This morning I had the incredible opportunity to sit in on the kick-off meeting for Men's Ministry. I was excited to walk into the Auction Barn Cafe in Lynden and see a long table full of faces! These men, most of them seasoned believers came together this morning to hear the heart and vision of the gentlman leading the Men's Ministry, as well as to give some feedback regarding the future direction of the group.
I love the heart of the leader! He shared that he felt like a good portion of where he felt he'd like to see this group go is to reach out in the community and serve. The idea is to take the gifts, talents, time and energy that we have to tangibly show the love of God to others through acts of service. This could be anything from: gardening, yard work, auto repair, moving assistance, home fixing projects etc....anything that would bless someone and show the love of Christ.
Do you or someone you know have a need? Is there any way that these wonderful men can serve you or someone that you know? How can we bless you? Please contact us! We would love to hear from you!
Do you have a heart to minister and serve? Would you or someone you know think that you might like to be a part of a group with a heart to serve others? Do you have some gifts and talents that God can use for his glory? Do you simply have some time to share with someone that needs a friend? Maybe you would be patient enough to teach someone that is not computer savvy how to become more savvy? Perhaps you might be willing to take people on errands occaisionally? If so, I would encourage you to consider getting plugged in with this wonderful group of men.
I have to say, it was my unique pleasure to experience men in their own social setting. Indeed it was almost like being in a different culture. I am a people watcher....I truly enjoy just sitting and watching people. I like to study how they interact, communicate verbally and non-verbally and even how they choose not to interact. It is fascinating to me! Is there anyone else out there that understands what I mean? Anyhow - having recently attended the Women's Ministry kick-off, I was struck and even chuckled a little at how vastly different men and women are! How incredible God is to create men and women so different, and yet in so many ways - those differences compliment eachother. It was a treat indeed to see them gathering together and sharing with eachother.
Dear reader...I enourage you - pray for the men in your life. Bless them, encourage them, build them up in the Spirit. Pray intently, with purpose and focus. Watch the Lord pour out His love in their lives. :) Amen.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Roots...
Last night it was my priveledge to attend the CGM "Jewish Roots of Grace". This group meets every other Friday night in a host home and is about digging in and finding out why it is so important to understand the Jewish Roots of Grace.
What an evening! It was extremely informative, and thought provoking! We began by looking at the feasts of the Lord and watched a wonderful video that really dug into and explained in depth the timing, meaning, and details of the feasts and how it all ties and is related to Christ and New Testament perspectives. It presented a very blanced and beautiful picture, in a "whole picture" sense. I came away with a fresh understanding, and very hungry for more! We were given wonderful hand-outs, tools that will help us study further, and also to help us follow along with the video series. I am excited to dig in for myself and explore the Word!
I was thinking this morning....we cannot have one part of the Bible without the other....Old and New Testament...they all tie together. To try to seperate them - or throw one out is like cutting a huge perfect diamond in half, keeping one half and tossing the other in the trash. Why would anyone do that? Both halves have immeasureable value! It is important to keep in mind that God always meant for His people to have a balanced "whole" picture. Yes, we are a part of the New Testament Church, followers of Christ and much has changed for us because of what Christ did when He went to the cross. However, there is a vast amount of wisdom and incredible history and meaning in the Old Testament....and to be quite frank...if not for the Old Testament, there would be no New Testament.
Again, there truly aren't enough words to express the full heart behind what was shared. As ever, the best way to "know" something, is to partake, to interact....to taste and see. :) We serve a mighty God, and He is GLORIOUS! I want to encourage your reader....dig in...press in....seek the Lord and you WILL find Him.
What an evening! It was extremely informative, and thought provoking! We began by looking at the feasts of the Lord and watched a wonderful video that really dug into and explained in depth the timing, meaning, and details of the feasts and how it all ties and is related to Christ and New Testament perspectives. It presented a very blanced and beautiful picture, in a "whole picture" sense. I came away with a fresh understanding, and very hungry for more! We were given wonderful hand-outs, tools that will help us study further, and also to help us follow along with the video series. I am excited to dig in for myself and explore the Word!
I was thinking this morning....we cannot have one part of the Bible without the other....Old and New Testament...they all tie together. To try to seperate them - or throw one out is like cutting a huge perfect diamond in half, keeping one half and tossing the other in the trash. Why would anyone do that? Both halves have immeasureable value! It is important to keep in mind that God always meant for His people to have a balanced "whole" picture. Yes, we are a part of the New Testament Church, followers of Christ and much has changed for us because of what Christ did when He went to the cross. However, there is a vast amount of wisdom and incredible history and meaning in the Old Testament....and to be quite frank...if not for the Old Testament, there would be no New Testament.
