Hello
I had an incredible weekend and week of class!
This weekend consisted of spending quality time with my husband!! It was so much fun! We did a date night on Friday night that consisted of us trying once again to eat at Vasken's Deli and it being closed. Who knew that they closed at 5 everyday! It was a great disappointment but it didn't ruin our night. We went to Panera and enjoyed getting bread bowls! We then headed to our local church home and was apart of "The Great Date Night" they church facilitated games, dessert, and entertainment - Skinny Improv. It was an amazing night of laughter and intentional conversation! I loved getting to finally hangout with my husband off The Institute campus and alone from our classmates. Saturday was homework day and then another little date night away from everyone. Branson was having a Hot Air Balloon Festival and we had been given free tickets for a tethered ride from Heather Holland (My friend from kamp and the cook for the Link Year this year). So we headed to the Branson Rex Plex and made it just in time to get a ride on one of the Balloons. Sunday was again another homework day working on our Bible Overview Projects and preparing for the party I was going to throw for the Wades on Monday night.
This week's subject in class was Church History, and man did I learn a ton!! I walked in knowing very little. I knew that there were different denominations but didn't know why. I knew the Church started with a Jewish background because those are God's chosen people and that is Jesus heritage. But that was about it. So my mind is again on overload with all the information I took in over the past week.
On Monday we did not talk about Church History till the afternoon, but did our regular schedule Monday. Precepts and then Lifeline Statement. Our statement for this week was Music and Movies. In the afternoon we got the privilege to have Hollis Jones come and speak to us. He taught us about leadership. How it is more about Who than What and How. That meaning is it is more about your character and who you are than how you perform or what your abilities are.
I am going to talk now about the party I threw for the Wades. This is a couple that came to The Institute engaged and just got married on October 21, 2013. Both of them went to OSU with Dan and I and we knew them while there through K-Life. I had planned before hand to throw her a couple shower for The Institute class and them. Then they moved the date up and I made it a party to welcome them back to The Institute as the newly married couple. It was a blast!!! I had so much fun planning it. I had some amazing help from other girls in my class and ladies in the town of Branson.
It was a country two-steppin party. We taught lessons and had an amazing time. I had a photo booth and dessert to eat. The main dessert was cupcakes. I had engagement pictures printed out, candles, and flowers to decorate with. The colors were navy and mustard yellow. It was gorgeous and Ali Pav. A wonderful friend of mine here at The Institute helped immensely with the decorations. I provided the supplies and she set it up beautifully with the help of other girls in my class as well. All together it was great desserts and fellowship in learning how to dance.
Tuesday - Thursday Church History
We had Chad Hampsch as our teacher for this week. He is so knowledgeable because he has given the time to study the Word and history. Two subjects he fully enjoys and is excited to share what he has learned.
I have an assignment due Friday night over what we learned about Church History and a blog reflection is apart of that. Therefore, this next section maybe a little different than how I would usually write because I will be answer specific questions for my assignment.
1. How has learning about Church History changed my view of the body of Christ?
I believe my view of the Church body has changed through actually knowing what happened and it pushes me to believe that a healthy Church body takes a lot of work. Therefore, less judgmental towards church bodies and more open to search why they are the way they are, and find one that I want to be apart of.
Before learning what I did this week I thought each Church body had a good road map to become healthy, but that is not the case. There are many different variances of what a Church body can look like. Now don't get me wrong, there are certain things that make up a Christian Church! Believing in Jesus and his humanity and deity and that he died and rose again, the Bible is the inerrant, inspired, and authoritative Word of God and some others. But when it comes to service, worship, time, place these are more of the lenient aspects of the Church body and can be different across the board.
Therefore, learning about the different time periods of the Church's history and how the Church body responded was exciting and also saddening. There were great moments and terrible moments. My view like I said has changed to understand more clearly that a healthy body takes a lot of work and it is not just something established as soon as a new Church starts.
Not one denomination is right, all have their flaws and all have their strengths.
2. What is my responsibility to the body look like?
I believe this is to SERVE. One way is to use your Spiritual Gifts for the service of the Church Body. Just last week we talked about Spiritual Gifts and I totally believe that using those in the body you attend is crucial. Therefore, my Spiritual Gifts are Service and Administration and I can use them for the Church body in many ways. Doing work in any area that is behind the scenes, like making the bulletin, helping prepare the potluck supper for the church, helping organize church events, help with cleaning days of the church and the list goes on. I could also help in the front lines like in one of the ministry, student, nursery, etc. Now I also believe that you can serve where the church needs it so asking is the first step and you hope that in some area you can use your gift to serve them there. However service is the ultimate goal and if they line up with your Spiritual Gifts that is a plus.
