This week church will be going back to virtual as many are feeling sick. This is in order to help keep everyone safe and healthy. When we are back together, we will continue to encourage you to wash your hands in church and wear a mask when you cannot be socially distant. We want to keep you and your family healthy. Have a great week! 

As we continue our journey through the book of Acts, we see a great example of discipleship and teaching others to lead and be lead well. Paul is continuing his journey and he ends up in Corinth. There he meets two tentmakers named Aquila and Priscilla. He lives and works with them for awhile and one day takes them with him on the next part of his travels. When they arrive in Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila see an exciting young preacher, Apollos, teaching but he doesn't know the whole story of Jesus. He never mentions Jesus' death, resurrection or the coming of the Holy Spirit. He needs their help to learn more. Paul, Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos all spend time learning and teaching and encouraging each other and others. This is what discipleship should look like! 

Starting this week, we will be meeting for Sunday school with our Elementary aged students. Pre-K students will still be meeting in the service or in the nursery. However, if you are still needing to worship at home, we are continuing to provide weekly worship guides here online. We hope you will continue journeying with us through the book of Acts. 

Next Sunday (September 13th) we will be opening back up another part of our services at First Brethren Church. Our nursery and Elementary aged classes will be opening again! (Unfortunately, our Pre-K class will not yet be open. If your students need to leave the worship service, they are welcome in the nursery.) 

This week, we will be looking at how Paul shares the message of the Gospel in Athens with 3 different groups. Their responses are kind of curious. I wonder how we will respond (or have responded) to this message? 

As we see in Acts 16, there are several different ways that people can be "in chains" or bondage. First, the fortune telling woman with the spirit was in bondage because she had no free will of her own. Paul sets her from her chains by casting out the spirit. Secondly, when Paul and Silas are taken to prison because they had done this, they are physically put in chains and also thrown in a prison cell. They are set from when they worship and pray and the jail is shook by an earthquake. Their physical chains are broken. Finally, the Roman jailor, when he sees that Paul and Silas and the other prisoners did not escape, he wants to know why and he hears the story of Jesus for the first time. He is spiritual saved from his chains. His sin no longer holds him. We see him and his family baptized and saved. 

Use the activity below to remind yourself of ways in which to help set yourself and those you care about free-by knowing Jesus! 

Like Paul and Silas, we should continue to sing praises. Sing this song to be reminder that God is our "Chainbreaker".

As we near the half way point of the Book of Acts and the end of Paul's first missionary journey, it is good to look back and refresh the many acts from the Book. The story is about to spread to every corner of the earth and we do not want to miss what God is doing through Paul and others. To review to story of Paul, you can watch this clip starting at the 14:20 mark:

Now that we've heard a little more about Paul's story, let's check out a story about a time when believers began to disagree and how they compromised for the better of God's people. 

Now that we've seen how to early church leaders fought but learned to compromise, let's see how we can better spread Jesus' love and word. Use the letter writing paper  to write a letter or draw a picture for a friend who you want to encourage and share more about Jesus, just like Paul did in his letters to the churches. It is a great way to stay connected when we are far apart! 

Here's a great song to give us words to share with those around us about Jesus. How are you sharing Jesus with those around you?

Trying to figure out how to get kids engaged with worship? Check out the resources below for songs and message specifically geared for kids to understand.

This week we will be looking at the story of Peter and Cornelius. This is an exciting story for a couple reasons- first, we see the first follower of Jesus who was for sure Gentile (non-Jewish) and secondly, because we get to eat BACON! HA! In this story, we see an angel appear to Cornelius, who was a Roman soldier. The angel tells Cornelius that he has to speak with Peter, the apostle. 

Before they can meet, Peter has a vision. In his vision, God shows Peter a sheet that comes down from Heaven with all sorts of animals on it. God tells Peter that he is free to kill and eat any of these animals if he is hungry. Peter, who has always followed Jewish law, says no because some of these animals are unclean to eat (see Deuteronomy 14). God instructs him that, now all things that He has created are considered clean. 

When Peter and Cornelius finally meet, Peter realizes that Cornelius is a follower of Jesus. Peter knows that even though Cornelius is not a Jew, God has accepted him as His own. Peter remembers his vision and how all things (and people) that God created are now clean. As Peter is talking to Cornelius, the Holy Spirit came on to everyone who could hear him. All of them, including Cornelius are then baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.