The Wheatland Mission

Seriously...we have moved

2007-03-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

So stop coming here. We are at www.wheatlandmission.com. See you there.

We Have Moved! ... but the address is the same

2007-02-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

We have moved!

The Wheatland Mission's web presence has moved to this new site.The address remains the same (wheatlandmission.com) but with a whole new look and a lot more functionality. Take time to check it out.

Wheatland Mission: Continuing the Conversation is intended to facilitate communication among all Wheatland folk, provide interaction and conversation via the blog, and be a clearing house for announcements, prayer requests and anything our community needs to know.

If you enjoy this site and want to browse the archives, as I know you all do (wink, wink), you can still access it at wheatlandmission.blogspot.com.

Ash Wednesday Gathering Wed @ 7 PM

2007-02-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

We will gather at the Hill’s at 7 PM Wednesday night. You are all invited to come and share in a time of prayer, repentance and communion. It will be a special time for the entire family. See you there…

Need directions? Call us at 992-1540/744-0875.

New Service Opportunity!

2007-02-19T18:47:00.000-08:00

We have a great new ministry opportunity for anyone who is interested in helping plan service projects for the Wheatland Mission! Thanks to Gina Brown who gave us this great idea, we are putting together of team of people who will meet regularly to plan opportunities for our church body (both children and adults) to serve in our community. Our tentative goal is to have something planned every quarter.

And I’m very excited to share that Todd Lewis has agreed to lead this group. Todd and his wife Anne are among the handful from our church who work at Youthville and I can tell you from working with Todd on a collaborative project we’re doing at work that he is a great organizer and will be fantastic at leading this group!

Our first meeting will be Saturday, March 3rd after the worship service. If you’re interested in being a part of this team, please join us!

Children's Ministry Opportunities

2007-02-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

The Wheatland Mission has been blessed with a great group of children! Each child is an important part of our church and the time spent each week teaching them is an important part of our worship. Many people view “worship” as what happens in the sanctuary with the adults. But worship occurs in the classrooms with our children as well! Sometimes it comes in the form of singing and praying, or the telling of a Bible story. But we also can express our worship when we rock a crying baby, or create playdough characters with a three year old. We show our love for God when we show our love for his children!

I want to thank all of you who help our in our children’s rooms on Saturday night. We count on many of you to help in the nursery, toddler and preschool room, elementary class, and with the youth. You do an awesome job and our children love you!

We have a few opportunities for additional helpers in our children’s ministry for those of you who enjoy working with children. Starting in March we need a few people to join our team and help once a month in the nursery or the toddler/preschool room. If you are interested in helping, please contact me (Kelly) at Kelly518@cox.net or 371-9675.

If you are unable to help on a monthly basis, please consider being on our list of substitutes. We always need people that we can call upon when another volunteer is sick or unable to be there for another reason.

Announcements!

2007-02-13T11:06:00.000-08:00

Check out the blog continuing the conversation where we are discussing last week's message, the implications of the Apostle's Creed, and other great stuff. Also, this week I have included pictures of the Hill's new baby.

This weekend we will be starting a new series called: Through Pagan Eyes: A Study in Galatians. You can prepare by reading Galatians 1:1-10. It is great stuff.

Also, for all Rich Mullins afficianados, there will be a Rich Mullins tribute concert this Friday night at Central Christian Church. Our very own Calana will be contributing some piano work on a couple of songs that night. It all starts at 7:00 PM and it costs $10 per person. The proceeds go to support the work of The Legacy.

This Weekend... the Creed returns!

2007-02-08T19:47:00.000-08:00

This weekend we will begin, once again, our discussion surrounding the Apostle's Creed and how it may make up a portion of Wheatland's Statement of Faith. In addition, you can participate in a discussion of some of the more unusual or controversial aspects of the creed at tangence: continuing the conversation. You are welcome to ask questions, make comments, cast aspersions...well, you know what I mean.

(By the way, if you want to check out the conversation but are unable to click on the above link, you can type in paulhill.wordpress.com. That will get you there too.)

Apostle's Creed Post @ Tangence

2007-02-01T20:58:00.000-08:00

There is a new post on tangence:continuing the conversation that begins a discussion on the Apostle's Creed. Go check it out and let me know what you think by leaving your thoughts in the comment section.

Join The Conversation

2007-01-30T20:03:00.000-08:00

tangence:continuing the conversation is a new blogging space that I am using to foster discussion, share ideas and swap stories for those of us who are a part of the Wheatland Mission and for those who might be interested in what our little community is all about.

Each week I plan on providing a brief summary of our weekly worship gathering with something brief for us each to take and apply during the week. In addition, I hope we can carry on a dialogue (or a polylogue)about what we are learning together. I have also begun doing this with our new men's group that meets Thursday mornings at the Panera on Rock Rd at 6:15 AM.

wheatlandmission.com is still an active blog and wheatland's main web address. It will begin to function more like a bulletin board and less like a conventional blog. More announcement type info and less conversation. It will be useful for pointing us to tangence and other sites and resources that are helpful. wheatlandmission.com will still be the place to check to see if we get another "snow day".

Some of our wheatland bloggers are linked in the blogroll. If you want to be a part of that just send me an e-mail or leave your blog address in the comments on this post. Jump on in, the water is fine...

For This Saturday!

2007-01-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

First, I am 99% sure that we will have our worship gathering Saturday night. However, remember what the Bible says about men making their plans, "if the Lord wills?".

Second, for our gathering time Saturday night I would like all of you to ponder two things:

- Read Galatians 4:19. It is a very small passage that will be key for our teaching/learning time this weekend.
- Think about one or two people in your life who really helped "form" you into the person that you are today.

NO CHURCH TONIGHT...or, Paul eats his words

2007-01-20T12:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry all. After further examination of the weather situation and seeing several vehicles in the ditches on Greenwich Rd. (including some 4X4's) I think it is wisest and safest not to ask any of you to venture out on the roads tonight.

The combination of bad roads, falling snow that will probably continue into the night, and the distances that some of you travel I have decided that it is best not to meet. I did say last week that we will "almost never cancel". Almost is today.

I encourage you to call anyone that you think might not look at this or receive a message from us. Thanks...

Church Tonight? ... We are go.

2007-01-20T11:27:00.000-08:00

Yes we will meet tonight. However, please exercise caution in coming. The roads are pretty slick in places so be careful and watch out for the "other guy". If you can't make it pray for us and we will pray for all our Wheatland folk wherever they are.

Be careful.

Prayer This Wednesday @ 7 PM

2007-01-15T20:31:00.001-08:00

Don't forget to join us this Wednesday night, at 7:00 PM, at the Tallgrass East Clubhouse for a time of prayer, worship, listening to God and one another. Call Paul for directions: 992-1540.

Childrens Prayer Jar

2007-01-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

This week the elementary kids and I talked about prayer. First they impressed me as they recited the Lord’s Prayer without any help from me – way to go kids! Then we talked a little more about what the Lord’s Prayer means and how God has given us this pattern prayer so we can learn how to pray. The kids shared some of the ways that they pray at home. Some of them pray in the mornings, some in the evenings, some before meals and some all day long (one young pastor’s son even claimed that he will pray until the day he dies!) One of the boys shared how he prays the ACTS prayer every morning. For those of us adults who might not know this, he explained that it stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication.

I explained to the kids that the adults in the church would be meeting this week (don't forget Wednesday at 7:00) to pray for the church, and that they could also be praying for our church. We started a Prayer Jar where we will be keeping track of our prayers throughout the next several months. We wrote lots of prayers and placed them in our jar, and each time we meet (every other week) we’ll review those prayers. The prayers that God has answered we will write the answers down on the slips of paper to remind us that God answers prayer. And the prayers that God hasn’t answered yet we will continue to pray for. Some of the prayer requests that are in our jar (these came from the kids, not me) include:

Safe travels for Mr. Brown
A playground for our church
For our church community to grow
Our own building for our church
That we will spread the gospel
To be able to give a bible to a friend at school who just became a Christian

We also have some prayer requests for family members with cancer, mean kids at school, sports teams, and I must warn you that we are praying for one child who really wants a dog and a pet frog. I know you’re all hoping that is your son :) We’ll keep you posted on our prayer jar, but I wanted to remind you all that the kids of our church are praying, so we need to join in too!

Church Tonight???

2007-01-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

Yes. However, please exercise caution and wise judgement in travelling to our worship gathering tonight. The roads are slick in places but still passable. We will have salt on the sidewalk at the Foundry to ensure your safety coming into the building.

If you and yours choose to stay home tonight that is cool. Do what you think is best and most safe for your clan.

By the way, by the title of this post I have given into speaking about church in such a way as to suggest that it is something that we do once a week instead of something that we are. We're having a worship gathering tonight and there are times that said gathering might be cancelled because of dangerous weather. We are the Church, or at least a part of it, and that is something that never get's cancelled. Amen and amen.

(This last paragraph is officially my shortest sermon.)

Be careful tonight!

