8/15/2009

It’s been a busy month at the Power House in Baltimore, Maryland.

It started out Sunday with Morning Worship. Becky Savage brought the message during the service. The Beatitudes were the scriptural basis of the message.

We had several things happening immediately after the service. First, we had an area set up for those needing prayer. Earl headed up that activity and several people took advantage of the opportunity. In addition, Earl and Janet had brought a cake to celebrate our return from vacation so most people stayed after to fellowship and eat together. As this wound down Becky went with Tamara and Jenn for lunch and I spent some time counseling some folks.

During Kids’ Church we learned of Jesus’ calls to “Come and see” and “Come follow me.” The kids then made Bible School invitations to give to their friends and say “Come and see” and “Come follow me.”

Those who participated in the International Youth Forum and Spectacular took the lead in sharing at Evening Worship. We were able to hear the reports of what happened at these events and testimonies of the impact they had on people’s lives.

On Monday morning Becky, Damon, Sarah, and I distributed about 1300 fliers in the neighborhood inviting kids to Bible School. We had more fliers available but it was the hottest day of the year so far and after a couple of hours we we’d done all we could. When we got back to the church there were already two messages on the answering machine from people who wanted more information. The four of us finalized the plans for Tuesday’s lessons then went out to get some lunch.

That afternoon Becky and I made a trip to Staples to make all the copies we needed. That evening we were joined by Robert and his friend to assemble the packets for the kids and make some final arrangements at the church.

23 Kids gathered for Bible School on Tuesday morning. Though this number was lower than last year almost all the kids this year were coming to the church for the first time. Our theme for the day was “God Made Me.” Jenn (the University of Maryland School of Nursing student who had worked with the congregation during the last school year and who just graduated) brought in things to teach kids about the insides of their bodies while the rest of us helped kids see unique things on the outside (hair/eyes/fingerprints/height/etc.).

I got a call that afternoon from Diane. She was scheduled to bring her horses to Bible School on Wednesday but had two funerals to attend that day and couldn’t make it. She wondered if she could bring them on Thursday instead if she was up to it. We agreed that Thursday would work. Because of this we reworked all our plans for Wednesday’s activities then ran out to Staples again to get the necessary supplies. That evening Becky, Danny, and I went to Friendly’s for ice cream.

More kids came to Bible School on Wednesday. The theme for the day was “God Made the World.” We learned about diversity in creation then rotated the kids through four different learning centers to explore this. Afterward we set up for that afternoon’s NA meeting then Tamara and Becky went out to lunch.

That afternoon we worked on trying to figure out what to do on Thursday. We had our original plans but needed to be flexible not knowing for sure if the horses would come or not. Our original plans, though, also included some outdoor activities and rain was forecast for the entire day. We gathered a variety of activities and pieced them together.

Wednesday evening featured a concert in the park. This was coordinated through the Friends of Carroll Park under the leadership of Gloria. We were able to visit with a few people while there then stop by some homes afterward.

Even more kids came to Bible School on Thursday. The skies were clear. As we gathered Diane arrived with the horses. Our theme fell apart a bit but that was OK. We had indoor activities happening while groups of kids went outdoors to see the horses and ride on them as they were walked up and down the alley. Needless to say, this was quite a scene and it brought out many neighbors. Some other kids saw what was going on and joined Bible School for the rest of the week.

The company from whom we rent the moon bounce and obstacle course called Thursday afternoon. They wanted to see if they could set things up for us that afternoon instead of in the morning. We were more than happy to have them come early and slept a little better that night knowing things were in place for morning. Five kids who hadn’t yet been to Bible School stopped by the church while it was being set up to find out when they could come.

By Friday the size of Bible School had nearly doubled from Tuesday’s attendance. It was our day to try to live out the principles learned all week through playing together. The kids got along well and played on the equipment, built with Legos, colored pictures, played games, and had snacks together. They all settled down for a couple of closing songs and a blessing.

While this was happening Delatha stopped by. She’d been a part of Bible School a couple of years ago and wanted to see how things were going this year. It was good to touch base with her again.

Part of what made Bible School go so well this year was the quality and quantity of staffing. Besides the nurse and the people with the horses, Tamara, Robert, Damon, Crystal, Vonceil, Gloria, Jenn, Becky, Kathy, Earl, Janet, Patricia, and Sarah worked at making this event happen.

As soon as the last kid was out the door the staff began to scatter. Sarah, Damon, and Crystal headed out to the Mission Center Beach Retreat. Tamara and Jenn headed to North Carolina for a wedding. Earl and Janet went back to Silver Spring and Kathy went home to Harford County.

Becky and I went downtown to Mercy Hospital to visit Gloria. She’d had back surgery on Thursday morning so we were able to see how she was doing. Becky flew back to Kansas City later that afternoon.

Friday night brought Pizza Church. Robert and I had small but good groups for the first two sessions. No one came for the senior high group. This was due in part to some of the kids being at the Beach Retreat.

I got a call from Marjorie on Saturday morning. This was the first time that both of us had been in town at the same time for several weeks. We were able to update each other on some details about plans for fall.

I got over to the hospital to see Gloria that afternoon. She was doing noticeably better.

Looking ahead to next week we have our regular schedule of activities. In addition, with the last of our summer activities behind us we’ll be focusing on solidifying our early fall activities and projecting out some things for the end of the year. Main priorities for the week’s planning time include working on our school supply drive and lesson planning for our revamped Kids’ Church program. Our monthly Sundae Church is scheduled for next Saturday evening.

Along with the individuals and activities mentioned, please keep the following families in the forefront of your prayers:

The Brunson Family
The Haddaway Family
The Bledsoe Family
The Brandford Family
The Davis Family
The Gardner Family
The Zigleski Family
The Stanley Family

Thank you for your continued prayer support.

Jeff and everyone at
The Power House
“Building the Kingdom of God Here and Now” PowerHouseMD@Juno.com www.pigtownchurch.org