Don't Miss September 9th!

September 9th is a day you do not want to miss at Life Church!!  We are kicking the day off in the Convention Center where Ashlin will be back in action and the Life Church Band will lead us in some rockin' music.  We will start a new teaching series called "The New Normal: When One Thing Changes Everything" - we will explore how Jesus can change everything and set our lives up with a "new normal." We will also launch a new video telling one story of life transformation in our Life Church community.  After our gathering we will then move the party to Lancaster County Park where we will host our 3rd Annual Pig Roast!  For those interested we are inviting you to bring a dessert or drink to share but everything else will be provided!  The Pig Roast is free to everyone who wants to come - So invite your friends and family!  Our hospitality team will be out in force that day making everyone feel welcome and there will be some fun backyard games and sports to play.  This is a great day to connect friends and family who do not know Jesus to our Life Church community and hopefully help them find Jesus for Life.

Groups Starting in Late September!!

Jesus offers us full life and life lived alone is not full. That’s why this fall Life Church will launch a handful of small groups designed to help people grow in their faith and to connect more fully to Jesus, his people and his mission. These groups will focus on specific teaching topic, will last for about 10 weeks and will be led by fellow Life Church folks. Groups will be around 8-14 people who gather together on a weekly basis. Joining a group is a great way to grow in your faith, to find new friendships and to be a part of making a difference. Our current listing of groups is as follows:

Financial Peace University led by Jeremey & Lydia Walter and Corey & Jaime Shank.
Vintage Jesus led by Dave & Kristen May & Frank & Kelly Carr
What’s Next led by Matt Miller and Margie Faler
Life Church Newcomers led by Jason & Mindy Wolfe

Feel free to talk to any of these leaders about their group! More info about the subjects, times, dates, cost, locations and sign ups will be coming very soon!

Matt's Thoughts On MMA

I’m not really into MMA but I am into lost people finding Jesus. I was blown away by how many non-churched people showed up to this event. I was excited to see people taking smoke breaks and swearing. Why? Because that means we are connecting people who often don't connect with church or Jesus. We are not interested in hosting an event that is consumed by ‘put together’ church people. If we don’t feel slightly uncomfortable about something that's going down at an event like this, we’re not doing it right! I’m excited to see how God is going to use the upcoming fights to reach more people who would never step foot in church. If this event sounds like something you’d like to be a part of, contact Drew Landis via email drewlandis1@gmail.com

Kid City's: Drama-Rama

We want our kids to feel comfortable inviting their friends to church… so, we designed two events that would make it easier. Earlier this month we hosted “Music-pa-looza”— a fun, out-of-the ordinary musical experience (check out photos and a short video on Facebook at Kid City at Life Church) and next month we’ll be hosting “Drama-rama”—a high-energy drama workshop led by a theatre professional. These workshops are FREE and open to kids age 2 -5th grade. Empower and encourage your kids to invite their friends to church—where they will have fun, have a meaningful experience without intimidation… but most importantly hear about Jesus.

It Will Rock Your Socks Off!

Our final shout out about our first ever Ladies Retreat is coming from our Kid City Director, Kristen May -

"I’m stoked for the Women's Retreat. Here’s why-- first, I’m looking forward to some pool-side sunshine and sentimental campfires, but second, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the ladies of Life Church on a deeper level. God, in his infinite wisdom, created us with a need for community. I feel that need… I’m sure most women feel it. This retreat is a great opportunity to invest in relationships and meet that need. We’re all so very different, but the bottom line is this: we all love to have fun, we all found ourselves somehow connected to Life Church, and we all are seeking Jesus in some way--- these commonalities are not coincidental. My suggestion is this: if you haven’t already signed up to attend, please do! You will only regret not coming. (It will rock your socks off—it may even change your life!).

Come Away And Connect

We asked Barbara Perry what she was hoping to come away from the retreat with. Like many of us, deeper friendships was at the top of the list. Thanks Barbara for sharing your heart with us!


"What’s the quickest way to get to know someone really fast? I find that spending time in an environment where you are doing everything together usually does the trick. This is how I see it. Ladies that sleep, eat and climb into the trees and pray and study God’s word together grow very close. And it doesn’t take long. The ladies of Life Church are about to venture out on their very first Ladies Retreat and our mission and hope is to be able to come to know each other in a deeper and more interconnected way. We will only be on the retreat for two nights. But, oh, what can happen in two nights, when twenty-some ladies come with expectant hearts before God!

I want to thank the men of Life Church for giving the ladies this opportunity to take time out to be together and spend quality time to touch each other’s lives and see each other in a whole new and different atmosphere. I don’t know about you, but do you get to the heart of who someone is all about; their passions, their pain, their joys, their sorrows, in 90 minutes or so on a Sunday morning?

Church is about community. We come to commune with one another and with our God, opening ourselves up to each other and being vulnerable and allowing our brothers and sisters in the family of God to share our joys and our sorrows; our needs and our blessings. That’s what the community of Jesus is all about. In Acts 4:32, is says “….. the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.” - Barbara

If you haven't signed up yet for Life Church's first Ladies Retreat it is NOT too late!!! Head on over to our website, www.lifechurchlancaster.org, click the ladies retreat tab at the top of the page and sign up! If you have a friend who doesn't go to Life Church or even any church at all, but you know she could really use a rest and some good time with other women - invite her! We are counting down and hope to see you there.- Mindy

Shiny Christians

Many people think that being a follower of Jesus is all about how shiny you can polish your life to be. Have I gotten rid of this sin, and that sin? Have I mastered a spiritual things like prayer or reading my bible? Do I only hang out with people who agree with me about God and Church? We get so focused on polishing our lives that we become arrogant toward people who aren't working as hard as we are and we judge people whose lives are “messy.” Additionally, we have little love for the hurting, the broken and the outcast.

But when Jesus walked this earth he roamed the streets and invited people to “follow me.” He didn’t have a list of prerequisites that you had to meet first. He didn’t look for people who had it all together. He didn’t make them promise to never swear again, to quit smoking, to tuck in their shirt and to never watch football on Sunday again. He simply said, “Follow Me.” Being a follower of Jesus is not about figuring out where you land on the “morality-achievement scale.” Its about a consistent focus on Jesus.

Some of us grew up in homes where Jesus was prayed to, talked about and the bible was read regularly. Others grew up in homes where Jesus was rejected and not welcome. While others come from lives of broken families, violence, abuse, and a thousand other hardships. Some of us have made terrible decisions and now are reaping the consequences. Still others have received wisdom from parents and teachers and they are enjoying full life.

Everyone’s starting point is different but if we have a consistent focus on Jesus we are all heading in the same direction. So what matters for each of us is - Are you learning what it means to walk with Jesus today? He says to you, “Follow Me.”