We obviously need to do a better job at updating our blog!  I don't know where the time has gone.  How in the world is it already February?

January was a busy month for us.  We had a team from one of our supporting churches come for a week to work with the Bible Week (VBS) activities as well as interact with the youth group of our church.  It was a great time for all and so many relationships were made.  That is really what our hope is, for connections to be made between people.  It isn't so much what gets done, although we aren't against that! But relationships in this culture are so key!

                  

Getting to know each other!!!

Having fun together!!!!

I think that one of the other benefits to having groups come is for the church on both ends, to see themselves as being part of the family of God.  Sometimes it is easy to just have tunnel vision, to think that the way you do it or the way you experience it is the only way but there is so much more to it than that!  Even for our kids to get to know the group is a positive experience and they feel like they "know" one of our churches better.  What a blessing!

Mitchell Road Pres. Team with Jana 

Another big event in January was a conference of the Federation of churches that our church, ICRICEN, is a part of.  This is the group of churches who came out of a mainline denomination due to its liberal direction and so the churches are very Bible oriented.  The challenge for us has been to influence them with the gospel of grace so that they are confronted with the fact that they will never be good enough or do enough to please God.  That they need as much grace in order to become Christians as they do to live out the Christian life.

This year the speakers were from MTW, Bill Yarbourgh with the youth and Gary Waldecker with the adults.  They were both well received and felt that it was a great opportunity to influence these churches with the doctrines of grace.  One of the pastors that has been somewhat resistant to this grace stuff was really interested in knowing more and having further Bible studies in his church.

Rev. Bill Yarbrough with Federation Youth Group

Dr. Gary Waldecker at the Federation Conference