The "Buzz"

God seems to be really doing something remarkable in church lately.

It's hard to put a finger on it exactly but I keep feeling that we are in for a time of growth and fruitfulness we have never seen before.

There is an excitement in worship in the last few months-- perhaps a sense of engagement that has been lacking. It's like we are getting ready to go up a level in our experience of the presence of the Holy Spirit.

There has been some growth in numbers. To day I was surprised when I did a quick head count (not something I do often) and got to 29 with 7 regulars away.

People crowded into the close seats at the front of the church, instead of the comfy chairs further away. When people rush to the front rows, that's a sign of revival :) This actually prompted the head count because it felt like a bigger than normal crowd.

There is growing community. More and more we sense that we are family together, people want to hang out together whether it's to jam or play games or talk.

This afternoon, we had a "Cultivate" meeting. In one sense I was disappointed in that I envisaged this as an inter-church group and it seems only to be resonating with New Lifers. On the other hand, I am blown away by the number of people from our own church and the energy and creativity and commitment to mission and arts that they have. We planned a number of events that have the potential to impact the community in different ways, starting with Christmas and moving through next year. I'm excited at the non-traditional ways we have available to sharing the gospel with people in our town.

God is at work in our church. This is not hyped up, pastor-driven stuff. This is God!

The challenge for me is to work in partnership with God so that we are able to move in the flow and sustain what He is doing. Interesting times lie ahead!