Announcements / Zeeks / Ordination

Announcements:

Hi Everyone! Welcome to The River Church. I’m gonna fly thru announcements! However, if you have any questions about the things going on here, please, catch me or Janelle (raise your hand) after service.

First off, if you’re new to TRC, please fill out a connect card. You can fill out that info on the flyer you received when you came in. It’s a way to let us know you were here. It’s also helps you stay connected with us, as the only thing we do with that info is make sure you’re able to receive all our communication updates! You can also use the digital options to connect with us, which are listed on the screen.

Additionally, if you’d like to give and support the work God is doing here in Glastonbury and the surrounding areas, the offering box is over to your right. Or, you can give online via PayPal or text-to-give, which is listed on the tv screens.

Youth Group (6th-12th) - Our Christmas party is tomorrow from 6-730pm. I hope you guys can come and even invite a friend. Parents, if you need more information, see me after service.

Men - Our Christmas part is this Thursday from 6-8pm at Axe-It, over in Wethersfield. it’s a free event. You can invite a friend. And we’re gonna order Chick-Fil-A. You do need to register, so be sure to do that by this Tuesday! What better way to celebrate the birth of Christ than throwing axes and eating chicken?

Finally, our Christmas Service will be on Thursday, Dec. 23rd at 6:30pm right here. We have invites to pass out to friends. It’s on social media too, so please share it when you see it! Remember, Christmas is a season when people are most willing to come to church when invited by a friend! Also, we’re looking for a person or two who’d be willing to take a few flyers and maybe post them around a few local spots, like Panera or Berkins Blend. If you’re interested and able to do that… see Janelle.

Pray out Zeeks:

Well, before we get to celebrate a huge moment in TRC’s history, we have one - not so fun - moment (at least for me)...

...If you’ve been around our church long enough, you’ve probably heard me talk about how before starting the church, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart thru Luke 5. Jesus said...

Luke 5:38 NKJV

But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

I believe God was telling me He wanted our church to be “flexible” - like “new wineskins.” We needed to be ready and willing to do whatever God wanted to do, whether we liked it or not. Today is one of those “not” moments.

A few years ago, a young couple from Texas walked into our Saturday night service. At the time, we only had a handful of people so it was easy to notice new people. We got to talk to them a little bit. They told us they lived in Stafford (about 45 mins away), and their previous pastor from Texas had recommended giving our new church plant a try. That being said… after that night… a couple months passed and they never came back.

Sad. I know. Here’s what’s interesting. Strangely, I’ve noticed that people who visit for the first time and say, “Oh I love it!” Never come back. But the people who quietly visit and leave, usually end up eventually coming back and staying. And that’s exactly what the Zeeks did!

Alyssa and Jonathan have been with us for a few years now. We’ve had the privilege of seeing both their sons born and grow up in our church. They’ve faithfully served on our leadership team. And apart from me, Alyssa was our first paid staff person. I could go on and on about them because, frankly, they are the type of people who are good at everything!

Need a host for Life Group - oh we can help with that!

Need handmade Easter signs - we can make that!

Need River Kids teachers - we can teach that!

Need your gas-powered truck to run on water, make a quilt out of recycled leaves, and bake homemade scones while we’re at it - we can do that!

That’s the Zeeks!

They have been a huge blessing to our church! But, this is the Lord’s church and He gets to make the decisions, even if I don’t personally understand or like them. And God is teaching me that sometimes He only gives us people for a season… and this morning, the Zeeks are spending their final Sunday with us because their season in Connecticut is over and they are headed back to Texas this week.

So, if you guys would come up here, we’d like to pray for you as a church to send you off. Can I have our leadership team come (Owens, Christys, Janelle…). As we pray, would the rest of you (if you feel comfortable) stretch out your hand towards them...

Father we thank you for Jonathan, Alyssa, Finn, and Carter. We thank you for the time we’ve had with them. We thank you for how they have been a blessing to our church family. And today, we pray that you would bless them. Pour out your Spirit upon them as they head into a new season. May your favor, provision, and protection be upon them. We will miss them dearly, but we know you are working all things together for good… even this. We love them. And we ask you would continue to lead them by your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, amen.

Ordination:

As I mentioned, today’s a big day in our church’s history. For the first time in our short five-year history, we will be ordaining a pastor. This is a big deal guys! Pastors are a big deal.

