This morning, I received an email alert that a comment had been added to the overview video I had created for sponsors. The email was from a woman in North Carolina, who found a resonating tone in the video with all that God is doing in her life. As she and I messaged back and forth, she shared that she and her husband have been through a retooling journey in their faith. She was wondering how they could start a Simplicity work in their community. She and her husband will be watching the video together this evening and we will be talking and praying through this decision in the days to come. One of the purposes of Simplicity is to be rapidly reproduced anywhere there is a God given opportunity.

Today, I was looking at the participation we have had in this first week and a half of Simplicity. Our initial Sunday service had 28 people in attendance, but in the last week and a half we have touched 60 different lives through the Organic Groups. I was awestruck by those numbers…only God can do that kind of math.

I was talking with the insurance agent that handles our policies for Simplicity today. He was asking how the launch of the ministry had gone. As we talked about the increase we have already seen…we both agreed, it is all God.

This afternoon I had the privilege of meeting with two of the three pastors who will function as overseers for our ministry. What a joy it was to share the workings of God and the vision of the future and to hear their affirmation. Of course they have a wonderful task on their hands, guiding a type A, often impulsive dreamer…it’s a good thing God’s hand is upon them.

Tonight’s group saw 5 new people joining us from multiple age groups and back grounds. The joy of my evening was twofold, once again I listened as the the Holy Spirit directed the thoughts of young children. Secondarily I was profoundly impacted as I saw tears in the eyes of others as we prayed over them and partook of the Lord’s Supper.

Tonight is our first Organic Group here at my house. I’m excited about where the Lord may take us this evening as we enter in to this time. It is also easy to tell that today must be an important day spiritually, because everything that could be an aggravation has been there.

I started the morning off with Carol attempting to leave for school when her van wouldn’t start. You could hear the starter clicking, but no contact (it had run moments earlier when she went to vote). So I head up to the church to meet with the fire inspector for our city permit….one problem, the power was not turned on yesterday as had been scheduled. After much turmoil with the electric company, we find out that the city never sent the electrical inspection to the power company. I also learned that I get to spend all day at the building again tomorrow to wait on the backflow inspector to sign off on the new toilet seat and the zoning inspector to “perhaps” come by this time. We are hoping to have the electricity on in 24-48 hours, but will just have to wait and see.

Enough gloom and doom though. The Lord provided for the toilet seat through some dear friends who are getting ready to return to Mexico as missionaries. Carol’s vehicle is back up and running with a new battery (the front a/c blower is still out and the easy fixes didn’t work, but hey it runs). The building owner is giving us a lighted sign free of charge and even offered to put our logo on it for me.

So even though life has its challenges, God is still showing himself faithful.

Simplicity Church - Corpus Christi

Yesterday, I bought some 2″ white vinyl letters and numbers, so people could find us a little bit easier. Of course, when it was all said and done the lettering was off-centered. Oh well, I’ll fix it up in the coming weeks.

Tomorrow is our initial public worship celebration and I can hardly wait. Getting to ordain Mike will be one of the highlights of my day. It has been a thrill watching him grow in his walk with Christ over the past 22 months. Tomorrow will also be memorable, because we don’t have electricity until Monday.