F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 2

E very road goes

somewhere. Follow that

road long enough and you

will wind up someplace.

Pretty sound logic, wouldn’t

you agree? The catch in our

thought comes when we

realize that not every road

will get us to the place we need or want to

go. The destination of that road may be

desirable or undesirable, intended or

unintended, known or unknown. Positive or

negative, that road will get us there.

It is important that we choose our pathways

carefully. In any area of life, the paths we

choose will get us somewhere, good or bad.

Whether the discussion is vacation travel,

retirement, finances, career or relationships,

choosing a road to travel is critical to

reaching our destination.

The story is told of a primitive tribe that

lived deep in the jungle. For them, paths in

the jungle were critical to living life. When

the gospel was presented to them, they

described their new life in Christ by saying

that they had a new path to walk on, a path

that led to life.

We’ve been taking a hard look at the path

that we will choose as a church for the next

season of ministry. Our Vision process has

brought clarity to the directions we need to

move in to apprehend God’s future for us.

In choosing any road, you need to have a

destination in mind. Over the next weeks,

our preaching series, We Exist, will focus on the

destinations, the desired outcomes that God is

wanting to bring us to. We will also be

introducing a new paradigm for choosing

appropriate pathways. Summed up as Worship

Grow Serve, we are calling for everyone to

focus on three simple avenues for living Christ

in the context of Valley Free community.

At the same time, our ministry calendar is full

of events and activities that will help us to see

the various pathways available to us as we

follow the Lord. These include our

congregational meeting on January 29 where

we will be presenting our new vision in its

entirety. On February 5, we will introduce our

Light on the Hill campaign to refresh our

facilities. Our missions conference, February 26

through March 4, will cast a vision for serving

Christ. Our Easter celebration will clarify the

path to be life in our risen Lord.

Along the way, we will have many

opportunities to choose pathways that take us

in God’s direction. Our budget process this

spring is all about choices and pathways. In our

youth ministry, we are looking at a major

transition this year with Andrew and Brittany

leaving us in June.

We are looking ahead to a year to keep our

eyes focused on the things that God has for us.

Looking ahead to spring, I am excited to see

what God is preparing for our new directions.

May the roads we choose lead to life and

abundance in our Lord!

By Pastor Mike Sindelar

P A G E 2

This ONE Thing By Pastor Mike Sindelar

T here is a new paradigm taking shape around Valley. It is

summed up in the phrase, “Worship, Grow, Serve”. These

three aspects of life become our focus, our grid through which we

make priority decisions.

Simply stated, it means: Let worship, personal and corporate, mark

your life. Let us all, with one voice, praise, proclaim and profess our

abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let spiritual growth take root in your life. As you make choices in

your life and in your church involvement, be sure to let spiritual

growth take priority. Here at Valley, small groups are being formed

to give you a comfortable environment for studying God’s Word

together with other Believers.

Let God work out His blessings through our serving one another.

The new paradigm calls for one area of service in the church. We

are hoping to say good-bye to multiple layers of service by

everyone. Our hope is to have every person in the congregation live

out their faith in one area of service or ministry.

That is where the question comes. “Really, just one thing?” Yes, it is

important that we release God’s blessing in our own lives into the

lives of others, but it is not necessary that we live life at break-neck

to the Food Shelf at the beginning of each month and checking the donation area regularly to ensure that it isn't overflowing. Contact Shirley Carlson at 952-448-3717.

Bunk Bed Ministry—Looking for volunteers to deliver and set-up bunk beds on an as needed basis. Contact Peter Larson at peterpamlarson@msn.com.

Nursery Volunteers for Sunday Mornings—Have a grateful heart? A love for kids? Then contact Jan Schmit at jschmit@valleyfree.org or 952-448-6144, ext. 204 for more information on our needs in this area.

Greeters—Couples or singles welcome! Volunteers will be put in teams of 2 or 3 to greet those coming to our Sunday morning worship service. Contact Jim Bentson at (952)448-4697 or j.a.bentson@gmail.com.

Bountiful Basket—A great opportunity for a family or small group. Responsibilities include taking donations from the church

Service Opportunities

speed, losing the very joy that serving is supposed to bring. This

aspect of our new paradigm raises the question: “I’m involved in this

program, that committee and another commitment, since I can’t do

them all, how do I know what to do?’

