Hello church,

We have a “fortunate problem” regarding Family Camp: we have reached capacity for overnight campers! Day camper space is still unlimited, so please still sign up if you intend to come just for a day.

As we are completing cabin assignments, there are rules we must adhere to in order to comply with Camp Cazadero cabin regulations. There are some circumstances where overnight camping might be possible (for example, single men still have room in their cabin). If you still wish to see if you are able to stay overnight, or if you have any questions, please reach out to Julianna Clark (707-322-7127).

Thanks everyone,
Andrew

Hi everyone!  This will be our last Wednesday night together before we break for the summer.  I’m looking forward to seeing you all!  This week, we will have some larger group discussion and then break up as usual, but we have two topics.  On top of discussion about anger, let’s take some time this week to consider wisdom as a whole and share some concluding thoughts with each other as we wrap up this series.
Read and meditate on Psalm 37.  We will meditate on it together.  Bring thoughts, conclusions and questions and we will discuss!

Anger

• What kinds of things make you angry?  Do these things tend to stick with you over long periods of time? (Consider Ecclesiastes 7:9, Proverbs 16:32)
• Is “venting” a healthy habit? Read and consider the wisdom of Proverbs 29:11 and Proverbs 12:16
• Discuss Ephesians 4:26-32.  Are there areas of your life where you have given in to the temptation of anger? Have you inadvertently given Satan a foothold in your life?  Is the holy Spirit asking you to make amends with anyone?  These are difficult and vulnerable questions; my encouragement is to be as honest as you are able.  

General Wisdom

• What has been the most impactful or fruitful takeaways from the series?
• Are there particular sins of the 7 deadly that you might struggle more than others?
• Are there instances in your life where you are struggling to walk the path of Lady Wisdom or finding it difficult to know how to apply wisdom in your daily life?
• We’re not done with wisdom.  Has this series brought up any particular topics or questions about wisdom in general or the application of wisdom you might find helpful?  Are there more topics you would find it helpful for us to spend more time on?

Hey church,

We are happy to introduce a new message thread on our app, titled "Out & About." This is an informal place to post invites, information, and ideas for any activities we'd like to do together as a people.

• Want to go on a hike? Post on the thread to see who else might be interested.
• Want to see a movie? Put it out there and see who might join.
• Want a crew to join you to check out the farmer's market? Test the waters and coordinate meetup times.

Essentially, we wanted to provide a place, unconnected from the formal ministry of the church, where people in our community could coordinate fellowship and fun if they so desire.

This thread is open to everyone at Anthem - members, regular attenders, and guests alike. Joining the thread is entirely voluntary - if it's not your thing, feel free to skip. However, if you're interested, here's how to opt in:

1. Request to join the group using the button below.
2. We will approve your request and you can join the group. This step is only here to weed out spam accounts or other weirdness that may be present in an "open" group. For reference, our Marketplace thread is also a "Request to Join" group, open to anyone.
3. Keep an eye out for posts from others!

Here's to getting out in Marin together and enjoying this place we call home!

Hello church,

This Sunday I will be teaching on lust and how the wisdom of God speaks to this sin. While I do not intend to be explicit or graphic in my message, I do intend to speak plainly about biblical sexuality and how sin in the world and sin in our hearts has distorted and wreaked havoc on our desires. I am sharing this ahead of time mainly for any parents who have teens or children in the audience, that these parents may be forewarned. I don't want to discourage anyone from attending (especially teens, who should be present); rather, I want parents to be prepared ahead of time that these themes will be addressed abundantly on Sunday. As always, we have kids ministry for fifth graders and younger as an option.

On Wednesday 5/27, our time will be less discussion-based and more prayer-based. We'd love to have you there as we press into the Lord together.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to send me an email: andrew@anthemchurch.net.

