Wow… As I write this blog, I’m still amazed at how good God is. Yesterday was a great day for a minister. It was one of those days when I was reminded of why I do what I do. And God has a great way of reminding you when you most need it.
It all started off by a great worship time. All three services were pretty well attended. I had some great conversations with people (both new and regular attenders). I was able to connect with some students and even hang out a bit after church. I then had lunch with the staff and leadership team. We talked with a man who is being considered for our worship-arts minister position. After that, we had a baptism service. This was the first time RCC has had an “official” time set aside for this. It seemed to go great. Many people who have been thinking about it for a while were spurred to take that step because they knew they were not alone in doing so. In the end, 8 people were baptised (5 adults and 3 students)! It was an awesome event to be a part of. This was the first time I’ve been a part of something like this at a church. I’ve seen “baptism services” at church camps and the like, but nothing at a church. Words cannot describe how amazing it was. Everyone had a different story…a different road that led them to God. Their testimonies were woven together in one big story of God’s amazing grace. After this great service, I had Youth Group with the students. The middle school students are really starting to get more excited and they continue to invite their friends. The high schoolers are great, and many of them are growing, but a lot of them still struggle with their priorities. After a really fun time with the students, one of my middle school students tells me he is thinking about baptism. His mom was baptized earlier that day, and it really hit him that now is the time to make that step himself. I then had an awesome time talking with a group of high school students who are working on a production based on Ecclesiastes. I am really looking forward to what they come up with in the end, especially because I am not very creative in the arts at all, but I’m so impressed with those who are. I took two of the boys home, and ate dinner with one of them. It was a nice end to the evening…getting to relax and chat with one of our emerging leaders in the youth group.
Needless to say, after a short conversation with my fiance about wedding invitations, I crashed on the couch. God is amazing, but He sure wears me out sometimes!
Steve Cullum 