Category Archives: NJ Church

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Every Life Counts

It’s been 4 weeks since 217church announced our partnership with Urban Promise in Trenton.  Every day through the after school program, young lives are being impacted by Jesus.  My heart is elated about our partnership!  The success of the next generation will measure the level of our success.  We must be all about feeding, equipping and providing for the spiritual needs of the next generation.

Urban Promise Trenton is committed to providing Spiritual Development, Life Skills, Academic tutoring, and Leadership Development rooted in Christian values. They provide caring tutors and mentors who develop meaningful relationships with children and teens that help them to excel in school and their community. Children and teens who take part in our program learn how to avoid the pressures they face in their community by being a leader and making healthy choices.  They receive one on one or small group tutoring daily as well as work with Christian mentors that they can look up to.

Read this story from my friend Carl Clark, the Director of Urban Promise Trenton. Together we are providing basic needs, proving EVERY LIFE COUNTS!

“Tell the next generation that this is God”  Psalm 48:13

“Often times our children go hungry.  As we approached Thanksgiving, it occurred to me that we could help fill this need.  We can provide a healthy meal for these children that might not otherwise have one.  Recently Barry, an eight year old in our program, came in my office and said, “Mr. Carl, can I have another snack?” I replied, “You already had two snacks. You must be hungry.” Barry replied, “I am. My uncle doesn’t cook.”  I filled his backpack with snacks and immediately began researching ways we could provide not just snacks but also dinner for the children.  It made me think, “If my child was hungry and couldn’t eat, would someone help?”  Hunger is a problem that we have to proactively fight.”

Many times providing spiritual food means you must provide physical food first.  It is a privilege to walk alongside Carl and I know your generous prayer and gifts are making a difference.  EVERY LIFE COUNTS!

Give Here to the Next Generation Vision

e-mail kevin@217church.com to serve in the Urban Promise after school program

 

Appalling Facts about Hunger and Homelessness

A survey of 29 major American cities (including Trenton, NJ) that comprise the taskforce on hunger and homelessness, found that 86% of those cities reported a rise in emergency food demand by an average of 15%. Across the survey cities, over a quarter (27%) of the people needing emergency food assistance did not receive it. None of the cities forecast a decrease in emergency food demand and nearly all of the cities (93%) expect demand for emergency food to continue to rise. Unemployment led the list of causes of hunger, followed by poverty, low wages, and high housing costs. The study was conducted September 2010 through August 2011.

U.S. Conference of Mayors, “Hunger and Homelessness Survey-”, December 2011

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Keep on Pursuing

My son Titus has a new hobby, collecting baseball cards.  Over the last few months a day has not gone by when he has not talked about his new favorite hobby.  He is living, eating, and breathing baseball.  Statistics, rookie cards, hall of fame induction dates…If this keeps up, in a few years, Titus will be a walking baseball encyclopedia.  Something happened and I’m not sure what it was, but ever since the day he received his first cards, the boy won’t stop asking for more.  It doesn’t matter where we are: Vacation, Target, heck we could be in the car in the middle of the desert and Titus sooner or later would ask me, “When are we going to get more cards?”  At first it annoyed me, but now, it just reminds me that my son is intensely pursuing a vision.  To know everything possible he can about baseball and to acquire as many cards as possible.  He is PURSUING me relentlessly for MORE CARDS!  I mean really, it is quite amazing.

Titus’ latest acquisition / Jim Rice 1975 Topps Rookie Card

If there is one thing I need to hear and sense on a daily basis, it is that God Is Pursuing Me.  He is always trying to communicate with me, always trying to help me see things from His perspective and always willing to listen to where my heart is.  He is constantly asking me to take more risk, change something and come alongside Him in what He is doing.  As a matter of fact, my biggest fear is that I would lose touch on how to listen to God. 

His faithfulness to us is NOT dependent on our faithfulness to Him.

When you feel helpless and even like God has given up on you, try this…

  • Wait on the Lord – STOP!  Wait!  You have to calm down and realize that your timeline is not God’s timeline and it won’t be.  Stop freaking out!  The closer you get to God the more you learn to be faithful in the little things and will wait for him to do the work in the big things.  Learn the discipline of sacrificing short term instant gratification for long term gain.  There is something to be said for waiting a VERY long time for something. Don’t fall into the trap of saying, “God hasn’t moved YET, so it must not be His will.”  maybe God is saying “NOT YET”  GOD IS PURSUING YOU!
  • Hope in the Lord – I have seen so many young pastors, leaders give up on ministry, their families and their calling.  They live with this idea that they have to be in control and after a while they lose hope!  Things are probably not going to go your way 100% of the time!  But don’t lose hope.  This scripture once got me through a time of despair and doubt:  Isaiah 40:29-31
  • Seek the Lord – Don’t stop asking!  Be persistent and beg God for His plan for your life to come to it’s full fruition.  This means you will probably have to listen like you have never listened before.  Cut out the distraction, think like you haven’t thought before and lean on His understanding. Go ALL-IN with GOD!  Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”

This Sunday 217church is all about a God who is faithful and PURSUES US! (Lamentations 3:21-23) Even when we absolutely ruin our lives and deviate drastically from his plan for our lives, HE STILL PURSUES US!  This is crazy, I would have given up on me by now, but God hasn’t and He won’t.  He won’t give up on me, His church and His plan for humanity.  If we pursued God like Titus is pursuing baseball, wow! We would be closer to His heart for us!

