Hurricane Katrina North Shore Disaster Fund Update #58
This is the fifty-eighth update for the Hurricane Katrina disaster relief fund for the Lake Pontchartrain North Shore. This includes the Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Slidell, and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Pastor Sprague has sent another e-mail update concerning the ministry of Trinity Evangelical Free Church of Covington, LA and hurricane relief.
Lessons I’m Learning 6 Months After the Storm
One of my earliest set of reflections on Katrina six months ago was entitled "What I Learned Today." I haven’t forgotten those early lessons of surrender and faith. Now after a half-year I can say that Jesus continues to teach me lessons in the arena of faith. The scripture and my own journey reveal Gods ways:
I. An Initial Call
God is in the business of giving out assignments, tasks, adventures, partnerships, or whatever you want to label them. It is simply His calling. The call came to Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Rahab and to you and me. How often do his callings involve easy assignments? Never! This shows that God does not put a high premium on comfortable lives. (Comfort will come in heaven.) My calling is to do God’s bidding with the people I love as Pastor of Trinity Church with a mission to build fully devoted followers of Christ on the Northshore of New Orleans in the midst of the greatest natural disaster in the history of the United States. I didn’t choose this. God called. What is your calling?
II. Our Response
When God calls, normally people don’t say, "God, will you super size my call?" Normally the response includes some measure of fear: fear of failure, inadequacy, etc. Wasn’t that the case with the ten spies who wanted to go back to Egypt because there were giants in the land? Moses, as well, had plenty of excuses when God asked him to go to the most powerful man on the planet and say, "I want to take your labor force." There are days that I have felt the same. I am well aware of our giants. Some days I ask, "Am I crazy? Will I survive?" It seems overwhelming some days with four staff short, shepherding hurting people, preparing the launch of a new children’s building, juggling a financially complex time of capital campaign and furnishings for ministry, running teams, holding together a ministry that has so many families moving out of the area, running Pastor SEARCH teams and trying to strategically reinvent the ministry. How about you? Have you got any Giants like I have? Who is saying, "It’s not possible. We’ve never done it that way before. I won’t let you. Let’s go back to Egypt."
III. Assurance
Fortunately, God never says to fearful people, "Never Mind." He gives assurance. The number one command in scripture is "Fear Not" (366 times) and often the words "for I am with you" are attached. Joshua was told, "Be strong and courageous for I am with you." Paul heard, "Do not fear, go on speaking, do not be silent, I am with you." The psalmist said, "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me." I can’t tell you the encouragement of God’s tender assurances that come daily through His Word, prayer, God sightings, people and His still small voice. Whatever you struggle with today, Jesus knows your name and your need and He is able.
IV. Decision Component
Life often reduces down to a decision point of Faith or Fear. Faith? or Fear? Do you know what I mean? Moses had to decide whether or not to step into the Red Sea and Joshua experienced the same decision at the Jordan. Would Caleb take the hill country controlled by the giants? At Trinity we have to decide daily if we want to go back to being a nice, comfortable suburban church or will we fulfill our calling in this our generation. Last night someone said, "You aren’t the church of the stained carpet, but the church of the smelly socks." Daily we have a choice - Faith or Fear. By faith, we are choosing to bet the farm on God. At times we shake on the Rock but the Rock does not shake under us. Are there any amen’s out there?
Let me ask you, "What would you do, build, launch, give, start, or stop, if fear were not holding you back? Where is God prompting you to launch out? Where do you need to bet the farm on God?" God plays no FAVORites only FAITHorites. By the way, if you find yourself doubting and are asking "How can I have more faith?" the answer isn’t to try harder or to beat yourself up. Think of the solution this way - suppose someone said to you, "I find myself doubting Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. I’m not sure Old Faithful can be trusted." Your advice wouldn’t be "just try harder," but rather "just hang out with Old Faithful. Get to know Old Faithful" and because Old Faithful is faithful, the better you know it, the more you trust it. The same is true with God. The key isn’t to muster up our own faith, but to get to know God better. Since God is faithful, the more you know Him, the more you will trust Him.
V. Changed Life
Every time someone says "Yes" to God there is life-change … courage gets a little deeper, joy gets a little broader and you find Jesus is so amazing, sufficient, surprising and irresistible. There is no one like Jesus. He is so approachable … refreshing … countercultural … and so controversial. As you give your life away, you find life. This is what I see in Trinity people and teams all the time. I see those who are stepping out in faith are having their lives turned upside down. They are alive and living the adventure. I see it with my eyes everyday.
I love the example of Henrietta Mears, who had an amazing ministry as Christian Education director at Hollywood Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, California. in the 1930’s-1960’s. She was one who mentored and influenced Bill Bright {Campus Crusade for Christ}, Dick Halverson {Chaplain of the U.S. Senate}, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans and Billy Graham. It was said that 500 men went into the ministry because of Miss Mears. At one time she was so frustrated there was no good Christian material to use in church that she started "Gospel Light" publishing house. She thought her region needed a retreat center in the San Bernardino Mountains. She found a plot of land and believed God for the money. She had none. God provided. At the end of her extraordinary life people asked Miss Mears, "What would you do different in your life if you had it to do all over again?" She said," I would trust Christ for more!" I love it. Let’s live that way.
Pray for us as we bet the farm on God. We are trusting God for the following critical areas.
1. Over half of the Compassion leadership team will be leaving next week. These have been 1-3 month volunteers. Pray for long-term volunteers. These are critical. Can you give us one month? Three? Six? A year? Is God calling you? This is critical. Pray!
2. Pray for four new staff for Trinity Church. We have a potential candidate coming in this weekend for the Associate position. I have extended an offer for one of our other positions. Pray.
3. Pray for a strategy meeting with John Gerhardt and Castlerock on Monday and with Jim Snyder and the EFCA Compassion team the next week. Our partnerships matter!
4. Pray for our new building opportunities and renovations. There are so many open doors. We are going to have to mobilize the entire church to get the building ready. The builder will be out by April 16 and our Grand Opening for the community is scheduled for June 4th.
5. Pray the God of all provisions gives us wisdom how to provide for our ministry. This is the most strategic time we have ever had to reach our community! Pray for people to give generously.
6. Pray for revival, renewal, revitalization and Jesus to be lifted up!
Betting the Farm on God,
Pastor Michael Sprague (3/19/06 2:07 PM CST)
As I said last time, Grace Community Chapel’s Student Ministries Sr. High group will be going to serve with Trinity Chuch and the EFCA in the New Orleans area, June 11th - 18th, 2006. This group is now raising money to help with the expenses that will be incurred by a group of students and their sponsors. If you would like to donate specifically to helping our Sr. High group with their expenses, you may contact Grace Community Chapel using the link below.
Please consider a contribution to the combined efforts of this blog and Grace Community Chapel of St. Peters, MO, in raising money and volunteers for ministry teams to be sent to Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Covington, LA, to be distributed locally to the Lake Pontchartrain North Shore and New Orleans area. You will find detailed donation information by clicking here.
