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Meditation

Ladies,

It’s that time of year again, when the routines of the school calendar, weather, etc., give way to other rhythms – vacation, sitting poolside, beachside, etc.  We find ourselves with opportunities to be refreshed and revived.

For the past number of years, we’ve given you some reading suggestions for the summertime, and this year is no different.  We are offering two books for you to consider reading this summer:  Holier than Thou by Jackie Hill Perry and Outgrowing the Ingrown Church by C. John (Jack) Miller.

Why these two books?  Let quotes from each pique your curiosity:

Holier than Thou:  “If God is holy, then He can’t sin.  If God can’t sin, then He can’t sin against me.  If He can’t sin against me, shouldn’t that make Him the most trustworthy being there is?”  What do you think of when you think of God’s holiness?  This book offers you a fresh glimpse into the holiness of God.

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church:  “The nature of the church is not first of all to serve itself, but God.  Every one of us has a part in this service, because we all belong to Him, are sanctified by Him, and are accepted by Him.  This is our identity as Christians belonging to the local church… The church in this world is therefore ‘a people for God’s own possession in order that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light’”.  We invite you to allow the Lord to use this book to help prepare your heart as we move to the new building and welcome and serve all whom He will bring through our doors.

We would also like to suggest a podcast by Kristi McLelland for your listening pleasure: Pearls with Kristi McLelland. This 12 episode podcast strings 12 of Kristi’s favorite Bible stories together to show that the Living God is even more beautiful than we have ever thought possible.  You won’t be disappointed!

So, we invite you to grab a book, grab a friend or two, and savor some time spent feasting on God’s holiness, His love and purpose for His Church, and the beauty of the Gospel story!  May you be refreshed by the time spent in His presence this summer!

We will also be sending out lists of what our ladies are listening to and reading periodically, so keep a look out for additional emails!

Fondly,

Megan and Lynn

What is Lent?  A part of the church calendar, Lent is the 40 days prior to Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday (March 2nd this year), when many Christians spend time focusing on preparing to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and all that has meant not only to themselves but to the world as a whole.  There is much to ponder:  sin, repentance, and the glorious grace shown to us and won for us by Christ’s willingness to go to the cross in our stead.  And of course, the resurrection which guarantees new, everlasting life for all who place their trust in Christ’s atoning death.  Much to ponder!

There are many different ways to journey through the 40 days of Lent.  Some will give up something dear to them (social media, a particular food or habit) in order to help sharpen their focus on Christ.  Some will commit to praying daily at a particular time, or reading through a particular book of Scripture. Some will use Lenten devotionals to help them meditate on Who Christ is and what He has done for them.  There are many ways to approach Lent.

We pray you will consider slowing down during the 40 days of Lent, spending time preparing for Easter’s celebration. We think you will be blessed!

We are including a smattering of resources that are available to you, along with a testimonial from Leslie Bridge about the impact that going through a devotional with a friend had on her.

• Confident- Well Watered Women’s 2022 Lent Study 
• Journey to the Cross, Paul David Tripp 
• Lent Devotional from Gospel in Life  **This is a free resource that can be delivered to your inbox daily.

From Leslie Bridge:
“Have you ever been a part of a group that has read a book together, like a book club or small group? You read the book, you enjoy it, and you conclude there isn’t much more to learn from it. Yet, when you come together with others to talk about it, share what you loved about the book or insights from the storyline, you are amazed at how much more the book has been opened to you, because others saw things you didn’t. I am so grateful for the many opportunities I have had to read books and discuss them with others.

Last year as we were approaching the Lenten Season, I was asking the Lord what He might want me to do during this time. I have done a few different things, which has even included writing a poem or two to the Lord. It so happened that I bought a new Lenten book by Paul David Tripp called, Journey to the Cross. It is a 40-day Lenten Devotional. As I was looking at this book and the questions after each devotion, I sensed the Lord was saying to do it with someone.

I asked one of my friends to go through this with me. We didn’t quite know what to expect, but we did decide to meet once a week and talk about what we were seeing and learning. I have to say, the things we shared with one another about our journey through the book have stayed with me. The questions drew us into knowing the Lord more deeply and as we discussed our answers, we grew deeper in our relationship. You can still hear me talking about and praying about some of the things we talked about during our journey together.

If you are one of those people that does something through the season of Lent, this might be something you could consider. As I mentioned before, there are many things to do during this season of preparation and there are many devotionals out there and maybe you might just want to journey with someone during the season of Lent.”

APC Women’s Reading in Community – Summer 2021

• Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers by Dane Ortlun

• Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life by Tish Harrison Warren 

• Five Things to Pray for Your Church: Prayers that Change Things for the Life of Your Church by Rachel Jones

• Lineage of Grace by Francine River

• We Would See Jesus by Roy and Revel Hession
• The Chosen ** Though this is a series on YouTube and not a book, we think you will find much to ponder and appreciate in this adaptation of the life of Christ.

Speaker Kim Greene from The Barnabus Center joined the APC women for a virtual evening looking at Matthew 11:25 -30. Click below to watch her talk!

An Evening with Kim Greene Video

Kristi McLelland spoke to APC ladies about her new Bible study from Lifeway, “Jesus and Women in the First Century and Now”. Below you’ll find the link to Kristi’s time with us, as well as access to the video teaching that goes along with her study

Kristi McLelland Resources

Please click on the link below for a meditation that we pray will be an encouragement to your hearts.

A Love Letter for the New Year

APC Women Read in Community from Summer 2020: “Come and Feast” series!

Come and Feast

Feasting on a God who Is

Feasting on the Righteousness of God

Feasting on Community

Feasting on Hope

Social

Register for our Evening with Abby Hutto!

God For Us — An Evening with Abby Ross Hutto

Join us Friday, February 10th from 7:45-9:15pm via Zoom

What do you believe God’s intentions towards you are?  Is He good?  Is He enough?  Is He able to carry this particular burden or forgive this particular sin?  Can He remove this particular shame or answer this nagging doubt or fear?  Our theology of God matters!  It determines whether we move towards Him or away from Him in our hard times.

Please join us for an evening with author Abby Ross Hutto. Abby is the director of spiritual formation at Story Presbyterian Church in Westerville Ohio and works as a group leader and trainer for Parakaleo, a nonprofit that comes alongside women in ministry.

In her book “God For Us“, Abby takes readers through the book of John, showing how Jesus came to answer those questions by showing us the very heart of God.  He. Is. For. Us.  That is good news!

The cost for the event is $10.