Seeing the Commodity of Time

Through the Prism of God’s Word . . . Pastor Mike Sindelar

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” Ephesians 5:15–17

I f you were part of the congregational town hall meeting on September 11, you know that the Valley Free leadership team is taking a fresh look at

ministry and what our directions need to be going forward. This reassessment has actually been going on for several months, but has been made all the more urgent as a result of the recent decision to cancel our Awana ministry. That situation, prompted by an insufficient number of volunteer ministry staff, has caused us to look at the way we steward the precious resource of volunteer hours. It has become clear that, as a church family, we need to take a fresh look at our priorities and then align our ministries with those priorities and the new cultural paradigms related to the use of time.

Time is a level playing field for all of us. We all have a stewardship of the same quantity of this precious resource. As followers of Christ, this stewardship is not simply about getting more out of a day (isn’t it amazing how all of the timesaving

innovations of the last 20 years have actually robbed us of time?!). Rather, time is a stewardship to spend our time in light of the calling and wisdom of God.

So what does God say about it?

Ephesians 5:15-17 sheds some light on this topic.

Be very careful, then, how you live …A stewardship view of time means that we have a firm grasp on the importance of this resource. There is a sense of accountability for it, an understanding that we need to pay attention to factors impacting our use of time. There is an intentionality in our

decisions.

Not as unwise, but as wise…A stewardship view of time means we cling closely to God for wisdom in our choices. We have a keen grasp on what God is seeking to accomplish in our lives. Balance, not chaos, should be the result of

Cont’d on p.2

P A G E 2

Seeing the Commodity of Time Through the Prism of God’s Word (cont’d)

...Pastor Mike Sindelar

this wisdom flowing through our stewardship responsibilities. This view of time gives each day over to the Lord for His leading. Opportunities and challenges are all seen through the prism of God’s wisdom and leading.

Because the days are evil…A stewardship view of time knows that there will be temptations to deviate from what God has as our pathway. It may be a temptation from Satan, the world or from our own desires.

Therefore do not be foolish…A stewardship view is able to learn from poor choices in the past. It also knows that saying no is ok and that ‘no’ is likely the response to an invitation more often than ‘yes’. God’s wisdom also helps us to discern the difference between ‘good’ and ‘best’ (which is probably where most of our struggle comes from).

But understand what the Lord’s will is…A stewardship view is dependent on a level of intimacy with God, His Word and His Spirit. It implies that our time with God includes a wrestling and searching concerning His priorities for our life. There comes an intuitive sense of God’s leading as well as a knowledge of the gifts and abilities God is putting to work in our lives.

It’s both amazing and clear the connection between personal worship and intimacy with the Lord and the stewardship of our time. The more I hear His Spirit and heed His Word, the

G od is moving among the students of CruX this fall! As we’ve kicked off and are now a few weeks in, the student’s response to

what God is doing has been strong. I’ve had multiple students share with me their thanks. I’d like to pass the joy along to all

you who give time, energy, and finances to make this ministry happen…

“My new friend that I brought loved it here. She felt loved and accepted. This is definitely a place she wants to come back to!”

“Thanks to all of the leaders who make CruX possible, you all mean so much to me.”

“God isn't small, nor does He do small things. He has already shown up and it's like I can barely handle it. I think He's going to act as

powerfully as ever this year!”

Continue to pray for this ministry as we integrate new leaders and students this

fall. Pray that God would continue to mold us into a group that is “rooted and

established in love” (Eph 3:17).

CruXed! “rooted and established in love” (Eph 3:17)

more dialed in I am with the focus and priorities of my life.

I’m willing to bet that those words are the essence of the discussion for all of us. Have you made the connection between your relationship and personal worship and the use of our time? Most of us, if honest, would likely respond that we are too busy to build that into our lives. There it is. We just caught ourselves at our own game.

As a church, we have made a commitment to examine these very dynamics in our church ministry and family. We’re not interested in adding to the confusion and clutter of your life. To that end, we are examining our mission, our priorities and the stewardship of time that we all are accountable for. As the year unfolds you will see more information concerning these new directions.

