While I sit here and look at the snow piling up on the deck (again) I’m going over everything that’s gone on since my last post. So much has been taking place inside of me and all around me during the “Divine Experiment”. Here are just a few of the highlights that I will hopefully come back to in future posts:
1.) It was refreshing…like getting saved all over again. I dealt with so much junk that has been going on in me, my home and my ministry, that it is like a whole new me. God’s grace is so wonderful! At the same time I am so intensely aware of areas of my life that God is working on that I feel drawn to going through the process all over again.
2.) It was revolutionary…seven churches coming together daily for prayer. Testimonies of what God has done are continuing to come in. Healings, employment, deliverance, family restorations…awesome stuff. Now we are transitioning to weekly prayer times to keep the united nature of this movement going, and looking to invite other churches to join in.
3.) It was renovative…God took my plans and dreams and began to dismantle them so He could give me clearer vision for my life, family, ministry and church. As a result, our ministry team has a new focus. In May we will kick off a new service designed specifically for the un-churched within our community; not a program but a real mission.
4.) It was real…not just a “let’s pray” meeting but a “let’s get together with God and see what He does” encounter.
In addition to the awesome experiences of the experiment, there are so many other things taking place with the folks at Tenth Avenue CoG, and the community around us:
1.) Our youthdepartment is growing rapidly…and the community is responding. We are looking at sending several youth to Winterfest for the first time in six years. We are also hoping to send as many kids as possible from the neighborhood to youth camp, and our STAND OUT drama/dance team is beginning to move out from behind the church walls.
2.) While most churches in our area are showing declining finances our church is doing the best financially that is has done in at least five years…not yet enough to increase our payroll, but we are getting close. There is increasing momentum toward ministry.
3.) The Federal Weed and Seed program is moving forward. I met with the local director and one sub-committee today. 25 agencies and organizations came together to begin a network for supporting community improvement. A week from tomorrow I will have my first meeting as a part of the steering/oversight committee. $1 Million to help us turn the tide in the “war” on drugs…which isn’t anything like what Nancy Reagan used to tell us.
All in all there is an expectancy in the air. Something is shifting, and I’m shifting with it. The very atmosphere is changing and I’m getting so excited! I’m like a 5 year old on Christmas morning!
God is just so…wow…awesome!
Darrell Buttram, Jr.
