At the End of the Day
This was prior to the service while the worship team was practicing. |
My weekend consisted of decorating, cookie baking, a Christmas play and banquet and preaching at our church. Dan and I have been taking turns giving the message through the month of December and it's been nice to work alongside my husband in this way. When we got home yesterday, he told me how much he enjoyed seeing me using my gifts.
It was a busy weekend and by the time I got home yesterday afternoon I was feeling wiped out. But while my body was tired, my mind was busy replaying all the aspects of the morning and my heart was full.
It was wonderful to see so many visitors yesterday, including two families - a young couple with their child and a single woman - who are refugees that we've been working with once a month. Because I knew ahead of time that they were coming I was able to translate my message and give it to them so they could follow along.
I had the children come up and sing 4 songs. The majority of children in our church are 4 and under and very distractible so I honestly wasn't expecting much singing to happen. So it was awesome to hear them belt out the songs! Even the two-year-olds stood still in one spot. 😀 One of the moms texted me that her daughter was in her room yesterday afternoon, singing one of the songs at the top of her lungs.
About a year ago we got rid of the pews in our sanctuary. So it has been nice to be able to use the space differently from time to time. Our play was about a Christmas banquet so we set up the sanctuary to hold our annual Christmas dinner right there. We got so many good comments from people saying how much they enjoyed the fact that because it was spacious they could go around and chat with others. The acoustics were better too so you could actually hear people talking.
We had an abundance of food. I never know how it'll go at church dinners - at times it's a bit more sparse than others. Yesterday, there was plenty.
Christmas time is a busy time of the year in church ministry, but I truly love it. This week we have a governing board Christmas dinner. Saturday, I'm preparing gingerbread ornaments for the refugee children to decorate at a monthly English café we participate in at a local apartment complex. Then we have our Christmas candlelight service next Tuesday night.
At the end of the day, I feel blessed that God has given me the privilege of this ministry and the ability to bless others. I may feel weary some nights, but I wake up the next morning ready to continue the ministry He has given me.
That sounds very fulfilling Terri.
ReplyDeleteI find it to be so.
DeleteOur chapel removed the pews about 20 years ago, and the space is so much more versatile and usable. And the chairs are more comfortable!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely better all the way around!
DeleteA lot of churches are using chairs now and it makes so much more sense! We provide space in our building for a homeschool organization one day a week, an SAT study session a few days a week. It's nice to be able to reach out into our community and accommodate groups that need a space to meet.
ReplyDeleteYes, it definitely a better use of the space.
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