It's Been 8 Weeks!

Praise God! It's been 8 weeks and we're still rolling. God has given us tremendous favor. We've got one of the baddest church bands in the area and our ministry team is always fired up!

So far we've made a very solid impression upon the community. On Tuesday, September 2nd, several of us prayed on the campus of Proviso West High School as the students returned from their Labor Day weekend. This is the day that the school sees it's largest number of students in attendance, so we accepted the invitation to pray for a safe and productive school year. Friday, September 5th was the launch of our "Bless the Block" initiative. There are key areas within the community, especially Maywood and Bellwood, that we're targeting to take back for Christ. Approximately 15 of us prayed on the corners spanning from 19th/St. Charles to 19th/Madison in Maywood. One family drove from as far as Chicago's Northside to participate. The neighbors were very receptive to our "phase one" of "Bless the Block." We're looking forward to rolling out phase two within the next several weeks. After the prayers, most of us hung out at Home Run Inn, which was an awesome opportunity for us to get to know some new faces.

This is what it's all about... Celebrating God, Serving God, Serving the Community, and Sharing with each other. I'm so excited that we've captured this essence already!

I'm beginning to get accustomed to preparing sermons every week, but it's still not easy. It's a discipline that develops total dependence on God. Some weeks I approach the podium with what I would consider a "mess" and God somehow turns it into a "message." I'm desperately trying to develop the ability to get my sermons done by Friday so that I can spend Saturdays doing something other than staring at my laptop. These are usually great days for my wife and I to hang out. Thankfully, our Assistant Pastor, Rev. Antoine Simmons, is preaching again this week, allowing me a second week of rest. I thank God for his willingness and his ability.

Even though I'm thankful for the rest, I'm still anxious to get back on that stage to deliver a message. I guess I just love preaching.

If it's God's will, I 'll be preaching again beginning next Sunday, October 5th. Wow! That'll be here before I know it.....better get started now.... Gotta Go!

Simply Caring, Simply Community, Simply Church