GET CONNECTED

Please ll out a Get Connected form and place it in the offering basket after the message. Thanks! Creekstone Church is on Facebook. Join the Creekstone Facebook page for up to date news feeds and special information. Check out Creekstones website, for comprehensive Creekstone info - www.creekstonechurch.com Creekstone teaching is on iTunes. Search Creekstone Church and subscribe for free.

WELCOME!
We are so glad that you are part of the Creekstone Sunday gathering today! It is our prayer that you will nd Creekstone to be a church family with whom you can connect, grow and serve. We really want our Sundays together to be an environment where folks can come as they are to experience heartfelt, God-centered worship and substantive, yet practical grace-centered teaching in the context of authentic community. So, please ll out a Get Connected form and place it in the offering basket after the message. Wed love to know that you were here!

Welcome to

Creekstone Church
Grace Changes Everything

TEAM LEADERS

McKay Caston, Pastor of Preaching & Leadership mckaycaston@gmail.com Andy Woznicki, Pastor of Community & Discipleship ajwoznicki@gmail.com Kandi Ledford, Ministry Associate kandi.m.ledford@gmail.com Jay Smorey, Music and Technology Team Leader creekstonemusicandtech@gmail.com Graham Sibley, Youth Discipleship Team Leader gmsibl7262@northgeorgia.edu Dottie Smorey, Nursery & GraceKids Team Leader creekstonechildrensministry@gmail.com Jim Keane, Greeter & Hospitality Team Leader jimandjanetkeane@windstream.net Colt Dyer, Set Up & Facilities Team Leader crdyer3648@northgeorgia.edu James Fitts, Usher Team Leader jctt9563@northgeorgia.edu Dean Legler, Logistics & Transportation Team Leader, dean.legler@gmail.com Larry Charles, Compassion in Action (CIA) Liaison larrycharlespt@yahoo.com Laurie Boerman, Counseling Ministry laurieb@accessgrace.com Creekstone is a partner with Campus Outreach at UNG. For more information, contact Campus Director, Jeremy Moore at rjmo521@gmail.com.

CREEKSTONES MISSION
"Creekstone Church exists to glorify God by helping people come alive to the wonder of the Gospel."

CREEKSTONES MOTTO
"Grace Changes Everything!"

CREEKSTONES CORE COMMITMENTS

Grace-Driven Teaching

Grace-Motivated Ministry

Grace-Shaped Community

Grace-Activated Outreach

Grace-Inspired Generosity For a summary of our theological orientation, check out our website. For a more in-depth explanation, please see the Westminster Confession of Faith & Catechisms. The Creekstone ofce is located on the Historic Square at 40-B Public Square South just above the Mass Bay Trading Company. Our mailing address is PO Box 1234, Dahlonega, GA, 30533.

TODAYS MESSAGE: The Blessing of the Open Valve Matthew 5:7

Message 5 of 8 The Blessing of the Open Valve Dr. McKay Caston, Pastor of Preaching and Leadership
TODAYS KEY BIBLE PASSAGE: Matthew 5:7
Blessed

THE BLESSED LIFE

STAY IN THE CURRENT

GET CONNECTED! The Get Connected form in the bulletin is for you to ll out and place in the offering basket after the message. Let us know you were here! Our offering goes to support the ministry of the gospel locally through Creekstone and Campus Outreach, regionally through our church planting partnerships, and globally thorough the missionary families we support overseas in India and Africa. Your giving is making a difference! CREEKSTONE 101 FRIDAY PM & SATURDAY AM, SEPTEMBER 27-28 Sign up on the Get Connected form for our next inquirers seminar, Creekstone 101. This will introduce you to Creekstones history, mission, vision, values, theology, and partnerships, as well as explain our membership process. If you attend you are not required to join. But if you plan to join, C-101 is a prerequisite. So, sign up here or online at www.creekstonechurch.com. CHURCH-WIDE PICNIC SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Instead of meeting at the high school on Sept. 29, we are having an outdoor worship service in the context of a church-wide picnic at 10:30 a.m. at Yahoola Creek Park (in the area near the playground and organic garden). Bring yourself, blankets, camp chairs, Frisbees, and a picnic lunch. After a short message, were planning a game of Ultimate, a whifeball tournament, and other fun games for all ages. So, plan to bring the whole family to this special church-wide event! THE SUNDAY NIGHT FELLOWSHIP: A Gathering for Students Starting tonight, Sept. 8, college students will begin gathering for the Sunday Night Fellowship at the Dahlonega Marketplace from 5:30-7:00 p.m. as a time of fellowship, worship and in-depth, practical teaching from the Bible, led by McKay Caston. ADOPT-A-STUDENT: Providing a Home Away from Home In order to connect college students with families at Creekstone in a personal way, we are launching Adopt-a-Student, where families sponsor between 2-6 students during the school year. Sponsoring involves things such as checking in with your students by email or phone, having them over for a meal or to watch a ball game, and just being available as a home away from home. CAMPUS OUTREACH Creekstone is an enthusiastic partner with Campus Outreach at UNG. Weekly meetings are Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. For more information and/or to get involved, please contact Campus Director, Jeremy Moore, at rjmo521@gmail.com. CREEKSTONE YOUTH For information on Creekstones Youth Discipleship ministry, contact Graham Sibley, at gmsibl7262@northgeorgia.edu. THE BLESSED LIFE In this 8-week sermon series in the Beatitudes of Jesus from Matthew 5, we are discovering Gods design for the blessed life. Since Jesus description of blessing is so counterintuitive to our common, cultural way of thinking, what we will discover will surprise you, and may change you for the better in ways that you never imagined possible. You really can have a blessed life. OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Each year at Christmas, Creekstone families donate shoeboxes full of gifts to Operation Christmas Child, which are distributed to needy children around the world. This year Jen Legler is organizing a trip to the Atlanta processing center in November or December. If you are able and willing to join her and other Creekstone folks at the processing center, just contact Jen Legler atjnlglr@gmail.com. WOMENS MONDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY The Womens Monday Morning Bible Study meets from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the church ofce. For more information, contact Kathy Christmas at pruefrock1951@yahoo.com.

are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

THE BIG IDEA: ___________________________________________________________.

MY NOTES:

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION:

1) Why is it so difcult to show mercy? 2) What happens in my relationships when I shut off the valve to mercy? How does it affect my relationship with God? What happens when I keep it open? 3) What potential impact can mercy have upon those who receive it? 4) What are some practical ways to show mercy? 5) How is the gospel of Jesus a message of mercy?

SIX GAP REST STOP Creekstone is hosting a Rest Stop again this year for Six Gap. If you are able to help, contact Jesse Turk at jesse.k.turk@gmail.com. FACEBOOK: Creekstones Online Community Portal Our Facebook page is Creekstones online portal to the Creekstone community. If youd like to communicate with the church to ask a question, highlight a ministry opportunity, let folks know that you have a lost and found item fro Sunday, provide funeral arrangement information or just say, Hi!, just go to facebook.com/creekstonechurch and post on the wall. Be sure to subscribe to notications so that you will not miss anything!

TRY CREEKSTONES NEW MOBILE GIVING APP Now you can give to the work of the Kingdom through Creekstone using your phone! Either scan the QR code and be transferred to our mobile app, Givr, or download Givr at the App Store (or at Google Playcoming soon). You only have to register once to set up an account with Givr, whether you want to give weekly or prefer to set up a recurring giving account. However you give, please know how much we appreciate your participation in the gospel through nancial stewardship at Creekstone!