Tonight at our church that averages 60+ people on Sunday morning we will host 200 + neighbors for a Fall Festival. A free night of food, fun and fellowship. Kids will get prizes and candy, they will jump in the inflatable "Moon Walk" and they will "rock" climb and slide down the other side.
Our worship teams music will rock the neighborhood echoing through the streets. It's suppose to be in the 40's so hot chocolate will be at a premium. We cook lots of hot dogs and are amazed at how many some can eat. I am sure there are those who question the expense of the evening and the energy given to such an event. I ask myself why this evening means so much to me?
Oh to see the joy on the children's faces! Some of them as old as 50, haha. It thrills my heart to see our campus as a place where people can have fun. I stand amazed at the appreciation expressed by all the participants. And at nights end all the exhausted volunteers also are overwhelmed by the impact the evening has on our neighbors. The eternal value I may never know, I do know, that for one night everyone seems to put aside all differences and enjoy an evening of simplicity and community.
And like the little girls in the old shake and bake commercial we can say with our southern twang, "And we help!"
29.10.08
22.10.08
HPFC
1. We are housed in a “Traditional” Facility which can not contain all we are
2. We participate in “Authentic / Alternative” Worship in song and in life
3. We experience “Meaningful” Relationship with God and with one another
4. We acknowledge and encounter an “Awesome and Mighty” God
2. We participate in “Authentic / Alternative” Worship in song and in life
3. We experience “Meaningful” Relationship with God and with one another
4. We acknowledge and encounter an “Awesome and Mighty” God
20.10.08
Outside Your Window
What is outside your window? God has used the view outside my window to "speak" to me on multiple occasions. Interesting enough if I began to expound on these occasions you may quickly identify or I might just as quickly lose your interest, depending on what is outside your window.
Living in a town home for a period Beth and I would look out our kitchen window to see our neighbors and their beautiful little daughter eating dinner. It was a picture of future and hope. In our early years Ty was entering the youth stage and we had a small youth group. It seem so difficult to attract new youth to the church. Sitting at my desk one day I watch the field across the street as neighborhood youth played ball and enjoyed the afternoon. Duh, God said, "Bring the youth group to the neighborhood." Hot dogs cooked out in the front yard with invitation to whosoever will opened up a new season of ministry.
Perhaps more importantly than what is outside our window is whose eyes are we looking through? With our human eyes the picture may be frightening or hopelessness, but with God's eyes there are opportunities abounding to bring heaven to earth. Interesting, one of the first things we did at HPFC is install new windows!
Living in a town home for a period Beth and I would look out our kitchen window to see our neighbors and their beautiful little daughter eating dinner. It was a picture of future and hope. In our early years Ty was entering the youth stage and we had a small youth group. It seem so difficult to attract new youth to the church. Sitting at my desk one day I watch the field across the street as neighborhood youth played ball and enjoyed the afternoon. Duh, God said, "Bring the youth group to the neighborhood." Hot dogs cooked out in the front yard with invitation to whosoever will opened up a new season of ministry.
Perhaps more importantly than what is outside our window is whose eyes are we looking through? With our human eyes the picture may be frightening or hopelessness, but with God's eyes there are opportunities abounding to bring heaven to earth. Interesting, one of the first things we did at HPFC is install new windows!
17.10.08
stretching my legs
I just finished flying to Hawaii and back and no my arms are not tired. I am however reminded of why I do not like long flights, my legs. With long legs and the closeness of airline seats I took opportunity to stretch my legs often. The destination, Hawaii, of course made all the time spent in flight well worth the discomfort.
In life there are often opportunities that await us just outside our comfort zone. Sometimes we may have memories of our last travel and it causes us to question whether it is worth the journey. Just as Hawaii was worth the sacrifice of the flight, there awaits a future with God whose plans sometimes seem beyond the boundaries of our limitations. We stretch a little along the way, stay on board, make the connections and eventually we reach a destination well worth the sacrifice of our journey.
In life there are often opportunities that await us just outside our comfort zone. Sometimes we may have memories of our last travel and it causes us to question whether it is worth the journey. Just as Hawaii was worth the sacrifice of the flight, there awaits a future with God whose plans sometimes seem beyond the boundaries of our limitations. We stretch a little along the way, stay on board, make the connections and eventually we reach a destination well worth the sacrifice of our journey.
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