Church Update

So with all of the Puppy Drama we've had around here, plus the beginning of summer vacation and trying to figure out how to all get along every day, all day, I have been remiss on updating the church search. I have received several emails wondering how things are going.

I am happy to report that we think we may have found IT. I posted a T13 a few months ago about everything we liked about the Mega church we had been attending. While we liked those things, something about the place was just "too much" and there were some things that just didn't feel right.

So we decided to continue our search. But because we had had the large church experience, and also were looking to find more friends when we finally found a church, we didn't feel like we could return to the small church feeling anymore.

After hearing about Cornerstone from many people, including a family that we knew at our old church, we decided it would be the next one to try. It is along the lines of a "mega church" in it's growth, but it has a small church feeling (even in the auditorium where worship is held). It also has a denominational affiliation, which Steve and I are more comfortable with.

Both boys loved it immediately. It is the first time ever that I could ask Noah after church "What did you learn today" and not only could he tell me, but he would actually also remember it as the week went on. And, I am learning something that I take with me every week too.

So we took the first step toward joining attending the required informational meeting before membership classes two weekends ago. There are a lot of things that just feel right. Because it is a Methodist church, it has some of the same basic ideas as the churches that we have loved, but it is actually pretty HUGE so they encourage all members to become part of smaller groups within the church to be able to maintain personal relationships within such a large church body.

Their new building is barely a year old, and the congregation boasts a 48 percent increase in membership in the last year!

The boys are attending it's VBS called Mega Kids Camp this week and are very excited about it. I am excited to eventually become a part of some of the leadership (in a lay person way) but it feels good to know that I'm not NEEDED like I was before. I can be part of it, but the program is so strong that I can just be a person helping out where they want me.

I felt like yesterday's message was aimed at me and me alone. Probably so did the hundereds of other people that attended one of the three services. It nailed me on the head so much that I came home and wrote down the gist of the message on our dry erase board in the kitchen, so I can indeed keep myself focused all week.

So, yes, I think we found it. We will attend the first joining class in the fall and by Christmas this year, we will have become part of a worshipping community that lives what they preach and hopefully will bring us to do the same.

I am indeed excited about our future in this place. I am glad that God brought us through the darkness and looks to be bringing us out on the other side. The journey that has caused so much pain seems to be well worth it and I have high hopes that we will all be better people for the voyage.

PS More puppy stories to come

Have a great week.