Our time with Chad Hampsch consisted of walking from the first church in Acts to Present day and including key people with each time period. Here is the very broad outline.
The Age of Catholic Christianity 70-312
The Age of Imperial Christianity 312-590
The Age of Christendom 590-1517
The Age of Reformation 1517-1648
The Age of Reason and Revival 1648-1789
The Age of Revival in America 1720-1857
The Age of Ideologies 1914-Present
Altogether this week was a great week of learning and reflecting on God's sovereignty and how He is still working in our world now.
Spend sometime today reflecting on what God has been doing in your life and your church today. Praise Him for the struggles and the triumphs. Maybe even pray for God to reveal how you can be of service for your church or the church body.
It was a country two-steppin party. We taught lessons and had an amazing time. I had a photo booth and dessert to eat. The main dessert was cupcakes. I had engagement pictures printed out, candles, and flowers to decorate with. The colors were navy and mustard yellow. It was gorgeous and Ali Pav. A wonderful friend of mine here at The Institute helped immensely with the decorations. I provided the supplies and she set it up beautifully with the help of other girls in my class as well. All together it was great desserts and fellowship in learning how to dance.
Tuesday - Thursday Church History
We had Chad Hampsch as our teacher for this week. He is so knowledgeable because he has given the time to study the Word and history. Two subjects he fully enjoys and is excited to share what he has learned.
I have an assignment due Friday night over what we learned about Church History and a blog reflection is apart of that. Therefore, this next section maybe a little different than how I would usually write because I will be answer specific questions for my assignment.
1. How has learning about Church History changed my view of the body of Christ?
I believe my view of the Church body has changed through actually knowing what happened and it pushes me to believe that a healthy Church body takes a lot of work. Therefore, less judgmental towards church bodies and more open to search why they are the way they are, and find one that I want to be apart of.
Before learning what I did this week I thought each Church body had a good road map to become healthy, but that is not the case. There are many different variances of what a Church body can look like. Now don't get me wrong, there are certain things that make up a Christian Church! Believing in Jesus and his humanity and deity and that he died and rose again, the Bible is the inerrant, inspired, and authoritative Word of God and some others. But when it comes to service, worship, time, place these are more of the lenient aspects of the Church body and can be different across the board.
Therefore, learning about the different time periods of the Church's history and how the Church body responded was exciting and also saddening. There were great moments and terrible moments. My view like I said has changed to understand more clearly that a healthy body takes a lot of work and it is not just something established as soon as a new Church starts.
Not one denomination is right, all have their flaws and all have their strengths.
2. What is my responsibility to the body look like?
I believe this is to SERVE. One way is to use your Spiritual Gifts for the service of the Church Body. Just last week we talked about Spiritual Gifts and I totally believe that using those in the body you attend is crucial. Therefore, my Spiritual Gifts are Service and Administration and I can use them for the Church body in many ways. Doing work in any area that is behind the scenes, like making the bulletin, helping prepare the potluck supper for the church, helping organize church events, help with cleaning days of the church and the list goes on. I could also help in the front lines like in one of the ministry, student, nursery, etc. Now I also believe that you can serve where the church needs it so asking is the first step and you hope that in some area you can use your gift to serve them there. However service is the ultimate goal and if they line up with your Spiritual Gifts that is a plus.
Our time with Chad Hampsch consisted of walking from the first church in Acts to Present day and including key people with each time period. Here is the very broad outline.
The Age of Catholic Christianity 70-312
The Age of Imperial Christianity 312-590
The Age of Christendom 590-1517
The Age of Reformation 1517-1648
The Age of Reason and Revival 1648-1789
The Age of Revival in America 1720-1857
The Age of Ideologies 1914-Present
Altogether this week was a great week of learning and reflecting on God's sovereignty and how He is still working in our world now.
Spend sometime today reflecting on what God has been doing in your life and your church today. Praise Him for the struggles and the triumphs. Maybe even pray for God to reveal how you can be of service for your church or the church body.
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