For some of us, this ‘one ministry’ paradigm is a call for you to get

involved in service/ministry to the Body. When we let God’s blessing

stop in our lives, not passing it on to others, we miss the point of the

gospel. For ministry at Valley to be complete, full and effective, we

need everyone to share their lives, gifts and blessings.

For others of us, that paradigm will mean dropping out of several

activities to focus on one area of service. Frankly, it is a scary

thought for ministry leaders. It may mean losing help and leadership

for some ministries in the church. As difficult as it is, it is a necessary

part of aligning ourselves with a new paradigm. In the long run, it

will result in greater joy and effectiveness in ministry.

Worship, Grow, Serve. We’ll continue to unpack this idea over the

coming months. As you seek to grow in Christ, to set priorities for

yourself and your family and as you consider your involvement at

Valley, let this simple paradigm lead the way for you.

Nursery Supervisory Team for Sunday Mornings. For more info and/or to volunteer contact Jan Schmit at jschmit@valleyfree.org or 952-448-6144, ext. 204.

Bread Ministry—Cultivate your servant heart by helping with this ministry to needy families in and outside of our church. Contact Kristin Westland at krwestland@yahoo.com.

Video Team—We are looking for people with a passion and gift for sound, lighting, video, or editing. Contact Garth Berquist at lolobjork@comcast.net.

P A G E 3

W ith the new paradigm of each person focusing on one area

of ministry to serve, there are several questions being

asked.

We are so accustomed to being asked to serve in several

ministries, are you serious with each of us focusing on

just one? Yes! We want every person to know the joy and

fulfillment of participating in ministry to and through the

church. At the same time, we are not interested in taking

up all the space in someone’s life. We need to have space

for rest and for living out our faith in the broader context

of life.

How do I choose just one? There are plenty of needs within

the context of church ministry. Need is certainly a

consideration. We do well to also ask ourselves where our

particular spiritual gifts might be best used. Along with

that, we need to work in our area of passion. Look

through each of those filters – need, gifting and passion –

to make your decision.

Am I locked into one ministry when I choose? No! Feel free to

try something for a time. If it doesn’t seem to fit, then try

another area of ministry. You’ll know when the fit is there.

You’ll be fulfilled, experience a sense of joy and your

enthusiasm will stay strong. Make sure to give something

sufficient time and effort. God’s choice for you might not

appear right away, stick with it for a long period of time to

make sure you sense God’s leading.

Do I need to say yes to every request that comes along? No.

Just one! We can’t eliminate the many ‘asks’ nor do we

want to. We want you to know of the opportunities that

God is bringing along. You decide on these things, not the

church leadership!

I already belong to a small group or Bible study, is that my

‘one thing’? Small groups are key components to the

‘grow’ side of the equation. Serving means giving of

yourselves for the sake of others. Think of it as growing

being an inward activity and serving being an outward

activity. Though growing is closely linked to serving the

Lord, we consider them to be separate activities for

applying our paradigm of Worship, Grow, Serve.

Are all areas of service given the same weight in this formula

of worship, grow, serve? That’s a tough one! The

paradigm relates to a weekly look at your commitment. If

your area of ministry is something that comes along

periodically, say every month or few weeks, that doesn’t

carry the same weight as something with a greater weekly

time commitment. But in light our ‘one thing’ paradigm,

that decision is yours to make!

Can I be involved in more than one area of ministry if I choose

to? Yes! This paradigm serves more as a floor than a

ceiling. If you sense the Lord leading you into more than

one area and you feel you can handle the commitment, by

all means go for it, keeping in mind that we need to have

space for rest and for living out our faith in the broader

context of life.

February will be a month of celebrating our history as a church

and looking forward into God’s desired future for the ministry

of Valley Free. A principle component of our calling and history

is our passion to take the gospel to the world through missions.

Join us the week of February 26 – March 4 as we focus on the

global ministry of Valley Free. Our emphasis on missions will

include children’s events and opportunities for your family to

experience missions. Our Sundays will also include guest

speakers who will help us to see God’s plan and our role in it.

On Sunday, February 26, Dr. Doug Custer of World Ventures,

will be here to share how God is moving in the world. The

following Sunday, Bryan Bademan, Director of Maclaurin CSF,

will be here to share how God is spreading the gospel at the

University of Minnesota. In addition, Pastor Mike will also be

sharing the rich history of Valley in missions and how we seek

to follow our calling to share the gospel with the world!

