Dear Friends in Christ,

One of the joys of being a minister is that I not only get to see a bird's-eye view of life within the body of Christ Community Church, but I also often get to see the details of what Christ is doing in our midst.

The Lord is at work! Let me share a handful of opportunities with you, opportunities for you to witness the Lord's work and, in some cases, share in it.

This Sunday night, we will hear a report from our team that recently traveled to Haiti to serve for a week at the Mission of Hope Orphanage. Plan to eat a Haitian rice-and-beans supper with us at 6 p.m. and then stay for a time to hear and see how the Lord worked during this trip through both the "goers" and the "senders" in our congregation.

One of the hallmarks of the church of Jesus Christ in the book of Acts and throughout history is that we help our own. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Galatians, "As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." Friends, we have opportunity! With these trying economic times adding to the usual difficulties of life in a fallen world, there are several in our midst who have need. Though I cannot speak in specifics concerning these brothers and sisters, let me assure you that they have significant needs that cry out for our merciful attention. Would you be willing to pray about what the Lord would ask you to set aside financially as an offering to help those among us who have need? If so led, please make a check payable to "Christ Community Church" and note "Benevolence" on the memo line. You may place it in the offering plate this Sunday during worship or mail it to the church to the attention of our treasurer. Your leaders will continue to disburse funds on an as-needed basis, acting wisely and redemptively on your behalf as we have done in the past.

The Session will be meeting on Monday night for its regular monthly meeting. Among other things, we will be reviewing the financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011, which will show that our level of giving has exceeded our expenses, leaving us with a surplus for the year. We should all give praise to the Lord for that.

We began our new fiscal year July 1, and our treasurer popped into my study earlier today to remind me that the new year includes some areas where we agreed in our budget to increase funding. This month, support to our three foreign missionary families will increase, and we will begin our support of James Dickson's work to plant a church in Trussville, Alabama (in the greater Birmingham area). As you know, when a congregation votes to approve a budget, we implicitly state that we intend to fund it, so we thank you in advance for doing just that: giving faithfully and sacrificially to the Lord and to the work entrusted to us.

Please continue to pray for our property sale. Factors such as our current market and economy, dealing with potential buyers who are part of large organizations, and working through various local ordinances make moving property such as ours a slow process. Still, we remember that God's timing is always perfect. He's never late; His arm is not short. And even as we continue to trust the Lord to bring this property sale to a conclusion according to His wise providence, He bids us to keep asking Him for our hearts' desire-that good news will soon be ours.

This Sunday I will be preaching from Mark 14:22-25, where Jesus, in the midst of sharing the Passover with His disciples, institutes the Lord's Supper. He puts before the disciples His impending death, and in so doing He puts before us His atoning sacrifice that God accepted as full payment for our sins. Appropriately and in the Lord's timing it is our congregation's Sunday to celebrate the Lord's Supper, so we will both hear the Word of God on the subject of Communion and see the Word of God as we participate together in the meal.

I look forward to this Lord's Day, as we together worship our Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ

Your pastor,

Bryan