Stories of God at work!

One of the current practices for each of our staff meetings and Leadership Team meetings is that within each meeting, usually after prayer and scripture, we share stories of God at work. 

This has become a valuable tool in helping our staff and elders see the world through the lens of God's active involvement in our church and our world.  Each time of sharing these stories creates in me a new awareness of the many venues in which we see God at work.  He is at work in lives, events and ministries that prior to the sharing, I knew nothing about.  Telling these stories is a great way to honor God!

Let me share two stories of God at work this week:

Story #1 is the Special Olympic Challenge Day that is taking place at Orchard today.  I snapped these pictures just now....

 

 

This morning I said a prayer at the beginning of this very special event.  Each time the event meets in our gym, I am struck by how God so often uses our building and campus in strategic ways that  to help people who need a time of encouragement.  Watching these folks do athletic events in the gym where we will hold our worship service in the morning, always touches my heart.

 

Story # 2 is the 66 Bibles given to 2nd graders last Sunday morning at both our Cedar Falls and Grundy Center worship services.  These Bibles becomes a symbol of the important role that the God's Word is to play in the lives of these young people and a symbol of our church wanting to stand beside these young people and their parents as they move toward "more fully devoted followers of Christ."  I love this picture of partnership--God's Word, the students, the parents and our church.

 

So, today I just got a text from one volunteer on our Junior High Ski and Shop where 30+ volunteers and 130+ students are traveling to the Minneapolis area for skiing and shopping.  This is simply another tool to help us be positioned in the lives of students and families in order to challenge and encourage them with Christ's gospel.