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[fname], here's the latest from Vail Christian Church...
 

Presentation
by Pastor Ben Pitney
 
When it comes to bass fishing, each day you spend on the water is always a day of learning. Every cast is a lesson, and you might know, there are many, many lessons in fishing. Even in a lifetime of fishing you can’t master them all. One of the most basic fishing accomplishments is learning about the bait, the bottom and the bass. This can be summed up in one term, “presentation”. On each cast, you either do it right by catching a fish, or fail it by going hitless. It’s no disgrace to go hitless on a cast. In baseball, the best ballplayers swing and strike out a lot. No one gets a hit every time, but keep in mind, the potential is ALWAYS there for every bat swing or cast to be a hit!

THE BAIT
Imagine you take a tackle box full of lures to fish in murky water. As you try each bait in your box one-by-one, you can't see the lure, and it doesn’t do any good to try to watch the line or the rod tip. In fact, the only thing you've got is the "feel" of the lure. As you resolve yourself to fishing by feel, you'll soon notice that each lure model and weight has a distinct "feel" that is different from the feel of all the other lures as you reel them back. This is big because the feel of the bait, when it is working properly, attracts bass.

THE BOTTOM
Eighty percent or more of all the bass you will catch are gonna be on the bottom. The other twenty percent will be in mid-water or near the surface. Wherever there is cover they'll get into it whether the cover is coming from the bottom, in mid-water or emerging near the surface. Just like each type of bait has its feel, each type of bottom also has a feel you need to learn - bushes, stumps, boulders, sand, mud, gravel, ledges, drop-offs, weeds, slopes, etc. Bottom line, if your bait is not on or close to the bottom, you’re not effectively fishing for eighty percent of the bass you'll encounter in your lifetime.

THE BASS
You might think that the next most basic thing would be "The Bite" but many times you never feel the bite. What you feel instead is "The Bass" after it bites when it’s holding onto the end of your line, just sitting there, moving away, or whatever. Once you realize a bass is holding the bait, the bass is usually not going to let go of the bait (unless you pull it away). You also need to determine when the bait is inside the mouth of the bass. When you swing and miss on the hook-set, it is usually because you pulled the bait away from the bass too soon before the bait was fully inside its mouth. You need to set the hook as soon as possible. The skill is to determine how long you have to WAIT until the bass has the bait sufficiently in its mouth before you set the hook. The last thing most bass want to do is let go of their prize.

It’s all about the "presentation".

I think about things like this a lot when it comes to my faith, christianity and the church. I really like to fish but I am more passionate about people far from God coming to know Jesus Christ! I think there are similar fundamentals we must know and master when it comes to our calling, purpose and mission. If you’re at all like me, you just need to be reminded that we make a cast many times a day in our daily lives. Maybe if we concentrated on our “presentation” we would catch more fish!


Children and Student Ministries:




IT'S NOT TOO LATE! You can still sign-up your kids for their summer camps and events online! Check out the Super Sign-Up Website for details on all your student's summer sleep-away camps, day camps, special events and more! Register for your camps and even pay online!

UPCOMING REGISTRATION DEADLINES:

May 31 - Elementary Day Camp
May 31 - Middle School UCYC (Sleep-Away Camp)
June 7 - High School CIY (Sleep-Away Camp)
June 14 - Elementary UCYC (Sleep-Away Camp)
June 21 - Middle School Day Event
June 28 - Elementary VBS
July 5 - High School Day Camp

For more information, contact Julie Biagi at julie@vailchristian.com.

 

5

4x4 CAMPOUT is coming... Friday July 17 through Saturday July 18 we're loading up our gear to crawl through Aravipa Canyon going from Mammoth to Klondike. It's an overnight trip garanteed to get your blood pumping! Contact tim@vailchristian.com to signup or get more info.


Community Groups: Vail Christian Church is a church of community groups, not a church with community groups. Since it's inception, community groups have been a primary source of spiritual growth, Bible study and pastoral care for everyone involved. It is truly the life-blood of our people.

The new semester is gearing up for July, so contact tim@vailchristian.com for more information.
View our list of community groups and contact information at www.vailchristian.com/
community.


The Vail Christian Church GOLF TOURNAMENT: The fourth-annual Vail Christian Church Golf Tournament is coming Saturday, June 13th. Sign up on Sunday Mornings, build your team and get ready for the most fun you've ever had playing golf!

June 13, 2009 - Del Lago Golf Course


Rocky Point 2009 is coming!

Each year, we partner with AMOR ministries and travel to Puerto Penasco, Mexico to build homes for families in need. That's right, we build two or three homes in one weekend! Swine flu beware! This year we need you and your family to bring your muscle and willingness to serve to make these homes become a reality.

Sign up online, download forms and get ready for an adventure that will change your life.


Strategic Service Teams: Service Teams are volunteers gathered together to serve inside and outside the church. Volunteers are vital to Vail Christian and we look to them to facilitate environments and potentially lead people in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Contact tim@vailchristian.com for more information.
View our list of service teams and contact information at www.vailchristian.com/
serviceteams.

Conversations Over Campfires
by John & Danne Thompson

"Once there was a boy and all he ever wished for was a purple polka-dotted ping pong ball……" If you have ever been camping with our family you probably have heard this story around the camp fire and if you have, you probably wish you hadn’t.

