Stories

This is celebration week at Connexus as we mark six months since launch.  We had a great day in Barrie yesterday and are completing look forward to bringing the party to Orillia this coming weekend.
In the message yesterday I got the chance to tell stories.  Nothing amazes me more, humbles me more or encourages me more than hearing people tell stories of how God has impacted their lives.
No doubt, Connexus has attracted a whole new crop of people over the last six months.  In one of the services, I told the story of a Laurie-Ann and her husband Ron who came to us right after launch. They were both already committed follower of Jesus. One morning in our “shake a hand” time they introduced themselves to a young couple.  She was completely unchurched in background and he hadn't been in a decade (bad experience growing up). The next week, the couple found Laurie-Ann and Ron and sat down next to them.  Ron and Laurie-Ann struck up a conversation with them, spent some time with them, and invited them to join a community group.
After the service, a couple came up to me and said “Hey Carey, we are that couple. I can't tell you how this community and this experience has changed our lives.” Both have now made a commitment to follow Jesus, and one of them is getting baptized.
I could go on….six months into this, I am beginning to hear story after story like that.  It makes it so worth it.  I know so many in our community have sacrificed so much on both campuses.  Yesterday, I had one of those days where I realized that every ounce of energy we can pour into this is more than worth it, and I just left SO grateful for this community and each of you.  The investment we are making now will resonate into eternity.