Room of Marvels

2007-01-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I briefly, very briefly, introduced a book that I want the Wheatland Mission to read together and discuss in house churches and small groups. (And everywhere else for that matter.) The book is called, Room of Marvels by James Bryan Smith. Many of you will recognize his name because he is a theology professor at Friends University and the author of the biography of Rich Mullins that came out several years ago, An Arrow Pointing Toward Heaven.

This little book is wonderful on many different levels and I want to be careful not to spoil it before you have a chance to read it for yourself. I will say this, Room of Marvels paints an unusual picture about what it is like to live in the community that God has created. Many of you will read this short novel in a few hours while others may take a bit longer. Even if your not a fiction reader you will enjoy this little gem.

You can pick up a copy tomorrow or anytime at our worship gathering. We are letting copies go for $5.

Special Prayer Gathering: Jan 17, 7PM

2007-01-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Let's gather at the Tallgrass East Clubhouse for a prayer gathering next Wednesday night at 7:00 PM. We can't overestimate the importance of praying together and it has been too long since our last corporate prayer gathering. We will continue to pray for all the many needs that we have in our community and we will also pray about our future together. I would also like us to revisit the issue of moving our meeting times to Sunday mornings.

Also, mark your calendars for February 21st and our Lenten Prayer Gathering.

Elementary class starts again this weekend

2007-01-08T18:04:00.000-08:00

Thanks for the welcome everyone! Leigh has done such a great job organizing things in the children’s ministry area that it makes it easy to step into the role she created. And so many of you are already plugged in and doing great work ministering to the kids – thanks for all you do! (By the way, if you haven’t figured this out yet, this is Kelly posting…not Paul. I got him to write me in the permissions so I can do my own posts to keep you updated on the children’s ministry stuff!)

This weekend we will get started back into the routine with the elementary kids. I know they have been in the service worshipping with their families for many weeks in a row now, so hopefully they are excited about having their own group time again. We’ll still have the elementary kids (kindergartners and older) start off singing with their families, then they will be dismissed after music to go back to their room. We’ll be doing this on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays each month. I’ll be teaching them this week and I’m looking forward to working with some great people who are interested in helping out with this age group. Hopefully we will be able to pick up some of the great ideas that Kris and Leigh have birthed regarding service projects and ministry opportunities that the kids (and everyone in the church!) can be involved in this spring. More on that later, but if you have ideas, or a desire to help, please let me know!

And just a quick note on the youth ministry end of things….last night the Hoyers and I took a few of our middle schoolers to a great city wide youth worship service! Several youth pastors in the Wichita area planned this event and it was a great success….a neat opportunity to get kids from many different churches and schools together to worship God and pray for their community. They are planning to do these every other month, and I believe the next one will be on the first Sunday evening in March. We’ll keep you posted!

Introducting...Kelly Hayes

2007-01-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

For almost a year now Leigh Morris has faithfully and tirelessly served the Wheatland Mission by being our Children's Ministry Coordinator. As many of you know, Leigh has done this while a student at WSU. This spring Leigh will be beginning her student teaching as she prepares for graduation in May. In addition, and most importantly, she is preparing for her marriage to Ty Kasper on June 2. Because of this full schedule Leigh has decided to pass the baton of the Children's Ministry Coordinator to our very own Kelly Hayes.

Kelly has been a part of Wheatland for a year and has been involved in different areas of ministry including participating in one of work groups, serving in the children's ministry and our Friday night house church. Kelly brings a lot of strengths to this position and experience working in both the church and the para-church.

Please welcome Kelly to the team and let Leigh know how much you appreciate her hard work this past year.

Welcome to 2007!

2007-01-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

With the new year and an actual website on its way I have decided to make a couple of changes with this blog. Until our new website is up and running our internet address will remain: wheatlandmission.com and it will link to this blogspot address. However, this site will become primarily an announcement board and a means of communicating more immediate information regarding church life. So please continue to pay attention to the blog as a sort of Wheatland Mission bulletin board.

The posts that invite more discussion and are going to be at a different site which you can link to from this blog. This new blog is called, "Tangence: Continuing the Conversation". You can reach it at http://paulhill.wordpress.com (If you click on post title above, "Welcome 2007", it will send you to the new site.) This new site has more features, easier commenting, and an overall "cooler" look. The title is intentional. I really do want to continue the conversation that begins during our weekend worship gatherings and our house church discussions. I also want it to be a way for us to learn from one another. The other aspect of the title, "Tangence" should be self-explanatory.

All that being said, there is much for us, as a small, young congregation for us to talk about. This month we will be hearing a proposal from one of our working groups, we will introduce a new growth experience for our house churches, and we will all be introduced to a new person involved in the leading of our children's ministry. Lot's to talk about indeed.

A Ghost of Christmas Passed

2007-01-01T10:28:00.000-08:00

A holiday visual pun. Even visual puns aren't that funny.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas!

2006-12-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

I want to wish all of you a continued Merry Christmas. Our family returned from my hometown yesterday where we spent some holiday time with my family. We had a great time but are glad to be home. I trust all of you are having a good Christmas-New Year break and keep in mind, just in case you are planning on taking your tree and lights down, that the Christmas Season is not over! According to the Christian Year we are to celebrate Advent, our preparation and anticipation for the coming of Christ, for the four Sundays (or in our case Saturdays) prior to Christmas Day. THEN, the Christmas Season begins and lasts for two more weeks! I was long confused about the 12 Days of Christmas.

There are many of us travelling this week and we all have our holiday obligations but I do want to encourage you to join us for our worship gathering tomorrow night. It will be the last one for this calendar year. All of the candles in the Advent/Christmas wreath will be lit for this special evening.

Also, all of you are invited to our home immediately after our worship time tomorrow night. It is a family fun night. There will be snacks, board games, and lot's of fun conversation.

St. Nicholas

2006-12-22T06:52:00.000-08:00

Santa Claus is ubiquitous. We all know the story. It begins right after, if not a few days before, Christmas. Santa is out there helping us make purchases, greeting us at the door of stores, talking to our children and encouraging us through commercials on TV. Store clerks wear Santa hats and images of Santa and his paraphernalia are all over the place.

For those of us who are Christians we are pained by the emphasis upon Santa Claus because it detracts from what we have referred to as "the reason for the season." The Commercial Claus also detracts from his heartily Christian precursor, Saint Nicholas of Myra.

The image below is another icon of St. Nicholas, similar to the one we viewed yesterday. As I mentioned a few weeks ago in our service icons are sometimes referred to as "windows into heaven." This means that they are symbols designed to remind us of Christ, inspire us to worship and develop within us those Christlike virtues.

In worship tomorrow night we will hear a story or two about St. Nicholas, our fellow brother and Christ and inspiring example, of a life lived in service to Jesus through those around him. Let these odd and other-worldly pictures of a person we have never met, from a country most of us have never visited inspire us to deepen our common faith in Jesus through service to those who need him most.

Finally, whenever you see a picture of the red-cheeked Santa with a Coke in his hand or hocking electronics let it remind you instead of the virtues of Jesus that his forebear, the real St. Nick, inspire you to a life better lived.

For some more thoughts on the big guy in red from a friendly blogger, who just happens to be married to my sister-in-law, click on the title above.

Who Is This Man?

2006-12-20T19:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Candle Houses

2006-12-19T19:45:00.000-08:00

One of the main sins for those of us who blog is: infrequent posting. Due to travelling last week and feeling a bit under the weather I have been off my game. However, I hope to be back on track soon. In fact, I am actually constructing a new personal blog in a secret location that I will link up to our church's blog. Hopefully I will unveil it before the new year.

Christmas Eve Candle Houses
This Christmas Eve Night there will be two very special candle light services. One will be at 6:00 PM and the other at 8:00 PM. Christmas Eve is the night that we will be lighting the Christ Candle and we will do so at each of our Christmas Eve gatherings.

6:00 Candle House at the Reich's

8:00 Candle House at the Brown's

Check your e-mail or call for directions.

Special Video of our Children's Service
Thanks Heath for putting this together! We understand if your boys are center stage!

http//:nattyman.blogspot.com

Open House At The Hill's!

2006-12-12T20:40:00.001-08:00

When: This Sunday Night from 5:00 until 9:00

Where: 12306 E. Lincoln Ct.

What: Food, Your Friends, and all the really cool people

Actually, there will be a few of us there who aren't so cool but everyone is welcome. Come and meet some new friends and some old friends as well.

Advent: The Night of Joy..."a night of wonder"

2006-12-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Our celebration of Advent will continue this weekend as we observe the Night of Joy. The Kids of Wheatland are going to share some special music and some of the Nameless Faces guys are going to be helping out with worship.

Like last week the set up for Saturday night will be different than usual. As we light the Candle of Joy we are re-entering the drama of awaiting the coming of the Messiah. We join in with the chorus of faith (Heb 12:1) in looking for Christ's coming in our lives.

