CCY Connect june edition 2024

The Meaning of Life…

By Ryan Porter | CCY Shepherd

Humans have an innate desire to know why they exist or describe their purpose, and many books, movies, and songs have been written through the years on this topic. The world suggests that purpose is found in jobs, wealth, people, family, or self. Some of these things can lead to problems, while others are good in and of themselves. The problem occurs when these worldly things are placed on the throne of one’s life as the basis of happiness, fulfillment, or meaning. Tim Keller suggests that these things become deified when this happens: "We will look to it with all the passion and intensity of worship and devotion, even if we think ourselves as highly irreligious.” Humans have been described as worshipping beings; therefore, what is deified will be worshipped.

So, what is the alternative? How should we define life and its purpose? In his letter to the Christians in Colossae, Paul provides a profound answer: “For in him [Christ] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16, NIV). Christ is not just a part of our lives but the very reason for our existence.

In Christ: Just as a carpenter is the one who brings a table into existence or a parent is the one who brings a child into the world, Christ is the one who brings your life into being. He is the efficient cause of your existence.

Through Christ: He is the instrumental cause of your life to whom you are subordinate. He is the only rightful one to sit on your throne.

For Christ: He is the final cause of your life or the one on which your life depends for existence.

Paul continues, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17). In other words, he is the sustainer and reason for your life. Does that sound like meaning and purpose?

Your reason for being here is because in, through, and for Christ, you were created to be his, serve him, and ultimately share in his inheritance for eternity. Your life’s meaning is not tied to things of this world that fade (Matthew 6:19-21). John Stott suggests instead: “We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency and to overthrow our patterns of thought and behavior.” Thus, you can move from worldly purpose to understanding you were designed and created for Christ’s purpose to do amazing things for the Kingdom. Many of you may think, “I can’t do amazing things,” but Paul also says you should live a life worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). In other words, you are called to have a proper response in light of of the mighty works of God and Jesus in your life. You have a testimony—an intense story of how Jesus brought you to life and the hope of glory in Jesus who saved you. Share that hope and your story as Christ continues to do mighty works in you.

Picture yourself walking through a lush garden on a warm spring day. Stopping for only a moment, you notice that each plant is distinct in color, shape, and even scent. A sweet aroma works together to serenade a diverse crew of pollinators. Individually, the flowers are captivating; collectively, they are breathtaking. Similar are we to the garden; thriving more in unity than individually.

In John 17:20-26, Jesus prays for all believers, calling us to unite as one so that the world may believe in Christ. Just as a patch of flowers together brings in more life, so too will a church body that securely unites as one.

Throughout the course of humanity, division has not easily been overcome, creating war, splitting nations, and even tearing apart families. When people don’t see eye to eye, arguments quickly follow, especially when our faith is being called into question! Division doesn’t just come about from a debate over a particular doctrine. It isn’t a disagreement on how to best serve God either.

In a teaching from Gary DeLashmutt, he defines division as a “sinful personal alienation between Christians.” He then goes on to describe that this alienation comes from sinful behaviors such as malice or bitterness. And bitter just may be the devil’s favorite flavor as it so easily festers when issues aren’t addressed, creating a more than perfect opportunity for division and beginning to deteriorate the overall health of the church body. Sometimes bitterness builds because of a valid concern in the church, such as leadership choices, poor ministry outreach, or the lack of congregational activities. It is important to address these issues head-on, with leadership or even as a congregation, rather than holding on to these feelings. The Bible in Matthew 18:15-17 tells us to air our grievances in this manner. Above all, it asks us to unite in the Lord’s highest calling for us, to be a witness to the Gospel.

Evidently, maintaining unity throughout every part of our church is vital to the pre-existing structures within; however, unity is also necessary to cultivate growth. In a study from the Pew Research Center conducted in 2020, it is estimated that 31% of people ages 15 to 29 raised Christian will become unaffiliated with the church. This is a generation that faces great division in our country already, with an emphasis in modern times on the individual and what we can do for ourselves. These same people have been unknowingly raised in a church just as divided as the country that they are set to inherit. Unlike the 36% of the U.S. population who don’t know God, we have a leg up. We can look to His teachings to grow the church, starting with our own. In James 2:14-26, it is said that “as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” Meaning that in having faith, we should seek out good deeds; if not, it should be assumed there is no faith present. Oftentimes, good deeds are focused on as an outreach while being neglected within our own walls. For example, coming together to maintain a building that has served us well for over two decades now would show great care toward faith. Similarly, integrating people of all ages into service through scripture reading, being greeters, ushers, or even worship volunteers would further unify. Thus, showing newcomers, or even non-believers, that everyone has a place in our church.

Naturally, we all seek the safety of community in this world, and naturally, we fall short every single time. Though through the glory of God, we can unite as one to turn Satan’s attacks on himself rather than on one another. The first sixteen verses of Ephesians chapter 4 demonstrate perfectly how unity is achieved through Christ and in verse sixteen leaves us with the passage:

“From whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ and supporters,

As the current Burma situation in Burma is in chaos and many doors are being closed; Jesus' words, " As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work" John 9:4), is resounding every day in our ears. Our evangelists from Yangon often conducted Bible seminars in Chin and Rakhine States before. Now the doors have been closed and no one from outside can go into these states due to the intense fighting everyday. Many church buildings have been burned down by the Burmese junta. The same is true to the northern state of Kachin and other states, in other words, the whole of Burma. Jesus' words came true to Burma now. Please pray for the whole of Burma especially for Christians.

