Resonate Christmas

Kevin, Amanda, and Nittaya: Thank you everyone for being supportive and encouraging this last year.  Your prayers and encouragement has propelled us forward with courage. I am thankful for each of you. Each ministry has and is developing new goals and next steps for this year. We are looking forward to some more baptisms and community groups developing. We are also sending out a “Resonate status” letter that will be posted as a PDF to our site and emailed out. Look for that soon.

Aaron: The holiday season went by so fast this year.  It had its ups and downs, be all in all it was pretty good.  God definitely pushed me to grow over the last few weeks.  Every weekend at Resonate has been a huge blessing and encouragement – by the Holy Spirit and the people.  My team continues to grow and change. The future looks like it will be good.  Thank you for reading this and praying for us.

Jacob: As I look forward to the coming year, I am excited about the challenges and experiences that are ahead if me. Symposium is going great and making an awesome place for our community to interact and for our ministry to grow. I have completed all the coursework for my bachelors degree and am happy to done with that era of my life. I have a great new asset to my team: his name is Steven, he loves being with us and we love him being a part of our community. Pray for the growth and major transitions in Resonate.

Todd and Britney: Todd and I began our 2012 with a restart of our Resonate Community, which is now meeting at our apartment on Sunday nights.  For the past couple weeks we have had several friends join us at our community group, with a few of them being new to Resonate.  This has been encouraging as we are able to provide a intimate environment for relationship and conversation.  The same is true for our Youth Community which relaunched in December. It is a blessing to have middle school and high school students wake up before 6 am every Wednesday – before school – to be in the word and in community at Resonate.  Our ministry with these communities is something that is refreshing and hopeful.

Bethany: Every week I am blessed by the availability and intentionality of the kids team. With this coming year, I am hopeful and excited to see Resonate kids grow. Already, I have had new faces to the Gathering who have asked and are excited to be a part of teaching and building relationship with Resonate’s kids. Please be in prayer for my leadership of the kids team and of one of our community groups as we are striving to grow in God’s Word and likeness to the community. One of my favorite songs to sing with the kids during Gathering is “This Little Light of Mine”. The kids and I made up a verse in which we all have to touch our pointer fingers together and sing “let our light shine brighter, we’re going to let it shine”. Being a part of a child’s understanding of community and God’s kingdom is a humbling experience. Thank you for your prayers!!!

Please be praying for: salvation, more families with children, intentional conversations with the lost, people’s interest in serving, dependence on Christ, attendance in the youth group, new monitors, and a passion for Truth! We are so thankful for your love, support and care. May you find love, affirmation, direction and passion today. And of course, all glory be to God!

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon:  We baptized our friend from Community Group and there were several people there to share in the moment!  It is so exciting to see someone give their life to God.  Michael’s speech at the YMCA Christian Principles Banquet went really well last week and he got a lot of positive feedback from the people that attended.  Once again we have lots of Resonate people at the YMCA Teen Center Dance this coming Friday night.  God is great!!

Todd and Britney: At Gathering Aaron led us in praise and Kevin’s message was completely infused with the Lord’s Truth.  I have been convicted about issues with the youth in the community and I am praying for the Lord’s guidance through these issues. This coming week will also be the first week of our new Youth strategy.  I am also working toward a promotion at work and Brit is mentoring her coworker and is studying for a test that she will take for work soon.  Also, we had our 1 month-iversary!

Bethany: One thing that I love about Resonate kids is that what they are learning is so practical and relational that even our two year old’s can talk about the fruit of the Spirit and understand the basics. This week the kids team talked about gentleness and demonstrated the concept of gentleness by blowing up a balloon and popping it! When asking the kids afterwards what they learned about they could describe what gentleness was by not popping a balloon and how they are to treat others in the same manner. I am so thankful for our team and for daily impact they are making in the lives of Resonate kids.
]]> http://resonatecc.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/resonate-updates-57/feed/ 0 45.369760 -122.842961 45.369760 -122.842961 resonatecc http://resonatecc.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/resonate-updates-56/ http://resonatecc.wordpress.com/2011/11/09/resonate-updates-56/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:49:36 +0000 Resonate http://resonatecc.wordpress.com/?p=655 ]]> Kevin, Amanda, and Nittaya: So many new faces at Resonate this past week! One young family has been disconnected from the Church for years and said they loved their experience with us. Please pray for them to have the courage, excitement, and desire to come back this week! Kevin rocked the message on Sunday, challenging us to be true followers of Christ.  We are not a generation of people who will shrink back!

