Vacation Bible School has been absolutely great this week!  Soooo many kids are taking part but equally exciting is the number of adults who are plugged in and investing in the lives of these children!  Many of you are zipping over here from work and gulping down supper in the fellowship hall before pouring into the lives of the kids and God is blessing your efforts!  Last night (Wednesday) was incredible in hearing the joy in the worship rally and to know that each child had heard the Gospel and that seeds had been planted all night long!  God will bring much growth in the days and even years ahead as these seeds are planted this week!  Great job Jason and to all who are serving so diligently!

We are about to send our seventh team to the Philippines in just over a week so be sure to pray for them as they prepare to leave.  The week of departure can be a busy, emotional, and stressful week so please lift up this team in prayer consistently before they even leave the U.S. 

I have been reading a book on mentoring by Howard Hendricks and cannot help but wonder what God could do if the majority of people in Christian circles today sought to pour themselves specifically into the lives of one or two others, as Paul did with Timothy.  It seems that our lives are so segmented and isolated from others when, in reality, they should be open and shared with those around us . . . especially with one or two others that we seek to impact and benefit through our lives and efforts.  It has been said that we each need a Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy in our lives . . . a Paul who pours into us and mentors us, a Barnabas who walks with us to encourage us, and a Timothy that we are seeking to impact and influence as we mentor them.  So guys, do you have a Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy in your life?  Are there other men in your life who are filling these vital relationships for you?  Ladies, what about you?  Do you have other women in your life who are filling these relationships for you?  If not, what's preventing that from happening and have you asked God to help?

I look forward to seeing you the rest of the week during VBS and also again on Sunday!  God is at work here and I encourage you to be "on the field" instead of "on the sideline" because Jesus didn't do all that He has done for us to be mere spectators!  Have a great week and I'll see you on Sunday!

Pastor Brooks