As weeks grow...

It's tough, right?  See, I've got this blog that lots of people read and I've got this urge, see? I have an urge to TELL.

But then, sometimes, things happen that you can't talk about.

We had a 'Police Event' at THE WELL on Sunday. It was bad, that's all I can say.

Not enough, right?

Lemme' say this; as a Pastor/Church Planter you have to keep the safety of your people in mind at all times. That means, that when $hit gets 'real' you have to be ready and able to do the right thing in the moment.

This is part of what being a Biblical Elder is all about. Being a 'manly' enough man that you can take strong decisive action when it's needed and being a 'godly' enough man that you know what's right in the moment.

That was Sunday. 9.1.1, cruisers, violence.

At church.

Awesome right?

The upshot of it is we'll have security posted for the next month and we'll be praying like mad (started last night) that things settle down.  

We'll also keep growing.

That's right, growing.  

See, I've found that suffering or trail can either destroy you or it can galvanize action. I'm betting (and feeling) that the latter is going to be the operative one in this case. It's funny, we were in a really good space through the summer then, all of a sudden, in the past two months every key leader we have seemed to get hit with trial after trial after trial.

When it happens like that you sit up and take notice.  You go, "Okay Lord, this feels like opposition. Please help us do what's needed and thank you for what You're already doing and please keep us all safe through this..." and then you keep going.

But it's been strange.

See, we've got big plans for the new year--yes, we're already planning the new year, we're like fashion retailers we church builders--and we're planning big things.  The reason is not because we want to do big things, although we'd be lying if we didn't admit we hope the things we do find their way to being 'successful', but because we want to be effective.

Church is about effectively communicating and embodying hope.  

Yes, that hope is vested/rested in Jesus which makes Church different from all other endeavors, but the urge to do something 'useful' and 'good' for people is surely something you can identify with regardless of the 'creed' that dominates your days.

So we're looking to build, to grow to expand.

And that's going to mean stretching, and hoping and believing and trusting and risking.

Then I ran the numbers today, comparing the first three weeks of our first year together as a church and the last three weeks (starting our second year in existence) and I noticed that our attendance is up 10% which is not anything to get nuts over but is simple and good. Our giving numbers, on the other hand, are off the chain; up 68% year over year.  

Now that's something to get excited about.

Because it speaks to faithfulness, Gods faithfulness to us through His faithful people.

Good things.

So, despite cops and courts and fights and shouting and fear and uncertainty we're feeling good about things over here.

Real good...

T