At an extremely fast pace
Many things are hard to understand
To seek understanding of our world
Pastor Dave is going to the beginning of the Bible . . .
And teaching from:
Join us on the journey of better understanding
Seeking Understanding
So much is happening in our world
At an extremely fast pace
Many things are hard to understand
To seek understanding of our world
Pastor Dave is going to the beginning of the Bible . . .
And teaching from:
At an extremely fast pace
Many things are hard to understand
To seek understanding of our world
Pastor Dave is going to the beginning of the Bible . . .
And teaching from:
Does this look like a church?
Well, every Monday Evening at 7:00 PM this is exactly what "church" looks like in the Curryville Schoolhouse. We call the gathering 2nd Shift. If you are looking for a comfortable & easy way to explore the Bible & Christian faith, we understand. The traditional Sunday morning routine doesn't work for everyone. At 2nd Shift the message is offered in a conversation. Questions & sidetracks are welcome. The atmosphere is Biblical and not denominational. Any Christian or person wanting to know more about the faith will feel welcome, regardless of background.
Welcome From Pastor David Stiles
I'm glad you've come to check out our church online. I've been at Curryville since late 2000.
Recently, I found a quote from author Brian McLaren that sums up how I feel about my call to present the message of the Bible: ". . . something I love about the Gospels: We see Jesus calling the disciples to a better way, yet we see them as quite normal buffoons like the rest of us, bumbling along toward it. The Bible has realism. But the Bible also maintains an idealism - the idea that people can be 'born again.' Jesus can turn a ragtag band of fishermen, rednecks, intellectuals and common folk into a community of difference makers. He can start with raw material such as we."
** Note to Theologians: Just because I quoted Brian McClaren above, don't assume I agree with all his ideas.
Indeed, we are "raw material." None of us are anything close to perfect, including me "the preacher." If you want to call church people "hypocrites," you can start with me. Because, I'm just raw material bumbling along trying to live according to Jesus' plan for my life.
I take the Bible as the absolute, unchanging WORD OF GOD. Together, we take it and learn the ways of Jesus. It is through Him that we get into heaven, but also into a more joyful way of living right here and now as we move closer and closer to living according to His plan for our lives.
With that in mind, I use everything at my disposal: technology, music, drama and other surprises to provide a fast paced message that will hold your attention and hopefully still be in your mind and heart on Tuesday morning.
When Jesus called His first followers, He used words like “follow me” and “come and see.”
So, we invite you to “come and see” with us as we continue our journey of following Jesus.
Here then, are my CORE beliefs:
1. God, of the Judeo Christian Bible Created all things.
2. Mankind fell from God’s Perfect Creation
3. Jesus is the only way to return to right relationship with God
4. True repentance means change
5. The Bible is the absolute Word of God {Moral issues are clearly covered}
6. The Holy Spirit was sent to guide us & provide His gifts
7. The Lord Jesus will return.
My Christian Journey:
I would identify myself as a "Graceful Conservative." If you look at my "Core" beliefs above, the conservative side of Theology is where I am. My history of life as a Christian has taken several unique twists.
Here's the short version. When I was born, my parents were attending a Church of the Brethren. However, for most of my childhood and youth we went to a Lutheran Church. In college my wife and I attended and got married in a Spirit Filled United Methodist Church. Once we landed in this area, we attended a Grace Brethren Church for 5 or 6 years. After that, I was called to be an Asst. Pastor at Altoona Full Gospel Church. Then, I accepted the call to Curryville Church in late 2000.
Legalist or extremists may say that I'm too "fuzzy" or offer some other negative or polarizing term. I call myself BALANCED. I've been on the inside of various Christian traditions and I have no regrets about my past experiences. They have enabled me to see "true Christianity" from several angles, and thus I can work with a variety of people.
Also. while I have a clear stance on many different issues, I am still very open to meeting people where they are. You don't need to "change" your life to come to our church. If you decide to seriously follow Jesus, change will just happen, according to God's time.
The Bible I use and recommend, ESV Study Bible
Recently, I found a quote from author Brian McLaren that sums up how I feel about my call to present the message of the Bible: ". . . something I love about the Gospels: We see Jesus calling the disciples to a better way, yet we see them as quite normal buffoons like the rest of us, bumbling along toward it. The Bible has realism. But the Bible also maintains an idealism - the idea that people can be 'born again.' Jesus can turn a ragtag band of fishermen, rednecks, intellectuals and common folk into a community of difference makers. He can start with raw material such as we."
** Note to Theologians: Just because I quoted Brian McClaren above, don't assume I agree with all his ideas.
Indeed, we are "raw material." None of us are anything close to perfect, including me "the preacher." If you want to call church people "hypocrites," you can start with me. Because, I'm just raw material bumbling along trying to live according to Jesus' plan for my life.
I take the Bible as the absolute, unchanging WORD OF GOD. Together, we take it and learn the ways of Jesus. It is through Him that we get into heaven, but also into a more joyful way of living right here and now as we move closer and closer to living according to His plan for our lives.
With that in mind, I use everything at my disposal: technology, music, drama and other surprises to provide a fast paced message that will hold your attention and hopefully still be in your mind and heart on Tuesday morning.
When Jesus called His first followers, He used words like “follow me” and “come and see.”
So, we invite you to “come and see” with us as we continue our journey of following Jesus.
Here then, are my CORE beliefs:
1. God, of the Judeo Christian Bible Created all things.
2. Mankind fell from God’s Perfect Creation
3. Jesus is the only way to return to right relationship with God
4. True repentance means change
5. The Bible is the absolute Word of God {Moral issues are clearly covered}
6. The Holy Spirit was sent to guide us & provide His gifts
7. The Lord Jesus will return.
My Christian Journey:
I would identify myself as a "Graceful Conservative." If you look at my "Core" beliefs above, the conservative side of Theology is where I am. My history of life as a Christian has taken several unique twists.
Here's the short version. When I was born, my parents were attending a Church of the Brethren. However, for most of my childhood and youth we went to a Lutheran Church. In college my wife and I attended and got married in a Spirit Filled United Methodist Church. Once we landed in this area, we attended a Grace Brethren Church for 5 or 6 years. After that, I was called to be an Asst. Pastor at Altoona Full Gospel Church. Then, I accepted the call to Curryville Church in late 2000.
Legalist or extremists may say that I'm too "fuzzy" or offer some other negative or polarizing term. I call myself BALANCED. I've been on the inside of various Christian traditions and I have no regrets about my past experiences. They have enabled me to see "true Christianity" from several angles, and thus I can work with a variety of people.
Also. while I have a clear stance on many different issues, I am still very open to meeting people where they are. You don't need to "change" your life to come to our church. If you decide to seriously follow Jesus, change will just happen, according to God's time.
The Bible I use and recommend, ESV Study Bible
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