Environmentalism?

Environmentalism has long been associated with derogatory terms like "tree-hugger" and tacky slogans like "Save the Whales." Certainly, God cares about His creation, and we could all stand to be a little more concerned about keeping the earth healthy into the future. But, for a minute, think about the underlying "cause" for an environmentalist... living with an appropriate balance of taking advantage of the incredible creation of God, while ensuring that enough effort is made to keep that creation available for generations to come.

With that as our definition, it kind of takes Sunday mornings at Church At The Grove to a new level of understanding. We only do three things here, and one of them is "Creating an environment where people can explore and encounter faith individually and together through God's word." If you will take the time to meet people on Sunday mornings, you will realize that you have done a great job at creating this environment for our guests... but as we enter the Summer and prepare for the Fall, it becomes even more important to live with an appropriate balance of taking advantage of the incredible Sunday morning environment (a lively, energetic and relevant part of this incredible spiritual journey), while putting forth lots of effort to keep this Sunday morning environment available for generations to come. This may involve something as simple as picking up a stray napkin and tossing it in the trash can, or something a little more involved (like teaching Children's Church, or helping in the Baby room, or coming a few minutes early to set-up chairs). Email me if you would like to get a little experience with it over the summer.

So, when you come this Sunday: Enjoy the environment that everyone is working so hard to create; Bring a friend or two with you who need a place to comfortably explore God; And, while you're here, if you see a way to improve the environment for others, jump in and help out... God has called us to protect the environment created in the cafeteria of Youth Middle School every Sunday... God has called us to be "spiritual environmentalists"... there are hundreds/thousands of people in this area that need to be able to connect with God... and we may be the only hope for some of our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and family to hear about Christ in a way that can be understood.

See you Sunday,
Craig Story