As is our tradition, the first Sunday of the month is a chance to get together, connect, and enjoy some good food.
This time, we’ll be having a good ol’ fashioned potluck so bring a dish to pass. We’ll provide water and place settings.
We’ll start right after worship is concluded and wrap up around noon. Hope to see you there!
You can sign up using the Church Center app or by emailing chris@thebranchonline.org
A number of years ago my wife and I spent some time in Las Vegas. The city was remarkable. But we also knew we wanted to get to the Grand Canyon. Neither of us had ever been. So we got in our rental car and made a long day trip. After about four hours we had reached the first lookout point on the far western edge. It was beautiful.
The Grand Canyon can’t be taken in from one lookout point. There’s so much more to experience and see.
Now, let’s be clear. Getting to the Grand Canyon itself is important, and it takes a lot of time and effort. But the journey doesn’t end there.
The same is true in life. We spend a lot of time and effort traveling the first half of life, which is focused on the pursuit of identity, importance and security. And those things are important. Very important. But they are not the end.
Maybe we’re afraid of what the rest of the journey might be like. Maybe we didn’t even know there was more to experience. Maybe we don’t know how to get started.
That’s why we hope you’ll join us for seven weeks as we consider the two halves of life. Together we’ll look at the journey the Scriptures show us is possible – an adventure we’re all meant to live.
Often our growth is hard to see. We race through life not realizing that every day we are becoming a certain kind of person.
Incredibly, we have a choice about how we become this certain kind of person. We can either be passive in our formation – letting whatever comes along shape us. Or, we can intentionally join in the work of God’s Spirit to become a specific someone. This is God’s desire; that we would become our true self — our fullest self — a unique reflection of Christ.
To be sure, the journey of ‘becoming’ is life-long; however, the question we are inviting you to ask is this: what can I do in this current season to be intentional about my transformation?
Below are four modules (focused times of reflection and learning) we hope will help each of us experience movement in our spiritual journey.
The Sacred Call to Self Discovery
Six weeks: week of September 22 through week of October 27;
(This group will be offered again Feb 16 — March 22)
Sign up by emailing teresa@thebranchonline.org
Knowing yourself is absolutely critical to an abundant life. Over six weeks you’ll consider your true and false self, apply the Enneagram and reflect on your own story to better understand who you are.
Creating a Rule of Life (the good kind of rule)
Six weeks: weeks of Nov. 7 — Dec. 8;
break for the holidays; then, Jan. 12 — Jan. 26
We don’t become who we are by accident. Instead, it is the rhythms and practices of our lives that shape us. Over six weeks you’ll discern what particular rhythms and practices fit you and are needed in this season of your life.
Creating a Rule of Life (the good kind of rule)
Six weeks: weeks of Nov. 7 — Dec. 8;
break for the holidays; then, Jan. 12 — Jan. 26
We don’t become who we are by accident. Instead, it is the rhythms and practices of our lives that shape us. Over six weeks you’ll discern what particular rhythms and practices fit you and are needed in this season of your life.
Living on Purpose
Four weeks: weeks of April 19 — May 10
The best classroom for learning is life itself. Together, we’ll reframe our daily activities and responsibilities so that we might see them as opportunities ripe for change — both ours and the world’s.
When will these groups meet?
It may be different for each module. We’ll reassess what days and times work best as we move throughout the year. Check the ChurchCenter app or sign up sheets on Sunday for details.
Will there be work (reading, writing, reflection) to do in between each meeting?
Yes. To make our time together as fruitful as possible, we will be asking participants to do limited reading (a chapter or article) or engage in a specific reflection.
Do I need to attend all of the weeks of each module?
Yes. Each week’s content will build on the next. Therefore, we ask those who sign up to commit to all six or four weeks of the module.
Do I have to attend these four modules in a particular order?
Yes and No. 🙂 While we do strongly recommend taking The Sacred Call to Self Discovery module first, there is not an order that these must be completed in. Choose what you think will be most helpful.
Will these only be offered in 2019-2020?
We plan to offer these four modules again in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, giving everyone time to participate in all four of them.
Is there a cost?
Most modules will have little to no cost. If there is cost, the Branch can help to cover those costs if needed.
In the weeks leading up to each module, use the ChurchCenter app to register or sign up on Sunday mornings.
Email teresa@thebranchonline.org or chris@thebranchonline.org
Hurricane Dorian was a massive storm. Its power was felt for two long weeks. From the severe destruction on the islands of the Bahamas to the wind, rain, and flooding in parts of the southeast US still actively recovering from previous storms, this storm’s impact will be felt for years to come. Hurricane Dorian left people without power, without food, and huge numbers of people without homes. How can we respond?
