Newsletter Article Archives
The following articles appeared in the "Auburn Anchor" in 2010. |
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I love to watch the sunrise in the morning, especially in the winter as the early morning light etches silhouettes against the horizon. During those moments, as the landscape is backlit with the emerging sunlight, God’s power and predictability are magnified. No matter how often the sun sets, it always rises; therefore the renewal of light is a rhythm within God’s nature.
In the same way when sin blankets our life and barricades the Light of God, there is still hope because the renewal of Light is a rhythm within God’s nature. When sinful darkness appears overwhelming, the Light that is Jesus Christ pierces the darkness.
Our sins may create darkness but the restorative ministry of Jesus Christ etches a new silhouette against the horizon of an everlasting dawn for all those who believe Jesus is the Son of God.
“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:5-7 NIV)
The miraculous incarnation of Jesus Christ initiated God’s long anticipated plan to redeem and rescue His creation from the consequences of our sins. Jesus is the Savior; the Light that is from God and through our faith in Jesus we have hope and fellowship with God.
During this Christmas season let us experience the renewal offered through Jesus by repenting from the sins which alienate and let us also commit to becoming channels of Light so that Jesus Christ shines into the life of a friend, family member or co-worker.
As the Son-light shines this Christmas season, I pray the image of Christ will be our silhouette.
May God bless you and your family.
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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A PINCH OF THIS, A DASH OF THAT... |
I love to cook. Well, the truth is I love to eat by cooking is the means to eating. Even still I find it very challenging to combine various ingredients in a way which creates something out of nothing. I start with a pinch of this and a dash of that and then a new contrast in flavor or texture emerges. On the other hand, I also like to meticulously follow recipes comparing my final product with the picture on the recipe. It is the best of both worlds, creativity within the bounds of order.
We also experience creativity within the bounds of order in our Christian fellowship. As I look across all the wonderful people God has led into our fellowship, I see Christians united under Christ with a common goal to make disciples. But I also see rich diversity through varied gifts and experiences. I see diversity overlaid with order, creativity within the bounds of order.
In our fellowship we are ordered through the Holy Spirit which continually develops us into a body of believers where honesty, trust and vulnerability grow out of sincere hearts and the love of Christ. The truth is life’s challenges come and go, but if we experience them within the fellowship of the Spirit they always seem to leave us with a greater sense of God’s presence.
With this in mind, I believe our community within Auburn church of Christ provides much more than companionship on Sunday mornings. I believe it also provides fellowship, accountability and support during the difficult and joyous moments of life. Therefore, as a body of believers, learning from each other’s experiences so that we can Impact Others with the love of Jesus Christ.
God has added a pinch of this and a dash of that… a unique blend of hearts and minds who meet as the Auburn Church of Christ where we experience creativity within the bounds of order.
Using the words of the Apostle Paul,
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now,…” Philippians 1:3-5
Sincerely, Joe Heins Your fellow servant and partner in the Gospel. |
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Have you ever felt alone in a room full of people?
In May of 2000 I resigned an engineering position where I traveled up to 75% of the time. I had been doing this type of work since 1989. When I was traveling it became second nature to feel alone in a room full of people, whether on an airplane or in a restaurant. It wasn’t that I did not interact with people; it was because I did not set roots with people. I knew I would only be in a given city for 2 maybe 3 days before I traveled to the next city or country. I did not connect because I did not set roots.
And that is our challenge at Auburn Church of Christ, to connect with each other and set roots. It is so easy to Seek God Sunday morning, sing a few hymns, listen to some Scripture and then leave without connecting to people. Unfortunately, church is a common place to feel alone in a room full of people. So to avoid this problem we need to get involved, it is just that simple! We need to get involved with the ministry of the church and with each other.
During the next several months we are going to offer different ways to get involved… to feel part of something, a vibrant community of Christians. These opportunities will include Growing Together through fellowship groups and Impacting Others by serving in a ministry team. I believe through these common experiences we will connect and set roots with each other.
This is the model of Christian community we read about in the New Testament church. Those new Christians were connected by their faith in Jesus, their willingness to grow together and their unrelenting desire to serve. The result was “all the believers were together and had everything in common” (Acts 2:44). My prayer is we follow their example, and when we do we will be amazed before we are half way through!
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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“My American Hero” |
“Kendall Peterman (Heins). He’s my brother. I miss him a lot. "When I think of him the first thing that comes in my mind is what would I do if he died? The second thing that comes in my mind when I think of him dying is that he would die for me. My family. My country. He’d be my hero. “I asked my family, ‘What would we do if Kendall died?’ They said that he’d be our hero. “It’s true. He would be my hero. If he died I’d be sad. I would have to remind myself that he died for me. My family. My country. “Even through all the hard times I go through in life; I always remember that Kendall, my brother, is out in Afghanistan fighting to save me. My family. My country.”
