MAP Update

Hello all!

It has been awhile since I put out the first newsletter, and I have (as you have noticed) decided to make some changes.  This blog format will allow me to post more frequently.  The reason it was taking so long for me to get newsletters out is because I do not have professional publishing software, nor do I know enough about computers to utilize free software to make a decent looking newsletter.  Bottom line: I can write more substance here, and waste less time on aesthetics.  I think it's a good pairing, don't you?

Just a quick list of things I have been up to lately:

Latest Happenings:

• Sunday School - Sunday school started back up with a new curriculum focused on how we can be a part of God's redeeming work in our communities here in Wilmington.
• DETOUR - Detour is our evening event for high school kids and their friends to come play games, meet new friends, and be challenged to think about God in a different way...maybe even to think about God for the first time in their lives.
• 9Marks - 9Marks is an organization promoting healthy churches, and I was lucky to attend their conference on Biblical Theology hosted by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.  This was very helpful to me in the way that I read and understand the Bible as a whole.  It also gave me a taste of seminary.
• D-Now - D-Now was an inter-denominational retreat for high school youth groups in Wilmington.  We took our high school kids to enjoy fellowship with some 1,600 other kids from across the city.
• MAP Dinners - Every Tuesday night I have dinner with a different family from the CCC congregation.  These dinners have been a great way to know the church intimately, and hear how God has been working in peoples' lives.
• Fall Festival - This weekend is our annual fall festival.  We expect about 300 people total for an evening of family fun, food, and games!
• Reeds Jewelers - I hold a job outside of CCC at the corporate offices for Reeds Jewelers.  I work in their e-commerce department processing online sales and handling customer service.  I am enjoying getting to know my co-workers as we gear up for the holiday season.