Praying People

2006-12-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

Part of our life as a family and as a church is to be in regular prayer for one another. There are all kinds of prayer needs among the various people in our little community. There are some that are known and others that are not. Let me encourage you to pray for both.

Here are some big ones to be praying for this week:

Keep Margie Ramos, Irene Hoyer's mom, in your prayers as she continues her recovery from her heart attack and undergoes continued tests.

Pray for Jenny and the test results that she will be hearing about soon.

Pray for Alice and the tests that she is going to undergo later this week.

Also, pray for Rachel and her visit with the eye specialist later this month. And don't forget to pray for Melanie Cloud as she recovers from an infection that was the result of an abscessed tooth.

Heavenly Father, watch with us over your children, and grant
that we may be restored to that perfect health which it is
yours alone to give; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord have mercy. +

From Trees in Winter to Advent

2006-11-30T20:29:00.000-08:00

"People are there for us to love, like trees in winter." This quote from Brother Lawrence via Anne Lamott reminds us that God desires us to love one another especially when the one we love is difficult to love. "...like trees in winter" reminds us that we don't love one another for what we can get nor do we love one another because it is fruitful, effective or rewarding. We just love, because.

The image of trees in winter has special value today with the winter blast that has over taken us the last two days. The cold weather and icy streets slow us down and make us deliberate. We move with more care as we walk or as we drive and we pay greater attention to our surroundings. The snow reminds us of the idyllic Christmas and although I doubt any of it will be around when Christmas actually gets here it is nice to see the white stuff on the ground when Christmas music is on the radio. All of this is great preparation for Advent.

Like tree's in winter we are bare and fruitless and waiting for new life, growth and deliverance. Like the countryside covered with ice and snow and seemingly devoid of life we are waiting for warmth, relief and comfort. Like God's people before Christ's arrival we get to anticipate his arrival like they did. But rather than enter into the exact same scenario that they were in we get to participate in a accelerated reenactment of the drama of Christ's first arrival and the inauguration of his Kingdom.

In the midst of winter's darkness and our unfruitfulness we can anticipate the arrival of our Hope.

This weekend for Advent we celebrate the Night of Hope.

Advent is here!

2006-11-29T05:46:00.000-08:00

This coming Saturday marks the first weekend of Advent and the beginning of the Church Year. To prepare for this weekend you can meditate upon these verses:

Isaiah 9:2
"The people walking in darknesshave seen a great light;
on those living in the land of deep darknessa light has dawned."

John 8:12
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

John 1:1-5
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

The next four weeks our worship times will be a bit different as we focus upon the coming of Christ as a child, as a deliverer and as a king. This week we celebrate the Night of Hope.

Two Special Prayer Opportunities

2006-11-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

There are two very special on-going prayer opportunities that I want to share with you. The first is an invitation to pray on Saturday afternoons prior to our worship gathering. The prayer team meets in the first room on the left upon entering the Foundry. Look for Paul Riley or Sarah Balocca and they will give you directions. This is a good time to pray for our worship time for the evening and for various needs within our body.

The second opportunity is taking place on Tuesday nights at the home of John and Marci Laffen. "We meet at 8:15 p.m., after the kids are in bed, on Tuesday's, and meet for about an hour. We share prayer requests before, share Scripture during prayer, and seek the Lord through adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication." This is a special experience of prayer and worship and a great time of sharing together. This prayer time might move to Thursday's if that is more convenient for all involved.

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Special Note From Brad & Michel

2006-11-27T09:06:00.000-08:00

Dearest Brothers & Sisters in Christ, our family at Wheatland Mission,

Thank you all so very much for your prayers and concerns for Michel and I as we continue through 2006 wondering if our warranties have run out! We know better but we certainly do thank God for all the love and support from our church family and we wanted to say thank you also. We will do so personally but wanted to get something out to express our gratitude and love for each and every one of you! We are truly blessed. We look forward to seeing you all next Saturday Dec. 2nd mostly because it's the beginning of Advent but also to be together with you all as we worship our Heavenly Father and focus on the Greatest Gift ever, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. See you then, looking forward to gathering together!

brad & michel moser

Giving Projects @ Wheatland

2006-11-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

Greetings Friends!

With the holidays upon us it is important for us to think about tangible ways we can bless people. Our faith is practical, so let's not miss out on opportunities to meet the practical needs of people we know and even those we don't.

There are two projects that we are working on in the next two weeks that do just this. The first one you are already familiar with: Shoeboxes filled with gifts and supplies for Haitian children. The second one is a family we are adopting from Youthville. This is a special thing for us to do because we have several members of our little community who are employees of Youthville.

We are on a bit of a hurry in getting this family cared for so let's pull together and make it happen. Below are some gift ideas for the family that come from the caseworker that knows them best. We want to be able to deliver all of this to them by the 11th so feel free to begin bringing these items ASAP.

Todd Lewis has been key in helping us with this so if you have questions feel free to give him a call at: 761-1555. Thanks to you Todd for helping us organize this.

Thanks to all of you,

Paul

Mother’s gift ideas:
Gas Gift Certificate
Wal-Mart Gift Certificate
Target Gift Certificate
Restaurant Gift Certificate
**I spoke with the case manager who works on this case and she said that the mother could definitely use these things, but she would also probably really like some different pampering items (she never buys any of these things for herself) like lotion, nice gloves, a coat, bath items, cozy socks or slippers. She has also recently gone back to nursing school and might appreciate notebooks, pens, decent brief case/school bag**

Child #1 Male 13yrs
Gift Ideas:
Clothes (32 pants, large shirts)
Movies/Music Gift Certificates
Restauant Gift Certificates

Child #2 Male 10yrs
Gift Ideas:
Sports Equipment
Clothes (10-12 pants and shirts)
Movies/Music Gift Certificates

Child #3 Male 7yrs
Gift Ideas:
Board Games
Movies/Music Gift Certificates
Superhero (specifically superman and spiderman)
Clothes (Size 7)

Child #4 Female 15yrs
Gift Ideas:
Teen Magazines (Teen People, hair style)
Jewelry, nail polish, purse, bath and body supplies
Movies/Music Gift Certificates

This Saturday Night...

2006-11-22T10:46:00.000-08:00

...after our worship gathering, lets all go to Java Nation and:

Mmmm...

2006-11-19T22:21:00.000-08:00

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey

2006-11-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to enjoy our 1st Annual Turkey Dinner this Saturday. Invite your friends, bring some food and enjoy the time together.

We begin eating at 5:00. We will share in worship afterwards and then have dessert after that.

If your name begins with A-M please bring a side dish such as stuffing, potatoes, cranberries, relish, etc.
If your name begins with N-Z please bring a dessert.

(If you want to bring a dessert but are early in the alphabet trade with someone.)

Christmas Shoebox Money

2006-11-16T05:58:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to bring some money for our Christmas Shoebox campaign. Michelle B. has created some shoebox receptacles to receive your donations for this special program. We aren't making the boxes ourselves but sending money, $15 per box, to Haiti and they will be prepared there.

Make your checks out to Wheatland and write: shoebox in the memo line.

Thanks for giving to the ministry in Haiti!

Missional, ORGANIC, Holistic...

2006-11-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

organic adj 1: being or relating to or derived from or having properties characteristic of living organisms 2: constitutional in the structure of something (especially your physical makeup) n : a fertilizer that is derived from animal or vegetable matter [syn: {organic fertilizer}]

A few weeks ago I began a new series of posts entitled Three Good Words: Missional, Organic, Holistic. I want to continue with the second of these three words, organic. Let me first begin by asking you what you think this word means as it relates to life in the church. There is no doubt that it has become something of a suburban buzzword. When I go to buy coffee I have a choice. I can buy the organically grown coffee or the coffee that was somehow grown without any organic means whatsoever. What!?

This little coffee illustration points out the fact that the word has lost some of its meaning and been infused with meaning that is dependent upon the context of the conversation. So, to begin our discussion let me ask: If a church were to become "organic" what would that look like? (I have purposefully not given much content, other than the dictionary definition, to the question. Let's wrestle with this a bit.)

Turkey Dinner This Saturday!

2006-11-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

This Saturday the Wheatland Mission will be celebrating a Thanksgiving meal together. The church will provide the turkeys (3 smoked and 2 roasted), drinks and table service. We do need you to bring something. For those of you whose last name starts with A - M we ask that you bring a side dish. For those whose last name is from N - Z we ask that you bring a dessert.

We will begin eating at 5:00 PM. Dinner will be first, followed by our worship time and culminating with dessert. See you there!

Meleagris gallopavo

Whoa....Nelly!

2006-11-11T20:53:00.000-08:00

45-42

True Colors: Reprise

2006-11-08T20:26:00.001-08:00

Way to go Chloe! Thanks for contributing your part to the life of the Wheatland Mission!

Romans 12:1-3...for this Saturday

2006-11-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we are going to continue our conversation from last week by looking at Romans 12:1-3. We are inching our way through the chapter. Here are some questions to ponder until we meet.