Written by Katelyn Heins 2010
My 12-year old daughter wrote this last week. When I first read Katey’s reflection, I had to wipe my eyes because it stirred so much emotion within me. But after my mind cleared I was able to pray for Kendall again. I prayed for his safety, his faith and his Christian witness. I prayed because I know with all my heart God has a plan for Kendall’s life.
There are a lot of situations which appear outside of our control, but as faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ we have access to the only true source of power…which is God. No matter what is happening in your life, God is always one prayer away. You may not fully understand what is happening in your life but be assured God cares for you and His love is expressed through Jesus Christ. So when all else fails, seek god with your entire being and he will lead you into a peace which transcends all understanding.
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘ plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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"Beyond"
2010 North American Christian Convention
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The 2010 North American Christian Convention will be held at the Indiana convention Center in beautiful downtown Indianapolis. The event starts at noon on Tuesday, July 6 and runs until noon on Friday, July 9. The NACC is a powerful experience with a rich tradition of high-energy preaching and worship designed to recharge our spiritual batteries. This year’s program is loaded with over 65 high-impact workshops from some of the country’s most insightful leaders – all designed to help you go BEYOND.
This is no time for business as usual, protecting the status quo in our lives or our ministries. The needs are too great. The call is too urgent. And God is on the move! God is calling us to go BEYOND. It’s time for our Movement to go beyond. It’s time for our church and our ministries to go beyond. And I need to go beyond – to the place where Jesus is calling me – and so do you.
Our ministry in Auburn is poised to make a huge impact in our community, so much more than singing hymns on Sunday mornings. I truly believe God has specifically called each and every one of us to this church with gifts that create something larger than each of us individually. We have before us a disturbing urgency for Christ to be central in our lives, our communities and our nation. Therefore, as part of our movement toward god and BEYOND where we are now, we invite you to join us at the NACC, if only for an evening. There are several members of our church and leadership team already going; we pray that you too will make the time to go BEYOND!
Additional details including workshop descriptions, featured speakers, times and directions can be found at the NACC 2010 website, http://www.gotonacc.org. I look forward to seeing you there.
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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Recently I have been coaching Little League baseball with 10 year old boys. It has been an opportunity to teach skills, discipline and teamwork. The evenings on the baseball field bring back memories from my childhood with the smell of hotdogs and the roar of the crowd.
The boys I have been blessed to work with are rowdy, rude and smelly but they love the game. These boys also carry an enormous amount of confidence…almost prideful at times, especially when sitting in the dugout or on the practice field. But as each boy walks up to the plate to bat, their posture changes as they find themselves alone in the middle of a crowd. Everybody on the field is staring at them. Everybody is yelling “swing batter-batter swing” and all the parents and coaches are correcting their stance and swing. Under this enormous pressure their confidence dwindles and each batter tends to forget fundamental skills which come natural on the practice field. Under the pressure of the game, they lose confidence.
This scene is also played out with Christians of all ages when we suddenly find ourselves thrust into situations we underestimate. These situations could be at work or at home. They could arise from financial difficulties or strained relationships which erode our confidence. The truth is when we attend church on Sunday morning or a Bible fellowship gathering throughout the week it is natural to feel confident in our Christian journey, but under the pressure of the game we lose confidence.
Therefore, when we find ourselves in over our heads, remember the fundamentals: God is holy, God is love, God redeems us and God sustains us. This chant, if memorized and understood, restores confidence and fights off fears. In the end, we cannot sustain ourselves…we must depend on God through faith in Jesus.
“We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end
the confidence we had at first” (Hebrews 3:14).
When the boys are batting, I pray for them and I also pray for each one of you in the spiritual game of life.
Keep the faith…
Joe |
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Prayer has always been used in this country for guidance, protection and strength – even before we were a nation or a handful of colonies. The Pilgrims at Plymouth relied on prayer during their first and darkest winter. Our founding fathers also called for prayer during the Constitutional Convention. In their eyes, our recently created nation and freedoms were a direct gift from God. And being a gift from God, there was only one way to ensure protection – through prayer.
Today the need for prayer is as great as ever. Our nation again faces battlefields, along with an epidemic of broken homes, violence, sexual immorality and social strife. As the heroes of our nation did in the past, we must again bow our heads in prayer. We must ask the Lord to bless our leaders with wisdom and protection, and that we will have the resilience to overcome the challenges at hand.
Our participation in the national Day of Prayer will be an informal event held in our worship auditorium as individuals or groups of people will join together in prayer using guides we will provide. You can come during any part of the 2-hour period or stay for the entire time. All ages are welcome as we approach God through humility and dependence.
It is our goal that you, your family and friends would participate in the National Day of Prayer. We pray that the event impacts your life, and that praying for our nation moves from a one-day event to a lifetime endeavor. So join us on Thursday, May 6th from 5 pm to 7 pm at our church as we pray with conviction that god would continue to use us as a megaphone to this broken world.
