Dear Church,
We have an opportunity to show relentless love to and through the people of Catalyst Church in Jacksonville, NC. As you know, their region was recently devastated by Hurricane Florence. After experiencing Hurricane Harvey as a pastor and leader, I empathize with my good friend Jason Brinker, Pastor at Catalyst Church. The church is unique in that it is made up of young families, mostly Marines. In the case of Catalyst Church, many families have one spouse deployed while the other spouse is left at home to deal with the storm impact on their own. I love that Catalyst Church mobilized quickly and has become a beacon of help and hope in the region even in the midst of their own loss. We will be taking up a “one day” offering, above and beyond our normal giving, this Sunday to help them help people. To learn more of the story watch this short video. You can actually give online to help now by giving here.
Of course, your normal giving to our church has fueled Southern Baptist Disaster Relief initiatives in that region whether you know it or not. 8% of everything you give to our budget goes to the Cooperative Program of the SBC fueling mission endeavors all over the world and disaster relief in situations like this one. Thanks for your generous spirit and worship to God through your giving.
This weekend we look forward to gathering for worship and LifeGroups. The experience of being all together with our eyes fixed on Jesus is a great encouragement, filling me with hope. We will study Colossians 2:6-15 as we continue our series called “Walk in Him.” If you are able to attend the 11:00 worship service, making room for others in our 9:30 service, this would help tremendously. In order to continue reaching people this semester we need to open more seats at 9:30. The simplest way to do that is for some attending at 9:30 to begin attending the 11:00 worship service. Thanks in advance for making adjustments to reach people for Christ.
We can’t wait to be together Sunday. Have a good end to your week.
You are loved,
Pastor Brian