For your part, we are asking that you do the same in your life. Will you stop the bus long enough to seek the Lord on the priorities in your life, in your family? Will you do an honest, Spirit-led assessment of your focus and participation in the church family?

You are an integral part of the family of God. You have a life and blessing that has been given by God for the good of the Body of Christ. Together, in the power and leading of the Holy Spirit, we will move into greater fellowship, intimacy and effectiveness as we take this stewardship of time as a godly responsibility.

T hey say (whoever “they” are!) that no matter what size

the church is, it (the church) needs to be continually

broken down into smaller units. Beyond 50-60 people, there

is no way to have meaningful relationship as a group. Small

groups then, are critical to our growth in faith and to our

connection into the larger church family.

Here are five reasons why a small group needs to be part of

the priorities of your life:

God designed us for community. We say it often,

Christianity is not a solo sport. We are designed by

God to live in community. That need goes farther

than marriage or family and includes the dynamic of

being involved with other believers. When

relationships go beyond the Sunday morning

greetings, we enter into true Holy Spirit-led

community.

Spiritual Vitality. Getting together with other

believers to wrestle with Scripture and to seek the

Lord in prayer leads each of us to a deeper

relationship with Christ. A group discussion around a

biblical theme will result in a more comprehensive

view of what God is saying to each of us.

Iron sharpens iron. The relationships that develop in

small groups bring a true ‘life on life’ perspective. As

we walk through life together and share our

struggles and victories, we grow in God’s wisdom and

see His power at work.

Pastoral Care. When life gets complicated, we simply

need a listening ear, some godly wisdom and a friend

committed to pray. Although our pastors are eager to

help with these things, there is no way that can be

effective in a large group of people. Most life issues

can be effectively ministered to in the context of

healthy, loving small group.

Outreach. Those around us also long for a true

experience of community. A healthy small group

always has an empty chair for those who seek to

discover it for themselves. True community always

seeks to share the blessing. Most who will not come

to church will take a risk, when invited, to participate

in a small group setting.

Valley Free is moving to develop a vibrant small group ministry

that can be part of your life with Christ. Watch for information

as groups are established over the next few weeks.

P A G E 3

O ur youth group from the church (Adunarea Speranta

Vie) is working on a little project. We meet on Sunday

evenings for fellowship with the youth but we also meet on

Friday evenings for the past couple of months to build

relationships with our non believer friends.

So we want to give an alternative to our friends that on

Friday evenings go to the club, cafe place, disco etc.

We are thinking to create a nice environment at the church.

As church we have free the space upstairs. The church meets

downstairs. So we can use that space for the youth. We are

thinking of creating a cafe place. We started already a while

ago to plan and think. Now we try to put it together. We

started decorating the place and also started to raise money.

On the 20 of August we held a little garage sale at the church

with old stuff and cookies, lemonade, just to raise some

money and share about our vision. We need to raise for the

beginning around $1,800. Decorations , a coffee machine

etc.

We are very excited about the idea. The Lord is working

already. The Project is called "STEP UP CAFE" for the young

guys and girls to stand up and be someone in life, become

mature, show them that they can do and be more then what

they think.

CruX Youth Ministry at Valley is helping to raise money for

the Step-Up Café. For more information, contact Andrew

Peterson at andrewp@valleyfree.org, or 952-412-2081.

Reaching Out by Stepping Up ...Florin Soare, Youth Leader, Adunarea Speranta Vie , our sister-church in Pitesti, Romania

P A G E 4

Mothers of infants through Kindergartners

Join a community of moms for small group Bible Study. We will explore what the Bible says about parenting, marriage, communication, personal discipline and emotional needs. Grab a cup of coffee, sit down and relax. The kids will be well taken care of in our nurseries down the hall.

Valley Evangelical Free Church

9:30-11:30 am—October 14, November 11, & December 9. Attend one or all three!

Advance sign-up is required. $12 per meeting or $30 for all three. Sign up in the foyer.

