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Dear Friend,
Welcome! Will you grow with us?
You may wonder, what does that question mean? Well, it means so many good things.
First, it means a tremendous change in your life. The faith and forgiveness given to you by Jesus make you alive! It is like a seed planted in the ground to become a mighty tree spreading its branches and giving fruit. God planted you to be His wonderful blessing. Do you want to grow?
Second, growing in Christ with us means that you will grow into a follower of Jesus, our Messiah. The Holy Spirit, by His steadfast love in your heart, will help you to love others the way Jesus loves. The fruit of Christ in us is love. The world is longing for this love and goodness. It comes through Jesus' love, planting us and helping us to grow to love others.
So Welcome! Will you grow with us?
The people of this wonderful body of Christ called Oak Harbor Christian Reformed Church welcome you and invite you to be a part of our lives, to learn and grow in Christ together!
Our call for ministry is this:
May the grace of God in Christ grow our faith, hope, and love for one another, Oak Harbor, and the world!
We seek to carry out this call through:
- Worship -- Celebrating God's gift of salvation in Jesus!
- Outreach -- Spreading God's kingdom by giving love and justice
- Fellowship -- Encouraging unity and love in the body of Christ
- Place -- Maintaining a safe and friendly place to worship and grow
- Education -- Learning and growing to understand God's word and His world.
Some Personal Reflections on Jesus, My Light:
To me, God has revealed Himself through light. When I walk through a forest and see light shining through the shadows of trees, I know God is with me. All my adult life as an artist, I have tried to capture and master that light through painting. But I have found that the light of God has captured and mastered me. God has placed faith in His Son within my heart. I believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, is the light of the world! "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 men." (John 1:3-4) God has opened my eyes to see the clear bright light of faith, hope, and love in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I believe God reveals Himself through the light of His creation. But creation can take me only so far. God reveals Himself to me especially through scripture. Both Old and New Testaments give the light of God's grace entering into our broken situation. This light shines to help me see who I am and how much God cares for the whole world. In a sense, God exposes me to see how much I need Him. And in the light of God sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, I can finally see myself and others the way God sees me: forgiven, redeemed, and a work in progress.
I believe that God has placed His light in my heart through the Holy Spirit. My faith in Christ is a gift that the Holy Spirit nurtures to produce joy and hope even in the midst of the hardest struggles in life. The Holy Spirit is helping me to die to my old self and live a new life in the light of Christ. This is a reason to rejoice!
I believe that the power of God is such that nothing whatsoever can separate me from His love (Romans 8). I now walk in this light on a path bringing my fears to Jesus. I have been united with Christ and can share His wisdom and mission to the world through His word. I will someday be raised from death to new life with a glorious body in eternal relationship with the Trinity. In the mean time, God is equipping me to be His servant to restore others. I will someday see my holy Lord face to face in the light of His full presence! Nothing will change this awesome fact. God is light. In Him there is no darkness at all.
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