First, do you think that the word in v. 1 that is translated "bodies" could actually be referring to the different "bodies" or groups of Christians as much as our individual physical bodies and selves? (We introduced this idea last week.)

Second, how are Christians supposed to discern God's will? How do we that as a group?

Third, what is an example of "sober judgment?" Is this a reference to us thinking to highly of ourselves or too low?

A Christ Hymn

2006-11-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

OUR attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Many scholars believe that the above is an ancient hymn or chant which the early church used in their regular gatherings of worship. When Paul was speaking to the people in the church of Philippi he used these words, which may have been in common use in the Philippian's worship, as a reminder of how they were to order their lives and how they were to relate to one another.

By seeking Jesus' face in our interactions with one another we might see the real transformation in our personal lives that God desires. The example of Jesus' life and death and glorification are used as a model for our growth in relationship to one another. This short passage combines two vital pieces of the Christian life: good theology and good practice (Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy). In it we are reminded of the essential truth that Jesus was fully human yet fully God. At the same time, we are reminded that the consequence of this truth is to be transformed relationships between those people that God has redeemed.

The "Christ Hymn" ends with yet another important challenge to us which is worship. Every encounter with Jesus, every engagement that we have with theological endeavor or inquiry should have as its ultimate result acts of worship. If our theology doesn't lead to doxology we should investigate whether our theology is truly Christian or not.

At Wheatland I intend for us to make this "hymn" a regular part of our worship as it becomes a part of lives. With God's grace it will transform us, and our relationships with one another, from the inside out.

Oh Ted

2006-11-03T07:10:00.000-08:00

Well, bloggers and pundits all over the place are commenting on the recent resignation of Ted Haggard, the pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The accusations are astounding and numerous and, it appears, that some of them are true. At times like this I am motivated to pray the words from I Corinthians 13 that say: "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." NLT The NIV says "always hopes"...always hopes that the worst isn't true.

But if it is true (and even if it isn't) we pray: Kyrie Eleison, Lord Have Mercy.

The Faces of Jesus...with in our church

2006-11-02T06:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend we are refocusing our theme, "The Faces of Jesus" by looking at how we see Jesus at work within our own congregation. How do we see Jesus face in the midst of our interactions with one another and our shared life? To do this we will be reading from Romans 12 which is a wonderful source of wisdom for those who are seeing out how to live the life Jesus calls us to within the community of fellow Christians.

Let me encourage you to read the entire chapter before church this weekend and pay special attention to the first two verses.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALANA!!!

2006-11-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

Many of you wished Ty a happy 26th. Be sure and wish Calana a belated 26th birthday too. Also, Miles Brown and our old friend Ross Townsend in Green Bay, celebrated birthdays yesterday too. (I don't know how old those guys are.)

:::Chiliiiiiii:::

2006-10-30T07:26:00.000-08:00

Our Autumn Fest and Chili Feed was a rip-roaring success. My only regret is that I only ate the Cincinatti Chile and not the Moser's batch which I hear was quite good too. Let Brad and Michele Moser along with Paul and Lara Riley know how much you appreciate their cooking for this special time Saturday.

However, I would be remiss if I didn't express my personal appreciation for Kris Jittawait and Leigh Morris for their exceptional planning and hard work that made our Chily feed and Autumn fest a great experience for all of us. These two ladies go above and beyond the call and they deserve our thanks.

Did anyone else think it funny that the day we plan on a chillie/chilly/chelli/chili feed we end up having near record high tempratures?

One last thought for the day: Happy Birthday Ty!!! Ty Kasper is 26 today.

:::Vehicles, Chili, Kids in Costumes:::

2006-10-24T07:29:00.000-07:00

Don't forget the Chili Feed and Autumn Fest this weekend! Also, The Vehicles are leading worship this weekend. Don't miss it!

Scripture For Saturday Night

2006-10-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

The Psalm: 121

The Teaching Time: John 4:1-4 and 6:28-33

Three Words..."missional"

2006-10-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Next week we will get into the other two words in this little series of posts. However, we are not finished with our discussion of "missional" but rather moving on to include the other two terms: "organic" and "holistic".

For those of you who have noticed it yet you can click on the "Friend of Missional" link on the right side of our blog and you will be directed to a site that has a lot of discussions about living a missional life. In addition, you can click on the little blue square with a ? in the middle of it, just below the "Friend of..." link and you will be directed to "Mere Mission" another site that has numerous discussions on the topic as well as links to other great sites. (I haven't figured out how to put their icon on our site but I do have the link set up.)

This past week I was reminded of something that Leonard Sweet has said about mission statements. "The church got the idea to have a mission statement from the business world and the church was ten years behind. However, the church has forgotten the fact that it already has a mission statement laid out in Scripture." Do you know what it is?

Here is a re-phrased (and abbreviated) version of that "mission statement". Let me know what you think.

"More disciples, better disciples-in Christian community-for the sake of the world."

Youth Pizza Party

2006-10-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

This Saturday night during our regular worship gathering the middle school and high school youth are invited to a pizza party down in the basement at the Foundry. You won't want to miss it!

Three Words: MISSIONAL, Organic, Holistic

2006-10-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

"Missional" is becoming a buzzword. Like many other terms that float around in the Christian media and sub-culture this good word is in danger of being misused, overused and missapplied to things that are decidedly not missional. I visited a large church recently that had a large display for it's children's ministry that made me think twice. The sign said: "let's get missional with kids".

I have no reason to suspect that the individuals who came up with that slogan are anything other than sincere. In fact, they may be honestly trying to help the children in their congregation adopt a missional outlook on life. However, I couldn't help but think that this term just might be used to enhance the children's ministry, promote their programs and grab the attention of these children's parents along with the other adults of the congregation. Until recently this word was not used outside the rarified air spaces of seminaries and evangelism/mission events.

It is a good word. It is a great word and very descriptive. However, I am not certain that I always effectively communicate what it means to live missionally. Rather than give you another definition (I'll do that later) I think it is good to see some images of missional life. Let me know what you think about these.

(Click on the link above and read the brief but very descriptive post on living a missional life. You can also click on the "Friend of Missional" button at the bottom right to read some other thoughts on missional living from the blogosphere.)

***NOTE: Just found out that you need to click on the title of this post to go to the blog post that I want you to read. Or, you can cut and paste the following; http://blindbeggar.org/?p=315

Sabbath Image

2006-10-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Simon Ushakov, 1685

"The Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath."

Take time to rest and be reminded that God is the one making the world go around not you. Let your rest in God be that which drives whatever "ministry" he will call you to.

Women's Brunch Sunday Morning

2006-10-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

The women's gathering is tomorrow morning at 10:00 AM at Hampton East Apartments clubhouse near 29th and Governeour. (Governeour is half way between Rock and Woodlawn.) Bring a dish to share. You won't want to miss it.

Three Words: Missional, Organic, Holistic

2006-10-11T09:32:00.000-07:00

If you are like me you are relieved by the fresh cool air that has descended upon Wichita this past week. It reminds me that we really do have four seasons in this part of the country. (Even if some of those seasons last longer than others.) This cool weather also reminds me of the movement of time and the fact that our little congregation has been together now for over a year. I realize some of you have only been with us for a few months or a few weeks. Others of you started out this adventure with us. I am glad that all of you are a part of this little community of faith. It is an honor and a real pleasure to be serving God together.

Today I want to begin a new series of posts called Three Words. The three words we are going to explore are ideas that I shared in the early days, last fall, of our community. I think each one gives special meaning and direction to the life of our church and to the ministry that God has called us unto. The three words are: missional, organic, and holistic.

I'll begin with the word missional. None of you who read the blog regularly will be surprised that I am including this word in this series of posts. Last year, when the Wheatland Mission was meeting primarily in home groups we discussed what being a missional church meant. I was encouraged when, after a few months of meeting and discussing this subject, I began to hear our people articulating for themselves what being missional was all about. Translating this idea into their own words gave me a clear sign that the concept was taking root.

Today I want to review this idea a little bit by sharing a few key concepts about being a missional church and living as missional people. The word missional sounds a little bit like the word missionary because they come from the same latin root, missio, which means "sending". A missionary is one who is "sent" for the purpose of proclaiming the Kingdom of God, sharing the Gospel, and leading people to Christ. A missional church is one which doesn't primarily consider itself a congregation that "sends" missionaries but as a congregation that is itself "sent". A community of Christians who are deliberately sent into the world in which they inhabit for the sake of Christ, for the sake of those who do not yet know him, for the sake of God's Kingdom.

Throughout our history as a church, even though it is quite short, we have considered it important to give money and resources to the poor and to support various church planting and missionary groups. We have supported inner city churches in Wichita, New Orleans, Haiti and Columbia. This is good and we will continue to share our resources in this way. However, let us take this a step further and begin to see ourselves as the ones who are sent.

Being a Missional Church means that we view ourselves as missionaries to the culture in which we are immersed. We are a people that have been called by God, gathered as community and sent to the world.

