Sharing a Burden, Sharing a Plan

Yesterday was another incredible set of services at North Side.  2nd week of Now proved to be an impacting moment in the life of our church.

Highlights from today’s services:

  • Free Prisoner – Jerry Rentz has been going to the McCormick Correctional Institute for many years.  In the last few years, some other guys from the church go on Monday nights to have C-Groups with some of the inmates.  Today, he read a letter from one of the inmates who got saved in prison.  In that letter, he stated that before he was incarcerated, he used to drive by this church and make sarcastic comments about it.  “Big buildings, no heart,” is how he described North Side.  Only to find out, that when he was in prison, the first people that came to him were members of that very church.  His letter was unbelievable.
  • 100% Participation – As Jeff is talking about this campaign, the timing economically could not be worse.  But isn’t that when God shows up in the biggest ways?  Jeff keeps emphasizing 100% participation and that is what we are praying for.  No matter how bad it is, we need each member of the family to step it up and get involved.
  • Practical “No-Frills” Honesty – I have had many people comment on how great this campaign is going so far.  We didn’t want hype or frills, there is a huge need, and we need people to jump on board and get involved.  It’s simple.
  • Worship – While singing, “my chains are gone” after Jerry’s letter, I truly believed that we were about to go to glory ourselves.  Powerful time.  Here are the songs we worshiped to yesterday:
  1. Friend of God – Israel Houghton
  2. All Things New – Travis Agnew
  3. God of This City – Bluetree
  4. Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) – Chris Tomlin

It was a wonderful time of worship, and we will have some CDs for sale this Sunday with those songs on it!  Woo hoo!

Hope you picked up your Now booklet (different than the Compass) and you got your prayer guide and started praying today – thanks for all your support!