CFL News ~ April, 2010

But now Christ has been raised from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:20a)

In his book Abba’s Child,¹ Brennan Manning recounts an exchange between G. K. Chesterton, that great 20^th century Christian writer, and a newspaper reporter: “Sir, I understand that you recently became a Christian. May I ask you one question?” “Certainly,” replied Chesterton. “If the risen Christ suddenly appeared at this very moment and stood behind you, what would you do?” Chesterton looked the reporter square in the eye and said, “He is.” Here is a collage of insights from Manning as he teases out the implications of this exchange in a chapter entitled Present Risenness: “The resurrection needs to be experienced as present risenness. Faith in the present risenness of Jesus carries with it life-changing implications for the gritty routine of daily life. Pessimism and defeatism are never the fruit of the life-giving Spirit, but rather reveal our unawareness of present risenness. Living in the awareness of the risen Jesus is not a trivial pursuit for the bored and lonely or a defense mechanism enabling us to cope with the stress and sorrow of life. It is the key that unlocks the door to grasping the meaning of existence. Everything that is comes alive in the risen Christ – who, as Chesterton reminded, is standing behind us. The miracle of the gospel is Christ, risen and glorified, who this very moment tracks us, pursues us, abides in us, an offers Himself to us as companion for the journey! God pazzo d’amore and ebro d’amore (“crazed with love” and “drunk with love” – Catherine of Siena) is embodied in Jesus, [the presently risen Jesus, dwelling in those who trust Him by faith].” Amen and happy Easter!

Get Equipped

CFL Sidewalk Supporter Boot Camp – THIS Saturday, April 3 - It’s not too late to register for this time-tested, excellent training and get equipped for godly, gracious, compassionate fruitful ministry in front of an abortion clinic. Click header for more info and to register.
ThriVe Client Advocate Training – April 16 & 17 – This training is for women who want to help other women in the midst of a crisis pregnancy at a ThriVe/PRC clinic. Life Teams, this is a good opportunity to share with your churches.

Get Informed

CFL Video Training Coming Mid-April - Convenient. Practical. Fun. All these words describe CFL’s new video training for Life Team leaders and members. These DVDs are studio-filmed, professionally edited versions of the same excellent gospel-driven content from our live training. They are ideal for anyone who can not attend our live trainings and can be used by groups or individuals. We’ll send out a special email with details soon.
Watch CFL’s 3-Minute Vision Video - This brief new video beautifully casts the vision of who CFL is and how we serve churches.
See 25 Events on CFL’s Online Calendar! - A great way for Life Teams and individuals to see what’s going on in the life arena and tell others about it!
What is the “Sanctity” of Human Life? - Read this 350-word article to find out! It’s a great piece to pass on to friends and start conversations.
Help Others Get Informed: Submit Your Life-Affirming Event - We’re always looking to let the St. Louis Region know about trustworthy, honorable life-affirming events. Click HERE to get a submission template and instructions.

Get Involved

Help Teens – ThriVe’s Rock the Pledge, May 16 - Join this Hollywood-style party to celebrate teens and their choice to live lives of purpose and integrity. Teens will have a chance to “pledge” to make healthy choices regarding sex, alcohol and drugs, all while having a blast and raising money to empower teens in the Lou! This is an ideal event for Life Teams to promote to youth groups. Get promo materials and more info HERE.
Give Your Whole Church a Gift – A Baby Item Drop Box - This box enables your congregation to champion life by giving them an attractive, permanent point to give diapers and other baby items to moms and dads in crisis pregnancies, which in turn makes it easier for them to choose and nourish life
Attend Bethany’s Fashion Show, April 10 – This fun life-affirming event features Bethany adoptees and parents modeling the latest spring and summer fashions. You’ll also enjoy a delicious buffet luncheon and browsing the tables filled with silent auction items to help raise funds for the adoption of waiting children.
Become a CFL LifeGiver - God’s doing so much through CFL! If you believe in what God’s doing with us, please become a LifeGiver (a monthly electronic financial partner). Your monthly giving multiplies your Kingdom impact through CFL because it reduces administrative costs, allows effective planning, and liberates time and talent to focus on our mission: to nourish churches as gospel-driven champions of life. All gifts are tax deductible. Many thanks to those who already are CFL LifeGivers!
Join CFL’s Praise & Prayer Team - CFL cherishes our praise and prayer partners! Send us an email at info@getintolife.org to receive a brief weekly praise and prayer report. Thanks!
Share CFL News - Do you know people in the life arena who might benefit from CFL News? With their permission, send us their email at info@getintolife.org so they can receive the benefits of CFL News just like you. Thanks.

Get Inspired

Building Trust With Church Leaders - CFL trains Life Teams, in part, to honor their leaders and work at becoming a trusted, integrated part of their church. The revitalized Life Team at First Evangelical Free is a great example of a group working to put these principles in action. As a result of their efforts, a very complimentary article about their Team recently appeared in the church’s outreach e-letter. Its content, plus the fact that the Team’s pastoral oversight wrote the article, testify to how good it is when Teams work at being trusted and integrated. Good job, First EFree Life Team!
Church-Wide Sexual Integrity Training - The Life Team at Central Presbyterian recently concluded a multi-part campaign to equip parents and youth in a biblical worldview of sex and relationships. It started with Senior Pastor Dr. Dan Doriani interacting with parents on the subject. Then, over the following several weeks, four expert speakers shared with the youth on subjects like Sex & the Brain, Sex & Technology, Sex & Relationships, and Sex, God & the Gospel. Feedback from the event has been excellent. Central’s Life Team plans to refine and run the program every year – a result of their long-term approach to serving their church, their holistic view of the life arena, and the trust God’s built between them and pastoral leadership. Good job, Team!
Online CFL Community Coming Soon - CFL will soon launch a great, safe way for Life Team members and leaders to share prayer requests, praises, and ideas in an online community. Stay tuned…

¹ Abba’s Child, Brennan Manning, Navpress, 1994, pp. 97-114.