Weekly Email 7.15.21

Dear Gathering Place Family...

 

 I hope you will join us this week (July 18th) as we hear from Jim Williams on depression, anxiety and wholeness.  This message will complete our series on dealing with pain.  My desire is that you discover that God is present with us in all our hurt, pain and brokenness and deeply desires for us to find wholeness.  God’s ultimate desire is for us to find spiritual connection with Him, but also know that we are not alone.

July 25th is service on the lawn.  We will meet at 10 AM at the Des Moines campus (2038 S 222nd St) for this incredible service.  We have sunshades and chairs so you don’t need to bring your own.  We will follow this up with a picnic lunch – please bring your own picnic for your family to share.  Gathering Place will provide drinks and desserts.  This is not a BBQ or potluck as we have done in years past.  We will have a few lawn games and would love to have you be a part of the family that day and connect with others that day.  There will be no youth group that evening.  

Are you looking for a way to connect and serve at Gathering Place?   We are in need of people to step up in several ways as we are still in the rebuilding process from the past year and a half.  We are looking for people for post-service prayer time, children’s ministry, post service snacks and hospitality, Java Dock and helping upkeep the plant beds and flower boxes out front of the building.  Please prayerfully consider ways you can step in to help us fill these gaps as we move forward to reaching and connecting with our community.  Speak with me directly if you are interested in assisting in any of these ministries.  We are in a rebuilding phase as we seek to connect and build new relationships after months of being apart.  

This next season of our church is going to be a vital one for our future.  Statistics say that 30-50% of church attenders will not be returning for at least 12 months.  That means if we are going to be effective in reaching those who are unchurched we will need to adapt and take on new roles.  God sees us and knows us and has set us aside for great things.  We can only become who God desires for us to be as a church if we are willing to step up and into new places of ministry.  Please help us reach more by engaging at a deeper level.

Blessings ~

Jeff Espeseth

Lead Pastor, Gathering Place