The Pastor’s Garage August 12, 2021

Good afternoon! What a beautiful break from the heat we have had these past
few days.

It has been a full summer for me and my family. As always, I can’t believe
how fast time has gone. It’s really, really hard to believe.

This Sunday I am preaching out at Jacob Bear Community Church located
on Kahkewistahaw. This is the church that Chris and Brigg Judy
(missionaries) used to pastor. They have recently retired and the church
now has no official pastor. With the permission of the board and elders, I
have promised to provide pulpit supply once a month for a season while they
make the next steps. It doesn’t always mean that I will be there. Sometimes
pastor Mike will go, sometimes me, sometimes someone else… maybe you!

My hope and dream as this partnership develops is that it will be exactly
that – a partnership. Beyond pulpit supply, I hope that we can serve them
in other ways as the need arises (maybe through things like worship teams
and children’s programs and house church) and I hope that they can bring a
fresh perspective and voice to our world. Would you please pray for me
Sunday morning – that I can bring a hopeful, Christ filled message to them
and that this will evolve however God wants it to evolve. Pastor Mike will
be preaching here in Grenfell.

As the end of summer approaches and the fall encroaches, would you consider
something? Your gifts and the needs of this body. Covid has been hard on
us. Many things that we used to do, we have just stopped doing and there is
a feeling that it’s hard to get back into gear. But for now at least, there
are no more restrictions, masks are gone and we can theoretically do what
we want. As we look to the future, the sky’s the limit.

And I am not talking about just getting busy again and chasing and
recreating what we once had. I think Covid has changed our worlds and it
has changed our perspective on many things and I think we are in a
position, a watershed where we will either have the courage to embrace
something new and move forward or we will fade into the past as we hold on
to what has been. As your lead pastor I have dreams about the future, about
starting a house church movement, about us getting out and going to the
lost, about our youth and the dear children he has entrusted us with – but
I can’t do any of this alone. I need you. The body of Christ needs you. And
you have gifts that were given to you for the body, for others. You don’t
need to pray and ask God if you should serve or if it’s the right time, the
answer is in the giving. If it was given to you, the answer is yes.

So what gifts do you have? What dreams are in your heart? Does it involve
children or youth? Does it involve getting involved in a house church? If
the idea of a house church intrigues you, talk to me. I am gathering a
small group of people who want to be on the ground level as we try and
launch this thing.

Would you love to be on a worship team? Would you love to help with church
gatherings or events in some way? Would you like to be more involved in
prayer? Would you like to preach some Sunday here or at Jacob Bear. Would
you love to visit people in the hospital? I think the church needs you. The
family of God needs you. The future is open and I think God is calling us
forward, he is whispering and knocking and drawing us forward to serve. If
there is an area you would like to serve in, please, please reach out. I
don’t want to create a program, but I do want to create opportunities for
you to serve where you are gifted.

This Sunday I am going to share on the story of the prodigal son. A similar
message to the one I shared months ago, how we all need Christ. How we all
need the love of the father. Whether we are the wayward prodigal or the
“rule-following” one, we need Christ. It’s the Father’s love for us that
unites us. Oh how we need Christ! As I close I encourage you to listen to
the following song, it’s been the cry of my heart the last few days,

God bless,

Have a great week.

Dave