Come expecting the supernatural this Sunday!

We’re looking forward to another Pentecostal experience this Sunday! Each Sunday we’ve been experiencing an atmosphere of Pentecost. Miracles are taking place! Numerous people have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

It is imperative that we understand that Pentecost is not a denomination – it is an experience. When Jesus ascended into Heaven, He promised to send us a comforter with dunamis power. The power of the Holy Ghost is the dunamis power that God has given us! We are being empowered each time we are in service. Why? Because God wants us to be effective and be witnesses. Have you invited someone to church this week? Bring someone with you who needs a miracle.

Let’s keep declaring each day that this is our year of release, favor and liberty. It’s our year of Jubilee. It is our year of fresh start and debt cancellation! If you have received a miracle this week – don’t keep it to yourself! Let us know!

Come expecting the supernatural this Sunday!
Pastors Joseph and Yolanda Morgan

Senior Visitation is this Sunday at 2 pm!

Senior Visitation is a ministry of love. We have the best time going to Park Place Retirement Center on the second Sunday of every month, for one hour, to sing old hymns and spirituals. We go and just share the love of Jesus with some of the kindest, gentlest elderly people in the world.

These people have become part of our family and they treat us as though we are part of theirs.

This ministry is for everyone. Just come and be with sharp minded people in their 80’s and 90’s who are still trusting in the Lord and praising him for everything in their lives.

Park Place is located at 31 Executive Park Drive in Hendersonville (on the road next to McDonalds on Main Street). Our next visit will be this Sunday at 2 pm.

Please join us!

Elders Fred and Ernie Congdon

VBS Starts Tomorrow!

Have you registered your child for VBS? We have only had a few register and we must know who is coming in order to prepare supplies. If you have not, please take a moment to register NOW by clicking here.

The theme of our Vacation Bible School this year is "Sky High Faith!" All children are welcome to attend. Please invite friends and neighbor children. VBS will be from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, Thursday and Friday night. Saturday, we will enjoy our annual VBS Church Picnic at Drakes Creek Park (next to Sweet CeCe's) on Main Street. Join us there from 11 am to 3 pm.

For more information about VBS, call us at 615-826-7575 or e-mail us at office@celebrationoflife.com!

We'll see you there!
Intern Elders Darryl and Beverly Cook

Determined Women

I was so honored to attend the 2012 Leading Ladies Conference on April 19th, in Nashville, where our very own Leading Lady, Pastor Yolanda, was the guest speaker. This conference consisted of over 60 women in the Christian and professional world and focused on how great women are working hard to lead their community.

Pastor Yolanda ministered on “Determined Women” and how determined women get what they want in life. Her message was so powerful and very detailed. She spoke highly of Hannah in the Bible and how through her experience and determination she was able to be favored of God.

The stage was set for the leading ladies to imagine themselves in Hannah’s shoes as Pastor Yolanda read the story of how Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah, who loved her dearly but how another woman, Pininnah, shared her home and had children but not Hannah- “the Lord had closed her womb.” (1 Samuel 1:5) All of Hannah’s thoughts centered on being childless and her husband could not comfort her. She endured great ridicule from Pininnah for her barrenness and she continually sought the Lord to remove her reproach and give her a male child. As I'm sure you know - she received her promise!

I challenge you today to ask yourself....are you determined enough to receive your promise?

What a blessing it is to be under the leadership of Pastor Yolanda, who inspires me to be a determined woman!

Elder Betty Rickman

"Preserving the Spirit of Expectation"

And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something!  - Acts 3:5

It is imperative that we preserve and protect the spirit of expectation, if we are to receive something great from God. So many things can happen in our day to taint our spirit of expectation - bad news or even bad communication. The Bible says evil communication corrupts. There is some information we do not need to know – it will mess with our spirit and our mind.

Sometimes our propensity is to dwell on what is not right in our life. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Some people live in a state of negativity - they thrive on what is not good. Then they wonder why they fight depression. We cannot focus on negativity and remain in a state of expectancy.

