A Youth Group, A Poster, & A Vision

I had the pleasure of seeing God working in and through a youth group today.  Scott Avenue Christian Church in Newton, IL sent their youth group to help us in any way they could.  Before I arrived, they cleaned up the storm debris from our parking lot.  They were ready to serve!

After a short time catching them up on Life Bridge and our mission, they broke up into teams and went all over the place.  One team went back to the church building and set up the computers, projectors, and cables that had been moved for last weekend's service at the fair.  Other teams trained on all three trollies, learned the booth, and covered everything at the fair from opening till 4.  Then they regrouped to get ready for their next stop and more service.

Speaking to their Youth Minister, it was a blessing to share visions with one another.  They are raising up their youth with a heart to serve anywhere God's Kingdom needs workers.  

While listening to him, I also thought about our part of His Church - encouraging people to live out John 17.  I looked at the poster on the wall someone made specifically for the fair.  These weren't our visions for our local churches.  The visions fit together perfectly - almost like two pieces of a really big puzzle.  I love it when we see another part of His picture and how we all fit together.

What a blessing to see Him at work!

Remembering Rain

It's been  a strange year as the drought threatens crops throughout the country.  So, when it rained this morning - even a thunderstorm - I was Praising God for the water He gave us.  Then it happened.  I got a call for help.  

The "storm destroyed our booth." 

The flood of memories began.

• I remembered storms leaking water into our old worship center and drying out carpet squares in the sun in preparation for weekend services.
• I remember a backed-up storm drain causing a flood that literally rained down on top of the platform, coffee bar, and tables & chairs in the worship center.
• I remember it flooding so bad that we held our worship service on the land.  "The rain came down.  The waters rise.  Through it all God will provide."
• I remember the flood being so bad two years ago that God used it to move us out of the basement and into our current building.
• I remember storms destroying one tent per year for the first two years we participated in the fair.  No tents have been destroyed since we started renting them from this company.  This must have been a really bad storm!

We rallied the troops.  Several people started to call in and offer to help.  When we arrived, though, we were pleasantly surprised.  The tent was fine.  The shelves holding the church fliers had blown over.  Papers had blown about and gotten soaked.  The tent was back up and running in less than an hour and new fliers were printed for every church by mid-afternoon. God does provide.

Go team!

Praise God!

God Sightings

We started asking the questions a little differently at the booth.  

"What's your favorite thing about your church?"

The responses were amazing.  We heard about music, preaching, children's programs, mission work, people coming to Christ, friendships, Bible studies, and much, much more.

Then it hit us.  We asked another question.

"Would you be willing to write that down?

They were and they did.  
Now the booth is covered with Praise - Glorifying God from all of His Body.  
Now I can see God a little more clearly.
 
Praise God!

A Day of Praise

 I got to "see" God all day long.  From the moment I arrived at the fairgrounds, I was met by a friend who was there to help set up technical equipment.  We served together side by side as we shared stories of other times we had seen God at work.  People arrived one by one and began setting up band equipment, sound boards, tables for "coffee bar" and "programs."  God's Spirit was in the air.

We began our church service a little after nine.  The worship was awesome; the message, right on point: Lord, let us be one.  We were.  Finishing with a final song provided, for us, a sense of "home" even when out on the fairgrounds with no tables and chairs.

Then it happened.  We realized that the crowd was filled with much more than Life Bridge.  Another church had come to join us in worship.  Yet another church was there for the end of our service, preparing for theirs at 10:15.  Open Door Fellowship set up for their time of worship.  We shared equipment.  We sang His praises together.  We listened to a different message that was, strangely, the same.  The preaching was Biblical.  The testimonies were powerful.  God was working in and through others' lives.  Praise God!

Then the set up took place for the next group, and the next, and the next.  Different churches, groups, and individuals too the stage; one after another.  Each of them was praising God with their own musical talent.  Sometimes we were invited to sing along.  Sometimes we were simply captivated and drawn into worship in our hearts.  God was Glorified.  We were His Body.  We were one - each one doing his own part.