Again, there truly aren't enough words to express the full heart behind what was shared. As ever, the best way to "know" something, is to partake, to interact....to taste and see. :) We serve a mighty God, and He is GLORIOUS! I want to encourage your reader....dig in...press in....seek the Lord and you WILL find Him.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Worship...
Thursday Night Worship connect is something that either Faipule or I have attended a few times now. I think that the best way to describe this group is very "nuts and bolts". It is exactly as Pastor Johnathan described it, "If you have a passion for worship and love team building with likeminded people, this is the place for you. Our goal in this connect group is to continually develop a heart of worship as well as grow in the musical gifting that God has given us. Whether you play an instrument or sing, we believe that everyone should use their gifts and talents in the local church. Our passion is to facilitate Praise and Worship in our Church Community so that we can corporately experience God together".
This is a time when singers and musicians that vary in experience levels get together and learn how to work together to flow as a team. It gives an opportunity for those that need to brush up on their instrument, or just need a place where they can plug in and practice before launching onto a worship team. This is also a great time for learning new music, and simply jamming and allowing worship music just flow.
A great example of what happens in a "jam session"...when the music just takes on a life of its' own - is the post on the church facebook page. How fun! (Search Facebook for "Freedom Churchnw" - then scroll down on the page and look for: "Amazing Love Reprise & We're Gonna Worship the King"- check them out!)
The best part is seeing how God takes the giftings and the talents of His people and uses it to draw us into His presence, and then to see the fruit of being in His presence expressed in the lives of His people. Awesome!
I am sure that you will agree - worship is much more than a song. More than singing...and more than playing an instrument. It is more than hands lifted high...it is sooo many things! I could go on...but, I think I would like to hear from you reader. :) What is worship? Tell me about your thoughts and heart on this subject please?
This is a time when singers and musicians that vary in experience levels get together and learn how to work together to flow as a team. It gives an opportunity for those that need to brush up on their instrument, or just need a place where they can plug in and practice before launching onto a worship team. This is also a great time for learning new music, and simply jamming and allowing worship music just flow.
A great example of what happens in a "jam session"...when the music just takes on a life of its' own - is the post on the church facebook page. How fun! (Search Facebook for "Freedom Churchnw" - then scroll down on the page and look for: "Amazing Love Reprise & We're Gonna Worship the King"- check them out!)
The best part is seeing how God takes the giftings and the talents of His people and uses it to draw us into His presence, and then to see the fruit of being in His presence expressed in the lives of His people. Awesome!
I am sure that you will agree - worship is much more than a song. More than singing...and more than playing an instrument. It is more than hands lifted high...it is sooo many things! I could go on...but, I think I would like to hear from you reader. :) What is worship? Tell me about your thoughts and heart on this subject please?
Prayer...
Last night Faipule and I visited the Tuesday night prayer CGM. This happens to be our second visit to this group, though for our first visit - I had not set up a blog account yet...so I will happily share the experiences we had on these occaisions.
Tuesday Night Prayer is held in the home of it's leaders, and thus is a warm and comfortable environment. As with any group setting focused on pressing in to the Lord's presence, and allowing the Holy Spirit to move...you can never know for sure what each evening will bring.
Our first experience with this gathering was one of wonderful prayer time that ended up in a time of flowing in the Spirit. The adult group gathers in the downstairs portion of the house, while the youth and young adult group gathers in the upstairs portion of the house. What a joy to have so much prayer and seeking of the Lord happening under the same roof of a home!
It happened that on the first night we attended - near the end of our prayer time, the youth and young adults came downstairs. They felt lead to come down and pray for us. What a joy...and what a time was had! God used these young people to speak over us, and into our lives very powerfully. It was wonderful to see and experience what God was doing.
There was a dear lady in attendance that night who was having some pain issues...and God spoke directly to those issues during the prayer time and confirmed it by speaking something very similar by one of the young adults (that was not originally in the room) about 15 - 20 minutes later! God is sooo good! We are all excited, and wait expectantly to see God do what He has promised for this dear sister in the Lord.
This week we enjoyed some time of fellowship and getting to know one-another. We then enjoyed a time of worship, and prayer....it was beautiful!
We are so blessed to have the honor and joy of belonging to our Lord! He is so good, so faithful, so mighty....so true. Truly we cannot begin to fully grasp how wide, how high, how deep or how great is the Father's love for us! I am so thankful to know that He hears us when we pray, and that He answers.
