In a few minutes I will be taking my kids out to lunch. Sometimes this can be one of the more frustrating things I do in the place that I live. It is not that I have troublesome kids, it is just tough to find a place to eat. It is not that there are no choices, there just are not that many. Most of my life I have lived in large cities. We loved living in South Florida with the energy of Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Then God moved us to a community that was probably only a tenth the size of where we had been living. While it was not a metropolis, it was still a city.
Now we have moved again. To a place that is also about a tenth of the size of where we had been living. And while it is always good to live in the center of God’s will, lunch time can sometimes be frustrating in our small town.
But I am discovering there are some really wonderful things about doing ministry here. Our church’s Christmas musical and annual Women’s Conference are standing traditions for many in our community. Not long after I moved here there was a front page story with a color photo in our local paper introducing me to the community. (I was described as “tall and lean”. Our church still chuckles about that….far more than I think they should.)
As school began this week, our church delivered fruit trays to the teacher’s lounges in all seven of our local public schools. The response to that simple gift has been slightly short of remarkable. We have received phone calls, emails and I was even stopped on the street after a run to thank our church for the trays.
Now we have moved again. To a place that is also about a tenth of the size of where we had been living. And while it is always good to live in the center of God’s will, lunch time can sometimes be frustrating in our small town.
But I am discovering there are some really wonderful things about doing ministry here. Our church’s Christmas musical and annual Women’s Conference are standing traditions for many in our community. Not long after I moved here there was a front page story with a color photo in our local paper introducing me to the community. (I was described as “tall and lean”. Our church still chuckles about that….far more than I think they should.)
As school began this week, our church delivered fruit trays to the teacher’s lounges in all seven of our local public schools. The response to that simple gift has been slightly short of remarkable. We have received phone calls, emails and I was even stopped on the street after a run to thank our church for the trays.
Last night, before prayer meeting, I attended the first planning meeting for next year’s the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. I think it will be a good thing for our church to be a part of and I thought it would give me an opportunity to spend time with folks outside our church. When I walked the room, my hunch was right as I did not know a single person. But what amazed me is when I man I did not know began to introduce me to everyone in the room. “You know Pastor Tim. Their church put on the 5K last spring.”
So I don’t know where we will eat lunch. I do know that wherever it is, I will likely see someone I know. And that’s the great thing about living where I live.
May you and your church find ways to impact your communities for Christ.
So I don’t know where we will eat lunch. I do know that wherever it is, I will likely see someone I know. And that’s the great thing about living where I live.
May you and your church find ways to impact your communities for Christ.
Tim
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment