Five Reasons Why Stability Is Bad for a Church (from ThomRainer.com)

Change or die. That is reality for churches today.

Of course, I am not talking about Scripture, doctrine, or spiritual disciplines changing. Those things are constants, never to be compromised. But much of what we do in

our churches must change. And, unfortunately, many church members and leaders resist change. They seek stability and comfort over obedience and sacrifice.

Let’s look at five key reasons why stability is bad for a church

A stable church is not a church on mission. The very nature of the Great Commission means our churches should be in constant change.A church member blasted a pastor for his efforts at leading the church to reach unbelievers in the community. She castigated him because people are messing up our church.” Sigh.

Comfort is the enemy of obedience. Review all the examples of obedient persons in the Bible. In every case, they had to get out of their comfort zones. Too many church members want stability because they donexperience the discomfort of obedience.

Stable churches are not reaching their communities. The communities in which churches are located are changing. Many are changing rapidly. If a church seeks comfort, it is not willing to make the necessary changes to impact the community it was called to serve.

Stable churches do not create new groups. Show me a stable church, and I will show you a church that is not creating new groups or Sunday school classes. Show me a church not creating new groups, and I will show you a church that is inwardly focused. The members are spiritual navel gazers.

Members of stable churches want the focus to be on their preferences. They want church “the way it’s always been.” They are more concerned about getting their way with music style, room temperature, and precise starting time of worship services. In their latter years, they are able to sing, did it my way” rather than “I did it God’s way.”

There is nothing biblical about a stable church. In fact, the stability is really just an illusion. Those churches that seek stability will ironically change the most rapidly

toward decline and death. ~Blessings, Pastor Kurt

Serving Our Lord This Week...Elders Tom Kimmel, Russ Gazdag, Curt Gottlieb, Cliff O'Brien 9a Ushers Jim Leese, Weldon Schwiebert, Mel Tockstein, Andy Stupperich 11:15am Ushers

Mark Hagemann, William MacMain Altar Guild Carole Day, Nancy MacKay, Phyllis Ming, Diane Shoults, Cheryl Rujan Greeters 9a Jill & Leonard Vincent 11:15a Tammie Tanner

Week of 5/28/17 ~ Week 48 ~ 92% of our fiscal year completed

Revenue Type Rec'd

Last Week Wkly Need

Rec'd YTD Annual Goal

$7,404 $462,440 $521,890

Special Gifts/Power the Ministry $20 $11,403 $31,640

$210 $56,619 $43,503

$7,634 $(3,848)

$11,481 $530,462 $(20,646)

$597,033

$4,554 $209,396 (87% to yearly goal) $241,214

Early Learning Ctr (Fiscal Yr) $1,184 $74,730 (90% rec’d to goal) $83,000

$116 $56,449 (96% rec'd to goal) $59,000

$0 $40,000 $40,000

$13,487 $872,366(Revenue is at 86% of budget)

$1,020,247

Day of Pentecost ~ June 4, 2017

Congratulations to our 8th grade Graduates! Ryan Adams, Ashlynn Beckerleg, Andrew Boehm, Sydney Day, Nicole Eden, Paula Farmer, Shinaya Gotchev, Alex Inman, Maggie Lambart, Aysia Lansu,

Hollyann Moody, Victoria Pereyra, Robert Sasanas, Xander Talbert, Shane Wackro, Shelby Woods

Sow the Seeds Scholarship Essay

Christian education is learning about God and how he wants us to act. Proverbs 22:6 tells us to train a child the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.

Going to a Christian school is important to me. Not only do I learn math, science, and history, I get to learn about God’s word. I get to go to choir and sing songs of praise to

I am taught God’s word by God-loving teachers. I can read my bible and pray when I want to. I get to attend chapel in the middle of the school week, and even

participate in leading chapel. We learn to serve each other and God. I’m blessed for the opportunity to be a student at St. Matthew so I can

learn how to follow Jesus.

Rev. Kurt Lambart Assoc., Pastor +Andrea Unger Principal+Tara Herzberg ELC Director Paul Lehman Music Director+Kevin Shay Praise Team Leader

5885 Venoy Westland MI 48185 | 734.425.0260 / 0261 | www.stmatthew.info

+ + +

This week at St. Matthew Welcome Pastor Salaam! Door offering taken for Pastor

s ministries Pastor Kurt vacation thru 6/10 Traditional Svc w/communion S. School/Bible Class Contemporary Svc Gym closed thru June –floor

Prayer & Fasting Resumes 6/12 Toastmasters Prayer & Fasting Resumes 6/12

Pastor Kurt bible class NO class 6/6 Bible class w/J.Hackerd Small group Choir practice

Kathy Carter bible class

LWML Bible class

Join Us. . . 9a Traditional & 11:15a Contemporary Worship Svcs

{Communion @ 9a 1st/3rd Sundays | 11:15a 2nd/4th Sundays} 10:20a Bible Class / Sunday School

