Sunday, October 4th felt like the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for The Table in multiple ways.
Three of us, I (Pastor Christy), my husband, Dan, and mother, Sandy, represented our Table community at a gathering of French-Creole speaking believers in Queen Creek. We were mostly there to learn. And, we absolutely did learn a lot because the hospitality they offered us was priceless. From providing translation for just the three of us, sharing the pulpit with me as I offered a few words and a prayer, and even shifting their ending time to accommodate us going on to our next worship service of the day, they taught us about how the bride of Christ operates at her best.
We first met the pastor of this Haitian congregation through our relationship with Phoenix Refugee Connection. But, in our conversations we discovered that they are working to move their group to a location just about 15 minutes west of us. Not only that, but the building they are working to prepare happens to be the same exact building that my mom worked in for over 25 years as a church secretary! The Holy Spirit seemed determined to help us see the ways we are connected, and to not let language get in the way of sharing each other's joy!
That same Sunday also brought our first week of our trial run of starting at 4:00 p.m. instead of 5:00 and meeting in Skyline Park. We did this in hopes of accommodating families with young children, and those who begin their work days before the sun rises. We’ll see over the next few months if this is helpful. Also, while park church isn’t new to our group at all, this is the first time we have branched out from our usual springtime park meetings to include two months in the fall. The weather isn’t always perfect, but when it is, our rough summer of battling host air conditioning problems, and bringing the kids indoors feel like a million miles away.
October 4th truly set a tone for us moving forward. Some of our core values as a church include being fully present in our community, radically hospitable, and welcoming. We want to be relational, not treating events or people with a “catch and release” mentality. So, that day started some conversations, especially among our planning team of leaders and advisors. How could we offer what we have to love our neighbors? To be a blessing not an annoyance to the neighborhood surrounding Skyline Park where we gather? How could we still participate in welcoming those seeking refuge and safety in the place we have so easily called home? Even though we have no building. No large budget. A limited amount of man-power between us all.
And so we began planning a wonderful Friendsgiving to share with all the friends we haven’t met yet. It will be hosted at Skyline Park, Ramada 5 on Sunday, November 22nd at 4:00 p.m. We’ll have turkey and stuffing and pie. We’ll have balloons and face paint, cornhole, and door prizes. We will invite friends, and strangers, and celebrate how gracious the Lord has been to all of us. We hope you come by!
This same conversation following October 4th also led to a step in faith in agreeing to host a Refugee 101 class in our church December 5th. Of course I made sure that our organizers understood that by “our church building” I meant my living room. And that sometimes our congregation is 12 people including kids, and sometimes it’s 35 and we really never know until that day. And they bravely said, “We’re ok with that.” Pray with us, as God stretches us outside our comfort zones, and that He would show us the precise ways he has planned to use us to participate in Kingdom work on earth as it is in Heaven.
If I’m being honest, the past few months had been particularly rough for our little group of believers. There were weeks where every single person had a large, major stressor going on in their personal lives. And I for one waded through July, August, and September feeling like it was quicksand. But, I am thankful for Octobers like this, and the renewed energy a crisp, fall breeze and maybe even a little rain can bring to our souls. We are reminded that Isaiah 43:19 tells us, ““Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”
How has God been making a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert for you during this new season?
Want to see what a Sunday at The Table looks like? Plan your visit and pull up a chair.
