learn from your mistakes

some notes from my first congregational meeting.



-there are some very dedicated members of my church who have served very diligently. I applaud not only their effort but there faithfulness.
-the holy spirit is definitely at work creating something new, birthing something, the test that i see is whether or not we will put that something new in new wineskins
-policy isnt a word that i really like yet i understand a need for some sort of policy
- just because you want to hear more opinions on a motion doesn't mean you(me) should second something and not really know what your talking about when you try to explain why your seconding it.
- I am very glad that kinks seemed to get worked out, things made sense in the end, biblically
- I am excited that the elders are starting to understand the need for this next generation to take some responsibility, though i hope that it will become a collaborate effort because we all need to be a part of this.
- end off being very encouraged

eyes light up.

what it takes to light up eyes.

having built some level of trust, having them know that we care for them. simply slipping a folded piece of paper into the hand of a unpretentious child telling them to put that folded piece of paper into their pocket without reading the simple words on them. turn the lights off, they can barely make each other out in the darkness... a moment of chaos... this is life without God, living in sin. "you can take out your piece of paper now" brings the focus back a little bit. "read it" brings the chaos back. click, the piercing rays of light from the flashlight seem like they should be making more noise than the kids, fortunately I'm there to call them towards the light to read the words God has written for them. they seem interested in the flashlight for a while but what they are really looking for is the lights to turn back on, despite how much fun it is to scream and run around in the dark. God is the light, we sit in a semi circle and read our simple truths. "God loves me" "God has a plan for me" "if God is for me who can be against me" "Jesus died so i can live". they are so much more than words, especially for kids who are honestly looking for hope, and honestly not finding it anywhere else. if those words stop when the sound waves end perhaps they enter your head they can be burned away with apathy. but however hot the fire of apathy it produces no light, the fire in most of the kids eyes that I saw burned so bright that even if it was just for a moment it melted my heart.

this is all here at home kids from the community who came to pioneer clubs
the harvest is plentiful

chad

traveling

In one sense we are always traveling
And traveling as if we do not know where we are going
In another sense we have already arrived
We cannot arrive at the perfect possession of love in this life
And that is why we are traveling and traveling in this darkness
But we already possess love by grace
And therefore in that sense we have arrived
And are dwelling in that light
But Oh! How far are you and I go to
find that love in whom we have arrived
- Thomas Merton