For some strange reason, I feel the Holy Spirit has been continually speaking these words to me recently: "Move the ball down the field."

It seems strange that He would speak a sports metaphor to ME, not a big sports person, but it's really helping me to stay focused! Along with the words, He has given me a picture as well.  The picture is of 'movement' within the church.  The idea of taking something from one place and moving it ahead in positive ways.

That is exactly what has been happening at our church recently! We are experiencing a lot of 'movement.'

Despite the summer church slump season, we've had many visitors every week and many have let me know that they've found a home at BHCC! We've probably grown by around 20 people in the last 3 months or so.  Amazing!  Especially for this time of year. And I LOVE these new family members already! It's so awesome how I feel such an instant spiritual bond with these people.  It's like welcoming missing family members HOME!

We are also excited to have a new roommate (office-mate?).  We've invited another church planter / pastor to use an office at our Mosaic Campus.  I personally would have loved it if someone had done the same for me when we first started.  I love being a blessing to this new friend and church!

We recently launched (commissioned) a brand new team at BHCC that we're calling our Outreach Team.  It's kind of like the Mission Team gave birth to another exciting team.  The Outreach team will be focusing on local acts of love and kindness to our community.  Their first big event will be to feed over 200 families at Phillips Village this September! Go God!

And we have re-launched our Mission Team as they have picked up new team members and are re-energized and re-focused! GO God!

We are also in the process of starting another team called the Special Events Team!  Exciting!

We have 6 brand new Kid's Sunday School teachers who will be starting this Fall. Go God!

We also may have a new admistrative office worker starting soon! :-)

We are planning a very special dinner and congregational meeting in September at the Green Lantern in Fairport!  This will be an awesome event in the life of our church!

This Fall we will be launching tons of new small groups!!!  I am thrilled to hear many exciting ideas for groups suggested recently.  One gal suggested we start a group for Hispanics who love to cook.  LOVE it!

We're also having a big meeting TONIGHT to talk and pray about a total relaunch of the Mosaic Cafe Friday Night Music Ministry! It's totally amazing how God has been bringing the right people at the right time to accomplish His goals!  God is soooo on the move at Blessed Hope CC!

So, together with GOD, we are SO moving the ball down the field for Jesus in amazing ways! We are co-workers with Christ, building a family of God like none other on the planet!!!

We've had many people commit their lives to Christ for the first time and still many other visitors who've let us know they are there seeking God but do not yet know Him personally.  Exciting!

Here is a great quote from C.S. Lewis on 'the movement of God.'

“An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting him to pray is also God; God, so to speak, inside him. But he also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God, that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him.

You see what is happening. God is the thing to which he is praying, the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing inside him which is pushing him on, the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal.

The whole threefold life of the three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary little bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers. The man is being caught up into the higher kind of life.”

Do you see what is happening here? God is on the move. He is working in the Christian’s life and moving in it, even if he doesn’t “feel” it.

And that is exactly how He works in His church as well! He is nudging people, He is bringing together more teams and reshaping the teams that He has here already. We may not feel or see all the 'results' of what He is doing yet, but God is clearly on the MOVE at BHCC! Exciting! Can't wait to see what He will do next!

Sometimes I feel like my biggest job is to simply watch and see what God is about to do next and then just try to support whatever HE'S doing.  I feel like I have like zero control over all of it.  That used to be a very hard thing for me to accept but I've learned to love it! I love it because it means it's truly all about God and not about ME!

I wish people could see the church from my viewpoint.  It's AMAZING!It's so totally supernatural!  I see God weaving and building and sowing and healing and growing all over the place! He's everywhere at once.

Often, I feel my biggest job is to stay out of His way! I don't always succeed but I try! :-)

I feel sorry for anyone who lives the 'me, me, me' life.  How boring!  If you want to see some supernatural, miraculous, mind-blowing kind of stuff, put Christ in the center of your life and then just wait and WATCH! Your eyes will be opened to things you had no idea were happening all the time!

God is on the MOVE!!!