To God’s Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
ABOVE ALL ELSE…
How you finish that sentence is significant. It is a matter of setting priorities, and some things matter more than others…I suppose even more important is how God answers that, and every September for the last number of years we start our year with God’s, ABOVE ALL ELSE…
There are a number of them in the Bible, and this year we are looking at 2 Peter 1, to help us to shape our life in terms of pursuing a life that honours God. 2 Peter is written to a church that is struggling in several different areas in the midst of persecution and pain, and he begins with the most important part of the Christian life…being Christian…and seeking to be fully devoted to Jesus. Everything else is an overflow of that all defining relationship and passionate pursuit.
God is the source of power for our pursuit of a life that honours Him, and His love is our motive…and we must choose to become who He wants us to become…and this will take a choice of discipline and maximum effort. God is sovereign and in His plan we are to make every effort to become like Jesus!
This year (September – May) our church family is going to highlight the importance of living a life that honours God. This is not easy, but it is essential. In many ways the church in Canada has become like the world, and this means sadly that in many churches they are the world.
We are aware this could happen to our church family, or the opposite, which is as bad, we could swing and become legalistic and political, so how do we fight to be on God’s side in the midst of the chaos of our current world? How can we be HOLY and LOVING in a world that seems to have gone insane, and a North American church that seems to be adjusting to that insanity, or fighting it with worldly tools?
The answer is that we make our love for Jesus of first devotion, and our pursuit of Jesus of highest priority. This is why the Habits of Grace conference is so important! This is why your choice of TV, internet matters. This is why being in the WORD is so important as we seek to live our lives for the glory of God in the WORLD but not of it.
So how do we do this?
We love God, and then we seek in His strength with all of our might to live for Him with small and large choices.
This year we want to prioritize HOLINESS and LOVE, and the key start to that is a right relationship with God, and a passionate pursuit of God. God's grace produces the discipline we choose to live in, and when we fail gives us the hope to start again in the delight of His mercies which are new every morning.
So this week reflect on the greatness of God’s love for you, the glory of the Gospel, and your desire, in His strength, with His grace to pursue Him with all your might!
Above All…LOVE HIM, and SEEK TO BE LIKE HIM!
Sunday Is Coming:
Title: Above All: Make Every Effort To Grow In Your Faith
Text: 2 Peter 1:1-11
What does your investment of time, treasures and talents show that you prioritize?
How does this align with God’s Word?
What are you doing to grow your relationship deeper in intimacy and wider in impact?
Have you registered for the Growing in Grace conference yet?
How can you make it a priority this year to pursue holiness and love, and how will this be seen in your everyday life?
I would love every person that calls CBC home to make it their priority this year to deepen their relationship with God, with EVERY EFFORT, and if we do, the impact we will have will be beyond anything we have experienced before!
Privileged to pursue godliness ABOVE ALL with you,
Pastor Rob
Habits of Grace 2024
A joyful and victorious Christian life is built on three core habits of grace: reading the Bible to hear God's voice, engaging in prayer to respond relationally, and actively participating in a local church for fellowship and impact. These seemingly simple habits are God-designed channels for experiencing intimacy, growth and the joy of knowing Jesus. These are the most essential habits of grace if we are to live for God and His glory in effective ways at such a time as this.
We are excited to announce that we are partnering with Desiring God to host a conference at Cloverdale Baptist on October 25 & 26, 2024! David Mathis, executive editor for desiringGod.org and pastor at Cities Church, will be joining Pastor Rob Godard to speak on how we can enjoy Jesus through the spiritual disciplines. Our breakout sessions will focus on our spiritual growth as men, women, youth, and couples. Saturday lunch will also be provided for all in attendance.
Conference Schedule
Friday
6:30pm — Doors open
7:00pm — Session #1: David Mathis
Introduction to Means of Grace
8:00pm — Break
8:15pm — Breakout Sessions #1
- Dwight Stephen: Growing Families (pt.1)
- Greg Morse: (Men) The Search for Manly Men of God: A History of Muscular Christianity
- Sam Chua: After God’s Own Heart – The Delight, Discipline & Dividends of Scripture Memorization
- BK Smith: Romans 1 and The Thinking of the World in a Sexualized Culture
- Nadia Guirguis & Carmen Radke: (Women) Impacted by God's Glorious Grace
Saturday
8:30am — Doors open / Coffee & Refreshments
9:00am — Session #2: David Mathis
Word: Hearing God’s Voice in Scripture
10:00am — Break
10:15am — Breakout Session #2
- Dwight Stephen: Growing Families (pt.2)
- Thomas Calamunce: Growing Youth
- Greg Morse: (Men) Act Like Men: The Heart and Hands of Christian Manhood
- Paul Siemens: Come to Me: Finding Rest in Jesus in Restless Times
- Nadia Guirguis & Carmen Radke: (Women) Enjoying God in All Seasons
11:30am — Session #3: Rob Godard
Prayer: Relational Living Through Prayer
12:15pm — Lunch (provided)
1:30pm — Session #4: David Mathis
Fellowship: Belonging to Christ’s Body, the Local Church
Note: While most of the schedule is finalized, some details are still subject to change.
Discount code available for Cloverdale Baptist Church attendees. Please contact church office to receive it.
Registration
Bulletin
Missions Events
- Missions Evening | Sunday, Sept 1st at 7pm: Adam & Judy (WEC Middle East).
- Prayer Meeting | Sunday, Sept. 8th at 7pm: Mile One Mission team report from Newfoundland trip.
- Missions Report | Sunday, Sept. 15th at 9am: Dan (WEC Film Ministry).
- Church-wide Lunch | Sunday, Sept. 22nd at 12pm: Dean Eden (Ukraine).
Ministry Info Sunday
Sunday, September 8th / 9:45 AM / CBC We're hosting our annual Ministry Info Sunday next month! There you’ll get to visit our ministry booths and learn how you can get involved. We’ll also be serving delicious cinnamon buns and coffee, so you won’t want to miss out!
Women's Ministry Events
- Women's Retreat: register today!
- Fall Bible Study Registration: An inductive study of the book of Colossians on Monday evenings or Tuesday mornings starting this fall. Child discipleship offered during morning study (we're hiring for this position, contact us for details). Registration is now open >
- Women's Ministries Fall Kickoff: Thursday, Sept. 5th from 7-8:30pm—Come learn about opportunities to get involved in Women's Ministries. You'll be able to register in person for our retreat, Bible study and book club as well as learn about the different volunteer positions we're looking for!
Men's Ministry Events
» Men's Breakfast: Sept. 14th at 8:30am—Men of all ages, come and enjoy a wonderful breakfast, fellowship, and spiritual food together! Pastor Rob is joining us to speak on the covenant theology.
» Men's Bible Study: Starting Sept. 16th, we'll be meeting to study the book of James every other Monday from 6:30–8:30pm. Register here >
Habits of Grace Conference
Oct. 25 & 26, 2024 / Cloverdale Baptist We are excited to announce the Habits of Grace Conference in partnership with Desiring God! Guest speaker David Mathis, executive editor for desiringGod.org, will be joining Pastor Rob to delve into how spiritual disciplines can deepen our joy in Christ. Breakout sessions specifically designed for men, women, youth, and couples will focus on spiritual growth. Lunch provided. Register today!