For Sunday, January 11, 2026 | | | |
Balanced Service
9:30 AM - Worship Center
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Creative Service
11 AM - Chapel
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Evening Service
6 PM - Chapel
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January 14 menu:
chicken pot pie, broccoli
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Wednesday Night Dinner
Church Family Dinners on Wednesdays, 5-6 PM, resuming January 7. Sign-up and season passes are available to purchase for the dinners that begin on January 7.
All meals include a salad bar, fruit, and dessert (gluten/lactose free entrée option available)
Prices: adult $6, child (age 3-12) $4, maximum family $24.
Make your reservation online (southlife.org/meals) or by calling the church office (517) 322-2000 by Tuesday NOON.
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Equippers
Equippers courses help “prepare God’s people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12). Equippers begins January 11 and runs through March 15, meeting Sunday evenings at 6:00 PM. You won’t want to miss this great opportunity! For details on specific courses please stop by the table in the Gathering today! We encourage you to register online.
• How to Study the Bible - BT 201
• Evangelism - MT 101
• Making Disciples - MT 201
• Don’t Fire Your Church Members: Elder-Led Congregationalism - MT 301 (NEW)
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Legacy Family Reunion
Please join the Legacy group for a nice lunch, a great message from Pastor Doug and some helpful information. The theme of this lunch is Family Reunion. We will talk about some things to keep our family safe, reminders about our Hope for the Caregivers information, and the value of staying involved in a Church Family. Just a reminder anyone over the age of 55 is a member of Legacy and we don't card at the door. Please invite a friend. Thursday, January 15, 12-2:30 PM.
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Kingdom Rock Choir
Kingdom Rock Choir rehearsals for the May performances start on Sunday, January 11 at 6:00 PM. Parent meeting will be held from 5:30 – 5:45 in room 214 (kids invited). Register your 3rd – 6th grader and find more information at southlife.org/krc.
Performances of Star Quest are May 16 at 2:00 PM and May 17 at 6:00 PM.
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Women's Winter Studies
Esther - (by Kelly Minter)
Mondays at 10:30 AM – Beginning January 12
Workbooks: $23.00
A beautiful queen, her courageous cousin, a foreign land, and a murderous adversary—the book of Esther has all the elements of an epic drama. The story unfolds at a time when the people of God are split between nations with an uncertain future. While the name of God may not be mentioned in the book of Esther, its pages highlight His work among His people and foreshadow Jesus’s very ministry to us—darkness to light, mourning to celebration, death to life.
In this 7-session study, Kelly Minter invites you into the daring faith modeled by Esther and her cousin Mordecai—a faith developed over time, rooted in the goodness of God, lived out through extraordinary circumstances, and used to change the world. Although our time looks different from Esther’s, our God is just as active and faithful today, and He has called you for such a time as this.
Book Discussion Group (with Marlene Tebben)
The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner – 1st of a 3-part series
Tuesdays at 6:30 PM – Beginning January 20
3 Book Series: $30.00
Join us for a thirteen-week book study exploring Dr. David Benner’s acclaimed “The Spiritual Journey” trilogy—three books that guide readers through the transformative practices of Christian spirituality. The trilogy examines the foundational Christian practice of surrender, how this emerges as a response to God’s perfect love, and the changes this produces in our identity, will, and deepest desires. The three books—Surrender to Love, The Gift of Being Yourself, and Desiring God’s Will—invite us to move beyond white-knuckled obedience toward warm-hearted surrender; to discover our true self in Christ rather than hiding behind false identities; and to align our hearts with God’s so that we willingly desire what God desires for us. Benner offers a deeply challenging yet warmly inspiring path toward becoming fully and deeply human as we participate in the very life of God. This study will require reading and answering discussion questions on up to 30 pages of a book prior to attending group each week.
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Live Free: A Study of Galatians (by Elizabeth Woodson)
- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM – Beginning January 14
- Thursdays at 6:30 PM – Beginning January 15
Workbook: $22.00
We long for peace, to have lives marked by freedom from difficulty and pain. We look to countless places to fill this need—our possessions, relationships, intellect, spirituality, political affiliations, and so on. But, by relying on these things for freedom, we unintentionally make them our savior instead of Christ. This exchange leaves us enslaved to a false gospel and to the very things we hoped would set us free.
In this 8-session study on the book of Galatians, author and Bible teacher Elizabeth Woodson reveals that the struggle to fully embrace our freedom in Christ is not a new problem. Walking verse-by-verse through Paul’s letter, Elizabeth highlights how this letter teaches us that in the gospel alone do we gain what we desire—freedom from sin and freedom to experience true peace, living the abundant life Jesus offers.
