week of April 27th

​Greetings Oak Hill,
 
                The final week of April is upon us and as we close another month of living in this new normal, I hope that each of us can reflect on just some of the many ways that we saw the Lord work, move, and show His faithfulness to us even amid some challenging and uncertain times. As Drew shared with us from this past Sunday as we wrapped up our sermon series looking at the unchanging character and nature of God, Jesus is our Rock that provides an unshakable and sure foundation for us to place our lives. It is this and only His foundation that keeps us steady and assured as so much of our lives have been shifted in these unprecedented times. We can have confidence, faith, and trust that this Rock will be unmoved in giving us what we need to grow and strengthen our faith in His grace and truth.
                It is in this idea of growing and strengthening our faith that we move into looking at the book of Colossians for the month of May. Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul to a group of believers who were needing the assurance and reminders of the trust they can have in the truth of the Gospel. It alone has the power to save and the ability to give true life. Even though we are bombarded with lots of messages that are in conflict with the message of Scripture, we can be “rooted and established” in what we have been taught and know to be true as believers in Christ.
                In Colossians 2, Paul writes: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” This is our hope and prayer too in these times: that we would find ourselves clinging and sinking our roots into the one true source that supplies and offers all we could ever need for life, that we would grow and be strengthened in our faith, and that we would overflow in thankfulness to the Lord for what He has done and continues to do in our lives.
               
 
Connecting Lives in Grace and Truth
 
Online Services

• Join us for our Sunday services which stream online at 10:30 am through YouTube or our website.
• Check us out on YouTube or on our website to see the latest sermon or go back and watch some from our archives under the “Messages” tab on our main webpage.

 
RightNow Media

• Sign up to join our subscription for the largest online Christian digital library in the world.

 
Giving

• We thank you for your continued giving and generosity even in these unique days of not being able to gather collectively.
• Checks can be mailed to the church office at 8901 France Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55431
• Check out the link for our online giving on our main webpage. Just a few simple clicks and you’re supporting God’s ministry at and through Oak Hill. (Hint: If possible, we encourage you to set up your giving through your bank account (ACH transfer) as this involves a lesser fee per transaction compared with a credit/debit card.)

 
Connection Groups

• Are you looking to join a small group or a Bible study? We have several options of groups that are continuing to meet remotely. Use the list below to contact the group leader to join in on studying God’s Word. These also serve as some good social outlets too.
  • Adult Sunday School
    • For those who were going through the study in our Adult Sunday School, there is a desire to finish up the study on Untangling the Seven Desires of Your Heart. Contact Vaughn Kavlie at vckavlie@gmail.com for more information.

• Sunday
  • 6:30-7:15 pm on Zoom
  • A Study of the Holy Land by Ray Vanderlaan
  • Digital study guides available for purchase ($7)
  • Contact Janelle Baird (janellevesta@hotmail.com) or Tom Bothun (tbothun@design1ep.com)
• Monday
  • 7:00-8:30 pm on Zoom
  • Contact Tom Seaver (tomseaver@live.com)

• Tuesday
  • Women in the Word
  • 10:00-10:45 am on Zoom
  • God of Creation by Jen Wilkin
  • Contact Janelle Baird (janellevesta@hotmail.com)
• Wednesday
  • 6:30-8:30 pm on Zoom
  • The Book of James
  • Contact Dave Erickson (daviderickson72@gmail.com)

• Wednesday
  • Women in the Word
  • 6:30 pm on Google Hangouts
  • IF: Gathering 2020 sessions (5-week study beginning April 29)
  • Contact Sara Brue (sarannemootz@gmail.com)
• Thursday
  • Young Adults
  • 6:30-8:30 pm on Zoom
  • 2 Corinthians
  • Contact Ben Bigaouette (benbigaouette@myoakhillchurch.com)

 
Community Involvement

• If you are looking for ways to serve and support local efforts in the metro area, take a look at some of the following options:
  • Help at Your Door – Shop for groceries at the Bloomington Cub Foods for those not able to go out and shop for themselves. (https://helpatyourdoor.org/volunteer/)
  • Hospitality Center for Chinese – Sign up to be a virtual conversation partner for a Chinese student/family at the University of Minnesota. (https://hcchinese.org/)
  • Salvation Army (https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/ways-to-give/)
  • VEAP (https://veap.org/)

 
Masks for Ebenezer

• Another unique opportunity has been shared with us by one of our own. Kirsten Lehman, who works as a volunteer coordinator at Ebenezer, a senior living facility in Minneapolis, has reached out with an invitation to make cloth masks that can be donated to ensure that each resident has proper face protection in these unique days. See the attached document for step-by-step instructions on how to make these protective masks.

 
In Christ,
Pastor Ben and the Oak Hill Elder Board