer events to best help your kids to grow both spiritually as well as in their skills. For example – soccer, baseball, football, band camps are all great for refining skills – church camp, VBS, Christ in Youth are all great for deepening your kids spiritually. Speaking of which – FCA is having an evening sports camp for elementary kids that Katelyn has brochures on if you are interested.

2. Prioritize church. Even if away from home, make time for worship and connection with God.

3. When on vacation, let me encourage you to keep your tithe at your home church. I heard Adrian Rodgers preach on this and I walked away having learned of both responsibility and the blessing of faithfulness.

4. With the kids having more time on their hands at home, use this time to give them spiritual challenges and assignments – give them additional memory work.
These are just a few tips to help your family maximize their time this summer.

We’ve got a volunteer opportunity that is coming up. The Show-Me games are coming up and as a church we are going to be MUCH MORE intentional about community connectedness. We were notified by the Chamber of Commerce that the games are seeking volunteers. Here’s the cool part – if we provide 12 or more workers for the games – they will print their t-shirts with our logo on them. Bonus. I’m looking forward to helping with this event. If you’d be willing to give some time to this event – please e-mail Carolyn at Carolyn@forumchristian.org and we’ll help get you connected to this great community event.

We’ve got VBS kicking off this week and I’m so glad we’ve got three outstanding ladies in Pam, Jessie, and now Katelyn here to lead our volunteers and our children. I was asked specifically to pray for good weather to which I replied, “You’d better ask somebody else – I’ve been praying about good weather for 7 months.” This VBS is an outdoor encounter of biblical proportions – so please join me in prayer for good weather.

Don’t forget that this Sunday is a make up day for family pictures for the new church directory. Just stop by in the Family Life Center and there will be someone help you with the process. We want to have as many of the Forum family in the new directory as possible.

Worship last Sunday was stellar! Everything just seemed to click. It’s almost mystical when that happens and I’m glad to be a part of a church where it does happen. I will say once again that we will truly miss the Rodgers family as they move to College Station, Texas. This week we continue in the iLife series with a message called, “My Space” in which we’ll explore the importance of being more concerned with our inner life than our outer life. Once again, Christ will drive you to examine your heart which is a great thing. I can’t wait – hope you’re here. Scott

e-news for week of 5/25 - 5/31

“Wow!” That’s what I thought as I drove onto Forum’s beautiful campus this morning. I took a moment to thank God for all He is doing here. I thanked him for the group of people who serve to take care of our facility and grounds. I thanked God for those that serve the youth and children of this community. I thanked Him for the new mercies and hope that comes fresh every day.

I reread through my updates over the past couple of weeks and I realized that I had omitted some of the “Wow “God stuff. It’s been great to see Eric Ahlander, Jessica Miller, and Darcy Maynes being baptized. I also want to welcome Paul and Naomi McGowan to Forum. God continues to work in a great way here.

Last week I started laying out some of the multisite information. Here’s a status update:

· An advance team has been formed to scout out and find a location for the second campus.

· $1500 dollars has come in toward this effort.

· We are currently working on a brochure that will lay out the vision, the strategy, financial plan and challenge, and some of what will occur in the fall toward getting us ready as a body for this great adventure and leap of faith.

Let me be historically clear on this point: this is a leap of faith. Frankly, God rewards faith. His historic pattern (did you notice I used the word a second time – that was intentional) is to bless those who take leaps of faith. Let me just remind you of this reality – Moses, Abraham, Jacob, Daniel, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, Mary, (did you notice that I separated Peter, Paul, and Mary with Barnabas?), the woman that touched the fringe of Jesus’ clothes, and so many others – all lived by faith and took leaps of faith. It was the nay-sayer, the complainer, and the spiritually obstinate that God swallowed by earthquake, doused by flood, and really warns against. Now, I’m not implying that if you have questions or anything of that nature that you are evil and that you aren’t living by faith. Not the case at all. We’ve all got question marks with this venture– myself included. My encouragement for all of us is to be willing to be stretched out by God in faith and see how He uses those leaps of faith. Friends, faith is fun because you center so much on God – you find out how incredibly faithful He is when you trust Him, and you are in a true partnership with Him where He is the majority share holder calling the shots. Just something to think about as we strive to intentionally connect people to Jesus.

This week you’ll get to meet Katelyn Morris, our new children’s director. She’s great. She and Tyler moved here on Wednesday. Jody, Jared, and I pulled up at their house just in time to see the last items being carried into the house. The scripture, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice” came to my heart and mind. Talk about God’s timing being perfect. Anyway, I look forward to you getting to meet her this Sunday. She’s going to have a great ministry here.

