Leading from the second chair is not easy. You are not the one who makes the final decisions, oh you may have input, yet there is someone else who is leading. John the Baptist sets the example for followers of Christ in how to lead well from the second chair. We are still early in our series “John: The Life-Giving Gospel” and a portion of our OYB reading this week is John 1: 6 God sent a man, John the Baptist, 7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.” Later, in John 3 it says that “John took joy in Jesus’ success”. How powerful to be so comfortable in your own identity, your own calling, that you can celebrate the wins and success of another person. John the Baptist modeled for us healthy leadership in the body of Christ.

• We have a We begin with celebrating that we had just under 6,000 in combined worship attendance during Holy Week and Easter. The worship services were powerful and drew us all closer to the redemptive love of our Risen Savior.
• We just trained 17 new lay pastors and celebrated their stepping into leadership at Christ Church. We are also kicking off our “Coaching and Spiritual Mentoring” with our lay pastors so they can keep growing as leaders and be able to lead their life groups well. 
• We’ve had multiple baptisms at several of our campuses in the past three weeks. 
• On Sunday, April 5 we asked the Lord for an additional $100,000 to come in for the month of April for Vision 2:28 as our total at that time was around $650,000. Our total Vision 2:28 offerings for April was $107,945 which puts our current total at $757,945. We give God thanks for your generosity as we trust God together for our final goal of $5,000,000 being met by December 31, 2028.
• On Sunday, May 17 worshippers will be given an opportunity to trust God by taking the 90-Day Challenge of tithing their income to the mission of Christ Church and God’s Kingdom.

 
Amazing Opportunities to live into the greatness of God by celebrating Christ’s love:

• Sunday, May 10: Celebrating Mother’s Day and the Gift of New Life in Christ
• Sunday, May 17: Celebrating our high school and college graduates & 90-Day Challenge
• Starting Sunday, June 14: Mega Sports Camp at Mt. View and Statesville for kids age, 3 (potty trained) to 5th Grade—see below for more information
• Sunday, July 5: Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday and the Greater Mission of Christ

Let’s continue to invite persons to join you in our series “John: The Life-Giving Gospel” as so many lives are being touched deeply as our sermons focus on a chapter each Sunday from the Gospel of John.  What a joy to see Christ touch lives each Sunday and to be enriched by our worship together. Julie and I love you and thank God for your life and witness.
 
Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Charles

MEGA Sports Camp outreach gets preschool (3 years old and potty trained) through elementary kids (completed 5th grade) out of their chairs and into the Word of God.  Bible teachings interwoven with sports training make an unforgettable, life-changing outreach event.
The first 100 kids to register will receive a free t-shirt!
For more information, to register your child, or to serve go to: flow.page/cckids

Our recent Psalm from the One Year Bible reminds me of the Gospel song, “Everybody Ought to Know”, “May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.” Psalm 67:2 This is our mission and what better time to invite a friend, neighbor, co-workers, and family members than Easter?  With recent baptisms, I’m so excited about what is happening at Christ Church and our journey for Holy Week!

• Maundy Thursday Seder Meal, April 2 at 7pm at Mt. View (online) and Statesville Campuses with powerful conclusion “In the Garden Setting” with Communion. 
• Good Friday Services, April 3 at 7pm at all our campuses and online focusing upon the sounds, the scripture and the background stories of compassion and sacrificial love.
• “Between” Service—Saturday Night, April 4 at 6pm at the Mt. View Campus which speaks to those moments of confusion, grief, and “between” moments in our lives when we don’t know which step to take next.  This is why we are looking at Jesus as our example in how to move forward in those moments of confusion and ambiguity.
• Easter Sunrise Services at 7am at all our campuses.  Sunrise will have a unique message just as powerful, yet different from the regular Easter services.
• Easter Services 8:30am at Mt. View, Northside, & Online Campuses
•                             9:50am at All our Campuses
•                             11:15am  at Mt. View, Statesville & Online Campuses
• Sunday, April 12 New Series—“The Life-Giving Gospel of John”: 21 weeks in John

Our Second Mile Offering on Easter Sunday goes to our Ghana Medical Mission to purchase medicines to treat people in three villages free of charge and to plant three new churches, one in each village. Application deadline for the Ghana West African Mission is April 15.  We still need another nurse, PA or EMT. Dates are July 20-27, 2026.

Vision 2:28 Update:  Our contractor has filed all the necessary permits, we’ve chosen the colors of the exterior steel, gutters, and plan to break ground on our new Lincolnton building in the next two weeks.  So far we’ve received $642,000 in gifts towards our five million dollar goal.  Let’s continue to lift Vision 2:28 that we may break $750,000 on Easter Sunday with great expectancy and generosity so others may come to know Christ and be transformed.

With much love for you and expectation for God’s presence this Easter Week,
Pastor Charles

We are so blessed to have volunteers and staff who are willing to go the second mile so we can all experience worship in person and online during severe weather. Just this week two of our campus pastors were shoveling snow at the Fairgrove Campus with another staff member for a funeral and along came a couple who was willing to plow the parking lot so we could park cars for the funeral! Wow, that is Kingdom stuff and we were blessed by two saints who worship at another church in town. Last Sunday was no exception at Christ Church when volunteers showed up to serve and staff rolled up their sleeves so we could offer both in person worship and online worship.  

This Sunday we continue our series "Going the Distance in Relationships...By the Book" as we look at key elements necessary to take our friendships, family and marital relationships to the next level. Our CCKids and CC Students ministries will be meeting Sunday as well as our Life Groups. We are also offering a "Developing Followers Class" for those who want to know more about how to get involved and how to become a part of the Christ Church family this Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Mt. View Campus.  

Thank you for your generosity so we can offer online and in person worship each Sunday, CCKids and CC Student ministry, and serve in mission and ministry throughout our community. Our budget needed year to date is $384,990 and we've received year to date $241,716.  So please be generous in your giving so we can continue our mission of "Reaching Millions of Unchurched Persons by Developing Thousands of Fully Devoted Followers of Christ." 

Praying for tremendous worship services at all our campuses this Sunday morning and for the Overflow Service at 5 p.m. at Mt. View. 

Your servant in Christ,  

Pastor Charles 

In our One Year Bible reading this week we are in Matthew’s Gospel where Jesus sends out the twelve disciples with Great Expectations, “5 Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions… 7 Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!”  WOW! Did you and I read that correctly? I can’t imagine the average worship attender in America leaving church ready to “heal the sick, raise the dead, cure leprosy and cast out demons!”  We are talking miracles, waging warfare upon darkness and pushing it back with the light of Christ.  I believe the Holy Spirit still moves today in powerful ways bringing miracles, signs and wonders when God’s people pray, study God’s Word, and invite others to know Christ as Lord and Savior.  I believe God has Great Expectations for you in 2026!

