Rob Ketterling

GREAT TRIP

I had a great time with Mission of Mercy in Africa and I'm really looking forward to working together in ministry with them. After visiting several project sites we finished the trip up with a one day safari and I saw things I've never seen before. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. (OK, just one picture speaks for itself, the other one is the group I was with.)

I always love seeing what other ministries around the world are doing and I love the power of partnership. I also think that when you see the diversity of this earth, the beauty of the things God created, you love the Lord more. After this trip, I can tell you that I love him more!

Now it's back to Minnesota for weekend services at RVC so don't miss out this weekend, it's going to be Grrrrrrrrreat! ( I know, that's a tiger line but it's as good as I could get for lions!)
 

I'M A BISHOP!

While visiting the different projects in Kenya with Mission of Mercy I got to talking to one of the local pastors here and he asked me about our church. I told him about starting the church and that there are 15 pastors on "staff at RVC and he said to me, "You are not a pastor, you are a Bishop!" So I guess if you're given the title of Bishop in Africa it has to be enforced so from now on I'm Bishop Ketterling! Seriously, we all had a good laugh because the only Bishop I'm familiar with is Bishop T.D. Jakes! I'm just curious, what does it take to be a Bishop anyway? (Not that I'm applying for it, just wondering. Although it does have a ring to it, Bishop R.F. Ketterling...)

We went to two more projects and they were both with the Masai tribe and I had no idea they were so far out into the bush country. They're so remote that the children don't leave for school until 8:30AM because the predators are still out until around that time. You know, predators like wild dogs, jackals, and cheetahs! Can you imagine the stress of telling your kids, "Be careful on your way to school, watch out for cheetah's." that's at a "whole-notha-level" over telling them to "Be sure to look both ways."

When the kids arrived we fed them breakfast, played games with them and watched a program from them and their mothers. It was unbelievable to be there in the middle of Africa experiencing this and hearing them sing of their love for Jesus. It was also humbling to represent RVC and bring such a spirit of hope to them as they thanked the pastors for traveling all the way to Africa to say their church cares. Wow, serious God moments today!

If you ever have the opportunity to get to Africa I want to encourage you to make your way here, once it's in you, you'll be changed forever!

MISSION OF MERCY KENYA

I'm taking a quick trip to Kenya to see the ministry of Mission of Mercy and already it's been amazing! I'm only here for a few short days and I'll be back to preach Saturday, but in only a couple of hours I was affected in a huge way. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of meeting people that are changing lives and being the salt of the earth. I will never get tired of seeing kids rescued from the streets, slums and places they've been abandoned. I'll never get tired of seeing Jesus save and forgive someone! If I ever do, I've lost my way and I would need to be rescued!

I've noticed as we visit the children that the kids in the Mission of Mercy ministry just have a hope and a joy that makes you realize that Jesus is making a huge difference in their lives. Something as simple as someone in the US (Or anywhere in the world for that matter.) caring for them because of Jesus, gives these kids a joy and a hope that I wish I could show you. It's so real, you can feel it! I have two pictures to show you but they don't do it justice. I wish I took more (we have a photographer with us so he's taking plenty.) but I just had a blast hugging the kids, reading stories and praying for them as I held them. I'm looking forward to partnering with this ministry this summer and giving all of us at RVC the opportunity to sponsor the children on the waiting list. We can change someone's life for $34 a month and I think that's worth every penny of it!  

Today we're off to two more locations that both meet outside without a building so that should be fun, my Minnesota tan will need some serious sunscreen! (It's about 80 here so I'm glad I'm missing the cold but I miss my family!) Whoever planned this trip for February was a genius!

REJECTED CHANGE!

Here's a picture of the rejected change so far in the change buckets at church. The bank won't take Canadian money, other foreign currency, car wash tokens, Grand Slam tokens and it also won't take Chuck-E-Cheese tokens! I think what's happening is that people throw them in their change jars and just bring it in and just so you know, it doesn't bother us one bit! It's kind of another adventure within an adventure in the whole effort to raise $10,000 in change! Let's see how many countries we get coins from and how much fun the staff will have at Chuck-E-Cheese!

Don't forget to bring your change in this week, it's our last week to collect the change for the ministry, Jesus Delivers!

C. S. LEWIS

This is the quote I read this weekend on giving sacrificially by C.S. Lewis. It had a huge impact on me the first time I read it and I just thought it could hit us all again if we read it once more.

I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them.

C.S.LEWIS

THIS VIDEO IS A MUST SEE!

If you missed the video this past week at church, you have to see it! In the 9:00 service the people were laughing so hard I thought they were going to cry! It's a very creative video dealing with tithing, and giving in our Pocket Change series!

Lotza Money - Music Video from River Valley Church on Vimeo.

PACKING IT IN!

I am amazed at how much we packed into one hour and five minutes in each service this weekend! We had baby dedications at all but one service at our Apple Valley campus and we had worship, announcements, prayer, the sermon, a creative video, we collected Kingdom Builder cards and we even explained the youth center project. And as soon as the service was over we had prayer teams, and tours of the youth center space! Phew! Don't blink at RVC, you just might miss three things!

Even though we put a lot into the service in such a short time, it didn't feel rushed to me and I feel like God got a hold on us and brought our church to another level. I'm praying that the message sinks in and that we as a church can give at a level that says we will exceed the Old Testament, give offerings and sacrificial offerings to advance the Kingdom of God.

Thank you to the many families that joined us with a Kingdom Builder commitment, I'm praying that this is just a start and that we will continue to grow as Kingdom Builders. If I could be so bold, could you please do everything you can to get the money in at both of our campuses. As soon as the money is in we can do the much needed expansion and repairs. Thanks for your efforts on this!

Lastly, don't forget the change for next weekend. We will conclude our Pocket Change collection next week so don't miss out on being a part of the goal to reach $10,000 for Jesus Delivers ministry with just pocket change!

GET A TOUR

Get a tour of our future youth center at our Apple Valley campus this weekend! Following the services we will be having an open house with tours so people can catch the vision of the new youth center. Once you see the space you will understand why I'm so excited to get it finished before the school year starts.

Tours will be after all of the services and will only take a few minutes so be sure to join me and the RVC staff to see what the space will look like!

BRING THE CHANGE, BRING THE CHANGE!

As part of the Pocket Change series we are gathering our pocket change, our loose change and also change in our cars, couches and cans. (I needed a C word! so I said cans, it could be jars but that started with a J!)

Please help us by bringing your change in to RVC this weekend and next as we see if we can reach $10,000 with just pocket change!
(We've counted the change given so far at just the Apple Valley campus and we already have $2,700!!!)

MONEY QUOTES

Here are a few quotes I found that I won't be using in our pocket change series. Enjoy!

• "He who has God and everything has no more than he who has God alone." C.S. Lewis
• "When riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost His authority." John Calvin
• "The poorest man I know is the man who has nothing but money." John D. Rockefeller
• "We always pay dearly for chasing after what is cheap." Alexander Solzhenitsyn
• "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." Jim Elliot
• "He who provides for this life but takes no care for eternity is wise for a moment but a fool forever." John Tillotson
• " The Jews were constrained to a regular payment of tithes; Christians, who have liberty, assign all their possessions to the Lord, bestowing freely not the lesser portion of their property, since they have the hope of greater things." Iraneus (Early Church father)
• Earthly goods are given to be used, not collected. Hoarding is idolatry." Dietrich Bonhoeffer