Love you all,
Andrew

Gluttony speaks to the immediate comforts that life can provide. Life is constantly
offering comforts and pleasures that promise fulfilment. Wisdom warns us that when we
give into our cravings, we don’t get the satisfaction promised. This week to discuss our
gluttonous desires and how we can fight them.

Read and meditate on Galatians 5:13-26. We will discuss the text together. Be
prepared to share observations about the passage: important words, themes, ideas, etc.

Table Questions:

1. What is your gut level comfort craving?
a. What do you go to first for comfort after a hard day?
b. Do you have to justify having that thing in your mind? What does that
most often look like?

2. What is your relationship with alcohol?
a. It’s not a sin to drink, but it always healthy for a Christian to be able to
assess our relationship with alcohol.
b. Are there other substances you struggle with instead?

3. How can you train yourself to say no to unhealthy desires?
a. Where do you need more self-control in your life?
b. How can you develop this?

4. Where do you need to say yes?
a. Where might Christ be telling you draw nearer to Him?
b. How does this relate to your current level of self-control?

5. Where do you need help from your brothers and sisters and are you willing to ask
for it?

Historically, sloth is defined not just as physical laziness (although this can be a prevalent symptom), but as spiritual malaise, indifference, or callousness. It is the pursuit of comfort and ease above all else.

The Book of Proverbs helps us see just how damaging this sin can be.

SLOTH DISTORTS REALITY
* Proverbs 26:13–16 – The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! There is a lion in the streets!” As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed. The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth. The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.
* Proverbs 15:19 – The way of a sluggard is like a hedge of thorns, but the path of the upright is a level highway.
* Proverbs 14:23 – In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.

When comfort is our highest aim, loving ourselves and others well will always seem like a lion in the streets.
In what ways have you experienced this distortion of reality?

SLOTH DELAYS HARDSHIP
* Proverbs 10:4–5 – A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame.
* Proverbs 12:27 – Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.

When comfort is our highest aim, we will miss the fruit of an attentive life.
In what ways have you avoided the hard thing needed?

SLOTH DEEPENS PAIN
* Proverbs 13:4 – The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.
* Proverbs 21:25–26 – The desire of the sluggard kills him, for his hands refuse to labor. All day long he craves and craves, but the righteous gives and does not hold back.
* Proverbs 18:9 – Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.
* Proverbs 19:15 – Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger.
* Proverbs 24:30–34 – I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.

When comfort is our highest aim, we will ruin our lives and the lives of others.
In what ways have you overlooked the damage of a slothful spirit?

BUILDING FORTITUDE
Galatians 6:7–10 | Wearing the path of peace out of sloth is not a solo sport, but does require individual intention.
7Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
- Be honest - what are you sowing into? If your life is frustrating and unfulfilling, maybe you are sowing into the wrong things.
8For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
- Sowing to the flesh is not just obvious sin, it is the subtle sin of self-gratification at the expense of others.
 - We will be perpetually enslaved to the short term if we are not sowing into the Spirit.
9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
- This work takes time and it takes trust of Jesus. Will he really reward my faithfulness in the small things?
10So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
- Are we willing to be inconvenienced for one another? Are we willing to suffer for each other?

Hi everyone,

Here are the primary discussion questions for this Wednesday night. Think through and
be ready to discuss, but as always please bring your own thoughts, observations, and
questions and we can work through them together.

1. Take a moment and consider where you find greed most prevalent in your life.
What kinds of things attract your affections and attention? Is it money? Is it
hobbies? Clothes? Why do you think you might desire those things so
particularly?

2. Meditate on Proverbs 1:19.
 How does your connection to such things affect you?
What might it mean for greed to “take away the life of its possessor?”

3. Meditate together on Proverbs 23:4-7.
a. Where do you find it difficult to discern between a healthy and an
unhealthy relationship with money and possession?
b. Where would you like help?
c. Why is friendship with a greedy person unwise?

