Hey ladies, I wanted to tell you -- I had an incredible weekend! I know you will share in my joy.
Friday night was my first celebration rally as new sectional women's director for the Tampa area, A/G. I just took this position in January. Well, basically God tripled the attendance 10 fold...we were PACKED!!! And, the expectancy was so incredibly high. I couldn't believe everything God accomplished...it was unbelievable. I had a dance team called the remnant that did hip hop to open the service...then a college girl who is sort of a "Sara Groves" type singer did the special music...then the Remnant did the song, "I've Got So Much - For Every Mountain." OH MY GOSH...THE WHOLE PLACE WAS ON THEIR FEET GOING WILD!!! My church did the praise and worship. It rocked! Then our presbyter's wife preached...she is awesome...it was so anointed...her message was on "going through the fire." (My theme was, 'NIGHT OF FIRE') We had an incredible altar time. Well, get this, it was such a blowout, we had so many more people than we planned for -- my team had to run out and buy more food & drinks for the reception afterwards. Our presbyter told me they have NEVER had another meeting this big, ever, to his knowledge. (And he's been here 14 years.) I was pretty much on a cloud Fri. night. My assistant, Lindsay, took 50 pictures of the whole night...we are mailing it and the video to my district director. She's going to love it!!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so then this morning at our church we had Ron Maddux preaching, one of the greatest missionaries in the A/G. If he won't stir your heart, nothing will. It was so awesome. We had a fantastic service.
By Sunday night the people were tired. Larry knew, it was an exhausting weekend, from the Night of Fire, to the expectancy with Ron Maddux being here, and then the clocks being turned ahead. He had a feeling that Sun. night service would be down. People were just drained. Sure enough, it was. So, two minutes before service, he comes back to the worship team and says, "Guys, we've got a low attendance tonight. I'm going to do something radical. I want you to go out and get the place hoppin...do two praise songs, then I'm going to come to the pulpit and say, "Welcome everybody...we are so glad for your faithfulness tonight on this extremely exhausting (in a good way) weekend. You are the faithful of the faithful. Tonight, your pastor is going to do something very special for you, something we have never done. Some of you might think I'm crazy for this, but...get all your belongings, and please file out to your cars. I'm going to take everyone in the sanctuary to dinner...on the house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" People sat there stunned for a minute. They did not know what to think. The worship team filed out, got their stuff and left. People were like, "is this for real?" Then Larry says, "folks, this is real. Get your things, get in your cars and please follow me." Get this, he takes everyone in the sanctuary to pizza hut. The hostess there goes..."uhhhhhhhh you need to always call with a group this big..." They were sort of freaking on us there for a minute. Then they raced into action, got available seating for us and we ate dinner!!!!! Everyone absolutely loved it. They thought it was great. Larry said, "now make sure you tell all your friends you better never stay home from Sunday night, you just never know what Pastor is going to do!"
I must say, I am still recooperating from the Easter rush, and now this weekend...I'm ready for some sleep tonight. Hope you all had an incredible weekend.
Pr. Deanna, I can just feel the energy flowing through your words! I am so excited that your weekend was great. My weekend was great too. I had my heart's desire met. I started a young woman's study with "Every Young Woman's Battle" and I had 5 girls there . I had 2 tell me after that they were so glad that we were doing this because their questions were being answered about how God views sex. They also are going back to school and tell their friends . Yeah!!! When I am doing what God wants me to do I can just feel the blood pumping! also myt Dh started " To Dream Again" services were he is planting the vision to the people. He was so pumped when he came home. Isn't it great when you are in the center of God's plan.
Deanna - I had a senior pastor who would periodically invite the whole congregation over to his house on Sunday nights. It would momentarily freak out his wife, especially if he promised them something like pie when they didn't actually have pie in the house, but it always worked out. Some of my best memories from high school are the spontaneous parties at "Party Central' (aka the pastor's house!).
Ralinda - Your Bible study sounds awesome! I hope it continues to go well...
Well...my preaching went well yesterday. I was done by 11:30, but DH said that I went for a good 20 minutes. People said they could tell that I usually preach for people with a short attention span . But they officially all love me now because a.) I was done early, and b.) I cancelled the evening service. Our SP was still on vacation and had put the YP in charge of the evening, but she was 'flat on her back' sick in bed (Dr.'s orders!), so with the blessing of the board members who were there, we cancelled it and told them to enjoy the beautiful (72 degrees in the beginning of April in Minnesota - a very rare thing indeed!), LONG day with their families!! DH and I went out for appetizers after a long Sunday afternoon nap, and then saw "Ms. Congeniality 2."
This week I need to get everything ready for the new Kids' Ministry Team that I'm starting next Sunday. Keep it in your prayers...I really want it to be a success, and I believe that this may be the key in really getting the children's ministry off the ground at our church...
. But they officially all love me now because a.) I was done early, and b.) I cancelled the evening service. Our SP was still on vacation and had put the YP in charge of the evening, but she was 'flat on her back' sick in bed (Dr.'s orders!), so with the blessing of the board members who were there, we cancelled it and told them to enjoy the beautiful (72 degrees in the beginning of April in Minnesota - a very rare thing indeed!), LONG day with their families!! DH and I went out for appetizers after a long Sunday afternoon nap, and then saw "Ms. Congeniality 2." 
