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Jesus said, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34-35 |
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Our vision is to be a fun place for the church-challenged to experience the love of Jesus by growing in grace and truth. We believe church should be a fun place of safety, truth, and radical change. We go rappelling, take missions trips, have Bible studies and even go 4-wheeling together. We’re all a bit church-challenged, but we’ve experienced the love of Jesus here. our heart attitudes (core value stuff – all scriptures in NLT): 1. It’s not about me. Don’t think only about own affairs, but be interested in others…, Philippians 2:4 3. Live an Open, honest lifestyle. Put away all falsehood and “tell your neighbor the truth” because we belong to each other. Ephesians 4:25 4. Keep Relationships Straight. If you… suddenly remember that someone has something against you… Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God. Matthew 5:23-24 5. Support Your Church by praying, attending, inviting, and giving. Remember this-a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 2 Corinthians 9:6 6. Participate in Ministry. God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God’s generosity can flow through you. 1 Peter 4:10 7. Follow Leaders within Scriptural Boundaries. Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. Hebrews 13:17 Here is what we believe the Bible teaches. Much of it is a paradox. How can God be three and still be one? How can Jesus be God and Man? We don’t know. But then, if we could explain it we probably wouldn’t believe it. God has to be bigger than us, so without the mystery there would be no God. Anyhow here is what we believe. 1. About God – There is one God, forever existing in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are co-equal and one God. He is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. Genesis 1:1-27; 3:22 2. About Jesus – Jesus is God with skin on, who humbled Himself to come down from heaven to save us. He lived a sinless life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead and ascended to Heaven. He will return to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. John 1:1-51, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; 1 Timothy 6:13-16 3. About The Holy Spirit – The Holy Spirit is God who empowers every believer to live a new life. He makes us aware of our need for Jesus. He lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation, providing us with power for living, understanding truth, and guidance in doing right. John 16:5-15 4. About The Bible – The Bible is God’s love letter to us, true in everything it teaches, without error. It was written by people under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21 5. About Human Beings – We’re all sinners (rebels against God’s authority), separated from God and in need of His mercy. We’re made in the image of God, to be like Him in character. We are God’s most prized possession. Isaiah 53 6. About Salvation – Jesus came to salvage our lives from sin and reconcile us to God. We can never makeup for our sin by “doing better.” Only by trusting in the perfect life and death of Jesus can our lives be salvaged. Ephesians 2:8,9; John 1:10-14; 7. About Eternal Security – We’re secure because God is holding on to us. Salvation is maintained by His power – not ours! John 10:25-30; Romans 8:31-39 8. About Eternity – One day everyone will look Jesus in the eye, and forever live with Him -or never see Light and Life again. To be separated from God is Hell (eternal death). To be with Him is Heaven (eternal life). Heaven and Hell are real places which exist forever. John 3:16; Matthew 25:31-46 9. About The Church – The church is the body of Christ on Earth. It consists of believers who assemble for worship, instruction, fellowship, outreach and service to Jesus.. Eph. 1:19-23, 4:1-16 In non-essential beliefs – we have liberty. “Accept Christians who are weak in faith, and don't argue with them about what they think is right or wrong… Who are you to condemn God's servants? They are responsible to the Lord, so let him tell them whether they are right or wrong.” Romans 14:1,4,12 In all our beliefs – we show love. “If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” 1 Corinthians.13:2 (Phillips) This is short, but hey, give us time, we’re young… From the beginning, the idea behind Cottonwood was a unique one. The founders of the church began to meet with one goal in mind: creating a place where “church-challenged” people could experience the love of Jesus. What began in the living room of one of the members, moved to the auditorium of a local high school. And we grew. In order to accommodate the growing number of members (and their kids) Cottonwood was forced to move yet again. Through the guidance of Pastor Jack Allen we held together and made it to our present location. Thankfully, we have never lost sight of our goal: creating a friendly environment for church-challenged people to experience Jesus, and get to know Him on a personal level. Today, we continue to grow under the (mostly) watchful eye of Pastor Dan Cooley. In association with various missions’ organizations we are able to send willing members (of which there is abundance) into the world to spread God’s message. While we also affiliated with the Willow Creek Association and the SBC, we remain an autonomous, Bible-based, Christ-centered congregation. We pride ourselves on being one of the most diverse churches in Albuquerque, with members from almost every denominational background. No matter where you’re from, you have a home at Cottonwood! Dan Cooley, email Pastor Dan Position: Lead Pastor Family: I met my wife JoLynn in college and she has given me four wonderful children: Recently married Megan, and Amanda, Micah, and Caleb. Education: I went to a bunch of schools (fun, but not too productive…) finally getting my life together and graduating from Criswell in Dallas and Moody Grad School in Chicago. Personal Stuff: As a missionary kid, I’ve always known who Jesus was, but it wasn’t until college that I really began to look at how He fit into my life. Discovering the answer has been a mysterious, exhilarating, long (and sometimes difficult) journey, but I could not imagine a life without Christ. Outside of Church: I love eating, archery, rappelling, fixing cars (too often), spending time with friends (never enough) and raising my children. My favorite books include Velvet Elvis, A Man Called Intrepid, and Blue Like Jazz. A few of my favorite movies are Napoleon Dynamite (ughhhhhhhhh), Princess Bride (Inconceivable!), Shadowlands, and Blues Brothers (We’re on a mission from God!) Craig Sundheimer, email Pastor Craig Position: Worship Pastor/Church Elder (and we mean elder) Family: My beautiful wife Cheryl and I have two kids, Jay and Amanda. More recent additions include Kenny, Amanda’s new husband, Tomi, Jay’s wife, and their son (my first grandchild!) Judah. Education: Too long ago I graduated from Baylor University with a degree in music education. Personal Stuff: While I never heard the “official God voice” telling me exactly what to do with my life, I have always sensed and followed a call from God into ministry through music. This had led me to some strange places over the years, but I’ve never been far from Jesus. Life with the Lord at the center is the only way to fly! Outside of Church: I enjoy catching an occasional college football game but try to spend as much time as possible with my family. Cheryl and I take special care to do our duty as grandparents and spoil little Judah rotten every chance we get! General Church Info: admin1@CottonwoodChurch.net Children's Ministry: Kids@CottonwoodChurch.net |
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