Challenges and Blessings

So, I found out a couple days before coming that my host family was going to be gone for the weekend. They lead a young adult ministry called Form and this weekend was their year-end retreat. I was excited to be staying with them because of their involvement in this ministry, but I was also a little disappointed that they were going to be gone for the weekend. Last year, this first weekend was an incredible opportunity to get to know the family I was with and to take part in the life of the church through and with them.

Well, Mic Woodhead, lead pastor at St. Thomas, Crookes, discovered that I was without a host family this weekend. So, he invited me and Paul (the other pastor from St. Paul's) to spend all day Saturday with him, his family, and Kent Hunter. This was an incredible opportunity to learn from one of the key leaders in Sheffield one on one. It was an awesome day.

As a result of this time, Mic offered to have 10:35 act as a pilot site for a new ministry they are developing. It is a pre-Alpha program that is intended to be used in coffee shops and pubs (B-dubs?) to engage people in conversations about faith. The three main areas of discussion will be career, relationships, and the future. It will be a dvd format with an opening discussion starter that can be played on your laptop. It is still in production, but they hope to have it done around the first of the year.

Today, Sunday, we attended the family service at St. Thomas, Philly and the evening Become service geared towards the significant college population, also at Philly. The family service was really amazing. As it began, children danced and played freely throughout the worship space. More than tolerated, it was encouraged. They waved flags and danced in circles. They leapt for joy and laughed and played. It made me cry. So pure their worship seemed. Unfortunately, after the opening set of music they were released for Children's Ministry. I was truly sad to see them go.

The evening worship was held in a slightly smaller venue. The seating was about 100 chairs- 50 to either side. The rest of the space was filled with pillows and sofas. Though not much sitting occurs during this service anyways. The worship of these young adults was as nearly exhuberant as that of the children. Dancing and singing. Faces filled with the joy of the Lord. The Holy Spirit was, no doubt, dancing about the room from person to person.

Paul M. (sorry, can't spell his last name right now), lead pastor at St. Thomas, Philly, gave the message at both of these services. He gave two excellent messages based on Scripture from the books of Joshua and Acts. The first was on living within the covenant promises of God. The second on accepting and owning the call of God on our lives.

Tomorrow, the actual conference starts. I'm already aware of some powerful opportunities we will be given to stretch ourselves and grow in faith. You will be sure to hear about them. Out for now.
-Tom