Connections

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward."

That's not just some old-fashioned sentiment from an antiquated culture we've lost touch with; it's the definitive assessment of the Creator himself, as expressed through Scripture (Ps. 127:3). The point is simple: God views new life as a blessing to be cherished.

In light of this biblical reality, it was a joy this past weekend to be able to participate in the "Growing Families" milestone event at Kossuth and celebrate the new lives that God has brought into our church during the past year. On Saturday evening, a number of the families were able to participate in a dinner to encourage and equip them in the parenting task that lies ahead. The elders and their wives joined us for a time of discussion, encouragement, and idea-sharing, as we considered how to cultivate a Christ-exalting home.

On Sunday morning, the entire church got to participate in the second component of the Growing Families event, the formal commitment ceremony. Not only did we get to see the cute babies and their parents, but we also got to formalize our commitment to family discipleship within the church. The parents affirmatively answered these three questions:

And the congregation expressed its own resolve by answering "Yes" to these questions:

If you didn't get a prayer guide last Sunday, be sure to look for one this week on the tables at the entrance to the sanctuary. And please make the effort to follow through and pray for the children (Matthew, Gabrielle, Max, Emily, Sophia, Eason, and Tait) and their parents. Our commitment to these young families is not to be taken lightly. May God give us grace to be faithful!

For images of the ceremony, check out the photo gallery.

Our family has been away from KSBC since fall of 2012. We spent most of our 2012 busy packing, traveling, unpacking, and settling in our new home in Hangzhou, China. Through new language, new schools, new friends, new church, new ministries and fellowships, God has blessed us with great opportunities to make us grow in Him. One of the greatest challenges we felt was disconnectedness with our church family at KSBC.

Holidays are always hard when you are away from "home." By Thanksgiving in 2012, most of our initial challenges of everyday life (including reconnecting on Facebook!) were resolved or gotten used to. However, our excitements being in a new environment had faded away, and the reality of living the next 9 months in Hangzhou set in. We started having our routines with our life (in other words, we were in cruise control mode) in China. As experts say, that's when sojourners' real challenge-homesickness--comes in. 

But God showed His Love through His saints from KSBC when we really needed it.

One morning in December, I was surprised not only to see a small package in our mailbox (which has collected only advertisements and bills) but also that the package was from thousands of miles away! It was addressed from one of our beloved KSBC friends, Selvie Tanjung. I had a hard time not opening the package immediately, but I decided to let the whole family enjoy the moment of opening the package of love together. Not only did we have to wait until the last person walked in the door, but we decided to wait until we were ready to have our family devotion at night, as well. It was a long 12+ hours!

For us, it was like opening a surprise Christmas present! We were so blessed with His Love not only to find a card from Selvie, Tanto, and their children, but also from several other KSBC families and their children! Our children could not be more excited than seeing their best friends' Christmas pictures, drawings and letters! While we were feeling disconnected from KSBC families by being so far away, God made us to see we were connected through His love--a package full of Christmas cards from thousands of miles away!

All the Gospels record the familiar history of how Jesus took a simple meal of some loaves and a couple fish and multiplied it amazingly for his glory. Last fall we got to see God multiply our own simple meal into new friendships for his glory with people who came from the other side of the planet right into our home.

In August 2012, our family was blessed to host five Chinese students, all new to the USA. It soon became clear they felt love and kindness in a foreign land. What began as a brunch and area tour, quickly turned into a blossoming friendship. They’ve since been over for dinners including an American Thanksgiving and accompanied us to the Chinese Lantern festival. On one visit, one of our new friends talked of a Chinese string instrument he played and a favorite song. During a later visit a couple of our children surprised them by playing the song. We literally heard gasps when they recognized the first notes, and some just listened with eyes closed as if transported back home for a few minutes. At the same time, they’ve shown such love and warmth back to our family. 

New international students will start to arrive on Purdue’s campus at the beginning of August. For many, it will be their first experience in America. What can our church family do to help them feel welcome while beginning a relationship that may result in their coming to experience the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ? A great way to show them the love of Christ is to host a small group of students for a meal followed by a tour or the Lafayette/West Lafayette area.

Block your calendars now for Saturday, August 24. You won’t want to miss this great opportunity to connect with international students right here in Tippecanoe County…no passport needed! If you’re apprehensive about doing it alone, partner up with another family from your Connections class and give them a double dose of Hoosier hospitality!

What exactly is required of a host? First, plan to come to campus to pick up your students at 10:00 am. The students will have signed up ahead of time and will meet you at a designated location. Second, be friendly to the students as you take them to your home and share an early lunch (or brunch) with them. Third, hop in your vehicle and drive them around Lafayette and West Lafayette, showing them the highlights of the city, e.g. our church, the mall, the courthouse, West Lafayette post office, a grocery store or two. Then take them to their apartment or dorm. They will have seen the love of the Lord in the process, and the blessings you receive are countless. And who knows what God will multiply out of your simple meal?!

Please let the folks at Salt & Light know of your commitment by e-mailing Dana Gottfried (dgottfried@slcfworld.com), and telling him how many students you can take: 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6. You can also e-mail Dana any questions you may have before you sign up.