Summer Rush
OK, I know we've been lax on updating this summer. I haven't heard a clamor of complaints, but I see your silent glare. I can feel your disappointment each time you check Life in the Big Potato or log in to your feed reader. I know that you have probably typed up dozens of complaint emails and almost sent them to us only to delete them before sending. You don't have to tell me, I know, and I'm sorry. We've tried to satiate our readers with lots of beautiful and cute pictures, but you can only eat frosting so long. At some point your mouth desires the soft buttery goodness of honest to goodness cake.
The last real ministry update was in May. Thanks for living off of frosting for so long. So here's the cake.
(There's a lot to tell. To keep it brief I'm just going to string a lot of random paragraphs together without contrived segues.)
Pastor Gary is living with a family in the church and working on getting a house built. His wife, Cindy, is still living in Atlanta trying to sell their house. Pray for Gary. His sermons can be found on the church website at www.northstarchurch.us/sermons. He's been preaching messages about loving our neighbor by loving the people in our lives and ultimately loving and impacting the culture around us. His preaching has gathered a lot of attention from some local Christians. Many are being encouraged by his willingness to boldly confront the sin of our culture and the American church. He was even interviewed for an article in the local news paper.
You'll be hearing more about Gary's vision for NorthStar in the future, but one of the first things we are working on is an event that will get the whole church involved. It will be an event to attract Christian teens in the area and serve as a kickoff for a strategy of impacting families, schools, and the teen culture in North Idaho.
Next week is our VBS. Due to some donations from some wonderful churches including Salmon Valley Baptist Church in Salmon, ID and First Baptist Church, Houston, MS, we are set to board the Boomerang Express. We didn't decide to do VBS until after Gary had arrived. Thankfully a great lady in our church has stepped up to direct and is doing a great job.
Sunday I officiated my first wedding. A couple from our church got engaged in February and asked me to do the ceremony. We did marriage counseling and everything. The ceremony lasted 20 minutes. That is a precedence I'd like to maintain throughout my wedding career.
Laurel has learned several words and is starting to try to walk across the room. She's a year old now and learning new things everyday. We've moved her to a front facing car seat, and now whenever she's in the care she won't stop jabbering. I guess she's telling us where to go.
Tom, Gary and I have been kicked out of our offices. Our church sometimes has 8 babies in a nursery that was made for 3-4 babies. So Tom gave up his office for our new toddlers class that will be starting soon. Gary also gave up his office so that the pre-schoolers could have some more space and stay in the same building as thier parents. I am moving out too. My office will become a supply closet.
My new area of responsibility will be taking the lead with implementing small groups. I say new area as if I haven't been doing that before, but this will be my new area of emphasis with Gary leading the way. We want to have fully equipped leaders with groups that are ministering to each other and training each other to be engaged in the Great Commission.
As a father's day gift, I got to take a rock climbing class. I didn't know it, but we live near one of the best rock climbing parks in North Idaho. It was fun. Now if I only had about $500 to invest in climbing gear I would have a new hobby.
So I don't know if that string of thoughts gives you an idea of what's happening in North Idaho with the Sandersons. We are staying very busy, and when we are not busy we come up with things to do to take advantage of the great summers we have here.
Keep praying for us. We are excited about all that's happening at the church and can't wait to see what God will do.
The last real ministry update was in May. Thanks for living off of frosting for so long. So here's the cake.
(There's a lot to tell. To keep it brief I'm just going to string a lot of random paragraphs together without contrived segues.)
Pastor Gary is living with a family in the church and working on getting a house built. His wife, Cindy, is still living in Atlanta trying to sell their house. Pray for Gary. His sermons can be found on the church website at www.northstarchurch.us/sermons. He's been preaching messages about loving our neighbor by loving the people in our lives and ultimately loving and impacting the culture around us. His preaching has gathered a lot of attention from some local Christians. Many are being encouraged by his willingness to boldly confront the sin of our culture and the American church. He was even interviewed for an article in the local news paper.
You'll be hearing more about Gary's vision for NorthStar in the future, but one of the first things we are working on is an event that will get the whole church involved. It will be an event to attract Christian teens in the area and serve as a kickoff for a strategy of impacting families, schools, and the teen culture in North Idaho.
Next week is our VBS. Due to some donations from some wonderful churches including Salmon Valley Baptist Church in Salmon, ID and First Baptist Church, Houston, MS, we are set to board the Boomerang Express. We didn't decide to do VBS until after Gary had arrived. Thankfully a great lady in our church has stepped up to direct and is doing a great job.
Sunday I officiated my first wedding. A couple from our church got engaged in February and asked me to do the ceremony. We did marriage counseling and everything. The ceremony lasted 20 minutes. That is a precedence I'd like to maintain throughout my wedding career.
Laurel has learned several words and is starting to try to walk across the room. She's a year old now and learning new things everyday. We've moved her to a front facing car seat, and now whenever she's in the care she won't stop jabbering. I guess she's telling us where to go.
Tom, Gary and I have been kicked out of our offices. Our church sometimes has 8 babies in a nursery that was made for 3-4 babies. So Tom gave up his office for our new toddlers class that will be starting soon. Gary also gave up his office so that the pre-schoolers could have some more space and stay in the same building as thier parents. I am moving out too. My office will become a supply closet.
My new area of responsibility will be taking the lead with implementing small groups. I say new area as if I haven't been doing that before, but this will be my new area of emphasis with Gary leading the way. We want to have fully equipped leaders with groups that are ministering to each other and training each other to be engaged in the Great Commission.
As a father's day gift, I got to take a rock climbing class. I didn't know it, but we live near one of the best rock climbing parks in North Idaho. It was fun. Now if I only had about $500 to invest in climbing gear I would have a new hobby.
So I don't know if that string of thoughts gives you an idea of what's happening in North Idaho with the Sandersons. We are staying very busy, and when we are not busy we come up with things to do to take advantage of the great summers we have here.
Keep praying for us. We are excited about all that's happening at the church and can't wait to see what God will do.
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