Church Family,
As we continued our series in Acts this past Sunday the story opened on a figure we have already encountered in this book, Saul. Saul had given his approval for the execution of Stephen, and now he was seeking authority from the synagogues to persecute Christians far and wide. While setting out to enact further persecution, Saul encounters Jesus himself in the form of a blinding light and a voice calling out to Saul and asking Saul to follow his command. Saul is humbled by this encounter and he remains in blindness and fasts for three days, yet in his humbling he is utterly transformed for all he can see in that moment is the truth of who Jesus is. Upon regaining his sight Saul was baptized and immediately moved from persecuting followers of Jesus to proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God. Church, let us ask ourselves if we are so caught up in our perception of the world and of ourselves that we are blind to Jesus and his calling upon our lives. And if we are, let us ask God that he would blind us to our own selves and open our eyes to him.
Church Game Night
We will be having a church-wide game night this upcoming Friday, September 20th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Bring your own dinner and your favorite game or two and come enjoy a couple wonderful hours of fellowship.
Prospective Members Class
We will be hosting a prospective members class on Saturday, September 28 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Attending this class is not a firm commitment to anything; it is simply an opportunity to learn about Light in the Desert Church and what it means to be a member. If you are interested in attending please email Bryan (Bryan@lightinthedesert.church) or sign up on the sheet in the foyer.
Elder Candidacy
One of our convictions as a church is that the biblical model for the church involves being led by a plurality of elders, multiple godly men who can provide diverse perspectives and insights necessary for the overseeing of the church. In pursuit of that ideal we have had a few men in the process of prospective eldership. Our current elders formally announced one of those men, Brian Murphy, as an elder candidate to be voted on by the church members on October 20th. While our bylaws only require a two week notice before a vote, we are taking a much longer lead into this vote so we have time to do two things. First, of course, be praying about this vote. It would be a tremendous mistake to not make sure that such a decision is informed by lots of prayer. Second, pursue Brian in the time leading up to this decision. If you have concerns about his qualifications to be an elder, questions about his beliefs, or even just don’t feel like you know him well enough to make a decision then this is your time to talk to him and figure these kinds of things out. Catch him after service on a Sunday, find a time to call him, or even meet up with him for coffee or a meal. It’s not a bother; this is part of what he has volunteered himself for in pursuing eldership.
Grace be with you,
Logan Murphy
Pastoral Intern