As you read this, myself and eleven others from the All Saints community are about to board a plane to San Salvador, El Salvador to take part in our first ever cross cultural service project. Over the next week, we will be working with a group called Castillo Del Rey (King's Castle) which is an organization that in part, is dedicated to helping bring medical relief to the people of that country and we shall be working in a local medical clinic.

Wow. That is a word that describes what I am feeling right now. Our team is about to embark into something that has been prepared for us, not just by our efforts but really through God's incredible intervention and direction with each of our lives. As we have been emphasizing the theme of "My Neighbor" this fall, we also recognize that our neighbors are those that are far away from us as well and it is truly an incredible thing to love and serve in the name of Jesus, wherever that may be.

To look back at how this trip has come together is really seeing how Jesus has been leading us individually as well as corporately as a church, and we live out the challenge to be a sent people to all the ends of the earth. I know that just a few months ago, we all asked ourselves some important questions, "How is this going to work?" "Do we have the money?" "Do I have the time or capacity to give and serve?" It took some prodding and leading but that's what happens when you serve Jesus--you just listen and let him lead, and the rest seems to follow. To whom he guides, he will provide what is needed according to his plan.

One example of this "guiding and providing" that I want to share is regarding the funds that have come in from the church and community. Originally, we had a goal to raise $5,000 in a rather short amount of time. Well, with some unforeseen expenses, the need was actually a little more than that, but, remember, this is Jesus whom we serve...
Well, the long and short of it was that over 70 people from the All Sains community contributed their time, talents, treasures (and needed medicines) and we were able to raise over $7,800 for the trip. The ironic thing (and how humorous is God in this), is that so far, with all the expenses that are needed on the trip, that is, EVERYTHING it costs to make this happen is the SAME AMOUNT of all the monies that have come in. That's just one example. Yet I know there are countless more.

While it will be the twelve of us in El Salvador, it is really the entire church that is going, so, allow me say thank you, thank you thank you, to all of you for praying, listening, and acting. Please continue to pray for us as we will for you and let us together truly becomes the neighbors to the world that Jesus calls us to be. I'll see you all in a week.

 

Grace to you.

 

- Pastor Joel

This Sunday

"Word Processing"
James 3:1-12
Bill Berger, Pastor

This week we will take this whole passage and will understand it as very comprehensive teaching on how we use our words. We will offer an understanding of mastering our tongues. The best way to break this down would be in three segments: the power of words, the use of our words, the healing of our tongue. James offers some extremely important hints on how to heal our words and how to heal our tongue.

Journey is where it all begins. This is where we take the first step, together, to discovering the abundant life in Jesus Christ. On one level, Journey is the door to everything All Saints -- it is how we get on the same page in how we define our church character and culture. However, it is much more -- Journey is about being equipped with the knowledge and skills to help navigate this incredible adventure of life in Christ.