James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.”  Are we asking in faith when we pray or in doubt? We can’t receive anything when we ask in doubt. Doubt is a spirit - it’s unbelief. Doubt is what kept the children of Israel in the wilderness. Where there is no vision – people perish. So if we do not live in a state of expectation, we die! We have to have vision even when everything is coming apart around us, when everything is unraveling. Vision and expectation work together.

As James 1:6 says - we cannot waver! When things get questionable, when things get tough – we cannot waver! We can’t afford to get down or give up. We must be diligent in our determination. The scripture says “He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Get some expectation about you! Miracles are for those who preserve their expectancy!! Preserve your spirit of expectation!

Pastor Joseph Morgan

Under Cover Class for June

If you are in leadership of any kind at COLC, we ask that you take our Under Cover class. The next class will be held on three consecutive Saturdays in June: June 9, 16 and 23 from 8 am to 1 pm.

You must sign up by Sunday, May 26th so that we may purchase materials. (Old books are no longer applicable, new ones must be purchased.)

Cost is $45.00 for Couples, $30 for Singles. Payment required in full at sign-up.

Registration is available by clicking here.

For more information, please see Elders Fred and Ernie Congdon.

"Sky High Faith" - VBS 2012!

Hello Celebration of Life Church family!

Our Vacation Bible School is coming up soon! Our first night will be Thursday, June 7^th. The second and last night will be on Friday, June 8^th. Each night will be from 6 P.M.-8 P.M. Then on Saturday, June 9^th we are having a church picnic. Everyone is welcome to come to the picnic and celebrate with us as a closing to a fantastic VBS experience for 2012.

This year there will be three different age groups of classes for our children, and one class will be available for adults. The first class will be for ages 3-5. The second class will be for ages 6-8, and the third class will be for ages 9-12. Parents and all adults alike, please feel welcome to stay for our new adult class, in the Fellowship Hall.

Each class will be focused on the theme of “Sky High Faith.”We hope that each person attending will be challenged to increase their faith by this year’s VBS. Let’s believe for great things and not put a limit on what God can do. Everyone please be listening for announcements on how you can help us make this year’s VBS the best one at COLC yet!

God bless you all,
Sarah Vaughn on behalf of Darryl & Beverly Cook

Relay for Life!

Hello Celebration of Life Church Family!

It's Relay for Life time! Our church is happy to participate once again, in this annual event, centered in Sumner County. This year, our COLC Team will not host a booth at the event, however, we will raise money and awareness to help the American Cancer Society create a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Saving lives from cancer starts one team, one participant and one dollar at a time. Our team will do our part to make sure that cancer never steals another year of anyone's life.

The impact we can make together is much greater than what any of us can do alone! Our team goal this year is $500 and we need your help to raise it. All you have to do is a little spring cleaning and find some unwanted items for our upcoming Yard Sale fundraiser. Please consider what you can donate to help out this great cause.

We will be accepting your donated items beginning Wednesday, 5/16 through Wednesday, 5/23. Our Yard Sale will be Saturday, May 26th from 9 am to 1 pm at COLC. Don't worry - we'll price everything - just bring it to us during office hours (9 am to 1 pm, M-Th) or before service.

Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones they've lost and fight back against the disease!

As our Relay Captain, I encourage our church family to come out and support this awesome cause, Friday, June 1st, at 6 pm at Drakes Creek Park in Hendersonville.

Thank you so much for your support! Together, we can make a difference!

Elder Betty Rickman

GOD IS SO AWESOME!!!!!

We have an amazing testimony to share with you today. If your faith is lacking, it will not be after you read this! This past Sunday, one of our church family, Holly Phillips, brought her Mom to church for the first time. Her Mom, Dathiney MacPhee, had recently had open heart surgery, with four bypasses. She had been diagnosed that 70% of her corrorated artery was clogged and she needed surgery. At the end of altar service, Holly asked that Pastor Yolanda pray for her Mom. Pastor Yolanda told us today, "Very rarely have I had this experience, but as I prayed for her - I felt the virtue leave my body and go into hers. I actually felt it leave my fingertips."

