songs from the weekend of March 6/7
- Yours Alone written by Phil Wickham
- I Exalt Thee written by Pete Sanchez Jr. – our arrangement was based on the version by Jesus Culture.
- Let Your Kingdom Come written by Aaron Ivey
- Lord of Lords written by Brooke Fraser – we re-arranged this song a bit to give it more space…a little more room to move musically. It ended up taking on a very different feel than the original. It sounded a lot more…uh…moody (but in the good way).
- How He Loves written by John Marc McMillan – our arrangement was more along the lines of the Jesus Culture version.
Region 2: Kids Against Hunger Bagging Project
Over the past couple of months there has been a lot going on, both inside and outside the Miami Valley, in an effort to aid the recovery process in Haiti. In one day, people lost homes, loved ones and the familiarity they had become accustomed to in just living their lives. The Haitian people are very dear to the hearts of several people here at Apex. This coming weekend, ten people from a Region 2 house church will travel to Haiti to serve at the Lifeline clinic in Grand Goave.
To further help the people of Grand Goave, this same house church is working with Kids Against Hunger to sponsor a Bagging Project at Apex in later April. The purpose of the Bagging Project is to provide Lifeline with 72,000-144,000 meals that will be distributed in and around Grand Goave. The team from Apex is responsible for providing the cost of the materials ($18,000 for 144,000 meals) as well as man power. During the days of the project, a mixture of rice, soy, dehydrated vegetables, vitamins, and minerals will be measured, weighed, bagged, and sealed for shipment to Haiti. Lifeline will then distribute these meals to the Grand Goave clinic as well as other local clinics and children’s homes.
Many volunteers are needed to make this project a success. If you are interested in helping, email your contact information to feedhaitiproject@gmail.com.
For more information on Kids Against Hunger and the Bagging Project, visit http://www.kidsagainsthunger.org/.
Maintaining Doctrinal Integrity in House Churches: Videos #9-13
January 30, 2010, Dennis McCallum of Xenos Christian Fellowship (Columbus, OH) shared with Apex about maintaining doctrinal integrity in house churches. If you were unable to make it to this equipping session, or you would like a refresher course, check out these videos. The long equipping session has been broken into 13 segments. Below are segments #5-8. The remaining segments will be posted over the course of the next couple of days.
-
Segment #9
Segment #10
Segment #11
Segment #12
Segment #13
Maintaining Doctrinal Integrity in House Churches: Videos #5-8
January 30, 2010, Dennis McCallum of Xenos Christian Fellowship (Columbus, OH) shared with Apex about maintaining doctrinal integrity in house churches. If you were unable to make it to this equipping session, or you would like a refresher course, check out these videos. The long equipping session has been broken into 13 segments. Below are segments #5-8. The remaining segments will be posted over the course of the next couple of days.
-
Segment #5
Segment #6
Segment #7
Segment #8
Maintaining Doctrinal Integrity in House Churches: Videos #1-4 Now Available
January 30, 2010, Dennis McCallum of Xenos Christian Fellowship (Columbus, OH) shared with Apex about maintaining doctrinal integrity in house churches. If you were unable to make it to this equipping session, or you would like a refresher course, check out these videos!
Though the videos aren’t super-high quality, the content is very good. The long equipping session has been broken into 13 segments. Below are segments #1-4. The remaining segments will be posted over the course of the next couple of days.
May these be a blessing to you and the ministry of your house church! And many thanks to Dennis for sharing with us.
-
Segment #1
Segment #2
Segment #3
Segment #4
Apex Kids & Student Ministries Updates
If you are the parent of a child or student (birth to 8th grade) or volunteer with Apex Kids or Student Ministries here are some things you NEED to know!
Updated: Apex Kids/Student Ministry Calendar for Birth to 8th Grade
January to April Trimester
Mar. 12 Studio 34 Pajama Purity Party - Same schedule as Feb 5
Mar. 21 Deadline for Summer Camp Deposit of 50.00
Mar. 26 March Manliness: Rescheduled to include grades 3 to 6
April 3-4 Easter: Guest David Cain shares Christ as he Juggles.
