Look at the face of one of your teacher friends and you will see the grim look of determination that I imagine all the soldiers had right before the boats landed at Normandy. A look that says, “I might not make it through this… but the cause is worth it.” We wanted to thank the GVA staff team for all they do, so the first day back for GVA faculty, we greeted them with breakfast tacos and coffee.
“A cave that was the shelter for over 1,000 Okinawans spoke to us. We walked deep into the darkness, sang “Amazing Grace” and learned that embracing truth quite literally brings life.” Erin Ahnfeldt shares about lies, truth and the magnificent power of grace in the midst of darkness.
James and Beth Shank about their 4th of July neighborhood party: “People are longing for community, but rarely is someone willing to step-out of their comfort zone and approach their neighbors. They want community, they need community, they just do not know how to create community.”
A few weeks ago we did a special building event for our weekly Story Time. It was a smashing success! We sure do love our kids! [We’d like to give a special shout out to Megan Steinhauser, Luke Wrobleski and our four student helpers for all their hard work.]
I was always scared to share my faith. I didn’t know what to say, I wasn’t sure if I could answer hard questions about God, or heaven, or hell. It seemed like evangelism was for people that knew a lot about the Bible and how to answer the hard questions I didn’t know. But each Saturday Kevin and Lydia Andrews are redefining evangelism.
Presenting an either/or option of Heaven or Hell to our kids does not serve them well, nor does it serve the love and gospel of Jesus well. Our walk with Jesus is a journey. We choose to lead our kids to a place where they can see where that journey begins and what meaning it holds, so they can choose for themselves to take that first step.
Kara Gowler shares about moving to Bolivia to teach: “For the first time in my life, I consider myself planted until God tells me to move. I am ready to dig in and continue to build relationships with the people God puts around me.”
Baby dedications. Baptisms. Kids in big church. Food trucks. Inflatable fun. Water guns. Ice cream. In case you missed it, here’s a quick peek at the fun we had last Sunday at our Summer Celebration Service.
You may have noticed that people don’t really like it when we talk about sin. I wanted to offer a few thoughts and truths that God is using to shape me on this issue. Especially as I consider our voice to the world around us.
You remember the H.E.R. series. By now you probably have a pretty good idea of how we feel about women. But we’re not just putting women in leadership here, our desire to honor, empower and respect women is reaching around the world.
Deb Pinyerd shares about volunteering with Royal Family Kids Camp: “Little Campers, Big Campers, Support Staff – we all are shaped and changed by this Camp. Working with these kids I have realized that even though our stories are messy, heart breaking and typically not fair, His hand is in it.”
When I became the Small Groups Director, I was excited about helping people connect and find community here. Every week, someone would say they were ready to join a small group. I would point them to our wide buffet of group options. Almost without fail, nothing would come of it. I knew there had to be a better way to help people connect.
