Being the end of Thanksgiving Weekend and all, I thought now would be a good time to relate a great experience I had recently with the folks in Jonesboro, Arkansas at the Southwest Church of Christ. Three years ago this November, the church embarked on a faith-enlarging project called "Realize the Dream". Part of Realize the Dream was to begin a church-planting movement in churches of Christ across our nation, the first step of which was to begin supporting Stan and Gena Granberg in their efforts to lead this movement.
Three years later, a serious amount of time, prayer, and money has been poured into church planting by this congregation of faithful, humble, and generous people. I was asked to come out and be a part of the 3rd anniversary celebration of Realize the Dream, and as one of the church planters directly supported by the Southwest Church, to offer my thanks to them for their sacrifice and generosity on behalf of Cascade Hills.
And while I was there, two other people were honored for their faith and sacrifice: Stan and Gena Granberg, the two people around whom this church planting movement is taking shape and gaining momentum. Along with some others, one of the ministers at Southwest asked me to say a few words on video, thanking Stan and Gena for all that they have done to encourage church planting.
Here is your chance to get in on the action. If you'd like to say a few words of thanks to Stan and Gena, leave a note in the comments section and after a few days I'll forward the results to Stan and Gena.
5 comments:
I feel blessed to know you two for many years and to delight -- in the long-run -- about what God has done and is doing through you. He continues to find you both available to His wishes, and as a result, Kairos continues to grow, planting more and more churches and expanding His Kingdom. MANY people will come to know Jesus through your vision.
What a blessing you are.
- Kevin & Brenda
Stan & Gena...thank you most of all for allowing yourselves to be used by God to lead a movement of church-planting churches. You both live with passion for seeing people come to faith and a conviciton to God's calling in your lives, and you will probably never fully know the way that thousands of people have been touched by your willingness to let God reign in you. Thanks for instilling confidence in others and patiently empowering leaders for the future.
Here's to many more years of service.
~Dwayne & Julie Hilty
It has been great working with you guys in the kingdom work of churchplanting. My prayer is that New Jersey Church planting will flourish and part of that will be because of what God has done through you guys. I thank you for your desire to keep going, I'm sure your job is similar to ours in church planting that there are often times that it seems like it would be easier to just stop and start something different. Keep up the good work and the kingdom will be blessed from it.
Carl & Alicia
Stan, I met you the very first time I came to Renovatus: I was a guest and didn't know many people, and you saw some strangers and came to say hi. I remember thinking that although we just met, I felt like we were old friends. As I got to know you better your everyday spirituality became a great example for me, and I'm blessed to know you.
Gena, I also feel like I've known you for a long time. When you are at Renovatus, talking to you is like catching up with family who lives out of town. You share in our delight and lament with us over our trials.
When God drew me back into a deepening relationship with Him, he used Renovatus as the catalyst. I pray that you both continue to provide that experience to others across the country. God bless you both!
Stan and Gena~
Thank you for listening to God and seeing His vision for "new" churches.
I am so glad that you planted the seed in our hearts.
You are both wonderful servants for the Kingdom.
Many more fruitful years!
Lori and Ron Clark
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