Childcare workers, Mentor Moms (who have been there, done that and cleaned that up), and Moms, in any stage of life, to serve on the Planning Team. Questions? Want to volunteer? Need financial aid? Contact Janis Soule at janid731@aol.com / 952-448-4791.

P A G E 5

A few days ago I was working through

homework for a class I’m currently

taking. For one of my projects I had the

privilege of journeying through Acts 10-

11. It’s a great story of God’s kingdom

expansion among the Gentiles. The

principle I’m taking away and that I’d like

to share with you is this – the expansion

of the kingdom of God happens most

readily through prayer. In Christianity today we have many

solid methods and approaches of evangelism (my chosen

method is church planting), but, behind all of our methods and

attempts we must remember prayer needs to be the primary

means of letting the Spirit fill our methods.

The story of kingdom expansion in Acts 10-11 is remarkable to

be sure, but we must not overlook how it begins, “there was a

man named Cornelius…a devout man who feared God with all

his household…and prayed continually” (Acts 10:2). Acts 10:9

also notes that, “Peter went up on the housetop about the

sixth hour to pray.” God’s primary means of reaching the world

has always been, and always will be, to use men and women

who are devout, fear Him, and pray!

It is not a coincidence that the writer of Acts mentions this

prior to recording the powerful work that took place in the

Prayer and Kingdom Expansion …Andrew & Brittany Peterson

BLESSED BEE THRIFT STORE

Annual Coat & Winter Wear Give-away

NEEDED: New and gently-used coats in good repair, clean /washed hats, gloves, mittens, scarves, snow pants, boots (especially children and teen sizes). Leave your items in the basket in the donation center (near the office) or drop them off at Blessed Bee Thrift shop by October 15. Volunteers ARE NEEDED: At St. John’s Lutheran Church, Chaska, Friday, November 4 for sorting and setting up Greeters and table hosts are also needed on Saturday, November 5 Call Blessed Bee Thrift Store at 952-448-7794 if you can help

following chapters; namely God breaking down Peter’s

prejudice against the Gentiles (Acts 10:28), and the great

Gentile revival that ensues (Acts 10:34-38). The movement of

God among the Gentiles is a great story (and one that the

majority of us are a product of, praise God!), but it is not the

focus of this post. What struck me more than the movement

was how the movement came about; through prayer.

As people prayed, God answered. He spoke, led, and

organized people into the appropriate positions for the

kingdom to be blown open to thousands (years later we can

say millions!) of Gentiles. The truth observed = People prayed,

God moved in might ways.

This truth still stands today when we pray in God’s will (Luke

11:9-13). God is calling us to a new work in St. Cloud that

would reach lost people. This will only happen as an army of

people pray. Brittany and I had a great meeting with some

wonderful people this past week who reminded us much of

the description given of Cornelius in Acts 10:1-2. They are

devout prayer warriors, like many of you. I believe as God

ignites our prayer efforts, a great work will happen in St.

Cloud; a work far more abundant than we could even ask for

or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21)!

Keep praying, God is moving!

P A G E 6

Kids Sunday School will once

again join the excitement of

Operation Christmas Child by

filling shoeboxes for kids across

the world!

During October our kids and staff will be donating

school supplies, personal hygiene items, toys, etc. to

fill shoeboxes that will arrive in countries across the

world just in time for Christmas!

Many of the children who receive these boxes, and

their families, have suffered greatly this year from

loss of belongings and homes, and even their towns

due to flooding, earthquakes, and other disasters

and are now living in poverty. The poorest family in

our church is rich compared to these people.

Our kids will learn a life-long lesson of gratitude for

what they have and a lesson of generosity on how

they can share their blessings and abundance. So,

let the kids do the shopping, preferably with money

they have earned or received as a gift. Or, if they

are celebrating a birthday in October, how about

having their guests donate towards the birthday

child’s fund to do their OCC shopping in lieu of gifts!

Let’s be THANKFUL to God for our many blessings

and be GENEROUS with our abundance!

WHAT TO DONATE? School Supplies: pens, pencils, sharpeners, crayons,

markers, notebooks, writing pads, solar coloring

books, reading books, etc.

Personal Hygiene Items: toothbrush, toothpaste,

comb, washcloth, etc.