Tuesday Night Prayer is held in the home of it's leaders, and thus is a warm and comfortable environment. As with any group setting focused on pressing in to the Lord's presence, and allowing the Holy Spirit to move...you can never know for sure what each evening will bring.
Our first experience with this gathering was one of wonderful prayer time that ended up in a time of flowing in the Spirit. The adult group gathers in the downstairs portion of the house, while the youth and young adult group gathers in the upstairs portion of the house. What a joy to have so much prayer and seeking of the Lord happening under the same roof of a home!
It happened that on the first night we attended - near the end of our prayer time, the youth and young adults came downstairs. They felt lead to come down and pray for us. What a joy...and what a time was had! God used these young people to speak over us, and into our lives very powerfully. It was wonderful to see and experience what God was doing.
There was a dear lady in attendance that night who was having some pain issues...and God spoke directly to those issues during the prayer time and confirmed it by speaking something very similar by one of the young adults (that was not originally in the room) about 15 - 20 minutes later! God is sooo good! We are all excited, and wait expectantly to see God do what He has promised for this dear sister in the Lord.
This week we enjoyed some time of fellowship and getting to know one-another. We then enjoyed a time of worship, and prayer....it was beautiful!
We are so blessed to have the honor and joy of belonging to our Lord! He is so good, so faithful, so mighty....so true. Truly we cannot begin to fully grasp how wide, how high, how deep or how great is the Father's love for us! I am so thankful to know that He hears us when we pray, and that He answers.
Friday, March 18, 2011
American Heritage....
Today, Faipule and I had the pleasure of attending yet another "Connect Group Ministry" or "CGM" as you will see them called more frequently in this blog. This group is a bit unique in that it is a group that meets in the afternoons. Every Thursday at 2:00 people will be gathering for approximately 16 weeks to watch portions of the video series by David Barton, called "American Heritage".
I have watched several chunks of this series now, and have been educated far beyond what I ever imagined! I found myself engrossed, and completely in awe of how God moved and shaped the beginning foundations of our great country. Many clips of this series are available for viewing on youtube.com, but I strongly believe that the content of this series is well worth the cost of purchasing the series in it's entirety, and even some of the other video series that David Barton has put together.
Honestly, I cannot give a good enough description of the vast amounts of information! If only our nation could grasp again what God originally planned when He put men and women in place that founded our nation on Biblical principals, and Godly perspectives. Oh for our nation to return, to rise up and proclaim - even re-claim the Godly heritage that we began with!!!!
We thoroughly enjoyed watching the video portion, and then were blessed to move into a time of prayer for our nation, for our nations leaders, for the seats of government, and for many other things. We lifted up the nation of Japan, and the things that were on our hearts. It was a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord and we were blessed. Unfortunately, due to my work schedule, I cannot attend this CGM on a regular basis. I truly wish that I could! Perhaps Faipule and I will invest in the series ourselves. Or, perhaps someday we can convince Ms. Julie - who leads this group, to do another round of the series on an evening during the week.
I would encourage anyone reading this blog to consider investigating more about the foundations of our nation. You may be surprised what you find.
Blessings!!
I have watched several chunks of this series now, and have been educated far beyond what I ever imagined! I found myself engrossed, and completely in awe of how God moved and shaped the beginning foundations of our great country. Many clips of this series are available for viewing on youtube.com, but I strongly believe that the content of this series is well worth the cost of purchasing the series in it's entirety, and even some of the other video series that David Barton has put together.
Honestly, I cannot give a good enough description of the vast amounts of information! If only our nation could grasp again what God originally planned when He put men and women in place that founded our nation on Biblical principals, and Godly perspectives. Oh for our nation to return, to rise up and proclaim - even re-claim the Godly heritage that we began with!!!!
We thoroughly enjoyed watching the video portion, and then were blessed to move into a time of prayer for our nation, for our nations leaders, for the seats of government, and for many other things. We lifted up the nation of Japan, and the things that were on our hearts. It was a wonderful time in the presence of the Lord and we were blessed. Unfortunately, due to my work schedule, I cannot attend this CGM on a regular basis. I truly wish that I could! Perhaps Faipule and I will invest in the series ourselves. Or, perhaps someday we can convince Ms. Julie - who leads this group, to do another round of the series on an evening during the week.
I would encourage anyone reading this blog to consider investigating more about the foundations of our nation. You may be surprised what you find.
Blessings!!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Soak....
