Valley Church

It seems like just last week that we were studying 1 Peter 3:8, Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. The days of us needing to hear these words from God are far from over. Satan has done all he can to divide and discourage the church in the last 15 months and he hasn’t stopped. Peter is describing what God’s family does we pull together, especially when we’re being challenged and tested. We’re in a new serie...Continue reading

"What comes to mind when you think of 'family reunions'?" I’ll never forget the first time I met Valorie’s family. I don’t mean her mom and dad and sisters. I mean the WHOLE bunch. You see I grew up in a small family. I didn’t know my grandparents, my dad is an only child, my mom has one sister living in another state. I’ve seen my four cousins maybe half a dozen times in my life. But Valorie’s dad is one of five kids, most of whom live in the same area in Canada, along with ...all their kids and grandkids. The first time I got invited into a family gathering it felt like a three-ring circus! I realized I was surround by over 30 people who I was now related to by virtue of marriage. It was overwhelming and wonderful all at the same time! Last Sunday we finished 1 Peter where we learned how to live as foreigners and exiles in a hostile and threatening world. But this summer we’re focusing on the warmth and welcome of the family of God in the book of Ephesians. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household Ephesians 2:19. God uses family terms over and over again to describe the church. We’ll talk about why family is so important, how to get into the family, how to get along with the family, and how to expand the family. And speaking of warmth and welcome, please allow me to invite you to our first INDOOR in-person service at 10:45 am on June 20th. We are eagerly anticipating hearing news from the government on Wednesday about even more relaxed requirements for public gatherings and planning to worship together. We expect that we will have no room capacity restrictions, social distancing requirements, or be required to sign up again ahead of time! Hallelujah! We DO expect that we’ll still be required to wear masks indoors for now. Our Children’s Ministries continues to welcome all kids Preschool through Fifth Grade. High School and Middle School ministries are meeting in person at 9:30 am starting Sunday June 20th as well. For those who wish to continue to meet outdoors, we will have an outdoor option at 10:45 am. Please continue to bring your own chair or blanket, but you do not need to register ahead of time. For this Sunday, June 13, we still have one more Church on the Grass outdoor worship service at 10:45 am. Bring your own lawn chair and/or blanket. You can register with this link: https://valleychurch.ccbchurch.com//forms/364/responses/new. You can also register via this webpage: http://valleychurch.org/v/church-on-the-grass/. Please read through the instructions on safety before you attend. If you are unable to join the outdoor service, please attend one of our two online options. Just visit valleychurch.org and click on the colorful join us online banner. Together in Christ, Kurt

Dear friends, For 5 months we have been "journeying together" through 1 Peter. This Sunday our study will end but your life journey as well as mine will continue! When we take a journey or go on vacation it is wise to prepare! Peter was encouraging and exhorting believers in the 1st century to prepare for even more suffering than they were currently experiencing. In fact, his first exhortation to those aliens, pilgrims and sojourners who were scattered in Asia Minor was to: P...repare their minds for action! Keep sober in spirit and to take things seriously! Fix their hope completely on the grace of God! Peter ends his letter by exhorting them to, Stand firm on the true grace of God. (5:12) Peter speaks with authority because he had experienced God’s grace from the day he was called and through his many failures. I think we can all identity. At least I know I can. My title for Sunday is, Are you poised for the rest of your journey? I do hope that you will join us this Sunday for church on the grass or online. We are planning on returning indoors on June 20th but will continue outside as well. Please read chapter 5 in 1 Peter again before Sunday or better yet read the entire book. It will only take you 15-20 minutes. Church on the Grass Our Church on the Grass outdoor worship service is this Sunday, June 6 at 10:45 AM. Bring your own lawn chair and/or blanket. You can register with this link: https://valleychurch.ccbchurch.com//forms/361/responses/new. You can also register via this webpage: http://valleychurch.org/v/church-on-the-grass/. Please read through the instructions on safety before you attend. If you are unable to join the outdoor service, please attend one of our two online options. Just visit valleychurch.org and click on the colorful join us online banner. Men's Breakfast And, Brothers, don’t forget that we’re having a Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, June 12, from 8 AM - 10:00 AM. Neil Mammen is speaking. Register online: https://valleychurch.ccbchurch.com//forms/351/responses/new. Men's Bowling & Pizza Then on Saturday, June 19, at 2:30 pm, men are invited for bowling at Homestead Bowl and pizza after. Cost is $25 (includes bowling, shoes, pizza and drinks.) For high school age and older. To sign up, contact [email protected]. Rejoicing in hope, Glen