Now, this is not some weird opportunity for me to secretly tell you I’m a big deal - because I’m not! At the same time, as a pastor, I do understand (and I think we should all understand) that this role in the Kingdom of God is one that deserves respect and honor.

Paul said...

Ephesians 4:11–12 NLT

Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

Pastors are part of God’s strategy to care for His people and change the world. It’s a high calling. It’s a heavy burden. Pastors carry a spiritual load that many of us will never know or appreciate. Not everyone is called to be a pastor. Not everyone can be a pastor.

Regarding this responsibility, the Scriptures say...

1 Timothy 3:1–7 ESV

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

This morning, there is man who here who meets these requirements. Furthermore, this man is already doing the work of a pastor, even without the title. So honestly, today, we’re simply affirming what God’s already been doing thru this man in our community. Today, we are ordaining Jon Owens as our Worship Pastor.

Jon, would you come up here to the front?

As you guys know, Jon and his family have been with us since day one. And since day one, he’s been pastoring us in worship.

You know, as a former worship leader, I have specific things I look for in a worship leader:

I don’t necessarily care if they have the greatest voice, best style, or super skilled on an instrument.

I’m looking for two things:

First, do they love God and know the way into His presence? Because in my opinion, it’s hard to lead people to a place you’ve never been. And one of the objectives of musical worship is to be in the presence of God and offer a sacrifice of praise and love.

The second thing I look for is, “Are people following? Does this person lead people or get lost in personal worship?” A solid worship leader doesn’t leave the people their leading behind.

In many ways, what I’m looking for is if the worship leader is pastoring the people and not just fulfilling some musical itch.

And I’m sure you guys agree, Jon pastors us in worship. He also preaches God’s Word. He also faithful prays for our community. He’s pastoring.

So again, today, as we ordain Jon, we are simply making it official. But before we do, Jon’s father, who is also a pastor, is with us today. I know we didn’t discuss this, but would you like to say anything?

[Comments by John Owens]

I’m going to take you a few ordination vows, and if you agree to them, you’ll simply reply, “With the Lord’s help, I will.”

Moved by your love for God and a sincere desire to proclaim the Gospel of Salvation among all people, are you now ready to take upon you this holy ministry and faithfully serve in it?

With the Lord’s help, I will

Will you tend the flock of Christ here at TRC, taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly, not for worldly gain but that men and women may be made free in Him?

With the Lord’s help, I will

Will you make faithful effort duly to administer the ordinances in purity, to preach the Word of the everlasting God, to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to lead disciples into the presence of God and His healing Spirit, to minister to them the truth of God as contained in the Holy Scriptures, to guide them in the way of life which is Christ, that they may be found in Him and be claimed for service in His Kingdom?

With the Lord’s help, I will

Do you promise to be diligent in prayer, in the reading of the Scriptures, and in such studies and devotions as will increase your knowledge of God and His Kingdom?

With the Lord’s help, I will

Will you endeavor in the strength and grace of Jesus Christ our Lord to live a life of sincere discipleship, to be loyal to the call of duty, and to faithfully discharge all the work of the ministry entrusted to you?

With the Lord’s help, I will

Do you accept the faith and order of The River Church and promise to be loyal to this fellowship that it may more and more be a fruitful branch of the church universal; and while cherishing brotherly love toward all the faithful followers of Christ everywhere, do you engage to labor earnestly that the purity, peace, and strength of this, your chosen church home, may be increased?

With the Lord’s help, I will

Would the leadership team and Jon’s family join us up here that we may lay hands on him as we pray for him. And again, feel free to stretch out your hands towards him. Let’s pray...

Father, we thank you for Jon. We believe you created Him for this purpose. Even before he was born, you saw this day. In Your Sovereignty, you have been calling him and orchestrating this moment. So, today, in the name of Jesus, we ordain Jon as one of our pastors. We ask that you would strengthen him. Anoint him. And move powerfully in and thru his life as he serves you and our church with all his heart. And we pray all of this in the matchless name of Jesus, amen.

Well, as the Lead Pastor of The River Church, by the will of the Father’s plan, for the upward call and glory of Jesus, in obedience to the Holy Spirit, and by agreement of our leadership team, I ordain you as Worship Pastor. And hereby charge you to serve faithfully, which includes “preaching the Word in season and out of season”… so you can start now… God bless you my friend!