4. Meditate together on 1 Timothy 6:6-10.
a. How might contentment with Godliness be great gain?
b. Are you content with just the bare necessities? Why might that be
particularly difficult for us?
c. What do you think the temptation mentioned in verse 9 is? How might that
harm us?
d. How could your greed cause you to wander away from the faith?

God bless, looking forward to seeing you all on Wednesday!

• Proverbs 14:30 - A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.

Coveting desires something, while envy despises someone.

• Take a moment to consider what it's like to be in a state of envy. How does this affect us personally? What is at the root of this emotional state?

Take about 10 minutes to read through this psalm on your own.
What is the author communicating about his satisfaction?
What is the author communicating about envy?
How is the author being honest about his challenges and wrestlings?

            1       Truly God is good to Israel,
      to those who are pure in heart.
            2       But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
      my steps had nearly slipped.
            3       For I was envious of the arrogant
      when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

            4       For they have no pangs until death;
      their bodies are fat and sleek.
            5       They are not in trouble as others are;
      they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
            6       Therefore pride is their necklace;
      violence covers them as a garment.
            7       Their eyes swell out through fatness;
      their hearts overflow with follies.
            8       They scoff and speak with malice;
      loftily they threaten oppression.
            9       They set their mouths against the heavens,
      and their tongue struts through the earth.
            10       Therefore his people turn back to them,
      and find no fault in them.
            11       And they say, “How can God know?
      Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
            12       Behold, these are the wicked;
      always at ease, they increase in riches.
            13       All in vain have I kept my heart clean
      and washed my hands in innocence.
            14       For all the day long I have been stricken
      and rebuked every morning.
            15       If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
      I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

            16       But when I thought how to understand this,
      it seemed to me a wearisome task,
            17       until I went into the sanctuary of God;
      then I discerned their end.

            18       Truly you set them in slippery places;
      you make them fall to ruin.
            19       How they are destroyed in a moment,
      swept away utterly by terrors!
            20       Like a dream when one awakes,
      O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
            21       When my soul was embittered,
      when I was pricked in heart,
            22       I was brutish and ignorant;
      I was like a beast toward you.

            23       Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
      you hold my right hand.
            24       You guide me with your counsel,
      and afterward you will receive me to glory.
            25       Whom have I in heaven but you?
      And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
            26       My flesh and my heart may fail,
      but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

            27       For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
      you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
            28       But for me it is good to be near God;
      I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
      that I may tell of all your works.

Hello all,

Here are some scriptures and notes to read and consider before our study meets on Wednesday.

• What is the relationship between foolishness and deception?  Practically.  Why do you think fools hate wisdom? Perhaps meditate on Proverbs 14:8, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 10:23.
• What are your primary avenues for wisdom and knowledge? Proverbs 1:5, Proverbs 9:9, Proverbs 10:8 Proverbs 25:2
• How and from where do you take advice? Proverbs 13:10, Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 19:2, Proverbs 18:2
• In what ways does wisdom affect your health and life? Is this literal or poetic metaphor? Proverbs 9:11, Proverbs 14:3, Proverbs 3:16-17
• Please also read Proverbs 8 and 9, we will take a look at how wisdom and folly and the same and different.

Hey church,

Just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for an incredible day. What a joy it was to celebrate the risen Jesus in so many meaningful ways, including inviting new people into God's family. Whether you offered your service or your presence, we are truly grateful for you. It may be hard to see sometimes, but God is most certainly doing new and beautiful things in our community, and we have the privilege to bear witness and participate in all the good things he is doing.

A few brief notes.

We are so excited for this new sermon series. I can’t remember the last time we as a church walked through proverbs specifically together. The bible is said to contain much... but does it hold actual wisdom that I can use in life today? Using common struggles as points of examination, we see that, in fact, through the pages of the bible wisdom cries out, eager to lead us in paths of peace.

We will preach on topics on Sundays, apply the bible’s wisdom to them, and then continue our discussions on Wednesday nights. We can’t wait for you to join us - obtaining and applying the wisdom of the Scriptures is a timeless help for God’s people.

