Sunday Thoughts from Brad:

Dear AOX Family,

 

I wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out last Sunday for our family lunch and for the conversation we had about where we are headed as a church. My heart was encouraged by the way everyone showed up and by the conversation. 

 

For the last year, it has been our attempt to try to encourage people and equip them being more confident in their personal walk with  Jesus, making disciples, and the ability to facilitate or lead small groups. As we talked about this last week, the main goal for this is so that everyone gets to participate in God’s divine nature.

 

As we are trying to be intentional in this time in seeking the Lord together, here are three specific things that I would like to invite and encourage everyone in. 

 

1. Prayer - I believe it is really important for us to seek the Lord together in this season. For the next several weeks (at least), We will focus time on Sunday mornings at 10:30 on making space to pray together. I encourage you to come this Sunday, which is Pentecost Sunday to pray. For those of you who do not come on Sundays, I would still encourage you to find at least two other people that you can connect with to pray and seek the Lord. I am praying that our church would be strengthened, stretched and made ready for this next season. 

2. Connect - As we focus on developing vibrant discipling relationships, I am encouraging everyone to find at least 2 other people that you could engage with about what it would look like to follow Jesus together. We believe that this step is important as we ask God to guide us in seeing new simple churches form. 

3. Read Red Moon Rising Together - I’m committed to reading Red Moon Rising over the second half of June and the month of July with anyone who would like to join. This book is full of stories of different ways that God has worked as people have given themselves to following him in the lifestyle of prayer and mission. These testimonies have consistently encouraged my heart. If you are interested in being a part of reading this book, please contact Katy Westra by Friday - we will get them ordered and contact everyone about finding the best times to meet up.

 

My heart is filled with hope and encouragement as we seek the Lord for clarity in the way that we can follow Jesus together as individuals and families, as small groups and as a whole. Looking forward to seeing what God will do. 

 

Love and blessings, 

Brad

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Sunday's conversation can be listened to here.