Friday

The Sunday Set-Up for March 2, 2014



No one wants to go through life with this face!






But we all experience bitterness in life. It's a reality for everyone. The final scenes and closing credits from Ruth's life offer hope. Come and hear about the hope of the Lord for you and for others around you.

Reading: Ruth 4:13-22

Bulletin: March 2, 2014

Monday

God's Call to Praise - Tuesdays at Two

Last summer, during conversations after the 11:00 service, a few ladies discovered we had individually been hearing God's call to praise Him. We did a Bible study on praise, and as we studied we grew more and more excited and hopeful. We found that praise cures "dry times", brings unity, births victory, releases blessings and the gift of prophecy, produces power, and brings hope. The decision was made to gather with the sole purpose of praising Him assisted by a praise and worship CD, listening for anything He may want to convey to us, and then praying in line with whatever that might be. Part of our Bible study impressed upon us to praise God in the sanctuary, which is where we meet on Tuesday afternoons from 2-4. We call it simply "Praise and Prayer."

This is such a wonderful way to believe we are praying in line with God's will, and very frequently one person will share a phrase she "heard" and pray along those lines, while another will have her Bible already opened to a passage that went with that prayer perfectly. Just this past Tuesday, one of the songs on the CD reminded Tess to pray for the musicians in our congregation to respond to Jonathan's invitation to join the worship team. She "reminded" God that He calls us to praise Him with the flute and lyre and all kinds of stringed instruments. Barb Mamoulides immediately read Psalm 33:1-3, to which her Bible was already opened on her lap:

     Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous!
       for praise from the upright is beautiful.
     Praise the Lord with the harp;
     Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
     Sing to Him a new song;
     Play skillfully with a shout of joy!

Now, that is just fun!

We always pray for our church, pastors, ministries, youth, etc. but the prayers are varied as we feel God leads us. One day someone saw an outline of Africa, so we prayed for our sister church in Rwanda and about the famines and wars in Africa. I feel overwhelmed sometimes trying to pray for the world given the state it's in, but this way, our burden is to pray just how God leads for the day, and we have found that indeed, His burden is light! Please join us if you're able!

Submitted by current Praise and Prayer participants (left to right in the photo above):
Tess Barnes
Barb Mamoulides
Anne Sanders
George Mamoulides

Friday

The Sunday Set-Up for February 23, 2014

What do all these people have in common? (Besides the fact that they are part of Church of the Apostles?) They matter to God! We all know that everyone matters to God, we matter to God…but, what difference does that make in our lives? What would change in our lives if we developed a greater sense of our worth in the eyes of God? How would it change the way we did our work, loved our families, cared for others? Join us this Sunday as we consider these questions by examining the account of Ruth.

Readings: Ruth 4:1-12 and John 14:1-7

Bulletin: February 23, 2014

Tuesday

Fellowship and Worship at the Women's Retreat

by Lucy Wilburn

Last weekend I was asked by Barbara to write about my experience at the Women’s Retreat.  The most outstanding thing for me was the warmth of the women at Apostles in reaching out to me.  At every juncture of the retreat I encountered a warm, inviting person.  Starting with my kind invitation to come on the retreat (thank you, Lindsay!), to my conversation with the retreat planners due to a small glitch in my reservation, to the three lovely ladies I roomed with, to the women in my small group, to the friends in the car that went out of their way to pick me up for ice cream. All weekend long I constantly encountered warm, inviting women who reached out to me with generous hospitality and authenticity.
 
I also appreciated that the retreat provided a time of solitude, reflection, and listening to God; that was balanced with a dance party the last night of the retreat!  I love that this retreat offered something for everyone!  I felt ministered to in many different ways – in quiet, alone time with God, through great teaching by our speaker Sally Breedlove, through challenging and encouraging small group time, through worship, fellowship, and delicious meals, and through powerful testimonies of God’s redeeming love and work in the lives of others.
 
Thank you to everyone who worked on the retreat and who reached out to me in such a gracious way this weekend!  A special thanks to my roommates who made me feel so included. I hope to see you all soon!  (And Taylor, I want your dance party play list for my phone!)

Friday

The Sunday Set-Up for February 16, 2014

What is it about the account of Ruth that makes it such a compelling love story? Is it passion? Is it sacrifice? Is it adventure and romance? Yes, it is all those things, but there is one more key element upon which the whole account finds its power. It is an element that is often used to describe God’s love for his people. It is the element of covenant loyalty. 
Join us this Sunday, as we explore Ruth chapter 3 and how covenant loyalty sets the love of God apart from all other loves.

Reading: Ruth 3


Tuesday

The Women's Retreat in Pictures

Last weekend, nearly 100 ladies gathered at the Blockade Runner in Wrightsville Beach for the Church of the Apostles Women's Retreat. Here is just a glimpse at the fun that was had!









Friday

The Sunday Set-Up for February 9, 2014

Do I look like a refugee? Do you?

It may surprise you to learn that we who call on the name of the Lord share the status of “refugee” with Ruth. Come this Sunday and learn why this status can shape and form us more into the image of Christ as we continue our series “The Gospel According to Ruth” in chapter two of the Book of Ruth.

In the grace of Jesus,

Patrick

Reading: Ruth 2

Bulletin: February 9, 2014