Just a reminder that the church offices are closed this week. I’m taking the week off to celebrate 10 years of marriage and to rest for the season ahead. I’ll be back in business on Sunday. We have a lot of good things coming our way…

Love you all very much,
Andrew

Hello church,

Holy Week has begun; we invite you to pray with us as we posture ourselves towards the cross and the resurrection of Christ.

If you’d like to join us, hop on our message thread below.

hope you'll join us

christ is king,
Andrew

Easter Sunday is less than two weeks away, and we are busy getting everything ready for an amazing celebration of the risen Jesus. We can’t wait!

We are eagerly anticipating some baptisms that day as well. We have a number of people who have been attending our church over the past year or so who are ready to take this step; some may be inching their way towards a decision, and others may want to get baptized but have questions.

No matter where you are with this, if you have not yet been baptized, I am calling you to take these steps.

Just over a month ago, I preached on this very topic, aiming to provide clarity on this important step of faith. If you are still unsure about the concept of baptism, take some time to watch or listen to the sermon. This is a good place to start.

If you are ready to be baptized, or even if you just think you are, take a moment to fill out this form. This will give us as pastors the information needed to help you get baptized or to help provide clarity where needed.

Immediately after the gathering this Sunday (3/29), I’ll gather up everyone who has filled out the form and we will discuss next steps. The meeting should only take 15-30 minutes at most.

If you know someone who is on the fence about being baptized, and you aren’t sure they’ve seen this post, please send it to them! We want to help as many people as we can take this important step of faith into the family of God, and you can help by spreading the word to everyone who needs to see it.

Thank you all. I’m looking forward to Easter Sunday. I hope you are as well!

Blessings & love,
Andrew

Hey Anthem,

Before we know it, 2026 will be here to greet us. I wanted to take a moment to put some reminders out as we celebrate and enjoy the end of this year and look forward to the next.

Join us Wednesday, December 24 at 4:30pm for our annual Christmas Eve gathering. We will sing, hold candlelight together, and examine this very important question: how does the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us affect our lives?

Join us for a shortened gathering focused on worship, prayer, and posture as we end the year and look forward to 2026. There will be no Anthem Kids this Sunday, but the whole family is of course welcome to join.

Wednesday nights pick up again on January 14, and Journey Students will start up on Sunday, January 11. Keep a look out for more updates, signups, and information.

The book of Jonah isn't just a weird tale of maritime chaos, unlikeable people, and a lot of complaining. It's the story of Yahweh, our God, who is able to hate sin and rebellion while still offering grace, mercy, and second chances to all of us who don't deserve them. He truly is "...a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love..."

Series begins Sunday, January 11.

Finally, just a reminder that, as always, the church offices are closed and the staff is off between Christmas and New Year’s. I (Pastor Andrew) will be off through Saturday, January 3. Regular gatherings will resume on Sunday, January 4.

It is truly a blessing and an honor to be your pastor and to be a part of this incredible community that Jesus has formed and continues to grow. Thank your for loving and serving God and each other. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Blessings,
Andrew

The book of Jonah isn't just a weird tale of maritime chaos, unlikeable people, and a lot of complaining. It's the story of Yahweh, our God, who is able to hate sin and rebellion while still offering grace, mercy, and second chances to all of us who don't deserve them. He truly is "...a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love..."

Hey Anthem,

Unbelievably, Christmas is less than a week away, and soon after we will be greeting a new year. Our church is likewise focused on running through the tape of 2024 with gratitude and looking ahead with expectation and vision for all the Lord has for us in 2025. Here are a few updates and important dates for the next month or so.

Join us on Tuesday, December 24 at 4:30pm for our annual Christmas Eve gathering. We will sing, hold candlelight together, and examine this very important question: is the coming of Jesus really good news of great joy for all people?