Today, live in the reality GOD IS PURSUING US…

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A Year of Progress

As we come to the end of the school year, I want to take this opportunity and just say a HUGE Thank you to my church for an amazing year.  You truly have been “The church for people who aren’t here yet restoring lives one person at a time!” Here is a brief synopsis of what has happened among us over these past two years…

  •   Total Baptisms: 115
  •   Avg weekly attendance: 370 people
  •   Total given to 217church vision in 2012: $300,789.11
  •   Total Small groups: 20 strong in 12 different townships!

girl power / serving together

So Where do we go from here?

This summer we will be studying through the book of Lamentations, a book often overlooked and dismissed.  We will see how God can turn our despair into hope.  Don’t miss June 24th, the first week of this series, as we will have a special gift for each person.  Here are the topics:

  •   June 24th – A Desolate City / Blueprint Class 1:30-3:00 pm
  •   July 1st – A Sorrowful People
  •   July 8th – A Faithful God
  •   July 15th -A Fresh Vision
  •   July 22nd -A Desperate Prayer / Combined Baptism with Element Church!

…SAVE this date…DO NOT MISS SEPTEMBER 23, 2012  We will Unveil BIG NEWS about new additional 217church worship services in another township!

217kids Camp August 7-9

Our kids camp is always a highlight of our summer as community kids come together and have an incredible time of fun and learning about loving God and loving others.  This year’s theme is “Heroes.”  If you want to serve, or are ready to sign up contact arlynet@217church.com.  Here is what you can expect at 217kids camp:

  •   Awesome fun and games
  •   Great teaching from the bible
  •   An Interactive learning experience
  •   Adults who are all about kids

217youth summer events

The summer schedule is set and more than ever Pastor Kevin and the middle and high school team is ready to rock the house!  Here are the key dates for the summer!  Any questions, contact kevin@217church.com.

  • June 29th- All Youth Belmar Beach Day
  • July 11th- High School Bowling/Laser Tag Night
  • July 13th- Middle School Bowling/Laser Tag Night
  • July 18th- All Youth Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Trip
  • July 27th- All Youth Seaside Beach Trip
  • August 8th- High School Pool Party At John Snee’s
  • August 10th- Middle School Pool Party At Jennifer D’Mauro’s
  • August 17th- All Youth Belmar Beach Day
  • August 24th- All Youth Fun Plex

This next season is going to be incredible and I can’t wait to see the fruit of it all…

Josh

 

 

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It’s Been Out Of Control

One thing is for sure, 217church knows how to PARTY!  On June 3, 2012 we are going to have our BIGGEST CELEBRATION WEEKEND EVER! Two rockin’ worship services 10 am & 11:30 am followed by a HUGE Party with lunch and Baptisms at 1:00pm at 329 Edgebrook Rd in Robbinsville. (Here is a map to the party)  It’s milestones like this in the life of a church you don’t want to miss! If you miss this, it’s your fault!

One More Restored

“Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control….” (Hebrews 2:8 ESV)

When we are OUT of control and he is IN control, this is the sweet spot of following Jesus.  It isn’t always comfortable and most of the time it isn’t easy, but truly following Jesus and subjecting ourselves to Him gives us a fully restored life.  This is what we celebrate!  What has been out of CONTROL??

  • Your Enthusiasm – Every week in the theater, on facebook, in small groups at community events you have been 100% behind the vision.  When you put your and effort into following Jesus it allows him to move freely in your life!  This has been so encouraging and it has made “Live Differently” by far our deepest impacting series ever.
  • Your Initiative – When it comes to your health and your discipline, so many of you have lost weight, are making better health and diet choices, and are exercising!  You are glorifying God with your bodies and this is an act of worship!  Romans 12:1
  • Your Giving- One small group, when they found out a need of a woman in the community, pulled together and gave $250 in groceries.  As a church we gave over $11,000 to single moms struggling to make ends meet.  I could go on and on, but you get the point.  You are a church that gets it.  Giving is a heart condition and the transformation is literally happening among us.

I love being out of control. There is nothing quite like depending on God!  The next 3 weeks will be incredible together and I can’t wait!

  • May 27th – The Restored Life
  • June 3 – Live Differently Celebration
  • June 10th – Vision Weekend

Let’s do this!

Josh

 

 

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A New Chapter for 217church

This Sunday we launch a 2nd service and double our impact! 10 am & 11:30 am.

