Hey friends –

Sunday was awesome! Never in a million years did I think I would hear myself say “I love church business meetings,” but I can’t help myself! How fitting it is to celebrate all God is doing, and to collectively lean into the adventures he is calling us into in this coming year.

On Sunday I shared my top 10 highlights from 2009 (in no particular order), and I wanted to share them here too. We believe God is leading us into some very important and exciting adventures in 2010 as well, but I’ll save that for another email . . .

And finally, this weekend we will be talking about the “together” aspect of our vision. God has made us to do life deeply with one another, but how do we live into this? We’ll get into the Scriptures on this question on Sunday.

Here is my top 10 from 2009:

1. First Children’s Ministry Director – What a great moment in our church life! When Life started the largest population was single adults. By year three, the largest population was young marrieds. Now, lo and behold, those young adults are reproducing! Life now has about 30 young children, and we are proactively seeking to minister to young families well, and to make Life a place that our friends will be eager to have their kids a part of too.

2. Mozambique orphanage – We are in our fourth year of a 20 year commitment to Mozambique, and God has done a lot! This year marked the beginning of a third phase – a vibrant ministry to women and children at risk (known as the Melanie Center). Makes one wonder what God will do next . . .

3. Events with our church plants – This year we partnered with Catalyst to put on a very good marriage conference called To Have and To Hold, and we held a joint baptism service and BBQ with Restoration Covenant.

4. Good Friday, JusticeNOW, VBS – This year we also partnered with several local churches for some great ministry. I think God smiles when he sees his children playing well together.

5. HOW – Life piloted a small group designed to help people grow in their ability to share their faith in natural, normal ways. This is a significant growth area for us as a church, and I see God using this in many of our lives in the year to come.

6. Appenfelder family – What a joy to see God at work, even in the most trying of times, in this precious family! Though Paul lost his life to cancer, he, his wife, and two adult children all found new life in Jesus.

7. Scotty sent out – Losing Scotty was like losing my right arm, but what a joy to see God move Scott deeper into his calling as a pastor and leader. Among other things, God is making us a church that trains and sends others well.

8. Nicole and Bridget’s surgeries – We saw God come through in two very scary health situations, and I was proud of the way our church family stepped up and cared for these families during tough times.

9. Lord’s Prayer teaching series – This had to be one of my all-time favorite series to teach, and from the response it seems it was helpful for many. I have a sense that God will continue to use this to shape us in years to come.

10. Expanding influence (Tim’s book, national church planting team, podcast) – God is doing something very interesting with our church: he is granting us impact disproportionate to our size. I have a growing catalog of stories of how, without us seeking it out, God keeps using Life Cov as a resource to other churches and pastors. What is God doing? I’m not sure, but I know we need to pray and lean into it. To God alone be the glory.

Finally, let me just say what a joy I count it to be called your pastor. I love you guys, and love doing life with you -

Tim
Mt 6:33