Just a quick post to commend the body at PBF for your work of faith and labor of love so obviously on display of late. I’ve been moved to think many times over the last few weeks, “I love this church.”
Clearly, we are in the middle of a huge transition with our move to the new property. Our members have given generously of their time to serve in a variety of ways. The property steering team has contributed countless hours to the cause. In the last few weeks, more and more people have been needed to accomplish various tasks—packing different parts of the church, meeting with contractors/service providers/utility companies, pulling up church signs, etc. Of course, the bulk of the work of moving is still ahead of us and we need as many hands as possible, but the work that has already been done is enormous. People have taken off work early or taken off entirely to do tasks that need to be done. I’ve talked to several people who have taken vacation days for next week so that they can be at the new property helping set it up. They are doing this because they believe in Jesus Christ and in what we are doing as a body to know Him and make Him known.
With all this transition going on and the time it takes to do it, we have SEVEN individuals currently going through the arduous task of being trained to be biblical counselors. We put out a call last Fall, stating that we were in dire need of help in the counseling ministry. These people answered…and they are reading, writing, and studying while ministering in a host of other ways, including helping with the transition. They are doing this because they love the members of this body.
Additionally, in the midst of the chaos, PBF contributed 112 bags of shoes (2,800 pairs) to the Orphan Care Shoe Drive. While we were stockpiling boxes for the move, we were also stockpiling shoes to raise funds to help bring another orphan home. Numerous people gave their time to bag these shoes, transport them, and prepare them for pickup. Four people showed up in the rain on Tuesday morning to load the moving van that carted them all away. They did this because they love the gospel.
This week, one of our families had a close family member pass away. We asked for and received the honor of providing the funeral meal for the family. This came during the first of two weeks of great upheaval as we approach our last week at Cox Road and prepare for our first at Summerhill Drive. Everyone is busy. However, you never would have known that by how quickly all the slots were taken to provide crockpot meals, salads, drinks, and desserts for this grieving family. It was as if our people were waiting by their computers just anticipating an email about an opportunity to serve. I heard from some who were disappointed that they weren’t quick enough to get one of the slots (and you had to be QUICK to get one). “How else can I minister to the family?” they asked. Members of the body loving members of the body.
These evidences of grace and many others fill me with great affection for you and for the Lord Jesus at work in you.
Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing… But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more… (1 Thess. 4:9-10)
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