On Sunday, December 29, we will be hosting a prayer liturgy at 10am in place of our regular gathering rhythm. We will spend time in prayer and reflection, looking back at the year that has passed, looking ahead to the year to come, and acknowledging our Lord in each part of it.

This is going to be a very simple gathering - no coffee bar, no worship team, no tech team, no volunteers of any kind. The whole family is welcome (yes, including your kids!) as we press into the Lord together as a church family. The gathering will last about an hour. Bring your coffee; we hope to see you there as we greet the new year together!

Our discipleship rhythms pick up again the week of January 13!

Our first Wednesday Night will be on January 15th. We will be hosting the same structure we did in the fall, with a bible study through the book of James, another book study/discussion, and kids community as our first block offerings (January 15 - February 19). Signups will be available in the near future (early January at the latest), so consider your options and get ready to jump in when signups are posted.

Journey Students will pick up again on Sunday January 19 and will meet in their regular biweekly rhythm on Sunday afternoons.

You have likely noticed, but there has been a considerable amount of work done around our property in the past month. While perhaps not the most exciting updates, these maintenance projects have been on our list for years and have been tackled first in order to prevent further damage to our building. We are grateful to you and to God that we are now able to make progress in these areas.

The stairs between the playground and the office have finally been demolished (gravity was taking care of a lot of that work lately), and construction on our new and sturdy stairs is well under way. Additionally, you likely noticed our new windows this past Sunday - save the yellow stained glass windows in the downstairs fellowship hall, every window on our property received a much-needed replacement. On top of looking much better, these new windows will help us regulate temperature in our buildings and will also help prevent further rot and flooding damage. The replacements are finished, and now we are looking into screen options for each window. All of this work should be completed in the first quarter of the new year.

Finally, just a reminder that, as always, the church offices are closed and the staff is off between Christmas and New Year’s. I (Pastor Andrew) will be off through January 4. Regular gatherings will resume on Sunday, January 5.

Thank you, church, for all that you are and all that you do for Jesus and for each other. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and I hope to see you soon at our upcoming gatherings.

Blessings,

Andrew

Join us in giving back this holiday season by supporting the Marin Foster Care Association through the donation of new books and toys. The books and toys will bring joy to children served through our local foster care system.

The books and toys should be new and remain unwrapped. You can bring them with you on Sunday morning an drop them off at the Welcome Desk in the lobby.

The last day we will be collecting books and toys will be Sunday, December 1. 

I want to provide a quick announcement about this upcoming Sunday. As it so happens, events have worked out (or God has sovereignly ordained, dealers choice) such that we are unable to facilitate having music Sunday morning.  This is actually a really fun opportunity for us; I cannot remember having an opportunity like this in the many years I have been here.  This creates space for us to engage with other ways to worship together; to tap into some other longstanding church traditions and perhaps do some new things.  We have prepared a specific liturgy for this day that we are all very excited about.  

Here are some things you will need to know:  The gathering will be a little bit shorter.  You'll all get to lunch a little earlier.  Additionally, we have structured the gathering so that no other ministries or volunteer roles should be impacted.  Kids will still go do kid things.

We look forward to seeing you all on Sunday, come with an open heart and ready to worship.        

Hey Anthem,

Pastor Andrew here. October is also here, but as usual in Marin, it seems the crisp autumn air will have to wait until the 90-degree weather decides to wane. This is a busy and different month for our church community, so the elders and I thought it would be good to provide an update so everyone knows what’s going on.

While I prefer not to post about my family life (you all get more than enough from my sermons anyway), being a pastor means my life is somewhat public, at least to our church. In case you don’t know, our second son is due on Monday, October 7th. We have elected to do a C-section (Rowan needed an emergency C-section, and Julianna tolerated and recovered well, so we opted to be proactive and just schedule to repeat another one). Unless the baby decides to arrive early, we are planning to meet our boy on 10/7.

