Ordination

After 4 years of seminary and 6+ months that featured 5 exams (each coming in 3 different forms), 3 submitted papers, 2 trips to L.A. and a sermon to boot, I finished the ordination process this past weekend here in Las Vegas. On September 25th we hosted a college of pastors from the Las Vegas and Las Angeles areas (the Pacific presbytery). They are the ones who oversaw my ordination process. Above you can see Rick Schaeffer (another pastor in our presbytery) reading from the Scriptures my charge as a pastor. What followed was my being surrounded by a group of pastors from L.A. and Las Vegas as they laid hands on me and prayed over me as I was ordained as a minister of the gospel, serving with City-Wide Redeemer. At the end I was delighted to have this group of pastors committed to me (and I to them) as a "band of brothers," with one heart to minister to the people God has placed in our midst. A few hours later I got to celebrate the wedding of a couple from our church at a beautiful estate on the outskirts of town. No I wasn't DJing or even officiating (though I can do that now) - just a guest. It was a relaxing end to a big day and I'm glad I was able to share it with my new friends.

Gathering

The theme for our Missional Community this fall is "Gathering." Part of that is gathering people. That's hard to do, though, if you don't meet them first. Recently I've had some very encouraging conversations with people I've met through Meetup groups. These are groups that gather people from around Las Vegas who have common interests or are in a similar life stage (the picture above is from a mini-golf outing with one of these groups). Most of these people are new to Vegas, looking for new friends, and hoping to find a community where they feel at home - a few have even voiced interest in what I'm doing as a church planter. I've also found that I meet someone new every time I go play disc golf at a local park, go watch a Husker game with the Alumni association, or go out to Karaoke "Sweet Caroline" with folks I know from my Improv class. I've been encouraging others in our MC to consider their everyday experiences as chances to meet and connect with people that might one day be a part of the church we're wanting to plant in this part of town.

"Gathering" also means gathering food. We're pursing the possibility of adopting a local Title I (economically disadvantaged) elementary school. One school in particular has over 130 students who qualify for food assistance through a local charity. 30 of them are refugees. A number of them are homeless. But, since the donations are shared among over 200 schools in the district, there is only enough food for less than half of these children to receive their weekly "backpacks" of food that allow them to eat over the weekends. One woman in our MC is a teacher who regularly sees the effect this has on her students. While further donations would be spread out among all 200+ schools, we believe that gap can be made up by local communities "adopting" their neighborhood schools to fill that gap. We're attempting to start the ball rolling here in the Paradise community in the next few weeks.

"We Are Family"

A month ago my mother (pictured on right) and aunt came to visit from Nebraska. It was a great chance for us to catch up and for me to play "tourist" in my own town. After a week of sight-seeing and showing them what my life in Vegas is like my mom took my aunt and I to the top of the Stratosphere (tallest observation tower in the U.S.) for an early surprise birthday and ordination party. As we observed the city below from the 106th floor revolving restaurant I was touched by her thoughtfulness, presenting me with cards and notes she'd collected from relatives in 3 different countries, along with my late father's "Las Vegas" coffee mug (which I hadn't seen for years). Wow! In the end, it helped me better appreciate these 2 wonderful ladies and my new home town even more. Who wants to visit next?!

Growing In Grace

I've been encouraged lately to see how God has been working in our Sunday night Paradise Missional Community. Recently we took time to share with each other what God has been doing in us, around us, or in response to prayer. After some stories of how God had responded to prayer in ways beyond what was anticipated, one couple shared, "Apart from God, we wouldn't be married right now." Another person shared how God was convicting him of his own pride and "haughty" attitude. The sheer honesty was eye-popping, but also a sign that God is at work in their lives, and that they were eager to let His gospel shape them into who He wants them to be.

What To Pray For

This fall's focus on "gathering" is in anticipation of beginning public worship services in the Paradise region this winter. Please pray that we would be united in mission, heart and vision as people from different backgrounds, cultures and life stages come together. Pray that we would be able to effectively serve and impact our community, whether through adopting a local school, or otherwise. Also pray for wisdom and courage on my part as I lead this endeavor. Every week we encounter those who have been wounded in various ways. Pray that we would respond with patience and compassion as we have the opportunity to meet and love these people.