Dathiney left in faith that she was healed and had her tests done yesterday. She received the results today and there is no blockage!!! Her artery is 100% clear!! She was completely and totally healed in Jesus' name.

Join us as we celebrate God today and thank Him for always being faithful!! He is an on-time God! We rejoice with Holly and her Mom, Dathiney and thank them for reminding us today what an awesome God we serve.

- Celebration of Life Church

An Important Date to Remember - May 3rd

We recently faced a situation that only a miracle of God could remedy. Prior to being at COLC, we were the sort of people who felt that we could take care of every situation or problem we encountered in life. Trusting in God to supply our EVERY need, including finances and health, is a lesson we have learned at COLC. God showed us that we had to trust in Him, not ourselves, in every situation and He came through at just the right time. To God be the glory!!

If you are facing uncertainty in life, we encourage you to stand on these scriptures, as we did:

Whoever trusts in Him will not be disappointed.

Romans 10:11

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:57

On a similar topic - an important date is coming up. May 3rd is our National Day of Prayer.

The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation. It enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call to us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning.

The National Day of Prayer belongs to all Americans. It is a day that transcends differences, bringing together citizens from all backgrounds. Mrs. Shirley Dobson, NDP chairman, reminds us: “We have lost many of our freedoms in America because we have been asleep. I feel if we do not become involved and support the annual National Day of Prayer, we could end up forfeiting this freedom, too.”

Christians are not doomed to defeat but called to victory. If God can change us then He can use us to change some part of this world. Christians can change the course of human history by prayer and obedience to God.

We ask that you take the day Thursday, May 3^rd to pray and fast for our nation. Pray that God will so take the heart of our President, Senate and Congress that all laws instituted will be for His glory and that we may live in peace.

God bless you!
Elders Fred and Ernie Congdon

Hello! It's YOLO!

Have you been to YOLO???

BreAnna Morgan is the creator of the new and exciting program called YOLO!!! YOLO stands for "You Only Live Once." BreAnna came up with this great idea to have a hang out every Friday night for the EPIC Students. Every week she posts on the EPIC FB page what we will be doing the upcoming Friday. If you haven't liked us on Facebook click here now!

YOLO nights so far have consisted of bowling, volleyball or just going out to eat together. YOLO is a safe and fun place for your teen to be on a Friday night. Thank you BreAnna for envisioning YOLO and making it happen every week!

Hope to see you at the next YOLO!!
Pastors Tre' and Shawnel

Discipline

Recently I spoke to the ladies at our Extreme Makeover event on the topic of “discipline.” Discipline is an important issue for all of us. It is so important to God that we have discipline and be in control of our life. Proverbs 25:28 tells us, “He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.”

Matthew Henry’s Commentary explains it like this, “(A disciplined man) is one that has rule over his own spirit; he maintains the government of himself, and of his own appetites and passions, and does not suffer them to rebel against reason and conscience. He has the rule of his own thoughts, his desires, his inclinations, his resentments, and keeps them all in good order.”

Wow! That really says it all, doesn’t it?

Sadly, a person who is not disciplined and has no self control is an easy target for the enemy. So we must learn how to have self-control by taking inventory of our lives and our thoughts. Discipline is a lifestyle. It takes time to develop discipline. It does not usually come overnight. We must declare it over our lives and believe that we are going to be our best this year! Will you declare it with me? Say, “I am set free in my mind – I have the mind of Christ – I am healed, set free, delivered and disciplined!”

Celebrating life!
Pastor Yolanda Morgan

Are you Attractive/HOT?

Yes I said it.
Are you hot?!! Are you good looking?