Toys: small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals,

kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, slinky, small Etch-a-

Sketch, etc.

“Your gift of love may be the door God uses to open a child’s heart to Jesus Christ.”

Franklin Graham, President, Samaritan’s Purse

POWER UP... is a time of singing, puppets, skits,

etc. at the beginning of each Sunday

School hour. We meet in the

basement for the first 15 minutes.

POWER UP... will be a great opportunity for kids

of all ages to develop friendships

even with kids of other ages.

POWER UP... theme is...God is our Super Hero!

T he participants of the Jon JustGet’ErDone Memorial

Motorcycle Ride last week were actually making a

contribution to the cause of establishing churches in Africa.

To date, almost 30 motorcycles have been given to African

pastors so they can extend their reach with the good news

of Jesus Christ. Simple contributions like riding a motorcycle,

making a salad for the event or contributing finances all

work together for sharing Christ globally. Think of it this

way, your faithfulness here results in a pastor in Uganda or

Southern Sudan sharing Christ with a villager that otherwise

would have never heard of Jesus Christ.

The event was blessed with the presence of Rex and

Melinda, missionaries to Uganda. They have actually been

partners with the ministry ‘on the ground’ in Africa. Through

Rex and Melinda, needs for motorcycles are assessed and

bikes given to the pastors who need them the most. As they

described their ministry, they were filled with awe and

humility with their role in the big picture. “We get to see the

people here in Chaska and across America who work to

support the ministry. On the other side, we get to see the

way God works through those resources.” Rex and Melinda

couldn’t adequately describe the moments when a pastor

would receive a motorcycle. The joy and significance of the

moment is overwhelming. As they see it, Rex and Melinda

get the birds-eye view of all that God is doing.

As you participate in missions at Valley Free, you enter into

the flow of blessing that God is pouring out as we follow His

leading around the world. By listening to God’s leading and

taking faith steps to participate you are touching lives with the

gospel.

How does this partnership work at Valley Free?

Missions Faith Promise Giving. Our missions calling is

funded completely outside of the churches regular budget.

By designating ‘missions’ in addition to your regular church

giving, you are helping our 12 missionary families and

organizations to stay on the field and in ministry. Your

designated giving is essential to monthly missionary

support!

Missions Projects. We are always looking for ways to

partner with our missionaries with special projects.

Currently, our Children’s department and the Crux Youth

ministry are gathering resources for two ministries in

Romania. The whole church family can participate in these

efforts!

Short-term Ministry Teams. Team ministry is a regular part

of our missions effort. For example, this November, a team

will be travelling to our sister-church in Pitesti, Romania.

They will be presenting marriage and parenting classes,

building relationships and joining with our church family in

celebrating 15 years of ministry! You can be part of the

ministry by helping to support the team with needed

finances! Plan to join future ministry teams as well!

Missions Outreach Team. There is a team of people who

make up the leadership team of missions here at Valley.

They are passionate to be good stewards of God’s

resources and to give guidance to the missions calling. Are

you passionate about missions? You could be a partner

with the Team in the missions effort!

God has done great things through the missions ministry here at

Valley. Churches have been planted, the gospel has been shared

in word and deed and God’s kingdom has been proclaimed. And

you thought you were just going for a motorcycle ride…

“And you thought you

were just going for

a motorcycle ride.”

As disciples of Jesus, we are gospel people. The core of

our identity is our passion for the biblical good news of

the saving work of God through Jesus Christ. We are

united by our experience of the grace of God in the

gospel and by our motivation to make that gospel of

grace known to the ends of the earth by every possible

means. - Cape Town Commitment

P A G E 7

P salm 22 can be read, in part,

as a foretelling of the

suffering Messiah. For example,

verse 1 reads: “My God, my God,

why have you forsaken me?”

These are the very words of the

Messiah, our Lord, on the cross

(Mat. 27:46). Later, at vs. 14 the Psalmist writes: “I am poured

out like water, and all my bones are out of joint” – a graphic

description of the spear thrust in our Lord's side (when water

mixed with blood poured out) and the effects of his crucifixion.

