The Uprising (C&C)

November 6-8, 2009

For more information or to register:

telephone: 403-638-4230

e-mail: main@camp-evergreen.com

website: www.camp-evergreen.com

Rise Up (Senior High)

October 2-4, 2009

For more information or to register:

telephone: 403-638-4230

e-mail: main@camp-evergreen.com

website: www.camp-evergreen.com

Family Gathering

August 28-30, 2009

For more information or to register:

telephone: 403-638-4230

e-mail: main@camp-evergreen.com

website: www.camp-evergreen.com

Family Camp

July 3-5, 2009

For more information or to register:

telephone: 403-638-4230

e-mail: main@camp-evergreen.com

website: www.camp-evergreen.com

Life for the rest of us doesn’t work like that.  We have to find a way to cope or maintain a civilized lifestyle.  The bugs in your life may be the neighbor next door, invasive traffic on the Deerfoot, a clerk with a bad attitude, that family member who knows your hot button or a work associate who just won’t “grow up”.

We are continually surrounded by relationships.  Some we like and others we could do without.  We’ve heard the saying, “No man is an island unto himself,” and the longer we walk this planet, the more we realize it’s true.

Let me throw a curve ball at you, so to speak.  Rather than waiting for all that bugs us to change or disappear, maybe part of the solution is with each of us.  In the Bible, the book of Galatians, chapter 5 talks about the fruit of the Spirit.  This fruit is the evidence of Jesus living in a person.  This is uplifting: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  I know, it seems there are some people you just can’t please.  But if this list were evident in your life wouldn’t you agree that others would be more drawn to you, in a positive way?

The story is told this past week of a man who had inherited a sum of money and wanted to freely give it to others.  So for a couple hours he stood at a service station and bought people’s gas for them to the cumulative amount of some $2 000.00.  All he asked was that people would do what they could to return the kind gesture in some fashion to others.  You should have seen the smile, and amazement, on people’s faces.

Let me encourage you to think about letting Jesus work in your life.  Jesus wants your life to reflect the fruit listed above, if you’ll trust Him to do so.  You’re not going to get the luxury of eating what bugs you.  A good alternative is to be a source of amazement in our society. 

Our family has lived in Airdrie more than 8 years.  Like most others, we came to Airdrie for a reason and opportunity.  We never grew up here.  Matter of fact, most folks never grew up in Airdrie.  We are part of the boom that Airdrie is experiencing.  This brings its own stresses to families.

 30 years ago, people often stayed and worked in the region they grew up in.  Many of their friends did the same and the relationships carried on.  The immediate and extended family was close by.

 Because of the transient nature of our society, it is easy to feel disconnected when a family needs to move to a new region.  Those fond times only come with you in memory.  The Gathering Place is here to help with the transition.  We are a place to connect, with your community, with other families, with God.

I have found this one thing about moving to Airdrie to be absolute.  It requires my taking a step to meet people, to make friends.  We invite you to connect at The Gathering Place.

At The Gathering Place we seek to engage people to find life that is fulfilling.  Everday.  Any age.  Yes, we talk a lot about Jesus, but that’s because we’ve come to realize He has a lot to say about purpose in everyday life.  I think you’d be amazed to read how many times in the Bible Jesus invited people to discover who He claimed to be and the power He made available to live a great life.  Jesus wasn’t pushy, but He was direct.  In the Gospel of John, chapter 10, Jesus says, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better than they ever dreamed of.”

 Life is a journey; some of us have been on the road longer than others.  The Gathering Place is about assisting each other on the journey.  You are welcome to stop by on a Sunday sometime; we meet at St. Martin de Porres High School.  Our services start at 10:00 am.

“Without vision the people perish,” so goes the proverb. It is amazing to me that many churches do not have a vision to reproduce themselves. It is a simple plan “multiply and fill the earth” is one of the Lord’s first commands to mankind. It is kind of like watching my wife plant her garden. She asked me to rototiller the soil, we threw in some fertilizer and softened things up and then she simply put seed in, covered it with soil, put on the water and waited until the sun came out. The all by itself principle took place. The greenery is breaking through the soil and we can’t wait for our yummy vegetables to grace our table.

So our church, in it’s DNA has a multiplying gene. We are not content to have one church or even mega church, we know and believe and trust God that we will be a partner in Him in reproducing ourselves. We are so excited by Vision 2012-24, our denominational credo to have 24 new initiatives by 2012. Our personal goal is 2010. By 2010 we believe that God is calling us to begin a new initiative in Airdrie or beyond. What is a new initiative? A new initiative is anything that God will birth from within us: a new church plant, a multi cultural effort, a youth initiative. I am so looking forward to see what God will birth in The Gathering Place for his glory!

I was thinking about our Vision as a church this afternoon and it was reaffirming to me why we exist. Our church was put in place to share God’s story and our story within the context of our Airdrie community. For my own personal vision and we as a church, it is so vitally important to be the church in action. God’s love is not just meant to be “love in words” but “love in action and in truth” as I am reminded in Scripture. I trust that as this next week builds with momentum for Love Airdrie that we will shower our community with love, so that they will say, “Maybe God really does love me?”