A good man dies and a little man is born!

My father-in-law Ralph Ridder died on Thursday evening at 7:13 p.m. It was a mix of great sadness and incredible joy all at the same time.

At 6:30 p.m. those family who had come to the hosptial on that evening gathered in his ICU room for prayers and encouragement and singing. I believe there were eighteen of us standing around his bed in the intensive care room. His breathing and his pulse were getting weaker and weaker. He had been unconscious for the past 5 days. Just that afternoon we had been told his medical prognosis was not good.

Ralph had been a committed and very involved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He was a member and very active attender here at Orchard. Walt Rogers prayed. His three grandchildren who are worship leaders (Alli Rogers, Michael Rogers, Ben Bartlett) led the singing. I often talk about holy moments. This was one of those very holy moments where God is present and real. We prayed and we sang and we talked with Ralph.

My son Jeremy arrived at about 7:00 p.m. to say goodbye to his grandpa. Ben led the whole group in singing In Christ Alone....the final lines are something like....Till he returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ I'll stand!

At the conclusion of the song Ralph had been called to heaven. Someone this morning said he simply moved from one choir to another. He did love all kinds of music. Two knee replacements in this earthly body and now he's probably dancing in heaven. Within 45 minutes his family had moved to the waiting area to think about how to celebrate his life at his funeral service.

He was a very good man. He finished well. He left a huge legacy of family who loved him and want to live their lives for Jesus.

Today his 19th great grandchild was born: Joseph Thomsen Majerus. He'll be buried on Tuesday and on Friday or Saturday his 20th great grandchild will be born. Life goes on. He'll be missed! One day there will be another family reunion in heaven. What stories we'll tell.

It was Jesus who said, "I go to prepare a place for you. If it were not so, I would have told you."

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Enouragement and Support Really Matter!

Yesterday began early as I drove across Des Moines to set up for the short marathon worship service. At 7:30 it was crisp and cool. Enrique Ochoa led a couple of worship songs. We read scripture and prayed for the runners and the opportunity to be salt and light in this environment called the IMT Des Moines Marathon.

Some of the other 8,000 runners listened and watched as we spent this time together honoring our God. Many nodded in agreement with what we were doing. The officials of the marathon interviewed Don Williams, our coach, and encouraged people to donate to our cause of building a school in Mozambique. Many people understood and appreciated what we were doing.

Then the race began! Eight thousands runners and many more people who were there to encourage and cheer began to engage in the race. It was very moving to watch runners crosss the finish line to reach a goal they had set for themselves. So many were crossing a marathon finish line for the first time and doing it for a cause that is much bigger than any one of us.

The one theme I continually heard from the runners was that the marathon support team (wearing green shirts), who cheered and encouraged, made a huge difference. They said there were green shirts everywhere. People who stood with us, encouraged and cheered us. They said every time they were getting tired or down there would be more green shirts cheering them on during this very hard race. The green shirts played a key role

.

Life is like a marathon. I ended yesterday in a hospital waiting room with many of my extended family. My wife's dad, Ralph Ridder, is in intensive care and not doing well at all. He has been unconscious since Saturday and I watched as our family encouraged each other and especially his wife Bev. Some of our family drove in from out of town to sit together, to pray and to be an encouragement to each other and to Bev.

As I reflected upon our family gathered, I wanted to put green shirts on each of them because they were so important as an encouragement during a very difficult part of this race called life. It is so very true that we need each other whether running a marathon or sitting in a hospital waiting room. We need each other for encouragement and for help.

Yesterday began with scripture and prayer in a park with several hundred people in the middle of a marathon environment. Yesterday ended with scripture and prayer around a hospital bed with 16 family members. In both cases, people desperately needed each other for encouragement and support.

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Another Powerful Sunday!

Forty-one Receive Bibles
Forty-one 2nd graders received a Bible from Orchard Hill Church yesterday in the 11:00 a.m. service. What a great picture of our desire to influence young people for Jesus Christ!

Forty-one were present to receive their Bibles and 18 were unable to attend. God has given us the privilege and responsibility to help 59 2nd graders choose to become fully devoted followers of Christ. What an awesome responsibility.

New Members

Yesterday, we also met for the second time with our current new members class where approximately 30 people are choosing to join the mission of Orchard. As they shared their stories with us, we had the privilege to hear how God has been at work in their lives. It is so affirming and encouraging to hear their thoughts and hopes for their involvement with Orchard and their growth in Jesus Christ.

God is Trustworthy

Yesterday, I also taught at the Cedar Falls campus in the series ViewFinder and on the topic of: God is Trustworthy. During the morning I interacted with many people who are in all kinds of pain and struggles. It again reminded me that God is trustworthy on both my best and worst day in this life.

I just received this in an email which included this:

And the truth is that if He is only trustworthy when things are going my way then He is not trustworthy at all. He either has to be trustworthy on the worst day as well as the best day or He is not trustworthy.”

Dave, these 2 highlighted sentences from your Sunday’s sermon spoke profoundly to me.

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Busy Weekends

This past weekend was busy but outstanding!

Our entire family was home for a couple of days. It was so fun to watch our grandchildren playing together in the back yard. Five of them slept in tents and all nine brought smiles to Linda and I. We stopped for this quick picture on our deck. I watched several grandkids participating in our Great Adventure program on Sunday. Family working well is an amazing gift of God! We expect grandchild number 10 in late October.

Have you noticed how busy weekends are for people these days? There’s football, soccer, family commitments, music, weddings, church services, concerts, travel, yard work and the list goes on and on.