Tonight, it was my joy and priveledge to visit the Youth and Young Adult Connect Group aptly called "Soak". This group meets every week on Tuesday evening at seven, and is a place of blessing and truly "soaking in the presence of the Lord."
Tonight as we gathered in a dimly lit "upper room"of sorts...(the upstairs bonus room of the host home) we enjoyed some fellowship with eachother, but quickly shifted into an attitude and atmosphere of pressing into the Lord. As I looked across the room at all of those beautiful young men and women I was torn...I was so thankful that these had the opportunity and place to go where they were encouraged, and led to seek His face...to flow in prayer, in the gifts of the Spirit, and be blessed in a time of worship and the Word. The other part of my heart ached and longed for even more people to fill that room, and many other rooms in like fashion....so that many more could know and experience the wonder of being close to Him.
We worshipped the Lord with singing, with praises from our hearts and lips, and then we began to intercede. We prayed for the nation of Japan, we prayed for friends and needs that were shared....a young man that lost his wallet and the disruption that was causing in his life....a family with a brand new baby girl that had recently been diagnosed with some issues....a young girl that was kidnapped about a month ago and is still missing....an Aunt recently diagnosed with cancer....and eventually we prayed for one another. Words of wisdom came forth, Words of knowledge, even prophecy....God was so awesome to meet us there, and minister to each one. What a wonder and joy to see these young ones moving into, and stepping out in the giftings that God has given them!!
I was particularly inspired by the scripture reading that we had...and really everyone was. Infact, we ended up grabbing a partner, and praying it over eachother. It was a powerful time! We took the time to read it out in full, then to examine it verse by verse...allowing it to soak in and speak to us....then we applied it as I mentioned previously- in prayer. Here is the portion of scripture we read:
Psalm 20:1-9 NKJV (emphasis added)
"May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send help to you from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your sacrifice.
May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
and fulfill all your purpose.
We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the strength of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some trust in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save LORD!
May the King answer us when we call."
What an evening! God is sooo good!
Thank you Pastor Jeremy, Miss Trinity and all of the young men and women that shared this evening with me. I KNOW that God will continue to move among you, touching your lives, and blessing you.
My encouragement for anyone reading this blog....if you have not prayed for the young men and women around you lately - I would encourage you to do so. Speak life, and bless them. Encourage them, and remind them that they are precious in His sight. The younger generations of this day are bombarded with so much more than people even 20 years ago. Cover them in prayer. Love them with your life. Allow God to use you to be a place of wisdom, guidance, and most of all sharing the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Tonight as we gathered in a dimly lit "upper room"of sorts...(the upstairs bonus room of the host home) we enjoyed some fellowship with eachother, but quickly shifted into an attitude and atmosphere of pressing into the Lord. As I looked across the room at all of those beautiful young men and women I was torn...I was so thankful that these had the opportunity and place to go where they were encouraged, and led to seek His face...to flow in prayer, in the gifts of the Spirit, and be blessed in a time of worship and the Word. The other part of my heart ached and longed for even more people to fill that room, and many other rooms in like fashion....so that many more could know and experience the wonder of being close to Him.
We worshipped the Lord with singing, with praises from our hearts and lips, and then we began to intercede. We prayed for the nation of Japan, we prayed for friends and needs that were shared....a young man that lost his wallet and the disruption that was causing in his life....a family with a brand new baby girl that had recently been diagnosed with some issues....a young girl that was kidnapped about a month ago and is still missing....an Aunt recently diagnosed with cancer....and eventually we prayed for one another. Words of wisdom came forth, Words of knowledge, even prophecy....God was so awesome to meet us there, and minister to each one. What a wonder and joy to see these young ones moving into, and stepping out in the giftings that God has given them!!
I was particularly inspired by the scripture reading that we had...and really everyone was. Infact, we ended up grabbing a partner, and praying it over eachother. It was a powerful time! We took the time to read it out in full, then to examine it verse by verse...allowing it to soak in and speak to us....then we applied it as I mentioned previously- in prayer. Here is the portion of scripture we read:
Psalm 20:1-9 NKJV (emphasis added)
"May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
May He send help to you from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your sacrifice.
May He grant you according to your heart's desire,
and fulfill all your purpose.
We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the strength of his right hand.
Some trust in chariots, and some trust in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
Save LORD!
May the King answer us when we call."
What an evening! God is sooo good!
Thank you Pastor Jeremy, Miss Trinity and all of the young men and women that shared this evening with me. I KNOW that God will continue to move among you, touching your lives, and blessing you.
