Core Community Church of Omaha

As you know, we recently announced a historic change and transition for our church: this Sunday our church will be merging with Coram Deo Church Community.  After months of prayer and years of God’s providence, our elder team affirms that this is God’s work and we give praise to God for this.  With the coming together of two churches, there will be some difference in Children’s Ministry, as you might expect.  Here is some important information for you to keep and remember:

#1 // We need your help! If your child participates in Children’s Ministry, we need you to jump in and help.  Please read the rest of this with the mindset of, “How can I help?”  Then please get in touch with me so that I can get a background authorization form to you and connect you with Coram Deo Kids’ leaders.  Thanks!

#2 // This Sunday, September 25, will be a very unique Sunday. We will only have 1 gathering, at 10am at Westside Middle School.  For this Sunday only, childcare will ONLY be provided for ages 0-3.  If your children are older than 3, please bring them into the worship gathering with you.  This will be a powerful time of unity together and praise to God, and we want your children to be a part of that!  This is something you will be telling your kids about for years to come, something only God can bring about.

#3 // Beginning Sunday, October 2, the full Coram Deo Kids should be in effect. The age and class breakdowns are different from what you experience now, so please take careful note:

• Nursery (0-16 Months) // will be divided into mobile and non-mobile infants within the room; Please note that previous Core’s nursery did not provide care until your child was 6 months; this has changed, and you can now place your child in care as early as newborn.
• Little Toddlers (16-24 Months)
• Big Toddlers (2 year olds)
• 3 Year Olds
• 4 Year Olds
• 5-6 Year Olds; Please note this is slightly different from the original FAQ Packet you received.
• 7-8 Year Olds; Please note this is slightly different from the original FAQ Packet you received.

When you arrive at Westside Middle School on Sundays you will see signs directing you to the appropriate classroom.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I would be glad to help.  Before September 30, you can reach me best at doug @ corecommunity . org.  After September 30, you can reach me best at doug @ cdomaha . com.

On Sunday September 25th, something historic is happening in the city of Omaha. Coram Deo Church & Core Community Church, which have been pacesetters in the work of urban, missional church planting in the Midwest, will join forces as one church. To commemorate this momentous merger, we’re throwing a party.

ONE PLACE. ONE TIME. ONE PEOPLE.

THAT SUNDAY (SEPTEMBER 25) ONLY, we’re going to come together at 10AM for one worship gathering at Westside Middle School. Then immediately following we will move down to the football field just south of our worship space for a family picnic from 11:30AM – 1:30PM. Food and drink will be provided so bring your appetites. Formal seating will not be provided so grab your lawn chair, picnic blanket, and/or umbrella for shade. Mark your calenders now and plan on arriving early so that you have adequate time to find parking and get inside.

**PLEASE NOTE: Coram Deo Kids will only be providing children’s ministry for ages 0-3 years during the worship gathering.

Join us this Sunday for an 11th anniversary celebration of Core Community Church.

There will be lots of music, songs, testimonies and a sharing in all that God has done over the last 11 years.

This past Sunday we announced a historic change and transition for our church: on September 25, 2011, our church will be merging with Coram Deo Church Community.  After months of prayer and years of God’s providence, our elder team affirms that this is God’s work and we give praise to God for this.

So what happens next?  Here is a brief calendar look at the next month as we prepare for this historic marriage of two churches becoming one.

• Sunday, August 28: We publicly shared the announcement.  Beginning this week, those committed to Core and Coram Deo can log on to The City, learn more about Missional Communities, and begin exploring Coram Deo’s social networking tool.  Furthermore, Core HCs will be spending time together this week and the coming few weeks to thank God for all he has done and prepare to make the transition into Coram Deo Missional Communities.
• Sunday, September 4: Pastor Ethan will teach out of Nehemiah, giving further direction and preparation for being a part of the movement of the gospel in our city with Coram Deo.  During the week, keep pursuing a Missional Community!
• Sunday, September 11: Core turns 11 years old!  This is the perfect time to praise God for all He has done.  We will gather as a church to sing, give thanks, tell stories, and glorify God for his faithfulness.  During the week, keep pursuing a Missional Community!
• Sunday, September 18: Pastor Ethan will be preaching at Coram Deo’s morning gatherings, while Pastor Bob Thune will be preaching at Core’s morning gathering.  Make sure you DO NOT go to Coram Deo’s gathering; come to the Playhouse and listen as Bob Thune shares with us before the official merging.  Oh, and keep pursuing a Missional Community!
• Sunday, September 25: We worship Jesus together, 2 churches becoming 1! There will be 2 gathering times: 9 and 11am.  And we will be meeting at Westside Middle School.  Come, bring your friends, and be a part of this historic time.  Just make sure you are radically pursuing getting in a Missional Community!

