What

Family Circles, Dinner and a Hike (not in that order)

Where

Usery Mountain Regional Park

Ask Google for directions to: 3939 N. Usery Pass Road, Mesa, AZ 85207

We will be at Ramadas 8 East and 8 West

When

Meet at the Ramadas at 4:00 to hike the Wind Cave Trail.  After the hike we’ll have dinner and a devo.

Cost

$6 per vehicle to enter the park.  Please bring exact change and pay in the self pay envelopes available at the ranger station.  We encourage you to carpool so you can split the cost. 

Dinner

Please bring chips or a dessert to share.  Sandwich “fixins” and drinks will be provided.

Also…

• Here is more Info About Usery Park http://www.maricopa.gov/parks/usery/default.aspx

• Map of the Park http://www.maricopa.gov/parks/usery/pdf/2012maps/usery-close-up-3d.pdf

• Don’t forget your water!

Churches and families are in a cycle of not successfully passing down faith to the next generation.

You are invited to an event at the

Mesa Church of Christ

More than two-thirds of youth who faithfully attend church growing up, reject faith just a couple of years after high school. That is shocking! Even though we are facing a huge problem, we stand in a unique position to offer a real solution to a problem of this magnitude. We need our whole congregation to rally in this plan to battle the deterioration of faith in this generation.

April 22nd Sermon: Unbelief in the Church

Many young people today are walking away from their faith and our church and our families are in a unique position to prevent it.

April 29th – Joel Singleton Speaking

9:30 am Class

All adult classes will be combined to talk about how Imparting Faith really works. We will give out "Imparting Faith Blueprint" books outlining the plan and resources to help everyone in our congregation implement this plan in their home.

10:30 am Sermon: Imparting Faith

Where did you learn faith? Can you share your faith with others?

5:00 pm Discussion: How Can I Pass Down Faith?

Whether you have children or not, we all have a role in passing down faith. We will discuss how you can pass your faith to others.

May 6th Sermon: Who is my Family?

We can all be a resource for families and children to grow up believing in God. We can be the example they follow.

Imparting Faith Blueprint:

The "Imparting Faith" book serves as a guide to show how to implement faith in your family within this culture. This is not just for the traditional two-parent families. It applies to everyone, whether you are single with no kids, divorced, have a blended family or are a grandparent with lots of grandchildren.

This is a pivotal moment in our culture where the church and home have the opportunity to recapture the youth of this generation. We must plan ahead, stay disciplined, and work together.

If you would like to invite family or friends please print off this invitation

Well, the new Bible class quarter is upon us. Last Sunday there was an insert in the bulletin that listed all of the Bible classes for the upcoming Spring 2012 quarter which covers Sunday March 4th through Wednesday May 30th. In case you missed it I have added the class schedule in the table below. This quarter is going to be a really great quarter. I wanted to highlight a few of the classes and encourage you to come out Sunday morning, Monday night, Tuesday morning, and Wednesday night. That is right we have classes going almost every day of the week. We know that the normal Sunday morning and Wednesday night time is not ideal for all of our members. So, we are now offering classes throughout the week. This summer we will be offering even more. If you have any questions about the adult classes being offered next quarter please email me at: jeff.ibbetson@mesachurch.org.

There are a few classes that I wanted to highlight specially. Please consider attending as many classes this quarter as possible. You will be greatly rewarded. Also, if there is more than one class going on at a time you should check our audio page. We might just be recording that class. We usually record the sermon on Sunday morning and evening as well as the auditorium class, Room 105, and Room 214 on Sunday.

Monday night we will be offering a great indepth study of the book of Jeremiah. This class is a Sunset International Bible Institute class. The class is free to attend but cost $90 if you want it to get credit for the class toward your degree in Biblical Studies. Not sure if you are interested in attending this class? See the top ten reasons. Not interested in Jeremiah but want to attend a Sunset class in the future? Then look at the curriculum and make a request.

Financial Peace University has made an impact on millions of Americans. I am one of them. Trust me when I say that this will change your life for the better. If you don't trust me then talk to some of the people at church that have taken it. Also, we will be having a preview lesson immediately following church on Sunday March 4th in room 104. Come by and see what the class is all about. If you have attended this class in the past then now is your opportunity to invite your family or friends to attend. You can come with them and encourage them as they change their life and start managing their money God's way. This can be one way to serve your friends and family.