I can’t wait to worship with you this Sunday. We’ll continue in the iLife series zoning in on “Authenticity codes.” Christ is driving all of us toward being real through and through – like Him. His words and Spirit are driving my heart and life in new ways this year. It’s been so deep, intentional, and personal that it’s hard to articulate. This Sunday – you’ll be stretched. See you then! Scott

e-news for week of 5/18 - 5/24

As people and as followers of Jesus, somewhere along the way we really got off track in our ability to process information in the best manner. We often buy into either/or thinking rather than both/and thought processes. I was reading one of my primary thought shapers this morning – namely Francis Schaeffer – and he reminded me of a primary truth (true truth as he would call it) - the reality that there are no lines of distinction between secular and sacred – that everything connected to our lives is spiritual. You cannot remove the spirit (human or God’s) from any event. Thus things so “mundane” as chopping wood or a family meal are acts of the spirit and a force of the will. At the core of who we are, mind, heart, and soul define us. Having Christ at the center of all of life is the key to having an integrated life. This week we continue in the iLife series. I want to thank so many of you for the engaging conversations we’ve had coming out of this sermon series. I can tell the Sermon on the Mount is coming alive and reshaping your inner life. For that, I praise the Lord. This week we are focusing on “Intel Inside.” The radical heart reshaping that Jesus promotes in what we are looking at Sunday can truly liberate you. Friends, I’ve moved in and out of being able to have my heart in this type of alignment throughout my life. Bottom line for me: I want to have heart, mind, and soul fully yielded to AND following God. I know you do too. I know this message is going to touch us all in some very specific ways.

Overheard in the office:

“We need a trailer to haul a donkey with for VBS.” VBS is going to rock this year!

“We just had someone else decide to be baptized this Sunday!” Excellent.

“We’ve already had money coming in for the multisite.” Come on people, we’ve really not announced that very much yet and some are giving already?!? You all are awesome! (Actually the God who made you in His image, remade you in His image through Christ, and is the creator of the universe is awesome – you all are just striving to be like Him.)

I’ve been doing a spiritual formation class for some young men on Wednesday nights and I was so pleased that a couple of them brought friends to this Bible study. Way to shine your light. A simple invitation for someone to come to church is a great way to be salt and light.

Katelyn Morris, our new children’s director, and her husband Tyler are moving here on Wednesday of next week. We’re so glad to have them arriving. Pam and Jessie have done a stellar job during this in between time period and I thank God they are part of Forum. Your kids are just going to love Katelyn. If you would be willing to help unload them next Wednesday afternoon or if you would be willing to provide some meals over the first several days – if you would – simply e-mail Carolyn at carolyn@forumchristian.org.

Parents, don’t forget that camp season is upon us. If you have not yet registered your child for a week of camp, see Pam, Jody, or call the church office for a registration form.

Also, we're still asking you to preregister for VBS. This helps Pam and Jessie greatly as they determine how many supplies they need for the week.

See you Sunday. Scott

e-news for week of 5/11 - 5/17

So I’m at life group last night and we are engaged in a great dialogue and teaching – talking about mercy, grace, forgiveness, etc. and though we didn’t walk out of there comprehending all of it (at least me) it just made my heart so glad that I’m part of a church that truly wants to connect people to Jesus and to his word. Most of us as a staff just got back from a two day advance planning retreat – most of which dealt with multisite and the planning, vision, and administration of this exciting venture. Anyway, someone in our life group asked how it went and how things are going at church in my opinion. It was nice to say, “I think God is doing great things here…and it’s nice to say that without feeling like I’m putting on ‘spin.’” And I mean that. God is at work in so many ways. Give you one specific instance: Katelyn Morris starts as our new children’s director June 1. We’ve prayed, she’s prayed, etc. They were a little concerned about money, finances, etc. paring down to just her income because Tyler and she were willing to move not knowing where and when he would be able to get employment. Praise God – the company he works for is transferring him here – isn’t that cool? God is good, eh?

Having mentioned about multisite, it’s time for me to start laying out some of the overall framework for this missional decision:

1. The leadership has set a target date of March 1, 2009 for the launch date of the second campus.

2. We are praying about space for us north/northeast.

3. An advance team is being formed that will be scouting out, praying, and determining the optimum location.

4. Over the next month, a brochure will come out that will put in front of all of us some of the specific details connected to the new site.