Today many people seem to be looking for a “Different Gospel”, and a “Different Way to do Church”, that they are seeking “A New Truth”.  The problem is most people have never read the Original Text, most people are Biblically Illiterate and are not reading the “Old, Old Stories of Faith in the Bible” which when read impact your personal story and still changes lives!

We don’t need a ‘new gospel’, we need to first read and understand the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Acts.  It’s not about receiving more knowledge, Truth comes when we seek God’s divine Wisdom as Proverbs says, “13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom…15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.”  What leads to greater joy, success and blessings in our lives is daily habits of prayer, daily Bible reading, and serving others! I believe God has Great Expectations for you in 2026!
Here is how we can maximize 2026:

• Daily Read the One Year Bible—It’s never too late, start today!
• Sign up today for a Life Group as many are launching February 1st!
• Serve in an active ministry—nothing helps us more in life than serving others in Christ.
• Be Generous and Pray for Vision 2:28. So far we’ve collected $514,000 in six weeks!
• Invite someone to our New Series Kicking off January 25th “Going the Distance in Relationships” Pray that this series will restore relationships, heal families and renew marriages. 

Here are the Message titles for “Going The Distance in Relationships” starting Jan. 25th
January 25: “From Chaos to Clarity—God’s Divine Design for Relationships”
February 1: “Busting the Myths & Revealing Truths about Marriage”
February 8: “Naming & Overcoming the Hurdles to Genuine Connection”
February 15: “The Action Steps which Lead to Marital Health & Restoration”
February 22: “Enough with Posing—Essential Keys to Greater Intimacy”
March 1: “Why Fidelity still Matters”
March 8: “Essentials for Men to Fight for their Families & Marriages“

I Believe God has Great Expectations for You in 2026!
The key in Matthew 10: 7 however, is the word, “Go”. You and I have to show up in worship, study the scriptures and “Go” and invite others to hear the Good News of Christ.  See you this Sunday as we “Go” to the house of the Lord to hear the Old, Old Stories of New Life in Jesus

Your servant in Christ,
 Pastor Charles

“The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.” Isaiah 9:2

One of the joys of Christmas is having the entire body of Christ worshippers gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus.  This verse from Isaiah is one among many which we will read to hear the powerful story of a Messiah who has come to bring light into our dark world. All our campuses, campus pastors, and worship teams, will gather to witness the powerful “Christmas Story and Carols” on Sunday night, December 21 at 5 p.m. at our Mt. View Campus.  We will also celebrate on Sunday, December 21, the ordination and licensing of several pastors of Christ Church Global.  You don’t want to miss this extraordinary event as we will have a Chamber Orchestra, combined praise choir, and our worship teams leading us in our favorite Christmas carols.

All of our campuses will host Candlelight and Communion services on Christmas Eve (see all campus worship times below).  We will hear the angels say again, “Fear Not, for I bring you tidings of great joy…for born unto you is a savior which is Christ the Lord.”   Invite a friend, family member, coworker, and neighbors to attend with you.  People are more open during Christmas to an invitation to attend worship.  Offer to sit with them.  Our worship centers are beautifully decorated to celebrate the birth of Christ.
Vision 2:28 has received $232,000 in checks and cash in addition to $75,000 in stocks.  We are continuing to receive our Commitment Cards as these are vital for us to communicate to our bank that we are ready to build the new facility at our Lincolnton Campus.  Please return yours, if you haven’t as soon as possible.

Merry Christmas,
Pastors Charles, Julie, Mike, Trent, Chip, Walter, Brian, Brent, and Jacob

Christmas Eve Services
Mt. View Campus  - 5 p.m. &  6:30 p.m.
Statesville Campus - 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Fairgrove Campus - 4 p.m.
Northside Campus - 3 p.m.
Lincolnton Campus - 4 p.m.

During our Christmas Story & Carols service on December 21 at 5 PM at the Mt. View campus, CCKids will be hosting a special gingerbread-house activity and a Christmas devotion for kids (3 years old & potty-trained through 5th grade). Children are welcome to join us in CCKids or attend the service with their families. Childcare will still be available for kidsages Birth - 2 years old. We need additional volunteers in CCKids for this special night (Dec. 21). 

We’re also seeking volunteers for childcare (Birth - 5 years old) at all campuses on Christmas Eve,
December 24. Please sign up using the link below if you can serve at any of these services:
bit.ly/CCKidsServe

One of the most puzzling things I read as a new Christian were Jesus’ words, “Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I’ve come to divide people against each other.” Luke 12:51 Wow, I thought Isaiah had prophesied that the messiah would be a “Wonderful counselor, mighty God…prince of peace”?  Why would Jesus say such a thing?  Like all of scripture we must seek to understand it in its context.  Jesus said his very presence, and his words, would divide families and communities. Jesus’ very presence and the truth he spoke prompted a response in people. Unlike most people we can either agree with or disagree with them.  Jesus’ truth pierced hearts.  His words were convicting. When Jesus was on trial by the religious leaders Luke tells us, “Then they became insistent, “But he is causing riots by his teaching wherever he goes—all over Judea, from Galilee to Jerusalem.” Luke 23:5  We really shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus’ words convicted people.  Did Jesus not say, “I am the way, the truth…” Not that he merely speaks truth but that Jesus is “Truth”.

One young man came “…running to Jesus and knelt at his feet asking, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life’”.  Mark tells us Jesus’ response to the rich young ruler was, “Looking upon him he loved him”. Then Jesus cut to the quick and said, “Go sell all that you have and give it to the poor. Then you will have treasures in heaven. Then come follow me.”  In other words, “only when God is first in your finances is God truly first in your life. What you have comes from God, and in sharing with others you are truly sharing the love of God with others!!” The young ruler went away sad because his money had him—God didn’t.
Jesus is stirring many of us on the inside with the challenge of Vision 2:28.

Our Goals For  Vision 2:28:

•  Plant 10 new churches in the next 3 years, one located in the Unifour area.
• Double Life Groups to over 100 life groups.
• Double baptisms and people joining the Christ Church family.
• Increase worship attendance by 25%.

Our response:  21 Days of fasting and prayer Nov. 2 through Nov. 23. Set your cell to 2:28 each day and pray for Vision 2:28.  Then pray what your sacrificial gift will be so we may accomplish:

•  Raising 5 Million dollars through sacrificial giving by each worshipper giving the largest gift you have ever given to any Christian organization.
• Tithe the first 10% as seed money to plant new churches.
• First Million to go towards building a new 11,700 sq. ft. worship center for the Lincolnton Campus with a fully functioning child development center. Cost is $2,840,000.
• Debt reduction by $3.5M over the next 3 years for all of Christ Church to take our $6,500,000 debt down to $1,800,000.  This will lower the burden of debt on next generation and enable us to have more money for mission.
• November 23: Commitment Sunday of pledges and First Fruits Giving.

