THERE’S LOTS OF EXCITEMENT going on these days at Elevation North! And we cannot thank God enough for leading us to this place and time in the life of our church! What an amazing God we serve ~ don’t you agree?! God has led us, carried us, walked with us, pushed us – and even given us a few challenging shoves along the way! But here we are … moving into the site of our new “home”! We have dreamed of this day, prayed for it, and now with God’s incredible help, we have walked into it! We are so excited about having a place that is “ours” for worship and praise and fellowship and study! We are CELEBRATING, to say the least! What is really unique is that the building we have moved into has been known as “Celebrations”! Doesn’t God have an awesome sense of having a little fun with us and letting us know that we can ”keep on celebrating” ~ by the previous name on the door? And celebrate … we will! For the past few years, each Saturday night or early Sunday morning, we have filled our vehicle to the brim with a variety of things needed to make our rented town hall location look as much like a church as possible! And off we’d go – ready to unload it all and start setting things up. Things like the sound system, the keyboard, the laptop computer and projector for PowerPoint, all the electrical cords, the weekly literature, the Communion trays, and anything else we happened to need on that particular Sunday. Then I would walk around our home and grab this floral basket and that garland of greenery, this cross to hang on the wall, and that banner to go with the cross … until I was satisfied that we had everything we wanted for the weekly transformation! Eventually, we were able to store some of our larger items there, like the stands and speakers, the small tables we used for this and that, and totes filled with lots of toys and fun things for the little ones in the nursery. There was a tote filled with a coffeemaker and all the fixings to make coffee with. We had a tote filled with kitchen paper supplies. And on and on and on! On the weeks that we enjoyed a special church meal, we even packed dishes and tablecloths and food and beverage coolers. Each week as we drove our overflowing Pilot to church, we held hands and prayed that the Lord God Almighty would anoint and bless and meet us as we gathered together. Then we thanked Him …and trusted. Arriving, with arms loaded down, we’d make as many trips into the town hall as needed – and things began to take shape. Chairs were set up, and everything we had hauled out there was put into place … and suddenly, Elevation North took form! It was amazing how even in the setting up, we sensed God’s presence in that place! People began to enter the doors … but in earlier days, some Sundays there were not many who came. And to be honest there were just a few times that we actually wondered what we were doing! But deep inside, the answer echoed resoundingly from our hearts! We knew! The clear calling to birth the church never dimmed, and when the way seemed slow, God seemed to be telling us to just hang on and be faithful – and He would do the rest. So we did … and He did! Week after week, month after month. In the heat of the summer – and in the freezing cold of the winter. But it was always so worth any extra time or effort that it took! For God met us! He had been there before we carried everything in … and now He stayed with us the entire time we worshipped Him and He so graciously received our worship. He walked in our midst and touched so many of us with special needs. We were healed, provided for, freed, changed … and you name it – He did it! How we have loved asking, claiming, and receiving from our Father in Heaven! Following the final “Amen” … the packing up process began so we could take it all home again – just to bring it back again the next week. Everyone pitched in and helped tear down and load our Pilot to the brim again! If ever all of that got tiring – and sometimes it did … we would just remind ourselves that we were doing it all for Jesus … and that always made everything alright! There were times in our search for a building that we began to wonder “where in the world” was the place that God had planned for us? It seemed to evade us time and time again. But God’s timing is always impeccable! And this summer, Elevation North began to blossom and flourish. God was preparing us for a new season … for the next chapter in His Kingdom work. Then, He opened the doors for us to obtain the rental lease for the building called “Celebrations” … and we all jumped in to begin the cleaning and painting and rearranging. It just needs some tender, loving care – and in time, it will only faintly resemble what it once was. Like the building, we likewise, are getting new life breathed into us, and we can hardly wait to see what God is up to! We are totally excited and thrilled that we get to experience God at work amongst us as we passionately reach out beyond the walls of our new site! And we are so blessed to have each of you on this amazing journey with us! Thanks be to our Lord God, who reigns Supreme! Let’s CELEBRATE, dear people of God!
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
IN A NUTSHELL . . .
- HOW WE LOVE coming together each Sunday as a family of God, believing His Word and making ourselves available for His work in this world! Of all the days of the week, the Lord’s Day is our most anticipated and celebrated! A special thanks to our women who shared their testimonies from Women of Faith last Sunday!
- LOOKING AHEAD ...
- THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30TH: 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE at our NEW LOCATION: 217 Main Street in Medford! And what a special time this promises to be as Pastor Doug will be speaking on the topic, “Victory or Defeat: My Choice”! So what does God’s Word have to say about choosing “victory”? Let’s discover the truths He has for us in this area of our lives! Think of someone you can call to come along with you!
- FOLLOWING WORSHIP, our youth will be heading out with Matthias to go PAINT-BALLING out in the country! Bring money for your lunch and for the $5 cost! Plan on a great time out in the fresh air!
- WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND, 6:00 P.M. – FELLOWSHIP & WORK-NIGHT at the church! Come and get to know your church family better while helping with the projects at the new location! The sooner we accomplish some of this work, the sooner we can implement our Sunday School ministry, as well as others that are pending.
We appreciate everyone’s help, both time-wise and for items and supplies needed! We’re making it fun!!!
- SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 10:30 A.M. – ‘’ACTS OF KINDNESS” PROJECT – we will be cleaning yards for senior citizens in the Medford area. An early lunch will be provided for us at the UCC Church in town before we start working. Our youth would love to have as many additional helpers as possible – so let Pastor Doug know if you are planning to join us for a few hours!
- CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS back one hour when you go to bed on Saturday evening, as the time change begins early on Sunday morning, November 6th!
- NEXT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH: 10:00 A.M. – WORSHIP & PRAISE/SPECIAL CELEBRATION as we make our presence known in our new community! Everyone is encouraged to invite those you know who do not have a church home! Pastor Doug will be preaching an exciting message titled, “I’m Going Fishing”, taken from the Gospels.
- PRAYER OPPORTUNITIES . . .
- SEEING GOD AT WORK goes hand in hand with the time we spend in prayer! How we love getting on board with what God promises He will do if we seek His face and take Him at His Word! This week, let’s be in special prayer for God’s healing touch for Jimmy, Gerard, Elsie, Kay, Pam’s dad, Larry & Gloria, Lowell & Connie, and others. Let’s lift up Johnny & Cherry, Josh & Sarah, our children and youth, our families, those who serve our churches, our country, and our government. Remember, our God is on the Throne; He is never-failing!
- REMEMBER . . . A good motto to live by: “We ought to see the face of God every morning before we see the face of man.” ~ D.L. Moody
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
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