Acts 2:38
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So I was talking to a fellow Chaplain Assistant the other day.  I had the wrong idea about where he came from, I was taking him for a small town po-dunk church type guy….nope we had a great conversation about larger Churches verses small Churches.  Now I have worked in both and have feeling about each but it was nice to sit and talk to another fellow Christian about the differences and the positives and negatives.  Unfortunately this worked me up so much I couldn’t get to sleep so I kept running thoughts through my head about how I was going to be back at a large church environment.  Honestly I do not think I am going to be any different, they might not understand some of the things I want to do or why I want to do them, but all I can do it try to explain how I feel God has put on my heart to be the Christian Man and Pastor he wants me to be.

Short story on what I am talking about.  When I first started at a larger Church, because I was new I saw a few things that we could improve on and make a little friendlier.  Well actually a little bunny trail….Look squirrel….

I have always tried to be outgoing and showing love to everyone I meet (My Dad’s teachings) so instead of just buying someone a meal I will sit down and eat with them, I feel that is really what Jesus would and did do, he didn’t cruise thru the drive thru and get a happy meal then throw it to the guy sitting holding a sign…..I know I know no happy meals in Jesus’ time, but you understand what I am saying?  It is a blessing and a curse, because it never fails when we are late to get somewhere we happen to pass someone with a sign that says “HUNGRY” and I pass by, but then a little voice from the back seat

(QUE LITTLE VOICE) Daddy aren’t you going to get that man some food……..”Yes dear I am….”  Turn around.  See I was always taught that when you least expect it that is when God is going to show up in an amazing way in your life, you can be just going along in life then ((BOOM)) something so crazy happens you look at it and have no flippin clue what it is about but God shows up and really works in your life and maybe lives of others he puts in your path.

So back to my story about the large Church I worked in, just happened my first day was the same day the Church did a food pantry handout to all who came, you had to register and you could only come back so many times and so on, but the door to get to the office was right in the middle of the huge line of about 100 people waiting to get food.  When I say waiting they were camped out ready to WAIT, lounge chairs little BW TV’s umbrella’s to shade the sun or rain or snow whatever it was.  So being me I wanted to stop and talk to them or in some way connect with them and hear the stories they had to tell.  So I did and later in a big staff meeting I asked if I could pass out water to the line when I got into work.  There were no objections so it was a great little way for me to step away from the everyday Youth Ministry stuff and really just connect with people.  Later on I had recruited some people to help me and we started serving coco when it got cold, it was Jonathan and the COCO girls….well maybe I was the only one who called us that, I have always tried to make it a goal of mine to not only do the Ministry of the Church at the Church but outside of the Church as well.  I have been very blessed to be able to do this is so so many ways, at one Church I worked at I actually worked for a substance prevention program as well which allowed me access to the high school and eventually allowed me to have an office at the school….Yes I was a Pastor and I had a office at the public school….That’s another story all together so I will stink back to what I am trying to say.

God is moving in my heart and I am not 100% sure what he is going to do with me, I know I am going to be serving in the Church at a Church and I know God is really moving at the Church I will be serving at so I am ecstatic about that.  But right now I do not know how I will be impacting my community outside of the Church.  I will continue to look for opportunities to show Christ’s love in unique ways and I have a few ideas, but how that will look is a bit fuzzy to me right now.  I hope you have been encouraged by my blog today, if you want to add any comments feel free to post a response.