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Doug's Weekly Words

Nov. 9th, 2009

In This E-mail
Doug's Weekly Reflection
Blest2Bless Thoughts
Weekly Update
Preparing for Sunday
Shout Out
Prayers

Joining the Conspiracy-
Hopefully by now you have seen the Advent Conspiracy that we have showing at church.  Here is link if you have missed it-
http://www.adventconspiracy.org/

Or the 2008 version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

This is a big deal for our church community.  Basically we are encouraging everyone in church to make this holiday season more simple by focusing on Jesus.  The four movements of this conspiracy are awesome: Worship Fully, Spend Less, Give More, and Love All.  Here is the specific way we hope to do this.  Everyone in our congregation is encouraged to spend less on Christmas the season, and then take the money that wasn't spent and give it away.  We will be collecting money the 4th Sunday of Advent and then the first Sunday of Christmas for clean water through the ministry Living Water International, http://www.water.cc/.  I have attached the bulletin insert that we handing out on Sunday to give a full version of the vision. 

So let us begin to take this serious- the only way we can do this well is through good planning and preparation. 

First off we need to be serious about doing this- don't look at the catalogs, stay off the web sites, don't listen to the commercials, and at all costs avoid the mall.  OK I do that anyway, but it is a good reminder.

Second- tell your community what you are planning to do so they are not suprised.  The challenge is if they are not interested in being a part of the conspiracy.  There are some ways to enter in early to this challenge.  One is to pass the vision on to your community and your desire to this.  Another idea is to seek to downplay the gift giving by picking names and only having one person to give to.  Another idea is to encourage those who want to give to you that if they need to the best thing would be to offer gifts to the charity of your choice.

Third- Look at what you spend money on during the holidays and seeks to reduce it.  Look at all the different aspects of the holidays and look for places to ruthlessly cut out expenditures.

Fourth- Now plan in more relational giving into your schedule.  Figure out how to give move of yourself while spending less.  Plan on making gifts and giving time.

Fifth- Plan in different types of worship into your holiday.  Go to large worship experiences, but also work on individual worship and small group worship.  Look for more and more place to open yourself to the miracle of Christmas.

Sixth- Join us in giving.  Write those checks on the final Sunday of Advent (Dec. 20th) to Living Waters International.  How exciting to think that a small change in our own holiday tradition could result in health overseas.

In His Joy, Joy, Joy,

Doug B.

Whatcom Middle School Blessing...
Many of us have been deeply affected by the fire at Whatcom Middle School.  We are working on a way for our church to give money so that the teachers who lost all their curriculum could replace some resources in their classroom.  Come on Sunday ready to be able to bless Whatcom Middle School Teachers.

Blest2Bless-BlestLife Practice- Simplify your house this week.  Take a bag and rid your house of one bag of give-away stuff and one bag of trash.

Blest2Bless-One up Your Giving, come on Sunday ready to write an extra check for Whatcom Middle School teachers.