If all goes according to plan on these dates, I will be gone on family leave for three weeks (10/7 - 10/27), starting when our gathering ends this Sunday (10/6). I normally like to be available after church on Sundays for needs as they arise, but this Sunday I pretty much need to head home after the gathering ends to begin preparing our family for Julianna’s surgery the next day (10/7). Our family hopes to be back to church on Sunday, 10/27. If the baby arrives early, we will amend these dates accordingly.

At the same time, the Greers (Alan and Mary) and the Bartrugs (Cody and Ginger) will both be on vacation from 10/4 - 10/18.

While we don’t normally post things like this, it is worth noting that from 10/7 - 10/18, three of our five elders/candidates will be offline and unavailable. This is not ideal, nor what we would have planned or preferred, but here we are. This period consists of 11 days and one Sunday (10/13). Should anything urgent arise during this time for which you need church assistance, please contact the church office (415.479.4700, hello@anthemchurch.net) and/or post to the member’s thread on the app if appropriate. We fully trust the church body in its ability to love and serve one another well in this season.

Thank you for your support and care for our families. As leadership, we are looking forward to returning and engaging with all the Lord has for our church family in this important time.

We also wanted to provide an update for our Wednesday night community moving forward in the fall. Here’s what to expect in October and November:

Our current block of teaching ends with a final meeting on Wednesday, 10/9. The following week, 10/16, will be an off week with no meeting, and we will pick up the next block on Wednesday, 10/23. This block will take us through Wednesday, 11/20, after which we will break for the holidays, picking up again in January.

As you know, this whole discipleship model has been a massive experiment. While it is a big departure from what we are used to doing in small groups, we have been overwhelmed and encouraged by the fruit we are seeing. Conversations, stretching, and growth we have been longing to see in our church body for years is finally starting to bud. It’s different and can be uncomfortable, but often times this pushing is just what we need to grow. Great things are happening, and we encourage you to continue to lean in, engage, and seek the Lord in this endeavor.

Our original plan was to have a tidy five-week block, break for a week, and then have another five-week block, with fresh material, ready for signup and engagement. However, Joel, Cody, and the elders have all been talking and praying, and we don’t want to completely disrupt the momentum we have been building. In the Galatians study, great conversations about theology and the gospel are taking place (among all ages!) as we slowly walk through this book. In the Habits of the Household, parents have bonded over the joys and difficulties of parenting, and this has led to a desire to press into a deeper understanding and articulation of the gospel. Our kids are having an amazing time in Kids Community and are forming relationships with each other and with members of our church community. With this in mind, we are going to continue our two teaching groups, one as a bible study and one as another book study, through the rest of the fall.

So, beginning Wednesday, October 23, you have two options. You can either continue with your group through the fall, or you can switch groups if you feel so inclined. Upstairs we will continue to walk through Galatians together, and downstairs we will be starting a new book discussing gospel fluency (a book study on growing in understanding and articulation of the gospel, not just for parents but a great follow-up to the discussions the parents have been having). As you did for the first block, please let us know by registering for your desired group using the registration link below. We need everyone to register, even if you plan to stay where you are.

We are also restructuring how we facilitate Kids Community in the next block; to explain this, here are a few words from Ginger Bartrug, our leader of Children’s Discipleship:

Thank you for being so engaged with discipleship here at Anthem Church. I believe we are just stepping into an important and fresh season at Anthem, where we are intentionally walking in obedience to what Paul lays out for us in Ephesians 4:11-16 - the church building itself up in truth and love, that we may be presented whole and mature in Jesus.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out with the button below.

In Him, on behalf of the elders,

Andrew

With the world already in great distress and turmoil, this fall will bring with it social, relational, political, and spiritual tensions. It’s difficult enough to navigate all of this in our own personal lives; on top of it all we are called to love and serve others, thereby entering into their brokenness, pain, and heartache. Some of this trouble we encounter in others mirrors our own, and some of it may disturb or frustrate us even more.

