Connecting Point – August 23, 2023

Tuesdays are Staff Days at Celebration, when our Staff members from our congregations come together for encouragement and equipping - and to share stories about what God is doing in people's lives. We always spend time praying for one another, for our members, and for people we've been asked to pray for. And we spend time planning and coordinating to carry out our ministry assignments in effective ways. And we spend time being equipped by gifted leaders on and outside of our Church staff. But we also spend time sharing stories about what the Lord is doing in people's lives, circumstances and relationships. Here is a sampling of some stories we've heard in the past several weeks from our Pastors and Staff.

• A man who had a double lung transplant is doing well, and has a wonderful testimony about the healing power of God in his life.

• A man who once struggled with a drug addiction experienced salvation and victory over his addiction, met his now wife at Celebration, and now has a successful career.

• A man whose family was called in to the hospital by the doctors for them to say their "last goodbyes" has now improved so dramatically that he's been able to go home.

• 4 new Christians were baptized in a Church that we help sponsor in India, where it's becoming dangerous for people to become followers of Jesus.

• A Couple on the brink of divorce because of the husband's addiction has been fully reconciled, grown spiritually, and are now becoming future leaders in our ministry.

• A Pastor followed up with a Couple about an upcoming Child Blessing, led both of the individuals to faith in Jesus, and baptized them last Sunday.

• At one Campus, among the people being baptized was someone who had been a well-known bartender in that community.

• A man at one of our Campuses came to faith in Jesus, conquered his chemical dependency addiction, and in the past year has lost over 100 pounds.

• Someone invited their neighbors to attend a Church service with them, and those neighbors have now become Christians and were baptized last Sunday.

I could go on and on sharing the kind of stories that we hear on a weekly basis at Celebration - stories about people experiencing the saving, healing, delivering, providing and transforming power of Jesus in their lives. And here is the even better news. Those same miracles can take place in the lives of people that you know, work with and live beside when you bring them with you to Celebration Church. Plan to do just that in the coming weeks.

Also on August 27 at 4 pm at our Celebration Campus at 2001 Airline Drive we're hosting a free viewing of the movie, ORDINARY ANGELS for our Church's attendees and friends. This movie, which will be in theaters at the end of September, is based on a remarkable true story. ORDINARY ANGELS centers on Sharon Steves (Hilary Swank), a fierce but struggling hairdresser who discovers a renewed sense of purpose when she meets Ed Schmitt (Alan Ritchson), a widower working hard to make ends meet for his two daughters. With his youngest daughter waiting for a liver transplant, Sharon sets her mind to helping the family, and will move mountains to do so. What unfolds is the inspiring tale of faith, everyday miracles, and "ordinary angels." My wife and I have already seen a preview of this movie, and believe it will be great encouragement and fun for adults, teens and children. Plan to join us, and encourage others to come with you.