Apr. 17-18 Deadline to turn in Camp Scholarship Applications
Apr. 23 Partnering with Parents Event: “School Options for your Child”
May to August Trimester
May 7 KIDS TALENT SHOW!
May 8-9 Parent-Child Dedications during the Gatherings
May 22-23 Bump Weekend – Kids promoted to next class or grade: Special presentation about Courage from:”Phil and Friends”
May 23 Mandatory meeting about Camp 11am; Also Payment Deadline
May 29-30 Memorial Day-Begin Summer Schedule for Apex Kids & Students
June 14-18 Centri-Kids Camp for Grades 4 to 6 (Grade attended this past year)
June 19-20 Baptisms on Father’s Day weekend
JUNE 21-25 FIVE DAY FEST! (VBS) “High Seas Expedition” The Kickoff of our Summer “Growing” and “Going” emphasis for Kids in our House Church Regions:
SHINE: “SHARING HIM IN NEIGHBORHOODS EVERYWHERE”
1) Watermelon Parties: One day Backyard Gospel presentations in our House Churches from June to August.
2) Five Day Clubs: Week long Backyard, Park, or Playground Gospel presentations – at least one per region July and August.
July 19-23 M-Fuge Camp for Grades 7 & 8 (Grade attended this past year)
Aug. 28-29 Back to School Weekend at Apex
Preview of September to December Trimester
September Shoe Box Kickoff this month
October Parent-Child Dedications during the Gatherings
November Operation Christmas Child & Thanksgiving Family Service
December Community Outreach to Needy and Homeless
Apex Kids and Students: Parent Help Team (PHT)
Dear Parents: We are honored to minister to your children at our weekend Gatherings. We are glad to contribute to your efforts to “grow” your children spiritually- a partnership we willingly invest in and prepare for every week.
To enhance that partnership we are creating the Parent Help Team. The PHT includes all parents of children/students from Birth to 8th Grade who DO NOT CURRENTLY serve within Apex Kids-Student Ministries. Apex leadership is now requiring that you or your spouse serve in one of the following ways:
Guides:
Register and escort visitors to proper rooms-areas from Check-in desk
6 times a year or 4 times in one month
Gatekeepers:
Provide information and security in and around children/student hallways.
6 times a year or 4 times in one month
Helpers:
Assist teacher/leader in classroom or ministry area.
6 times a year or 4 times in one month
Inn Keepers:
Help clean rooms and sanitize toys
6 times a year
Registered Nurses:
Available during Gathering if needed
6 times a year
Why are we now requiring that parents who are not serving help?
1) To maintain and enhance a “Growing” environment that is consistent.
2) Provide needed help to those who are more fully committed to this area.
3) To more fairly involve families benefiting from Apex Kids Student Ministries
Go here to register, in the coming months a new church management system we are installing will also bring a new Kids/Student check in system with it. For security reasons, your child will not be in our system unless you have signed up to serve.
To all of those volunteers who are currently serving . . .
Dear Volunteers: Thank you for ministering to Kids/Students at our weekend Gatherings. We appreciate your contribution to the spiritual growth of our families and enjoy working with you on a regular basis here at Apex.
To acknowledge your consistent contribution we are identifying and organizing you as part of Apex Kids and Student Ministry Team. (AKSM) Very simply you are the people that serve our families on a regular basis.
Apex Kids and Student Ministry Team : AKSM
Ministry Team Serving Calendar:
1) Trimester One: January to April
2) Trimester Two: May to August
3) Trimester Three: September to December
Ministry Team Serving Level: Gold
1) Once a week all year
2) Once a week for one trimester
3) Once a week for two trimesters
Ministry Team Serving Level: Silver
1) Once a week for a month: Serving month on and month off
2) Once a week for a month: Serving 1 month in each trimester
3) Once a week for a month: Serving 1 month in two of the trimesters
Ministry Team Serving Level: Bronze
1) Every month 1 to 3 times
Please know that we have appreciated your service and only seek to acknowledge your faithfulness through the identification of service levels. The creation of the Parent Help Team is to let you know that we respect your effort by requiring all of our parents to more fully invest in our ministry.
