Like Never Before

So I’m 33 years old. I look younger, which doesn’t really have any advantages at this point. I’ve been a part or a church staff for 12 years, and have been around ministry for a long time. I’ve had the opportunity to be around great leaders and great ministry, but I have never seen it quite like this.

Over the last 10 years we have thought that people are more open to receiving the kindness of God, like September 11th or the financial collapse last year. But sitting at my desk with my view of the world this season is one like never before. Maybe it’s the flood relief we have all been involved in for NW Atlanta, maybe it’s the unemployment rate, I’m not sure. Every day at West Ridge we see families who have lost everything financially, emotionally, spiritually and physically, and they are coming to the church for help. There is no longer a high level of cynicism when we go out into our community. There is an extraordinary amount of people ready to listen to what God has for their life.

This is only possible when Christ-followers get involved and invite other friends from the community to do that as well. I can’t put a finger on what is happening, but I plan to share how we are leveraging this season to expand the kingdom.

Here are a couple of examples of what we have coming in the days ahead.

• We will provide food and toys for over 1500 families at Christmas including 400+ families impacted by recent flooding
• We will serve four-five dozen special needs families with a strategically placed Christmas respite event
• We will send a family to Africa to continue to help us engage Burkina Faso in the areas of water and education
• We will begin to unveil some of the rebuilding work that we and other churches have been called into for flood victims around NW Atlanta

I hope you will join with us in this. I think we are on the edge of seeing lives, communities, and countries transformed like never before.

Everyone Belongs,

Paul