Below you will see a copy of the Vision 2:28 Commitment Card so you may pray now for what your commitment will be over the next three years.  The young ruler went away sad because he could not part with his god of money and greed. When we put Jesus first in our lives, our finances, and relationships, we have peace.  Let’s pray Jesus will remove the deception and bring clarity.

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Charles

P.S. On Sunday, November 23 at the Mt. View Campus we will have baptisms and remembrance of baptism at the 11:!5am service. If you want to be baptized, please plan to attend the Baptism Orientation Class that morning at 10:45am. Check in at the Connections Desk.

Greetings Church and Life Group Leaders!

Next Friday, November 21st marks the official end of the 2025 Fall season. You are welcome to continue meeting after that date, but we wanted to remind everyone that rest is an essential part of preparation for the Spring season. As you wrap up your groups, please keep the following things in mind as we seek to expand the Kingdom:

• Complete end-of-season feedback conversations/emails with your groups.
• Capture and submit constructive feedback to Life Groups Pastor.
• Begin discussing topics for the Spring season.
• Identify any emerging leaders and recommend them to Life Groups Pastor.
• Notify Ann Denzer of your intention to lead a Life Group in the Spring, which starts in February 2026.

Thanks for all you do to create room for God's people, especially those who don't know him yet. May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.

Blessings,
Pastor Joshua James
Life Groups Pastor
jjames@christnc.com

Life change is happening all around us at Christ Church! Julie and I dreamed as a young couple about being a part of a healthy New Testament Church that cared passionately about reaching those who have yet to belong to Christ. Our students just got back from Fusion Weekend with over 90 students attending and over 26 decisions for Jesus Christ!  On September 28,  Mt. View had 12 baptisms and over 10 baptisms occurring at several of our other campuses!  This was all on the heels of our Ghana Team returning this summer from giving medical treatment to over 500 people, and planting three new churches in three villages with 113 baptisms!  All we can say is “To God be the glory” and thank you for your faithfulness in your financial giving!

God has more for Christ Church, a Radical Three Year Vision requiring Radical Generosity. Without question,  Vision 2:28 is the largest Spiritual Campaign Christ Church has experienced!  Here is the clear and concise Vision from God’s Word in Joel 2:28 and Acts 2: 17-18 & 21Our Goals for Vision 2:28:

• Plant 10 new churches in the next 3 years, one located in the Unifour area.
• Double Life Groups to over 100 life groups.
• Double baptisms and people joining the Christ Church family.
• Increase worship attendance by 25%.

In order to do this we clearly need to: 

• Raise $5,000,000 through sacrificial giving by each worshipper giving the largest gift any of us has ever given over three years to any Christian organization. It’s about equal sacrifice, not equal gifts.
• Tithe first 10% off the top to plant one church locally and nine churches globally. ($500,000) will be seed money to plant new churches.
• The first $1,000,000 will go towards building a new 11,700 sq. ft. worship center for Lincolnton Campus with a fully functioning child development center. Cost is $2,840,000. See Pics of New Building in this Newsletter.
• Debt reduction by $3,500,000 over the next 3 years for all of Christ Church to take our $6,500,000 debt down to $1,800,000.  This will lower the burden of debt on the next generation and enable us to have more money for mission and ministry to reach the next generation.
• November 1 at 9:00 a.m.: Prayer walk at all campuses for Vision 2:28
• November 2: Kick Off Sunday with 21 Days of Fasting & Prayer. We need you to pray, and we need 100% participation in Vision 2:28.
• November 23: Commitment Sunday of pledges and First Fruits Giving.

Let us pray, let us believe in God to pour out his Holy Spirit upon us and let’s act!

With great love and appreciation for you,
Pastor Charles

From Our Finance Team:  We begin by giving God thanks for your faithfulness this summer. 56 families committed to the 90 Day Challenge and our giving was up this summer.  Though we are currently $188,000 behind in budget needs we believe Christ Church worshippers will help us close this gap this fall.  Praying for a strong finish as we close out this year and prepare for Vision 2:28.

Covered Dish Meal to Honor Pastor Harley
There will be a Covered Dish Meal this Sunday, October 26 at 6 p.m. at the Fairgrove Campus in the Underground to honor the Scalf family as Pastor Harley has shared that he is being led by the Holy Spirit to step down as the Fairgrove Campus Pastor and be prepared for God’s next assignment. You are invited to bring a dish of your favorite food and join us in showing appreciation for Pastor Harley, Jess and his family.

On November 2, we will fall back an hour. Let us take care of the rest! Bring your child(ren) to CCKids in their PJ's and we will provide them breakfast!"

Our One Year Bible Reading speaks directly to our CC Mission this August: 

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable… 9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” Romans 12: 1, 9-13 
 

•  August 7-8 Global Leadership Summit—Our Premiere Leadership Training that Christ Church hosts at our Mt. View Campus. It’s not too late to register. Sacrifice two days of your time so God can impact your life and the lives of those around you in significant ways. Register at https://christnc.com/events
• Sunday, August 17: Two Major Events to Love, Serve, and Pray for students, parents, families, teachers, and administrators. We will start at the Northside Campus with Back to School Bash and continue at the Overflow Service at 5 p.m. at our Mt. View Campus by praying for students, teachers, administrators and all the schools in our Unifour Area.

1. Back to School Bash: 2-5 p.m. at our Northside Campus. You can SERVE by signing up online or at worship the next two Sundays. You can Pray for each student and family who receives a backpack, and you can Give Sacrificially to our Second Mile Offering during August so we can give 2,500 backpacks to students who need them. You can also give online: https://flow.page/backtoschoolbash
2. Over Flow Service at 5 p.m. at Mt. View: Calling all teachers, students, and administrators of our schools in the Unifour Area. At Overflow students will be praying for teachers and administrators, and teachers will be praying for the students.  So let’s pack it out at 5 p.m. so we can pray for our students, schools, teachers and administrators.  

Lastly, we want to celebrate with our church family that from July 13-21 the Ghana Medical Mission team served 680 persons in three villages, witnessed 113 baptisms, and planted three new churches with three pavilions built in each village. We partner with the Ghana Methodist Church so the mission continues training leaders and supporting the new lay pastor to continue the worship and discipleship making in each village. Your love for others, prayers, sacrificial giving, and serving are making an impact locally and globally for Christ! Paul is right, let’s make our bodies a “Living Sacrifice unto God”.  See you this Sunday in worship and together on August 17 at the Back to School Bash and Overflow as we ask God to bless this generation to change the world for Christ!
 