Sunday morning we will be starting a new class on Genesis. This class will be taught by Steve. A little over a year of planning and preparation has gone into this class. If you are interested in Science and the Bible or the book of Genesis in general then this is the class for you.

The 4Sixteen family circle outing is coming up soon! We will be at South Mountain again but in a different spot than we normally are. It is a pretty sweet and secluded area. A lot of people don't know it exists. There is a big fire pit with benches back in between two of the mountains right off of Holbert trail. We will meet at 4:00 to go hiking. However, we will be hiking up and down this time so be prepared for that. The trail is about 2 miles (or 4 miles round trip). We have actually done this hike as a group before but it was combined with some other trails. This will be about the same distance as we have done in the past since we are going up and down but the trail up will be shorter. Make sure to dress appropriately for the hike. It certainly isn't that difficult but you will want good hiking shoes. Also, it isn't hot out right now but you will want some water for the hike. Below is the key information and map! Tell your friends and I will see you there!

What: Hiking, cook-out, singing, and campfire!

When: February 19, 2012 – Hiking starts at 4:00 pm sharp and cookout and campfire starts at 6:00 pm

Where: Parking at base of Holbert trail. Hike into Holbert trail about 200 yards to fire pit.

View Family Circle – 3/19/2012 in a larger map

Don’t forget this Friday, February 3^rd, is the Ladies Friendship Day!  All ladies from 4Sixteen and the Young Marrieds/Young Families  are invited. The details are below – we hope you can make it!

 What: Dinner, Home accessory swap and dessert at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire!

• Dinner will be provided; please bring $1 to help cover the cost of food.
• Please bring an accessory from your home, that is in good condition.  This should be wrapped and will be swapped “white elephant” style. Not sure what to bring?  Look for a lamp, frame, piece of artwork, candle holder, etc. that’s still in good shape, but ready for a new home.
• After dinner and the accessory swap we’ll carpool to the Chocolate Affaire. Entry is free – but bring a few dollars so you can buy dessert!

When: Friday February 3^rd at 6:00 p.m.

Where: Diana Ibbetson’s House (Ask Google for directions to3039 W. Chanute Pass, Phoenix, AZ 85041)

Last Saturday 4Sixteen hosted a huge garage sale in the west parking lot. We raised $1479.85 to help fund our mission trip to Mexico and Guatemala in July. When we asked for donations from the congregation we never expected or hoped to receive as much as we did. This congregation steps up and does amazing things every time. So, on behalf of 4Sixteen I wanted to say, "Thank You!"

Ask, and it will be given to you; – Matthew 7:7

On Sunday evening January 22nd at 5:00pm MYG and 4Sixteen will be hosting worship service. We encourage all family circles to come to the building that evening to support, encourage, and watch the young men as they lead us in worship.

4Sixteen is hosting a garage sale this Saturday 21st. The garage sale will start at 7:00 at the building. Come out and see what we got! All money raised will be going toward funding the mission trip to Mexico/Guatemala. You can't miss us. We will be out on the corner of Dana and Stapley in the west parking lot.

We also are accepting donations for the garage sale on Friday evening (20th) from 5:00pm to 9:00 pm here at the building. So, clean out your closets and bring all of your old treasures to us. Tell your friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family.

Can you believe that it is already December 15th? The last month of the year is now half over. I am always amazed at how fast the month of December moves. I am so busy working, making plans to see family, writing cards, and buying gifts that I seem to just fly through the month.

It seems like it is the same for the church. We have so many big events coming up this next week. We have the big Christmas party and then we have a shower and wedding for two of our members. We have so many great classes going on too! I am teaching the life of Christ (in chronological order) up in the 4Sixteen room and am loving every minute of it. I can't wait to get to the next Sunday so that I can continue the class. You probably have your favorite classes and events going on too.

