I’m so glad to be bringing you a good report of the activities of Continuum Church’s first birthday! We had high expectations for the weekend, but I have to say that things went even better than we had hoped.

Last Saturday a group of us met in the Kroger parking lot at 9:30 a.m. to divide into our teams for ServeFest. It was chilly, but sunny, and we knew it would warm up later on. While in the parking lot we were approached twice by people who wanted to know what we were doing standing around in such a big group!

We had five worksites that day: the homes of Betty T., Diane D., Anthony D., Christine H. and Gayle H.. Each site had totally different tasks to be done, required different kinds of tools, and would take different amount of time. I had originally thought we could be finished with everything by 12 noon, but that didn’t turn out to be the case. Everyone stayed for as long as they could, and we finished almost everything we’d set out to do. On the follow up surveys, the top responses for “favorite part of the event” were the reactions from the homeowners, and the opportunity to serve with other Continuum people. I know that as God continues to grow our congregation, these service projects will be an integral part of building community. Nothing brings people together like hard work!

Here are some before and after shots of cleaning out a wild tangle of brush in the parking area behind Ms. Christine’s house.

Brush tangle: Before

That team faced huge bushes, a wire fence tangled up in the bushes, metal poles sunk deep in the ground … and an infestation of spiders! But they did an amazing job …

Brush tangle: After

Ms. Christine had been gone all morning, but arrived home before the team left. She was overwhelmed with what they were able to accomplish and told them that area hadn’t been so clean since she was a little girl.

Sunday morning was just as good. We had several different elements in our service, including one of our members receiving her ministerial credentials, hearing from our district executive secretary, an interview between Adam and Kathryn Dove (one of our members), and communion. I loved all of it. I also had the opportunity to share about the ServeFest project the day before, but even more just about the mission of Continuum. Adam had set it up perfectly with what he shared right before I came up, and I was able to follow up by talking about why our work is so important and where we’re headed in the future.

Adam’s interview with Kathryn was moving. She came to Continuum from Adam and Jenna’s previous church, where she had grown up. She shared very openly about her journey of faith. Some of the language we use at Continuum, and the concepts we present, are different than what you might hear at other churches. Kathryn celebrated the opportunity to ask the hard questions and be OK with not knowing all the answers. She said that she shares her faith more than she ever has before because of what we’re learning together.

After church we had lunch together in Kathryn’s grandmother’s home. People stayed for hours, eating and talking and getting to know each other better. At one point, everyone gathered outside, and Adam, Jenna and I were called to the front. Wendell and Kathryn were holding big gift bags, and Wendell said some very nice things about the three of us and the work we’re doing. Apparently, it was also Pastor Appreciation Sunday! Can I just tell you how weird it was for me to be on the receiving end of that?! Surreal, but nice. The gift bags contained cards from everyone, and I’m overwhelmed by the kindness. I know that I’m doing what God has called me to do, so it doesn’t (usually) feel like a huge sacrifice or service to me. But it’s nice to know that what you do is appreciated.

There were many points during the weekend when I was amazed by what God has done here in the last year, and since I arrived in February. It’s been incredible, and yet I know it’s just the beginning. Thank you all for what you’ve done to make this possible. I wish you could all have been here to celebrate with us, because without you, it wouldn’t have happened.