Welcome back Kotter (aka interns)

This is the first week for our new interns with Healing Place School of Ministry. We have 16 fresh and eager students who have made the decision to spend the next nine months living, breathing and eating servanthood. They will study, serve, outreach, serve, worship and serve some more. They will get to sleep some too, but I think that's scheduled for some time in March. I had an opportunity to hang out with them a little bit last night at one of their services and I am so excited about what God is doing with the next generation. What a privilege to watch these young people running hard after God.

Lance brought an incredible word for us about the culture of Healing Place Church. My two favorite points: 1. Stay Flexible and you won't get bent out of shape. 2. The difference between where you are and where God wants you is pain tolerance. I love that! (Actually, I like it better in theory than in real-life...it always hurts less in theory.)

So please put the interns on your prayer list and encourage them whenever you see them. This next year will be tough battle for many of them; we don't want them feeling like they're in it alone. All glory to God!

Angus burger at BK

I went for lunch with some friends after Sunday service and Molly told a great testimony about a guy she met at church. For anyone who doesn't know Molly, imagine angel food cake covered with chocolate ganache, warm caramel, with tiny bits of melted German chocolate. Yes, she is that sweet. (And genuine, which is amazing considering her ultra-sweetness.) Anyway, Molly sees this guy at church and says hello. She asks how his week was and he tells her it was incredible. He goes on to share that, this week, he was released after serving a 19-year prison term. Molly told him that was fantastic and she asked him what he did on his first week out. He told her that he got and Angus burger at Burger King. Molly celebrated with him.
This guy heard about us when he got hooked up with our Prisoner Re-entry program. I absolutely love that Healing Place makes such a concerted effort to reach those that Jesus tells us to reach: widows, orphans, prisoners, the poor. I love that, on this guy's first non-incarcerated weekend in 19 years, he made it a priority to be in church. You can't tell me that God isn't at work within the walls of our prisons.
I was thinking; what would I do on my first week out?
A better question: what would you do?
Drop me a line and lemmino. Be blessed in Jesus' name. All glory to God!