Over Memorial Day weekend we drove up to Lynden, WA. Amanda and I both commented how surreal it felt driving down the Hanegen Road to Lynden in our our own car. We hadn’t done that in nearly 20 years. After enjoying the weekend with my Mom and grandparents we got back to settling in.
Last week I continued to work on web site and administrative plans but the issue that was at the top of the priority list was picking out a name for the church. So after asking all my facebook friends, talking with members of the Chamber of Commerce, talking it over with launch team members, polling my neighbors and asking a few random people at local coffee shops we have decided to go with the name Renew Church (or Re:new Church). Thursday I asked God to make it clear which name we should go with. Nothing earth shattering happened, in fact, by the end of the day I really didn’t care. I just wanted to get the decision behind us. Surprisingly, first thing Friday morning I was unpacking some framed pictures. One of those pictures was a gift to me from Larry and Marsha Satterla that they had given me when I graduated from seminary. 2 Corinthians 5:17 was on that picture which reads, “If anyone is in Christ they are a new creation, the old has gone, the new has come.” That was enough confirmation for me. Renew Church it is!
On Saturday a few members of the launch team went hiking at Silver Falls. Wow. I think we saw eight falls on our five mile hike. Amazing! I’m thinking that we are going to start a “Hike for Health” club and try to go hiking at least two times a month. Later that evening we enjoyed a cook out at a park (down by the river) with our launch team and played some two-hand touch football.
Sunday was a big day for us. Not only was it Levi’s 4th birthday, but we also hosted house church and later hosted a party for Levi at someone else’s house (let Jim and Patti know that I am still throwing parties at other people’s homes). I don’t even have a grill so I had to borrow some from the neighbors so I could grill up some of my famous BBQ Chicken and Ribs. I used my Sassy Molassy BBQ sauce and rocked it out on the grill. The whole day was a party on Roseberry Street.
Today is a new week and my birthday. Yeah! However, the long list of things to do continues to grow. Formulating a specific action plan and objectives now stands at the top of my to do list. I will also be working on my first newsletter, thank you letters, logo design, web page, setting up our online community, buying a printer, formalizing our leadership huddles and putting together a calendar for the summer. Never a dull moment in church planting.
Please continue to ask Jesus to pour out his grace on Roseberry Street, Renew Church, Corvallis and Benton County. Ask God to equip us for our mission to renew the spiritual landscape of Benton County by loving God and Others.
And check out our pictures! (Hiking pics coming soon)
No comments:
Post a Comment