P A G E 4

Exciting plans are being made to upgrade our ministry facilities.

Together with an updated Mission and Vision for the future of Valley Free,

God is laying a solid foundation for a new generation of ministry.

Join us on

Sunday, February 5th as we share the details of the building upgrade

during the Sunday School hour and an exciting worship service

highlighting God’s history and future for Valley Free.

by Pastor Mike Sindelar

P A G E 5

Contagious: Capable of being transmitted by bodily contact with an infected person or object (dictionary.com). Cool Whip is contagious. Ask any of the CruX students, they’ll verify. One slap from a hand full of it upon a student’s back leads to a room full of Cool Whip covered students, floors, and walls. Cool Whip is contagious.

S o was the bleeding woman spoke of in Mark 5:24-34. Her

bleeding wasn’t contagious, but the result of her bleeding was

that anyone who touched her would be infected, labeled as

unclean. Her life, her identity, her label was that of contagious

sickness. Sounds harsh, but it was what it was (Leviticus 15:19-27).

For twelve years this woman had to live with the label of being

unclean. Anyone she came near would be in danger of becoming

unclean. And so she lived her life in pain, rejection, and loneliness.

She tried everything; spent all of her resources on any type of

doctor, medication, or remedy she could find, to the point of

poverty. Yet she remained unchanged. This disease plagued her;

sucking all of her energy, strength, and hope.

Sound familiar? Sin – bitterness, anger, fear, jealousy, apathy, envy,

strife, lust, greed, pride, selfishness, covetousness, and idolatry of

all sorts does the same to us. It sucks us of energy, strength, and

hope. And, like the bleeding woman, it becomes contagious to

others. Also, like the bleeding woman we can try all types of

remedies – Hail Mary’s, self-help books, New Year’s resolutions,

regimented Bible reading, improved church attendance,

accountability partners, increased willpower, etc – and still remain

unchanged. Stuck, helpless, frustrated, alone.

Mark 5 communicates

that this bleeding

woman pressed in on a

crowd of people,

making anyone she

touched unclean; until

she reached Jesus.

Upon reaching this

famed miracle worker she reached out and grabbed him. What?!

This dirty, contagious, outcast had the audacity to touch Jesus, a

holy, respected, and influential leader. Didn’t she know that it

would make him unclean? How could she selfishly jeopardize this

holy Rabbi with her filth?

Ever felt like that when dealing

with sin? Who am I to put my sin on Jesus? It’s my problem. I’m

disgusting. I’m in the wrong. I don’t want to put my stain, guilt, and

imperfection on Jesus. I’ll deal with it myself…been there? This is the

devil’s scheme to keep us sick, contagious.

Truth is, we can all identify with the bleeding woman. We’re all

contagious, in desperate need of a cure. But, just as we can identify

with the bleeding woman’s problem, we can also identify with the

bleeding woman’s remedy! See, when the bleeding woman reached

out and touched Jesus, rather than His holiness being compromised,

her

contagious disease was cured! This is the power of Jesus Christ - He

takes our sin, our shame, our guilt upon himself, and in exchange

gives us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). We do not bring our

sin to him and defile the joint. He takes it, cleans up the mess, and

releases us free of charge!

It’s like Cool Whip. It would take a miracle for me to slap you with a

hand full of it while you remained clean as the Cool Whip

disappeared from my hand. Chances are that a Cool Whip fight

would break out and the mess would contaminate the joint. I’d have

Cool Whip on me, you’d have it on you, and the bystanders would

get smeared with it as well. That’s what happens when people are in

control. With God, it’s a whole different story. Reach out, touch Him,

and be clean!

“Contagious” by Pastor Andrew Peterson

P A G E 6

T hat’s me! I’m the dude on the wave. No, it’s

not as cool as it sounds. I’m not claiming to

be a cool surfer; more like a piece of washed up

driftwood. The surfer has control, style, and a plan.

The driftwood is slowly tossed back and forth by the waves, no control, no style, no plan, eventually landing upon some shore,

unannounced to its unintelligent and non-existent mind.