This past Sunday we announced (video) a historic change and transition for our church: on September 25, 2011, our church will be merging with Coram Deo Church Community.  Two churches becoming one.  In other words, Core is getting married.  After months of prayer and years of God’s providence, our elder team affirms that this is God’s work and we give praise to God for this.  From the very beginning of our church, we have sought to renew all of Omaha through a movement of the gospel.  Many times we have said that we aren’t about becoming just one great church, but we want to be a part of a movement.  Many times we have said that no one church could bring this about, but it would take the unity of many churches coming together to glorify Jesus in our city.  This merger with Coram Deo Church Community is a good step towards that direction.

The vision is moving forward.  The mission is making progress.  And we want to call all of you to join us in this movement of the gospel.  We challenge you to begin preparing now for the coming changes, the new emerging missional communities, and the expansion of the gospel through this unification.  How can you step into this?

If you are a regular part of Core, we challenge you in these ways:

1. Thank and praise God for all He has done in your life and your friends’ lives through the ministry of Core.  We will be doing this together as a church on Sunday, September 11, as well.  We give glory and honor to God for all of his goodness.
2. Read through the frequently asked questions, find out more details, and learn all the story of God’s work in bringing this about.  You can easily download it online or read it on our website.
3. Prepare to radically pursue a Missional Community in Coram Deo.  There are many opportunities for you.  You can learn about them by logging in and creating a profile on The City, an online social networking tool for Coram Deo.
4. Grow as a disciple of Jesus on mission with his people in your Missional Community.  Then, when the time is right, consider a one-time DNA Class to learn more about growing in commitment and membership with Coram Deo.  There will be a unique DNA Class on Sunday, November 13, where you can learn more and ask questions.
5. Serve and give sacrificially.  For this marriage of two churches to thrive, your service and financial giving is absolutely crucial.  We can’t do it without you.  We call you to give above and beyond your normal giving.  We call you to serve in ministry with this new church.  Don’t be passive; be active in God’s kingdom for God’s glory.

If you are a friend of Core who keeps us with us from afar, we welcome your prayers and encouragement during this time.  This is a movement of God, and He loves to be glorified in our praying.  Thank you!

“The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build the wall together…” Nehemiah 2:20.

Core Community has always wanted to renew the city of Omaha through a movement of the Gospel.  This Fall we begin the most significant season in the history of our church and take a big step forward in that direction.  We will look back at our history, consider all that God is doing in us presently, and take a big step into the future.

Starting this Sunday, August 21.  You don’t want to miss all that God is doing in this season.  Join us at the Omaha Community Playhouse at 9:45am.

We are in the middle of a short, 3-week look at a little letter in the back of the Bible called Philemon.  Though little, it packs a punch.  By looking at Philemon we want to answer some questions:

* What happens when we live out these fundamentals of the gospel we have rediscovered the past couple of months?

* What happens when gospel DNA gets into our smaller communities and changes us?

* What does it look like to be in a community living together as disciples, family, and missionaries?

According to Philemon, three things are sure: conversions, conflict, and the cause of Christ.

We invite you to join us this Sunday at 9:45am at the Omaha Community Playhouse as we gather to worship the Christ who saves us and sends us.

This past Sunday we have the incredible honor to bless Tim Wildsmith as he follows God’s call on his life and moves to Nashville, TN.  God has been faithful to our church through Tim’s leadership, and we are honored to have shared the journey with him for nearly four years.

Just as God was faithful in bringing Tim and sending Tim, we also believe that God has been faithful to bring us Ben Shafer and his family for the next chapter for Core.  Ben has led worship in other churches, and he has a passion to make Jesus known through the local church and arts.

We asked Ben to help us with a little Q&A.

