This week I would like to highlight "Step+" (read, step plus). "Step+" is one of our five newly articulated values. You can examine all of our re-articulated values here. We articulate it this way:

STEP+

because simple steps guided by Jesus accelerate the impact of new life. Take some time to reflect with me: Read Acts 8:26-27a Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch 26 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south[a] down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, Answer this question: When was the last time, in obedience to Jesus, you "started out" not knowing where your steps would take you? One of the things that keeps us from joining Jesus in the work He's already doing is our failure to take the simple steps He prepares for us to take. We want to know how it will all turn out. I praise God that as this value gets lived out more and more, it will accelerate the impact of new life.

A "Step+ Story"

Some things have been transpiring in lifeGroup over the last couple of weeks that I wanted to share. God has been teaching me a lot lately (when I take time to listen) and I think this story might be encouraging for others. The theme is listening to God and being obedient. 🙂 Sorry it's long, but I have a lot of thoughts. Regina (lifeGroup member) has been having a lot of joint pain lately so the doctor told her to try taking a hot bath, which normally would never happen because she is super busy mom of two. Her back was hurting so bad one night that she made time for her hot bath. She grabbed a book (The 5 Love Languages) from her nightstand and jumped in the tub. She was leading lifeGroup that week, and immediately God put on her heart to encourage us to be loving people (and she listened!). She challenged all of us to perform a random act of kindness for an enemy or a complete stranger (and she was obedient!). The day before lifeGroup I still hadn't performed my random act of kindness. It is much easier to do an act of kindness for people you know rather than a stranger! I decided to use my lunch hour to walk around the Capitol Square and asked God to make it apparent what He wanted me to do, but in my heart I very much doubted something would just pop up. I wasn't even 1/2 block into my walk when my head immediately spun around (almost involuntary) to see a rough-looking young man sitting against the wall with a very dejected posture. I looked up at the sky and thought, "Really, God? You really want me to strike up a conversation with this guy?" I decided to play this little game with God: "Ok, I'll walk around the square one time and if he's still there after a lap, then I will know that you want me to talk to him." I made a lap and, yep, he's still there. I still had no idea how to approach him, so I started walking around and then sat on a bench about 20 feet away from him. As I was sitting there thinking, "Lord, how do I strike up a conversation with him?", a lady walking around the Capitol made eye contact with me, smiled and said, "It sure is a beautiful day, isn't it?" We proceeded to have a 5 minute conversation about the forecast and the cold Spring. "There you go, Michelle," says God. "That is how you start a conversation with a stranger." Okay, fine. I'll go. So I walked up to the kid and said, "This is going to sound very strange but do you ever get the feeling that you are supposed to talk to someone? Because I really think I'm supposed to talk to you." "Ok," he said. I asked him where he's from, and he said Madison. I asked him what he's up to today, and he said he's waiting for someone to bring him some money so he can get a hotel room for the night and take a shower. I ask if he had a home and he said no; he had a court date soon because he has to go to jail. He looked like all hope had been sucked out of him. When his girlfriend arrived with a pizza she seemed very unhappy I was there. After I explained that I was just saying hello, she still was not very happy, so I wished him luck with everything and continued on my walk. These events are really amazing to me. While the ending isn't exactly spectacular, it has really opened my eyes. I've been making a conscious effort to be intentional about listening to God while going about my normal business. The whole point of my lunch was to walk around the square and LISTEN to Him and see people the way He sees them. And guess what? He spoke to me. It was plain as day that he wanted me to let that kid know that someone - even a stranger - cares about him. Then I didn't obey - I kept walking! And He still provided me with the stranger who struck up a conversation with me to show me that I could do it. And when I actually did it, the guy didn't freak out. It was obvious he wanted to tell his story to someone. Regina pointed out that if I had been immediately obedient, I would've had an extra 20 minutes with him and an opportunity to go even deeper into conversation than I was able to due to the pizza delivery. Several other people were deeply affected by our lifeGroup's "random acts of kindness." First, my co-worker and fellow lifeGroup member Abbey came up to me with tears in her eyes the morning after we shared our stories. "Michelle, I made a very bad choice this morning! Every morning when I get off the bus the same homeless woman is on the corner. This morning she was sobbing, but I didn't stop to talk to her because I was worried about being late to work. I feel horrible - I should have talked to her." Two days before it wouldn't even have been on Abbey's heart to notice or think it was her place to talk to the woman! The next day when Abbey got off the bus, she followed up with the woman and asked if everything was okay. The second story is that Leslie (our neighbor) has been volunteering at the Children's Museum to help out another lifeGroup member, Andrea. On our lifeGroup day, Leslie was going to drop off something at my house for Andrea to pick up, and Leslie waited to come until lifeGroup started! We invited her in for dinner and I prayed, prayed, prayed that God would open her heart to stay for Word time. After dinner, she said, "So what's the topic tonight?" I said we were going to continue to discuss our random acts of kindness and I told her about Regina's challenge to us. She stayed and got to hear all of our stories! Maybe these events seem way more awesome in my heart than they actually are, but I really think it would be inspiring if stories like this could be shared frequently within our church. I'm so encouraged right now and I want others to be energized, too. What a big lesson. If you listen, He will speak. If you obey, He will hold your hand. If you share, He will open hearts. Blessings, Michelle

