It's All About You....

Wow! What a morning we had! Today was send-off Sunday at our church. We are sending off our first ever church plant. The new church is called Grace Community Church. They are planting in Mooresville/Kannapolis.
It was a bittersweet morning. Here we are worshipping our Savior with songs like "I surrender All" and "Jesus Lover of My Soul" which talks about it being all about Jesus- It's all about you Jesus, and all this is for you, for your glory and your fame, it's not about me, as if you should do things my way, you alone are God and I surrender to your ways. We were singing these knowing that our dear friends-160 of our church family! were singing them with us for the last time. It was heartwrenching. Jeremy and I were sitting behind our friends Brian and Becky (bad idea:), they are going on the plant. It was so hard to sing these knowing they wouldn't be sitting there next week. And Becky was wiping tears the whole time, so of course you know I couldn't handle that:) The Holy Spirit was working, you could feel His presence and His pleasure for the sacrifices we are all making to see His gospel go forward.
Our church is the dearest place on earth to Jeremy and I. It is the body of Christ. It's where we grow and learn together. It's where we learn to change and celebrate what God is doing. It's where we have deep deep friendships. It's where we come each week to give glory to God for all He is doing in and around us. We simply can't live without it. So, today was hard.
BUT it was sweet as well. Like I said, the gospel is going forth! That is why our church and sovereign grace ministries exists! To plant churches and further the gospel. There is no greater joy, nothing is more important! So we send our friends with great delight and hope for what God is going to do in Mooresville and Kannapolis. Our friendships won't be the same but they will remain. But it's all about God anyway, right?
Above there are pictures of Becky and Cherie. The two friends I am closest with that are going. There are many more families going that I will miss and have laid a great foundation at Crossway, that we have so benefitted from. Thank you to ALL of you!
Becky, was one of my first friends at Crossway. We met at care group and they (she and Brian) soon became our care group leaders. They were faithful to pour into Jeremy and I and we spent A LOT of time together. She was the one who declared "you are pregnant" when I became pregnant with Gracie and couldn't read the sticks! The really taught us so much about marriage and parenting. I am forever grateful for them. The past couple of years we haven't gotten to see them as much, but Oh they have left such an imprint on our hearts.
Cherie is a dear friend that I have been getting together with over the past 2 and 1/2 years. She was my Titus 2 mentor (older women train the younger women...) and my new care group leader. She has poured into me as well in so many ways. She has been faithful to get together with me every month to care for my soul. It has been so much fun! We laugh a lot. She calls me Li Gi. So if you ever hear that, you will know where it came from:)


Jeremy and I did not decide to go on the plant because we feel deeply called to stay at Crossway. We want to serve there and continue the work God began 17 years ago when our church was planted. We are in faith! God is going to do great things at Crossway and at Grace!
IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU JESUS! And one day we will ALL be together to worship again for ETERNITY!