Love, 
Pastor Charles and Julie 

Dear Christ Church family, 

If there is any week of the year that the doors of the church should be wide open it should be Holy Week. Don't Miss the Journey this week as each worship service will build on the next to prepare us for the joy and wonder of Easter Sunday! Here is the schedule for all campuses: 

Maundy Thursday: We will experience the Seder Meal at our Mt. View and Statesville campuses at 7 p.m. and relive this powerful experience of the Last Supper with Jesus and the disciples in the Upper Room. 

Good Friday: At all our campuses at 7p.m. With song, readings from scripture and a message we will explore the deep meaning of the cross and why it is the second most significant event in human history. 

"Between" Service on Saturday, April 19 at 6 p.m. at the Mt. View Campus: This service focuses on the "Between" moments in the life of the disciples, the angels, and even Jesus himself. We all have “between” moments in our lives. This service prepares us for Easter Sunday. 

Easter Sunday at all campuses of CC there will be a 7 a.m. Sunrise Service and then regular worship times at each campus. The most significant event in human history. Come and celebrate the joy of Easter. 

Baptism Sunday is April 27 at all our campuses, and you can sign up online now, click here or go to christnc.com/events.. Baptism Sunday will be at all of our campuses. Mt. View will host an orientation for baptism after the 9:50 service at 10:55 for the 11:15 am worship service unless you have scheduled a meeting ahead of time with one of the pastors.

Our Guest Speaker at the Overflow Service Sunday night,  April 27 at 5 p.m. is Avi Yosef, who will be our tour guide in the Holy Land, February 9-16, 2026. Avi will share his heart and experience as to why a trip to the Holy Land is so life-changing for us. We will also pray for Peace in Israel and in the Middle East.  At 6:05 p.m. on Sunday Night, April 27 we will share  a Covered Dish meal following the Overflow Service so people can meet and speak with Avi Yosef our guest speaker. 

From The Pastor’s Heart:  The Greatest, and the Most Broken Commandment
 
 “I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery. “You must not have any other god but me.” Deuteronomy 5: 6-7

This is the foundation of all the Ten Commandments and the “Greatest Commandment” which Jesus declares in Matthew 22: 37-38.  This is also the most broken commandment not only in our culture but also among Christians.  Break this one and you start to break, twist or dismiss the rest of the Ten Commandments.  You see God is either first in our life, our family, our marriage, our finances, and at work or God is not.  How do we put God first in our lives so that “no other comes before Him?”  It is spelled out in one word, “Devotion”!  A devoted husband spends time with his wife and cares for her, a devoted father is there for his child, and a devoted follower of Jesus spends time in worship, daily praying and Bible reading, tithing to the Lord’s house, inviting persons to worship, and intentionally walking with God each day.  Our prayer is that all of us will fully lean into the Great Commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and our mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves during this season of Lent and beyond! (Matthew 22: 37-40)

This is why we don’t want you to miss “Revealing Jesus-Don’t Miss the Journey”:

• Revealing Jesus Sermon Series at Morning Worship at each campus and Overflow Healing and Prayer Service on Sunday nights at 5PM at Mt. View Campus
• Friday,  April 4, the Training Table for men at the Mt. View Campus from 6:30AM-7:30AM, please register online as we want to have plenty of breakfast prepared at no charge. Click this link to register.
• Developing Followers Class: Sunday,  April 6, 3PM at Mt. View Campus to learn more what Christ Church believes and how we live it out.  This is a required class if you would like to join the Christ Church family. Pastor Charles and staff lead this class.
• Maundy Thursday Service, April 17 at 7PM at Mt. View and Statesville campuses & online
• Good Friday Services, April 18 at 7PM at all five campuses & online
• Holy Saturday Service, April 19 at 6PM at the Mt. View Campus “Between Friday and Easter”
• Easter Sunrise Services at 7AM at all campuses of CC (Different Message)
• Easter Sunday Services Indoors: Regular worship times for all campuses. Click this link to view all times.

When you join the Christ Church family we covenant together as “Devoted” followers to attend worship regularly, pray for the unchurched, learn through life groups, serve in at least one active ministry per month, tithe or head towards tithing and to invite at least one person each week to worship.  Why? Because this is what it means to put God first, “To love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, your mind and to love your neighbor as yourself.”  

In great devotion to God and love for you,
Pastors Charles and Julie

What is a Training Table? It is a place where athletes come to get the nutrition and nourishment they need to go perform on the field, track, or court at peak performance. Paul says in 1 Timothy that training ourselves physically is of great benefit, but training ourselves for godliness has benefits both in this life and eternally.

The Training Table meets the first Friday of the month at the Mt. Campus and is meant to give men, high school age and up, the spiritual nourishment they need to train themselves for a godly life. Breakfast provided. Sign-up today and reserve your space. Go to christnc.com/events and then find the Training Table @ Mt. View. Please register before each session to ensure we have enough food. The group is open to high school age and above. Join at any time.

A Wesleyan Understanding of Fasting and Prayer
 
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, preached and printed a sermon based upon Matthew’s account of Jesus’ teaching on fasting and prayer. The Sermon is Sermon XXVII Upon Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount.  The scripture is Matthew 6: 16-18.  The essence of the sermon is not to make too much of fasting nor should it be ignored.   Fasting can be a means of God’s grace working in our lives as we seek to hear from God through this simple act of denying physical need for spiritual gain.

Wesley wrote about fasting, “It is not all, nor yet is it nothing. It is not the end, but it is a precious means thereto; when it is duly used, he will surely give us his blessing.”  Sermon XXVII Jackson’s Works, p. 344
 
Fasting
    
By participating in this 40 Days experience you will be in good company.  Moses the Law Giver, Elijah the great prophet, and Jesus our savior all fasted and prayed for 40 days.  Why?  Were they not already advanced in their walk with God when they began their fasting?  Yes they were—this is why they submitted themselves to this spiritual discipline so God could reveal more of Himself and His direction for them and those they led.

Fasting literally means to abstain from food.  In some passages in the Bible, you will read the story of Moses, “he ate and drank nothing” (Exodus 34:28) Some observe a 24 hour fast, the most popular is a 40 hour fast, while some will endure a 72 hour fast and only drink liquids.

In the early church Christians would fast on Wednesday & Friday by not eating any breakfast nor lunch.  They would only drink water or other liquids during their fast.  The next form of fasting is abstaining from pleasing food or a full meal.  In other words, you would just eat toast and some protein with no flavoring or condiment.  Daniel observed a form of abstaining from certain foods in the Book of Daniel as God revealed Himself in this fasting from fatty meats, etc.
 
During the 40 Days of Fasting and Prayer you will participate in a true 40 Days of fasting by not eating after the evening meal until the next evening meal—a full 23 to 24 hour fast each day.  The exception would be on Sunday when the Sunday lunch after worship can be observed.

