Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church     
 
Noelle Conover - "Mission IN HIS CONTROL!"

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Messages of Grace

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This Sunday
July 17, 2016








   


Mission: Possible Celebration





 




July 14, 2016
 
Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:
 
Greetings from Mission Control! I smile when I write that because that is what we call ourselves during this amazing week of missions to the South Hills of Pittsburgh!
 
But we all know that we are not "in control!" of anything! God is and we have been reminded this week, almost by the hour, how He has plans for us and how he paves the way for us to be His hands and feet.
 
While serving coffee to commuters this week, one of our volunteers sent us this photo. It is interesting because we begin planning the week of MP in January each year. The teams pray and meet, discuss the surveys, pray some more, talk to others and come up with our plan. Those might be our plans, but they may not be His plans at all! So I think we should rename the office to Mission IN HIS CONTROL!  

If you have participated in Mission: Possible, then you are probably familiar with Mission Control. We (Noelle and Rena) convert the small conference room off the drive-through lobby into an office. We begin this process as soon as the last chord is played on the organ on the Sunday morning that kicks off Mission: Possible week. We move the table across the door, add pencils and pens; boxes with tape, clips, scissors, rope, paper, stickers, first aid kits, cold drinks and anything else that we could possibly need. And we open the doors...and you come. You come to serve...you come to bless...you come to work... in the name of Jesus, with loving and servant hearts. And we have the privilege of watching it unfold.
 
The world as we see it from inside Mission Control is amazing. We see groups of our youth moving from one area of the church to another, always pushing or carrying something, stopping by to pick up a licorice or a pretzel rod as they pass the office. This week we saw smiles, listened to kids asking adults "now what can we do?," heard questions like "are there more door tags to pass out?" "Can I do something?" "Where can we go?" "Where can I put this?" "Do you need more help?" This is one awesome group of youth and their lay leaders. From the littlest (barely walking) - to the high school seniors - this group of young people have demonstrated what it means to put Him in control and let Him lead you. Their week was filled with projects that helped the poor, the hungry and the lonely. Many have given up time with their friends, sporting events and social invitations to be here. They pray, they serve and then they pray some more. And they do it with JOY!
 
We are so proud to serve alongside the more than 200 members of this church who choose to spend at least part of this week in service. Thank you for a week of wonderful food to nourish our bodies. Thank you for singing, baking, serving lunches, making crafts, packing food, painting houses, building walls, playing music, picking up food and people, praying, listening, crying, praising, serving coffee, sewing, and most of all, thank you for being a people who are called to reach outward to this broken world...in witness and service. It is truly our privilege to sit in Mission HIS Control and watch God lead!
 
Don't forget to join us for a single service of praise and worship on Sunday morning, July 17 at 9 am. We will be sharing some testimony and songs form the week.  
 
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.(Luke 4:18)

In Christ,
 
Noelle

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