Greetings
Greetings from sunny Glendale, Arizona! We are enjoying our time here as we learn what it means to become part-time missionaries serving at Rock Nest Ranch. If you want to hear about our time, we are sending out update/prayer letters every few days while we are here, and we’d love for you to join the list, if you haven’t already. You can subscribe here.
We arrived in Phoenix on Saturday, and for our first night we booked a one-night hotel stay, before making our way to the UIM Headquarters where we are staying now. For Sunday morning, we decided that we would look for a local church to attend in person. Of course, we did have some specific criteria we were looking for in a church to attend. First, we wanted to find a church that we would be theologically aligned with, as best we could tell from their website. We also wanted to find a church near our hotel. And third, we wanted a church with a worship service that started at 11:15 or later. (That allowed us to make sure our girls, much to their delight, got to take one last swim in the hotel pool before we checked out right at 11:00!)
We found a church that fit all the criteria. 8 minutes away, church service at 11:30, and in all the essentials, we were in theological alignment. It was so great! We loved it. The pastor preached the scriptures well in his first sermon in a short series that is leading up to Easter. Two out of the four songs we sang were familiar songs that we also sing at Evergreen. Rosie enjoyed the kids class while Mabel and Estelle joined us in the worship service. And maybe the most amazing part was that the service started exactly at 11:30 and ended at EXACTLY 12:30! Astounding!
But I also loved it for another reason. I loved it because it reminded me of just how grateful I am for EBC. I love the preaching from each person who steps into the pulpit at EBC. Each week I am taught the Word from faithful, gifted, and sincere men who love me and are committed to helping me grow in Christlikeness. I love the musicians, the musicianship, and I love the heart for the Lord that is evident in the people leading at EBC. I love that we laugh together. I love talking to everyone before, after, and during the greeting times. I love being known and loved by our church body, as well as having the opportunity to know and love you all. And as much as I was impressed by the church we visited wrapping things up at the exact moment the big hand on the clock struck six, I actually love that our worship services are an hour and a half long, and that sometimes we even go a little longer, rather than cutting out the last song that the worship team prepared to lead!
It’s fun on a vacation to visit a different church and see the unique ways Christians worship in another location. It’s fun to appreciate one more local expression of the global body of Christ. It’s fun to be encouraged by a brand-new voice who is faithfully presenting the scriptures in a way totally unique to that preacher. It’s fun, but it’s no match for being invested every week, week after week, in the life of one church body. What a blessing it is to be a member of the body at Evergreen. I am grateful for EBC!
Pastor Ryan Donovan
PS: If you want to find out more about the training and what we are doing this week, you can read our latest newsletter here, and then subscribe at the link above if you would like to get regular updates.
Categories: Evergreen Connection