I am so excited. My baby (who is 15, but who has never gone away from home like this) has gone on a trip with others from my church without me--an evangelism trip for four days. I was "supposed" to go and that changed at the last moment...my car is there, my baby is there, but I am home praying--which is RIGHT what I am supposed to be doing!

Isn't it amazing that about 16 people--mostly 17-20 years of age--from Cool Community Church are willing to take four days of their time to go to an evangelism conference and to go to the "unknown parts" to share their faith with others? Astonishing! God is at work!

And these folks are representative of others in our midst.

You see, even though we are without a pastor, ministry marches onward. God is at work in His people at Cool Community Church--even while we don't have a pastor. :-) I am excited that in spite of lacking a lead pastor, people are stepping up to the plate and listening to the ultimate "lead pastor"--our Chief Shepherd and Overseer, Jesus!

AWANA has gotten off to a great start. There are classes for all ages going on during the hour before church. Neighborhood Fellowship groups have been launched and most are focusing on the material "Live Like You Were Dying." A morning women's bible study has begun with an incredibly good turnout as we focus on simplifying our lives (ironic, really!).

Other ministries continue to move forward, too. For instance, the "Cool Gathering" food distribution is reaching out to more people and families than ever to date! We have an incredible Christmas Tea planned for early in December and even tonight there is a Harvest Event going on at the church with a cake walk and candy hand-outs. God's people are gathering and reaching out to one another and to the community!

While I don't think it wise to point at "works" as indicative necesssarily of the health of a church, what it does say to me in our case is that we aren't going to sit on the sidelines and just wait passively for the Lord to bring us a pastor to ignite in us a desire to be involved in the world and in one another's lives. That is pretty cool. We are getting in the game and actively waiting, instead. We are doing life. We are growing and learning and serving and loving.

It has been my prayer that, just as the Lord is forming and shaping HIS gift for us--His man as our lead pastor--that he will also form and shape us. I am praying that we will allow Him to change us from the inside out so that when it is HIS time for HIS man to join us, we will be as a gift to the new pastor as well.

In the meantime (and beyond)...Ministry Marches On! For the Name and Sake of Christ and all the people He came to the earth to love and to whom He gives His life!