The fact that your reading this tells you that we survived Isaac! South Florida residents know what to expect when storms like this pass through our area. I appreciated all those who volunteered helpful hints as the DeBord house prepared for our first really big storm here in Miami! Thankfully Isaac didn't morph into a full blown hurricane for us ... yet he did create one unusual weekend for us at Sunset Chapel.
During the 3+ years since becoming the lead pastor we've never had to consider canceling a service during the hurricane season. Isaac gave me my biggest test yet, as we were planning an awesome conclusion to our "Base Path To Spiritual Growth" series! By 6:30 AM on Sunday morning after watching several weather reports and tracking what other pastors and churches were doing in our city. I made the decision to precede with our morning service.
Let me share with you what occurred!
Our attendance was low. But our worship team minus only three of their members did a fantastic job of ushering in the marvelous presence of the Lord! Margie Stark was nothing short of fearless as she lead our musicians and vocal team! Wow! They were magnificent!!
Before preaching we allotted time to listen to several testimonies from those who braved the elements to be in God's House for worship. It was so encouraging and uplifting to hear how God was working behind the scenes in so many lives! Everyones comments really set the tone for the remainder of our service together!
There were 10 children in our Kid's Church service and 3 infants in the Nursery, plus their volunteers who all showed in full strength! That was totally amazing! I just have to say our volunteers are simply the best!!
I preached the final message in our series "Base Path To Spiritual Growth" with an emphasis on getting "Involved." I communicated the message as if we were filled to the rafters, holding nothing back! The mission of the church is disciplemaking. God is calling all of us to get involved in reproducing ourselves!
After our service, we had enough members present to go ahead and conduct our Annual Business Meeting as previously announced and planned. After voting on a couple of By-Law changes, approving both Chapel and our Academy's financial reports, we then elected Carlos Rodriguez to serve a 3 year term on our church board. We welcome him to our leadership team! We also tipped our hats in appreciation to Oscar Fernandez for his productive time serving on the board as he prepared to step down upon the completion of his term. His heart for serving, constant support and consistent leadership abilities will be missed.
Over the course of the weekend several things became apparent. As our attendance slumped because of Isaac so did our finances. We received less than a third of what our normal tithe and offerings typically are. Of great concern is the short term impact this may have on our missions budget. Our missionaries count on our consistent support monthly as they endeavor to share the Good News around the globe. Unfortunately just because a tropical storm comes through it's impact doesn't mean that our bills are shuttered like our houses. They still show up.
If Isaac affected your plans to attend service this past weekend at Sunset Chapel would you consider two options for submitting your regular tithe and offerings to still honor God in this area? You can go to www.sunsetchapel.com and contribute online or just drop by the church office sometime in the coming days. It would help us finish the month of August without carrying over any indebtedness!
Finally, many family and ministry friends contacted us through their FB and Twitter messages offering their encouragement, concern and prayers for our safety as Isaac came and went. Your friendships are all deeply appreciated! Storms are inevitable in our region. Storms come in our lives too. God proves over and over again that He is with us every moment of every day!
Love our church and our city!
Pastor Russ
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