He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he
promises.
It is
time to rest and reflect on what God did this past weekend, and we should spend
a great deal of time thanking God for all He has done. Honestly, I am amazed, almost speechless and
so very humbled over how God used the back2school
event.
Remember
it was 5 years ago that it began. The
idea came from a simple story of helping children in the coal country of West
Virginia get ready for school. The first
year we shared with 180 students in our area.
The next year it grew to about 500.
The next two years we served 1,000 students each. Making this the 5th year of this ministry,
and over 1,400 students were served in 3 different locations.
There
are some huge wins and points to celebrate this year. I’d like to share from my point of view some
of those wins, but I’d also like to hear from you what blessed you the most
(send your story via email to info@thecommunityfellowship.org).
We
have great volunteers who worked hard to prepare for and to pull off the
event. They came early and stayed
late. They gathered all that was needed
and organized it into something we could manage and share with others. The day came, and our volunteers shared the
love of God with each of these students.
It was incredible. I thank God for each and every volunteer.
1,500
students signed up to be part of the event, and 1,400 of them showed up. It was such a blessing to watch those
student’s faces light up as new shoes were put on their feet or as they got
their backpack and school supplies. The
stories I have heard and the “thank you’s” that have come in are too many to
count. What an honor it is to share God
and God’s love with people. I am grateful for the 1,400 students and
their families that we were able to serve.
You
heard me right. There were 3 locations
where students could register and receive the items being given out. Thank you Mt. Calvary Church and Pastor Gary
Robertson for jumping in full force to make this year so much stronger and
helping more children. Thank you Mercy
Cross Church and Pastor Jackie Poe for joining us and spreading even further
our reach. That’s right. 3 different churches from 3 different parts
of the county that are from 3 different denominations and serving very
different people all worked together in unison to help lots and lots of
people. God has been glorified. As a team these 3 churches said to our
community we can work together and make a difference. I cannot leave out The Community Fellowship
church family that I love to serve. You
guys and gals, once again, honored God by serving in bigger ways. I am proud to be your pastor and friend! I
thank God for these 3 churches and their awesome people.
Finally
and most importantly, I thank God. What began with a small story has turned into
a huge event that consumes our time, our minds and our lives in big ways. That is we are consumed in a good way. This year it was bigger than I ever thought and
in ways that I had only dreamed. By the
way, I am not going to quit dreaming. I
believe that when the church works together we make a larger impact on those we
serve. That impact is bigger, louder and
stronger because we gain strength from each other. So I am dreaming bigger. I am asking God for more churches in more
locations to join in the effort of back2school. Is your church interested? Are you interested in helping? Please consider how God would want you to be
involved. I am dreaming of a day when
all across our region thousands of kids hear about hope from Jesus as they have
their feet washed and prepare for a new school year. This is an awesome opportunity. Pray with me for God to increase our impact
and save more people through back2school.
So anyone who becomes as humble as this
little child is the greatest in
the Kingdom of Heaven.
If you
were not able to attend the event, live in or near Henry County, Virginia and
need help preparing your children for the new school year, please call The
Community Fellowship church beginning on Tuesday of this week.
Because
we have a great God who loves people, we are committed to sharing His love with
the people He sends our way. There is
much, much more to come. I can’t wait!
No comments:
Post a Comment