One year anniversary

Today was a special day in the life of Hiragishi Izumi Church. We celebrated one year of the start of services in our home. It was a happy time with a number of guests and a lively time of fellowship afterwards over a pot luck supper. As we look back, there is much for which we can give thanks. We remembered that first Sunday twelve months ago; we remembered the dedication ceremony we held a month later when so many people came; we thought about Sambi's baptism during our first Christmas service; we thought of the people we have got to know, the relationships that are gradually being built up, the way the existence of the church is slowly becoming known in the community. Certainly there have been many challenges too and these will continue. Starting a church from scratch is no easy task. It is not all about what happens on a Sunday afternoon. Indeed, most of what we do is focused 'out there' - in the community, in the school, meeting people where they are. So it was somehow appropriate on the day that we held our anniversary service that we (along with our new co-workers JP and Nora) could attend a barbecue organised by the local community association at lunchtime - a great chance to meet people and just be part of things in the community. Being 'out there' is so much what church planting is all about.