With the wind down of 2011 it also means that a new year is approaching us. For the church that means that we are going to introduce the vision for 2012. This year marks the start of a brand new tradition here at Mesa. Starting in 2012, each year we will presenting the vision for the new year. So on 1/1/2012 we are going to have an elder come speak to your class for one week. The elder assigned to your class is going to present the church's vision for 2012! I hope you are as excited as I am! What does this mean for you? Well, go to the class that you normally go to but make sure that you are on time so that you get to hear everything that the elders are going to be presenting. The only exception to this rule is the library class. The library class should go to room 104. The five elders will each be assigned one of the normal adult classrooms but they will all be presenting the exact same things so it doesn't matter which class you are in. Below is the schedule.

1. 4Sixteen (Room 214) – James Koenig
2. Room 104 – Ken Fox
3. Room 105 – Kevin Hubby
4. Auditorium – Jackie Hinkle
5. Annex – Jack Farr

The best part is that this is not a one-way lecture. The title of this post is CONVERSATION with the elders! Yes, they will be presenting the Vision of 2012 but they WANT your feedback. That is the main reason that we have the elders spread out in different classrooms so that as many questions and comments can be made as possible. In order to make sure that everyone in the class has an opportunity to ask their question or comment we simply ask that you keep your question short and to the point. You asked for this class in your survey and we are now delivering it to you! When we as one unified body, with the help and blessing of our Lord, make a plan their is nothing that can stand in our way (Gen. 11:6).

Sunset International Bible Institute is a big name in the church of Christ. The school was originally started back in 1962 to train Spanish speaking missionaries. Since that time it has had many name changes but it has always remained the gold standard for missionary and preacher training. Each year there are over 30,000 people who are studying Sunset material. Mesa church of Christ is proud to be a part of that growing number. So, you might be wondering what exactly a satellite school is and how Mesa is connected to Sunset International Bible Institute (SIBI). Well, SIBI has a resident school located in Lubbock, Texas. Approximately 200 students can be found on that campus each year working toward their bachelor degree in Biblical Studies. The problem for most people is that they are simply not able to uproot their families and move to Lubbock to study. So, SIBI created the satellite school program. Each satellite school follows the exact same curriculum taught by the best instructors that Sunset has to offer. The only difference is that you get to stay in your current location and go to school around your schedule and with people that you know. So now you don't have to travel to Lubbock, Texas to earn your degree. You can do it right here in Mesa, AZ. Since this is a degree program there are a total of 40 courses at 3 credit hours each for a total of 120 credit hours needed to graduate. However, don't get the wrong picture here. This isn't just for those who are seeking a bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies. The best part of the satellite schools is that they allow you to audit the courses or take them for credit. If you just want to attend a class to learn more about the Bible or to gain a deeper understanding on a specific book then that is fine. It's free too! That is right, you are getting college level instruction from professors with very distinguished backgrounds all for free. So, if you have never been able to wrap your mind around Isaiah or want to get a primer on Greek then we have the resources ready for you. Audit students only have to attend the video lectures and participate in the discussion. The tests, textbooks, and other assignments are purely optional. Of course, if you are interested in taking the classes for credit you can do that too! It is only $30 per credit hour. That beats almost all universities across the country and most junior colleges as well. You can even transfer some of your classes to universities that you might be more familiar with like Harding, Abilene Christian, or Oklahoma Christian. Obviously, since these are Bible courses they would only transfer toward a Biblical Studies degree. It is a great way to cut down on the cost and time spent at one of the larger universities. If you take the classes for credit then you will have to take the tests, read the textbooks, write the papers, and do the other work associated with the class in addition to attending the video lecture and participating in the discussion. The courses needed to graduate break down as follows:

Since, Mesa has become a new satellite school for SIBI we will be starting classes soon. In fact, we will be starting one of the freshman level courses during our next quarter. As time goes on and we get everything in order we will offer more classes each quarter. Check the normal adult education schedule to see what classes we are offering. If you are interested in attending a class that we don't have on the schedule and you just can't wait then contact us and we will help you setup a self-study time. If you have several people that want to attend the class then let us know and we can setup a class at the time that is convenient for you. The school administrators here in Mesa are Jeff Ibbetson (jeff.ibbetson@mesachurch.org) and Dallas Kingsbury (dallas.kingsbury@mesachurch.org). They can answer any question that you have regarding the satellite school. Let's get to it!

Related Articles:

• Sunset Top Ten