This week I would like to highlight "Generosity+" (read, generosity plus). "Generosity+" is one of our five newly articulated values. You can examine all of our re-articulated values here. We articulate it this way:

GENEROSITY+

because generosity empowered by Jesus fuels a contagious, others-centered culture. Take some time to reflect with me: Read 1 Chronicles 29 (if time is short, read vs. 10-19) Answer this question: When was the last time you were so moved by someone's generosity that you simply had to stop and worship God? Generosity is contagious. The generous love of Jesus is still fueling Jesus-followers to actively love others. Here's an example: Gererosity + Story Summertime is mission trip time for the youth at the Church. It's a time of great anticipation - going to new places, meeting new people, driving for ridiculously long hours in overcrowded vans, and waiting for those moments when we so clearly see God working in powerful ways. One thing that has been a priority in Higher Ground, however, has been the importance of knowing that we just don't go to foreign lands to do mission work. We don't need to travel 15 hours to make a difference. We don't have to visit the most impoverished counties in America to meet people who need Jesus. Those needs and opportunities are present in our backyards. In fact, we can't properly go and serve elsewhere until we have spent time first immersing ourselves in how God is wanting to work right here in our own communities. As a way to remind ourselves that God is wanting to use us TODAY, HERE and NOW in our communities, Higher Ground spent June 18th-20th participating in LOVE MADISON DAYS. It was three days dedicated to being on mission here in Madison, and learning simple, replicable ways that we can make a difference. What did we do? Simple - we fed the hungry and gave water to the thirsty. On Tuesday, students worked at St. Vincent de Paul food pantry sorting and stocking food. Then, they passed out 200 fliers to the homes in the church's neighborhood, advertising a food drive and the needs of the food pantry. On Wednesday, we spent a few hours weeding and watering in one of Madison's 5 food pantry gardens. After dinner we went to McKee Farms Park and passed out water and freeze pops to the multitudes. Finally, on Thursday morning, we took up that food drive. We went back to each house where we had dropped off a flier and collected food for the food pantry - 529 pounds of food collected in just 1.5 hours! What a fun three days we had! We laughed, we bonded, we worked really hard, and we knew we made a difference. Nothing we decided to do was too hard. We didn't need extra training. We didn't spend much money. It didn't take a ton of coordination. All it took was for the students (over 30 different students!) to be willing to GO AND DO. What can you GO AND DO this summer? How can you create your own LOVE MADISON/VERONA/FITCHBURG days this summer? Emily Powers Director of Youth, the Church

"In your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”  Peter, writing to Jewish Christians who had been driven out of Jerusalem and scattered throughout Asia Minor (1 Peter 3:15) Recently in one of our lifeGroup conversations this question came up:  “When is it the right time to share the Gospel with our friends?”  Timing is everything.  How do you know?  Here’s a good rule of thumb:  When your friend asks you.  God is already working in the life of our friends. The Spirit, if we are sensitive to His leading, will provide “opportunities” for us to share our hope.  We can take the pressure off of ourselves to “manufacture opportunities.” One of my priorities, then, as a Christian leader, is to walk alongside Jesus-followers and prepare them for those opportunities.  I am called, in part, to help get them ready. How are you preparing Jesus-followers to “share the hope they have in Christ” when they are gifted with Spirit-inspired opportunities? Here are the 3 simple moves that prepare you (and those you lead) for those oppertunities.

1) Consider, again, that Jesus is Good News.

Good News is not difficult to share.  Jesus is Good News!  He is not advice. He is not theology.  He is not history.  He is a person.  He has done great things for us and in us.  He is doing great things for us and in us.  What if we approached our relationship with Jesus, the same way we approach that “great thing” that recently happened to us? Try this:  Pick out one of your favorite stories about Jesus from one of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John) and look for an opportunity to share it with your friend.

2) Ask good questions.

Powerful, soul-stirring questions combined with a genuinely caring and interested spirit can be the equation that unlocks meaningful opportunities to share Jesus.  One of my favorite questions I got from a list in a book entitled “I Once Was Lost” by Don Everts and Doug Schaupp. “What is the most significant thing that has happened to you in the last month? Pg. 56 Have you ever noticed how often we use questions to just gather information?  What if we started using questions to stir emotion and thought?  Think of the opportunities that might emerge. Try this:  Choose your favorite, go-to questions and give ‘em a shot the next time you have an unhurried conversation with your friend. 