I love the church, and feel called, in every sense of the word, to serve the church in the role of pastoral ministry. But, I have to admit that I

have no idea what that looks like. In the past few months, while pursuing the St. Cloud church plant, it seems that God has stripped all of my

vision, desire, and attempts to paint the future of the church, and left me simply saying, “I have no idea what, where, or how, but I will serve

the church as I’m called to.”

For the past year we have been pursuing a church plant in St. Cloud, MN. We’ve gone so far in pursuit of this as to move from our home in

Chaska to a house in Clear Lake, MN. All the time our plan has been to plant a new church in St. Cloud. Well, it seems that God’s Word again

rings true, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

What I mean is that it seems God may be directing us away from St. Cloud at this time. Our plan has been to plant a church there, because

at Valley we deeply believe that planting churches fulfills the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). I was excited to be a part of this, but at

this time, it seems that God might have different plans. God may still call us to St. Cloud, Minneapolis, Alabama, Zimbabwe…who knows? At

this point we are simply stepping back, putting it all out on the table before the Lord, trusting that He will guide us in our next steps at the

appropriate time.

Like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:7, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” At this time, I have no sight. I cannot tell you what God is up to, what we

are up to, or where we are going. But God, in His grace seems to be using this time of transition to increase our faith. As hard as the

confusion is to navigate, it seems to be a necessary part of our sanctification and faith development.

Practically, this seems like an inconvenient time for me to be undecided. I’m sure many of you are saying, “What is Andrew doing? He had a

good vision for this church plant. There’s a need in St. Cloud. He has a wife and a new baby to provide for!” I’m asking those questions more

than you! We’re also asking, “What about CruX, Valley, and next steps for us?” I can tell you that Valley’s leadership is faithfully pursuing

God’s wisdom and practical advice for next steps. We are committed to our students, and we are committed to advancing the Kingdom one

church at a time. However, we just seem to be in a period of waiting, listening, and obeying the Lord. And, I can tell you this:

Cont’d on next page

TH 2 7:00 pm Worship Team Rehearsal

SU 5 8:45 am 10:00 am 5-9 pm

Sunday School & Light On the Hill Presentation Worship Service Super Bowl Party/Chili Cook-off

M 6 7:00 pm Men’s Bible Study

T 7 6:45 pm Women’s Bible Study

TH 9 7:00 pm 7:00 pm

Worship Team Rehearsal Web Team Meeting

SU 12 8:45 am 10:00 am 6:00 pm

Sunday School/SMS Worship Service CruX

M 13 12:30 pm 7:00 pm

White Cross Men’s Bible Study

TH 16 7:00 pm Worship Team Rehearsal

F 17 CRUX LUTSEN SKI/SNOWBOARD TRIP

S 18 CRUX LUTSEN SKI/SNOWBOARD TRIP

SU 19 8:45 am 10:00 am

CRUX LUTSEN SKI/SNOWBOARD TRIP Sunday School & SMS Worship Service

M 20 7:00 pm Men’s Bible Study

T 21 6:45 pm Women’s Bible Study

TH 23 7:00 pm Worship Team Rehearsal

SU 26 8:45 am 10:00 am 6:00 pm

MISSIONS CONFERENCE Sunday School & SMS Worship Service CruX (Youth)

M 27 12:30 pm 7:00 pm

MISSIONS CONFERENCE White Cross Men’s Bible Study

T 28 MISSIONS CONFERENCE

W 29 MISSIONS CONFERENCE

See bulletins for weekly updates/changes to this calendar

P A G E 7

Like a Dude on a Wave Cont’d...

God is faithful. He will guide our steps in the ideal

direction at the perfect time.

His Word says that His purposes will be established

(Proverbs 19:21). Despite our confusion, it all makes

perfect sense to God.

I love the Lord and only feel closer and more

dependent on Him as a result of this.

I feel a deeper sense of calling to pastoral ministry

than I ever have.

Brittany is an amazing woman of God, and is “all in”

with me on this journey.

Valley is a faithful church; gracious, generous, and

supportive of God’s work.

So what more could we really ask for? All that’s really left is a plea

for your prayers as we dive into God over the coming months,

praying that He would guide us into His perfect plan for our next

step in ministry. The prayer remains the same, “Now to Him who

is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think,

according to the power at work in us, to Him be the glory in the

church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and

ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

952-448-6144

Fax: 952-448-5119

office@valleyfree.org

150 Engler Blvd

Chaska, MN 55318

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