The Divine Hours...a disclaimer

2006-10-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings all! A few days ago I posted a brief description of the Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle and gave you a link where you could view the daily prayers that she has compiled in her book. These are found on the Explore Faith website. While I love the Divine Hours and have confidence that the prayers are very compatible with biblical Christianity, I must admit that I don't bear the same confidence toward everything on the website.

Brad Moser and I visited the other day after both of us reviewed some of the material on the Explore Faith website. We both felt it wise to convey a bit of caution when reading some of the articles posted on it. While there may be some good stuff there I think it is important to be discerning and cautious when reading any material like that. By the same token, I think it is wise and appropriate to even examine what I teach and share with me any concerns you might have.

With that being said, I do want to encourage us all to consider using the Divine Hours as a means of enhancing our walk with God. Phyllis Tickle does a great job at compiling Scriptural references, hymns and prayers prayed throughout the history of our faith into a daily format that, I believe, will be very edifying for any follower of Jesus.

The Divine Hours

2006-10-04T20:51:00.000-07:00

All of us need a boost in our prayer life from time to time. In fact, it is important for us to regularly examine and evaluate our experience of prayer. It is one of the primary ways that we experience God's presence and there are times when we need to consider new options to direct us in our times of prayer.

The "Daily Office", sometimes known as "The Divine Hours" is an option for prayer that I would encourage all of you to consider.

"The Divine Hours by Phyllis Tickle is a manual for fixed-hour prayer. It presents the prayers to be prayed at the divine hours of every day: Morning prayers, for prayer between 6 and 9; midday prayers for praying between 11 and 2; and evening prayers to pray between 5 and 8, and help us gently close the day.

Praying the hours enjoins us to stop, let go of all that occupies us, and focus on the sacred at regular intervals throughout the day. Suddenly, every day becomes holy, for every day is laced together by our appointments with God."

Click on the following link, set your time-zone, this allows you to navigate to the right set of Scripture and prayer for your time of day and explore the value of praying the "Divine Hours".

http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html

"...and not a stranger"

2006-09-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the memorial service for Jeff Glenn. As expected it was not a somber occasion but a celebration of both Jeff's life on earth and his new life where he experiences God's presence in a way that we can't fully imagine. It was a very special time. Steve Brummer led the congregation in two worship songs that seemed a bit out of place in a funeral service. However, they fit Jeff's service perfectly as they were songs of loudest praise to God.

There is no doubt that Jeff is in heaven. We can try to glimpse it in our minds but ultimately we have to rely upon Scripture to give us an adequate sense of what it will be like. The following is an excerpt from the Book of Common Prayer and it puts the truth about the joy of our passing into beautiful words.

"As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives
and that at the last he will stand upon the earth.
After my awaking, he will raise me up;
and in my body I shall see God.
I myself shall see, and my eyes behold him
who is my friend and not a stranger."

Not a stranger indeed.

Scripture for Sept 30

2006-09-28T07:59:00.000-07:00

We are going to continue our discussion from last week about the Lord's Prayer. So, re-read the passage from last week and ponder these questions as we proceed:

1) How often are we to pray the Lord's Prayer and in what context?

2) Is this prayer a "model" for us to follow as we create our own "original" prayers? Or, is it a prayer we are to pray verbatim rather than relying upon our own words?

The Psalm for the week: 146:4-9

The Scripture for our teaching time: Matthew 6:5-15

Eeechkk!!!...I need your help

2006-09-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I am an avid Mac user. This is not because I understand how computers work and have a means of judging the difference between PC and Mac. The bottom line is that I just think Mac's are cool. (cooler?)

Anyway, while adding new e-mail addresses to my address book something happened. The swirling rainbow wheel popped up (For those of you who use Mac's you know what I am talking about. For PC users, this is the closest thing to the PC "blue screen of death". It means that the program is not responding.) I did a force quit and re-started the program. It came back on with only one address in it, mine. I already know my address!!!

So, you see where this is going? If you read this would you please send me your e-mail address so I can replace it in our e-mail list. Fortunately, I do have a hard copy of most of our addresses. But, if you have only recently given us your address or, if your address has changed or you want to add a new one, please send it my way.

As always, my address is: paul@wheatlandmission.com

Thanks for indulging me in my MacRant.

New Address

2006-09-26T06:58:00.000-07:00

The post office box that we have used for the last several months will be going away soon. For those of you who want to continue mailing your contributions to the Wheatland Mission you can send them to our office address below. Please keep in mind that the time it takes to get your checks deposited, when mailed, is a bit longer than when brought to our Saturday night gathering. Thanks.

The Wheatland Mission
322 S. Mosley, Suite 14
Wichita, KS 67202

don't forget our e-mail address:
paul@wheatlandmission.com

Treasure of the Broken Land

2006-09-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

I had promised in my last post to provide you with the information regarding a college fund that is being established for Jeff Glenn's children, Gaston and Jama. If you would like to contribute you can do so through Intrust Bank here in Wichita. Jeff's memorial service is going to be Wednesday at 3:00 PM in the sanctuary of Central Christian Church.

Whenever someone I know or love has died I always think of the singer/songwriter Mark Heard who himself died in 1992. He never enjoyed a great deal of popularity but his songs were recorded by many different artists as diverse as Rich Mullins ("How To Grow Up Big and Strong") to Olivia Newton John. Mark Heard died young much like Jeff. He left behind his wife and young children much like Jeff. His positive impact on the world is still being felt, some 14 years after his loss, and I honestly believe the same will be true of Jeff too. God works in unique ways through all of us but his handiwork in these two lives will always be with us, even as works of art.

TREASURE OF THE BROKEN LAND
I see you now and then in dreams
Your voice sounds just like it used to
I know you better than I knew you then
All I can say is I love you

I thought our days were commonplace
Thought they would number in millions
Now there's only the aftertaste
Of circumstance that can't pass this way again

Treasure of the broken land
Parched earth, give up your captive ones
Waiting wind of Gabriel
Blow soon upon the hollow bones

I saw the city at its tortured worst
And you were outside the walls there
You were relieved of a lifelong thirst
I was dry at the fountain

I knew that you could see my shame
But you were eyeless and sparing
I awoke when you called my name
I felt the curtain tearing

Treasure of the broken land
Parched earth give up your captive ones
Waiting wind of Gabriel
Blow soon upon the hollow bones

I can melt the clock hands down
But only in my memory
Nobody gets the second chance to be the friend they meant to be

I see you now and then in dreams
Your voice sounds just like it used to
I believe I will hear it again
Oh, how I love you

Treasure of the broken land
Parched earth give up your captive ones
Waiting wind of Gabriel
Blow soon upon the hollow bones

You can purchase this song on iTunes recorded by Chagall Gueverra. I couldn't find Mark's version.

Jeff

2006-09-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Wheatland friends,

Many of you know Jeff and Claudette Glenn and many more of you have been praying for him as he deals with the final stages of pancreatic cancer. I am sad to announce that Jeff did succomb to the cancer that was discovered just a month ago. You can send words of encouragement by visiting Jeff's care page site at carepages.com. (You'll have to log in and create an account. It is very easy and can be done in just a minutes.)

There is a fund being put together to help the Glenn children with college funds. When I have the appropriate information I will pass it on to the Wheatland crowd in case any of you would like to contribute.

Needless to say, pray for Claudette, Gaston and Jama. Rejoice for Jeff. While we mourn we do well to remember that Jeff has received his reward.

Peace to you,

Paul

Prayer: In Our Own Words

2006-09-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Scripture for this week: Matthew 5:5-15

Do you ever enter a time of prayer only to discover that you don't really have much to say to God? Maybe it is the fact that you are a bit overwhelmed by your life or perhaps you are trying to resolve some questions that you have and just can't bring yourself to say what you need to. Sometimes we are angry at God, or at least at the circumstances in our life, and just can't bring ourselves to spit out what is going on inside of us.

What do you do when you don't have the words? This weekend we'll talk a bit about this and discuss some of Jesus' ideas about prayer. Feel free to share some of the things you have done or experienced in your prayer life in the comment section below.

Faces of Jesus...Christ by Rublev

2006-09-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

Due to technical difficulties or operator inability (that operator would be Paul) I was unable to display this image during our teaching time this weekend. Here it is for your enjoyment. One thing Rublev tried to display when creating this icon is the fact that Jesus was truly human. As Christians we acknowledge Jesus is both God and man but we sometimes take his humanity for granted. We don't take his limitations seriously nor the struggles, normal aches and pains of everyday life, that Jesus undoubtedly confronted.

When we are confronted with what seem to be the unbearable limits of our humanity we can take comfort that Jesus, the human being, dealt with the same thing.

Local and Ordinary

2006-09-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

"The way of Jesus is always local and ordinary." - Eugene Peterson

If you want to get really "local" and really "ordinary" come join us tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 to set up chairs at the new Wheatland Mission worship gathering space. (It is still called the Foundry and it meets at 11801 E. Lincoln.