Praying
There are many forms of prayer.  There are prayers of lamentation, tears, confession, adoration, petition, intercession, sacramental, and unceasing prayer just to name a few.
   
During the 40 Days of Fasting & Prayer we will focus upon Petition and Intercession.  Both forms of prayer can be powerful experiences, which draw us close to God during our time of fasting.  In the Fasting experience we open ourselves up to hearing from God due to our posture of obedience and in our prayer time we listen to God through the reading of Scripture and listening.

Jesus said, “Anyone who does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3: 35 There are so many exciting studies and events being offered at Christ Church to encourage us to “do God’s will” so we may indeed be called a sister or brother of Jesus Christ and God’s family.

• Friday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m. Celebrate Recovery 20th Celebration at the Mt. View Campus
• Saturday, March 1 at 9 a.m. until 12 noon, Christ Church is partnering with New Beginnings to bring James Hunter, a Fortune 50 consultant and speaker, to teach valuable principles from his book Servant Leadership.  Mr. Hunter teaches all four branches of our military, and companies like American Express, Proctor and Gamble, to name a few, and the event is free along with a copy of Servant Leadership signed by James Hunter.  Please register now as space is limited, by going to christnc.com/events.· 
• Monday, March 3 both our Statesville and Mt. View Campuses are offering Rooted, which is a ten-week journey that brings you closer to Christ and understanding God’s will for your life.  Pastor Charles and Julie will be leading our Mt. View Rooted study.  Sign up today at christnc.com/events.
• Wednesday, March 5 at 6:30 p.m. all campuses will host an Ash Wednesday service to kick off 40 days of prayer for the season of Lent.
• Friday, March 7, “Training Table” for men is being offered at 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 a.m. at Statesville and Mt. View. The Training Table is meant to give men, high school age and up, the spiritual nourishment they need to train themselves for a godly life. Breakfast provided. Sign-up today and reserve your space by registering at christnc.com/events.
• Overflow Prayer and Healing Service every Sunday night at 5 p.m.  What’s different about Overflow than Sunday’s service? Sunday we set the table for the Gospel Message to be preached and received.  In Overflow, we set the table for Prayer and healing to be observed.

Invite a friend to join you in worship this Sunday as we continue our emphasis on our 500 plus campaign to invite one person each week to attend worship so each person can be welcomed into the family of God.

Your servants in Christ,
Pastors Charles and Julie

What is a Training Table? It is a place where athletes come to get the nutrition and nourishment they need to go perform on the field, track, or court at peak performance. Paul says in 1 Timothy that training ourselves physically is of great benefit, but training ourselves for godliness has benefits both in this life and eternally.

Men’s groups will meet on the First Friday's of each month at the Mountain View and Statesville Campuses. The Training Table is meant to give men, high school age and up, the spiritual nourishment they need to train themselves for a godly life. Breakfast provided.

Sign-up today and reserve your space. Go to christnc.com/events and then find the Training Table @ Mt. View or the Training Table @ Statesville, click and register.

Please register before each session to ensure we have enough food. The group is open to high school age and above. Join at any time.

Our planning team, staff and volunteers are going all out to share the Greatest Story Ever Told—The Birth of Christ through these Celebrations…
Christmas Fest Celebration December 14 from 4PM-8PM:

• 5PM and 6:30PM - A Christmas Play by our CCKids telling the story of Jesus’ birth
• Journey to Bethlehem Hayride
• Inflatables, games, great food, s’mores, and a visit with St. Nicholas
• A Ride on CC’s Polar Express Train

Christmas Story and Carols Sunday, December 22 at 5:00PM at the Mt. View Campus: All Campuses are coming together to worship the Christ-Child with Lessons from Scripture and Traditional Christmas Carols:

• We are blowing it out and coming together as One Church in One Location to celebrate the Greatest Story ever told!
• All of our campus pastors, worship leaders and band members will be joining together for a powerful NIGHT OF WORSHIP by reading the Story of Christmas and Singing Christmas Carols which give us hope and encouragement.
• Featuring a Chamber Orchestra playing with our All Campus Band of Christ Church to celebrate the radical gift of God’s grace revealed in the birth of a child.

Christmas Eve Candlelight Services at all of our campuses:
Upper Room Prayer and Healing Service is moving to Sunday Night at 5:00PM starting January 5, 2025.   We will NOT have our Sunday night Worship at 5PM December 29 in order to prepare for the change of hosting Upper Room Prayer and Healing Service on January 5, 2025.  Sunday night Prayer and Healing Service will be different than Sunday morning services.  

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism,  spoke of the absolute necessity of God’s people coming together to pray by saying,

• “Proceed with much prayer, and your way will be made plain.” J. Wesley
• “The neglect of prayer is a grand hindrance to holiness.”  Wesley
• “God does nothing but by prayer, and everything with it.”  J. Wesley

The campus pastors of Christ Church, our prayer teams, and worship leaders are convicted that God is turning up the spiritual thermostat at Christ Church and we need to prepare and posture ourselves in prayer and expect God to move through spiritual, emotional and physical healing.

Lastly, we invite you to start the New Year off right on Sunday morning January 5, 2025 as we look at “God’s Best of Us in 2025” at all of our campuses.

Merry Christmas,  
Pastors Charles, Julie, Trent, Chip, Mike, Tyler, Harley, Jacob, Brian, and Brent

We have so much to be thankful for and I want to thank you as worshippers of Christ Church for the following:

•  CC has kicked off our 500 Plus Campaign with 537 persons agreeing to invite one person per week to attend worship. This would mean 32,320 invites over the next 60 weeks! 
• So far this year we have witnessed 58 baptisms with more scheduled before the end of the year! 
• So far we’ve had 46 persons join Christ Church with 29 joining on Profession of Faith in Christ which means 63% have never joined any church! This is huge as we are reaching unchurched people for Jesus Christ and more are scheduled to join before the end of the year! 
• A Developing Followers Class will take place this Sunday, December 8 at 3pm at the Fairgrove Campus. If you haven’t joined Christ Church we would love for you to take this informative class to be a part of the CC family. 
• Our financial giving to our budget is $103,699 ahead of 2023 giving! Yay God! However, our giving for our 2024 is currently $277,772 behind our general budget. We have time to not only catch up but exceed our goal for 2024. 

I believe the local church is the hope of the world! Primarily because the local church lifts high the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ and his redemptive love to all of humanity. The local church is the birthing ground for para-church ministries, local charities, and providing life impacting ministry of personal salvation, baptisms, weddings, funerals and ministry to families during crisis. With every fiber of my being I believe the Holy Spirit is unleashing the influence of our Christ Church family to impact our community and world like never before.