Nittaya is learning so much and is such a good listener. She blesses our life each day! This week she blessed several others by giving each of them one of her necklaces. (We praised her for her sharing ability!) May we all share what we cherish most with those around us!!

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon:  Tonight Michael and I will speak at the YMCA Christian Principles Banquet in front of hundreds of Christian donors and prayer supporters of the YMCA and its Christian mission.  Please pray for us to have the right words and steady nerves as we embrace this opportunity God is giving us.  We also have a member of our Community Group that is being baptized this coming weekend!  It is great that God has given us the chance to lead such an awesome group and to see His amazing work in people’s lives.

Aaron:  This week will mark the end of my fall semester, leaving me with 10-11 classes to complete my B.S. degree!  Group is going really well.  This week we had a dinner and movie night and enjoyed just hanging out as a group.  I am praying and thinking through how to build my music team some more. So if you could partner with me…that would be great. Thanks.  :)

Todd and Britney: This week we are shaking things up a bit.  We talked at Community group about how we came to Portland.  It was really great to hear everyone’s stories and how connected our stories have become.  Resonate Youth is also changing.  We are going to be moving into some new and exciting areas of the ministry.  Please be in prayer for the youth and for Brit and I as we embark on this new part of this adventure.

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon:  This week coming up Michael and I will have the honor of speaking at the YMCA Christian Principles Banquet in downtown Portland in front of several hundred Christian supporters of the YMCA.  We will talk about the Teen Center and how our work there is helping to mentor our next generation of servant leaders.  It is an amazing opportunity for us to share all that God is doing in our lives since we have moved to Sherwood.  Please pray for us because this is Michael’s first chance to speak before a large group like this.

Aaron:  Life is been good!  My Resonate Community group is doing well, and we are growing.  Discussion this week was really great – talking about sharing hope with people who don’t know Jesus.  Work has been busy and school is still school.

Todd and Britney: Our apartment is coming together so nicely, and we have been blessed with friends to help us move furniture.  We couldn’t have done this on our own!  For our Resonate Community we are starting Boenhoffer’s book “Life Together” about community and faith.  Please pray for the discussions to come, that they are challenging and loving.  We wish you all a week rich with blessings and friendship.

Bethany: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness, these are the fruits of the Spirit that we have been going over in kids church. It has been so cute to see the kids memorize these and take them to heart. I am humbled by the kids’ ability to memorize and understand the stories from Scripture to show us how to better love Christ. Please be praying for us as we are growing in leadership and impacting the lives of Resonate kids.

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon:  This has been another great week!  Most importantly, we have a member of our Community Group that has made the decision to be baptized which is awesome.  The YMCA Teen Center dance last Friday was a big success and we had more people from Resonate that were able to come and volunteer, strengthening Resonate’s partnership with the YMCA.  Additionally, we have members of our Community Group that are volunteering at the Haunted Teen Center this coming weekend.  It is great to see how God is able to bring so many different people together to do His work.

Aaron:  Last week was the second week of my new community group.  We started a good discussion in Ephesians.  I am praying for more people to invite and for good, solid relationships to form.  School is stressful right now, so I could really use some prayer.  I am praying for a friend who is definitely being moved by God to make a decision for Him.  It has been cool to watch the change in his life.

Jacob: This was an exciting weekend with the baptisms of Jared and Hunter. These were Resonate’s first baptisms with many more to come this year. God is doing good things. Also, congratulations to Todd and Britney King. I’m excited for their new life together.

Todd and Britney: It is pretty amazing to update as a married couple together!  We are glad to share the praises and prayers of our life together and these beginning times.  Our wedding was beautiful and we have many people to thank for making it all come together.  Thank you for your prayers during our engagement.  This week we found joy in witnessing the baptisms of our friends, Jared and Hunter.  Our faith community is growing and it calls for celebration and praise.