RCA Global Mission (the crisis response arm of our denomination) is working with our partners at World Renew Disaster Response Services to help those most affected in both the Bahamas and here in the US. Both of these organizations will be a part of responding to the immediate needs, but also will be in the region for months, if not years, helping to rebuild.
Life is busy. The demands seem endless. So much is clamoring for our attention. Which means it is all too easy to lose focus of the things we say matter.
This is true for individuals and for groups — including churches. That’s why we’re taking four Sundays to consider again the things we’ve said are important to us:
a·tone·ment: the reconciliation of God and humankind through Jesus Christ.
We all know the image of the cross. It’s the symbol most associated with Christianity because Christ’s death is fundamental to Christianity.
And yet, what exactly does Christ’s death mean? What precisely ‘happened’ in his sacrifice? Believe it or not, different Christians would answer those questions differently.
Was Christ’s death a victory over evil? Or was it the way that God’s wrath was satisfied? Or was his death a model for how we are meant to live? Or something else entirely?
Now this may all sound well and good, but we might wonder, “What difference does it make? Does it matter how one views Jesus’ death?” We believe it does. From the songs we sing, to the way we talk about and understand God, to how we see our place in the world — all of the Christian life is shaped by our understanding of the cross.
So join us as we explore the mystery and meaning of the Christ’s death and let’s find together what it might mean for our lives.
Join us for our final summer BBQ and pool party on Sunday, August 18. Let us know you’re coming by signing up here: https://branch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/268994
Throughout the year, we worship with our sisters and brothers from Communidad Cristiana de Grand Rapids — and this Sunday (7/7) is one of those weeks! Join us at a different time — 11Am to noon — and stay after for drinks and snacks.
“I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6
This promise — both for us and all of creation — can be hard to believe. It’s easy to only see the brokenness of our world. It’s tempting to only have eyes for all that is wrong. Plus, life is simply busy. Crazy. Full.
For all of those reasons we often lose sight of the reality of this promise. We don’t see the ways in which God is at work in our own story.
Each week in this series we’ll hear the story of someone at the Branch and how God is at work in their life. Their stories will not only give us perspective on our own, but in turn help shape how we live.
The Church is not a building. The Church is you and me. The work of the Church (you and me) is to bring God’s Kingdom more fully present to the places we live, play, work and worship. And so, we believe strongly in the importance of being good neighbors. Sometimes we do that together (corporately) and sometimes we do that individually. Here are a few ways that you can join in that mission this summer.
Get to Know Your Neighbor Challenge
We are challenging every person at The Branch to get to know a new neighbor, or get to know a neighbor better, by the end of June. Walk across the street as you see someone working on their yard and offer to help. Invite a neighbor over for a BBQ. Take a walk in your neighborhood and look for ways to connect. Or, throw a block party! Don’t know how? We’ve got you covered! Click here for a helpful resource.
Brookside Beautification Day
Join us on Saturday, June 1st from 9am-noon, as we help clean up and make improvements to the Brookside Elementary playground and park area! Then, celebrate a job well done with a meal together. Bring the whole family! This is a great opportunity for us to help our local elementary school and to get to know some Brookside families. Email katrinarookus@gmail.com to RSVP or with any questions.
Welcome New Neighbors
Do you ever see a moving truck in your neighborhood and wonder if you should go say hi? Do you wonder what to say? We’re putting together a group of people willing to welcome new people to their neighborhood. Bring a plate of cookies, or simply say hello and offer some a list of your favorite places in the neighborhood. Sign up here to join this group of people. We’ll get you a list of houses near you that have sold each month so you can keep your eye out for that truck!
StoryTime in the Park
Every Tuesday evening in the summer, Garfield Park hosts a free books and ice cream event. We are bringing a team to volunteer for this event on June 11, 6:30-8:30. Jobs will range from setting up to helping people register to reading a book to a group of kids. We need 10 people (13+ years old) to help. Sign up here.
Join us this week as we retrace the final days of Jesus’ life, and in doing so, find purpose and courage for our days ahead.
Maundy Thursday: 6-7pm We’ll share a variation of a Seder/Passover meal — the same meal that Jesus would have shared with his disciples at the Last Supper. Kids are encouraged to join us.
Good Friday: 7-8pm We’ll retrace Jesus’ final hours through readings, prayer and music. This is always one of our more meaningful gatherings each year – we hope you’ll be able to join us. Again: kids are welcome.
Easter Tailgate: 8:30am Nothing signals celebration like a good tailgate. We’ll have some food ready and waiting at 8:30, and we’d be grateful if you brought something to pass for breakfast. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, the party will move inside.
