Dear Grace,
I pray that you have been weathering the frozen snow and cold with grace and peace. For our household, being cooped up together has brought its share of sweet moments and also tense ones! There have been collaborative baking sessions mixed in with us just plain getting on one another’s nerves – very much a picture of our humanity and the beauty and brokenness of life together. We are relying on God’s grace to sustain us and keep us (and praying for schools to reopen!)
The last three days I’ve been on a retreat with Chris Wolf and Dave Brewer, our Executive Pastors. Together, we got to celebrate Dave’s 50th birthday! Please be sure to wish him a happy birthday when/if you see him.
We spent time reviewing what is happening/has happened in the ministries and the organization side of the church, all the while praying for insight and vision on how and where to lead forward. There were so many beautiful happenings to remember. We see and hear the stories of God forming us, inviting us into new steps. We are grateful for plans realized, but also unexpected twists and turns. All around, we see growth: not just numerically, but formational. We grieve and acknowledge transitions as the Lord moves His people around, sometimes to new locations, sometimes to new congregations. There’s always so much to consider in a church our size! Still, I am so glad and grateful to be a part of it all.
Shortly, you’ll be able to get a small glimpse of the magnitude of God’s work among us. Our team is working on a year review to remind us and encourage us of how, by God’s grace, we are obediently accomplishing our mandate as a multiethnic church, deeply rooted in the love of Jesus, making disciples who transform our communities and the nations.
Next week, I and a small team travel overseas to care for some of our field workers. We’ll spend lots of time learning about their work and life, and anticipate intimate moments of pastoral care and mutual encouragement. Please pray for safe travels and for peace upon our families. Pray for a spiritual covering of peace and harmony while I am gone. I am already sensing an increase in the spiritual attack that comes on my family whenever I’m away. I expect nothing less for this trip, and am very dependent on God’s protection.
This Sunday, we will continue our series in Hebrews, diving into Hebrews 3 (the message I was supposed to give last Sunday!) I believe God has a timely word for us concerning listening to His voice, and trusting him in times when all around us the situation seems terrifying.
Related to our preaching, I asked last week for your participation in a survey to help us know how the preaching at Grace is being experienced. It’s being conducted through my involvement with the Center for Excellence in Preaching at Calvin Seminary.
It will certainly involve a few minutes, and would be immensely encouraging to know how you are experiencing the preaching at Grace. This kind of feedback is always a gift. This is the link to the survey. I believe it closes soon, so please help us out!