Apex Kids and Student Ministry Leaders
World Race: Kristen Paulick
Australia
Kristen Paulick, one of the women sent on the World Race, has experienced and learned much since embarking on the World Race in January. She is on a team of 6 men and women from all over the United States. Her team members are: Amy, Erin, Drew, Nate, and Keturah (Keet). Her team will be traveling to 11 different countries in 2010 by discipling, and serving people. The first country they visited was New Zealand.
Kristen served in New Zealand during January sharing Jesus with everyone her team met while backpacking through the wilderness trails. She shared Jesus specifically with a girl named Estella. Estella is from Spain, and was ecstatic to meet Kristen because they both speak Spanish. Kristen was able to talk awhile with Estella, and give her a New Testament Bible to read.
Estella said she would use the Bible to learn English. Let’s pray God captures Estella’s heart.
In an email interview, Kristen told us about the World Race thus far:
What is one specific lesson you have learned while being on a team on the World Race?
The Holy Spirit is a real person with real things to say to our generation. God desires for us to not think about His will for our lives as much as His will for our next ten minutes. We need to be walking closely with the Holy Spirit moment by moment and listen to what he is speaking to us NOW. There are people he wants us to speak to, prophesies he wants us to bring, infirmities he wants us to heal, hope he wants us to bring NOW. But we can’t do that when we are too worried about what he may want from us a year or two or 5 from now.
Kristen worked in Australia for the month of February.
We will be working in a community center on the outskirts of Darwin working with poor Aboriginal families on welfare that come to the center for assistance. This ministry will probably be multifaceted. Some children’s ministry, prayer ministry, hospital ministry, discipleship. . . . the possibilities are limitless! So your prayers and encouragement will be greatly needed and appreciated.
What are the names of the people we can pray for?
Estela, Rupert and Reika, Robbin and David; my team: Amy, Erin, Drew, Nate, Keet, myself; Alison Ingle as she starts raising support for her World Race coming up in October and for financial support to come in for all my teammates as well.
Kristen writes as much as she can on her blog. God has blessed her with eyes to see His beauty, and the skill to write with rich detail.
Follow her, and sign up for email updates at http://kristenpaulick.theworldrace.org
songs from the weekend of Feb. 27/28
Wow, what a joy it was to sing with the Apex family this weekend! The band commented that in a couple of the gatherings, the crowd was singing so loud that we heard them over our monitors. The crazy part about that is that our monitors are IN our ears. It felt as though we were unified as “one heart and one mouth” shouting out the glory of Jesus with all our might.
Here are the songs:
- I Still Am written by Phil Wing – this was the most rock-a-billy version of this song we’ve ever done. Fully equipped with the sounds of mandolin, banjo, and slide guitar…and it was FUN!
- Desert Song written by Brooke Fraser
- Because of Your Love written by Phil Wickham – this song can be found on the Apex Band’s “LIVE” album.
- One Pure and Holy Passion written by Mark Altrogge – our arrangement was similar to that of Candi Pearson’s.
- How Marvelous (I Stand Amazed) written by Charles Hutchison Gabriel – we put our own twist on this old hymn. We slowed it down quite a bit and really up’d the “rock quotient”. It was big and anthemic. Our arrangement was inspired by Aaron Ivey’s.
Understanding Apex: How Does Leadership Work in the Apex Network?
Since our initial planting as a church, Apex has seen our leadership and oversight evolve alongside our ever-morphing ministry. While the Lord has blessed us with godly people to shepherd our local Body for years, the need for more clarity in our oversight structure as we continue to grow has become apparent to our elders. Near the end of 2009, final approval was given for a new leadership policy. Though some of the policy has yet to be realized (HC shepherd covenants, for example), it does provide a framework from which we hope to move forward.