  • We have been on a wild ride together. 74 baptisms, 81 weekend services, thousands of meals provided, You are an amazing church family! This weekend is one HUGE party. Here are some things you need to know…
  • SLEEP IN ☺ If you don’t know which service to come to, choose 11:30am.
    You will get to say “I was there!” We will have special giveaways ONLY at the 11:30 service.
  • It is ALL STILL about Jesus and bringing people to him. Because of this 2nd service more people will meet Jesus! Watch this video for a refresher: http://vimeo.com/25114405
  • It’s TIME TO SERVE! We ask people to Once a month serve on a team. Every Sunday is an amazing opportunity. Greeters, ushers, café, worship, parking are some of our teams. You can, JOIN A TEAM this weekend. E-mail Dan directly here: dan@217church.com.
  • 217church is about our stories! We are a family. Here is how one family member’s life was changed because you served: http://vimeo.com/25011085

This Sunday marks a brand new chapter in our history We will never be the same. Invite a friend and let’s maximize this growth opportunity together.

See you Sunday, I can’t wait!

Josh

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Earthquake? This is Jersey…

While the table at a restaurant trembled mildly, I looked out the window and watched cars sway back and forth.  After riding out my first ever earthquake today, I stood outside for a second looking around and I thought to myself…

I experienced a tiny sliver of the quake.  My experience was so local.  This quake literally spanned thousands of square miles and as one small corner of the globe shook for maybe a minute, all I could see was what was local. But this quake was HUGE!

As opposed to go the typical route and warn of coming gloom & doom and the end times (as I ALWAYS see on blogs when something like this happens) What if all, and I mean ALL, Christ followers prayed for a seismic shift in the spiritual direction of our nation? It takes a move of God to start a revival and some willing revolutionaries to be willing to carry it out.  I know, I know, more talk about Jesus from Josh.  What did you expect?  The Holy Spirit at work in us would create some serious momentum for the Kingdom.

God is big New Jersey, if you doubted his power and control, you might want to rethink that one…

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Motivation! – Day 58 of 75 Days

Scripture Read:  Psalm 115, 116

Key Verse:  Psalm 115:1

“Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.”

Observation:

The glory and praise does not belong to us.

Application:

How is it that a fledgling church can see such incredible growth? Because of the amazing vision of it’s staff? Because of the dedication of it’s leadership team? Because of the phenomenal co-workers who come early each weekend to set up and serve? Because of the allure and aroma of fresh coffee? Is it because of 98 signs in the parking lot, an adorably energetic bear, and a bright, cheerful children’s area from which giggles and songs echo down the hallway? Maybe the generosity of a congregation that cares about kids who need school supplies?

All of that would simply be empty activity, void of meaning and purpose without the one we do it all for. Josh!? Heck no! He would be the first to bench me if he thought my motivation was to please him. And we would not see the blessing we have experienced if we were doing it just because the pastor said so. It is because we do all of this planning and preparation for the purpose of pleasing our God that we have been so blessed. We deserve none of the praise. People are renewed and restored, lives are rebuilt, healing is found – not because we pray, but because we pray to the giver of life – the one whose steadfast love and faithfulness made all of this possible.

Prayer:

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory. May your church always be a place for those who are not here yet. We are here so that they too can know your love and faithfulness. Bless what is to come because we do it for you and give you all the glory! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3EBPeXVx0I

By Bonnie 217staff team

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Hearing God’s Voice – Day 1 of 75 Days

Scripture Read: Psalms 1, 2

Key Verse: Psalm 1:2

2but his delight is in the law of the LORD,  and on his law he meditates day and night.

Observation:

Who we listen to is important to God.  We should listen to Him because he loves us the most.  People who do not have our best interest in mind should not be consulted and better yet they should be ignored.  The picture painted for me through this Psalm is to be a strong tree that lives off the soil replenished by the water running next to it.  God’s presence seems to be a peaceful place.

Application:

I need to be a man of the Word, meditating on it, listening for God’s blessing, his pictures and his warnings. Why is it that I find myself listening to others and caring more what they think about me more than what God thinks about me?  I need to tune my whole being to the Holy Spirit that I can hear him clearly.  I must set aside specific time every day this summer to hear God’s voice in a clear way so I can just be his son.  Not his pastor, husband, or any other title the world would give me.  I just need to be his child and listen for his approval, correction and his love.

Prayer:

Lord help me to be one who hears your voice clearly.  Please continue to speak to me and show me your deep friendship for me.  Thank you for the cross, forgiveness, my family and my church family whom I love so much.  You know I am a broken man who fails and calls out to you for forgiveness.  Help me to live forgiven and give me a clear vision for what it is you want for me.  Lord, enlarge our vision, bring us the harvest and heal people deeply this summer.  Thanks for trusting me and for calling me to follow you.  Increase my faith and help me to “Be The Tree”