Our neighbors agreed to join us for a “fire” the first week of April. After several minutes of getting the fire to start, our neighbors came over and I was so thankful they didn’t go back home because instead of a nice fire, we played musical chairs around the smoke column due to the wood being too wet from our wonderful Spring rains. Even so, we enjoyed the fellowship of our neighbors, who we’ve intentionally been gathering with to build friendship and community. Prepared to invite them to Easter, and part of our reason to have them over, our neighbors informed us that they planned to be at service Sunday (Palm Sunday) and again on Easter. One of them had come back in December with his son, but this was the first time for his girlfriend to join him. Our intentional efforts take time as we minister to people, and yet God blesses them all the same. When we reflect on April, we see clearly that we hit on all three pieces of our strategy.
We ENCOUNTERED God’s Redemptive love!
We wrapped up our “Great I AM” series of studying Jesus’ “I Am” Statements on Easter and received a lot of positive feedback from adults and kids in the weeks leading to Easter about their Encounters of God’s redemptive Love.
We GREW in community!
Our Refuge groups had new families join a couple groups and our attendance grew. The first three weeks in April were each our three highest Sundays in 2017 so far, Easter being our highest in our early life of a church body (158 on Easter). April was the first month we have averaged more than 100 people/Sunday! Praise God!
We also SERVED Jesus as King.
What looks to be an annual service for us, we helped clean up the after prom on Sunday, April 23, and had a beautiful outdoor service afterwards. The parents who coordinate the event are very grateful to see fresh bodies show up at 5:30 AM to take care of cleanup so they can get to bed! And we had a great time serving Jesus and supporting our Youth before enjoying our outdoor worship service in the parking lot!
It has been a great season to be a part of the Refuge family! I’m excited to see God multiply his church as we stay on mission for Him!
Restoring relationships with God,
Jeremiah