Church guide

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” — Luke 9:23-24

SAVE THE DATES! 4/14 Good Friday, 6:30 PM 4/16 Easter Morning Brunch, 9-945 AM Worship, 10 AM Who will you bring to hear the GOOD NEWS?

God wants us to overflow with hope, but is hope attainable? Is it possible that we have misunderstood what hope is really about? Join us this Sunday as Pastor Steve Hinkle challenges our assumptions and reminds us that we were designed by God to be filled with hope! 10:00 AM --Don't miss it!

God wants us to overflow with hope, but is hope attainable? Is it possible that we have misunderstood what hope is really about? Join us this Sunday as Pastor Steve Hinkle challenges our assumptions and reminds us that we were designed by God to be filled with hope! 10:00 AM --Don't miss it!

TOMORROW: Sprouts Meeting after service. If you currently serve or want to serve in the Nursery at some point, PLEASE stay for this brief meeting. We have some exciting news to share! Gather in the Library.

The spiritual gift of DISCERNMENT is also known as the gift of “discernment of spirits” or “distinguishing between spirits.” The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis. The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment. In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14. The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment to enable certain Christians to clearly recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world, and the flesh in a given situation. The church needs those with this gift to warn believers in times of danger or keep them from being led astray by false teaching. See also I Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6; 16:16-18; 1 John 4:1.

CHILI COOKOFF! THIS SATURDAY @ 5:00 PM Come compete (bring some chili) or just to eat! Either way, grab and friend and BE THERE!

Do you have the gift of mercy? One of the people who best exemplifies the gift of mercy in the New Testament is the apostle John. One of the foremost characteristics of the person gifted with mercy is love, and of all the apostles, John is the one who wrote the most about love - the love of God, the commandments of Jesus to love one another, and extensive admonitions to the early believers about love. John valued love highly and often referred to himself as "the one whom Jesus loved." To have been loved by Jesus was the highest reward and the most meaningful mark of identification that John felt he could claim for himself. https://www.intouch.org/read/the-gift-of-mercy

GIFT OF SHEPHERDING: The Greek word for pastor is poimen. In Ephesians 4:11, where Paul is listing spiritual gifts, this term is translated “pastor.” The word poimen is translated pastor only one time in all of Scripture; however, it is used sixteen additional times. The remaining sixteen times are all translated “shepherd.” Therefore, we must recognize that although Scripture uses the term pastor in this one instance, we are discussing the gift of Shepherding, not the position or office of the pastor. Though a pastor must have the gift of Shepherding, everyone who has the gift of Shepherding does not have the position of pastor. This gift can be utilized in many positions in the church other than senior pastor. The term shepherd and pastor can be used interchangeably, as you will see throughout this chapter and beyond. If you are a Shepherd, you have the spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by overseeing, training, and caring for the needs of a group of Christians. You are the shepherd who leads and feeds: the coach of the Team. Shepherds lead and feed, guard and protect, and oversee flocks. They coach and lead their Teams. The main thing on their “shepherd” minds is the welfare of those in their care—their “sheep.” They work under a pastor and are therefore an extension of the pastor and must “oversee” their part of the flock

Do you just LOVE to share the GOOD NEWS of Jesus Christ? Then you may have the gift of Evangelism. Evangelists are given the unique ability by the Holy Spirit to clearly and effectively communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. They are burdened in their hearts for the lost and will go out of their way to share the truth with them. Evangelists are able to overcome the normal fear of rejection and engage non-believers in meaningful conversations about Jesus. Their gift allows them to communicate with all types of people and therefore they receive a greater response to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. They continually seek out relationships with those who don’t know Jesus and are open to the leading of the Holy Spirit to approach different people.

Check us out: www.stonehillbiblechurch.org

We have received about 19 Gift tests back out of about 150 of you! Please take the time over this week to take the test then do one of the following: 1) Take a picture of results page and text it to (815) 530-4023 2) Email it to [email protected] 3) Or make a copy and put in my church mailbox in downstairs office It is so exciting to view results and nod our heads in agreement, as many of you are already serving within your mix. We will be focusing on this the remainder of February, with Next Steps in place to talk about after. Tips for Taking Test: Remember, you will not be "good" at everything. In fact, a test may have many 0's or 1's. Answer with WHO YOU ARE NOW....NOT who you THINK you should be. You may be gifted in several areas. Many results have 2-6 gifts but rank the same for a specific area. There are no fails on this test. Be honest, have fun and be praying for SHBC as we dream again TOGETHER, for this church and His purposes. Link for Spiritual Gift Test: http://www.pcumc.inf o/pdf/SpiritualGiftsAssessment.pdf Sincerely, Becca Bols Worship Director/Ministry Operations

Hi Church Family! Sunday Spiritual Gift Tests were passed out. If you missed it, they can be picked up at the Welcome Center. Our New Year Initiative is for ALL of SHBC to take this test to identify what they're good at so that we can start rebuilding the infrastructures of each ministry. Please take a picture and email to [email protected] or text it to (815) 530-4023. Next steps will follow in the months ahead.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” — James 4:10

Christmas Giving Opportunities: Special Love Offerings will be taken up this week and next to help families in our Church. URGENT NEEDS: SOCKS (Newborn-Adult) WINTER GEAR: Gloves, Scarves & Hats Let's Step up and Be the Hands of Jesus. Drop Box will be in the Foyer starting this Week. Morning Star Mission

New Study-New Time! Begins August 9th at 10 AM Sign up at the Welcome Center this Sunday!

“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 1:6

All Ladies of Stone Hill Bible Church, you're invited to join us this Sunday immediately after service for a Baby Shower in honor of Becca Bols Registered at Babies-R-Us. Gender: Is a Surprise!