Blossoming Friendships
By Sally Bland --
God moves in miraculous ways! During this pandemic we have seen God continue to draw people closer to Him by freeing up our time and breaking down the walls and distractions in our lives. One of the opportunities God put before us was to reach out to the families living in the Habitat for Humanity homes adjacent to our church property through a weekly ministry known as the Fun Wagon! We know families, and especially children, are struggling with the loss of social interaction and the lack of summer activities. The Fun Wagon let us show love to those families throughout the summer. Every week we brought toys and goodies for the families allowing us to build relationships as we got to know them. You know what? It worked! This week we held an end of the summer celebration with the Habitat families, and they were excited to be in community with us! It was the first time we invited them to join us at GPBC, and they came! During the event we were able to laugh and share with one another, building on our blossoming friendships!
As we look at the new school year, families are facing online distance learning until at least November. We know the continued social isolation and loss of activities will be difficult for children, and the added stress of trying to learn through a computer screen can cause many students to struggle academically. God is giving us another opportunity to reach out and draw our community in by demonstrating His love and care for their needs. Starting in September we will be offering a Homework Club and an Art Club for Habitat for Humanity and GPBC families! Starting September 23, students (pre-K–12th) and parents can come to the Homework Club every Wednesday, 4:30–6:00pm, for help with their schoolwork. The Art Club (5th–Adult) will meet on Tuesdays, 3:00–4:30pm, starting September 29. Ruth Miller will lead 4 weeks of engaging art projects to explore our creative side. Additional details for both the Homework Club and the Art Club will be emailed next week. We pray these clubs will allow GPBC families to continue to reach our community and help them see Jesus!
One of the most difficult results of the pandemic has been the loss of church community. Meeting in person is so vital to our spiritual health. That is why Paul in Hebrews 10:24-25 says this to the church:
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
I am SOOOOO excited that starting on Sunday, September 13, we will be meeting in-person, together once again! We will have two services—9:00am and 11:00am. Youth ministry and children’s ministry programs will meet during the 11:00am service. I look forward to worshiping our glorious Lord together. You will receive more information via email this Sunday with details on how to register for each service. I pray God will continue to help us build relationships with our neighbors, so we can invite them to join us on Sunday mornings. See you soon!