Society has put a big emphasis on our looks and our outward appearance. I was reading my Bible a few weeks ago and read how in the last days the bride will make herself ready. Well isn't that making yourself beautiful? It's funny to me how we will take the time to primp and get decked out for a hot date but we forget to prepare ourselves for God. I was telling our youth just that.

I asked them "Are you HOT?".

I think they might have thought I lost my mind. Well that's what youth pastors do... we lose our minds! Some of you deal with one or two teens... try 40 or 50! :)
I also asked our students, "Have you ever crushed on God?"

It's a valid question.

Have you been so attractive to God that He actually wanted to hang out with you? Un-Hot people make God throw up! Revelations 3:15-17 says that if you are not HOT that it makes Him sick. God likes us to make a decision all in or nothing. You can't be faithful to your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend half of the time and expect a wonderful relationship. Or expect them to even stick around. So why do we do that to God? The awesome thing about God is he gives more than one chance. Thank
you Lord!! Cause I'd be in a hot mess.

I gave our youth 3 things they could do to be attractive to God. I'll give them to you...

1-Prepare Yourself:
If you know your date likes certain kinds of music don't you get your iPod out and get a playlist together that will set the atmosphere? Do you have a song that's just you and your significant other? Well get one for you and God! Have you ever been in the waiting room at the doctors office and said, "Oh yeah - this is me and God's jam!"

I know... sounds nuts, but God loves the fact that you think of Him constantly.

2-Don't Be Looking:
If my wife thought I was still shopping!!! Wow!! I'd be dead! Think about it. Sometimes we are in a relationship with God but we are still shopping and looking for something that can fill void or just the next best thing.

What if God knew we didn't want anything else and we showed Him that by our actions. Wow! Talk about getting whatever you want. Give God a reason to give you a crazy blessing.

3-Change It Up:
Pastor Morgan said once, we should "change it up with God." This is so true. I'm getting better at it myself. I've been known to go in and give the same praise and worship, say the same things or do the same thing. God needs to hear from us in different ways.
For instance.... If you are a man who hates going to the movies and your wife loves it, do you just never take her? Not a chance. Nobody else is taking my wife to the movies:)!! Well think about what you think you can't do for God because you don't like to or you don't feel you are qualified
to do and DO IT. Some of the best worshipers can't sing a lick on pitch but God loves the fact that they don't care what people think because they do it unto the Lord.

This was just a little taste of what we talked about in our service. I hope this has
challenged you to be HOT for God.

Youth Pastor Tre' Corley

Our EPIC Students want to thank you!

We would like to say a special THANK YOU to everyone at COLC who have supported the EPIC Students fundraisers this month. We have sold desserts, cookies and even teenagers so far! Yes that's right, TEENAGERS! We auctioned off 8 students to help with some spring cleaning. So if you missed out on this you can always request to have a student come work for you or even babysit. These fundraisers are helping our students attend the Forward Conference in Atlanta, GA, June 28 - July 1. For more information on the Forward Conference you can go to www.forwardconference.org. You can also register online by clicking here. Last day to register is May 31st.

Youth Pastors Tre and Shawnel Corley

PS: We have two more fundraisers this month to tell you about!!!

Cultivating our Word

Every one of us have untapped areas in our life that could be productive if we could only tap into them. We can’t wait for our future to unveil – we must tell our future what we want it to be! First, we need to realize that if God calls us to something – He will empower us to accomplish the task but it must be something He has truly called us to. God qualifies those He calls. If we are compliant, He will shape us and make something good of our life. If we are hard-headed, we open the door to trouble.

Many people spend a lifetime pursuing a dream that God never originated. When God mandates us to do a particular thing – He will gift us with the ability to do it, but we must cultivate the gift. If God has given us a word and we hold onto it and cultivate it, He will give us increase. We must sow into what He has called us to. If we sow and don’t see anything, we can’t be weary.

