From the Pastor...
(March 2010)
Dear Church and Friends of Park Avenue,
Things are really busy around Park Avenue these days. In February we completed the January – February semester of English as a Second Language and have been working on preparation for Celebrate Recovery. We have a good team working very hard to prepare our church for this important ministry. On February 20 we held a training day for Celebrate Recovery and had a dozen of our people in the training as well as one visitor and a special guest speaker from the Two Rivers Celebrate Recovery. During the month of March we will complete the eight sermon series on Celebrate Recovery. The response to these messages has been exciting. Starting the first Tuesday in April, we will be hosting Celebrate Recovery meetings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm and are hoping people will hang out with us and fellowship for a while after the meeting until 9:30 or so. “After the meeting,” is an important time in Celebrate Recovery. As a matter of fact we have planned our fellowship around a café setting. Our café will be called “Nail It Down.” So the invitation each week will be don’t forget to meet us at “Nail it Down.”
“Nail it Down” will be a place and time to connect and to find accountability partners as well as “Recovery,” sponsors. That is a vital connection for each participant in Celebrate Recovery. So mark your calendar for the first Tuesday evening after Easter Sunday, April 6th at 7:00 pm. There will be a worship time from 7:00 to 8:00 pm and small group gatherings from 8:10 to 8:50 pm. Then as many as are able will gather at “Nail It Down.”
Last Sunday, the message was on “Cleaning House,” and it emphasized the taking of a personal moral inventory. When the invitation was given and people were invited to take the personal inventory, many of those present responded indicating that they wanted to take the inventory. I was blessed at their response. I want to encourage each of them as they are presently in the process of a personal inventory. I am praying for each one. I also want to say to all of those taking the inventory please consider coming on Tuesday nights following Easter Sunday as this will be a great encouragement to you. Also, the step study that is currently taking place for those who are planning to be leaders and workers in Celebrate Recovery is still open; however, it will close as soon as we get to step 4. If you are interested in participating in this, please see Carolyn Leedy. Following the April 6 start up of Celebrate Recovery, a new day and time will be set for step studies and a new group started for participants.
The step study is sort of the foundation of Celebrate Recovery. Last month I wrote my article around the idea of “Hurts, Habits and Hang-ups.” The step study is the method used in Celebrate Recovery to work through those hurts, habits and hang-ups. As a person identifies an addiction or various issues in their life that they want help with, the small group time and the step study time is where the work of recovery is actually carried out. And “Nail It Down” is where we can connect with one another and find support and accountability.
I am so excited about this ministry to the people of our church and community. My dear friend, God has awesome plans for each life. He has awesome plans for you. Check out what God is doing at Park Avenue Baptist Church. There is a place for you to connect: English as a Second Language, Sunday School, Worship services, Celebrate Recovery, Men’s ministry, Women’s ministry, Senior Adult ministry, Children’s ministry, Student ministry, College ministry. There is a place for you. See you soon.
Blessings,
Pastor Bob