Ascent Church of Evergreen

Man Up Group

This Winter/Spring 2019 (Feb 7-May 16), our Man Up Groups will be looking into two books: one that is 3000 years old (and has stood the test of time, the passing of civilizations, and the folly and wisdom of all kinds of men) and a second one that was published at the conclusion of WWII by the greatest author of the 20th-Century. Each work (Solomon’s 'Ecclesiastes' and C.S. Lewis’ 'The Great Divorce') deals with both our foolishness as humans as well as the Grand Opportunity of life before each of us . . . if we would but move towards God. Under inspiration of the Spirit, Solomon wrote a masterpiece of Scripture that can both keep us grounded as well as elevate us to the men we’re supposed to be. And through experience with Humanity, Lewis penned a classic that teaches us about the things we would otherwise see as ridiculous if we weren’t stuck right in the middle of their maze—that, scarily, can prevent us from nearing God.

The fact is, you need to read both of these books to take hold of the great wisdom of God about real life ('Ecclesiastes') and the great mirror of Humanity ('The Great Divorce'). And you won’t just be smarter . . . you’ll be surrounded with a group of incredible guys who are walking the same direction as you are when you’re done reading it all.

Cost is $15/pp by February 1 (and $20/pp after).

Registration includes C.S. Lewis' book 'The Great Divorce' as well as additional materials that will be a part of the February-May 2019 study. The opening session--at both the 7:00a & 7:00p groups--is Thursday, Feb 7, which will include an introduction to both books and an overview of how the study is intended to impact our lives.

These two books--one a powerful book of Scripture and the other a classic writing by the 20th Century's greatest author--are an amazing tandem and you won't want to miss it at all.

Questions before the group kicks off? Contact John Morlan at john@AscentChurch.co.

SHAPE Discovery Workshop

Sunday, March 10 11:15 AM to 1:15 PM

Explore the unique ways in which God has created you to serve others. This is a 2-hour fun-filled, interactive experience designed to help you to discover your personal SHAPE (Spiritual Gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences) and how God plans to use you for ministry both within the church and the community. The cost is $8 and the fee includes lunch and materials. Limit: 15 Participants; Registration closes end-of-day Thursday, March 7.

Workshop

Join the New Workshop! During this first session, the group will read and work through the book “To Be Told” by Dan Allender, PhD., a discovery of how God has written your life so far, and how God is leading you into the rest of your story. With God as your coauthor, He will show you how to follow Him into the future.

Our stories, in all their beauty and heartache, shape and influence every dimension of our daily life and relationships. Knowing the impact of our story and finding God’s redemptive work within it is vital for emotional, relational, and spiritual formation and health. Our culture often encourages us to focus only on the positive experiences and put the painful ones behind us. Far too often, when the true impact of our stories of wounding and heartache go unaddressed, we find ourselves bound to unhealthy and unfulfilling patterns without hope for change.

Giving ourselves permission to explore how the goodness and pain in our life have shaped us opens the door to transformation and a deeper capacity for joy, intimacy, and fulfillment. To Be Told is far more than the popularized movement to “know your story.” It is an invitation to truth-telling, healing lament, deep soulfulness, and lasting change.

Each participant will follow the book’s guidance, with support from the group, in writing the story of their life, and will enter into an understanding of how to multiply their story by telling it in community - giving it to others for their benefit.

Meetings will be the 2nd Thursday of each month with work required in between meetings. The cost is approximately $50 and will include the purchase of the book, workbook and a small fee for a special 1-day simulcast of a “To Be Told” conference by Dr. Dan Allender.

Community will continue afterwards with intermittent “Story Feast” gatherings, where we will feast together on a meal and on the stories God has written in our community.

Questions? Contact Sharon Regan, nextsteps@ascentchurch.co

https://ascentchurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/168990

The Solomon Project

9 months. 12 learners. A dedicated mentor. And the Scriptures.

Personal formation with the goal of living with greater wisdom.

Do you want to increase in wisdom? A person whose reflexes increasingly become like God's desires and ways? Someone who understands God, life, and the world better each day? 1 Kings 4 says "God gave Solomon very great wisdom and understanding, and knowledge as vast as the sands of the seashore . . . He was wiser than anyone else . . . He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon."

This Fall, we begin an intentional and intense discipleship with the goal of discovering God's wisdom--to not only understand THE SCRIPTURES better, but to understand LIFE more deeply. This doesn't happen by occasionally watching documentaries and just listening to someone else preach about it a couple times a month. It requires great curiosity, intense effort, and increasing faithfulness. God can only invest wisdom about the larger world into those who are learners, those who are humble, and those who are dedicated.

The Solomon Project is about pursuing this with deep-hearted, wide-eyed, and spiritually/intellectually/emotionally hungry people. With 17+ intense group sessions from Sept 18-May 19 along with a one-on-one personal discipleship each month with a mentor, and curriculum that stretches us, you cannot emerge from this year unchanged.

There is a costly investment to be a part of a Solomon group: (1) commitment to attend no fewer than 15 of 17 group sessions--which fall on 2nd & 4th Wednesdays (6:30p-8p), (2) 100% commitment to monthly one-on-one mentoring appointments, (3) commitment to read all the materials and perform the exercises, (4) faithfulness to attend no less than 28 of 36 Sunday Worship/Sermon experiences during this 9-mo season, (5) dedication to enrich the others in the Solomon Project group both relationally and intellectually, and (6) a commitment to personally develop another person in their spiritual life during the year following your time in the Solomon Project.

If you are interested in learning more, contact john@ascentchurch.co.

Joy's Kitchen Announcement

Joy's Kitchen will be permanently moving locations and will now be serving their Mobile Food Pantry out of Kittredge Community Bible Church. The date of the next food pantry will be February 16th from 11:30a - 12:45p (volunteers 10:30a - 1p). If you've been serving with Joy's Kitchen (or would still like to get involved), volunteers are still welcome of course! Just show up at 10:30a and help serve our mountain community! For more information about Joy's Kitchen, visit https://joyskitchen.org/.