Our family loves spending time outdoors. John grew up in a family that went camping for vacations. Mine, not so much, unless you think an inexpensive hotel room is camping. Once we got married I learned the finer art of camping. We began camping in our minivan. Oh, the places a minivan can go! In the early years we would put the boys in a walker and tie them to a tree so they couldn’t get too far. Over the years we have moved up to having a pop-up trailer and a F250 to pull it.

There is just nothing that invites more discussions about God than being outdoors truly enjoying His creation. When you are walking up and down a bank with your fishing pole and your child asks “How do fish get here?” it is just a natural time to explain the wonders of God. We have had so many great times being together with no TV, video games, or even other people around to distract us from our family. The bonds that the four of us have built during these times of togetherness are unbreakable. To watch the boys become young men and go from carrying kindling for the fire to chopping huge logs is awe inspiring.

We have had some very intense conversations over the years and over many camp fires, but the best things are the “stories” that will be passed down to my future grandchildren some day. Oh, how I can’t wait to hear their moaning because their dad is threatening to tell, “Once there was a boy and all he ever wished for was a purple polka-dotted ping pong ball….”



 


  Resources

books . . .

EPIC: The Story God Is Telling
John Eldredge

When we think about our own story, we may see God as the author--an omniscient and omnipotent cosmic mastermind--but fail to recognize Him as the central character. In Epic, a retelling of the gospel in four acts, John Eldredge invites us to revisit the drama of life, viewing God not only as the author but also as the lead actor, exploring His motives and His heart. Eldredge examines the power of story, the universal longing for a plot that makes sense deep inside us, our desire for a meaningful role to play, our love of books and movies,
and how all of this points us to the gospel itself.

music . . .

The Now And Not Yet
Jeremy Riddle

Classic alternative rock with a solid salvation message. A raw, heartfelt and unique sound that stands out in today’s market. You’ll like this if you’re a fan of the style of music played by artists like Aaron Shust, U2, INXS or Bush. One of the best albums so far this year. Don’t miss it.

 

websites . . .



www.c4x4.com

c4x4.com is a webstie dedicated to the 4x4 enthusiast who is seeking to follow Jesus. With articles, tech reviews and tons of links to other great 4x4 resources, c4x4 is a great first stop for gearing up for your next trip.
Check it out!

 

 

messages this month . . .

“LIVE IT!” is a message series digging deeper into Paul’s letter to the Galatian church. In these 12 weeks, Lead Pastor Ben Pitney will lay open the key truths in this powerful letter.

June 7 - “Vicarious Living”
June 14 - “Temporary Insanity”
June 21 - FATHER’S DAY
June 28 - “Either/Or”


podcast logo

Sometimes between life at work and life at home, we need some encouragement or a reminder of what God is doing in our lives. That’s why the Vail Christian Church Podcast is a must have on your iTunes subscriptions.

It’s free to download, and when you
subscribe with iTunes, each week’s
message is automatically downloaded
to your Mac or PC. Put it on your mp3
player, listen in the car on the way to
work or listen at home while you’re
making dinner.

We hope you take advantage of this
amazing resource!



Download each Sunday’s teaching from our podcast.


  


 

Staff

Lead Pastor: Ben Pitney
ben@vailchristian.com

Connection Pastor: Tim Sheaffer
tim@vailchristian.com

Lead Worshiper: Chris McLaughlin
chris@vailchristian.com

Director of Students & Children: Julie Biagi
julie@vailchristian.com

Administration: Meghan James
meghan@vailchristian.com

Assistant To The Pastor: Sherri Van Fleet
sherri@vailchristian.com

Accounting: Jennifer Jones
jennifer@vailchristian.com




8000 S. Kolb Rd., Ste. 190
Tucson, Arizona 85756 (map)
Voice - 520.722.1220
Fax - 520.722.1253
Mon. - Thurs. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.


  



Sundays: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 a.m.
Empire High School
10701 E. Mary Ann Cleveland Way
Tucson, Arizona 85747 (map)



Middle School: Meets Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 p.m. at:
·  9792 E. Sinsneroz - Rita Ranch - Map
   Nason Simpson, Rachel Rus, Dave Allardice,
Susan Rodriguez
·  10143 Canyon Meadow Dr. - Rita Ranch - Map
   Gene and Cecilia Wright, Matt Eyring
and Sunday mornings during the 9:30 service. For more information, contact julie@vailchristian.com

High School: Meets Wednesdays 7-8:30 p.m. at:
· 10535 E. Heartleaf Willow Dr. - Rita Ranch - Map
   Mike and Sherri Van Fleet
· 9519 E. Ashford Dr. - Rita Ranch - Map
   Matt Johnson, Casey Cunningham & Mikelle Cronk
· 9039 E Autumn Sage – Rita Ranch - Map
   Erica McLaughlin and Mat Miller
and Sunday mornings during the 11:00 a.m. service. For more information contact julie@vailchristian.com.



Our children's programs meet during our regular
service times at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00 a.m. We offer programs for nursery, preschool, and elementary school aged children. For questions, contact julie@vailchristian.com.