Take-away lessons from the Beth Moore simulcast

For those of you ladies who couldn't make it to the awesome Beth Moore simulcast this past weekend, no worries! Here's the condensed version of what we learned:

1. The key verse for the weekend was Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart." She encouraged us to identify what it is we truly desire – i.e., what is it that you've been longing for, perhaps for a really long time? For some of us, those desires may seem pretty shallow when we shine a light on them. For others of us, we may not have a clue what we desire because our dreams and hopes died a long time ago. Awaken them. Figure out what they are. You do have desires.

2. Nothing dictates our lives (and the decisions we make) like our desires. Let's be honest: At the end of the day, we're all going to do what we want to do, so we need to examine our desires and what is really at the heart of them. We need to lay those desires out before God.

3. Delighting in God makes your desires inevitable. What does it mean to delight in God? It means to take pleasure in Him, to want to spend time with Him and His word, to be filled with wonder over Him, to be filled with joy. When we do these things, he promises to give us our desires. If you don't feel delight for Him, ask for it.

4. Nothing external can steal our right to delight. In other words, no one has the right to steal your joy, so stop letting them. If you lack delight, it is probably an internal issue you need to deal with – and it's usually rooted in jealousy, anger or worry.

5. To make room for delight you have to "commit your way to the Lord" (Psalm 37:5). Make up your mind about what you really want out of life and how you want this thing to turn out. Then get on the road that is going to take you to the life you want to live.

6. There is nothing passive about waiting for our desires to turn into delight. The scriptures describe this type of waiting as an anxious expectation, being still and patient and yet always looking for and expecting God to move. He is at work. Look for it.

7. Until faith becomes sight, trust God and do good. Faith will become sight. So while you're waiting, figure out "What good can I do?" and "Who can I help?" Speak faith to one another. Encourage one another. We were called to be mighty, not worried or defeated or self-focused. We were called to do some good. -- BW

Are you juggling a small business on top of everything else?

Just wanted to let you know about a new life group getting started this week that may interest anyone who is self-employed, who works as a representative for a direct-selling company, or who has crafty or service skills that you share with your friends and neighbors ... while also juggling a home life. Kalena is heading up the group, which will enable you to share your knowledge and struggles with one another, encourage one other, learn business tips, explore what the Bible has to say about the roles women play in society and discuss how to run your businesses Biblically.

The group's first meeting will be this week – Tuesday, Sept. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Kalena's house.

Simple ways to reach out to the "least of these"

Matthew 25:40 "... I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

This summer, we had the amazing opportunity to make a big impact in a local teenage girl's life by donating baby clothes, furniture and supplies to help welcome her new baby girl. It was so great to see everyone getting excited about helping this young woman.

Next, we decided to help the residents of My Father's House, a transitional housing program for those in need, by donating personal care items. It was a small service project, but it too made a difference!

And now, here's another simple, hands-on service project we can all get involved in: Our church is taking part in Operation Christmas Child, a program that brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 69 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped and delivered across the globe as Christmas gifts. People of all ages can be involved in this project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas – Jesus Christ. Get your families, neighbors and community groups involved and fill a shoebox – or two or three or more! Bring your filled shoe boxes, plus $7 each to cover shipping costs, to church by Nov. 16. For a list of small gift ideas, go to the Samaritan's Purse web site. Look for more information in the Sunday bulletin.

Also, don't forget that our church will be serving the homeless this Saturday, Aug. 29, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Kansas City Rescue Mission, 1520 Cherry St., in Kansas City.

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We'll have more service opportunities coming soon as our newly formed Helping Hands committee gets up and running. These will be great opportunities for all of us as women to go beyond ourselves and also to involve our kids and families in outreach.

Reminder: Fall Garden Brunch on Sept. 19

Don't forget to sign up for the Fall Garden Brunch at the women's table on Sunday. The cost is $10, and there's no cooking required! It's going to be a great time.

Time: 10 a.m. to noon.
Location: 3921 West 142nd Drive, Leawood, KS 66224.

Find out more details below.

Beth Moore simulcast coming soon

On Aug. 28-29, Beth Moore will return to her hometown of Green Bay, Wisc., for a very special Living Proof Live weekend during which she will be speaking on Coming Home to the Heart of Our Desires from Psalm 37. The event is scheduled for Friday, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Enjoy the same insightful and inspirational teaching, the same soul-stirring worship that Beth and her team bring to their live events at one of the following simulcast locations.

Option 1
Abundant Life Baptist Church, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Cost: $10 per person (for both days)
Tickets: Purchase tickets by sending a check/money order in the amount of $10 with a self-addressed, stamped return envelope to: Abundant Life Baptist Church, Attention: Jan Whitehead, 414 SW Persels Road, Lee’s Summit, MO 64081.
They will be offering snacks and drinks Friday night, and on Saturday they will have a continental-style breakfast available for under $5.

Option 2
Crossroads Christian Church, Shawnee, Kansas
Cost: $25 per person (for both days; this includes refreshments and continental breakfast on Saturday). Make check out to: Crossroads Christian Church.
Tickets: Purchase tickets by calling the Crossroads office at 913-962-9966 to register AND mailing a check to the church: 5855 Renner Rd., Shawnee, KS 66217.

We will have a team attending the simulcast in Shawnee, Kansas. If you are interested in going, let us know as soon as you can and we will get the tickets ordered. We would need your payment on Sunday. Stop by the women's table to sign up, or e-mail Sonta.

Sign up now for the Fall Garden Brunch

Our Fall Brunch is coming up on Sept. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon. The cost is $10 per person, and food is included – so no cooking required! Sign up at the Women's Ministry table on Sunday. Payment is due when you sign up.

Location of the brunch: 3921 West 142nd Drive, Leawood, KS 66224. Take 151st St. east to Mission Road. Turn left (north) to 142nd Dr. and turn left (west). Drive straight back to the residential driveway. We'll have a Mercy Church sign up for you.

Our guest speaker will be Michelle Armster, Director of Mennonite Conciliation Services and Pastor of St. Andrews United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pa. She will be speaking about how women often allow the distractions of life to interfere with the core things that matter most -- relationships of the Spirit. She is also Debi's sister, so we know we're going to love her! You won't want to miss it!

(In the event of inclement weather, the brunch will be held at the church office.)

Girls just wanna have fun

Ladies, the summer is quickly coming to a close, and that means we will soon be starting up the bi-monthly "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" get-togethers. The gatherings will be held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month through Dec. 9, so make sure you mark the dates on your calendar now. (See the dates at left.) Many of you will note a couple of repeat performances of our more popular events from last semester.

The first event will be a meet and greet, so whether you have been involved in this group in the past really doesn't matter. It's a great opportunity to meet the other ladies from your Mercy Church family in a non-intimidating, relaxing environment. Please bring a favorite appetizer or dessert.

Questions? Contact Deborah Winchel, Kelly Newport or Michelle Thomsen.