Worship 24/7/365 (even with NO Sunday Worship Gathering Tomorrow, November 28))

Worship is a way of life.  We can't turn it off, we're giving our mind's attention and heart's affection to something of someone all the time.  24/7/365.

So, though we will NOT have a Sunday Morning Worship Gathering as theCityChurch this Sunday (November 28), we will seek to worship Jesus wherever we are!

We will be back together next Sunday, December 5.  Can't wait to see you then.

Jesus is Alive!

New Things (New Life & New Website)

This past Sunday, three awesome, Jesus-loving people were baptized in the chilly water after our worship gathering.

It was Fantastic!  (I'll post more on it later.)

And it's all because of Jesus.

When He arrives on the scene, opportunity for a New Life arrives in Him.  These three made a public statement that they have put their trust in Jesus, been made alive by Jesus paying for their debt of sin and the death is brings on the cross, and putting His life, made possible by Him rising from the dead, inside of each of them!

We're believing that God wants to make our city, and the whole world, new because Jesus is Alive!

We're redoing our website to put the flavor of our city and the Jesus-Action here right out front.  So, it may look weird for the next few days as we get it ready.

#theCityShouldBeDifferent

Honoring Veterans (with Free Laundry)

theCityChurch & Laundry World:

Veteran’s Day Appreciation

Free Laundry Service

To celebrate and value the service of our Veterans, theCityChurch (www.theCityChurch.us) and Laundry World (www.LaundryWorld.net) are giving away free laundry services to Veterans the week of Veteran’s Day.  (More info also at www.LaundryWorld.blogspot.com.) 

No Strings, No Catch…Just Love

From Thursday, November 11 until Wednesday, November 16:

Þ    FREE Coin-Wash to all Veteran’s (up to 5 loads). 

Þ    FREE Drop-Off Laundry to the spouses of Deployed Veteran’s or the surviving spouse of veterans killed in action (30 pound limit).  (the Family Resource Group sent this flyer in an email to the hundreds of families of the soldiers curently deployed from the 156th, Bayou Bandits, of the Louisiana National Guard.  WE ARE WITH YOU & PRAYING!!!)

WHY are you doing this?

We’re doing this because we believe that www.theCityShouldBeDifferent.com
because there are people here who love Jesus.

A small group is planting a new church in Lake Charles, called theCityChurch.  The pastor of the church, Paul Pettefer, also owns Laundry World. 

We believe that God’s love & Grace expressed through Jesus are incredible, that God meets people right were we are & brings us to Him, and that He wants all of us to experience Hope!  We wanted to put a little wind at the back of Veteran’s & spouses of deployed veteran’s with this simple act of love.  If you would like, we would love to pray for you.  Simply email paul@theCityChurch.us , text to 794-9891, or leave a prayer request at the Laundry.  

theCityChurch has a worship gathering on Sunday mornings @ 10:45 at the Clubhouse of the Village Green apartments, and you would be welcome to join us (2700 Earnest St., park in the long parking lot on the south side of the complex).  (Meeting locations are subject to change as we grow, so call or check out the website to keep up to date.)  We also host other Community Groups and smaller discussion groups, which you would be welcome to hang out at, or just call for coffee.  

You can call/text Paul Pettefer @ 794-9891, email us (above), or check out our website at www.theCityShouldBeDifferent.com.  Go Jesus!

What does "Go Jesus" mean?

I don't remember exactly how it started.  Well, I suppose I do.  It started with God, who is rich in mercy, who made me alive, together with Jesus! (Eph 2:6)

While I don't remember the first time this phrase made it's way into our group's vocabulary, I do remember what I was thinking when it happened.  I was thinking that I didn't want anyone who was observing me or our group to be confused about who we were talking about.  Our God became flesh, you see, and He made His presence visible among us (John 1:14).

His name is Jesus!

I heard Heather Mercer speaking about her experience, being kidnapped by the Taliban shortly before 911.  She and a friend were there serving the poorest of the poor, and sharing Jesus with people along the way, as they were welcomed to do so by those they were serving.  She spoke the name of Jesus throughout her testimony, and spoke about how His name changed things while she was serving the suffering in Afghanistan.

Jesus.  She kept using His name.  Yes! was the cry in my soul: Jesus!

Such was born "Go Jesus!"

So, what does that mean?

Names have meaning, of course, and Jesus' name encapsulates all the power, revelation, love, justice, mercy, duty, belonging, life, identification, suffering, empowerment and exclusivity of the Gospel.  The resurrection of the Dead - that's in His name, for He rose, and those who have trusted in Him are risen as well!  "Because I live, you also will live." (John 14:19)  When I say, "Go Jesus", it's an admonition to pursue all of life, including the thing we just talked about, whatever it was, because you are alive in Jesus!  Or, it's an encouragement, a faith-speaking word, that we will go and be and do whatever the issue of the moment that we are dealing with is, because of Jesus and in His name!

Go Jesus is sort of a lifestyle of all-in discipleship.  All-in passion to pursue God in all of life, when it's easy and when it's tough.  When I feel like it and when I don't.  And it's a rallying cry when we have experienced Him and want to share a praise to God!  It's belonging to Jesus out of an truth-telling that we are His, because of a blood-stained cross, where my sins were paid for, and an empty tomb, where death was done away with because Jesus is Alive!

Today, I desire to Go Jesus!

Love, paul