Wheatland Mission's New Location!

2006-09-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

The Wheatland Mission is worshipping in a new place this weekend! We will continue leasing space from the Foundry who have moved to their new location at: 11801 E Lincoln St., Wichita, KS 67207.

Directions to Wheatland's new worship space: From Kellogg and Greenwich go south to Lincoln and turn east. Go one/half mile until you see signs for "The Foundry". Enter parking lot from the north. From K-96 and Kellogg go West to Greenwich and turn south (left) proceed to Lincoln and go east.

You Want To Help Tonight! (Wednesday)

2006-09-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

If you are available to help move the Foundry and the Wheatland Mission meet at the old Foundry location - 1845 S. Rock Road - at 6:30. If you can't come till later call me at 992-1540 to discover where the group is (old or new location). Thanks...

Let's Help Tomorrow Night

2006-09-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

Hello Fellow Wheatland Missionaries!

The work party for helping out the Foundry with the move will begin at 6:30pm. Please meet at the South Rock Road facility. There will be two activities we will be helping with: begin moving items from the old facility to the new one near Lincoln and Greenwich; and pulling all existing sound and video wires from the old facility in preparation for re-installation to the new facility.

The Foundry is supplying a truck and trailer for moving items. Please come prepared to assist with one of these two activities.

As there is most likely more work to do than one evening will allow, so please consider helping another evening this week in preparation for our first worship service at the new facility on Saturday!

Thank you very much and we will see you tomorrow evening!

God Bless!

Dinner and Promotion

2006-09-06T14:21:00.000-07:00

This Saturday night we will be having our community wide meal. This is a great time to get to one another more, enjoy each other's company and celebrate together. Our Friday night house church will be hosting but we need each family to bring a dessert to share with one another.

Also, we will have a special promotion time for our elementary kids who are moving up to middle school. You won't want to miss this special time of prayer and encouragement for these young folks.

This Weekend...

2006-09-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not this coming Saturday will be the last night we gather for worship at the facility on S. Rock Rd. Starting September 16 we will begin meeting, at the same time, at the Foundry's new facility on East Lincoln. I will be send more specific directions, including a map soon.

Also, this coming weekend we will have a meal together hosted by our Friday night house church. We will begin eating at 5:00 and have dessert after our worship time. Also, this weekend is our family gathering too.

Calana, the kids and I are all now living in the new house. Thanks to all of you who have helped us move by bringing meals, cleaning, painting and (of course) lifting heavy items. Your help was a great encouragement to us. Also, thanks for the house warming gifts and the great party last Saturday.

My e-mail availability will be a bit sporadic until we get wireless up and running at our house next week. If you do want to e-mail me you can do so at the regular Wheatland address or you can e-mail my phone at paullynnhill@tmo.blackberry.net.

Community Dinner Next Sat @ 5:00 PM!

2006-09-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

I trust you are all having a great holiday weekend. For those of you who are traveling, be safe and have fun. For those of you sticking around this weekend do the same, and, if you are dying to move some heavy furniture you can come to our home in Bel Aire Monday to help us move. :]

More importantly, however, I want to invite and/or remind you of our community dinner next Saturday night. Our meal is being hosted by our Friday night house church and we will begin eating by 5:00. Our actual worship time will start later, about 5:45 and we will end our evening with dessert around 6:45. This will be a great time of fellowship and a great opportunity to get to know one another better. Many of you know folks who are interested in the Wheatland Mission and this might be a great opportunity for your to introduce them to our church family.

We will meat and eat at our current location on S. Rock Rd. Our first worship service in the new facility will be September 16.

I am looking forward to seeing all of you tomorrow. Peace to you....

Scripture for this weekend

2006-08-31T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Psalm: 112

The Message Time: I Corinthians 8 & 9

We will continue talking about our relationship with money and our relationship with God's Kingdom. "We are not called to be consume but to participate and bless."

Monday Morning Letter

2006-08-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Dear Wheatland Mission,

Calana and I want to express our gratitude to you all for the special house warming time this past Saturday night. The food was wonderful and the gifts were great. We really appreciate all that you have done for us. It is an honor to serve with each of you. In case you were wondering our new address 12306 Lincoln Ct. (Yes, this is the right address. I checked with Calana.) We will be painting and prepping the house to move in this week. Come and say hello!

I again want to express a big congratulations to Jeff and Andrea Bullok on the birth of Lauren Grace this past Monday. Welcome, Lauren!

Last Monday was a wonderful night of prayer and I want to thank all of you participated through praying on site or from you homes. I want to share again three things that we took away from our prayer time.

First, we decided that we needed to gather for specific times of prayer more often. We sought God's guidance, repented of sin, and thanked God for his provision. It was special. Keep an eye out for notice of another prayer experience like that in the near future.

Second, it seems right, for now, to go with the Foundry to their new location at our regular time of 5:30 Saturdays. This is in part because of the fact that the Foundry's moving date has been moved up significantly and in part because of our third point.

Third, I think we need more prayer about whether to change our current weekly gathering time. There are many good reasons to stay with Saturday and many reasons to move to a Sunday morning. I want us to take more time together to discuss the options and pray about this issue together. Many of you have shared your thoughts with me and I would love for all of you to let me know how you feel about the issue. I also encourage us to talk with one another about it and help one another understand your preferences. While not the most important issue we will face together as a community it is, nonetheless, important. Let's continue to commit this to prayer and see where God leads.

One last thing, today my kids started school. I know most of our young people have already been in school for a week or even more. Let's take time today, and every day, to pray for their development in school this year. We all have a sacred responsibilty to contribute to their journeys of faith so let's lift them up.

The Wheatland Mission is a wonderful church and a wonderful family. Our family is grateful to be a part of it. Thanks for being a part of it too.

Peace to you,

Paul

Branding, etc...

2006-08-23T20:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who joined us for the very special time of prayer this past Monday night. It was a great time to simply voice our hearts to God, repent of things that we have done and those things we have left undone, and seek God's direction for our personal lives as well as the corporate life of our church. Thanks also to those of you who couldn't make it but joined us in prayer from your homes.

I'll try to provide a post tomorrow that shares with all of you some of the thoughts that emerged from our gathering as well as some decisions that were made as a result.

Calana and I have been painting, scraping wall paper, power washing a deck and moving lots of small stuff to the new house. We are really looking forward to having an open house so all of Wheatland can come check out our new digs.

Here are the readings for this weekend. We will be digging into the giving talk this week. To prepare read the passage from Colossians and be thinking about our modern concept of "branding". Have fun with it.

The Psalm: Philippians 2:6-11

Teaching Time: Colossians 1:15-20, I Timothy 6:3-10 (also, you might want to read II Corinthians 8 and 9 because these chapters are going to inform our discussion as well)

See you Saturday night.

Congratulations and Welcome!

2006-08-21T14:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jeff and Andrea Bullok on the birth of their daughter this afternoon.
Welcome to Lauren Grace Bullok who weighs in at 5lbs 14oz and is 16.5 inches long. Mom and daughter are doing well and Dad too.

Prayer Gathering Monday Night

2006-08-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Let's gather this Monday, tomorrow, at 7PM at the Tallgrass East Clubhouse. From 21st and Webb drive north and take your first right. Take Clubhouse street until you see the clubhouse on your left.

This will be a great time of prayer, worship and discerning God's will together. See you then.

Scriptures For This Weekend

2006-08-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Psalm: 82

Teaching Time: Colossians 1:15-20, I Timothy 6:3-10 (also, you might want to read II Corinthians 8 and 9 because these chapters are going to inform our discussion as well)

See you Saturday night.

Prayer Gathering...more info!

2006-08-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Let's get together next Monday night at 7:00 PM for a
time of prayer and worship. Our goal for the evening is to simply pray
with one another, for one another, and for the future of our faith
community. We want to give special emphasis to seeking God's direction
regarding the time of our weekly worship gatherings and where those
times will take place.

We will meet at the Tallgrass EAST clubhouse (same place as our Family
Picnic two weeks ago and our Easter breakfast) at 7:00 PM.

Prayer Gathering Next Monday

2006-08-14T20:58:00.000-07:00

Let's get together next Monday night (location TBA) for a time of prayer and worship. The focus of our prayer time is listening to God regarding when we are to meet and where. There are some big decisions that we have to work through and it will be good for us, as a community, to simply seek God's face.

We'll gather at 7PM and feel please to come and go as you can. Our time will be focused upon prayer more than discussion. However, still keep sending me e-mails and share what you think is best for our gathering time and location. Watch the blog and your e-mail for location of next week's prayer gathering.

This Weekend...

2006-08-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

Here are the Scripture Readings for this weekend. I am including the Psalm Reading too.

The Psalm: 33:12-15, 18-22

The Message: Gal 4:19; I John 2:12-14

Enjoy!

