Covenant celebrated one year of public services on February 13, 2011. (Our first service was February 14, 2010, so we celebrated a day early). To be perfectly honest, I’m pretty mad at myself for not writing this post earlier. I don’t remember alot about the celebration day itself, but this is what I do remember:
I remember how amazed I was as I sat in service that day, marveling at all God had done in the past year.
I remember praising God for His provision, in so many different areas, from mentoring to resources to meeting space to a worship team. Church plants are so needy. They’re like little babies who can’t do anything by themselves. Our church is growing up, but it’s hard. We need people who have gone before us, to help us learn what to do and share with us what they have done. And God has provided for us abundantly.
I remember praising God for the clear work of the Spirit in the lives of those around me. How I have seen marriages restored, relationships mended, people who were once far from God who are now close to Him. Seeing this work ever so clearly reminds me that what is happening at Covenant truly has nothing to do with us, the pastors, the core team, no one. It is all about God. He is doing this work. He is bringing about change, hope, life, where there was once none. We can’t do that. Only God can. What a blessing to be a part of all He is doing among us.
I remember being astonished at how God has put together just the right people, the right leaders, with the right talents and abilities, at the right moment and given them the desire and heart to serve our church right when there was a need for it. Our church family is so gifted in so many ways, and so many in our church are so willing to share those gifts in service to our body.
Reflecting on God’s past work, His current work and dreaming of His future work in and among the people in our church family and those we have the privilege of loving and influencing makes me truly overwhelmed with gratitude, and causes me to shake my head a bit in disbelief as well, at the way God is able to use messed-up, broken, sinful people to build His kingdom and accomplish His purposes. He doesn’t have to use us. He can do this work any way He wants to. But He invites us in and gives us the chance to be part of the amazing redemption story He is writing in this world, including in our own little corner of Pearland. What sweet grace. Praise the Lord.