As followers of Jesus, how do we engage with all of this? How do we remain faithful in a faithless age? How do we contend for what is true and right while avoiding unnecessary culture wars, becoming empty, echoing ideologues along the way? How do we avoid keeping our heads buried in the sands of distraction and indifference, frightened and waiting for everything to pass over?

As he walked the earth, Jesus preached the gospel and invited others to participate in the kingdom of God. This fall, we are going to examine what this kingdom is, what it looks like, and how we live as citizens of this kingdom. As we embrace this kingdom reality, we are equipped to engage with the broken and hurting world around us.

Join us this fall at Anthem Church; Sundays at 10am.

Hello church,

Whether we like it or not, online presence is the new front door of the church. While the going has been slow in our efforts to improve this presence (more on this written in this old post here), we have some exciting opportunities ahead, and we are ready to share some of what's going on.

Pro Church Tools, one of the leading groups helping churches navigate the dizzying online space, recently gave themselves a challenge: to offer free website makeovers for 1,000 churches (you can learn more about it here). On a whim, Paden and I put our name on the list, thinking ours would be lost in a sea of other churches. We were surprised not only to hear back, but to find out that Anthem had been selected to receive a free website makeover.

The offer is no-strings-attached: they will come in, do their thing, and it will be up to us to decide what to use and not use. Pretty generous on their part.

As part of the package, they are sending in a professional photographer (again, free of charge) to our gathering on Sunday, September 15, to take candid pictures and video of our gathering. This footage will be very useful for us as we work on website renovations and other promotional material.

All this to say... there will be some photography going on at church on Sunday, September 15, so don't be alarmed if you see some strangers with cameras. We will receive the pictures; they won't be used by anyone except Anthem. No need to dress special or different, just come and bring your already cheerful selves that Sunday!

Thanks church!

Looking forward to what He has for us,
Andrew

Hello church, I wanted to take some time to clarify what is happening on Wednesday nights and how to sign up.

Here's how this will work:

In place of small groups meeting in homes, we are going to gather at the church on Wednesday nights this fall, 6:30pm-8pm, starting on September 11.
We will meet in two blocks; the first block will be September 11 - October 9 (5 Wednesdays). We will then have a different kind of gathering on Wednesday, October 16, followed by another block, October 23-November 20 (5 Wednesdays).
We will then break for the holidays as we have the past two years.
We plan to start again with another block in early January.

On Wednesdays, we will be offering a number of different equipping opportunities for our church based on what we think is pertinent and needed in this season of church life. For example, in this first block we are offering a study in the book of Galatians based on feedback and desire for a more traditional bible study, and we are offering a group based on rhythms of the household due to the growing number of families in our congregation.

We have a third equipping opportunity, currently called Kids Community. This is not just childcare; this is a proactive, intentional engagement opportunity for growing our kids and for making disciples of all ages. We need our church to see this as the opportunity that it is to pour into the next generation once a week, and we need participation here in order to make the whole thing work. By signing up to serve in Kids Community, you are committing to a whole block (5 weeks) of service in this area. If you are a church member signing up for one of the other equipping opportunities for this block, know that you will be asked in the future to participate in Kids Community.

Once this block is over, we will have another type of gathering on October 16, where we will offer signups for the next block, starting on October 23. Kids Community will be offered in block number two, but the other two equipping opportunities will be new and different.

To sign up, here is all you need to do:

• Select which opportunity you will be participating in (Galatians, Habits of the Household, or serving in Kids Community).
• If you have kids who will be participating in Kids Community on Wednesday nights please note that in the registration. You do not need to separately register children FOR Kids Community.
• Spread the word and commit to attending on Wednesday nights!

Hey church,

Formerly scheduled as a Member's Meeting, this upcoming meeting on Monday is now a State of the Church meeting open to anyone. If you are a guest and want to learn more about Anthem, if you are a prospective member looking to take your next steps of involvement, if you are interested at all in the direction and vision of our church, then this is a meeting for you. This meeting is still primarily geared and prepared for our membership (see you there, members), but if you'd like to look into what we are planning for the summer and beyond, please join us.

