September 2007

Now, just days before our service was to open, two things happened – clearly God’s hand on things.

First, we heard from the University of Baltimore (UB) about a possible Sunday meeting space. Though not cheap, the price is manageable for the first 3-4 months, and the layout/room setup is pretty good. The room has recently been renovated, and has a warm, not sterile, feel to it. There is space for our artists to set up easels as well as a large open space between the stage and the first row of seats for dramas and performances.

Second, we managed to squeeze out enough worship help from our other two churches to have a full band. Our worship leader (fresh from shoulder surgery), was able to limit his range of guitar playing in such a way as to make it possible (and put his sling back on immediately after the set), another guy got well enough to play keys, and our college church was able to sacrifice/volunteer a couple of instrumentalists, even as they were kicking off their opening service of the semester.

It’s been good fodder, though, for my opening sermon series. I’ve decided to teach through Job this first month, September. These last few months, though they don’t compare, have given me at least a small window into Job’s sufferings, that feeling of relentless attack and a greater knowledge of who God is in spite of and in light of that.

And so, we had our first service!

45 people came, which was very encouraging. That’s the best start we’ve had of our 3 churches. There were friends we had expected, a few people we had invited, and several people who just saw the signs or heard the music and came in to check us out. Meeting these new folks was definitely a blessing, and showed us once again that God brings the people, not us.

Though the numbers are always encouraging, it was the experience and feel of the service that overshadowed it all. Several people shared with me those non-tangible feelings that expressed the sense/feeling that God was there:

“It really felt like the birthing of a new church, not just starting a service.”

[Having been a part of a different, failed, church plant and contrasting it with that,] “it didn’t feel forced. It just felt right, like we were in line with what God was doing.”

One guy, who shared with a core group member that he hadn’t felt moved even to participate in worship for a long time, was standing, arms raised high in praise, during closing worship. Needless to say, I definitely feel that the tide has turned!

We now have 4 services under our belt, and are avidly seeking feedback from the folks coming, as well as leading from the Lord as to how we can make the service better/more appropriate. We have more people outside our core group who are eager to get involved, and are trying to figure out the ways and hows to integrate them as we move forward.

And this leads me to “What’s Next for The Light”:

We volunteered with Baltimore City’s annual Book Festival (http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/) at the end of September, and were able to coincide this weekend with outreach opportunities. Given our phenomenal experience with Artscape, we were praying that this would be beneficial for us and a blessing to the city of Baltimore.

We are getting ready for the official launch on October 7^th. We are anticipating a great turnout and are excited that several partners (here and from Mississippi!) will be able to join us for that.

And with that, I cannot let this opportunity pass without taking a moment to thank those of y’all who have been tirelessly praying for and supporting us.

A special thanks goes to our friends at the Mississippi Convention (especially Ken Rhodes, Paul Harrell, and Rob Sugg), Associations, and churches, whose partnership with us has been so instrumental in getting us where we are so far. We have been truly blessed to have y’all along for the journey and the encouragement y’all have given has been crucial. God has been faithful: at our lowest points, it seems that an encouraging email will show up, spurring me on; or when our finances can stretch no further, a check will arrive in the mail. Knowing that y’all are supporting us… I cannot tell y’all how much it has meant to us and our team. Thank you.