A Gift

A practical and thoughtful gift from Redemption Church to celebrate five years of existence this month. Happy Anniversary!

What an incredible walk down memory lane this morning was. I was choked up in 1.5 seconds as they played a 5-year anniversary video walking down memory lane. It made me think back about how God called me to Loveland, Colorado to be part of an amazing community of people who love so well, a church plant. God knew that is what I needed.

He took a hold of my heart in June of 2015 when Mountain View Community Church sent out faithful servants to plant Redemption Church in Loveland during a prayer service. The only reason why I was able to take this leap of faith was because I was surrounded by brothers and sisters who asked good questions, prayed for me and ultimately helped guide the way for me to move to Loveland in one month. I knew that I knew that I knew after seeking God through prayer, his word and wise counsel that this was what I was supposed to do.

As I looked up on the stage at Mountain View Community Church that Sunday, I saw no other single people in the group. I heard my friends next to me say, “wow there are no single people up there.” I was paralyzed. I knew that I was the single person God was calling to help start this church plant, but I couldn’t even speak. And the reason that was so significant, was that I had just been called to leadership at Mountain View Church in the singles ministry, so I was a little curious "why now?"

Once I moved to Loveland, God so quickly gave me a heart for every neighborhood that he moved me to and for the children, the many children at Redemption. I shifted through our small groups, called Regroups. I call myself the "Regroup Hopper." It’s the best way to go. I’ve met so many of my best friends for life in Regroups. Even though we don’t see each other every week on Sundays or throughout the week, I know that I am surrounded by a family. Jumping in and getting to be part of building the Kids Ministry filled my bucket with SO many children to love, shepherd and receive love from. I continue to stand in awe at what God has and is doing within the children's ministry.

I don’t know where God is guiding me next, or what he’s calling me too. I trust he is at work even as I write this. What I do know is that this Sunday, as I reflect on the past five years of my life walking in step with the Lord, I am blown away by every detail and step that he has directed, guided and carried me through. I see his grace, mercy, his kindness and how he’s used his word, prayer, and his people to help me to grow to know him more.

I treasure this celebration day. I rejoice and love thinking back, remembering. What an incredible way to praise our God for all that he has done. The story of Redemption Church is one that reflects God’s church. I know that the church is not the building it is the people and that is so evident in the Redemption Church community. Living in community is hard. It doesn’t it come without hard ache, disagreement or change, but what it does come with is love, grace, kindness and gentleness as we walk through life‘s circumstances together. As I look at what God has used this church plant for in my life, I only see good. In a short five years, God has done a mighty work in my heart and in my life and I wouldn’t choose to do it with any other people.

I know that whatever God’s next steps are for me, my church family will all cheer me on. Excitements, joys, challenges, sending people off, seeing leaders be raised up, graduations, births, marriages, deaths, new businesses, job changes, you name it, there is a purpose for it all…To draw us closer to the one true God, our Father. HE is enough, the best gift on this side of heaven.