Keep Pointing in Waterloo

The Clock is Ticking

Did you notice the countdown on the right side of the blog?  As I write this, there are 3 days, 23 hours, 27 minutes and 25 seconds until we have our first Waterloo Campus service!  Are you ready?

Pastor John wrote a post yesterday that you should read. Sending Out and Rising Up  This is a big step we're taking together.  Thank you for all the work that you have done to prepare and will do as we go forward. 

Let's Go!

Hey everyone

Can you believe in only 11 days we will hold our first service as the Waterloo Campus?

As you know, this coming weekend, 3 days from now, Pastor John and the elders will be commissioning us so make sure you are wearing your Waterloo t-shirts. Some of you have been praying and have recently made that commitment to the Waterloo Campus. If you have recently decided to join us or if you just haven’t got your t-shirt yet, pick it up at the Connection Desk during the day this week or during the services this weekend. I can’t wait to see all of us together this weekend!

How will this affect my kids?

Something that is a non-negotiable for Prairie Lakes Church is a totally rockin’ Children’s Ministry. We are committed to create a space where any kid can take steps toward God! (Possibly even turn out to be a superhero!) It doesn’t matter if it’s your kid or the neighbors, we want to make sure they have a safe and fun environment where they will know how to make wise choices, trust God no matter what and treat others the way they want to be treated. We want babies and grandbabies alike to know God loves them, God made them, and He wants to be their friend forever! We want to partner with you to see your children’s lives changed!

   

The next couple of weeks will be an exciting time for our Waterloo Children’s Ministry. Starting January 31st, our children will have services designed intentionally to acclimate them into how things are going to look and feel in Waterloo. This means that the 11:00 a.m. services are going to have a bit of a different feel to them than the other Cedar Falls services.

For starters, our dedicated Waterloo volunteers will begin building critical relationships with our kids, working alongside Cedar Falls volunteers in each wing of Wee Kids and Kidventure. This staffing arrangement will allow our Waterloo children to become familiar and comfortable with the faces that will be in Waterloo. For easy identification, all you need to do is look for the blue.

Waterloo volunteers will be styling their hip blue and black Waterloo t-shirts accessorized with bright blue lanyards. And additional blue rugs will be in Kidventure for our Waterloo kids. Also, you may have even noticed that your child’s nametag is now marked with a “W.” This will allow us to ensure that your child will be paired with a Waterloo leader.

As many of you may already know, we have recently had to start closing wings in all areas of our Children’s Ministry program. This is a great golden headache! God is blessing PLC with over 400+ kids each weekend. We are thrilled with this growth. However, with more kids coming, we are in need of more volunteers.

If you haven’t already made a commitment to serve somewhere, be sure to attend the VolunTOUR January 28th. We are looking for additional hands to make a Kingdom impact. If you know you are ready and do not want to wait until VOLUNTOUR, then just email me back at ron.phares@prairielakeschurch.org.

It takes a small army to keep our Children’s services at the level we expect here at PLC, that will not change going to Waterloo, but I can assure you that there is no greater reward than partnering with God to see children step over the faith-line!

Prayer Alert: The first door was opened!

I cannot thank you enough for your support and prayers!  I heard back this morning from the leadership team of the potential site and they have decided to take another step with us.  They will call a vote for January 31 (the same day we start up in the Chapel!) to enter into negotiations or not.

So, what next?  Keep pointing and praying!  Whether God has this site for us or another, we need to keep pointing people toward Him and we need to fervently pray to be disturbed about Waterloo!  Praise God for this next step and all of you very disturbed people!

-Ron

Pray: Open Doors

I don't know if it is because I think everyone else is always so busy or that they have their own thinks to pray about, but I have neglected to ask for specific and intentional weekly prayer from the church.  For this I apologize.  But today is a new day and so I am asking now that you would join me in prayer for God's glory in Waterloo...

Pray specifically for a very important meeting tonight at 7:30.  This is a critical next step toward a location in Waterloo.  Ask for favor from God and among the men and women who make this decision.  Beg God to open a door and give us a plce to meet and worship Him in Waterloo.  If it is His will, ask for March!!!

Praying alongside you,

Ron

A Fresh Start

 

For many this will be your first week back after the Christmas break. If you were like me and had to scrape ice from the inside and outside of the car this morning so that you could take your kid to school or get to work you may have had a similar thought, “So this is the New Year!” And then the -12 ^oF said, "Yep".

One thing I have learned about growing up with the Midwest winter: It's always cold, but it's always a fresh start. It's too dang cold for anything else to survive here! So I challenge you to look out of the tiny little hole you made on the windshield to drive to work today and start thinking about a fresh start for a whole new year ahead of you.

If you started fresh today, what would be different? What steps do you need to take to get there? Who do you need to talk with to find support? Who are the people around you that would be different/changed if you followed through with this decision?