Kindergarten-3rd graders,1st grade classroom 4-6th graders, 7/8th grade classroom 11:15a Children’s Church 6-7:30p Youth Group 1st & 3rd Sundays Youth Rm Week-Day Bible Classes 9:30aTuesdays w/Pastor Kurt 6p Wednesdays w/J. Hackerd {no class Lent/Advent} 6:30p Thursdays w/K. Carter office conf. rm

Happy Birthday! Today Kelsey Lambart Mon Joe Kondratowicz,

Denise Spencer Tues Makenzie Skrobot Wed Linda Rachwal Thurs Paul Lehman

Fri Gloria Pummill, Paul Pummill Sat Eric Rujan Happy Anniversary!

Bob & Gerry Hooton 57 yrs today Joel & Kendra Kuhn 25 yrs 6/6

+New to our prayers this week+ Suzanne Williams back surgery 5/31; Mary Brown wrist surgery 6/5; Andre ̀Mehl basic training (Marines)

+We continue to pray for peace and healing+ Pam, daughter of N. Decess sarcoma; Kayla Barduca recovering from lung transplant surgery 5/5; Ava, granddaughter

of Judy Nelson; Erinne Williams, Amy Carr, Jeff McPhail cancer (Jaeger family); Lori Pearse cancer treatments completed (L. Moore family friend); Shirley & Bill Handrich parents of J. Berry; Ken Tanner In the military

Andre ̀Mehl, Dennis Hendzell, Caleb Kempf, Courtney & Kyle Goodroe, Robert Fine, Andrew Rauss, Eric Smith, Jessika Williams, Alex & Kenny Goodroe, Bill Hantzmon, Randy Bartz, Craig McDermott, Chris & Kristen

McDermott Shut-Ins Arlene Sellers, Marta/Dennis Koczynski, Irene Cooper, Doris Keehl, Bonnie Smith Heartland, Joyce Love Ashford Ct, Ruth Kelley, Mary Pilch Villages of Westland, Ruth Dickelman Maple Manor, Leroy

McDaniel Chateau of Novi; Norma Mueller Walton Wood

+Readings+ Old Testament Reading Numbers 11:24-30 pg. 120

Epistle Acts 2:1-21 pg. 907 Gospel John 7:37-39 pg. 893

+Order of Worship+ 9am Divine Service setting Three w/comm. Pg. 184

11:15am Contemporary

+Hymns+ Opening O Holy Spirit, Enter In #913 Sermon Holy Spirit, Light Divine #496 Communion I Come, O Savior , to Thy Table #618/O Jesus, Blessed Lord, to Thee #632

Closing Holy Spirit, Ever Dwelling #650

Adult Choir Anthem Come Down Lord

s Attendance

...............................119 ......................... 60

......................... 179 Sunday school... ~ Offering ... $~

s Church ..... 2 ................ ~

Please fill out your attendance slip

every service!

Visitors... please note your name, address &

phone number so that we may contact you & thank you for visiting us.

Memorials given in loving memory of Louise Chriss by Dave & Linda Van Lente;

by Greg, Leah & Alison Holland.

Sow the Seeds Would you like to help support a student financially so they can attend St. Matthew?

consider donating to our Sow the Seeds Fund or our financial assistance program.

500th Anniversary of The Reformation!

We have 15 tickets on hold for our congregation to celebrate the 500th

Anniversary of the Reformation on Sunday 10/15 at the Breslin Center, MSU.

Worship begins @5pm. To reserve your tickets please contact the office

deniseb@stmatthew.info | 734.425.0260.

Plan Ahead and extend your financial reach by opening a Church Extension Fundnow. Why CEF? Because for more than a century, CEF has provided proven investment products, measurable results, and dedicated Christian financial management to investors like you while, focused on funding the needs of Michigan District congregations. And whether you open a new IRA, transfer an existing IRA, or roll over your 401(k) to a CEF IRA, CEFeverything. For your family, your savings dollars, and the ministries that mean thelittle planning now, will mean bigger rewards later. Call 800-242-3944 or visit www.mifind out more about Church Extension Fund.

Summer Givings With the summer months upon us, we want to give a friendly reminder to continue to support the Lord’s work throughout the summer months. We realize that many of you go to cottages and take vacations at this time, and that is GREAT! Those are important times for families, and they are blessings as we kick back and relax from the daily grind. But it is important that we do not forget the blessings from the Lord and continue to remain active in worship and support of His ministry. Summer is an easy time to become a little lax in different areas and forget that bills, salaries and expenses continue throughout these months as well. So, we ask that you prayerfully consider your relationship to the Lord, not only as it pertains to the summerbut each and every day of your life.

May God continue to bless you with many more years of health and happiness