Reality Olympia

Feb. 5 – No Evening Gathering

joewulf — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:51:48 +0000

What do 100 million pounds of wings, 8 million pounds of popcorn and 28 million pounds of chips have in common? Among other things, they’re about to be eaten as 1 in 6 Americans–that’s 61 million people–aim to gorge themselves around the United States’ largest sporting event: the Superbowl. What’s amazing is that 40% of people who watch are not football fans. What’s more, just 5% of those who will be watching the game will be doing so alone (click here for more stats).

The Superbowl is a day when America comes to eat, party and celebrate. Its about community. Its about extravagant celebration. And it is a hugely wide open opportunity for us as a community to learn to live as neighbors who, like Jesus, make the part better.

February 2 – Worship and Prayer Night

joewulf — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:56:31 +0000

You’re invited to join us Thursday, February 2nd for a night of worship and prayer for our church and city. Please join us at 7:00 pm for a chance to connect with our greater REALITY family as we worship our King!

Please Note: We will not be providing child care at this gathering.

Sunday, January 22nd – All Services are On as Scheduled

pauljones — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:41:08 +0000

After a crazy week of weather, we are thankful that the power is on at the Carnegie Building and we are planning on a normal weekend of gatherings. The sidewalks are shoveled, the building will be warm, and the coffee READ MORE

Married Group on January 21st is Cancelled

pauljones — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:25 +0000

Due to widespread power outages and continued snow and ice on the roads, we are canceling our January Married Group that was scheduled for Saturday night. Help us spread the word among those who were planning to attend and stay safe!

As of Friday afternoon, the power is out at the church building and we will keep everyone updated on the status of our Sunday gatherings.

Sunday, January 15th – 7 PM Gathering Is On As Scheduled

pauljones — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 01:12:20 +0000

We are still planning on having our regular Sunday evening gathering tonight at 7 PM. As we said this morning, we realize that some people don’t feel comfortable driving in these snowy and icy conditions. Please feel free to make the decision that is best for you and your family. If you come and join us, make sure you leave a little extra time to travel and drive safe.

See you at 7 PM!

Sunday, January 15th – 9 AM and 11 AM Gatherings Are On

pauljones — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:06:47 +0000

Even with the snow outside, we are still having our 9 AM and 11 AM gatherings here at Reality. We realize that some of you may not be comfortable driving in these conditions, so make a decision that is best for you and your family. For those that choose to come and worship with us, please drive safe!

We will make a decision on the 7 PM gathering later on in the day.

Thursday Gatherings Cancelled

joewulf — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:52:57 +0000

If you were not there for the December 8th announcement and have not heard otherwise, REALITY’s elders have decided after much consideration and prayer to cancel our weekly Thursday night gatherings. Though our Thursday night gatherings have played a special role in both REALITY’s beginning and Olympia’s greater church calendar, the elders feel that it is time to prune back some in anticipation of how and where God is leading us as a body.

As the first Thursday that’s been impacted by this change I wanted to take a moment to recap some of the things we are looking to focus on in 2012:

Missional Community (MC): You’ve heard missional communities talked about in the past and chances are you’re going to hear about them a whole lot more in 2012. The more we’ve seen people at reality pressing in to life in community on mission, the more convinced we are that MC’s are where discipleship is happening, where relationships are happening and where REALITY as a church is learning to be the church outside of our gathering times. As the fruit, needs and number of missional communities at REALITY grows we want to dedicate ample resources to continue to see them flourish.
Making room to address pressing issues: Whether it is because of our location, demographic or another reason, there is a growing need for us as a body to address addictions to pornography, drugs and alcohol as well as other issues like eating disorders. While speaking to these issues will undoubtedly require dedicated resources and time, I’m convinced it will be something that leads many in our body to experience freedom in the Gospel in new ways.
Greater energy pursuing church planting: At one time I remember asking God to give us stories of his life being worked out in our context. As we begin to see and hear stories where Jesus’ life is being experienced I think it is only natural for us to long to see those stories spread through the planting of churches who long for the same thing. Its a big wide world and just as Jesus hasn’t saved individuals for our own sake, he’s also not worked in our church for the sake of us as an individual church.
Other possibilities: Besides those already mentioned, there are a plethora of ways we want to continue to leverage a more open calendar. Possibilities include prayer and worship nights, church-wide meals, deeper theological training and deeper training surrounding specific theological issues or specific issues like marriage, parenting or finances. Many of these issues have been longstanding areas of need for us that we are just now coming to have space to address as a body.

Again if you missed the announcement please check out the audio from the night available here. Please don’t hesitate to contact the elders if you have questions or would like to talk further.

New Year’s Day Schedule

pauljones — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:59:21 +0000

With New Year’s Day falling on a Sunday this year, we have decided to modify our normal Sunday gathering schedule. We will not be having our typical 9 AM gathering, but we WILL still be having services at 11 AM and 7 PM. We look forward to kicking off a new year together as we gather to celebrate and worship Jesus.

Our normal gathering schedule will return to normal next week, January 8th.

The 4 G’s

pauljones — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:23:42 +0000

Thanks to Tim Chester and our friends at Soma Communities, the 4 G’s have become a very important part of our culture here at Reality. These 4 “G” statements and their implications help tie us back into the truth of the gospel and God’s work for us in a very practical and memorable way.

This is a teaching I did a while ago, but for some reason the audio wasn’t posted in our media section. So, for those who ask for this from time to time, enjoy basking in our God who is Great, Good, Glorious, and Gracious!

Download audio file (01-4-Gs-God-is-Great-Glorious.mp3)

Download audio file (4-Gs-God-is-Good-Gracious.mp3)

Download – God is Great & Glorious

Download – God is Good & Gracious

Christmas Eve Gatherings – 5 PM and 7 PM

pauljones — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:20:31 +0000

Join us on Saturday, December 24th as we conclude our Advent season with a time of celebration as a REALITY family. For the past month, we have been preparing our hearts for Christmas in our Sunday gatherings by looking at the men who have profoundly shaped the Christmas story. After working through the stories Zechariah, Joseph, the Shepherds, and Simeon, the day has finally arrived to look at the best story of all- the birth of Jesus, the Christ Child. Come join us at either 5:00 PM or 7:00 PM for a family service for all ages (childcare available for ages 6 and under) that will allow us to both listen to and respond to God’s salvation gift to the world.

In addition to our Christmas Eve gatherings on Saturday, we will still be having our regular Thursday PM dinner (6 PM) and gathering (7 PM) this week on December 22nd. Join us for a special time of worship and Christmas singing.