3) Build your capacity in community.

We sharpen each other as we practice and compare notes.  I love exploring the way Jesus built capacity in His disciples.

• He taught.
• He assigned.
• They went out and tried.
• They returned and shared stories.

This training cycle was repeated again and again.  What would happen in our churches if we turned our gatherings into places where this rhythm was repeated. Try this:  Get together on a regular basis with a few other Jesus-followers and begin praying for your unbelieving friends, and then begin sharing your “stories of engagement” with each other.  Listen deeply to each other, learn from each other, encourage each other, and pray for each other.  Pay attention to what begins happening over time.  You will be amazed at the “Spirit-inspired” opportunities that start popping up.

[et_pb_section admin_label="section"] [et_pb_row admin_label="row"] [et_pb_column type="4_4"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text"]Bet that title got your attention! The quoted phrase in the title is a teaser, taken from a blog post written by Cana Laska, one of our members who is serving as a Christian missionary in Mbarara, Uganda. Cana is working with Bishop Stuart University to open a new law school. You may have seen Cana in worship or talked with her in the welcome area on January 12, when she was back home for a visit. In the blog post that includes the title phrase, Cana shares a story about learning that weapons are often sold at market stands that appear only to sell kitchen supplies. Security guards in Mbarara sometimes use bows and arrows as cheaper alternatives to guns – it was a jaw-dropping moment for Cana, who was sure that those weapons were only going to be used to hunt birds. Experiences like this illustrate the challenges and revelations Cana experiences while on mission. Please pray for Cana and her ministry in Uganda. If you haven’t yet talked with her in person, I hope you have a chance next time she’s back for a visit, and if God speaks to you through her mission you can donate with a check to church (indicate Cana’s name) or online through her blog, justicemercyandfaith.com. Cana often shares specific material needs on her blog as well. For example, she recently asked for resources for a women’s Bible study she’ll be leading at a local prison. Check out the blog to read about her missionary work and adventures, and to discover how you can show your support. While you’re there, see if you can find “Jesus Christ General Hardware!” Cana’s stories of being on mission are so relatable – they’re about day-to-day life and the sometimes surprising ways that God shows up for and through Cana. Her stories can inspire you to think about yourself as a Christian missionary serving in your city, not because it’s a fun exercise in role-playing, but because this is who you are![/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column] [/et_pb_row] [/et_pb_section]

From April 13 through the 16th, a group from the Church spent their time serving in the Madison community. These missionaries committed three and a half says to spend together serving. Each day started with quiet time in God’s Word and it continued with service at a variety of places throughout Madison. Each day ended after praising God for what He did during the day, and worshiping together! Here is a summery of the trip written by Sarah Oberdeck and Kylie Cook. The trip started on Sunday by getting to know one another and praying over the Madison community. Groups went on a scavenger hunt to find iconic Madison venues and pray. We wanted to pray first for the community where we will be serving. We prayed for firefighters, teachers and students, children at the hospital, coffee shops, college students, athletes, libraries, the Capital and so many more! God was present throughout every aspect of the trip, from the very beginning, throughout the planning and until the very last day. God blessed our planning by providing people that were able to use their gifts to contribute to the trip. Thank you to all of the lifegroups and individuals that provided delicious meals for us! Thank you to all of the people that helped organize and serve us in so many ways. We served with Allied Drive Food Pantry, Porchlight homeless shelter, Carenet Pregnancy Center, Middleton Outreach Mission, Sunny Hill Nursing home, Agrace Hospice, Project Linus, International Friendship Center, Food Pantry Gardens, St. Vincent DePaul, Goodwill, Shut Ins of the church and a neighbor of the church. We learned about so many needs throughout the Madison area. Each organization that we served with has a very limited budget and they have very basic needs that we could meet through donations of time and supplies. Check with your lifegroup leader on items that could be donated and places to serve! We learned how to be compassionate like Jesus, confident in who we are as Christ’s children, the courage to share our testimony, and the joy of serving as a community in our own community. We all grew in our relationship with Jesus, from people who were on their first mission trip, to those who have been on several. God taught us lessons on how to be humble, how to trust Him, how to love our neighbors as ourselves, and how much fun it is to serve! Our prayer for the participants is that they would continue to live every day as a missionary in our community. Thank you for coming on this journey with us! Kylie and Sarah

The apostle Paul had some final instructions that he gave to the Colossians at the end of his letter. He began his instructions with these words: (Colossians 4:2) “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” We have been focussing on prayer for the first part of this year and hopefully you have grown in your understanding of prayer and your prayer life has become more than a ritual but a lifestyle. The words “being watchful” jumped out at me. I looked up the verse in other translations and the Message said, “stay alert with your eyes wide open.”

