A Look Back at 2013

I don’t know about you, but I get really busy sometimes.  I push forward with an agenda or a plan.  I do those things that seem urgent at the time.  I set goals and plan ahead, but tragically, I don’t often take the time to rest, look back and celebrate.

The Bible has a lot to say about remembering, and it seems like the things I do remember are not the things I want to remember.  I remember pains, conflicts, sins, little darts I threw to hurt another person and those that hurt me.  But what I don’t take the time to remember as well are the victories.  The things God has accomplished among us, around us, and even through us!

At the beginning of 2013, a partnership with the school down the road was a dream.  Now we have served the families of every child at that school with the trunk or treat event and the recent quarter sale.  The kids were able to purchase four gifts for a dollar to give to family members.  This reinforces the value of families, through the efforts of our own church family.

As a church we have shown our gratitude to the teachers at Myhre for the work they do to invest in the future leaders of our community.

We sent a team to Jemo last year to love on those kids, they have a new road and gutter system, the kids there are well fed and are learning and growing stronger, and a second team is headed there soon.

The youth ministry is growing deeper in understanding where they fit into God’s story and is serving and loving our community.  And when I look at the kids from k-5th grade I am thrilled about the where they are headed in the next few years.

More and more people seem to be finding their way to our church.  These people all have amazing passions, gifts, and interests and I am excited to see how God will use YOU all!

But what excites me the most is the depth of love for the Grace of God that is growing among us. I hear your stories and I see many of you seeing Jesus at work in your lives.  He is really transforming each of us through his love and his grace.  As a community of people we are starting to share our stories with each other.   We are seeing God’s grace at work in our own lives and in each others.  You may not see it yet, but this is huge.

When a community of broken people understands their need for the gospel, and learns to love each other even in their own brokenness, the world around them is transformed.

Our mission is to “Be Loved, Go Deeper, and Live it out.”  As individuals and as a community we are making tremendous strides in all three of those areas!

I am thrilled to see where 2014 will take us!