And let us know grow weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. –Galatians 6:9

It is easy to allow ourselves to become weary because Satan comes every day to pursue and persecute us. If he can steal our seed, he can take our harvest. We must hold on to our word and our promise! We have a due season. We can’t lose heart. Every day we must declare, “Satan cannot steal my word!”

This is our year and these are the lessons we must learn to go to the next level!

Celebrating life!
Pastor Joseph Morgan

God is moving at COLC!

God is moving in a powerful way at Celebration of Life Church!! You don’t want to miss even one service or message. Please don’t forget to stop by our Bookstore and pick up copies of all of Pastor’s messages. I hope everyone realizes the awesome Word we receive on a regular basis.

We also have several sermons by Pastor Wess. He is not only an awesome singer, but the Word he brings each time he ministers is so powerful and anointed. He just “blows us away” every time he steps to the pulpit!

We will soon be offering the CDs and DVDs from the amazing conference live from Worship With Wonders church where Pastor brought an unforgettable Word. You will want to get a copy of this and experience an on-time, anointed message LIVE from the sanctuary of 3WC!

Our amazing ladies in the bookstore, Barbara Harper and Jill Wood, will be so happy to help you and you will be blessed by their sweet spirit. Tell them what you are looking for and they always go above and beyond to help you find what you want.

We love our church family so much!

Stop by the COLC Bookstore!

We are Elders Harry and Jeanne Umfleet and we absolutely love our church and Pastors. One of our areas of ministry is the Bookstore. We have such an awesome Word consistently coming forth and each service is recorded on audio CD. We encourage you to stop by and purchase a CD of each message so that you can listen over and over and get the teaching into your spirit. This will be a mighty weapon for you against the onslaught of the enemy!

We also have available music CDs and DVDs from our incredible Pastor Wess Morgan. He is one of a kind! COLC has so many talented and anointed people connected to our family and we have music available by just a few of them, such as Pastors Myles and DeLana Rutherford, Mike Scott, and The Crabb Family.

Come see us, y’all.
Elders Harry and Jeanne Umfleet

Raising Up the Next Generation of Christians - Part 2

We are so thankful to have an active role in training up the next generation of prayer warriors, preachers, teachers, evangelists, deacons, pastors, elders and bishops. Furthermore, we are eternally grateful to Senior Pastors Joseph and Yolanda Morgan for allowing God to use us in this ministry. We love our local church and believe that we are to truly focus on equipping children with all the spiritual knowledge that can help them stand against all enemies that come against them. Remember...great people are born and great mentors teach them how to walk in their purpose.

The body of Christ is starting to realize that children are our most precious commodity and we must nurture them to ensure their spiritual survival. We often hear people say that their children are their greatest accomplishment. What they are really saying is their legacy will continue to live on, after they are gone, through their children. If you are a parent, we challenge you to take a few moments to ask yourself these questions...

1) Am I truly committed to the spiritual growth of my children?
2) Do I deposit the Word of God into my children on a regular basis?
3) What will my children and family say about me after I'm gone?
4) Am I a Godly example for my children to follow?
5) Do I look for opportunities to sow, encourage and build up other children who are not my biological offspring?
6) Is God pleased with how I am handling His children?

If you answer YES to all of these questions, then you are committed to building God's Kingdom one child at a time. For everyone who reads this post, you are loved and respected. Thank you for helping us raise up the next generation of powerful children!

In His love,
Darryl and Beverly Cook

Celebrate Easter!

We are looking forward to a time of celebration this weekend as we remember the true meaning of the Easter holiday. We invite you to join us at 7:00 pm tonight for our annual Good Friday service. We will have a time of communion along with presentations by our dance team and children's choir. Saturday will be a fun time for our kids at our yearly Egg Hunt. Bring your kids to join in the fun at 11:00 am.

Easter Sunday morning is always one of our favorite services at Celebration of Life Church. This is the time to invite your friends and family to church! Come expecting a miraculous move of God! We will have a joy-filled gathering as we celebrate our risen King. You don't want to miss a moment of this glorious service!

