DRAFT #4
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died…So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.
(II Cor. 5:14, 16-17)
We are so excited. Five years ago Living Water made a step forward to charter as a congregation. We stepped out trusting that God would bless our ministry and send us forward to do some remarkable things in our community. Now, in 2021 we look back seeing the hand of God in all of our work. We have purchased a building, set up an outside and inside children’s play area, and we created an amazing youth room where kids just want to come and hangout. In fact, our family ministry is healthy and strong having 5 Family Life Interns from Concordia University developing family faith experiences that we have been implementing. We want faith to be easily passed from one generation to the next generation.
We are looking for every opportunity to share Jesus.
Now, we sit in our building delighted with what God is doing. We have established a medical ministry for people with limited or no health care. Members of the congregation have written grants that have generated thousands of dollars in the care of people in our community. We have set up a counseling office that we subsidize to support people who deal with life issues that seem overwhelming. In addition to providing therapists we are now offering classes for single moms, financial planning classes for all generations, parenting and marriage classes, and we’re working on a partnership with a local college to provide college classes through our building as well as GED certification. We want people to know that for the sake of Jesus we want their lives to be changed.
We look out the windows of our building and we see kids playing on the outdoor equipment. There is a meeting in one of our classrooms on this summer’s extended backpacking trip to Isle Royale. We’re already talking about a week hike on the Appalachian Trail next year and possibly extended canoe trip to Quetico in Canada. Our outdoor ministry is looking at day hikes, running marathons, bicycling, swimming, fishing trips, and we are now part of a local softball league. We are actually exploring a Living Water Hockey Team. And our Zumba class is growing. Our bodies are the Temple of the Holy Spirit and we want people to have healthy temples.
We are looking for every opportunity to share Jesus.
Living Water is now working at the high school on the next steps post high school. We are sending volunteers to speak and work with students on “education as a gateway.” We have established a mentor ministry that will walk with them through their senior year in high school and into their freshman year of college. We have established a relationship with professional career counselors that will work with these new college students as well as adults on their “next steps” in their life journeys. We want to be a bridge to a hopeful future.
We are looking for every opportunity to share Jesus.
On Sunday mornings our worship is passionate and engaging. Our Music Ministry is excited to draw people into a worship moment. We are intentional in having people share their faith stories. Our worship is always Word focused and sacramentally driven. Christ reaches us in Word and Sacrament and we celebrate those gifts that God gives us. We are driven to be creative so people are experiencing the gospel. Our sanctuary has great sound and video and an intimacy people love. Our pastor connects to people and shares Jesus. In fact, our congregation is being equipped to share Jesus through worship, our small groups, Bible study for all ages, and special events. Everything about Living Water is to build up faith and to draw others into faith. Our worship has now grown to over 150 per week.
We are celebrating this day that we are constantly building connection points in the community to bring people to Jesus. Our Family Life minister is out working with youth and mentoring young parents and the pastor is connecting with the community and our congregation is ready to share their own faith story with others. And we are now creating a network of small churches that will partner in creating ministries that will impact the lives of people in our communities. We are excited to have a regional impact.
We are looking for every opportunity to share Jesus.