"On the Prowl" How would you like to hear a news report that two tigers had killed a man and were prowling around your neighborhood? That’s exactly what happened this past Tuesday, May 25 in Shanghai, China. CBS News reports a zoo staff member was feeding the big cats when they got loose and mauled the man who later died in hospital. Local residents of the area were evacuated as authorities launched a search for the tigers. If that happened here, I imagine most of us would go...Continue reading

"A big mistake and a present for new people" Hey Family, We hope to see you on the grass this Sunday or online if that’s best for you.... Last week I gave you Hostess Cupcakes at the end of the service. But now after studying this week’s passage I realize that that was a terrible mistake! : ) Badbadbad I’ll explain why on Sunday as we explore a pearl of a passage, as Kurt described it. Here I am throwing the leftover box in the TRASH. It’s also Pentecost Sunday, when we remember how King Jesus sent the Spirit down and fused us into a family and a team to take the gospel to all the people everywhere. Let’s be that Spirit-united family and worship our one-in-three God. There is one body (that’s us) and one Spiritone God (Eph. 4:4-6). Lots of preparations are being made for our various services I’m just checking out the 9 AM Q-sheet now. Sharon will do lyrics. Sam and Dave will play brass instruments. Bill will do sound. Peter will record. Dennis will work the camera. Dave and Diane will play organ and piano. Doumer will lead and Daniel will produce the whole thing. And look, at 10:45 PM Doumer will lead. John and Paula will play. Frank will read Scripture and Jared will pray. Liz did a fine little water color on the back of the notes to illustrate one of our verses. Thanks, Liz, for using your artistic gift! And look, there’s YOUR NAME on the Q-sheet! It say: worshiper of God and encourager of others. Now you know what you’re slotted to do on Sunday. : ) Please bring a friend and come up and introduce us after the service. I have a free book that relates to the message that I want to give him or her, regardless of their faith background. I’ve read this book many times over the last thirty years and it never fails to put my heart at rest. Friendship in Real Life for Women Sisters, don’t forget about Friendship In Real Life this Saturday, May 22, from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM at Valley Church. Our guest speaker, Liz Ditty, will be speaking on the theme of friendship. No childcare provided. All covid protocols followed by Valley Church on Sundays will be in place. Register online at tinyurl.com/23fweru6. Men's Breakfast And, Brothers, don’t forget that we’re having a Men’s Breakfast on Saturday, June 12, from 8 AM - 10:00 AM. Neil Mammen is speaking. Register online: .https://valleychurch.ccbchurch.com//forms/351/responses/new Church on the Grass Our Church on the Grass outdoor worship service is this Sunday, May 23 at 10:45 AM. Bring your own lawn chair and/or blanket. You can register with this link: https://valleychurch.ccbchurch.com//forms/355/responses/new . You can also register via this webpage. Please read through the instructions on safety before you attend. If you are unable to join the outdoor service, please attend one of our two online options. Just visit valleychurch.org and click on the colorful join us online banner. Blessings, Darren

"You Take The Cake" Hi Family, Let’s celebrate this Sunday on the grass (or online) and sing to God, learn and see each other....Continue reading