Are your eyes wide open? Are you looking for where God is working so you can join him?

The instructions continue and Paul goes on to say; “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” (verse 5) That verse goes back to why we need to be watchful and have our eyes wide open, what opportunity is right in front of you that you can make the most of? Sometimes, we need to take the opportunity to care for a neighbor or follow through on an idea we have to reach out to someone that we know is in need. It may be very obvious, and we need to take it. And sometimes we need to make an opportunity. Put yourself in places where you can meet people. Go to the same coffee shop. Hang out in the front yard instead of the back yard. Organize a “schools out” block party. Offer to water the plants or take care of the neighbors pet while they go on summer vacation. Instead of waiting in the car at the pick up line after school, park your car, get out and see what other parents you can talk to. Are you making the most of every opportunity? And Paul wraps up those final instructions with these words: “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…” (verse 6) It does not take too much salt to change the taste of food. It just takes a little grace, showing up in conversations without judgement, giving away love that is not deserved, to make a difference. Are we able to extend care to the people in our lives without expectation of anything in return? Can we make the most of every opportunity and be full of grace without an agenda for how we want people to behave? Will we continue to pray by name for those people that we know that are not following Jesus? And are we ready to be part of the answer to our prayer, that God would give us an opportunity to be the ones to speak the truth about the Good News of Jesus Christ? The final part of the sentence in verse 6 is … so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (verse 6) That does not mean that you need to have all the answers. Perhaps you will just ask them the next question, so they can further discover for themselves what they are looking for. You just need to be ready to share your story. What have you seen and heard as you have followed Jesus? The woman at the well knew enough after meeting Jesus to go and tell her whole village. She did not know everything, but her life was forever changed after meeting Jesus. Have you met him? Do you know him? Has he made a difference in your life? Does it matter if your neighbor knows him? Spring is here, people are once again out and about. What opportunity are you praying for as a lifeGroup or an individual? We just finished celebrating the truth that the tomb is empty and Jesus lives! We have the greatest news to share! And that news that Jesus lives makes an eternal difference.

God taught me an important lesson at Dairy Queen this week. You may think that to be an unusual spot to have any sort of great “God Moment”, but for me it was the perfect spot. I was simply going along, doing what I love to do (eat ice cream and hang out with teens), and God gently reminded me of some very important truths about Himself, His Word, and discipleship. TRUTH 1: God works in the course of our everyday lives. Discipleship should happen in the same way. It was 8:30pm and I was meeting with 7 high school students who are helping to plan and run our middle school mission trip. I’ve found that excitement and creativity are directly related to the amount of food that they are provided, so off to Dairy Queen we went. My hope was to engage the students in a conversation about the worship topics we would lead the middle school students in. I presented the theme verse, asked a few questions, and the students dutifully stared silently into their blizzards. Has this ever happened to you? You hope to have a profound conversation at lifeGroup and instead you hear the lights hum. You envision your children delightfully reading God’s Word at the dinner table and instead you can’t get them to even answer a simple question. It’s in those moments that we feel the depth of how ineffective we can be. TRUTH 2: My expectations for others often keeps me from being truly present with them. God showed up in that moment for me and surprised me with this reminder – TRUTH 3: Discipleship best happens on a co-journey of discovery. (TRUTH 3.5: Parents, God is calling you to disciple your children, not just teach them and discipline them.) As I sat there with those students, I realized that I didn’t have a firm grasp of the scripture we were basing our devotions on. I didn’t completely understand the motive and intent in the passage we were looking at. So, I did the most unnatural thing for anyone who claims to be a teacher/leader/parent/mentor – I told them I didn’t understand what I was reading. I voiced the questions I had out loud. I asked someone to read the chapter again. As I began to better understand the context, I spoke out loud the ideas I was wrestling with. And then, it started. They talked. In fact, not only did these students begin to share their ideas, they taught me things about this passage that I would have never understood on my own. TRUTH 4: I can trust God with His Word. God can use His Word to speak to each person as He desires, and true discipleship allows God the room to do just that. It was in my own confusion and vulnerability that discipleship happened. I was able to model what it looks like to wrestle with scripture and then how to dialogue about what God might be teaching me. It wasn’t in my original “plan” for the night. That leads me to the last truth - TRUTH 5: It took me getting myself out of the way for God to be able to do the work He wanted to do. Who is God calling you to be with in a co-journey of discovery? Is it your children, a neighbor, a brother or sister in Christ, or perhaps a friend who is curious about Jesus? What benefit might there be when we shed the expectations of expertise and show up with wonder and vulnerability? I pray that God will bless you with a Dairy Queen moment this week as you live expectantly for Him.