Orchard has a strong committed group of staff people whose weekends include all of the above, plus many ministry events! I want this blog post to be a strong affirmation of our staff people who serve our church in a very committed way and especially serve on the weekends. Thank you to the staff of Orchard. You are amazing.

This past weekend included: a wedding, a rehearsal dinner, communion at 6 worship services, a CD release concert by Sky Like Fire, a new members class, Picnic in the Park, baby shower, Boy Scout Retreat, small group meetings, volleyball, basketball, a community worship choir and all of our regular Sunday morning events. Wow. That’s a lot of opportunities for ministry in one weekend.

I hope that you had a great fall weekend! I hope that you are finding ways to draw near to Christ during this busy fall season.

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Crazy Holy Moments!

Last night I was able to look in on several of our key Wednesday night ministries! I was with the volunteers who serve at our CHAOS (Christ Has All Our Solutions) Junior High Ministry in order to provide a little training. I was struck as I watched car after car lined up to drop off junior high students and then I watched students get out of those cars and enthusiastically head to CHAOS. They were obviously looking forward to this night.

I arrived later as 220 people were finishing our Families Connecting meal. I looked in for a moment at the parents of first graders who were preparing for this year’s first Faith At Home. I stood in the back at BIG HOUSE and watched several hundred high school students worship God and listen to great teaching. It seemed to me like a very powerful night filled with holy moments. I also know we had a leadership class and a Men’s Bible Study during the evening.

My challenge to the CHAOS volunteers (many are college students) was to remember that it is a holy moment when they sit with a small group of 5-8 junior high students and talk together about God and personal faith. When a young person listens and then shares what they are thinking or what they believe, it can be awesome holy moment in time. A moment of great value where God can work.

As I reflected upon the evening, I think I saw lots of those holy moments. I watched Big House begin in a crazy way. For just a moment, I even asked myself if our Student Ministry Directors knew what they were doing. Then, in the next 45 minutes I saw students engaged deeply in learning and worshipping. Oh, Dave such little faith!

I also watched visitors being welcomed. Smiles and greetings. Laughter. Hugs. Friendships. Basketballs flying everywhere. Parents visiting with each other’s children. Families eating together. Prayers. I even heard there was an obstacle course. Each of these present a possible holy moment where God can work in His own way.

This was just one night. Tomorrow is the first Mom’s Morning Out. Bethel Bible Study is beginning. The Marathon Team is running. Our Sunday morning services have changed times with a new teaching series beginning next week. The Young Adults are meeting on Sunday mornings. Route 55 has activities planned. The list of opportunities is endless. God is at work!

I hope and pray that each of us find a good place (the right place) for God to touch us during this fall season.

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Easily and Deeply Inspired!

Ok, it's true. I get inspired and encouraged by many things every week. That's how God made me.

I get inspired when someone tells me they've made a new commitment to Jesus. I get inspired when parents bring their new little baby to church for the first time. I get inspired when a gym full of students are worshiping Jesus at CHAOS or BIG HOUSE or when I see 30 small groups of students meeting with Christian adults who care for them. I get inspired when people introduce me to a friend they brought to church for the first time. I get inspired when people donate resource to God's kingdom work! I get inspired when my grandchildren are learning about Jesus at Great Adventure.

Two things from last Sunday inspired me. The marathon team video and team picture inspired me. I'm certain that those on the team are growing physically and spiritually in incredible ways as they encourage each other. The video (shown Sunday and available on YouTube)reminded me about the life-change God is doing thru our work in Mozambique. Last summer, when I was there, I was surprised by the amount of good our resources can accomplish and how God was using our resources to help so many know Him.

And then at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday a dozen families came to our sanctuary to dedicate themselves and their 18 children to Christ. Our sanctuary was mostly filled with friends and family who came to be part of this dedication service. As each couple dedicated their children, friends and family came and surrounded the parents and children as we prayed for each family. It was moving to stand in the back and watch so many adults commit themselves before God to help these children grow up to become followers of Christ.

It reminded me of Deuteronomy 6:6, "...These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Parents and family are the first and most important carriers of the gospel to their children.

I am so grateful that we are a church family who have chosen to give Christian parents, who are seeking God, the opportunity to baptise and/or dedicate their children. I'm also grateful that nine weeks ago we gave our people the opportunity to go to George Wyth Lake to be baptized as followers of Christ. God is a big God who works in our lives in so many different ways!!

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The Church Belongs to Jesus

One of Jesus Christ's most foundational teachings about the church is that the church belongs to Him. It is His. He purchased it with His blood on Good Friday and gave it hope with His resurrection on Easter Sunday. The church does not belong to the leaders, or pastors, or big donors, or charter members. The church belongs to Jesus. And the church is not a building, or an organization but a collection of followers of Christ.

Jesus said to Peter, "...on this rock I will build MY church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it ..." (Matthew 16:18)

So, the other night our Orchard Leadership Team met in the basement of Lincholn Center Christian Reformed Church in rural Grundy County and asked what Jesus wants for these two local congregations. Would there be a way for these congregations to partner for the glory of God? Should Lincoln Center become a ministry of Orchard focused upon those whom Jesus would have them to reach? There were no immediate answers in the basement that night. We will keep discerning the will of God on this. We will seek scriptural answers, missional answers, relational answers and in all of it, we will continue to follow Jesus as best we can.

I was so pleased that we together seemed to be asking the really important question: What would Jesus want for His church? How do we best use His church to accomplish His mission?

That's the same question we should ask about our 6th community each morning. Lord, what do you want me to do today, to build your kingdom in the part of the world where you have given me influence. I hope you're asking yourself that question!

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