Call the Doctor! Dear Valley Church family, On Tuesday Valorie and I were at a live gathering of some of our elders, pastors and spouses. It was so good to be together again for our Fifth Tuesday fellowship, since we had missed several due to the shelter in place regulations. With outdoor gatherings of up to 60 approved by the county, we had a nice time with a little cornhole game, picnic lunches, and lots of catching up.... Most of us are pretty tuned in to the danger of infection, but some of us to different levels than others. Take a trip down the supermarket aisle and observe what happens when there isn’t a six foot clearance between you and the person coming your way. Just how close to the canned foods do you need to get for them to feel comfortable going past you? Have you ever been anxious about someone sneezing in your direction in the snack food aisle? Or a cough among the coffee beans? In Matthew 9:9-13 Jesus uses the analogy of a doctor coming to heal sick people to reinforce his teaching about his identity. Unlike the other encounters of Jesus that we’ve studied so far, no miracle or spectacular event happens -- just one tax collector gets transformed from the inside out. But what Jesus shows us about his love and care for sinners like Levi (as well as you and me) is nothing less than mind boggling. Compared to the proud and popular Pharisees who avoided being contaminated by the hoi polloi, Jesus joyfully hob nobs with sinners -- the dregs, the downcast, and the despised. Wherever you are on the sensitivity scale for infection, Jesus wants us to be like him: careful, but caring, involved and aware. Join us this weekend at valleychurch.org and click on the colorful Join us online banner. Or you can come for our THREE Church on the Grass services this Sunday morning. (Notice the new times!) Don’t forget to bring your own blanket or lawn chairs! For 8:30 AM TRADITIONAL click HERE -------------------------------- For 9:45 AM CONTEMPORARY click HERE -------------------------------- For 11:00 AM CONTEMPORARY click HERE So please RSVP ASAP. We can have up to 60 people at each of these services. Choose which event you wish to register for by using one of the links above. REMEMBER: There’s plenty of room so don’t hold back. If one service is full, try another. If all are full, please register to be waitlisted by completing this WAITLIST FORM. Also, Bev Carter’s memorial service will be this Saturday at 10:30 am at Valley Church. If you are interested in attending, please contact [email protected]. Blessings, Kurt

Got any major demolition on your to do list today? For several summers during my college years I worked for a contractor. My primary responsibilities included carrying wood and clean up, but my favorite part of the job was demolition. I’d walk into a bedroom or bathroom and get to tear it down to the studs. Using a sledgehammer and a Sawzall, tiles, drywall, doors, windows, light fixtures, and bathtubs all came out. I didn’t know how to put it all back together again, but ...it was pretty easy to make a huge mess ripping it apart. In Matthew 9:1-8 the dust was flying when four guys started tearing the roof off Peter’s house. But these guys weren’t contractors, they were just doing anything they could do to get their paralytic friend to Jesus. Although I’m sure it upset Peter, you have to admire the dedication and creativity of their love for their friend! But there’s a bigger story going on here. Jesus used this situation to demonstrate his identity and authority as the Lord of salvation. He tears the roof off the preconceived limitations of his audience in the day, and he wants to do the same for us today. Join us online here or come for our live outdoor services. For 9:00 AM click HERE. For 10:45 AM click HERE Let me also remind you about the prayer gathering we have on Sunday night. Join us to call out to God for his work on our hearts, in our church, and in our needy world. Email [email protected] for Zoom meeting info. Have a great weekend! See you on Sunday! In Christ, Kurt