On this Thanks-Giving Tuesday, I am thankful for you and your faithful financial giving and personal participation in strengthening the mission of Christ Church to our communities and world!

Merry Christmas,
Pastor Charles
 

Gratitude—Our Motivation and Drive for “Operation 500 Plus” on November 17
The least valued of all the virtues is one of the most impactful - “Gratitude”!

In Luke 17 we find Jesus encountering ten lepers. Jesus heals all ten lepers, then we read these sad words, 17 Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?

Now before we are too harsh on the nine lepers who didn’t return, we recall that Jesus did in fact tell them to “go and show yourselves to the priest” for in the Law of Moses this was required before they could see their families. They had been separated from their families due to this contagious disease.  I can empathize that they ran to the priest.  With that said, could all of that waited just for a moment to be able to return back to Jesus and express gratitude for healing for it was Jesus who healed and restored them.

In a few days we will celebrate Thanksgiving.  Do you know its origin?

Some think the first Thanksgiving occurred in 1609 at Jamestown, VA while others believed it occurred in 1620 at Plymouth Rock. The actual holiday did not come into existence until the middle of the Civil War struggle by then President Abraham Lincoln writing a proclamation and making it a holiday in 1863:

“No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”

Gratitude is the most valuable of all virtues and the least observed. This Sunday,          November 17, the campus pastors and I invite you to be one of “500 plus” who will    commit to inviting one person per week for 60 weeks.  I’m sure you are grateful for what Christ has done in your life, for the grace you have experienced in Jesus and his sacrificial love for you.  This is our motivation—gratitude!

We invite you to join us in “Operation 500 Plus” where we will ask you to come forward and be willing to commit to inviting one person each week for 60 weeks.  The Win is to “Invite” the person.  It’s up to the person, of course, whether they attend worship. Over 80% of people are open to an authentic invitation to attend worship.  Friends, coworkers, neighbors, family members and acquaintances all need a warm invite to worship.

Gratefully,
Pastors Charles, Julie, Chip, Trent, Mike, Harley, Brian, Brent, and Tyler

Our series Caring Enough To Ask has centered on this one primary question….Do we really care for our neighbors, our friends, our family members, acquaintances whom we meet everyday in our community?  Do we care about their current well being and do we ultimately care where they are going to spend eternity?

On November 17,  your Campus Pastors of Christ Church will be calling forward 500 Plus persons who will be willing to do these simple but Vital Acts over 60 Weeks…

• Invite One Person per week to attend worship.  This can come through a text, email, phone call or person-to-person invite.
• Pray for each encounter and ask God to reveal to you opportunities of persons who you can invite.
• Continue to be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit for these sacred encounters.

Remember, 79% of the persons who now call Christ Church home came through the invitation of someone.   People matter, and your intentional invitation each week will ultimately matter in the life of the person you invite.

We invite you to be one of the 500 Plus to invite one person per week from November 17, 2024 until December 31, 2025 to attend worship.   This would mean 30,000 invites going out over 60 weeks.

With great love and anticipation for what God will do through you,
Pastors Charles, Chip, Harley, Mike and Trent
   

"So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River …But as for me and my family,  we will serve the Lord.” Joshua 24: 14-15

What is Joshua Sunday?  Two Sundays ago we preached on “Authentic Christianity”.  What does it mean to truly live for Jesus?  For over 25 years the lay leaders of Christ Church and pastors have asked, “How can a new Christian become a “Fully Devoted Follower of Jesus” and mature in God’s grace and blessings? This is how the Joshua Menu was birthed, as we believe there are SIX STEPS in being a Devoted Follower:  1) Worshipping, 2) Serving in at least one ministry a month, 3) Learning through Life Groups, 4) Praying for CC, 5) Tithing our income or heading towards tithing regularly, 6) Inviting at least five persons each month to worship.

Every church should expect something from those who join the fellowship. If a church      expects nothing from those who join, then those joining receive nothing, the community gets nothing, the unchurched thousands get nothing and will have a Christless eternity.  When the people of Israel went into the Promised Land, God blessed them.  God also communicated through Joshua that if the people of God turned away from the Lord then God’s hand of blessing would be taken away and they would be conquered by enemies.
    
Our Joshua Sunday gives each of us a chance to say “We choose God and reject the  enemy’s temptation for Christians to do nothing”.  When Christians choose not to serve, to do nothing for God, then the enemy takes more ground in our marriages, in our families, and in our community. We need to step up and serve!
   
The campus pastors and I want God’s very best for every worshipper and family who has joined the Christ Church family.  We want you to grow in God’s grace.  The enemy is always seeking to attack us, bring chaos into our personal lives, our families, our business, etc. This is why Joshua, God’s anointed, said to the people of Israel, “As for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”   We expect you to serve, learn,  worship, pray, tithe/give, and invite at Christ Church so we can be strong in our faith, encouraged in God’s presence and reach the      unchurched in our community.

We love you and we will be saying on Oct. 6,  “As for me and my family we will serve the Lord”,
Pastors Charles, Julie, Trent, Chip, Mike, Harley, Tyler, Brian, Brent, and Jacob

Save the Date! CCKids will be hosting another Family Experience (FX) at the Fairgrove Campus on October 27 @ 4:30 PM. FX is an engaging live event where parents and kids experience music, laughter, and fun teaching about the character of God together. The FX will align and reinforce what your children will be learning in CCKids during the month of October. Your family will also be sent home with devotions to complete together. You don’t want to miss this!

This is such a powerful statement in Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church and to Christ Church.  The campus pastors and I can genuinely say that the worshippers of Christ Church have been “…living by God’s power” since our summer season began:

• Our Ghana Medical Mission Team planted three new churches in Shama, Ghana, giving medical care to 607 people and baptizing 95 persons in three villages. We built and dedicated three new pavilions/churches for the new churches to worship in. 
• Mega Sports Camp had 195 kids attend our Mt. View and Statesville campuses and dozens of children professed faith in Christ. We had 150 wonderful volunteers who made this possible at both campuses!
• Fuge Camp for our CCStudents was amazing with 60 students attending, 12 adult leaders,  and so many of our students have committed to living as “Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus”.
• Dozens of our CCKids had life transforming encounters with our Lord at Look Up Lodge Camp.  Our adult volunteers did a great job investing in our CCKids.
• 56 Families committed to the 90 Day Challenge to tithe their income for this summer as a spiritual discipline of trusting God and putting Christ first in their finances.
• We have nearly 100 leaders signed up to attend our Global Leadership Summit hosted at Christ Church August 8 and 9 for when “Leaders get better, everyone wins”! 

