2008
2008 was the most unexpected and amazing year of ministry I have ever experienced. On Tuesday my team and I made a HUGE list of what we considered some break-through components and moments of clear Divine Intervention. Here are a few of them in no particular order…
- The amount of numerical growth we experienced in 2008 has stunned all of us.
- In the Spring we brought our tools and put on our work clothes to transform the front of the church by removing the old stage and theater curtains and rebuilding a new stage that suits our needs better. The changes both aesthetically to acoustically have been phenomenal.
- In the Autumn our puppet ministry for the children was launched. This involved building a huge partition wall in our large room beneath the sanctuary and building a western style Scottish cowboy town (?), recruiting a bunch of quality volunteers, assembling teams and a plan, developing patience, endurance, etc.. The result has been amazing. The children and volunteers are having a blast.
- Our team has taken huge steps forward in maturity and focus. I have never participated on such an effective, focused, proficient, and spiritually deep team. Each year the maturity of our community is enriched and deepened. What we have is unique and I love it.
- We are still renting our great building. Things have teetered on the edge from time to time as to whether we will be evicted, but here we have remained. God continues to preserve us in this place!
- Our team’s influence continues to expand. From working with future ministers, to speaking at several university Christian Unions, to the preparation of the upcoming ReAwakening conference, to modeling a Bible focused church for a new generation.
- Our leadership structure continues to mature. We have appointed Elders and begun Deaconship. This represents a continued move toward health and maturity in our church structure.
- Prayer is on the rise. I have noticed the increase in conviction of sins and compulsion to change since we have begun having prayer intercessors praying throughout the services. Our prayer times also have become stronger. People continue to be baptized. I believe most of what has happened this year is not a reflection of giftedness but of the answered frequent praying of a growing few.
(photo by Megan)
- Our worship team continues to get more complete and mature. Andy and Kirsty have done a great job raising the bar of worship in our church. We have seen the influx of some highly talented musicians bringing strength to an already solid team. We know worship is not about having the best band, or passionate singing, but about directing and leading people to exult and adore our triune God together from our hearts. But having a great band sure helps a ton.
I could go on and on about the miracle of our boiler heater coming to flame again, our feasts and bbq outreaches, our Halloween Fair outreach for children in the area, new people coming to church, the beginning of diversity in ages, a Christmas choir, a great women’s bible study this Autumn, internship program expansion, a doubling of people reading their Bibles, but you get it.
In years past God has blessed us with obstacles and setbacks, teaching us about faith, patience, prayer, and trusting God. Great years. But this year he has chosen to bless us with huge steps forward. What a great year! Thank you Father.
January 4th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
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January 4th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
[…] Fred and Ginger meet us in a diamond-press at Swing Time? Brian has written about the joyous stuff of this last year. The beautiful thing is that the year is over, it’s completed, there’s no looking back that will change it, there’s no wishing it were different, it’s been hard, it’s been as long as any other year, it’s been a gift, it’s over. […]