All Aboard! In 1936 the Queen Mary was the largest, fastest, and most luxurious ocean liner ever built. She was unsurpassed, with the furnishing of the finest hotels, beauty salons, air conditioning, two indoor swimming pools, and telephone connectivity to anywhere in the world. But in World War Two, because of her record-breaking size and speed, she was retrofitted as an Allied troop carrier. Furniture, paintings, pianos and everything else not needed for war was removed. Ev...ery available space was stuffed with hammocks and cots to accommodate soldiers. Ten bunks were put in the space of one luxury cabin. Where fine china and linen tablecloths were, there were now tin plates and cups, all for the cause of winning the war. Renamed the Grey Ghost, in July 1943, she carried 15,740 soldiers and 943 crew (total 16,683), a standing record for the most passengers ever transported on one vessel. Adolf Hitler was so infuriated by her that he offered $250,000 and the Iron Cross medal to any U-boat captain who could sink her. By 1946, the Grey Ghost had carried a total of 765,429 military personnel toward the war. Unfortunately, many people today have been told or have come to believe that following Jesus is a luxury cruise. Who wouldn’t be interested in a trip of comfort, prosperity, and ease to a pleasant destination? How many problems arise when these expectations aren’t met? John Piper put it this way: "Prayer is the war-time walkie-talkie for the mission of the church as it advances against the powers of darkness and unbelief. It is not surprising that prayer malfunctions when we try to make it a domestic intercom to call upstairs for more comforts in the den." In this incomplete view, God becomes a cosmic butler whose job it is to make us feel good. Requirements of sacrifice, destinations of danger, or orders that involve deprivations seem inconvenient and unnecessary. Who does Jesus think he is to ask us to do these things? In Matthew 8:18 to 22 Jesus TEACHES and TESTS his disciples on the seashore. They are about to get into a boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. He lets them know this will be no luxury cruise. Jesus reinforces his authority, not just over sickness as he did earlier, but over those who follow him his disciples! He wanted them and he wants us to know what it will cost us to follow him. Join us on the journey this Sunday! Click here to watch online or click here to sign up for our LIVE services outdoors on campus at 9 am, 10:45 am, or 5 pm. In all of these services we’ll be studying Matt. 8:18-22. Remember that the Men’s Breakfast is coming up September 19th from 8-10am. Cost is $10. Send Thomas an email ([email protected]) if you aren’t on his mailing list - limited to the first 60 men onboard. All Covid19 protocols will be observed. Have a blessed day and I hope to see you this Sunday either LIVE or online! In Christ, Kurt Add to Your Post

Valley Church Covid 19 Update August 20, 2020 Dear Friends,...Continue reading

Dearly beloved, In March of 1996 I was holding my dad’s hand in our bedroom surrounded by 2 of my sisters, Patty, Kelley, and Glen when he took his last breath on planet earth. It was a painful separation from the father who I had known and loved for 53 years. He was suddenly gone! Unfortunately, thousands of people are taking their last breath because of COVID 19 every day around the world over 700,000 have now died! I do not know what the last couple of hours or the last...Continue reading

Watching for Wolves-- When is the last time you googled something? if you are like most people, you probably consult the internet search engine numerous times every day. In fact, in 2019 Google received over 63,000 searches per second on any given day. That translates into 3.8 million searches per minute, 228 million searches per hour, 5.6 billion searches per day, and at least 2 trillion searches per year, Most of us remember the days when we actually had to go and look thin...gs up! But the American Dialect Society chose the verb google as the "most useful word of 2002" and it was added to the Oxford English Dictionary on June 15, 2006. Recently I heard of a parent explaining that they were actually older than Google (not to be confused with a googol which refers to the number 10100). To which the child replied, No way! (Google launched in 1998 by the way.) So why is it so popular? It’s because you can find the solution to a problem you can’t solve, and the answer to a question you can’t figure out, and most importantly, you can BUY the product you want, or think you want. Not only that, but Google’s search algorithm learns from users’ web activities and gives them MORE and MORE of what they want! Jesus warned his people to beware of false teachers. He said, Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matt 10:16) He knew there would always be people in the world who were pushing products, agendas, and ideologies. Regardless of the technology, it’s been that way since Adam and Eve. Jesus warned His people about getting drawn away from God’s narrow way and into worldly paths. In Matthew 7:15 to 20 Jesus equips his people to be able to evaluate the options and make wise choices. Read chapter 7 again to see how Jesus is preparing His people for a world filled with beautiful truth as well as deceptive error. God knew His people would need that skill whether dealing with idolatrous neighbors, enslaving enemies, unscrupulous charlatans, corrupt politicians, dishonest hucksters, or just honestly deceived folks looking for answers. If you don’t believe me just google it! In Christ, Kurt Jones P.S. By the way, we are having a great discussion on Sunday nights at 7 pm on the topic of racial reconciliation. We’re discussing Dr. George Yancey’s book Beyond Racial Gridlock chapters 2 through 5, but you are welcome to join us even if you haven’t read it. Email me for the Zoom details [email protected] See more