Blessings and love to you all this Easter,
Pastors Joseph and Yolanda Morgan

Raising Up the Next Generation of Christians - Part 1

One of the most exciting ministries within any church is Children's Ministry. Wouldn't you agree that children have a way of making adults feel young? The Bible contains many verses referencing children - two of our favorites are:

But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the Kingdom of God." -Luke 18:16

If anyone causes one of these little ones - those who believe in me - to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. -Matthew 18:6

In both of these scriptures, Jesus is demonstrating His amazing love and passion for children. If we are made in the image of God and are called by Him to do greater works, then how much more should we cherish and love ALL children?

One of the biggest lies the devil tries to get people to believe is that children are more of a burden than a blessing. We say to you today that children are still relevant and equally as important to Jesus Christ, as they were thousands of years ago! We live in perilous times. We cannot afford to forsake one child just because the world has deemed them irrelevant. It is our spiritual duty to train-up, encourage, protect and speak into children's lives!

Serving with a joyful heart!
Darryl and Beverly Cook

Pastor Yolanda Morgan Interview

We hope you picked up a copy of Convenient Shopper Magazine which features an interview with Pastor Yolanda Morgan. If not, we now have the article online for you to read and share with your social media network.

Just click this link (on our homepage) to view the article... CLICK HERE

Have a blessed day!
Celebration of Life Church

A Challenge from Elder Betty Rickman

As I mentioned in my last post, life changing words are always going forth at COLC. At the beginning of this year, Pastor Yolanda said, “Declare Faith and Favor of God.” I’ve been standing on this word and praying for a car for my niece, who is in college. The faith and the favor of God allowed me to purchase my own home as a single woman in Christ and the stability to celebrate 20 years with my current employer. On March 10th, through declaring Faith and Favor, my sister and I were able to purchase my niece a new car! God is so good! Check it out!

My favorite scripture is one Pastor Morgan has quoted often recently.

Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and He will act. - Psalms 37:4-5

As Pastor Morgan has explained to us, the word "delight" means “pliable to God’s word." In other words, when you are flexible or adjustable to His will, not yours, specific requests are heard and brought into fruition.

I challenge you to commit yourself and stand with me to declare Faith and Favor over our lives, while reading this scripture daily, to see the blessings of God’s work in your life.

Remember - you have been challenged!!!

Elder Betty Rickman

Meet Elder Betty Rickman

I’m so excited to have this opportunity to share a little bit about myself. I’ve been an active member of Celebration of Life Church for over twelve years and words cannot express how my life has changed during that time. In 2004, Pastor preached a message on faith and how “faith keeps you from being SHOCKED.” Oh, how those words have ministered to me over the years!

I’m a true believer that the word of God that goes forth at COLC will work in your life, regardless of your status - married or single. It’s up to you how successful you want your life to be in Christ. Oh did I mention this? I’m single and sold out for Christ with no biological kids, however, there are many I take pride in providing spiritual mentorship to. This brings me to introduce the ministries I oversee as an Elder at COLC. I'll start the list with one very dear to my heart:

Singles Ministry
Wedding Contracts
Black History Month
Bulletin Boards
Service Receptionist
Words of Inspiration/Marquee
Communion

Here are a few pictures from one of our Singles events!

Before I go, I would like to invite all COLC singles out for night of fun, Friday March 30th! We will meet at Cheddars (in Hendersonville) at 7:00 pm to share appetizers and then go to Cosmic Bowling. Please bring a friend and come ready for a night of Fun, Fellowship and Laughter!

Thanks for taking time to get to know me better!
Elder Betty Rickman

A Personal Invitation for You!