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins
www.nationaldayofprayer.org |
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Easter is a joyous time of year in so many ways. It is an occasion when families gather together, children receive candy, and the smell of springtime is in the air. It is also a time of year when people experience newness of life through nature and a cheerful attitude through outdoor activities. But beyond our family and nature, what is this joyous season all about?
At the heart of the Easter celebration is the heart of our faith and the foundation of the Gospel. This is summarized for us in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4;
“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”
The heart of the gospel, the story of Jesus, is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. When all applications of Christianity are set aside, our faith rests firmly on the resurrection of Jesus the Son of God, from the grave as the final victory over sin and death.
Paul highlights the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ with a negative assertion:
“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” 1 Corinthians 15:17
The resurrection of Jesus Christ is essential to the Christian faith. It is the foundation that stands under our faith.
So when we celebrate the Easter season we are not just celebrating family and springtime our celebration reflects the heart of our faith – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the good news for us… the love expressed on the cross is also expressed in the empty tomb of Jesus!
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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The Auburn Anchor newsletter began circulation shortly after our church was launched in 1972. Over the years this monthly publication has tracked the growth of our church through baptisms and transfers while providing timely information on outreach projects and fellowship activities. In addition, the Auburn Anchor helped us celebrate new babies and mourn the loss of dearly loved members. It can be said that this newsletter has seen the best of times and the worst of times.
During the past 4 weeks Vikki Heins spent considerable time transitioning the Auburn Anchor into a new format which better reflects our discipleship-focused mission statement: Seek God, Grow Together and Impact Others. Using the newer format, the front page reflects monthly headlines for the children and youth ministries as well as other church-wide activities. The second page sorts our various ministries into the mission statement while providing specific opportunities for members to Seek God, Grow Together and Impact Others. The remaining 4 pages include everything else we are accustomed to reading.
As 2010 continues to unfold, everybody at ACC is excited to experience the effects of a powerful God as we seek to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission, to bring the Gospel of Christ to our community and the ends of the earth.
Our new mission statement and the Auburn Anchor newsletter will help meet Jesus’ Great Commission by providing a focused movement into the future.
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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“Several years ago, on a cold wintery morning in February, I confessed my faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized into a new life with Him as my Lord and Savior. When I came up out of the water my wife commented how my eyes had changed from grey to blue. This comment became symbolic of the shift in how I view the world, from grey to blue.
“Of course, this shift occurred over time as I yielded to the Holy Spirit while countless people coached me along the way. In fact, as my baptismal anniversary approaches I remember all the people who have invested time, energy and love into my life. These people represented channels of God’s grace in my life. They taught me “how to put off [my] old self…and to be made new in the attitudes of [my] mind.” (Ephesians 4:22-23)
“These lessons of life were communicated over coffee, during Bible study groups, and through many different leadership experiences. All of these experiences, over time, left an impact on my life that will forever guide me toward Christ likeness.
“As we enter a new season in the life of our church, we challenge everybody to stretch beyond normal routines and participate in activities that yield a new awareness of God in our lives. This could be as simple as inviting a friend or neighbor to Seek God with us during our Sunday morning worship service. We could also stretch ourselves by attending one of our seven different Bible studies so that we can Grow Together. Finally we can move beyond our routines by participating in a ministry team so that we can Impact Others.
“The bottom line is we are all challenged to place ourselves in a position to be transformed by God into the image of His Son while in community with fellow Christians. This view of Christianity enables us to be continually growing and changing while focusing on other people.”
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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WHAT COLOR IS THE SKY IN YOUR WORLD? |
There is only one thing in this world which remains constant, and that is change… time never stands still and neither do we. Life’s experiences constantly move, mold, and conform us to various systems of thought and belief.
Externally these experiences come through relationships and media while internally they come through our view of the past… with all of its successes and failures. The truth is nobody stands still. We are either conforming to the pattern of this world or being transformed to the image of Christ by the renewing of our minds. Nothing remains constant, all is changing.
The concern is that our faith in God is also subject to this universal truth… it is always changing. With every failure, fear and tragedy our faith changes; with every success, assurance and joy our faith changes.
Therefore, how we view life’s experiences is extremely important. If we view life through this fallen world, with all of its fear and control, our faith becomes dark. But if we view life through biblical lenses, with the overarching hope of redemption, life’s experiences deepen our reliance on God and our sky naturally brightens.
With these thoughts in mind, we challenged the congregation on January 3rd to begin participating in a church-wide Bible reading program and its companion scripture memorization challenge. The program challenges everybody to read 10 minutes per day and/or memorize one passage per month.
It is our prayer that everybody will commit to reading God’s Word daily so that our experiences flow through the hope we have in Christ. Then God will transform all of life’s experiences into an expression of his sacrificial love… which was perfectly modeled in Jesus Christ.
So again, we challenge everybody to participate in these programs so that we “Grow Together” in thought, word and deed.
Your fellow servant, Joe Heins |
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