Lent. A six week period that ushers us towards Easter. A time of reflection and surrender. A gift.
This year, we’ll use James Bryan Smith’s book, The Good and Beautiful Life to frame our conversation on Sundays. AND…we invite you to join with others for the six weeks of Lent in one of these three ways:
Here’s the schedule for Lent:
That may seem a bit cliche, or perhaps overstated, but we all know the darkness that settles in when hope is gone.
For the next three weeks we will turn our attention to what is propelling us into the future. We’ll consider what unique role we believe God is asking us to play in helping to renew the world.
Our conversation will take place not only on Sunday mornings, but also on Sunday, March 10th, from 4-5:30pm at the Branch. This afternoon dialogue will make space for further feedback and be the beginning of concrete steps we (and you) can take to help us move towards the future we believe is possible.
If you want to get a sense of the overarching framework for this conversation, we’d love for you to give this a read.
We hope to see you soon.
Peace-Chris
We all love something.
And whatever we love, we will pursue (i.e. worship).
Now, here’s the thing. We probably all know what we should love. But is knowing enough? (I may know that I should love foods low in fat, but…). Does just having the right information actually lead us to pursuing the right thing?
As we begin a new year we invite you to join us as we consider how to recalibrate our heart’s desires towards what really matters — to those things that are primary — to true north.
What Do You Want? (1.6.19)
The stories leading up to and immediately after Jesus’ birth involve a lot of coming and going. Relatives make the trek to share joy about their shocking pregnancies. About-to-be parents travel to ancestral homes and then flee as refugees. Unexpected visitors arrive from a unknown land.
In the midst of all of these journeys we make one of our own. Yes, Advent involves retracing our steps through familiar stories and images, but it also holds the possibility of discovering new things. Things about ourselves, the world, even the about the Christ who we might be tempted to think we know all too well.
Join us as we embark on a journey through the stories that lead to the one story that shifted the course of history.
December 2 – Mary to Elizabeth
December 9 – Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem
December 16 – Angels to Shepherds
December 23 – Shepherds to Bethlehem
Christmas Eve – The Word to Us
December 30 – The family to Egypt
The Parable of the Tenants (10.28.18)
Mark 12
The dominant theme of the Scriptures is one of renewal; of a God determined to create and recreate a world in which peace, justice, beauty and love reign. And our mission as a church is to be a community that is joined with God in that restoration.
And yet, renewal can feel elusive. Brokenness often seems to reign. How do we as individuals step into God’s renewal? And how might our transformed lives be a part of the world’s transformation? What is God’s vision for us? Just who are we supposed to become?
For six weeks we’ll consider these questions, and perhaps be surprised by the answer. For God’s vision is both terrifying and deeply compelling. It is both surprising and exactly what we hope for. Join us.
Series Introduction (9.9.18)
I am becoming a…
…shockingly welcoming host (9.16.18)
…servant in my place(s) (9.23.18)
…generous and genuine friend (9.30.18)
…dreamer and risk taker (10.7.18)
…wise navigator (10.14.18)
A few times a year — including this Sunday, September 2 — we join with our brothers and sisters at Communidad Cristiana de Grand Rapids (CCGR). These times of worship have become an incredible blessing – giving us a small glimpse into the larger Kingdom of God. We hope you can join us.
The service will be bilingual with music, prayer, and speaking in both Spanish and English.
Kids will join us in worship for the morning.
History offers us a number of heroes. The Bible is no different. Characters like Moses, Ruth and Paul dominate the skyline, and for good reason. Their lives (both the good and bad) are instructive. Through them we see how God interacts with us. But most of the characters in the Bible, and most of the people in the world, are not giant-sized heroes. Most are ordinary people who in their daily lives and choices show us what faith looks like lived out.
Their stories often fly under the radar. Some are even forgotten. Yet, their example is no less significant.
For the remainder of the summer, join us as we look at a number of Forgotten Stories and discover what they teach us about God, our world and our lives. For this first week, we’ll revisit the story of Philip.
History offers us a number of heroes. The Bible is no different. Characters like Moses, Ruth and Paul dominate the skyline, and for good reason. Their lives (both the good and bad) are instructive. Through them we see how God interacts with us. But most of the characters in the Bible, and most of the people in the world, are not giant-sized heroes. Most are ordinary people who in their daily lives and choices show us what faith looks like lived out.
Their stories often fly under the radar. Some are even forgotten. Yet, their example is no less significant.
For the remainder of the summer, join us as we look at a number of Forgotten Stories and discover what they teach us about God, our world and our lives.
