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Lenten Activities Beginning February 17 Lenten Life Groups Prepare your hearts for the glory of Easter with a hands-on, experiential Lenten study for you and your family. For more information, contact Sally Bryant at sally@saratogafederated.org. |
Practice your faith in the Christian community - Join a Life Group for Lent! Lent invites us to purposefully companion Jesus in his ministry here on earth, and as he goes to his death on Calvary. Walking with Jesus for the six weeks of Lent leads us into deeper intimacy with him, and prepares our heart to celebrate the glory of the resurrection. This Lent, we’ll look at what it means to live as followers of Jesus, participating with the Spirit to fill the world with God’s love, God’s justice, and God’s beauty. You may have heard the poem, “The Dash.” It refers to the dash on every tombstone – the line separating birth from death. The “dash” is all we have because it is our life; it is what we do with our lives. This Lent, we’ll ask the question: What are you doing with your dash? Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” As we live out this prayer, we realize that our dash makes a difference. What difference would it make in the Church—right here at Saratoga Federated? Let’s discover the difference it makes this Lent. Join us for this Lenten study following Sean's sermon series, reflecting on what it means to be a follower of Jesus, participating with the Spirit to fill the world with God’s love, justice, and beauty. Lenten Study Contact Sally for more information: sally@saratogafederated.org |
RightNow Media:
We are excited to give you access to RightNow Media, a media-streaming service (think Netflix) with thousands of titles of Bible study and devotional resources for all members of the family. If you do not yet have access, click here: www.rightnowmedia.org/Account/Invite/saratogafederated
Love Your Neighbor
Jesus says that is the second commandment. And He says that if we love God, we will love our neighbor. Are you wondering how you can love your neighbor right now? Here are several suggestions for your Life Group.
Watch The Color of Compromise available on RightNow Media:
https://www. rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/419940https:// www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/419940. We have made this resource available free to anyone interested. You can watch these short videos together online, then move to a Zoom call for discussion. This series gives a historical overview of the church’s role in racism, and often, its refusal to act in a loving way to our neighbors.
Watch the movies Just Mercy and 13th. Just Mercy, based on the book by Bryan Stevenson, follows the attempt of attorney Bryan Stevenson to overturn the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian. 13th (referring to the 13th amendment outlawing slavery) explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisions are disproportionately filled with African-Americans. The Institute for Prison Ministries has a discussion available for help guide dialogue, available here,
https://prisoninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/13th-Film-Discussion-Guide_By-Amy-Williams-1.pdf
Watch The Color of Compromise available on RightNow Media:
https://www. rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/419940https:// www.rightnowmedia.org/Content/Series/419940. We have made this resource available free to anyone interested. You can watch these short videos together online, then move to a Zoom call for discussion. This series gives a historical overview of the church’s role in racism, and often, its refusal to act in a loving way to our neighbors.
Watch the movies Just Mercy and 13th. Just Mercy, based on the book by Bryan Stevenson, follows the attempt of attorney Bryan Stevenson to overturn the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian. 13th (referring to the 13th amendment outlawing slavery) explores the history of racial inequality in the United States, focusing on the fact that the nation's prisions are disproportionately filled with African-Americans. The Institute for Prison Ministries has a discussion available for help guide dialogue, available here,
https://prisoninstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/13th-Film-Discussion-Guide_By-Amy-Williams-1.pdf
The Experimental Men's Group (EMG)
The Experimental Men's Group (EMG) meets the first Monday of the month and is intended for men 70+. SFC and non-SFC men are warmly invited to join the group and make new friends. The EMG is intended to be more a community group than a church group for the 70+ category of men out there.
Email Tom Priest at tomp@caps4ups.com for the Zoom link.
Email Tom Priest at tomp@caps4ups.com for the Zoom link.
Life Groups Preparing Compassion Projects
Holy Spirit grow His Church and feed those in need? Our Life Groups involvement began in early April when Nate and Shelly volunteered to help their friend Gisela Bushey (Loaves+Fishes of San Jose CEO) by making and packing 200 lunches. The following week Rick and Elaine volunteered and made 100 then when more supplies became available later in that week, they made another 100 and recruited Doug Merrill to make 50. The next week Sandra Tang volunteered to do 100 and Doug and Susan Croft volunteered to make 200. As a benefit, Susan works for Cisco and they would donate $10 to L+F for every hour Susan volunteered. Plus Sandra's neighbors volunteered to make 100. The following week Sandra's neighbors recruited some friends and Russ and Linda Ikeda signed up so we grew to 800 lunches. And this week, we will make 850. We’ve grown from a force of 2 people to over 20.
This reminded us of the early church and how the Holy Spirit spread from person to person to build the church. Also great example of people rising to the challenge and serving in a socially distant way. And usually when we return the packed lunches they are distributed and eaten within a few hours showing how urgent the need is.
> Lunches made:
> Week 1 - 200
> Week 2 - 250
> Week 3 - 500
> Week 4 - 800
> Week 5 - 850
> Week 6 - Only the Lord knows for sure…
This reminded us of the early church and how the Holy Spirit spread from person to person to build the church. Also great example of people rising to the challenge and serving in a socially distant way. And usually when we return the packed lunches they are distributed and eaten within a few hours showing how urgent the need is.
> Lunches made:
> Week 1 - 200
> Week 2 - 250
> Week 3 - 500
> Week 4 - 800
> Week 5 - 850
> Week 6 - Only the Lord knows for sure…
Study Questions for Life Groups:
Study questions for each week’s sermons are available on our website on the Teaching page for Life Groups who want to follow along with the sermon.
About Life Groups
Life Groups offer a wonderful way to practice Life in God, Life with Others and Life for Others. They encourage a deeper relationship with God through Bible study and discussion. They promote meaningful interactions with other believers by developing friendships.
Life in God grounds our very being in our creator and redeemer.
Out of the overflow of life in God and our desire to follow his commandments, we engage in Life with Others through Life Groups.
Life Groups make serving others a joy! We pray that EACH person who calls Saratoga Federated Church their home will be part of a Life Group.
Life in God grounds our very being in our creator and redeemer.
Out of the overflow of life in God and our desire to follow his commandments, we engage in Life with Others through Life Groups.
Life Groups make serving others a joy! We pray that EACH person who calls Saratoga Federated Church their home will be part of a Life Group.
Practice your faith in the Christian community - Join a Life Group!
If you are not part of a Life Group and would like to join one.
Please contact Pastor Sally Bryant at - sally@saratogafederated.org or (408) 867-1000 ext. 233
Please contact Pastor Sally Bryant at - sally@saratogafederated.org or (408) 867-1000 ext. 233
Browse the listing of our open Life Groups
Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is to:
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”