Then, found in verses 16-18: “they have pierced my hands and

my feet”; “people stare and gloat over me. They divide my

garments among them and cast lots for my clothing.” Clearly,

these are writings that prophetically describe the crucifixion of

Jesus as told in the Gospels.

So, in verse 6, where the Psalmist writes, “but I am a worm”,

can that also be looking forward to the cross? Why did the

Holy Spirit pick out a word that can be translated as “worm”?

See Isaiah 41:14 for a similar use of the word “worm”. I always

thought that the Psalmist (King David) was referring to the

humiliating and helpless circumstances of the crucifixion, or to

his own condition. Either or both of those straight forward

explanations may indeed be true - check out the context of vs.

6 and following. But perhaps there is more going on here in

this choice of words. The Bible is amazing in its precision –

nothing is by chance. So, OK then, lets dig a little deeper.

The term translated “worm” in our Bibles is “tolah” in the

original. Tolah is rendered “crimson” 38 times in the Old

Testament, or it can mean “scarlet”. Perhaps this is because

in those days, scarlet dye was made from a very particular

worm (Cermes Vermilio). The female of this worm climbs a

Red, White, and Worm...Our Amazing Bible tree to lay its eggs. Later, the hatched larvae actually feed on

the body of the “mother” worm. The now sacrificed worm

leaves a scarlet spot on the tree where it died. As the scarlet

spot dries out, it turns to white and flakes off – kind of like

snow. Now, lets take a look at the cross comparisons so far:

The worm climbs a tree to lay its eggs and die. Jesus

“climbed” a tree to die for our sins.

The worm sacrifices its life to give life to its young. Jesus

sacrificed his life to give life to us.

The worm leaves a scarlet spot on the tree. Jesus likely

left many scarlet spots on the cross.

The scarlet spot turns to white and leaves the tree.

Jesus left the cross and was resurrected – white is

often the color signifying the resurrection of Jesus,

and the result of the cross, forgiveness of sins.

Isaiah 1:18 reads: “Come now, and let us reason

together, says the Lord: though your sins be as

scarlet, they shall be white as snow...” I think I get it.

Worm, scarlet, white.

But just hold on a minute. Is there more? How long do you

think it takes the scarlet spot on the tree to turn to white?

Well, how long did it take Jesus to go from the cross to the

resurrection? Yes, you guessed correctly: three days in each

case. Is all this a coincidence? A flight of the imagination?

Well, I will let you decide that for yourself. Someone has said

that the word “coincidence” is not a Kosher word. Perhaps

he/she was right.

My thanks go to Chuck Missler of the Koinonia Institute for this

scriptural insight. To quote from Chuck: “The more we study

the Bible, the more we uncover evidence that every detail is

the result of deliberate design.....It is a work beyond our

imagining, a message from the edge of eternity.”

P A G E 8

P A G E 9

O steoporosis...Ahh, something I don't need to worry about

until I get old! Right? WRONG!!! Osteoporosis doesn't

happen overnight. It takes years of aging and neglect to

contribute to brittle bones.

First, what is Osteoporosis? Thinning bones. Bone loss that out

paces new growth causing the bones to become porous and

brittle. Thin brittle bones lead to fractures, pain, and loss of

ability to do those things we love to do.

Bones are alive and constantly growing.

Did you know that we replace our entire skeleton

every 10 years?

Risk Factors:

Ageing-As we age we have decreased bone growth

Low calcium consumption and absorption

Young women athletes who stop menstruating are at early

onset osteoporosis risk

Low testosterone levels in men as they age

Thyroid conditions increase bone loss

Smoking

Excessive alcohol intake

Menopause

Family history of osteoporosis

Rheumatoid arthritis

Insufficient Vitamin D intake

Thin small body frame

Excessive caffeine

Oral contraceptives

Certain medications: cortisone, prednisone,

hydrocortisone, and glucocorticoids are all linked to

bone loss

Wow! When you look at those who are at risk, who does this

list leave out?