Below is a link to that document in our online resource library. We strongly encourage all Apexers, especially those who have assumed any sort of leadership role, to watch the above video prior to reading the document. It provides a basic overview of the document. If you want to further examine the details of the policy, feel free to visit the link below, and do not hesitate to contact Apex leadership if you have further questions at that point.
“And God placed all things under [Jesus'] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, 1:22-23
Leadership in the Apex Network Document (PDF)
Gateway to the West
Many of us have moved to a new town at some point in our lives. We know what it’s like to find ourselves in unfamiliar territory where we have to figure out a new normal. But more often than not, the adjustments are minimal since we still speak the same language as our neighbors and we are accustomed to the culture.
Many of the people that Oasis International ministers to have lost family and friends as a result of war or disease. The refugees come with fears, grief and broken hearts. When they escape the terror of the war, they end up in a refugee camp, sometimes without electricity, water, decent shelter, or education. Most refugees have lived in a refugee camp for as many as 15 years (usually in a country other than their home country). When they arrive in St. Louis, the U.S. Government provides three month’s rent. During this time they must find a job, set up transportation, and learn English, in addition to learning the customs and laws of a completely new country.
Oasis was started by Mark and Joani Akers in 1989 after Mark received a vision from the Lord.“ God said, will you go anywhere I want you to go and do anything I want you to do? I said yes, but I had no idea what or where He would lead me,” Mark said. “He has lead me around the world and He has had me do things I never dreamed of doing, but I am always willing to answer His question with a resounding ‘yes.’” Oasis is a ministry designated to helping refugees, who are relocated in St. Louis, MO. The organization receives its inspiration from Revelation 5:9 “…He was slain and with His blood He purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”
To achieve friendship and outreach with the refugees in St. Louis, Oasis provides them with many essential elements. Since many of these people are in refugee camps for excess of 10 years before coming to the United States they have very few personal belongings. Oasis is able to provide them with furniture, household items and clothes. ”I saw them in their new apartments with absolutely no furniture in their apartments except a small bed, a card table and a couple of metal folding chairs; some didn’t even have a lamp,” Mark said. “I was compelled to action to go tell everyone I knew of the difficulties of the refugees.”
Oasis not only wanted to provide material things for the refugee community but also actually befriend them. Instead of simply passing out food and water then never seeing these families again, they try to connect with them and even offer free English courses. Since Oasis is located in the same city as the refugees they can keep in contact with them and play a bigger role in their lives. Although a huge undertaking requiring immense trust in the Lord by Mark and Joani, they were confident that the Lord would provide them with the seed they needed to sow into this ministry. The Akers needed furniture to proved the refugees with, vehicles to transport it and also a warehouse to store supplies in. The Lord was faithful in providing all of this to the Oasis ministry. As we know, the Lord’s love and provision does not stop at a certain point and the Akers have been blessed beyond what they could have imagined entering into this ministry. “I had no money but in two weeks God gave me $40,000 to put down on our building,” Mark said. “I still didn’t have a budget to pay the mortgage but every day, every month has been a miracle of God’s provision.”
Apex has partnered with Oasis International after prompted by a house church to send a team to assist in their mission for one weekend. While there, the Apex group completed a myriad of things, including participating in a neighborhood outreach. During this outreach Apex was able to help Oasis pass out food, medical supplies and flyers. They held a praise and worship session and also had many fun activities for the children. Also during the weekend trip, in which 30 people participated, group members were able to help on a farm and harvest fruits and vegetables. Another team went back in December 2009 to do repairs needed in Oasis’s building. Mark and Joani truly feel blessed to be able to work with the refugee population while being obedient to God. A saying that can be heard almost daily by Mark and Joani, “We really do have a wonderful life!”