Luke in the Land (by Kristi McLelland)
Sundays at 11:00 AM – Beginning January 4
Workbook: $25.00
In our Bibles, we have four Gospels describing Jesus’s time on earth: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The land of Israel—the place Jesus walked and taught during His earthly ministry—is often referred to as the “fifth Gospel.”
Follow Kristi McLelland through Israel as we study snapshots from the Gospel of Luke to see where the stories of the Bible took place. Over 7 sessions, challenge the way you read the accounts of Jesus through teaching videos that take you to locations in Israel like Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, Gethsemane, Jerusalem, and the road to Emmaus. Along the way, you’ll see how Jesus, the Messiah, brought His kingdom to earth for everybody.
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Impact Lansing
Impact Lansing will take place July 12-18, 2026. If you're in 6-8th grades and are part of our middle school group at South, save the date on your calendars now! More information about how to apply to this mission trip/summer camp will come later.
| | | | There are limited Pilgrim merch items (sweatshirts, t-shirts) available for purchase on a first-come, first-serve basis. Email Jessica for information. | |
Pilgrim DVD
DVDs are now available to be purchased at our media store for Pilgrim. To order that or other recent presentations, go to southlife.org/order. Others that are available for pre-order are:
- Behold the Lamb
- Mitchigander Jones: Researchers of the Truth
- All Nature Sings
- Pilgrim 2023
- Musical Iterations of Advent
- Joyride
To see a full catalog of all sermons and presentations available at our media store, go to southlife.org/order.
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Communion Meal
A Communion Meal: A special service celebrating the Lord's Supper. On February 1st, at 6 PM, South will come together for a special celebration of the Bread and the Cup. We will experience the Lord's Supper with one another in a meaningful way. We will share a supper of soup and salad and a time of great fellowship. This will be a simple and meaningful time of worship for our regular evening service. Please arrive early!!! Sign up at a table in the gathering space or call Terri in the Church office.
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Open Portfolio Night
Open Portfolio Night is on February 7th from 7 to 8:15. All are invited to an open house displaying artwork from our very own South Church artists. This year's theme is "Reflecting His Image." For more information go to southlife.org/opn.
Artists! Submission is open. If you are an artist and would like to submit your work go to southlife.org/opn.
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City Rescue Mission
This month, we have the opportunity to help The City Rescue Mission of Lansing bless our community. We all know times are hard, so there is much need. There will be collection bins at several entrances. Bring a donation any time throughout the month of January and drop it in one of the bins.
Ideas for donations:
Salad Dressing, Large Bottles
Canned Fruit
Canned Vegetables
Apple or Grape Juice, Large Bottles
Cereal
Laundry Detergent Pods
Shampoo
Conditioner
Men’s T-shirts M to 5x
Women’s T-shirts M to 3x
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Join the Choir
Choir rehearsals resume on January 7th. We will be preparing for three different goals: 1) the regular season Sunday anthems 2) the pre-Easter concert 3) The "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah for Easter Sunday. Come join the choir for one or all of these things. Contact Pastor Corb for details.
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Christmas Lights Collections
VBS has a light theme this year, and we are collecting all your unwanted Christmas lights! starting 12/28, drop off your unwanted Christmas lights in one of the collection boxes in the Gathering or by the Library. The last collection date will be 1/18.
| | | Stay updated on different projects, needs, and ministries happening around our church building and within our church family. Sign up for any of our several ministry-specific newsletters here. | | | | | |
Are you new to South? Our next Simply South luncheon will be in January 11, 2026, directly after the 2nd service, in the Student Ministry Center.
For more information, use the connection card on your worship folder or visit the website.
| | Are you interested in one of the Explored classes? Life Explored, Christianity Explored, Hope Explored, Discipleship Explored are all classes we have offered that give people the opportunity to take it back to the basics and receive answers on foundational questions. If you're interested in inquiring about one of these classes, email Pastor Tim. | | Baptism Classes are coming up for those who are interested in being baptized at our next baptismal service. Attend both Sunday classes on April 26 and May 3, 9:30-10:30 AM in Room 202. Ways to register: call Terri in the church office at (517) 322-2000, visit the website or turn in a connection card. | | The pathway to church membership begins Saturday, April 25, at 9:30 AM. Come, learn more about membership at South. Enjoy a great discussion, fellowship, and bagels with our pastors and deacons. 3 more Sunday sessions will follow at 9:30 AM on April 26, May 3 and 10 in Room 202. Please RSVP: use the connection card on your worship folder, call Terri (517) 322-2000, or visit the website. | | | | |