I want to personally invite every woman reading this to join me tomorrow night for our first Extreme Makeover event of 2012! Why do we need a night of Extreme Makeover? Because God wants us to have an abundant life in every facet of our existence. He wants us to have peace, joy, contentment...all of it! So many people live their lives weighed down by the cares of this world because they are not turning everything over to God. If this is you - quit carrying your troubles and give them to God! Turn them loose! He is big enough to take care of all your worries and every part of your being.

I know right now in my spirit that God is taking me places this year that I've never been before because I'm experiencing things I've never experienced before. If you're expecting God to take you to a brand new place you've never been, then I will see you tomorrow night at 7 pm! Let's allow God to make us over from the inside out, so we can be mighty women of God!

Celebrating life!

Pastor Yolanda Morgan

EPIC Students April Fundraisers

April is fund-raising month for the EPIC Students! We will be raising money all month for our students to attend the Forward Conference in June. We have several amazing fundraisers coming up that you DO NOT want to miss out on! Help change the life of a student by supporting these fundraisers!
Thank you in advance,
Youth Pastors Tre' and Shawnel

Pre-order 2 Butterfly Sugar Cookies for your child's Easter basket or for a special gift. These will be specially made by Iris Tarrant and available for pick up on Easter Sunday. Deadline to order is Wednesday, April 4th. CLICK HERE to pre-order our Easter Butterfly Sugar Cookies!

You can also Pre-Order an EPIC Dessert for your Easter Dinner. Desserts are $12.00 each and will also be available for pick up on Easter. Deadline to order Desserts is Wednesday, April 4th. CLICK HERE to pre-order an EPIC Dessert!

Need help with your spring cleaning? Then don't miss the EPIC Clean Sweep Auction on Sunday, April 1st. Students will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Bids start at $50. Students will be available for work on Saturday, April 14th or Saturday, April 28th from 8:00am-12:00pm. Additional hours can be purchased for $10/hour. Money earned will be used for that student to attend the Forward Conference.


EPIC PROGRESSIVE DINNER
Get your tickets for the EPIC Progressive Dinner hosted by Debbie Hart and Angie Cabler. Dinner will be held on Saturday, April 28th at 5:00 pm. Single Tickets are $15 or $25 for a couple. CLICK HERE to purchase tickets. Thank you for supporting EPIC Students!!!

Strongholds

Sometimes we wonder why we are going through spiritual warfare but the truth is - this is when we are closest to a breakthrough. 2 Corinthians 10:3 says, "For though we walk in the flesh - we do not war in the flesh." It's not in our flesh to do things God's way. We have a propensity for disobedience - it's the inclination of our flesh. Our greatest strongholds are often from within and it takes serious warfare to conquer them.

It's not normally within us to see our own flaws. We can be so mired in our own error and reasoning that no light shines on the problems within us. Sometimes our mind is so bogged down that the truth in black and white is not even truth to us. What others can clearly see - we reason away, making excuses and justifying our actions.

So how do we conquer strongholds? Through serious prayer and completely surrendering our will to God. Also, by walking in faith - trusting that He will come through for us when we are pliable to Him. How do we know He will come through for us? Because of what He has already done in our lives! Start thanking Him today for favor on your life and for all the many blessings He has given you!

Pastor Yolanda and I are excited about what God is going to do this Sunday! Join with us as we declare revival over COLC and come expecting miracles to happen!

Celebrating life!
Pastor Joseph Morgan

"Under Cover" by John Bevere

As we told you earlier this week, we have had the great opportunity to be members of Celebration of Life Church for 12 years. Every time we hear our Pastors preach we are amazed at the revelation God gives them.

One of our ministries is "Under Cover" by John Bevere. We feel the lessons taught in this course are some of the most important lessons to be learned in the church today. We will cover these topics....

- Understand and recognize
- God-established authority
- Learn the difference between true biblical submission and obedience
- Discover the right response to unfair treatment
- Find answers to common questions about submission
- Develop a greater level of faith

God's Word teaches us that we are not only accountable to God but to the authority He establishes on earth, and all authority originates from Him!

