Not Taken for Granted

“As they left, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.”  (Luke 17:14-16)

There are so many great things going on here at McKendree UMC that sometimes we either miss seeing them or we take them for granted.  In doing this, we’re like the nine lepers in the story from Luke 17 where ten were healed but only one returned to say “thank you.”  Yet, if we want to live up to Jesus’ challenge in that story, then we have to be intentional about naming things that we’re thankful for.

So with that in mind, let me remind you of six NEW things that have happened recently or are happening now in and through our church that I think we all need to “return and praise God” about (these are not in any particular order):

1) Between 2000-3000 who attended our recent “Extreme Trunk or Treat” event on October 27^th – from all indicators, this was the largest of these events our church has ever had, and it introduced us to many in our community who perhaps did not even know we existed!

2) Our new Online Streaming Ministry that’s allowing those who can’t make it to worship on Sunday because they are either sick, on vacation, homebound, on military deployment, or other reasons to experience an online version of our weekly worship services.

3) The work from this past year of our church’s Vision Team to preliminarily identify the next iteration of our church’s Vision -- “People. Doing Life Together. Connecting all through Christ” -- along with some initial thoughts about how we might better live into that calling.

4) Our new “18:20 Worship” service each Thursday evening at 7:00pm in the Fellowship Hall (still in “beta testing”), giving those who work on Sunday mornings a chance to worship in person weekly in a smaller, more intimate environment.

5) Our recent “Defying Gravity Clothing Drive”, collecting over 150 bags of goods (probably around 2000 items!) for the clothing closet ministry of Lawrenceville Co-Op.

6) Our upcoming new “Breakfast First” experience beginning November 17 at 8:30am in the Fellowship Hall, where all are welcome to enjoy a free breakfast and fellowship that day and every third Sunday of the month before 9:30 Worship.

Of course, these are just a few new things that I want to remind you about.  In addition, of course, there are also many things we continue to do excellently each and every week like Sunday worship, Wednesday night suppers and programming, our growing children’s and student ministries, various small group Bible and other studies, etc.

But taken together, they all constitute reasons for all of us to “give thanks” to God for His work through McKendree UMC!  Let’s not take that for granted!  Instead, “give praise and thanks to God” and live out your thankfulness by the way you participate and support God’s ministry here!  Remember, God loves you and I do, too!