The air conditioning was broken at the Veterans Park Community Center we rent for church, and after a sticky, sweaty hour and a half service at the beginning of July, we relocated to a living room for the next three weeks while the air conditioning was being fixed.

And while we’re excited to be back in our normal brown folding chairs this coming Sunday, August 2nd, it was such a sweet time of worship the past three weeks. About twenty five of us packed into the living room and kitchen to sit on an odd assortment couches, patio furniture, kitchen chairs, and bar stools in order to worship and pray together and to hear the Word of God taught.

What a special time those services were, in all their simplicity! And our hearts might have been tempted to say, "Isn't this better? Just the "core group" worshiping together in a more intimate space..."

But Pastor Daniel reminded us over and over that we aren't called to simply worship and be fed for ourselves. We have a mission from God in our city. And while the times of pulling back and refreshing ourselves in God are important, the weekly and daily presence we have in our city through our regular service times and regular lives lived out are essential too.

Church planting isn't just about being fed and gathering intimately and worshiping privately.

Church planting is...

...serving.

...giving.

...opening wide.

...reaching out.

...being consistent.

...living love out to those around you.

And while our little group of twenty-five might seem like it's too small to make a real impact, it's really not. Because even one person living their life open and reaching out in love can make a world of difference.

So each Sunday we are called to meet in the little community center by the Intercostal. We are called to sit on those familiar chairs and to put out the same signs and to preach the Word of God every single week, so that people know that we will be there when they need us…when they need to meet with Jesus.

And each week, we're called to go about our lives in a way that's seeking opportunities to serve and give and even speak the love of Jesus that has set us free, so that people will know that we will be there when they need us.

Church planting takes consistency.

Sacrificial consistency.

Loving consistency.

Open armed consistency.

May we find the strength in Jesus to be consistent in loving and serving and being where He has called us to be.