Many people who complete the "Under Cover" program find that by applying these principles in the workplace they recieve raises and even promotions. We have seen marriages transformed, and children’s lives come into alignment with the word of God and happily serving in church.

Want a life changing experience? Come to the next UC class in April and watch God move in your life!

Meet Elders Fred and Ernie Congdon

We are Fred and Ernie Congdon. We have been married for 36 years with two children and five grandchildren. We were blessed to find Celebration of Life Church almost 13 years ago. We heard Pastor Morgan say, “Give me six months of hearing this Word and your life will never be the same.” He was so right! The Word of God that is preached and taught from this pulpit has changed our lives.

We are Elders at COLC and are committed to the following ministries in the Church:

His Hands, PIC (Political Insight for Christians), Community Involvement, Visitor Follow-up, Senior Visitation, Church Construction and Under Cover

If you want to get more involved at COLC, we would love to help you be a part of any of these ministries. Please comment below if you have any questions for us!

God bless you!
Elders Fred and Ernie Congdon

Pursuing Your Dreams

I've been speaking the past few weeks about pursuing our dreams and making 2012 our year! As we have discussed, we must be flexible, tweaking ourselves continually to the will of God. At the same time, we must be steadfast in reaching our goals. When setbacks come, we must remain resolute.

To make our dreams happen - we can't sit idly by and just hope things will fall into place - we must take action! An action on our part precedes a response from Heaven. Sometimes we think God should just move but He is waiting on us to come before Him. In our weakness - He is made strong.

Psalms 37:4 says, "Delight yourself also in the Lord and He shall give you the desires of your heart." The word "desire" here is translated as " specific petition." We petition God through the prayer of supplication - it's like a prayer with a subject line. Ephesians 6:18 says, "....praying always with all prayer and supplication, in the Spirit." So we should live in a constant state of prayer. There are times when we should pray in our own understanding and times when we should pray in the Spirit. Romans 8:26 says when we do not know what we should pray, the Spirit makes intercession for us. What a blessing!

I encourage you to be specific in your prayers and be pliable to God, staying in an active relationship with Him as he moves us to a new level this year!

Celebrating life!
Pastor Joseph Morgan

Forward Conference 2012!

Whether it was Christine Caine encouraging us to carry the baton, Carl Lentz telling us "that girl is poison," or Toby Mac singing "Tonight," there was something for everybody at last year's Forward Conference.

We encourage you to make sure your kids attend Forward Conference 2012, June 28-30. Through the powerful teaching and worship they will MOVE FORWARD and their lives will be changed!

Youth Pastors Tre' and Shawnel

Check out this video!


2012 Speakers and Musical Guests:
Jentezen Franklin
Matthew Barnett
Steven Furtick
Riggie Dabbs
Chris Tomlin
Jeremy Camp
Third Day
Israel Houghton
Free Chapel

Teaching the Value of Prayer

Prayer on Monday nights at COLC is not just for adults. We have been taking our kids, Tristen and ShayLee, and teaching them to pray. Tristen has so much faith, we have told him to pray for anything he wants and he goes in and asks God for everything from giant playgrounds to tour buses and we think it is awesome.

There's no better feeling on Earth than knowing your child has a heart for God. But let's be real...teaching your 5 year old and 2 year old to be quiet and reverent during prayer time for a full hour is not easy!!! You've probably noticed us praying with our kids for the first few minutes of prayer and then taking turns watching them. We have also connected with a few other parents and made a rotation to help with each other's kids so everyone can take turns praying!

There are always options to get done what we value in our lives. We encourage you to do the same!

Youth Pastors Tre' and Shawnel

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Welcome to the COLC Blog!

Our ministry team is excited to bring you information and inspiration via this blog. Check back for new content several times weekly. We look forward to helping you get to know COLC better and hope to keep you informed on the latest events and news.

God bless you!
Pastors Joseph and Yolanda Morgan
Celebration of Life Church