What at summer!  KNOWING JESUS, SERVING JESUS, SHARING JESUS has been happening thanks to the power of the Spirit working through so many gifted volunteers and leaders week after week.   One thing that I have heard mentioned so many times is:

"How did we ever do it before we accomplished the LIFING HIGH THE CROSS expansion?"

Both the quality of ministry experiences and the quantity of people served and serving has greatly increased.  All have been blessed by more accessible and useable church grounds and buildings. 
 
This brings to mind the fact that we are in the homestretch of the 3 year capital campaign:  LIFTING HIGH THE CROSS.   Both long-time and newer members of Messiah have been faithful and generous in giving to this call by our gracious God to serve a growing community.  
 
We have chosen the month of August to focus on our determination to END STRONG and celebrate what God has accomplished through us. 
 
The funds giving to date have been used to do what we promised we would do through an efficient, beautiful, and useful expansion of our ministry facilities.
 
We have set Sunday December 6th as the culmination/ending date and celebration of the LIFTING HIGH THE CROSS campaign. 
 
St. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 8:10:

"On with it then, and finish the job!  Be eager to finish it as you were to plan it, and do it with what you now have.  If you are eager to give, God will accept you gift on the basis of what you have to give, not on what you don't have."

I give thanks to God for His vision, His faithfulness, His gifts
and for the RESPONSE of the people of God at Messiah.
 
In Christ's Service
Pastor John