Wednesday, December 28, 2011

The Art of Marriage Event


The Statistics Sound the Alarm:
Over 50% of marriages in the U.S. end in divorce.
The number of people getting married each year is declining.
Co-habitation, a primary contributor to divorce, is on the rise.
The cost of divorce to taxpayers is over $150 billion annually.

Our experience here at Redeemer Church is that there is a high level of need for help and support for married couples and their families. In our own congregation each week, we receive a large number of prayer requests involving marital issues and family relationships. An increasing number of married couples are seeking counseling with Jackie Himelright, our licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. So, how do we turn the tide? How do we rekindle marriages and inspire couples in our congregation and in our community to make God the center of their relationships? Research shows that the local church is often the first place married couples will look for help when things go wrong.

To help meet this need, we are planning a special event in February, 2012 called The Art of Marriage. It will take place on Friday evening February 10th and during the day on Saturday February 11th here at Redeemer Church. Unlike traditional marriage conferences that may feature only one speaker, The Art of Marriage offers insight by some of the most respected and influential experts on marriage and family in one setting. This 6-session DVD video event presents engaging stories, real-life testimonies, interviews, and humorous vignettes to help couples of all ages fully experience God’s design for marriage.

For more detailed information or to register for the event, please visit the Redeemer Church website at www.dewittredeemer.org and click on The Art of Marriage event box.

Kelvin Fizzell
Director of Small Groups

Thursday, December 1, 2011

God is Not Dead!!!

Greetings and Merry Christmas to you all,

I only seem to blog once in a while and I think I may become a little more active in this as since I've graduated I find that I have tons of time to read, and not just Sports Illustrated. I want to share with you some Christmas cheer and what it looks like from a group of High School kids from our community.
Within the last week, a 2011 graduate of DeWitt High School passed away from a heart condition after playing basketball with the Boys Swim Team in a dry land training event. It was truly a rough week for those that knew and even for those who didn't know Tylor Higgins. It's rough to think that a 19 year old could possibly have a heart condition that would take his life. It reminded me of the Wes Leonard death from the young man from Fennville after he hit a big shot in a game earlier this year. It doesn't seem right. To me this shows us all that God is not dead. He's surely alive and allowing for His will to be done. It doesn't always feel real good when He does though. So the question that comes to my mind is what should we do when His will is being done and we don't understand. Well, one thing we can do is realize that God is like a gazzillion times smarter than us and our little human brains can't even fathom what His will is or we can take a cue from Jesus and go to the Lord in prayer. Not that His will will change, but maybe to help us come to grips with what has happened.
Back to my God's not Dead thinking. God is not Dead is a new album (look at me showing my age), by the Newsboys. But it's also a truth that we live with everyday and even more this month as we go downhill toward the celebration day of Jesus' birth. He is alive and well!!!
The youth of this church, and this community are continuing to amaze me this year with their compassion and willingness to be lights for Jesus in this crazy world. This morning in a celebration of Tylor Higgins life, two members of CREW (our High School Ministry) took on a monumental task of organizing a prayer time for students to pray for Tylor's family, to remember Tylor's life, and just come together for a moment to come to grips with losing one of their own. I am so proud to report that through their social invitation on Facebook and through Bible Studies and CREW that over 70 people, including the DeWitt High boys swim coach and a family friend of the Higgins family joined the prayer. They prayed at the pole in front of the High School and moved over to the band field to finish. Tylor was a swimmer and a member of the band. I am so proud of the kids in this community who are coming together and showing the community of DeWitt that God is not dead and He will not sit behind and not show Himself manifested through a group of teenagers who love Him without question! Amazing!!!
God is not Dead my friends, He's living on the inside and roaring like a lion. Let Him out this holiday season and share Him and His love with everyone you can. ***This was taken December 1, 2011 in front of DeWitt High School