Mark your Calendars - Fun Summer Events!

God doesn't want us to be bored in this life.  Over the course of this summer break, have you heard a child say, "I'm bored"?  I have.  God doesn't want us to be bored.  He's got stuff for us to do!  He wants us to build relationships with other people so that we can build relationships between them and God.  That's true no matter what age we are!  

So, mark your calendars for these great relationship building events that will help us connect our family, friends, co-workers and neighbors to God.  Here they are: 

Kickball for a Cause - Every Wednesday, 6:30pm at both of our sites, Green Bay (1167 Kenwood, 2 blocks north of Lambeau Field on Oneida St) and our De Pere site (2066 Lawrence Dr).  Bring a team, or your family and friends or just yourself.  We will be providing water and lemonade.  Bring a lawn chair, if you just want to watch.

Hope Backpacks - Begins July 1 through July 15.  Pencil boxes available at no cost in which there is a list of school supplies that need to be purchased and put into a backpack and returned by July 22.  Monetary donations also accepted.  The backpacks will go to families in need at both block parties.  Questions?  Contact Lori Rogers at 920-680-6335.

Kids Camp - July 23-28, 9am to 3pm.  All 1st through 6th grade stuents (as of Fall 2017-2018) are welcome!  Register your kids or sign up to volunteer at stmarkdepere.com/youth.  

Block Parties - We will be hosting two different block parties this summer.  The first is at our De Pere site on Saturday, July 29 at 6pm.  The second is at our Green Bay site on Sunday, August 20 at 11:30am.  Inflatable bounce houses, games, free food, and live music are just part of the fun!  We will also be giving away back packs full of school supplies at both parties.

"Whatever you do...do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).  

Have a blessed summer!
- Pastor Chris

Your God is Too Small

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We’ve all seen it. Acts of unbelievable proportions. Our friend does a back-flip on the trampoline. The half-court, backwards lob ‘swooshes’ in the net. 8 gold medals in one Olympics. A 4^th quarter comeback in the Super Bowl. When we tell someone, their first reaction? “Get out.” “You’re kidding me, right?” “That CAN’T have just happened.” Unfortunately, we bring this attitude with us into our faith life.

Humans tend to resist the unbelievable. We’re stubborn. Maybe you’ve noticed it in other people, maybe you’ve noticed it in yourself. Sometimes, OUR understanding of God isn’t wide enough. Here is a reminder of the God that is never too small.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

Think of the most ridiculous thing you could possibly imagine. 1 billion pink elephants standing on each other’s backs. Financial support for everything you could ever need. Joy that would never end. These requests sound a little…over the top, right? But top that. Shut your eyes and imagine the most powerful thing a being could perform. Move planets. Run faster than the speed of light… bring someone back from the dead. Our God, the God from the Bible, isn’t even limited by our imagination. Paul tells us he is able to do immeasurably more than our wildest requests and our most ridiculous fancies. Not even a Hollywood movie with a limitless budget could attempt to describe how powerful the true God actually is.

And this God works within us to do something that is beyond our comprehension. Paul writes [The power at work in us who believe] is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 1:20) God’s same power, the power that raised Christ from the dead, is at work within us too. Jesus Christ, the all-powerful son of God, died… but was raised to life. He has conquered death. And this same promise is given to us. Through Christ we too have conquered death, will be raised to life again, and will take our place in heaven with everlasting joy. Death has been destroyed. Its sting is gone. Someday when death comes and stares us in the eyes, we can look right back…and not be afraid. Our spot in heaven, next to the living God, is waiting.

This is the power of our God. Our God is never too small. 

By: Orie Thomford