5. We will need to raise, through sacrificial giving, $150,000 in order for this launch to get off the ground in the best fashion. The brochure will lay out both the vision, why this is great stewardship, and how the money will be used for this second site. We will set aside a specified Sunday in November to collect this offering. A designated account is being set up now that is outside of our regular budget for this effort. Over the next month, we’ll tell you exactly how to give to this effort when God lays it on your heart. As a family, we’re praying about what God would have us to sacrificially give to this worthy effort – and though we’ll have 2 in college this fall – we are praying about several thousand dollars as a couple and what the kids give will be theirs to decide.

6. We will have a push for additional workers in ever area of ministry in the fall as well.

7. At some point in the fall, we’ll set up a Sunday night or a Wednesday night for worship and a time of information and addressing any questions you might have (although I’m having 8-10 conversations about this a month right now – people who are excited to get on board and do something even more significant in the name of the Lord).

Frankly, the last 2.5 years have really been a sprint for us and for Forum. Change + Growth + Challenge = Fun! I hope you are having fun – I know I am. I’m in a really privileged position to hear first hand people’s stories of life change and transformation that is going on.

Some upcoming events:

This Sunday, May 18th, we will be honoring our high school seniors during 3rd service.

Sunday, June 1st, after 3rd service the Youth will be serving a spaghetti dinner in the Family Life Center. This dinner is to raise funds for their summer mission trip. All proceeds from the dinner will be used to offset expenses for their trip to Cookson Hills Children’s Home in Oklahoma.

Sunday, June 1st at 6:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center there will be a Vacation Bible School meeting for all volunteers. VBS is coming soon, June 9th – 13th. If you haven’t yet registered your children for this fun learning experience you can do so on Sunday, or call the church office, or register online at www.forumchristian.org.

Please join us for the “30 Days of Prayer” for this year’s Vacation Bible School. We are asking you to pray for 3 specific areas: 1) Finances, 2) Weather, & 3) Impact.

Within the next couple of weeks we will give those who haven’t yet had their picture taken the opportunity to get that done. Watch your bulletin for the date.

Looking forward to seeing you this Sunday. Scott

e-news for week of 5/4 - 5/10

“Ministry is a lot like surfing. You paddle hard to catch the wave of energy and momentum God created. You stay focused on it and ride it. Then you wait for God to create the next wave so you can get on (the) board again.” That was told to me by a friend and mentor in ministry. Frankly, this spring has been a fun wave to ride and I expect the next wave of summer to be excellent as well.

We start a new series this week called, “iLife.” This new series deals with Christ’s ability to help our lives come together. Over the next several weeks, we will dive into the largest single teaching block we have from Jesus in Matthew 5-7 commonly called “The Sermon on the Mount.” The “i” represents “integrated.” We need lives that are integrated – whole – together. Lives out of balance, out of focus, and out of bounds create “dis-integration” or, in other words – life starts coming apart.

I’m thankful for all of our staff – but I’m especially proud of Jessie Spellman and Pam Tamerius as they’ve led our children’s ministry as we’ve searched for our new director. They’ve helped our students to excel in so many ways. I especially thank Jessie in that during all this – she and Steven gave birth to Lillie – baby number 4 for them. Jessie and Pam have put together a great VBS that is going to help your child to experience Bible times. We’re also looking forward to Katelyn Morris joining us in just a few weeks. I’m thankful God has a generation of great young people who excel and want to know Christ. I’m thankful we’ve got young people who serve God through choirs, through service, and in their schools. It all starts in our nursery and builds from there. As ever we’ve got volunteer staffing needs – that is always ongoing. If you are willing to serve – why don’t you take a moment and e-mail Jessie at Jessie@ForumChristian.org.

This Sunday, we’ll have a baby dedication Sunday in which we’ll pray for children and their parents as they strive to raise their children knowing the Lord.

Here are some upcoming events to be aware of:

Starting on May 13th, please join us for "30 Days of Prayer." Take time to pray daily for our VBS. Here are some specific needs:

1. Finances - pray that we can be good stewards of what God has given and that we can cover all costs within budget.

2. Weather - all of VBS will be outside this year, please pray for great weather.

3. Impact - that our Forum family reaches out to our community, invites our neighbors and friends and that each family that attends comes away with a stronger connection to their Lord and Savior.

If you can help in an additional way - behind the scenes in organization, financially, or by serving throughout the week - please let Pam or Jessie know, 443-3900.

On May 18th we will honor our High School Seniors during 3rd service.

Looking forward to what God has in store for us next, aren’t you? I look forward to worshiping with you this Sunday. Scott