Here are further opportunities for you to roll up your sleeves as worshippers and devoted followers of Christ Church  “20 For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.”    We still need volunteers to help with…

• Back to School Bash—August 18 from 2-5pm at our Northside Campus. Our goal is to give 1800 backpacks full of school supplies to meet the needs of kids and students.  You can still order online to purchase supplies and to sign up to volunteer.  Click the link bit.ly/CCBash or go to our website christnc.com
• Sunday, August 25 at 5 p.m. the Christ Church Mt. View Campus will host a Church Wide Baptism service with all campuses coming together to worship and celebrate the gift of Baptism. The message will be different than Sunday morning as we celebrate New Life in Christ.  It’s vital that the body of Christ come out and support those being baptized into the Christian Faith and into the Christ Church Family.
• Continue to support the mission and ministry of Christ Church through your tithes and offerings.  As of last Sunday we are $173,186.58 short of meeting budget.  We thank you for your continued faithfulness as lives are being changed each week.

Many of us may not know that our worship services are reaching up to 14,000 inmates in 96 county jails in 14 states throughout the southeast. I received a recent letter from an inmate in a county jail who wrote, “I have been watching your videos online through our tablets here and watching some sermons over and over again…I have rededicated my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and I run a prayer circle in here (the jail).”

This is further evidence that your financial gifts are making an impact and 20 “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.”

With great love and appreciation for you,
Pastor Charles and Julie

Rising 6th Graders will be moving from Children's Ministry into Student Ministry on Sunday, August 11th. As they make this exciting transition, we want them to be able to connect with their fellow rising 6th graders and celebrate by going bowling together. For more details and to register, visit bit.ly/CCKds

I love birthday parties! It is a joy to celebrate new life!  Last Sunday hundreds of persons at all of our campuses came forward to receive God’s Word spoken over them
:

• ·You are wonderfully made in the image of God.  (Psalm 139)
• ·You are a Royal Priesthood—God’s own possession.  (I Peter 2:9)
• You are the Light of the World. (Matthew 5:14)

So many wept as they received these powerful words which God has already spoken over us in the Bible.  I hope you claim these words even now as God loves you and values you.
This Sunday we are throwing a Birthday Celebration May 19th at Christ Church at all our campuses. This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday which is the birthday of the church as recorded in Acts 2.  In addition, last year, May 21st, we transferred, ordained and licensed thirteen of our pastors into Christ Church Global.  This Sunday we will celebrate how God established what is beautiful and redemptive about this new church at Pentecost. They were:

• A Loving Church - Our heart is to welcome all persons in worship.
• A Serving Church - You can serve at least once per month at CC.
• An Inviting Church - Our attendance has increased by 10% so far this year. 
• A Praying Church - Prayer teams gather every Sunday morning to pray.
• A Learning Church - they studied teaching in Small Groups and we offer Life Groups
• A Giving Church - “45 They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.”

This Sunday we’ll celebrate our birthday, recognize graduates, and lift up the 90 Day challenge to support the mission and ministry of Christ Church from June 1 to August 31.  Every year between 40 to 55 new families/persons begin this journey of trusting God and their lives are touched in remarkable ways.  We invite you to prayerfully consider tithing your income for these 90 days and at the end of this time if you regret the decision, you come to see me and I will write you a personal check for the amount you gave.  I believe in God’s promise in Malachi 3:10 and I believe in you.  Remember, you are the light of the world…so let your light shine for Christ.

Love,
Pastors Charles and Julie 

Report from Finance Team:
Christ Church celebrates that our attendance is up over 10% this year in average worship.  However, we have received to date $1,197,330, and our budgeted need is $1,393,593 with a deficit of $196,263.  Join us in praying for faithfulness among our worshippers as we trust God daily for our provisions in order to reach more people for Christ.

As we enter into May we cannot go further without giving God thanks for the past five weeks of seeing the Holy Spirit move among us at Christ Church.  Easter week we witnessed historical attendance with 6,126 persons worshipping our Lord Jesus Christ and affirming the power of the Resurrection to transform lives!  We celebrated 19 baptisms in the month of April and several persons joining the Christ family! 

In May we will celebrate and observe the following:

• Mother’s Day May 12,  we will celebrate the sacred role of Mothers and announce our new series starting June 2 as mentioned below.
• Recognition of Graduates on May 19 at all of our campuses.  If you have a graduate in high school or college let us know by registering them at bit.ly/2024CCGRAD.
• The 90 Day Challenge will be announced on May 19 to run from June 1 until August 31. Each year we celebrate the spiritual discipline of tithing as followers of Jesus Christ are called to release our hold upon the things of this world and hold tightly to our trust in Christ and God’s promises in Malachi 3:10. 
• "They Gave It All" May 26 at the 5 p.m. service to remember those who died for the Faith and for Country. Our Worship Team will host a Night of Worship with powerful sacred songs of Faith and Patriotism.  We will remember those who have given their lives for Christ and Country!

Our New Message Series "That's What She Said"...Women of the Bible launches June 2.  Each week we will lift up women who were faithful leaders, impacted their generation, and we still learn from their witness today.

At the Upper Room Prayer and Healing service on June 4 at 6:30 pm we will pray over the Ghana Mission Team before they leave to serve over 700 people in three villages and plant three new churches in the Shama Region of Ghana.

Julie and I ask you to join us in praying for the life transformation which can happen during our CCKids and CCStudent camps this summer, in our regular worship services, and the mission trips which will occur.  We invite you to join us online at Christ Church Online when you are traveling or on vacation.

With much love for you and passion for those who have yet to belong,
Pastors Charles and Julie

Recently I cast vision for our Leadership Team at Christ Church. Our key text for our 2024 Leadership Retreat was from Exodus 2:24-25, “God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.”   God heard the cry of the many and took action through One leader! God values the “One”.  In Luke 15 a good shepherd discovered one sheep was lost so he left the 99 to go after the “One”. There is a spiritual hunger in America today like never before.  So many are unchurched. May God give us tender hearts for our unchurched friends and neighbors.

