Hans Herr's Father was a Knight

In the teaching from Sunday, May 3, 2015, we trace a unique trail from the family of Lancaster Pioneer Hans Herr to the calling on the region and our response to this calling.  When we develop a personal history with Him it is ultimately unto something more than simply knowing Him...it is to become ambassadors for him in an hour of human history starving for the knowledge of God...this is the legacy of our Anabaptist forefathers and if we will embrace it, it is our destiny.

Follow the link below for the audio:

Hans Herr's Father was a Knight - May 3, 2015

Pushing Beyond Our Boundaries

This week Julia Kuro shares about her experience in YWAM Orlando and India before we look at Jesus and the disciples journey to Cesaerea Philippi and what it invites us to consider.

Pushing Beyond Our Boundaries - The Journey to Caesarea philippi

Developing Our History in God

Easter Sunday we began by blessing recent Father of the Bride Don Breneman, whose daughter Ashlea was married the day before.  We paused and then shared the words of encouragement which came.  We then took time to bless and release four young women to minister to several individuals in the class.  God wants to continue to help us learn to trust and follow his leading.  For the audio of the morning, use the following link:

Developing Our History in God

Samuel Listening...

This week we began by looking at the high level of synergy which is evident in synchronized swimming.  Similarly, there are times and places where God seeks to synchronize a group of people.  This seems to be happening in our midst as we take time to share with one another what God is doing and saying to each of us as individuals.  In this way, we begin to see and hear more clearly where He is putting His finger and what is on His heart.  For me, it seems like the class has been highlighting some work that God is doing in women in our congregation.  We moved from this topic into a time of looking more carefully at the story of God's calling to the boy Samuel in I Samuel 3 and looking at what truth stuck to us as we experienced that story.  Finally, we spent some more time looking at God's desire to deliver us from a shame orientation.  The audio from Week 5 is below:

Week 5 - Samuel Listening...

I also distributed some questions to consider as we look back upon the first month of this elective.  Please consider taking time to look over the questions and respond.  Think about what God is saying to you, what is taking shape in your heart, in your life during these weeks...in what ways is God synchronizing you with what He is doing in our community? 

  For a PDF of the questions click below:

Elective Questions for Reflection March 2015

What Happens When We Open the Well?

We began this week by considering the question, "What relationship is the Holy Spirit speaking to you about right now?"  We then spent time hearing from two women, Carol Ebersole and Gemma Bruner, about what God has been speaking to them during the classes thus far.  Each of these women and their journey are prophetic pictures of what God is doing as we dig into the well in this region.  The region is designed to bring life to people and especially healing to women.  This land was set aside by God, cared for by a variety of stewards until it was given to the Anabaptist pioneers who settled the region in 1710.  When we touch God's design for the land, it brings a fresh release of life.  We continued to look at the ways of God in dealing with people, and his heart to both use and provoke questions that will result in increased revelation and the knowledge of God.  This week's class closed with a look at why Jesus "needed to" go through Samaria in John 4.  Just as the history of that region was important, so too is the history of our region and the reason that God has set us here in this hour.  To listen to this week's audio, follow the link below:

What Happens When We Open the Well?

Identifying Judgement, Shame and Looking into the Father's Heart

We began our 3rd week by considering the question,

"Are you easily offended?"

And then exploring the reality that Jesus was not (and is not) afraid to offend us.  We paused to consider what the Holy Spirit wanted to reveal through surfacing specific memories of our fathers and our earliest memories of shame.  Finally, we looked at the destructive patterns of judgment that arise from embracing religious principles which teach about God in preference of walking in relationship with Him as we grow in the knowledge of God.

We wrestled with the question of "How we are to handle those in sin, specifically sexual sin?"  and heard a testimony from Bree Henry about how God patiently worked in her life to bring her to salvation through a series of experiences which took place when she was 30 years old.

The class closed by considering the question,

"What did Jesus write in the sand that moved those accusing the woman in John 8 to walk away?"

Action Step:

Ask the Holy Spirit what Jesus wrote in the sand, listen for a response and write down what you hear.  

Identify one situation in your life where you need the creative wisdom of God to demonstrate the knowledge of God to a friend, family member or co-worker who is struggling.  

For the audio from week 3 click the link below:

Week 3 - Audio - Shame & Judgement - March 15, 2015

Week 2 Connecting to Our Past

In our second week together, we look back briefly at the Anabaptist story that began in 1525 and connect it to the birth and life of Samuel Miller, who is considered the first child born in the settlement initiated by Hans Herr, Martin Kendig, Martin Meylin, Jacob Miller, and Wendall Bowman on the land surrounding Willow Street.  His birth on January 21, 1711 serves as a prophetic reminder of the birthdate of the Anabaptist movement and stands as a call for us to remember what God initiated in that group of people.  I believe that Samuel Miller's life was a prophetic marker...a sign of what God wanted to birth in this region.  Therefore tracking his life can give us a picture of some of what was taking place in this region as the Great Awakening was impacting the colonies from north to south.  As we look at his life, and the events that shaped Lancaster Conference in those years, we look back to see both what we can celebrate and issues that took root then which need to be dealt with today.

As we shift into how we can embrace this calling into the future, I invite the class to consider two questions as we consider what discipleship looks like.  Those questions are:

What is God saying to you right now?
What are you doing about it?

ACTION STEPS:

Look for an opportunity to use those two questions in conversation with someone in your life this week.  

For a link to the audio click below:

Re-Digging the Wells - Week 2 - Connecting to Our Past