Since this is my “diary” of sorts for my family to read someday, I just have to share about today.
It is a 5th Sunday. That means that we combine our services, the place is standing room only packed.
Dw started the service off with introducing a couple from our worship team who are adopting a sibling group from an Eastern European country. This couple is precious!! They should be able to travel in the next few months.
We then had the missions teams that have been gone in the last quarter {since the last 5th Sunday} share. We had teams minister in Mexico, Romania and Uganda. Each team showed a video. All of the trips went to minister to the orphans of those countries. Team members shared how God had changed their lives through the trip they took. It was amazing. Tears and more tears.
{picture taken from Kevin’s cell phone}
Then Dw shared a speck about God’s heart for the orphan and the responsibility for everyone to do something. We then played Eric Ludy’s video: Depraved Indifference. The one I linked to here. I’m not sure about anyone else, but I cannot watch that without wanting to jump up and run to orphanages and grab everyone of the 163 million orphans and bring them home.
All of them.
I was able to share about the ministry to the orphan that we are starting.
{so excited!}
As the last worship songs were being sung people went to change their clothes. There were 19 people awaiting baptism. Some have been recently set free from addictions. Some were making a renewed commitment to Christ after not walking with Him. All wanted to be obedient.
I had the privilege of baptizing a young mom.
She’s actually going to Uganda with Emma and I and the rest of our team.
After it was all over we had a giant church dinner.
During dinner, as Dw and I mingled through our precious body,
a young couple came and shared how God has been stirring their hearts to adopt.
It was an awesome day. Every single part of it.
Pastoring is not always easy. It is often lonely in an odd sort of way. But it is an amazing privilege. So totally rewarding. I know you other senior pastor’s families know what I mean.
How thankful we are that God would entrust us with such a privilege for the last 20 years.
Sure wish we had been there to be part of such an amazing service! We loved your church when we visited a few years ago and sure wish we had an awesome place like The River Church to attend where we are. Thank you for always sharing what the Lord is doing in the life of your family! You are a huge source of encouragement in my life and the life of my family! Love you, my sweet friend!
Linny, I wanted to comment on both of your last posts. I have always had such an admiration for ladies who let their hair be its natural color as they age:) I think it looks just beautiful!!! I mean it.
Your service today seemed amazing. I am a pastor's wife and I can relate to the lonliness in a strange way feeling that you mentioned… it is a priviledge though. I am always so inspired by your love and passion for the orphan… it is such a blessing to have come across your blog.
As I am in the hospital on bedrest at 31 weeks along with a baby we adopted as an embryo… and our 5 at home, one of which was a sweetie pie we adopted last summer. Our sweet family friend Abbi just returned from Uganda with your hubby and Emma. It was just a miracle how we got together over Thanksgiving and she said she wanted to got to Africa to do mission work and I showed her your blog… She loved the trip!!!
You and your beautiful family are reaching out with the Love of Christ and the gospel to so very many!!!
Sara
What a wonderful service today!! Many tears for me thru out the service. So moving, so touching, so powerful! And the baptisms? OMGoodness so amazing!
♥ you guys!
Wish I could have been there. It's sound like a wonderful service…one filled with much promise and hope. Hugs and love
"Pastoring is not always easy. It is often lonely in an odd sort of way. But it is an amazing privilege. So totally rewarding. I know you other senior pastor's families know what I mean."
Thanks for this. It is so very true. 🙂
It sounds like an amazing way to spend a 5th Sunday!!!!
Blessings, Lisa C.
Rejoicing in your great report! Wow God! Wow! So very much to be thankful for! Thank you for sharing Linny, and thank you to you and Dw both–for doing what you do–and doing it so darn well!
Love you guys!
Tina
What a great testimony of God's amazing grace! We also got to see some baptisms last week and new members added this week. The Lord is using you and your husband to stir up a love for orphans. I do not know you, but I, too, am a pastor's wife and understand the extreme highs and lows of ministry and the loneliness in the midst of the crowds of people. Thank you for sharing your heart with us all. I am encouraged to see how the Lord is using you and will be praying that He will accomplish His will in your lives.
I'm closing my eyes… imagining I was there… listening, seeing, feeling… simply wonderful!
Hey, remind me to never take so many pubescent girls to the rec. center again! What was I thinking?!
hugs,
Lisa
Smiling! Seems today was a day full of baptism!
We went to Ft. Collins this morning for Brian's baptism, my niece's husband that we have been praying for in rehab. Seems God has him just where he wants him. We didn't get a chance to stay and talk to him, because we had to run back to Denver to our church where one of the young ladies that has been part of our "Family Dinner Night" for the last six months was also being baptized this morning! It was a significantly victorious day for me, as Meg is the first person I have led to Christ. I've been a Christian for 28 years and it's WAY past time for me to have some fruit on my vines. (other than my own children)
God is SOOOOO good!
It was truly an amazing day. Many sad tears, many happy tears, emotions, you name it! I feel so blessed to have found you Linn, and your awesome church! I love every minute I spend there. I thank the Lord for leading me to it, I know it is where I am supposed to be. Love, Misty
Could you expand a bit more about the orphan ministry or is it sensitive and incubating? Could we adopt to Africa via it? Yes I said "to" Africa, as the South Africans seem to be fast asleep in this field and not wide awake to the calling as you are 🙂
Thank you for your response, you are a refreshing blessing to me.
Carey
South Africa
Praise God for an amazing day where people are doing His work for His kingdom!
I would LOVE to be apart of such a service. In all my years of going to church I have never heard the orphan mentioned……or adoption for that matter. Which makes me so sad.
What would you say to a pastor who feels he isn't called to adopt? I can't say he does nothing for the orphan because I do not know if he prays for them. I don't see anything outward that he is doing. I thought everyone is called…..I know some people really CAN NOT adopt, but this pastor is not one of those….I'm struggling in this area. Also it seems that because we do adopt many fellow Christians think we are radical (in a bad way)the "better you than me" aditude, and the I'm not called…..it really bothers me!
It sure did seem like a great day! I'm going to listen to the link now. =)
wow… what an awesome way to spend a 5th sunday. i agree… preaching on the orphan is so powerful. as a very missional church, it would be awesome to see that encouraged from the pulpit.
thanks for sharing in a way that i felt like i was there. you have such a sweet gift.
It WAS an awesome service! Soooooo happy that God brought me to The River Church!
Even though I've never been a pastor or pastor's wife, I can relate to that "ministry lonliness", having been a missionary for 10 years. I remember so well that strange feeling of always being surrounded by people when I'd come home on furlough, yet feeling so alone because nobody really KNEW me, especially as a single person. And even worse, they always seemed to have me up on a pedestal because I was "the missionary"… I even had one person say during a prayer once, "Thank you Lord for this missionary who is so much closer to you than the rest of us"! I remember thinking, "Are you kidding?!?" If anything, I probably struggled in battle more than "the rest of them", having that huge spiritual bullseye on my chest! I'm sure you can relate!
Anyway… Thank you from the depths of my heart for creating this blog, and being so transparent with us, opening up yet another avenue for God to touch our hearts & bring us closer to His own heart!
You are much LOVED!
~Sharon