Burma Ministry Update

The water festival is a long holiday in Burma when people are free, so our evangelists took this opportunity and held Bible seminars in Hlegu and Shwebyda townships. God is opening the hearts of Burmese people that many people show their interest in Christianity, and many people have attended Bible seminars in both Hlegu and Shwebyda. At the end four people at Hlegu and two old ladies at Shwebyda have made decisions for Christ and were baptized. A miracle has happened to a 106 years old lady. This lady could not walk so five men carried her to the baptistry. After she was baptized she told the people that she felt very light and strong and climbed up the stairs to the worship room by herself. She told people not to carry or help her. Everyone was greatly amazed and praised God on that day. In spite of the dangers on every side the evangelists in Yangon continued to teach and preach the Good News to every home. People continued to respond to the Good News. Praise the Lord!

Because of the grace of God and through the help of our forwarding agents, John and Kathy Miller and their families and Christ's church of Yukon, and Bob and Dixie Peterson of Missouri, we were able to build a bigger worship room upstairs at Shwebyda. The dedication of this new worship room was held on March 23, 2024. Church leaders from surrounding areas have also attended the dedication service and all the Christians there have rejoiced and praised God. I wanted to attend the dedication of this church room but I could not because of the unsafe political situation. I have asked my brother from Myitkyina, north Burma to attend instead and he did. He did the ribbon cutting ceremony and opened the dedication on our behalf. Thank God and praise Him forever.

We have many poor church members who live in the slums. They could not afford to build an elevated shelter and live on the ground, and when the place flooded it was so miserable for them so we have built elevated bamboo homes for two family couples in Shwebyda as you can see in this newsletter.

Ministry of Mercy Home

We are planning to renovate the bigger room for worship because the number of people who come to worship is increasing. We also want to build a baptistry. It is estimated to cost about $2,000 US. for these two projects. If the Lord lays this burden upon any of you we will appreciate your help very much.

At one Karen village there is a widow whose husband was murdered and she is left with three daughters and one young man. They are very poor and unable to build a toilet room for themselves so we built one for them and they are very thankful. You can see them in the photos of this email newsletter.

We want to thank you for your continuous prayers and financial support. All the works of the Lord in both Burma and Thailand are continuing and are being blessed because of your prayers and generosity. May God bless everyone of you to the full.

With our deepest gratitude,

Jerry and Boonporn

BY MELISSA WRONA | PDO DIRECTOR

Our second year of Parent’s Day Out just closed, and we are thrilled to announce that the summer session is about to begin with some exciting developments! We ended the last session with 22 kids and will start the summer with 39 kids and 8 dedicated teachers!

There has been a notable increase in community interest in our program, with many messages inquiring about availability and expressing how they’ve heard wonderful things about us. This is incredibly encouraging! Bringing the community through the doors of CCY is vital for our church. It introduces the church to those who might otherwise never step inside. We have the opportunity to interact with families, break down stigmas often associated with the Christian faith, and demonstrate Christ’s love through our actions. We strive to be the warm, welcoming presence that makes everyone feel accepted, loved, and part of our family. We extend invitations for families to join us for services and events, and it has been heartening to see many take up the offer throughout the year.

Watching the children grow and learn new things has been a joy, especially those who have been with us since the beginning. This year, we focused on branding our program and decided on the name CCY Little Sprouts Parent’s Day Out. Children are like little sprouts that we nurture with love to help them grow. Our tagline, Planting seeds of faith, cultivating love, growing the future, encapsulates our mission. We aim to plant seeds of faith in the children and their families, cultivate love within the ministry, and contribute to the growth and success of families in our community. Healthy communities pave the way for a brighter future.

Parent’s Day Out is more than just childcare; it’s a ministry deeply connected to CCY. It reflects the positive attributes of our church and embodies the atmosphere we strive to create every day. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for all the support, prayers, help, and contributions. Thank you for believing in this ministry.

With gratitude,

Melissa Wrona

At Christ’s Church of Yukon, the safety and security of your children are our highest priorities. To maintain a safe and nurturing environment, we have established the following procedures:

Check-In and Identification

Sign-In Process: Upon arrival, parents will sign their children into their respective classes. This ensures we have an accurate record of all attendees.

Wristbands: After signing in, parents and their children will receive matching wristbands. These wristbands will display the child's name. Parents must wear these wristbands as they will be required to present them during pick-up.

Communication During Service

Contact Information: Parents are asked to provide a phone number at check-in. This number will be used to text parents if they need to return to the children's area for any reason. Please ensure your phone is on vibrate or silent mode but remains accessible during the service.

Pick-Up Procedure

Secure Pick-Up: To ensure each child’s safety, parents must show their wristband with the matching name when picking up their child. This helps us confirm that each child is going home with the correct parent or guardian.

Restricted Access

Controlled Access: Only parents, children, approved staff, and volunteers are permitted in the children's areas. This policy helps maintain a secure environment by minimizing the number of individuals with access to the children.

Our commitment to safety is unwavering, and these measures are designed to create a secure and welcoming environment for all children in our care. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding in following these procedures. This helps us ensure that every child enjoys a safe and enriching experience while at church.

Ms. Tori