My encouragement for anyone reading this blog....if you have not prayed for the young men and women around you lately - I would encourage you to do so. Speak life, and bless them. Encourage them, and remind them that they are precious in His sight. The younger generations of this day are bombarded with so much more than people even 20 years ago. Cover them in prayer. Love them with your life. Allow God to use you to be a place of wisdom, guidance, and most of all sharing the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Embark....
This month marks the eight month anniversary of the beginning of Freedom Church. Wow! What an amazing and incredible adventure it has been! God has been so very faithful to lead and guide us though all of the beginning steps as we have been "planting" this church. It has not been easy, but what in life really is. Anything worth having or worth doing requires effort, time and investments of various kinds.
Building this Church has been a labor of love, and one that has such a "sense of destiny" about it. One that we have enjoyed watching, and in various ways being a small part of. Faipule and I heard about it via e-mail. A former Pastor in our lives, Merv Peterson - who married us almost seven years ago, sent an e-mail stating that he was going to be back in the Lynden area serving a new body of believers.
After more than two years of a "desert" experience...having pulled away from church and ministry due to some hurts and brokenness we began to explore different churches. After trying many, and having a few God directed "appointments" we found a place that made sense.We had been plugged in to a small but beautiful church for about five months, during which time God had done some major healing in my heart and spirit, and Faipule was baptized in the Holy Spirit! It was a wonderful time, and we were just beginning to look for places to get plugged in and begin serving. Something though in the back of our minds told us that we were only going to be with that beautiful little body of believers for a short season, and that God had something else coming our way. Shortly thereafter we received the e-mail from Pastor Merve and Georgia. Their e-mail stated simply that they felt the hand of the Lord leading them to become part of a new "fellowship for the Lord in Whatcom County", and that they believed the Lord would "bring beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning". We did not know anything about this new fellowship, but we knew that we loved Pastor Merve and Georgia and wanted to see them. So, we decided to attend the service the following Sunday. It just happened to be their second service since beginning this church body.
When we walked to the door of the VFW that morning, we were a little bit late. The music was already going, and people were already worshipping. It sounded great! We were tentative, but excited to have the opportunity to hug and catch up with pastor Merve and Georgia who - as far as we knew, might be the only people we'd know in this new church. We went inside and were very surprised! We knew a great deal of the people there! Many of these wonderful saints were people that we had loved and served alongside at the former church where we had been hurt. It was a bit of a shock, but there was no angst at all....it felt very much like "coming home". I looked at Faipule and he looked at me...we knew...this was what we had been sensing was coming.
Sometimes, there are moments when you just have to stop and stand in awe of the glory and goodness of God. What a great and wondrous God we serve! Many of the people in that room knew us and immediately approached us with hugs and kind words of welcome. Some, like the members of the Cook family have always felt like "our family". Pastor Dan and Ms. Bev have long called us "Son" and "Daughter"...and we have called them "Dad and Mom". What a joy to see their smiling faces and have hugs that warmed our hearts and bolstered our spirits. Johnathan and his wonderful family were there, and Jeff and Kendra too. More members of the Cook family that have always been more than just people you know from church.
We entered into the service, and enjoyed every bit! Unfortunately, Faipule had to work that night, so we were not able to stay after service very long. But we knew. We left that building that afternoon and knew that we would be leaving the wonderful little church in Bellingham. We called our Pastor the next day and made an appointment to see him over coffee. We wanted to be sure that we shared our hearts with him, and we asked for his blessing as we felt God moving us on. He was extremely gracious, and excited for us. He gave us his blessing, and asked only that we keep in touch. Pastor Anthony and Ms. Christina were a blessing to us during a time of rebuilding and refreshing. We are very thankful for the ministry that they poured into, and over us. We pray that God will continue to bless them! Amen!
Faipule and I had such a sense of God's hand in the whole situation, and we easily flowed into regular attendance, and eventually serving in the body. I love the heart and vision of my Pastor! It resonates deeply, and I agree with what he feels led to do with the believers that are a part of this fellowship. He believes in building people, he believes in growing them and encouraging them in the giftings that God has given them. He believes in placing people in positions and situations that will allow God to flow freely by His Spirit, and to gradually graduate people into and through various areas of ministry....eventually placing those with a call on their lives out into the world to minister in church plants and many other areas.
