January 16, 2012, was another important day in the life of my family.  Into the world came Ari Joseph Stella, son of our daughter Carmyn and Pete Stella!  Sandy and I are grandparents again!
Two days later Ari was transferred to the NIC (Neonatal Intensive Care) Unit because of some trembling he was doing.  He went through an amazing battery of tests that resulted in discovering that there is an irritation in one of the blood vessels in his brain.  The doctors expect that he will soon grow out of this problem.

 

I am very thankful for many things, including the following.

• The miracle of the birth of Ari.
• That Carmyn is doing well.
• The joy in the family.  Noah is excited to be a “big brother!”
• The wonderful care of the hospital staff and the amazing tests that can be done now in the medical field.

 

Often I share with a couple upon the birth of a child a reading from the Bible: Psalm 100.  It is a psalm of thanksgiving. “Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his….”  We do have much to be thankful for!


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Last night I read a quick read book from ARE (A Renewable
Enterprise).  The leaders of this group are Kelly Fryer, Tana Kjos and Dave Daubert.  Some of the members of council and leadership have heard Dave speak and participated in a webinar with Dave and Kelly.  The title of this e-book is The Shift: 5 Big Ideas That Will (Probably) Shape Your Work In The Emerging Future.

The key principle of this resource is that the way that both business and non-profit organizations, including churches, have done work in the past is coming to an end … and that is good news.  The modern
industrial era and the consumable approach to life and work that characterize it are coming to an end and no one knows what business and churches will look like in the emerging future!

Their response? 
“Don’t be afraid to imagine a new way of getting things done. One humungous idea shaped the modern, industrial era: your environment is a threat to your survival.  That insidious idea is the reason you see what you lack more clearly than you see your often abundant assets, gifts and resources.  It is the reason “labor” and “management” are competing classes even in non-profit, educational and church settings.  Its why, no matter how pure your motives might have been once upon a time, you end up viewing people outside of your organization … as that which
needs to be conquered, consumed or converted.”  
Shalom,
Pastor Rich
 
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Over the next few weeks there are several special worship opportunities that we may invite people whom we know to come and worship with us.  Here are some steps:
1.    Pray for opportunities and the courage to speak to a friend.
2.    Invite them to come to worship.  You may need to give them 
        directions or even pick them up and bring them with you to church.
3.    Help them find the songs or pages in our worship book.  Introduce 
        them to other people. 
4.    Most of all - be a friend!