WOW! I can’t believe it’s only been six days since the tornadoes hit Tippecanoe County! In those short five days, people in our church, including me, have tried to move ahead, lived in alternate places, and dealt with insurance companies.
Beyond those challenges, our church is undergoing a lightning-quick change that will require our willingness to learn some new things and be patient. This change brings the arrival of hundreds of students, their teachers, administrators and staff tomorrow for an open house Sunday afternoon and then on Monday for school. While I am certain that anyone who is in our congregation senses the unmistakable unity created by this crisis-born transition, I want to make sure we all stay on track.
Here are just a couple of keys to remember while we go through the initial stages of welcoming the schools well into our building.
- Remember we’re co-existing with the schools, and this is new for everyone involved. That kind of reality means there will be some “messiness” as we learn to share space, closets, doors, and our ministry spaces.
- Remember that we will improve the efficiency of our relationship. Every week, Pastor Tim Parsons will be meeting with administrators from Tippecanoe School Corporation to communicate, iron out opportunities to improve and to make sure we’re serving the schools in the best way we can. Because of that, while there could be some “bumps in the road” at the start, it will get better and better on both sides.
- Remember YOU can help! If you have time to volunteer on the church side of things, you can play an important role in keeping our ministries on track and moving ahead. If you’ve not signed up, do so by sending us an email. Click here for that address. We will particularly need volunteers before midweek services or outreaches.
- Remember WHO sent the tornado. Yeah, as people who believe in a God who controls the weather and who plans all things in accordance with his gracious goodness, we need to always keep in mind that God has brought us students, parents, teachers, administrators and other school staff. None of it is an accident, and all of it affords us a powerful opportunity to extend the patient and giving love of God in Christ.