To The Glory of God!!

July 28, 2021

Leadership Notes

Greetings on this last beautiful week of July. There's no need for a "trigger warning" for this week's edition! I believe our Office Manager/ Editor Extraordinaire {otherwise known as Lorrie Parker} will fully attest to that. As I said two weeks ago, you keep being you, and I'll keep being me, and we will work through this shared life together, to the Glory of God.

It has been a beautiful month in Michigan, and we were especially blessed with a great week for VBS. I cannot say enough about all of our VBS staff. Thank you to all who contributed in anything and everything you did, under the guidance of our chief engineer and conductor, Julie Schiller. This building was buzzing with joy, happiness, helpfulness, and a desire to learn about God, Jesus, and what it means to be living life in their love. Last week was truly a blessing, from God, through the people called to serve and worship Him.

There were too many memorable moments/interactions to share in this limited space. For me, the most impactful day was Thursday. I was the teaching video facilitator. The profile that day was on an eleven-year-old boy whose younger brother was diagnosed with brain cancer as a toddler. After treatments, following five years of remission, the cancer returned and the child died. Along with the testimony of the older brother, they included videos of the little boy. The room was silent. Then we talked about losing someone you love. It was amazing what these children shared. We then talked about heaven. They had different ideas of what heaven will be like. I shared that my greatest joy will be worshiping Jesus along with so many others who have died before me, all of whom will be fully known to me when I get there.

These kids were wonderful. Impactful is an understatement. We continue to hear from parents and VBS kids about the beautifulness of that week. Again, thanks to all who had a part in it!

On another front - children related - our Backpack Blowout has gotten off to a rousing start. People are already dropping stuff off. And the wonderful thing about the folks God is calling to be a part of Covenant Church is someone who has only been part of our church for a short while has contributed mightily to the Blowout. God is good all the time!

Finally, it's worth repeating this observation from Christian author Matt Smethhurst:

In a world forming us to be addicted to spectacle, healthy corporate

worship will often feel simple and slow. That isn't a sign of weakness; it's a

sign of countercultural strength.

Or as I like to say, coining a phrase which is not original with me, we want to keep things fresh, simple, and honest.

With Much Love and Affection,

Richard