The God Story
 Music, scenery, scripture, talk … lots of stuff happening at the weekly “The God Story” program up in the Youth Room. The point is to give young people a panoramic view of God’s character, purpose, and love and to let them experience and know their role in God’s plan. Take a look if you’re a teenager. And if you’re a parent or adult, you know all of this, right? Then you gotta watch, too. More ...
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Pull Me Up: The Journey of Lisa Mays
 Lisa Mays exudes a quiet, confident presence. She wears a warm smile and reflects a listening spirit as she moves around the church. And she always looks tastefully dressed and styled yet not ostentatious.
That style -- she got it from her mother, who dressed her for school in crisply starched blouses, pressed skirts, and matching socks. Too bad that wasn’t what her classmates were wearing in inner-city Baltimore. Lisa stuck out. What’s more, she was the smartest in her class, which made others envious. Plus she was overweight, which made her self-conscious and vulnerable. |
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Be Not Troubled
Lisa Mays and her family travel a long way from Maryland to their West Shore family, and she has traveled a long way in life experiences (see story above). Here’s just a taste of what she has learned on that journey about the God she loves. |
 Discipline: not easy, not optional
Giving
“Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart,” Pastor Phil reminded us in his February 28 sermon, Giving – another in the series of spiritual disciplines. “When it comes to giving, the most important question is: What does our giving reveal about our hearts? The second most important question is like it: What does our giving do to our hearts? Where your treasure goes, there your heart will become more and more invested.” Read/Listen to the sermon ...
Sabbath
The Sabbath is a day of rest, but it is much more than that, Pastor Phil uncovers in this sermon, part of the Spiritual Disciplines series. It is also "a day of relationship, a day of release, and finally, a day to reorder our lives. From the very beginning, the Sabbath was a day of rest for the sake of relationship. What makes it holy is not just that we do no work. What makes it holy is that we meet with God. To be holy is to be set apart to God." Read/Listen to the sermon ...
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Going Deeper: Questions to Ask Yourself
Sunday’s sermons certainly get us thinking, and they inspire us to change in ways that move us closer to becoming like Jesus. Sometimes, however, we all could use some specific help in applying what we heard to how we live. That’s why we created this Going Deeper section of the website. Take a look here at questions from Pastor Phil's 02.21.10 sermon on the Sabbath.
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Spending Time as a Family: Priceless
 We dropped in on Faith@Home|Wednesday last week and got chatting with the Lundblad family.
We asked the Lundblad boys, Samuel, age 7 and Philip… uh… also 7 (they’re twins), what was their favorite activity among the many games on Wednesday nights. “Toilet tag,” they said. What’s that, we asked? They got giggling and chuckling... and then their parents jumped in to clarify: “It’s like freeze tag,” Julie Lundblad told us.
We moved on to a more serious question: What have you been learning? Tonight, the boys said, they learned about Daniel and how he prayed three times a day even when he knew he could be put in the lion’s den. Lions? Yikes! |
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Children of the Field: MK’s
 Miriam Miller and Josh Smith were MK’s (Missionary Kids), born seven months apart in the same Kenyan hospital, separated for a dozen years – Miriam to the U.S., Josh staying in Kenya – then reunited at Rift Valley Academy in Kijabe, where love befell them, and now integrated into the West Shore family. Read their story here, and about the impact on their lives now of being MKs here.
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God Built
 "Have you ever heard the saying,” asks author Steve Farrar, “'the devil is in the details'? That is absolutely incorrect. God is in the details!" And God is in control. West Shore's Jim Cole review for us the first in a series of no-punches-pulled books directed at men. More …
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Helping Haiti
The 7.3-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th causing widespread devastation to the capital, Port-au-Prince, and surrounding area has created a great need for aid.
EFCA TouchGlobal Crisis Response is coordinating relief efforts with the EFCA Southeast District, an EFCA church planter in Haiti, and key ministry partners.
Our church can help by: |
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Help Resisted, Help Accepted
A letter came after last year’s Life-giving Saturday from a grateful recipient of our love and gift of time. The dedication and fine work of five people made a big impact on her. We share the story here as encouragement.
Betty (not her real name) didn’t want to “appear a charity case,” as a single mom in need. It was difficult to accept help from our church.
She says that she works very hard on her farm as well as in her new career as a surgical first assistant. Raising a family put her out of the workplace for many years. Then came “an ugly divorce,” that resulted from long abuse and that drove her out on her own. After four years, she says she is “slowly regaining self-confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness as a strong, intelligent, and capable woman.” |
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Looking for Jesus with One Eye
 Three year-old Luen and her younger brother picked up something that looked like a fun toy. The landmine exploded, leaving Luen nearly dead and her brother with serious head injuries. A month in a Cambodian hospital saved her life but only one eye. Years of pain and disappointment led, finally, to her seeing Jesus. More …
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Making a Vow to “Our” Children
 Jan Morrison loves the dedication service for young ones. She says that, even after 27 years, the event “continues to cause my eyes to tear, my spine to tingle, and my soul to leap." More …
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