Getting The Scale Right...redux

2006-08-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

The way I was doing the work of God, was destroying the work of God in me. - Bill Hybels

I remember, many years ago, attending the Willow Creek Leadership Seminar in the suburbs of Chicago. At that time people from all over the country and around the world gathered to hear about the successes of Willow and the great accomplishments of their leadership. They described their church growth strategies, their ministry philosophy, and showed us how they go things done. Now, fifteen years later I can't remember anything they taught us.

But, I do remember Bill Hybels crying.

Hybels, who was something of an icon to young pastors around the country stood in front of everyone and acknowledged that he had been slowly committing spiritual suicide. Building a new facility, managing a larger staff, expanding the impact of their ministries had all begun to take a toll upon his soul. The successes that he fed upon was not the food that his soul needed so desparately.

Although he didn't use these exact words I believe that Hybels suffered because he didn't get the scale right.

As a young man he had an unceasing supply of energy. As an older man he still had energy and the wisdom how to apply it. But, as he kept going he discovered that he was neglecting his soul. His accomplishments were being made at the price of his spiritual life. Like a farmer with too much land to till he kept pushing and pushing. He didn't collapse physically but he did begin to collapse spiritually and emotionally. The constant pace, the unrealistic expectations and the means he used to get things done waged war on his walk with God.

"The way I was doing the work of God was destroying the work of God in me." Hybels has repeated these words over and over again in the years since his personal discovery. They are words that we do well to heed as well. God has given us work to do that is both meaningful and challenging. God often calls upon us to endure difficult circumstances and to persevere through hard situations. God sometimes calls upon us to do more than we think possible. But, he will never call us to do so much that it destroys his workmanship, his craftsmanship, his art. He will never call us to work in such a way that we are driven from a relationship with him that is based on vulnerability and trust.

As individuals, as families and as a church community we all have to find our "field. While we work hard we don't work ourselves to death. While we do work that challenges us and stretches us we do not do that work in such a way that we are distanced from our heavenly Father, in strife with one another, or alienated from ourselves. Getting the scale right means finding the work that God has called us to do and entering into in a way that is appropriate to the task and water to our souls. Getting the scale right is about vocation and one of the best comments about discerning one's vocation comes from Frederick Buechner.

"Neither the soft berth nor the hair shirt will do. One's vocation is where one's deep joy and the world's deep needs meet."

This Book Thingy...

2006-08-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Is kind of messed up but kind of cool too. The funny thing about it is that is repeats itself between each blog post. I suppose that isn't a huge problem but I am just un-technical enough not to know how to fix that. I may have to scratch the whole thing. If you are interested in cataloging your libraries on-line you can check out Library Thing at librarything.com.

Paul and Calana say...

2006-08-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks.

The gift and recognition at the picnic Sunday night was truly special and the friendships that we have had the joy of being a part of this past year are even more important. One year ago, as Calana and I prayed about what was next in our lives, God planted this dream in our hearts. It is very exciting to see the diverse people that God has brought together in the Wheatland Mission. It is encouraging to see the many friendships that have developed between people who did not know one another one year ago. It is exciting to participate in new relationships with such wonderful friends. This little community is becoming a family.

It is a great honor to be your pastor and to serve with you. As we look to the future let's pray for God's direction and grace, the expansion of his Kingdom and our involvement in it, and let's pray for the growth of our community as we involve more people in God's life and mission. May all of our hearts align with his.

Thanks for letting us serve as your pastor. Thanks for being a part of the Wheatland Mission adventure!

This Satuday Night

2006-07-27T15:27:00.000-07:00

This Saturday night is our monthly family worship gathering. Our elementary kids will be in the service with us and will actually be leading different portions of our service. You won't want to miss that. It will be a very special time.

To prepare for our service this weekend you can read our Psalm for the week: Psalm 138 and the text for our teaching time: Genesis 12:1-9. We will be finishing up our small series on Genesis called "The Back Story".

Don't forget: C-2 is this Saturday. Contact me if you want to have your children involved in that special time. Also, our church picnic is this Sunday at 4:00. We will eat at 6:00. It will be a lot of fun and a great time sharing life together.

HAPPY 100th!

2006-07-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

100 posts to this blog, that is. It is a bit of a mile marker for us that we have been using this space for that long. In an upcoming post I will include some of the "greatest hits" on this blog from the past months. These will be a few posts from the past several months that are still worth reading, or viewing, after all of this time.

In the meantime, don't forget:

1. C-2 (Wheatland's mini-VBS event) is this Saturday at 10AM. This will be a really special time that none of our elementary or middle-school kids will want to miss.

2. Saturday night's service will be on of our family worship gatherings and kids from C-2 will have a special part to play in the entire service.

3. Don't forget our family picnic this Sunday night. It all starts at 4:00 PM and we will eat at 6:00 PM. Please bring a side dish. Meat and buns for hamburgers and hotdogs will be provided as well as drinks.

Thanks to you who volunteered your grills. That helps a whole lot!

People Paul Needs to Thank...this week (T-1)

2006-07-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

This list of people whom I need to thank is not exhaustive by any means. If you think you deserve my thanks I am sure that I would agree.

Just getting back from vacation I must say thanks to my hosts in Portland. Laurin and Sheri (after 15+ years I finally figured out how to spell your name), y'all took great care of us while we were up in the great Northwest. You provided first rate hospitality and showed us around to all of the really cool stuff in the area. Our sadness, that comes from the great geographical distance between us, was healed by the great friendship we share and the wonderful time we had with you.

I also want to thank Joe and Mallary for taking us to Imago Dei for church, the Kennedy School for dinner and the Laurelhurst neighborhood just for fun. It was a real treat to see the two of you again. Thanks for helping in the "early days" of the Wheatland Mission. Your fingerprints are still here.

I also want to thank Matt T. for leading and planning the worship service this past week. Multiple sources tell me that worship was great. However, they didn't have to tell me that to know it. Thanks for your willingness to help in that way.

Thanks to Brad Moser. In addition to being a great friend and encourager you tackled the teaching time this past week. You did a great job, again, multiple sources keep telling me these things. But I knew you would. Thanks for being one of the teachers in our little community, along with all of the other important things you do.

Thanks to the Snodgrasses and Kings for helping care for our eldest daughter this weekend. We knew that Tatiana was in great hands and we appreciate it very much. Thanks to my sis-in-law Dedra, and my brother Mark, for taking such good care of Savannah. Also, thanks Mark for fixing her bike.

I also want to thank Rustin and Marcola (Calana's sister and her husband) for taking such good care of Harrison. He almost didn't want to come home. He had a great time with your family. It's good to have spend some time with his little cousin Rock and his aunt and uncle.

I want to thank Brad Niessen for loaning me his saws and for getting an extra bucket for our dog. Also, I want to especially thank Braydon Niessen for keeping Shelby (our large outdoor dog) hydrated. Way to go! Thanks Braydon's Mom and Dad, along with little sis Chloe. You helped him too.

Finally, two last groups for me to thank. First, those of you who greeted us over the phone Saturday night...thank you! That meant a lot even though I was a bit confused over what the message was at first. After listening to it for awhile I figured it out. That meant a lot. Second, a big thanks for all of you who have put up with our blog the past week as I post photo's and make comments about our trip. Your tolerance and affection are much appreciated!

Gratitude is such a central component of our faith. I hope this little post might make you think a bit about who and what you are grateful for. Above all, we want to take time regulalry to thank God for the gift of himself and one another.

We Are Home ... T-2

2006-07-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

We are home and glad to be back. (In spite of the temprature which is a bit different than the very comfortable Portland clime.) Our plane landed at about 1:00 AM Tuesday morning in Kansas City. We stayed a few hours at the Smith's (Calana's sister) and then returned to Wichita yesterday afternoon. It is good to be back with the kids and back home.

We want to thank all of you who helped out with kids, dog feeding (and cooling) and all else. Calana and I had a wonderful trip. We missed being here for church Saturday night but we enjoyed worship at Beaverton Christian Church where my cousin Laurin is the worship minister.

Laurin and I are 1st cousins but grew up much like brothers. While I am sad that he lives so far away I must confess I am glad he lives in such a cool destination. Laurin and Sheri, his wife, have two children, Graham (7) and Claire (4). The whole family is included in the picture below. They were with us at the airport and saw us off.

Laurin does a splendid job leading worship and coordinates a very large music ministry including a choir, more than one worship team and band, along with an orchestra. BCC is a church of about 2200. No small task. Sheri and Laurin were wonderful hosts and took us all around the Portland area. It was an honor to get to worship Saturday night without responsibilities and under Laurin's very capable leadership. It was a good time all around.

Wheatland Phone is Dead

2006-07-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

I love my phone. It is a very useful communication tool. I can place and receive phone calls (of course), send texts, and e-mail all in one package. I even look business like talking on a blackberry like one half of the corporate world. Alsa, the phone is with me and the charger is in Wichita. Last call was yesterday.

I'll check my messages remotely. Ooops.

At the Coast on Friday...

2006-07-17T01:14:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of our hosts, Laurin and Sheri Hill. They took really good care of us and took us to see some beautiful scenery. This picture was shot at Cannon Beach. The Pacific is in the background.

