Awesome Weekend

it has been an awesome weekend. the service had 70 people in attendance and i gave a talk on Jesus @ the wedding feast. for real, it was laid out beatiful by the Holy Spirit. Just amazing what can happen on Sunday morning.

last night i met with the leadership team of 25 people and we laid out a sweet two week plan to launch this church right! you will see us at the events that are posted on the facebook page.

can’t believe that we all get to do this with our one life.

praise Jesus.

_ros

Highlights From Embrace Preview Service 8/16/09

In church planting there are plenty of ups and downs. Though it sounds unusual they can be experienced all in one day. However, as of late, we are experiencing a wave of faith sharing, relationship building, and church/community congruence. This past summer has been a refocus for us to exactly how God desires to build Embrace Church. We have continued with our community service through avenues such as our community garden, passing out bottled waters in the hot sun, Embrace concerts at Al’ s Bar, community dinners, free coffee hours, and supporting local businesses by purchasing their gift cards to use as “acts of kindness” for folks in our community. What started out with a few young professionals has blossomed and grown to bring more of what the kingdom of God looks like. We are growing and have seen almost 100 people at our past Sunday morning service, along with 2 professions of faith. The past few months we have had 6 people come to know Christ and numerous rededications. After the service we had an Embrace cookout at Phoenix Park where we fed nearly 200 people! Many of them come to Embrace and we are so thankful that are homeless brothers and sisters feeling welcome and participating in the life of Embrace. We are excited at the ways God is working and how He is building His Kingdom right in the downtown!

God Moments

I haven’t written in a while even though there has been much that has happened in the life of Embrace since Easter. Last night I had a God moment. It came at an unexpected time and place. Brady and I were stopping by Redbox to pick up a movie because I got an itch to watch the Soloist. It was late and didn’t make much sense to go when we did however Brady agreed so we rolled up to the McDonalds on S. Limestone. After picking up the movie a man approached us. He came walking fast toward us. “Dwayne” was asked if he could wash our car windows for some change. I didn’t mind. As “Dwayne” was cleaning I asked about his story. “Dwayne” started to tell me about being homeless, new to Lexington, and how nobody wants to hire an ex-con. “Dwayne” told me he couldn’t go back to the Hope Center for at least another week in a half because he got kicked out for about a month because of a discretion he had with another housemate. Brady and I gave him some change, went through the McDonalds drive thru, and gave him a clean pillow/blankets that I just so happened to have in my car. I invited “Dwayne” to our Friday night dinners and he was thrilled that we played cornhole. “Dwayne” had his hands full and as he was about to walk away he dropped a few things he was holding. I helped him pick up his belongings and as we were on the ground he looked up and noticed I was wearing an Embrace shirt. “Dwayne” told me with a grin on his face, “that’s my church!” I was blown away. I asked him, “What do you mean it’s your church?” “Dwayne” said, “I went there a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.” The Sunday that “Dwayne” came was the first Sunday I had missed since January because I was filling the pulpit at Christ Church and my friend Blake Brodien was preaching for me. I smirked back at “Dwayne” and told him, “I’m the pastor at Embrace.” We both laughed together and the three of us had a prayer. Over and over again “Dwayne” hugged Brady and I and told us how much he loved us. I’m blown away at these God moments and glad I got to share them with others.