Last week, Amanda and her mother were able to attend Women of Faith together and conversations were had that produced forgiveness and freedom! This week we will marry off Todd and Britney King, start our new small group and focus on several other ministry pieces.

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon:  We have so much to celebrate!  Congratulations to Todd and Britney for their wedding coming up on Saturday.  Congratulations to Jared for his upcoming baptism in the ocean on the 23rd.  We invite anyone else ready to be baptized to join Resonate on that day.  We are also celebrating 2 new Community Groups starting this coming week.  God is awesome in all that He does!

Britney: As you have seen and heard, the wedding is on Saturday and it is so amazing to have a community of people involved in this process.  Todd and I have experienced graciousness, wisdom, and help from those around us who are constantly lifting us up in encouragement and prayer.  I am days away from making this all happen, and I could not be happier.  Thank you to all who have been with us in prayer and support during this journey.

Todd:  Saturday is the day! I’m so excited for this weekend, I can’t hardly contain myself! It’s hard to believe that my wedding is here already. Please be in prayer for Brit and I as we embark on this journey, and also please continue to pray for the Youth.

Please continue to pray that we can be the salt of Sherwood and the Light in this dark place. And also lift up our community groups that are meeting this week: connection, wisdom, truth, and growth!

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon:  This week was amazing!  I turned 40 on Sunday and it gave me an opportunity to look back on the amazing journey that God has taken us on and how much we have all grown.  God continues to provide awesome opportunities for us to grow and to share Him with all the people we come in contact with.
I have been subbing quite a bit in Sherwood the past couple weeks which has given me many opportunities to connect with the students, staff and parents of the Sherwood School District.

Additionally, it is exciting to think that Resonate’s 1st birthday is this coming Sunday.  God has done great things here in Sherwood.

Aaron:  I am in a new season of worship, seeing what God is doing in my life personally and with the worship team.  Please be praying that God would provide more people who want to get involved with the team.  Next Sunday is going to be so fun! – we are going to be celebrating our one year of having Sunday gatherings!

Britney: At Resonate Community this evening we talked about prayer and healing, and I pray that we continue to have conversations such as these – ones centered around faith in Christ.  Thank you for continuing to pray for the health and growth of my Resonate Community.  As Todd and I continue to lead it, we desire to enter into a deeper relationship with Christ as a group.

Todd:  Gathering this Sunday was very good! Kevin delivered a great message and Aaron did a great job leading us in praise. I have some conversations for Resonate Youth coming up. Please keep them in your prayers. Also, Britney and I are sub- two weeks before the wedding!

Bethany: Meeting with the Kid’s Ministry team was a great and uplifting time. As we are approaching our one year anniversary as a Gathering, we were able to realign our focus, mission, and vision. Anticipating new members and families, we are preparing ourselves for change. I am continually thankful to the team and to their desire to impact the lives of the people of Sherwood. Thank you for your prayers and support!

The Lord has given me focus, joy, peace and understanding this week about many things I have been praying for for a long time. He is faithful and good. May you experience His peace and joy in your life this week as well.

Psalm 100:
Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon:  The YMCA Teen Center Dance Friday night was a big success and it was a great opportunity to see the partnership between Resonate and the YMCA.  There were several Resonate volunteers helping at the dance and they played in crucial role in the event.  Additionally, we get to see God continue to open doors in the Sherwood community and to watch Him provide amazing opportunities for all of us to build relationships.

Britney: Lately I have taken many opportunities to discuss my faith and what I do for Resonate, which has been an inspiration and blessing.  I pray for more of these conversations and also for continuous thoughts of Jesus.  As there are less than 3 weeks until my wedding, I also pray for peace in the midst of the last details in the planning.  I appreciate your constant prayer and service always!

Todd:  This has been a pretty great week. There has been some great connections with the students this week. A group of us helped at the Teen Center dance, which was a lot of fun. Youth communities have been going well also. I am looking forward more and more to this school year!

Bethany: I was able to help out in the preschool during Gathering. Wow, it is humbling and exciting to see 2 and 5 year old kids reciting the fruit of the Spirit! I am so thankful and impressed by the hard work of Bekah, the preschool team lead. Her commitment to Christ, Resonate, and the Resonate kids is inspiring. Continue to pray for Resonate kids as we are growing in our teams and growing in our relationship with the kids and Christ.

