Pastor Chris' Newsletter- Since Sunday...
Dear Orchard Grove Family,
Today I'm feeling a good kind of tired. Its been a wonderfully exhausting week. I get to see you on Sunday morning but so much happens between Sundays. Our church family springs into action with a flurry of activities aimed at showing and sharing the love of Christ.
Like this week...
Sunday afternoon as soon as the service ended a small army of volunteers tore the worship center apart and then reset it for our High School Students to have an environment all their own on Sunday night. Then in the late afternoon another team comes in to serve as frontline leaders who give their time to help shepherd our students as they walk their faith through the young adult years. Then late at night another team returns to reset the worship center again. And then they slip into the night...
On Monday night I was invited to accompany our compassion ministry to a home for women who've been battered and abused.
This team of volunteers reached out with such excellence and grace to these broken and beautiful women. I was moved. Our family at its finest, helping women get a fresh start, to find jobs, build resumes, gain confindence, receive a nice set of clothes and an invitation to join our church family. Then again as unsung heros they slipped away into the night...
Later monday night I stopped by the farm house on the 14 mile property and there was yet another team from the family working.
They were painting, pounding and preparing that old tired farm house so it could serve as a home for our new associate pastor coming from Malawi. They had been working for weeks, unnoticed and unconcerned. They wanted an African family to feel at home when they were thousands of miles away. After I visited with them for a while, it was obvious my "talents" were not needed and I left. But they stayed, until the job was done, late into the night...
On Tuesday night as I met at building C with some of my leadership team to pray and strategize about the future direction of our church, I saw even more evidence of the family at work. Teams were setting up the Jr. High Room for our "Side by Side" recovery ministry. A place for people to find help and healing in a safe, loving and Christ-centered environment.
Accross the atrium guys where hauling gear to reset the guest reception room into a makshift practice room for the band. (the other band practices on the main stage in the worship center- with two campuses now we need two practices.)
And then as the snow began to fall these faithful volunteers, made their way into their cars and slipped away into the night...
On Wednesday and Thurday nights I help Pizza with the Pator meetings to share the details of our Family Business Series.
And so many people rearranged their busy lives to hear about how they can support the vision of the chruch to make room for more.
Wow does this family impress me! And then they slipped into the night...
Just want you to know that this is just what I saw this week.
Think of all the amazing things our family was doing that I didn't see! That's a whole lot of good since Sunday.
This week as many of you are considering your participation in the Family Business pledge, I pray God will continue to guide and provide for his Family.
Until Sunday,
Chris
Today I'm feeling a good kind of tired. Its been a wonderfully exhausting week. I get to see you on Sunday morning but so much happens between Sundays. Our church family springs into action with a flurry of activities aimed at showing and sharing the love of Christ.
Like this week...
Sunday afternoon as soon as the service ended a small army of volunteers tore the worship center apart and then reset it for our High School Students to have an environment all their own on Sunday night. Then in the late afternoon another team comes in to serve as frontline leaders who give their time to help shepherd our students as they walk their faith through the young adult years. Then late at night another team returns to reset the worship center again. And then they slip into the night...
On Monday night I was invited to accompany our compassion ministry to a home for women who've been battered and abused.
This team of volunteers reached out with such excellence and grace to these broken and beautiful women. I was moved. Our family at its finest, helping women get a fresh start, to find jobs, build resumes, gain confindence, receive a nice set of clothes and an invitation to join our church family. Then again as unsung heros they slipped away into the night...
Later monday night I stopped by the farm house on the 14 mile property and there was yet another team from the family working.
They were painting, pounding and preparing that old tired farm house so it could serve as a home for our new associate pastor coming from Malawi. They had been working for weeks, unnoticed and unconcerned. They wanted an African family to feel at home when they were thousands of miles away. After I visited with them for a while, it was obvious my "talents" were not needed and I left. But they stayed, until the job was done, late into the night...
On Tuesday night as I met at building C with some of my leadership team to pray and strategize about the future direction of our church, I saw even more evidence of the family at work. Teams were setting up the Jr. High Room for our "Side by Side" recovery ministry. A place for people to find help and healing in a safe, loving and Christ-centered environment.
Accross the atrium guys where hauling gear to reset the guest reception room into a makshift practice room for the band. (the other band practices on the main stage in the worship center- with two campuses now we need two practices.)
And then as the snow began to fall these faithful volunteers, made their way into their cars and slipped away into the night...
On Wednesday and Thurday nights I help Pizza with the Pator meetings to share the details of our Family Business Series.
And so many people rearranged their busy lives to hear about how they can support the vision of the chruch to make room for more.
Wow does this family impress me! And then they slipped into the night...
Just want you to know that this is just what I saw this week.
Think of all the amazing things our family was doing that I didn't see! That's a whole lot of good since Sunday.
This week as many of you are considering your participation in the Family Business pledge, I pray God will continue to guide and provide for his Family.
Until Sunday,
Chris
posted by Orchard Grove Communtiy Church at
1:59 PM
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