A Church Of Mustard Seeds

Written By Holly Hill Church of Christ

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)

Mini Devotional

A mini message to take with you this week to help you in your devotion to God.

A Church Of Mustard Seeds
Devotional by: Nick Gill

People love to look for magic formulas. Seriously – people will buy into the most outrageous so-called solutions that promise either a quick and easy fix or offer an exclusive and extraordinary path to achieving their goals. Whether it is financial stability, physical health, or something else, people love ‘get rich quick’ schemes and exotic diets more than the simple and mundane ideas of spending less than you earn and burning more calories than you consume.

Churches love ‘silver bullet’ ideas, too. Churches around the country are looking for that magic idea that will flip a switch and bring back their glory days. But that’s just not how Jesus said the kingdom of God works. When people asked him what he meant by ‘the kingdom of God,’ Jesus would often talk about mustard seeds. The kingdom of God is not like some magic beans that will grow into a giant beanstalk overnight. Wouldn’t more people be interested in what Jesus was selling if he packaged it in something fancier? ‘The kingdom of God is like a tall redwood or a massive oak tree,’ Jesus could have said. But no, he picked the most ordinary seed and the most boring bush imaginable in his day.

Why a mustard seed, Jesus? Because for Him, the kingdom is about the ordinariness of loving God and loving others. The kingdom is as common as sparrows and as earthy as backyard bushes. Flourishing in the kingdom of God is not about some magic formula leaders can implement after a weekend seminar. It’s about the power of a mustard seed to sprout anywhere, to spread like seeds scatter from a bush, and to grow patiently and peacefully by the power of God.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul says, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters counts for anything, but God who causes the growth.” Mustard seeds reveal the stuff of the kingdom of Jesus – churches where the Spirit of God transforms life while His people faithfully hang onto His promises no matter what. See, we’re a church of mustard seeds – just ordinary people loving an extraordinary God and, and putting that love to work by loving others every day. Don’t look for some magic formula to get the church to grow - those only get people excited for a little while and then disappoint. There’s no magic – just faithfulness to the Way, bringing more of our lives and more of our selves under the authority of Jesus every day. That’s how mustard seeds grow into great plants and the birds of the air come and nest in their shade (Mark 4:30-32).

Missions

These are the challenges that the congregation is actively working on this month.

Our Missions For September

  • Equip (8 completions) — Ask a church member to hold you accountable to the Mission Control challenges going forward.

  • Teach (6 completions) — Make a list of non-church members that you know, then share with one of them something Jesus has done for you.

  • Serve (13 completions) — Consider your gifts, and use them to perform an unexpected kindness for someone you don’t know very well.

*Be on the lookout for weekly training videos on our Facebook and YouTube pages, published each Sunday, to help you complete the challenges.

*As you complete each challenge, drop one of the pom-pom balls into the corresponding jar at the Mission Control Center in the lobby so we can see how many people are completing each challenge. One completion per person, per challenge, per month.

News

This section is for any special announcements that are not upcoming events or prayer requests.

  • Send All Announcements And Prayer Requests To Our New Email: office@hollyhillcoc.org
    Starting October 1st, any announcement or prayer request you want sent out to the entire church must be submitted via our new email address: office@hollyhillcoc.org. We will collect the submissions and group them together and send no more than one email per day. Cutoff for submissions is 4pm every day, and the email will go out at 5pm.

  • Special Collection For Potters On October 30th
    October has five Sundays, and on the last Sunday (October 30th), we will be taking up a special collection for the Potters Children’s Home. All contributions that Sunday will go toward the Children’s Home, so please plan accordingly for your contribution. Thank you!

  • Please send Sonia Roach the address of your College Student
    If they are going to college local please send me their name. Please include what year they are in. We like to send cards and care packages. They need to know they are prayed for, missed and loved. If you have any questions or ideas please reach out to me.

Prayers

Here are some individuals that especially need our prayers this week. Please keep them in mind every time you pray.

  • Bob Tankersley

  • David Fair (Asks for prayers for marriage and family situation)

  • Larry Clarke

  • Steve Small

  • Phil and Suzanne Wilkins

  • Samantha Horn and Baby Cora

  • Janis Friend

  • God’s will for the Tom Roach family

Upcoming Events

Here are some events that are coming up that you need to make space on your calendar for.