This past week, I was invited to a business meeting. During my time there, I was specifically asked for my opinion regarding a particular issue several organizations are working on in Sherwood. It is amazing how the Lord is giving us a voice into the business community.

Please continue to pray for the harvest here in Sherwood; that people would find connection, relationship, love, acceptance, and Truth at Resonate.

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon: This week has been amazing!  I had the opportunity to present a leadership training at the Sherwood YMCA staff retreat on Friday and am helping to teach the new staff Christian Principles class Monday afternoon.  Additionally, the first YMCA Teen Center Dance of the school year is this coming Friday and I have been able to recruit several people from Resonate to volunteer at the dance.  We also had a new couple that volunteered to help greet at our Gatherings on Sunday mornings.  God continues to open doors and it is very exciting to see Him work.

Aaron:  I finished worship theology and practice last night at 2 a.m.!  It was an amazing class, but I am glad to be done..now I will be moving on to a class on Ephesians!  This past Sunday I got to take a break from worship leading and let Jared do it.  He did a fantastic job!  Please be praying for the health of my team.  There are a few people getting sick. Thank you everyone for your prayer and support.    

Jacob: Jared did an awesome job leading worship this Sunday. I am so thankful for the people that are being connected to Resonate– even the ones who are not there on Sunday morning. My community group is going great and God is doing awesome things through Resonate.

Britney: Saturday was my bridal shower, which turned out to be amazing thanks to my mom and sister, and I was able to spend the afternoon with some of my favorite ladies.  As I look forward to my soon to come marriage, I pray for God’s peace through the planning.  

Bethany: I am so proud of the children’s team. The young women who are on it are all excited to begin a community group for high school girls that will challenge and grow our devotion to Christ. I am very excited for this to begin, and I am excited to see the teams growing and lives impacted.

I also wanted to share a little blessing with you. This morning I overheard a small group of men meeting at Symposium for Bible study. One of them is a new attender at Resonate. He was sharing with them a quote from Kevin’s sermon and how his family talked about it over dinner, and how he encouraged his nephew with it as well. The quote was the topic of their conversation and it was awesome to hear how God was challenging each of them with it. He also shared with his friends that for the first time that he can remember, his daughter (age 17) is excited about coming to church next week!

May the God of peace cover you with blessing this week. May you seek Him in His word, share His love with everyone, and give Him the praise that He is due!

Keith, Lisa, Michael, Andrew, and Brandon: This past week the boys started school.  Michael is in 8th grade, Andrew is in 6th and Brandon in 3rd.  I’m not sure when they all got so big!  I am excited about presenting a workshop at the YMCA Christian Leadership Conference this week and how that can strengthen Resonate’s partnership with the YMCA.  As the school year starts I am also looking forward to further expanding our connection with the Sherwood School District through substitute teaching there.  It is amazing the doors that God continues to open!

Aaron:  This week marks the end of my first class of my junior year at Dallas Christian Collage…and it has been really good.  Worship is great, and we are adding new people and now that Jared is back I have a new worship leader!  Have a great week everyone!!

Jacob:  I was able to get away and go to the coast for a day. It was a much needed mini-vacation. I am excited about the week and what it has to offer. I got a new road bike so I will be embarking on the adventure of being a cyclist.

Britney: Last Wednesday I found out we got approved for the apartment!  It is everything we need and it is right in the center of our community.  God provides, and His blessings are more than I could expect for myself.  I am also very happy to be reading a new book with a friend, and continuing to enjoy the small wonderful aspects of my life.

Todd:  School is back in session and I can already feel people’s lives returning to a state of semi-normalcy.  I have permission to volunteer at all of the Sherwood middle schools and the high school this year, and I am excited to be a part of all of them.  It feels pretty odd not having my own school work to return to as well, but I am making the adjustment just fine : )  Thanks for your prayers and I hope that you have a great week!

Bethany: The first full week of school has begun! I am so blessed to be in a place in which daily I can minister and impact the lives of so many students. Resonate Kids are excitedly growing, please pray that families will reach out to other families as we seek to impact the community. I have continually been thankful for my Kids teams and the work for the Kingdom they are partnering with us to do!