Second Issue of Stories Journal Released

The second issue of Stories Journal, a free magazine produced by Walnut Creek, is now available. Grab a copy at any of our weekend services!

Jesus rising changes everything. As the Apostle Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” God refused to abandon us, sending Jesus to be the remedy for our sin. As He was crucified, Jesus inhabited suffering. If His story ended on the cross, we would have no reason to hope. Death would have won.

But in the three days Jesus lay in the tomb, the entire future of the world changed. Jesus rose, and as He did, so do we. Jesus is alive. The power of His resurrection is enough to remake us, redeem us from sin, and deliver us from ourselves. The resurrection gives us eternal hope.

God is in the business of resurrection in all of our lives. That’s why He entrusted the Gospel to us (2 Corinthians 5). To messed up, selfish people like us. People who get confused and afraid and intimidated. God promises to redeem our mistakes. Promises to use us to help redeem others’ lives. Promises to be with us. Promises to change us until all the threads of our lives are surrendered for Him.

That’s our hope. The beauty in His resurrection is that we can stop living for ourselves and instead give up our lives. We need to learn who the story is about. Our stories are ultimately about God. Each thread is a glimpse of how our stories fit within His story. He wrote each of us in, and all of our threads are working together for His glory.

"Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story" (Psalm 107:2). This is why we made Stories Journal–to tell the stories of lives made new. Stories Journal is a free magazine produced by Walnut Creek Church. Grab your copy this weekend at any of our services. Check out medium.com/spring-2015 to start reading today!

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

"Crazy Things Jesus Said" Series Launch

Walnut Creek launches a new message series – "Crazy Things Jesus Said" – church-wide this weekend. The series through the Book of Mark is the third installment of the "Crazy Things Jesus Said" series which was first launched in the summer of 2013.

Over the course of the summer, we will study Mark 11-16, taking a close look at Jesus' final days on earth–emphasizing His actions, deeds, and commands. Join us as we look at who Jesus is and how we are to respond to Him.

Free "Crazy Things Jesus Said" study guides are available at each location. You can also follow the message series through our mobile app and online. Share your thoughts and what you're learning during the series on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the #CrazyThings hashtag.

And each week during the series, we'll be posting wallpapers to correspond with the current passage we're studying. ‪Grab this week's wallpaper for your device!

Easter Services 2015

Saturday, April 4

Walnut Creek South
1101 E. Army Post Rd., Des Moines
6pm

Walnut Creek Downtown
323 E. Locust St., Des Moines
5pm, 7pm

Sunday, April 5

Jordan Park Camp
2251 Fuller Rd., West Des Moines
7am (outdoor service)

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights
900 64th St., Windsor Heights
9am (traditional), 9:30am, 11am

Walnut Creek Johnston
5905 NW 100th St., Johnston
10am

Walnut Creek Downtown
323 E. Locust St., Des Moines
10am

Walnut Creek South
1101 E. Army Post Rd., Des Moines
10am

Walnut Creek Shalom (en Español)
900 64th St., Windsor Heights
12:45pm

Mission Blog 2015: Dominican Republic

The teams witness the baptisms of many Dominican believers in San Pedro. 

Each year Walnut Creek Church sends several teams on international short-term mission trips. Follow along with our teams in the Dominican Republic (March 13-28) as they share the good news of the Gospel and build up la Vid, a small church in Santo Domingo supported by Walnut Creek.

Read the mission blog for stories, answered prayers, and prayer updates. Visit walnutcreekchurch.org/connect/missions for more information.

Mustaches That Matter Adoption Assistance Application Now Open

Last summer, Walnut Creek Church launched Mustaches That Matter, an initiative to share about the great need and joy in adoption. Mustaches That Matter was a response to God’s call to care for orphans as we desired to align our heart with God's heart.

We asked men to grow a mustache and then invite friends, relatives, and coworkers to financially sponsor their mustache. From July 25 to August 25, 206 men decided to grow with us and unleash the power of their mustaches for a greater cause.

Within the first week, we met our goal of raising $25,000. The next week we raised an additional $15,000. In four weeks, Mustaches That Matter raised $76,300 to help families provide waiting children with loving and permanent homes.

Mustaches That Matter partners with families in the adoption process to help them cross their financial finish line. Money raised goes toward our adoption assistance fund to help multiple families each year who are adopting internationally or domestically.

If you are in the adoption process, consider applying for financial assistance through Mustaches That Matter. Or if someone you know is adopting, share with them how they could get help finishing their financial needs. Mustaches That Matter exists to help bring children home. We would love to be part of your family’s adoption story.

The application for assistance is now open through March 31.

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

483 Bibles Donated Worldwide Through Coffee For Bibles Program

39 percent of American Millennials say they have never read the Bible. Two out of every five people in the world have never heard the Gospel. And 99 percent of Asia's 3 billion people have no access to God's Word at all. In November, Walnut Creek Church launched a new program–Coffee For Bibles–to make a difference. Since then we've donated 483 Bibles to reach people worldwide.

For each pound of Walnut Creek Coffee purchased, we donate three Bibles, two for outreach missions locally and one foreign-language Bible distributed by Gospel For Asia missionaries overseas. So far 161 Bibles have gone out through Gospel for Asia, and 322 Bibles have been distributed through the Des Moines metro area.

At each of our four locations, free Bibles are available for guests or for anyone who would like to take one to give as a gift to someone in need of God's Word.

Gospel for Asia is one of the largest Christian missionary organizations in the world and was founded by K. P. Yohannan in 1978. The ministry focuses on spreading the Gospel to India and Asian countries through the use of national missionaries.

We partnered with Colectivo Coffee in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to provide our premium Walnut Creek coffee. Colectivo began sourcing coffee from origin in 1993 and has 20 years of experience providing quality coffee.

Coffee can be purchased at the Welcome Centers of our Windsor Heights, Downtown, and South locations during any of our weekend services. You can also place your order online and pick your coffee up from our main office. Regular coffee is $13/lb, and decaf coffee is $14/lb.

Please join us in bringing God’s Word to people who need it. For more information, visit walnutcreekchurch.org/coffee.

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights 

"Return" Series Launches Church-Wide

Walnut Creek launches a new message series – "Return" – church-wide this weekend. The 11-week series through the Book of Malachi will continue through March, and we invite you to join us.

Over the course of the next 11 weeks, we will take a look at our relationship and responsibility to God and others in the church. God commands sincere worship with genuine faith and humility. The message Malachi had for a troubled people then is still relevant now.

Free "Return" study guides are available at each location. You can also follow the message series through our mobile app and online.

Share your thoughts and what you're learning during the series on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram with the #ReturnSeries hashtag. Each Friday we'll give away a Walnut Creek sweatshirt and beanie. Join the conversation to enter for a chance to win!

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By Jackie Wallentin 

Walnut Creek Windsor Heights