The final youth event for the year will be this Friday.  More than likely we will be going bowling, but you never know!  Bring $5 per person and Pastor John guarantees you will get dinner and have a good time!  See you at 5:00pm.

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The elders have been very excited at how well the community groups have gone this year.  We’ve been encouraged by the deepened friendships and unity, as well as the learning and growth that have taken place.  The final night for this year’s groups will be Sunday, November 29.  After that, all the groups are invited to come together the first week of December for an open house Christmas party at Pastor John and Melinda’s house.

Community groups will not meet through December and will begin again in early 2010. If you’re interesting in hosting a group, please let Pastor John know.  Also, if you are interested in committing to drive out to the Southside group in Saginaw (about a 40 minute drive from Bay City), please let Pastor John know, so the elders can plan accordingly when forming the new groups.

On December 5th Immanuel Lutheran Church in Saginaw will be presenting a Living Nativity Scene that brings to life the city of Bethlehem in the time of Christ through many actors “performing” live.  The event consists of a 30-minute, outdoor walk through the recreated town followed by some refreshments indoors.  Jeff Jewell is coordinating a group from BBC to go.  If you’re interested, sign-up on the main notice board, or see him for more information.

The church is invited to Pastor John and Melinda’s House, Sunday night, December 6, for a church-wide Christmas party. The party is an “open-house,” which means you don’t need to bring any gifts and you only need to stay as long as you want. There will be lots of food and fun for everyone! The party begins at 5 pm and ends around 9 pm.

So what’s the deal with this Reformation stuff, anyway?  That’s what some of you may be thinking, so here is a little primer for those of you who may not have been around long or who want to know more.  We have included both print articles and audio that you can download.  For the really curious, we have even listed some good books that you can order online or through the BBC BookShop.

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The Reformation took place from around 1500-1700.  It was a time of reforming the church back to what it had been, seeking to regain the clear message of the gospel.  The Reformation was led by men who loved God’s church and its Savior, Jesus Christ.  There desire was not to cause trouble, but to strengthen God’s church to God’s glory.  The result though was controversy and difficulty and sometimes even death for those who said the Roman Church had it wrong. In the end, the Reformation was about the gospel–making clear how sinners were made right with God.

Basic Information about the Reformation

• The Necessity of the Reformation
• Impact of the Reformation

Major People in the Reformation

• Overview of Many Reformers
• Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
• Martin Luther
• John Calvin
• William Tyndale
• John Knox

Theology that Came Out of the Reformation

• The “Five Solas”
• The Gospel

Book Resources

• The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World
• Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?

Discipleship groups are now forming to help us fight against sin and pursue godliness by the gospel. The groups for men are called Fight Clubs, based on 1 Timothy 6:11-12, “As for you, O man of God, flee these [sinful] things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith.”

The ladies’ groups are called Heart Spas, based on 1 Peter 3:3-4, “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” These groups will consist of 3-4 people, meeting every or every other week. If you’re interested in being a part of one of these groups, please sign-up on the main bulletin board. Questions? See Pastor John.

Recently, we began a new order to our weekly worship service. It’s designed to be built around the gospel with an emphasis on revelation, renewal, and response. Revelation: the service begins emphasizing who God is—his glory, majesty, and power. It’s the beginning of the gospel message, telling us of the one who created us, the one who deserves our worship and service.  Renewal: Here we acknowledge that we have not given God the worship he deserves, rebelling against him instead. It’s a time to confess our sinfulness, yet also be reminded that through faith in Christ and his work on the cross we are accepted by God despite our sinfulness. Response: finally, we respond to what we have been reminded of—the gospel. It’s a time to willingly and gratefully hear God’s Word and be transformed by it. It’s a time to show our response to God by the giving of our offering, encouraging his people, and living for his glory.

Last week we began collecting money and clothes for those displaced from the Typhoons in the Philippines. If you want to donate canned goods, please do so as soon as possible, as the special, flat-shipping rate ends October 31.  A high priority is also money for them to buy the staple food—rice.

Pastor Bosi thanks eveyone who donated Sunday night.  He picked those things up and they will be sent out later tonight.  Right now, the priority he said for donations would be clothing and money.  Non-perishable foods is good, but their staple food is rice.  So any money given would go towards purchasing rice which is being offered pretty cheaply right now.  According to Pastor Bosi, the government is officially out of money and had to ask the UN for help.  This means domestic recovery efforts are slow moving.  Anything you contribute is being sent directly to churches and will get into the hands of needy people quickly.