  • This Sunday, October 2nd— Mission Control Night
    Members will meet in the fellowship hall in groups to answer questions provided and discuss ways to implement the challenges for October. Each group shares their ideas with the other groups.

  • Friday, September 30th at 7pm — Trivia Night
    From Robert: Carol and I are excited to host a Trivia Night for the congregation. The event will be on September 30th, from approximately 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM. It will be held in the auditorium. Some of the key things to know are below:

    • 1. Team size is up to 6 people.

    • 2. Sign-up online or on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.

    • 3. There will be 8 rounds. Two of the rounds will be Bible and one round each of geography, entertainment, history, art and literature, science and nature, and sports and leisure.

    • 4. 10 Questions per round, 30 seconds per question, no repeats, intermission after four sessions, dessert and drinks served in the basement.

    • 5. Each team may purchase mulligans. They can buy up to 16 at $5 per mulligan. Mulligan money goes toward Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Fund.

    • 6. After each category answers are collected.

    • 7. You cannot use phones or any other devices.

    If you plan to attend the Trivia Night, please use the sign-up link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040F49A4AC2CA1FD0-holly

  • Thursday, October 6th — Potters Pick-Up
    The folks from Potters will be here on this date to pick up the items the church has donated for the Tuesday’s Treasures thrift store. Please have all donations in by this day, and feel free to stop by to help load the truck. They usually arrive around 10am, but call to make sure.

  • Saturday, October 8th — Hayride & Fall Festival
    Games, activities, food, 4pm to 6pm. Hayride at 6pm. The event will be held at the Bowman residence. Check Facebook for your invitation. If you are not on Facebook, please let Bowmans know if you are planning to come.

  • Sunday, October 30th — Pot-Luck
    Every fifth Sunday, we have a pot-luck after morning worship, and then have a short devotional after the meal. There will be no evening service. Please bring a dish to share and stay for the afternoon devotional as well.

How You Can Serve

There are a lot of ways you can get involved and do the work of God in our community!

For more information or for help signing up for any of these ministries, please call the church office at: (502) 227-7796.

Limited-Time Opportunities:

  • October Mission Control Challenges
    We have 3 new challenges for the month ofOctober that we need your help on. Please see the section above entitled “Missions” for more information.

  • Donate To Potters Home, Tuesday’s Treasures Thrift Shop (By Oct. 6th)
    To support the Potters Children’s Home, the church is gathering items to donate to their thrift store, Tuesday’s Treasures, in Bowling Green. We’re looking for gently used household items, clothing, toys, furniture, etc. This is not an opportunity to get rid of broken junk, but to generously donate to help a good cause. Please donate items that are in a condition that you would want to use. Items can be dropped off at the church building.

Long-Term Opportunities:

  • Mission Launch Team
    We are needing individuals to sign up for the Mission Launch Team. People on this team commit to working on the Mission Control challenges each month, and they also commit to encouraging at least one other person to work on the missions as well. We need you to sign up for this ministry so we can grow the Mission Control program organically from person to person. Sign up for the Mission Launch Team at the Mission Control Center in the lobby.

  • Tech Team Support — The Holly Hill Tech Team needs help. We would love to have a few more people trained and available to set up the livestreams and audio equipment. It’s a fairly simple task and you’ll be well trained before being thrown into the seat alone. If you’re interested, see Nick, David, or Brad.

  • Greeter Ministry — We’re looking for people who are friendly and outgoing to welcome our guests and members each Sunday morning. If you are interested, contact Tom Owens.

  • Card Ministry — Every Sunday there are cards spread out on a table in the lobby that will be sent out to various church members and guests who need encouragement. You can help serve and encourage by making sure to sign these cards each week.

  • Casey Blessing Box — The Caseys are collecting items to give away to those in need in their Blessing Box. Currently, they are accepting donations of: Can goods of fruit and vegetables. Crackers, or cereal.

  • Shriners Children’s Hospital — Donna White is collecting soda can tabs to donate to the children’s hospital. Please leave your donations in the lobby.

Holly Hill Church of Christ
1020 Holly Hill Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
Web: www.hollyhillcoc.org
Phone: (502) 227-7796
Email: hollyhillcoc@gmail.com

Service Times:
Sunday Bible Class: 10am
Sunday Morning Worship, 11am
Sunday Evening Worship, 6pm
Wednesday Evening Bible class: 6:30pm

Holly Hill Church of Christ
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