Earlier today we ended another fascinating CLD Tier II here at Westbrook.  These two day sessions are basically continuing education workshops for our growing Christ – followers who have completed the initial CLD process.  Over the years we have brought in some phenomenal speakers and this recent offering was no exception.  Our topic was Kingdom Work and Social Justice and our speaker last night and this AM was Arloa Sutter.  Arloa is the Executive Director of Breakthrough Urban Ministries.  She is an amazingly sharp, articulate and brilliant woman.  Her heart for Justice Ministries and for Community outreach is contagious.  The people who were at this session were all inspired to think deeply of our place in this ministry.  Her words were simple… If you love Jesus you will love the poor and the down and out.  PERIOD!

How much deeper do you need to go than that?   Periodically we encounter people who have been at our place and they get all hyper spiritual and think they need more and deeper~  and we are not providing that for them. How sad for them!   They are the very people who don’t even come to these sessions.  This woman was a deep thinker, a deep teacher and a deep theologian.  Even more, she challenged everyone of us to the very core of our Christian walk to re-think these issues.  Thanks Arloa for taking us all to a closer seat with Christ!

Well tonight is going to be just a super night for a bunch of people who are serious about growing in the Lord at Westbrook. Tonight is our CLD Tier II practicum with Breakthrough Ministries in the city of Chicago.  We have been ministry partners with Breakthrough for the last bunch of years and I have been blessed to become acquainted with their Executive Director Arloa Sutter over the last year or so.  Tonight a huge group of us are heading into the city to experience the ministry of Breakthrough and then tomorrow morning Dr. Sutter will be with us at Westbrook to de-brief with our group about what it means to serve the poor and the needy.  I think this is going to be one EYE – OPENING event.  Not only will we experience ministry first hand, but we will also have the chance to process through it theologically and spiritually.  Please pray for all who will be a part of this CLD Tier II.  Then the rest of the weekend is filled with the other sessions of our Christian Life Development process.  What’s more we are in the final stages of translating all of these sessions into Spanish.  Here we grow again!

Well we are just minutes away from starting one of my favorite events of the year to celebrate the Diversity and cultural beauty of Westbrook Church.  We call it our International Feast.  On this night we ask everyone who will be attending to bring a dish from their country of heritage.  We set up our facility in sections and people can feast on whatever they like.  Any palette will be satisfied.  What’s more it brings our congregations together and allows us to enjoy the beauty of God’s church.  It really is what makes our Multi-Ethnic church so beautiful.  Top top it off we have an amazing Latino band opening up the event and Mr. Fischer (Daves dad) playing Polka music on his accordion!  I’ll post pics later!

Christie and I crossed an exciting milestone in our parenting this past Monday as did our oldest son Tyler.  We dropped Tyler off at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, MI for his freshmen year of college.  It was an exciting yet emotional day.  After arriving on campus, he had a sports physical (he’s playing soccer) picked up his new laptop (every incoming freshmen gets a new laptop) and his room key.  From there, we started adjusting furniture, carry in loads of stuff and helping his get adjusted.  The day was capped off with a really cool dedication service where Tyler and all of his new classmates were prayed over not only by parents by University President Joe Stowell.  It was very moving, and though I bit my lip a few times… I held it together.

Throughout the course of the day, I saw over and over again why we are so proud of Tyler.  He is a wonderfully talented, compassionate and gifted young man.  I think God has some great things in store for him.  As we drove off campus we felt a sense of peace that God would protect him and lead him to new heights in his life. We’ve already been missing him but Skype is an amazing way to stay connected.  I pray that when your time comes… you will have a similar wonderful experience.  Thank you Jesus!