Sorry, guys and gals, I've been so busy that posting here just faded in the background.
We had a wonderful Open House yesterday, the openness and love was so evident in everyone present. Ford Baptist, I am so blessed to be your pastor!
I was looking over what the Lord has been doing in the last few months. The first growth spur seems to have plateaued at the moment, but I have no worries - it will start again soon. A few people became part of our church family. Four people are waiting to be baptised next Sunday. I can see lives being touched and changed. A few people are battling with depression, and they find help and support here. Someone's gotten in trouble with the police, and is now back with the Lord and looking for help to put his life back together. New Christians are growing closer to the Lord. A few parents are staying on for the service rather than just dropping their kids to church and picking them up again later. Although that in itself is really amazing too. We even had a dog in church today - no kidding! The Lord is doing great things in people's lives here, and my family and I are so priviledged to be part of it! Evelina is really back in her element, gathering a flock of friends and being the soul of everything going on.
But what blesses me most is the love you can feel in the church. It hits you as you walk through the doors; people laughing and smiling and chatting and making this such a wonderful place. It hit me when a visitor from another church told me at the end of a service - "I can't believe how much love there is in this church!" Yeah, Lord! That's what it's all about. We can't convince people into the kingdom, I can't preach them into the Kingdom - but if we love them into the Kingdom, we're doing it the right way.
Yes, sure, it's an adventure, and I'm back at it with a vengeance. Over the years I had forgotten what it's like to live by faith. When you're down to the last pennies, and there is no food in the fridge and no money to pay the bills, it gets scary and stressful. But God is our Daddy - he's never let us down yet, and he'll never fail in his faithfulness. Oh, I wish I could come even close to deserving it - but it's all about His grace. That amazing, wonderful, never-ending grace.
Oh yes, I love the Lord, and I love this little church, and I'm enjoying every moment (well, almost...) of this adventure. There is nothing I'd rather do and no place I'd rather be. And definitely no church I'd rather be a part of.
