"A Big Thing"

About two months ago I was sitting in a parking lot waiting for my wife to come out of the grocery store, and I felt God saying to me that something big was about to take place for Freedom Life. We were still several weeks away from launching our Sunday morning service, so I couldn't help but think that this is what God was pointing towards. Looking back I think several "something bigs" have happened for us since then.

First, we did launch the Sunday morning service, on the first weekend in November. That weekend our total attendance (after subtracting the people that were at both services) was 150. This was an increase of about 30 people from the previous month (we had been averaging around 120 people). The following week instead of 150 people we had 169 people. The third week in November we had 190 people. Going into December our congregation had grown from 120 people to 190 people in just four weeks. Then, on the second week in December we broke the 200 person barrier for the first time, having 211 people in our weekend services! In six weeks God has grown us from a church of 120 people to a church of over 200. That is a huge thing.

It has been so neat getting to know some of the new faces and hearing their stories about where they are on their journey with Christ. Most of them have been walking with Christ for a while and have been sent here to help carry out the vision of Freedom Life. Others are new to the journey and are here to learn about God's amazing plan for their life. And some of them haven't started their journey with Christ yet, but are coming around and checking things out. They are here to watch, to learn, to grow into an understanding of a relationship with Christ for themselves. It is an amazing thing to see God building his church, just as we have asked him to from day one. No amount of planning or strategy on our part can accomplish what God can. I love being a part of a church that trusts God to drive the ship!

The next big thing I have seen is the amazing heart of giving that people have been expressing at FLC. Just weeks before Christmas we have received three of our biggest offerings ever. Over $5000 was donated at the party we threw in honor of the electronic sign we are purchasing. That was just three days after one of the biggest offerings that we have ever received! I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with emotion as I thought about all the pressures on peoples pocketbooks during the holidays. In the midst of Christmas lists, rising heat costs, etc. our church truely understands the joy of sowing into the Kingdom of God. I am excited to know that I serve a church who throws parties and celebrates giving to each other, to God, and to total strangers through the support of local outreach and foreign missions.

Lastly, this Friday, Lee comes back from serving for six months as a missionary to orphans in El Salvador. This is an exciting moment for us as it is the return of our first (of many) foreign missionaries. I cannot wait to hear his stories and celebrate the adventure that God took him on. It is so exciting to see our church getting more and more excited about foreign missions. At the meeting we had for our first mission trip so many people showed up that we realized we need to plan a second trip for this year.

God has done so much for us in the 13 months that we have been a church. I cant wait to see what the next year will be like!