The mission field in the United States is now the largest it has ever been. Pew Research put out a report last month, January 24 stating that the largest religious group now in the United States is not Catholic, Protestant, Christian, etc., it’s the “NONES” as they now number 28%.   They claim “No church or religious affiliation”.  In 2007 they numbered 16%.   Thus the fastest growing religious group happens to be those who do not affiliate with any church or religious group.  God knows it’s time to act! Here is the vision that I shared with our leaders and I want to share this vision with you for I believe God is saying, “it’s time to act”. We are called to…

• Increase worship attendance at all campuses by minimum of 10% by raising the “Invitational Mantra” in worship with the mantra, “Each one bring one”. Invite someone to worship.  Who is your “One” person you are praying for? The “One” person you will invite to worship? It’s time to act.
• Be more intentional in raising up our younger generation to reach their generation for Christ “One” person at a time! Training our CC Students and CC Kids in sharing their faith “One person at a time”. It’s time to act.
• Starting a new campus in 2024-2025…to reach “One” person at a time. It’s time to act!
• Providing a permanent home for CC Lincolnton to reach the “One”.  It’s time to act.
• Loving on those who are struggling and hurting by starting a Christian Counseling Center at Christ Church Global and increasing our Compassionate Care Ministry to care for “One” person at a time. It’s time to act.
• Investing in training and equipping laity and staff through Christian classes and seeking more partnerships with existing colleges and seminaries…It’s time to act. 
• Participating in the Foundry Network with 12 other large Wesleyan Evangelical Churches sharing best practices in reaching the unchurched for Christ.  It’s time to act.
• Unleashing large amounts of generosity to fund the mission and vision of Christ Church so this generation knows Jesus’ saving grace and healing in their lives.
• We’re starting a New Series for unchurched friends called, “Unreasonable Faith—Who Is Jesus?” Invite someone this weekend as this series builds to Easter Sunday.

The generosity of CC worshippers in 2023 set a record for giving to the general budget.  However, we are $114,145 behind budget in the first eight weeks of this year.  Let us join our hearts in prayer to pray for the “One” person we are going to invite and share Christ with. Each “one” of us is needed to make this vision a reality.  Let’s also join together in unleashing faithful generosity so we may reach even more persons for Christ.

Julie and I join you in praying for and inviting “One” person at a time.

Love,
Pastor Charles

When Jesus witnessed the religious leaders allowing scams in the house of God he turned over the tables of the money changers and said, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer, but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”   This is why Christ Church has maintained a high commitment to not allow fundraising at any of our campuses.  We believe that it is more vital to teach tithing and give offerings to mission and ministry.  We also believe our focus should be the House of God as a place for worship, see Exodus OYB reading, a place of healing and allowing the Holy Spirit to encourage and renew the Image of God which was tainted due to sin.  Our passion is to invite children, students and adults to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. During February we want to ask you to grow in your relationship with Christ as we seek to love God and love people:

• “Going The Distance in Relationships” continues throughout February—Invite a Friend
• Starting February 1, let’s read a chapter each day from the Book of Acts following up on the 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to move within us and among us as a church that not only believes in prayer but prays! (Pastor Harley shares more below.)
• February 6: Attend Upper Room Prayer Service - “My Temple will be called a house of prayer”…so let’s come together from all campuses and pray.
• Bring canned goods and nonperishables to stock Salvation Army’s Food Pantry.  This week their food pantry was empty where they serve roughly 400 families each month.
• February’s Second Mile Offering will go to the Salvation Army as they sleep the homeless 365 days a year.  Children, women and men are able to have a warm bed.
•  February 14: Ash Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at all campuses, so singles, families and couples can celebrate Real Love on Valentine’s Day as we gather to begin the Lenten Journey remembering Jesus’ love for us.

Grab some canned food and Invite a friend to join you as we gather “In the House of Prayer” this weekend at Christ Church.  

With deep appreciation and love
Pastors Charles and Julie

The Power of Words
Perhaps one of the greatest lies we were ever told was spoken to us when we were young children. You may have even said it: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Anyone who has ever had harsh words or insults hurled upon them knows well the ability of words to hurt. While words can inflict painful feelings, the Bible is clear that there is also power…life-giving power in words.

Hebrews 11:3 reminds us that God created the heavens and the earth by speaking them into existence (Genesis 1). Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue…” Even Ephesians 6:17 instructs us to “Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

The Greek word used for “word” is rhema. It doesn’t just mean a written word. More accurately, it refers to the spoken word, an utterance.

We just finished 21 days of fasting and prayer. I believe it was meaningful to many and helped move the needle in our faith, finances, relationships, etc.

Let’s keep the momentum going! For the month of February, we are asking the entire Christ Church community to take the sword of the Spirit and speak the word of God by reading aloud one chapter of the book of Acts every day. There are 29 days in February this year. There are 28 chapters in Acts, so on February 29 read Romans 12 as we prepare to begin the Lenten sermon series called Unreasonable Faith.

We believe there is power in the spoken word. We also believe there is even more power in the Word of God. The merging of the two will have a significant impact on your walk with Jesus, your family, your church, your community, and beyond.

We start, of course, on February 1 with Acts 1. Then, February 2 will have us reading Acts 2, and so on. You might choose to read the chapter aloud during your morning devotions, just before bedtime, on your lunch break, or some other time during the day. Anytime will work.
I heard a pastor say recently, “The reason many Christians keep losing battles is because they don’t know they’re in one.” Make no mistake, we’re in a battle…a war! It’s a war for our minds, our children, our marriages, our faith, our communities, our country, our world. Together, let’s pick up God’s weapon

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting
 
DAY 21 - January 27, 2024

Read
Pray for the Lord to speak to you through His word and through your prayer time. Begin by reading the One Year Bible reading for today.

Exodus 4:1-5:21, Matthew 18:1-20, Psalm 22:19-31, Proverbs 5:15-21
One Year Bible Reading
One Year Bible Audio

Prayer
Prayers of Petition: Lift up personal prayers.  This can include personal needs, family members, health, spiritual growth, etc.

Prayers of Intercession: Lift up prayers for others. This can include prayers for unchurched family, neighbors, coworkers or students.  Pray for those you would like to share Jesus with and/or invite to church or your life group. Pray for those who have needs such as a need for healing or provision.

Prayers for Christ Church: Each day you will pray for Christ Church, lifting up specific needs and requests of campuses and ministries.  

• Christ Church - Lincolnton: Pray for the Crisis Pregnancy Center.
• Christ Church - Northside: Pray for discernment and growth for the Northside CR.
• Christ Church - Statesville: Pray for a quiet devotion to One Year Bible reading, PREP, and prayer to be the norm.
• Christ Church - Fairgrove: Pray for a playground (indoor or outdoor) for CCKids.
• Christ Church - Mtn. View: Ask the Lord for an on and off ramp at Highway 321 and Sandy Ford Rd so we can reach the un-churched! Pray God would put on the heart of the DOT, mayors of Hickory, Maiden and Newton, county commissioners and state legislatures the need for this ramp.  Pray God will "Move the Needle!"
• Christ Church - Celebrate Recovery: Pray for all past, current and future residents of recovery programs, including The Foundry House.
• Christ Church’s Spiritual Renewal: Pray for Psalm 103:1-6 to become a reality in the services.

• Personal Multiplication:
  • Ask the Holy Spirit to help you grow, increase and multiply in finding value and strength from God.
  • Ask for the godly wisdom to develop and care for three people as you journey along with Jesus together.
• Multiplication through Christ Church:
  • Pray that our core values and beliefs continue to be Spirit led, rooted in scripture and boldly proclaimed in our words and deeds