Sleepy Baby Mikala

Just got this photo of Baby Mikala from her safe families host this morning.

This is who we're working so hard for.

Thanks for your prayers!
-kg

2009 in Review

This year our house church family began to draw nearer to one another in many ways. We're still learning what it means to love one another. But, at least we're being more honest about our fears, and what holds us back from being loved and showing love.

Our house church family has learned to embrace those among us who are going through difficult financial times. We've taken time to listen, to pray for, and best of all, to dig down deep and provide financial blessings for families in our Body who are struggling.

We're learning how to set aside our own personal preferences in order to honor those among us who have needs that are different from our own. Sometimes that means waiting patiently for others to wrestle with things we may have already endured.

We're also learning to honor our children again. Welcoming, and encouraging them, to share more and speak up, and participate as fully functional members of the Body of Christ.

I am still learning when to be silent and when to speak up. I'm being challenged to prepare teaching more often, but also still careful to at least try to listen more than I speak. It's not easy.

For me, this year was pivotal. This was the year when I ceased being the pastor of the Mission and became one of the members of the Body. Now I am one of the brothers here, not the leader. Our leader is Jesus. And more and more we are learning how to allow Him to actually lead us, and speak to us, and be the head over us.

Our themes this year were love, the priesthood of the believer, the headship of Christ, compassion to one another, and corporate prayer.

I've been very blessed to begin every Sunday gathering with 30 minutes of prayer time. As we gather together to seek the Lord's leadership and guidance for the day, I've seen the Lord working more in our midst and teaching us more about His will for us.

For the last 4 years the word for this church has been "love". I believe we are still mainly called to explore this core command of Jesus together. What does it mean to love one another? How can we become experts at loving our family, our friends, our neighbors, and our co-workers? How can we learn to love one another more? What does that involve?

One thing I do know is that love is messy. Just like church. There are no easy answers. Things can be more challenging and difficult than we imagine. Love is not easy. It does not come naturally to us. Love means letting go. It means laying ourselves aside for the sake of others. It means dying to ourselves. Love means putting others first. It means enduring seasons of discomfort in order to comfort those in pain.

So, I may not know what is ahead for us in 2010, as a church family. But I do know that, as we allow Jesus to have more of us, He will lead His Church. He will speak to us. He will reveal His heart and He will make His will known to us.

-kg

MOTEL CHRISTMAS - SUNDAY, DEC. 21

While our family was in El Paso, Texas for vacation, our Mission House Church family was delivering Christmas gifts to the children (and our friends) at the California Studio Inn in Santa Ana, CA.

Our church family was joined by our brothers and sisters in Christ from Orange Coast Christian Church who provided 50 boxes of food for the families living here.

This is what Christmas is all about!

Christmas at the Motel - 12/21/08

This year the Mission House Church will help to provide toys for the families living in the California Studio Inn in Santa Ana.

Last year we were very blessed to have Cartoon Network donate a ton of toys for the kids, along with items purchased by our own house church family.

This year we have the blessing of partnering with a few 4th grade elementary classes locally as well as Cartoon Network (thanks again), and our own house church family, of course.

We're also planning to pass out the toys alongside another church in Orange County that will provide 50 meals to 50 families in the motel.

On Sunday, December 21st, we'll pass out the gifts, pray for the families and help distribute the food alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ, and local school children.

Praise God for everyone who had helped, planned, donated, and wrapped to make this all possible!

To me, this is what Christmas is really all about.

Shalom,
kg

This Saturday - Motel Ministry

This Saturday (11/22/08) our house church will serve the people living in the California Studio Inn in Santa Ana by passing out free groceries, praying for them as they have need, hosting a bounce house and game time for the children, and spending time listening to them as friends.

My wife and our 2 boys have been serving at this same motel now for over 7 years. It's become a monthly habit for us to go and serve there. We've seen some of the same faces over the years. Some have died. Some have moved to better places. Others have moved to worse situations or simply relocated to other motels.

We've made new friends and we're in the process of learning to love everyone we come into contact with here.

Even though we've been doing this a long time, I pray it will never become a habit for us. I never want to just go through the motions. Instead, I pray that God would always keep this ministry about Jesus and about serving and loving the people who live here.

Our ministry isn't flashy. It's not "big". It's nothing to marvel at. It is simple and humble and very straight-forward. Hopefully the people we serve here know that we love them, and that Jesus loves them, more than anything else.

If nothing else, we have the opportunity to see Jesus in the eyes of these people in real need as we give them something to eat and pray for their families, their relationships, their finances, and their dreams and hopes.

I always feel that we could do more...that it's never enough, really. But our only job is to serve and to be obedient to God as He leads us, and mainly to practice loving others as Christ loved us.

Peace,
Keith