The practice of many churches is to simply take a missions “offering” during an annual missions week as their way of supporting the Great Commission.   We believe that receiving “pledges” is a better way – because it’s not just about what you might be able to afford to give at a specific time.  Rather, it’s about what we are willing to trust the Lord to provide for us to give over the course of a year.  This takes individuals and families into a journey of faith and ongoing connection with missions. Our belief that God desires to fuel the Great Commission turns this into an experience of seeing Him do unexpected things through our own lives/families. In Faith Promise giving: The faith is yours; the promise is that God Himself will provide for HIS Great Commission!  If for some reason, you were not to see that provision in the pledge year, then you are not responsible to fully meet that pledge.  So hey – you can’t lose! But the Kingdom of God can really win! And so can your heart for missions. Faith Promise Giving is in addition to the tithe. It is separate, specific pledge to see the Lord provide for world missions.

We urge you to take a Missions Faith Promise pledge card and fill out an amount to trust the Lord to provide for foreign missions through you and your family.  We urge you to step out in faith – go for it!  Finally, it’s not even the “amount” that  is most important,  as much as full participation in world missions by everyone.  Faith Promise! Come join with the rest of us on this Great Commission journey.

Click here for ALL information about the festival!

New topics begin February 29!

Join us each Wednesday for Midweek @ Highlands! The dinner line opens at 5:00 p.m., Children and Youth are dismissed to their classes at 5:45 and Adult studies begin at 6:30. All activities conclude by 7:30 p.m. New topics beginning February 29 include:

Maximize Your Money – Joseph Wheat in Room 210. “God wants us to be stewards of all He is given and maximize their effectiveness and God-glorifying capacity.  Money is one of the greatest tests/opportunities that the Lord gives us.  How we view and use our money reveals what our hearts are actually like.  Jesus put it this way: ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ This study will look at the meaning of money and how to manage it well from a Biblical perspective.  Your teacher will be utilizing his economics degree as much as his seminary degree in teaching this six week course!”

Songs for the Road: The Psalms as a Guide to Growth - Brad Mercer in Room 301. “In my years of pastoral ministry I have found no greater guide to growth than the Psalms.  Why?  The Psalms address virtually every experience we have in life, and they turn those experiences into prayers—prayers to be sung in worship.  Are you struggling with a dry spiritual life?  No sense of God’s presence?  Difficult personal relationships?  Anxiety about your future?  Physical pain?  Loneliness?  Read the Psalms!  You will find direction and comfort, and in the process you will learn how to pray and how to worship.  Our goal for this course will be to learn how to read the Psalms for the purpose of getting to the heart of what it means to be a daily disciple of Jesus Christ.”

Show Yourself a Man!  How Fathers Train Their Sons to be Men of God - Wilson Shirley in Room 211. ”In 1 Kings 2:1-4 we find perhaps some of the most pointed biblical instruction from a father to a son.  This instruction is summarized by a simple yet profound statement:  show yourself a man! We live in a day and age where there is much confusion about biblical manhood.  God has given the charge to fathers to train their sons to be Men of God.  In this class we will look at what it means to train our sons (and grandsons) to be mighty men of God.  This class is for dads and grand-dads with sons and grand-sons of all ages.  Join me as we learn what it means to build men. ”

The Superiority of Christ & the Book of Hebrews - Josh Drake in Room 212. “No book in the Bible speaks more to the superiority of Christ, in his person and work, than Hebrews.  Displaying the greatness and glory of Christ over Angels, Moses, & the priesthood Hebrews sketches a magisterial portrait of our Lord. Come explore the book of Hebrews, gaze upon the wonderful portrait of our Savior, and understand why we must heed the call to hold fast in persevering faith.”

All studies meet at the church. You don’t have to sign up, just come!

from Laura Shirley – Family Crafts for Thanksgiving and Christmas:

Please pray about joining us this Spring Break as we head back to the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington state.

Click here for more info!