It has been a little more than a month since Faipule and I were asked to become volunteer staff at Freedom Church. We were so blessed when Pastor Dan and Pastor Johnathan approached us and shared what God had showed them. It felt very much like "destiny"...and we are excited to serve and be a blessing wherever possible. We are currently serving as the Connect Group Ministry Directors at Freedom Church. It has been an adventure, and at times a challenge. We are very excited to see what God does in the lives of His people through these "points of connection" as Pastor calls them. We pray that everyone involved will be blessed, touched, challenged and encouraged.
Building this Church has been a labor of love, and one that has such a "sense of destiny" about it. One that we have enjoyed watching, and in various ways being a small part of. Faipule and I heard about it via e-mail. A former Pastor in our lives, Merv Peterson - who married us almost seven years ago, sent an e-mail stating that he was going to be back in the Lynden area serving a new body of believers.
After more than two years of a "desert" experience...having pulled away from church and ministry due to some hurts and brokenness we began to explore different churches. After trying many, and having a few God directed "appointments" we found a place that made sense.We had been plugged in to a small but beautiful church for about five months, during which time God had done some major healing in my heart and spirit, and Faipule was baptized in the Holy Spirit! It was a wonderful time, and we were just beginning to look for places to get plugged in and begin serving. Something though in the back of our minds told us that we were only going to be with that beautiful little body of believers for a short season, and that God had something else coming our way. Shortly thereafter we received the e-mail from Pastor Merve and Georgia. Their e-mail stated simply that they felt the hand of the Lord leading them to become part of a new "fellowship for the Lord in Whatcom County", and that they believed the Lord would "bring beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning". We did not know anything about this new fellowship, but we knew that we loved Pastor Merve and Georgia and wanted to see them. So, we decided to attend the service the following Sunday. It just happened to be their second service since beginning this church body.
When we walked to the door of the VFW that morning, we were a little bit late. The music was already going, and people were already worshipping. It sounded great! We were tentative, but excited to have the opportunity to hug and catch up with pastor Merve and Georgia who - as far as we knew, might be the only people we'd know in this new church. We went inside and were very surprised! We knew a great deal of the people there! Many of these wonderful saints were people that we had loved and served alongside at the former church where we had been hurt. It was a bit of a shock, but there was no angst at all....it felt very much like "coming home". I looked at Faipule and he looked at me...we knew...this was what we had been sensing was coming.
Sometimes, there are moments when you just have to stop and stand in awe of the glory and goodness of God. What a great and wondrous God we serve! Many of the people in that room knew us and immediately approached us with hugs and kind words of welcome. Some, like the members of the Cook family have always felt like "our family". Pastor Dan and Ms. Bev have long called us "Son" and "Daughter"...and we have called them "Dad and Mom". What a joy to see their smiling faces and have hugs that warmed our hearts and bolstered our spirits. Johnathan and his wonderful family were there, and Jeff and Kendra too. More members of the Cook family that have always been more than just people you know from church.
We entered into the service, and enjoyed every bit! Unfortunately, Faipule had to work that night, so we were not able to stay after service very long. But we knew. We left that building that afternoon and knew that we would be leaving the wonderful little church in Bellingham. We called our Pastor the next day and made an appointment to see him over coffee. We wanted to be sure that we shared our hearts with him, and we asked for his blessing as we felt God moving us on. He was extremely gracious, and excited for us. He gave us his blessing, and asked only that we keep in touch. Pastor Anthony and Ms. Christina were a blessing to us during a time of rebuilding and refreshing. We are very thankful for the ministry that they poured into, and over us. We pray that God will continue to bless them! Amen!
Faipule and I had such a sense of God's hand in the whole situation, and we easily flowed into regular attendance, and eventually serving in the body. I love the heart and vision of my Pastor! It resonates deeply, and I agree with what he feels led to do with the believers that are a part of this fellowship. He believes in building people, he believes in growing them and encouraging them in the giftings that God has given them. He believes in placing people in positions and situations that will allow God to flow freely by His Spirit, and to gradually graduate people into and through various areas of ministry....eventually placing those with a call on their lives out into the world to minister in church plants and many other areas.
It has been a little more than a month since Faipule and I were asked to become volunteer staff at Freedom Church. We were so blessed when Pastor Dan and Pastor Johnathan approached us and shared what God had showed them. It felt very much like "destiny"...and we are excited to serve and be a blessing wherever possible. We are currently serving as the Connect Group Ministry Directors at Freedom Church. It has been an adventure, and at times a challenge. We are very excited to see what God does in the lives of His people through these "points of connection" as Pastor calls them. We pray that everyone involved will be blessed, touched, challenged and encouraged.
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