Skeptical... ism?

I have my opinions on the pros and cons that come along with running a Jr High and High School combined church service, and whether my opinion is right or wrong is besides the point, but I'd be lying if I said I can't help but pick apart a service when I go for the first time. Not because I don't agree with church, because I do, given the fact I just got hired at one, but like I've mentioned before, I have little patients for people who mess up the whole idea of what Christianity is all about by being "too Christian" or "lame Christians" as I call them.

But this last Wednesday, I went to my brother Justin's church. He works at CCV San Dimas, and has been there for a bit. They have recently merged both Jr. High and High School together to one big service on Wednesday nights. Mel and I were talking before about the things we didn't like about merging since we both weren't fans of the services we have been to in the past that do it that way. I can tell you honestly that all our thoughts of how the service would have gone were way off.

IT WAS SO RAD.

Though it took a little while to get the students in since they started with the message (which is to be expected of students that age), as soon as the Director there, Jeff, started getting into it, the students were all in. There was a great testimony from a guy named Adrian who told us of his troubled upbringing and how he relied on God to get him through everything. Made me realize how lucky I really had it. When Jeff closed in prayer the band started playing. Jeremiah Mullins, the worship director, immediately took control of the mood and the students. I have not seen students worship the way they did in a while. The authenticity of the students was obvious and the fact that they were louder than Jeremiah even when he was singing into the microphone gave me chills.

GOD IS WORKING IN THAT PLACE

I tell you this because its exciting. Praise God that cool stuff is going down over there! I have been working at IHC for the last year and I have seen God work in INCREDIBLE ways in that place, and it gets me super stoked to know that there is something just as rad going on a city over. IHSM has grown so much this last year and it has been an honor to be a part of it and I know my brother will be able to step back a year from now and take pride in what God is doing where he's at.

God was, is, and always will be good my friends... that I promise.