If you plan to attend however, PLEASE REGISTER, as we need to plan accordingly.

Dinner and childcare will be provided. Hope to see you there.

Pastor Andrew

Men,

Pastor Andrew here. I have something I need to say to you.

I have been noticing a few things over the past year or so. As your pastor, there have been many instances where I’ve been incredibly encouraged and blessed by men in our church who are stepping up to serve the church, stepping into deeper commitment in membership, and stepping up in certain ways to serve their families. It’s been said that two signs of a church heading in a good direction are singing men and crying babies. For a church our size, we have a great representation of men of all ages, seeking to love and serve Jesus, their families, and the church.

But two things can be true at once.

While there have been pockets of this sacrifice and grace, I am growing more and more concerned by how many men I talk to or observe who are lonely, isolated, unengaged, and discouraged. Many men in our church would love to take their next step towards growth as a man in Jesus, but many of us don’t know how or don’t even have a vision of what that would look like.

Please hear my heart. I’m not brow-beating or shaming any of you. If I’m honest, even as your pastor I have these days, weeks, and months. I’m as prone to loneliness and despair as any of you are.

That’s why I believe, with all of my heart, that it’s time for us a church to gather and strengthen our men.

This isn’t just a suggestion or a pipe dream. In this crucial moment of our church’s story, the future of Anthem Church depends on the vitality, health, and vision of our men. Whether you’re a leader or a lay-member: we need you. Whether you’re a member, a long-time attender, or a new guest: we need you. Whether you’re in a season of fruit and flourishing or in a season of despair and depression: we need you. Whether you feel strong in faith or you have a lot of doubt and questions: we need you. Whether you are a teen or an older man: we need you.

We need you more than you know. We need your vision, we need your ideas, we need your strength, we need your courage, we need your finances, we need your healthy wife and flourishing family. And it does nobody any good to posture around one another as if we aren’t all struggling in some way. Let’s together acknowledge and name our weaknesses and build one another up in Jesus.

We need you. The question is: will you heed the call?

I’ll go first.

This summer, you will have a number of opportunities to grow and engage with the men of our church, which I am leading. I encourage you, I beseech you, I exhort you, to dive in with as much of this as you can. If you are in a dark and difficult season, you especially need to lean in. If you are in a good season, we need your strength, and we still have plenty of room to grow. I can’t do this alone, and we are much stronger together.

Below are all the details so you can plan accordingly.

Men and fire.
An ancient and effective combination.
You will want to be there.
That’s all there is to say.

In two weeks, I will be starting a book club for the summer, meeting eight Wednesday mornings at 6:30AM here at the church. Together we will be slowly walking through a book titled "Fighting Shadows"; I believe it contains some timely insights and challenges for every man in our church right now. Some of the book I quite like, some of it I don’t like, but that’s the point: we will wrestle out the truth together. We need our men fully alive and fully depending on Jesus as we head into this next season in the life of the church. All men are needed, and the time is now.

If you are up for the challenge, then please do the following:

1. Please purchase the book (link below).
2. Please read the Introduction (The Lie of the Shadows) and the first chapter (The Eclipse) before our first meeting on Wednesday, 6/19.
3. If you would like to join the book club, please commit to attending as many of the meetings as possible. Summer is busy and you likely have scheduled time away and other commitments, which is understood, but please engage as consistently as possible, for yourself and for the other men.

I really do. You may not believe me, but I look at you and I am filled with so much hope for what our community could be if we joined together, fought our shadows, turned from our sin and destructive habits, walked in our true identity as sons and brothers, and used our days and our strength to build our homes, build our church, and join Jesus in building the kingdom.

Big changes start with small steps. Take this one with me over the summer.

As always, I’m here for you: andrew@anthemchurch.net

Take heart, we can do this together,
Andrew