Children in Worship -- Oct 6

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The Lord went ahead of them ... to give them light, so they could travel by day and night. Exodus 13:21b


Our job is to be attentive to his presence; to see what God is up to, to listen to his voice, to watch for his leading. And when we believe God is leading us, we respond. For the Israelites it meant traveling, because that's what God was calling them to. Sometimes God calls us to sit, sometimes to discern, sometimes to listen. 


Last Sunday we launched our Generations Campaign. After years of conversations, decisions, feedback, prayer and discernment, we moved forward. We shared the vision and the plans for building new buildings on our campus that will provide places of welcoming and transformation for our children, students and families, as well as bring us all together as the generations of our church. 


We also launched a new way of worshipping, especially in the morning services in the Sanctuary, with children first through sixth grade in worship for the first 25 minutes, and junior high and high school in worship the first Sunday of the month. 


There was a palpable energy in the room. At 8:45 we ran out of space and had to move closer. The high school worship band led a song at the offering and we spontaneously applauded. We ran out of bulletins at the 10:30 service. The choir sang a song with an african djembe drum. We saw a student's video story of following Jesus for the first time. There was a buzz on the patio after the services. 


At 6:45 a high school student came by himself and was welcomed by a family he was sitting near. He shared how he knows how great God--his sister encouraged him to go to Forest Home this last summer where he met God and now he's on a new journey of faith.


Someone said to me, "I really felt the spirit today in worship." 


I  believe God is leading us. Let's follow.


Christ as a light
illumine and guide me
Christ as a shield 
overshadow me
Christ under me
Christ over me
Christ beside me
on my left and my right...
from Morning Prayer of the Northumbria Community

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