Yes, it truly was a day of praise.

A Busy Building

When God first provided the "new" building almost two years ago, I remember someone telling me, "I sure hope we use the building a lot. It really gets to me when churches pay for buildings and don't use them six days a week."  I agreed.

 

When God provides resources, He expects us to use them for His purposes. It's such a joy to see that happen around here on a regular basis.

This morning, for example, the building is "hopping." A men's group used the building at 7:45 for a small group Bible study. Now there is a second small group meeting, people are painting shelves for the Porter County Fair, and others are cleaning in preparation for worship services tomorrow. In about 15 minutes, more people will be here to prepare for the Porter County Fair.

Its good to see people living out a walk with Him utilizing the resources He provides.

Participate in The Fair

It's fun to watch God working in and through His People.  On Sunday, we opened up a web site where people could learn more and sign up to help at the Porter County Fair. Look what happened!

Promoting His Church

Did you know that The Church in Porter County continues to grow and grow?  

Over the ten year span between 2000 and 2010, we added 25 new churches across the county.  Twenty four (24) of them identify themselves as "Non-Denominational."  

Wow, what a change!  

That means that 1 in 5 churches in our area is less than ten years old.  

How could anyone possibly know where they all are?  

Prayer, Prayer, & More Prayer

I just received a text from a friend and fellow church planter in Illinois.  It read, "Praying for you today and for your upcoming Porter County Fair efforts."  How cool!  Ever since the request went out ten days ago, we've been receiving response after response telling us that people are praying.  I received two dozen emails within the first day!

Here are two ways you may want to consider joining together in prayer:

Many Sightings

It's been ten days since my last post in "God Sightings," but I've seen Him at work every one of those days.  Besides the "normal places" I enjoy seeing God at work (like Weekend Services, Small Groups, Homeless Shelter, Lifetree Cafe, Team Meetings, etc.), I also have the privilege of seeing God working to prepare us for the Porter County Fair.  

Request for Prayer

I just sent this email out to a large group of people.  

Since databases are not perfect, I will post it here as well.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sending this email to you because you are someone I pray for on a regular basis.

Today, however, I have a prayer request I would like to ask of you.

The current sermon series I'm preaching/teaching through is focused on the prayer Jesus prayed for all of us in John 17.  This is a short excerpt of his prayer:

I pray that they will all be one, just as You and I are one—as You are in Me, Father, and I am in You. And may they be in Us so that the world will believe You sent Me. 

(John 17:21 NLT)

I've been teaching about different denominations and celebrating strengths of each group so that we will want this unity that Jesus desired for us.  Now, we will have an opportunity to start living it out.

The Porter County Fair is a venue where Life Bridge Christian Church has been promoted in various ways over the past eight years.  This year, we will be using all of these ways to promote the Entire Church in Porter County.  Every church of every Christian Denomination will be promoted at our booth, on the trolley, and even in a Concert of Praise.  This is really an exciting year for the Church in our area.

Would you pray for us?

I put together a not-so-high-quality video that I shared at Life Bridge this past Sunday.  It explains the vision and how we can live out His prayer in our area.  You can watch it on YouTube here:

 

The County Fair runs from July 19-28th.  Please consider praying for His Church throughout Porter County during this period of time.

After the 4th of July holiday tomorrow, I will be sending you one more email with a link to a web site that provides more details about this event.  You will be able to sign up as a prayer partner, receive updates, and if you live in the area, sign up to participate in other ways as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing God work in powerful ways in the upcoming days, weeks, months, and even years.

I'm asking Him to work in us and through us to let the world (in our area) know how much He loves us.

Working together with you,

Pete

-- 

Pete Kersker

Lead Minister, Life Bridge Christian Church

Pete@ImagineLifeDifferently.com

(219) 531-7777 x10

(219) 707-0285 (Cell)

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