Blowout Sunday!

Yesterday was a blowout Sunday for our Grand Re-Opening and All Together Sunday!

What can I say about this past weekend...outstanding, awesome, dynamic, spectacular, powerful...yet I can't find just the right word to describe this weekend! God blessed our united efforts to announce to Columbus, as well as to the world, that God brought us from the ravages of the flood to a re-opened sanctuary wing in three months. Yes, the rest of our spacious facilities await rebuilding, but we had to stop and celebrate God's goodness...for this one special Sunday! God is good...every time!

Saturday was a great day in preparation for Sunday. Sunday opened up with good weather. Each person entering our renovated foyer area sensed something special was about to take place. You could just feel God's presence...powerfully moving throughout the church building. Worship practice took place with an extra worship team from Franklin, Indiana. We combined groups, as well as 3 leaders, for this one extraordinary worship celebration. It was awesome. My friend, Gene Feasel, joined our church to help lift up some high sounding praises from our rebuilt sanctuary. Wow...it was seamless and unified. God was indeed glorified!

The sanctuary was full. The extra seating was desperately needed for this BIG DAY! Lots of guests attended at our invitation and call. Everybody was captured by a sense of awe by what we were witnessing unfold before us. A NEW DAY. A NEW HOUR. A NEW LAUNCHING OF NEXT LEVEL MINISTRY...God was transitioning us for a multiplication of ministry both to our own community as well as around the world through our missions programs.

Several presentations were made to our congregation:

• Dan Pongratz from the District Office presented CFA with a 1st Place giving plaque for Missions Giving given in 2007. Proud of our church for what they have accomplished thus far...so many visions for the future of our church remain!
• Chuck Boll from the City of Columbus presented us with the Mayor's Proclamation!
• Mark Andreasen from Lima First Assembly presented us with two checks for our Flood Fund.
• Tom Davis and Bruce Richardson from Grace A/G in New Whiteland presented us with a large check for our Flood Fund.

It was such an honor to have four churches represented in our gathering yesterday.

1. Lima First Assembly in Ohio who was concluding a week of missions ministry among flooded out homes in our community.
2. Northland, A Church Distributed from Orlando, Florida was beginning their week of service ministry and joined us for this special service.
3. Current Church in Franklin, IN was present to add to our worship celebration by bringing their worship band and joining in!
4. Grace Assembly of God in New Whiteland, IN joined us to make a special presentation with their sacrificial love offering.
   

Our evangelist, Chad Varga, ministered with such a passionate pursuit in his powerful message. He was set on fire before us and ministered under a special anointing. He used his personal tragedies and intimate stories to share the power of God's love and touch upon a 14 year old boy growing up in Michigan. God has strategically used Chad in these past several years all across the country in a variety of venues and ministry settings. He has spoken to groups in the teens as well as to groups in the multiplied thousands. When the altar call was given six individuals rose to their feet and came forward for God to change their lives. One of them was reached with a seed of HOPE planted from our HOPE Outreach Center. Now isn't that simply marvelous from the power of a seed sown! Thank you Jesus for the transformation of hearts and lives yesterday morning!

Following the service, while I hugged necks and prayed with people, a news reporter from Channel 8 in Indianapolis stopped me for a quick interview. She and the camera man stayed for the entire service. Trust that God touched their personal lives as well!

Check out the story and video @ WISH TV 8.

Two poster boards with architectural drawings of the unfinished facilities were stationed out in the foyer for all to see. Crowds stood by to get a glimpse of the future development of our regional worship center...so exciting!

The afternoon was extremely windy as the aftermath of Hurricane Ike reached our neck of the woods. Winds whipped up and caused some minor damage to our area. The All-Church Picnic convened in the park, although not with everyone from our entire church family present. Those that gathered enjoyed softball, fellowship, grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, great food and a wonderful worship time and devotional. Happy to have my brother Mark share some thoughts from the story of David and Goliath with us. The point he stressed was that an impossibility can be turned into a possibility when God is in the center of the equation!! Thanks Mark.

After playing some volleyball with many of the young people and some adults, I returned home exhausted and whipped. WHAT A DAY. A great and wonderful day that God had created just for us...and also the joy that we experienced to bring Him our worship in a deep and intimate way.

I've posted some pics from yesterday's festivities that were taken by my administrative assistant. Thanks Allison!

Thanks for your prayers prayed on our behalf!

Much love to all!