Calana and I are running to the water. We heard the ocean temperature was a balmy 60 degrees.

Laurin, his son Graham and I are in Astoria, OR. We are on top of the Astoria Column overlooking the Columbia river and Washington State behind us. Lewis and Clark built Fort Clatsop just around the corner 200 years previously.

(Ooops! This caption is wrong. Yes, it is my cousin Laurin and his son Graham but that is the Pacific Ocean in the background and not the Columbia. We were at the Astoria Column, near Fort Clatsop, earlier that day.)

The Hill's of Portland. That is "Haystack Rock" behind them. When the tide went out we were able to look at crabs and starfish in the tidal pools that were left behind. Pretty neat.

Returning to the mothership.

This is the sunset on "Haystack Rock". Awed by creation.

Portland Weekend...more pictures!

2006-07-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

This has been a great weekend away in the great Northwest. And, after following the weather reports in KS, I must say that we are glad to be enjoying the 78 degree heat wave up here. In spite of the great weather, and even better company, we are anxious to return to our kids and our home. We look forward to seeing all of you as well.

Here are two of our housemates here in Portland, young Graham and his sister Claire:

They have been a lot of fun and a great help to us during our stay here. As you might expect we wish they could have spent time with their cousins, Tatiana, Savannah and Harrison.

On Sunday morning we attended church with Joe and Mallary Wilson at a church called Imago Dei. They also took us to a great restaurant known as the Kennedy School in NE Portland. Here are a couple of pics of Joe and Mallary. Just in case your new to the Wheatland Mission Joe used to help us with our worship leading in the "early days". (Aren't we still in those?)

Our visit to Imago Dei was really good. This church calls itself a "missional community" and they have a commitment to planting new churches. More than anything they believe that the church is really meant to be a blessing to the world around it. I like that.

We are off to the airport tomorrow evening and back to Wichita around noon on Tuesday. Please pray that our travels go well.

We Missed Church Tonight...T-6

2006-07-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

We actually went to church tonight but we missed being with all of you, our Wheatland Mission friends. We are seeing the Wilson's (Joe and Mallary) tomorrow and going to church with them at Imago Dei in Portland. (imagodeicommunity.com)

We will see you next week. God bless you all of you.

We Made It...

2006-07-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Kansas City Airport - small, business-like, 20 minute wait and free wireless.

Atlanta Airport - big, bustling, carnival atmosphere, 3 hour wait and no free wireless.

We did have a good trip from Atlanta to Portland. By the way, you more experienced travellers understand this, late purchased inexpensive tickets require some detours. Lots of reading time, lots of talk time, all in all a great time together.

Here we are in Atlanta:

Here we are at take-off:

We are off!

2006-07-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

We are off! This is the Hill's in KC getting ready to transverse the continent. Twice.

The Countdown To 100! - T-9

2006-07-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

This is post #91 on our Wheatland Mission blog. We will soon hit the century mark so let the countdown begin!

For this weekend...

1) Continue reading the story of Noah and the Ark in Genesis 7,8,9.

2) Brad Moser will be leading our teaching time.

3) Matt Thiessen will be leading our worship time.

4) Mark your calendars for C2 (C-Squared). This is Wheatland's mini-VBS on July 29th.

5) Mark your calendars for the Church Family Picnic the following night, July 30th.

Have a fun weekend and pray for our family as we travel. God bless you.

The Spiritual Formation Workbook: What did you think?

2006-07-11T22:01:00.000-07:00

Hey, all of you house churchers! What did you think of the Spiritual Formation Workbook?

I would really appreciate the feedback from many of you who went through the book in your house church. What did you like about the book and what did you dislike? What was especially helpful and was less useful? Was there anything that you thought was just wrongheaded?

Feel free to leave some of your thoughts in the comment section. Thanks...

"a learning community of practicing disciples...

2006-07-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

I want to take a moment and express my thanks to all of you who have shared your opinions and concerns with me regarding the big decisions our church needs to make regarding our meeting time and meeting place. Without an exception the information provided to me has been helpful and very graciously offered. Please continue to pray and please continue to share your thoughts and feelings about these issues with me and, I might add, with one another. There is much we learn together. As we work together in community God reveals things to us that he might not simply reveal to us as individuals. This is one beautiful thing about being a "body of believers" as Paul describes in I Corinthians 11-14. There is much I learn from you and much you learn from one another. Keep it up.

I entitled this post "a learning community of practicing disciples...". This is a quote from Brian McLaren's book The Secret Message of Jesus and one which I have mentioned before. I include it here to remind us that regardless of when we meet or where, we have a commission from Christ to follow him. We are to follow him regardless of our context or circumstance. We are to be "practicing disciples". This is a bit overstated but I believe it needs to be. In the church this word has been overused and unfortunately misused. It has grown to mean less and less over the years. What I want us to pay attention to is the idea of us being "practicing" disciples. That is, we are students, or apprentices, of Christ by actually doing what he says. We take his commands seriously and actually believe that he will empower us, through his Holy Spirit, to become more and more like him as we grow and mature. The end result will be that we will find it harder not to do the things Jesus would do than it is to do them. This is an admirable goal and I believe it is God's will for each of our lives.

The image above is the Orthodox icon known as Christ the Teacher.

In addition, we are to do this as we grow and learn together. We are to be a "learning community". To be in Christ requires that we continue to learn and are committed to it. I seriously question whether we can be disciples of Christ if we are not committed to being learners. We don't learn mere facts about the Bible but we learn for the sake of being formed more and more into the likeness of Jesus. (Galatians 4:19)

So, to be a "learning community of practicing disciples" does not require a specific building or facility but a specific outlook. A missional outlook that sees the church as part of God's solution to the world's problems initiated through Christ and his Kingdom. We get to participate in the Kingdom of God in many ways not the least of which includes fashioning our lives to more closely resemble his. Wherever that takes us is where I want to be. That is where I want the Wheatland Mission to be.

Check Your Calendars!

2006-07-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some important dates coming up really soon:

1. C2 - (C - squared) will be our special one day VBS experience for our elementary kids on July 29. That is a Saturday and the kids event will culminate with another family service that night.

2. Wheatland Mission Family Picnic - this will take place July 30 at the clubhouse in the Tallgrass East Neighborhood. This will be a fun time for us to share as a community together.

3. Please pray for Calana and I as we travel next week. We are leaving next Wednesday for Portland, OR to visit family and friends. Pray for our kids too. They will be staying with grandparents in Texas, Aunts in KC and friends in Wichita. The weekend we are gone Brad Moser will be leading our teaching time and Matt Thiessen will be leading our worship. You will not want to miss that special night.

What I've Been Reading This Summer

2006-07-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

I still have Paul Riley's biography of John Adams and I still plan on getting to it. I was inspired to read it two days ago with the anniversary of his death. Oh, yes. It was also our country's independence day. He had a lot to do with that too. Have no fear Paul! I'll be digging into that one real soon.

In the meantime however, I have been reading two neat little books. The first one is called the The Secret Message of Jesus by Brian McLaren. I have read almost everything McLaren has written and have appreciated almost all of it. This is by far his best book and his focus upon the Kingdom of God/missional living is really inspiring. As usual he raises more questions than he answers and I appreciate that.

I would love to gather a reading group and go through this book. While inspiring this book provokes a lot of discussion about how we, as the church, are to live in our present day. The book makes one re-think his or her commitments in this world in light of Christ and the Kingdom he is advancing.

The second book is called Praying With The Church by Scot McKnight. McKnight is a New Testament professor who writes in his daily blog called "Jesus Creed". (jesuscreed.org) This book is about the various prayer traditions within the church, throughout the centuries, and it focuses a lot on praying from various prayerbooks that have been compiled over the years. I appreciate his thoughtfulness and his encouragement to the reader to supplement their prayer life by "praying the hours" as it is called.

Islamic fundamentalists, and normal everyday Islamic adherents, stop several times a day for regular times of prayer. Regardless of what they are doing or where they are they stop, kneel facing the east and pray the specific prayers for that time of day. We should be challenged by their devotion. It should both inspire and provoke us to consider different ways to enhance our devotional life and deepen our commitment to Jesus. McKnight's book is a great help to this end.

E-Mail Chanda

2006-07-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

IF, you want to help the Wheatland Mission out in any of the following areas:

• Greeting. Contrary to the belief of some this is not the same thing as being a bouncer.
• Communion Preparation. Simply put, we need individuals to provide bread and grape juice each week for our communion time. The set up is simple and open to everyone’s personal touch.
• General clean up after our worship gathering. Not too much to say here either. We need folks to help empty trash, vacuum floors (when needed) and moving children’s ministry tables, etc.

Each of these needs are fairly simple and don’t require a lot of time. Don’t let the low time commitment fool you into thinking that they aren’t important. We need you to help out in these different areas to make our weekly gatherings all they can be.

You can contact Chanda to get on the schedule at: chandabean@att.net