How did you meet Jesus and embrace the gospel?
In my little church of 35 people, in Sunday School. I met Jesus when I was really young. At about 6 years old I knew I needed a savior; then I found out that Jesus was the one. I got baptized in a sand pit by Cozad, NE, along I-80 when I was about 10. I didn’t know that my Savior could also be the God incarnate who created the universe and my bones. I felt like I at least owed Him my affection, and to not be ashamed of Him in front of the world. It was that time in my life when He began to really speak to my soul and give me thoughts, words, and sounds that felt like they needed to be communicated to the world. I felt like He was appealing to mankind through my brokeness.

What is your favorite thing about Jesus?
That He had the option to not deal with any sin, to just erase me and my sin from the planet, but He is patient, loving, and kind enough to teach me. I love the way He is calm when I am explosive, worried, and unsettled. To sum it up: That He is the only thing in this life that is Good. I can tell He isn’t wimpy, and is always is willing to stair right into the darkest corner of sin’s shadow in me, and exchange it for perfect light of truth.

What gets you excited in life?

• To see supernatural become natural. That when you dream, you are doing what sets you apart from just a animal in the field or any other created being. You are co-laboring with God.
• That when you speak and sometimes act in obedience, you can legislate the darkness in the name of Jesus.
• To be in His presence – not just a “tingling feeling” but a tangible touch of God in a room full of worshipers, and also just in the morning with a cup of coffee and your Bible.
• When I see my children grow to know God, and experience all there is to experience in the calling of God.

What gets you excited as you consider serving Core?
I really have a sense that God wants to do something miraculous at CORE. Sometime it’s easy to get excited when there is “flash”, when there is “production”, but then when it’s over, there is something that your soul still needs: Jesus. I do get excited about all the songs that we are going to craft, write, perform, teach, create, and sing; but what I really want people to see is the Christ event retold in creative ways. After all a person could write for eternity and not be able to encompass all that He is. I am involved with a grassroots non-profit, that involves music and the arts, and focuses on the lives of artist. I can see Core being a main stage for a community of kingdom players and artists. There is so much to do, so much to say, but when it comes down to it Jesus works both on and off the stage. I am excited to see what my King does inside me and inside the people of Core, and the hopefully many people who come to experience Christ through the community of Core while OFF the stage in the coming months and years. The City of Omaha needs it.

What Scripture passages have influenced you greatly?

• My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. Psalm 45:1
• His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory. Ephesians 3:10-13

How did you connect to Core?  How are you connected now?
We came to Core in November 2010. We knew about Core because of Tim Wildsmith. He and I have been friends for a while, and I though it would be great to come visit. My wife and kids all loved the family atmosphere. She and I both were move with the impression that Jesus was object #1 of attention, and that He was welcome.  We decided that this was going to be the place we serve. Sometimes all you can go by is the peace that you have in your spirit. In that sense, the Holy Spirit definitely moved us to Core.  What we are doing now is connecting to a Home Community. We are excited to see what God does through that. To me..that is where it all happens. My wife and I are both looking forward to getting to know everyone, and pouring ourselves into loving people. I am sure there will be plenty of grill outs, jam sessions in my living room, and picnics in the park. The Body of Christ is amazing.

When Paul writes the church, he starts by calling us saints.  Not because of how wonderful we are, but because of the company we find ourselves included in with the Trinity.

In our muddled culture, we feel the need to have to craft our own identity for ourselves.  In the Gospel, though, God gives us a better identity – one we receive by baptism.

This summer, we go on an 8 week journey of rediscovering and studying the essential DNA, identity, and  rhythms of Core Community Church.  We will be looking at what our essential nature is, where this will take us, and how we will live this calling out  together in communities on mission.

This involves a radical change in perspective.  This study will help.  As we discover who we are, we will find what we were naturally made to do.  We will find this way of life coming naturally as we habitually walk it out together as a resurrected community following Jesus.

To aide you and your Home Community in this time, we have put together a vision booklet and a daily workbook.  You can grab one on Sunday morning or download them here.

1. Fundamental Vision Booklet – the shorter of the two.  Get it and read through this first for the big ideas.
2. Fundamentals Daily Workbook – the longer of the two.  Get it and set aside 20 minutes each day, asking God to work this DNA, these identities, and these rhythms out in your life.  He has already given them to you in the gospel.  Now ask Him to work them out in real life.