What can we do? Well, think about it. Some things we can't

change. But quite a few we can. Quit smoking, decrease alcohol

intake. Make sure you eat a balanced diet and get plenty of

calcium and vitamin D.

Exercise is a good first step towards reducing risks. Work

towards adding light weight-bearing exercise. Putting mild

stress on bones can make them stronger and less brittle. You'll

feel better, sleep better and have more energy and vitality.

Symptoms of osteoporosis include severe back pain, or back

pain resulting from a fracture, loss of height, stooped posture,

and fracture of vertebra, hip, wrist or other bones. Generally

symptoms don't occur until osteoporosis is advanced.

There are a couple tests that are used to determine if you have

or are at risk for osteoporosis. A bone density test is non-

invasive and takes only a few minutes. A bone scan involves

injecting a radioactive dye and is generally used to determine

bone cancer. The bone scan uses an x-ray like picture to

measure bone density. The results are given as a T or Z score.

The T score compares your density to other healthy 30 year-

old men or women, while the Z score compares your bone

density to people of same age, gender, and race.

We can and should start as young as we can to choose to do

those things that can prevent bone loss. Encourage your

children to eat healthy and exercise regularly. We keep hearing

it over and over. Get up off the couch and move! What are you

waiting for? Let’s go!

Healthy Living: Osteoporosis . . . Linda Kozicky, R.N., Parish Nurse

P A G E 1 0

SA 1 7:00 PM CRUX—SKYZONE TRAMPOLINE PARK

SU 2

8:45 AM 10:00 AM

4:10 PM 6:00 PM

SUNDAY SCHOOL/SMS WORSHIP VALLEY MOVIE NIGHT—COURAGEOUS CRUX

M 3 7:00 PM MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

TU 4 6:45 PM WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

W 5 6:30 PM NURSERY REFRESHER & BRAINSTORMING

TH 6 7:00 PM WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL

SA 8 7:30 AM MEN’S MONTHLY BREAKFAST

SU 9 8:45 AM

10:00 AM 6:00 PM

SUNDAY SCHOOL/SMS WORSHIP—Dr. Don Bierle CRUX

M 10 12:30 PM 7:00 PM

WHITE CROSS MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

TU 11 6:30 PM 7:00 PM

MISSIONS OUTREACH TEAM MEETING ELDER BOARD

TH 13 7:00 PM 7:30 PM

WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL WEB TEAM MEETING

F 14 9:30 AM MORNINGS 4 MOMS

SU 16

8:45 AM 10:00 PM

6:00 PM

PICK UP OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD BOX TODAY!

SUNDAY SCHOOL / SMS WORSHIP CRUX

M 17 7:00 PM MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

TU 18 6:45 PM WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY

TH 20 7:00 PM WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL

SU 23 8:45 AM

10:00 PM 6:00 PM

SUNDAY SCHOOL / SMS WORSHIP CRUX

M 24 7:00 PM MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

TH 27 7:00 PM WORSHIP TEAM REHEARSAL

SU 30 8:45 AM

10:00 PM 6:00 PM

SUNDAY SCHOOL / SMS WORSHIP CRUX

M 31 7:00 PM MEN’S BIBLE STUDY

See bulletins for weekly updates/changes to this calendar

P A G E 1 1

Calling all men/women who can help

BUILD BUNK BEDS & TWIN BEDS!

Last year we built and delivered 30 beds!

A construction date will be published soon.

Watch for coming announcements.

Questions and/or to volunteer...

Call Gary Kozicky at 952-448-9873.

952-448-6144

Fax: 952-448-5119

150 Engler Blvd

Chaska, MN 55318

October 16- Kick off Sunday: Pick up a shoebox (or more than 1!) and fill as a family project

November 14-20- VEFC Relay Center open to community: Volunteer to welcome visitors to our church during this week

December 3—6-10pm: Collection Center Service Opportunity—50 spaces reserved (must be 12 or older)

Questions? Contact Candace Wisely at 952-401-7994

DATE: Wednesday, October 5

TIME: 6:30-8:00 pm

WHERE: Fellowship Hall Questions? Contact Jan Schmit at jschmit@valleyfree.org