Serving Our City Day 3

Tricia Koles has been writing poetry from a heart transformed by the grace of God in Jesus Christ for several years now, but her poetry has not lost sight of the reality of living with the hurt and brokenness of living in a fallen world. And now she is taking the opportunity to teach young people from our neighborhood to write poetry using their gifts to reflect upon God’s beauty, goodness and truth reflected to us in creation and redemption. Here is a sample of the poetry from one of her students this week at our Fine Arts Academy,

Church
This place is a place full of joy,
It accepts everybody in,
This place is not a toy,
This place is full of sin.

The scene at Palmetto Square on Wednesday was ominous. The thunder was rumbling in the background and there was no one in the park. But by 3:00 PM the workers were walking in the streets with children in tow and soon the park was filled with “Jesus Loves Me This I Know” as Betsy Estrada lead those children and the workers sitting among them in song under the shade of the oaks and without fear of being run off by the weather. Jeanne Hannon came in from work tired from a near full day of work and struggling with a bronchial infection to teach the children the Bible lesson, while Tammy Deloach got the craft together. Joan Brewer was making name tags while trying to keep an eye on her own children. The Bible clubs take a team effort from tired and hurting workers who have tasted and seen that the Lord is good. They are living in their redemption in Christ and out of that redemption toward their neighbors for their good and his glory. Please pray for them as they deal with sickness and being tired, their own brokenness as we seek to minister to our neighbors in their brokenness.

Ms. Gamble lived in a termite infested home on Union just south of Palmetto Square. The beauty of the oaks stand along the road and in the back but living with the fallenness of this world she saw the demise of her home. However, thanks to the Habitat for Humanity organization she and her three daughters are seeing a new home put upon her lot at Union Street. She will be paying $375 per month to live in this newly built home. We have been painting the walls and cleaning the yard and on Wednesday had the privilege of being introduced to Ms. Gamble. She is believing in Christ for salvation and was very encouraged to see the larger body of Christ coming around to help her in her needs. I had the opportunity to pray with her before she left lifting her up to Christ as with thanksgiving returning back to God, and praying for her pain and injury she is suffering in her back. She left encouraged and I remain rejoicing in the opportunity to see more and more of the grace of God in redemption through Christ.

Pray for those who continue to minister in the name of Christ to our neighbors this week: Betsy and David Estrada, Dawn, Mary Anna and Kate Faulk, The Deloachs, Page and Tyler Parks, The Wilkersons, Nina and Pacome Nathaniel, Nick and Diane Chilton, Tricia Koles, Glenda Truett, The Brewers, Ron and Jeanne Hannon, Toni Middleton, Mia Nichols, The West Family, Christine Philips, Richard Lindsey, Scott Ruschack and Natalea Gulyas. Pray for our presentation tonight at the Fine Arts Academy at 7:00 PM and please come and join us for this event at RPC.