Summer Fun
Selene and I recently returned from 10 days in Greece. What an adventure it was traveling with a group of 33 (the majority were Selene’s students) around the mainland and the islands. Because of the biblical significance of Athens, Ephesus and Patmos, I’ll be sharing some stories with you at church in the weeks ahead.
Yesterday at staff meeting I heard encouraging stories about lives that were touched last weekend by the John Burke’s message the testimonies of Bruce Newman (Loveland) and Roxanne Dye (Berthoud)—“God is For Us!” I saw colorful pictures of Vacation Bible School action and heard about the more than 30 children who raised their hands to accept Jesus. Did you know that the leaders wrote their own curriculum this year? Very impressive! Then I saw before and after pictures of the landscaping and painting transformations that happened by Grace Place crews during Sharefest at Berthoud and Thompson Valley high schools. 40-50 people worked very hard to show the love of Jesus in tangible ways. Way to go!
This weekend we conclude the One Prayer series with a message by Andy Stanley, “God is Certain.” I believe you will be moved to renew your trust in God regardless of whatever uncertainties you are currently facing in your life. We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper together and worship the Lord with fresh confidence and appreciation. At the end of the worship gatherings this weekend we will receive a special offering for the Windsor Community Church. Their church was wiped out in the tornado last year and even after insurance adjustments and significant giving by the congregation they are still short of funds to rebuild. We are joining other northern Colorado churches to help out. Please pray about what you might do over and above your regular giving.
Speaking of regular giving…it’s summer time which often means vacations for many. I see people on Facebook talking about fishing, camping, hiking, boating, visiting family and all types of trips. It’s a fun time of year (and especially green this summer in Colorado!). I notice that both attendance and giving have been quite low the past couple weeks. We have been running very lean this year so we’re hoping that we will not experience a prolonged summer slump. It used to be that you had to be at church to give or send a check in the mail… but not any more. You can give online. You can give from anywhere in the world. You can give once, or set it up as a regular giving pattern (as Selene and I have done). More and more people are giving online and finding it a convenient way to consistently support God’s work through Grace Place. Don’t forget your church as you travel!