Well, Element community, much has happened since the last update to the blog...We found some incredibly important ideas to talk about, brought to life by some powerful visuals through the films of the Big Picture series...We explored a complete (and radical) new way of thinking through the SHIFT series in the book of Philippians...We explored some of the many reasons people resist the the truths of God in the "I Believe in God, But..." series...We dove headfirst into maybe the most foundational book of them all, the book of Romans, and read some words that really should change how we approach everything. We took on the Advent Conspiracy, where we looked at three key ideas: Worship Fully, Spend Less/Give More, and what it means to Love All. We've gotten to partner with the wonderful people of the Steele Creek YMCA, and be the recipients of their kind hospitality. We spend time celebrating together, talking about our incredible God and what he's done in each of our lives, and we've prayed about some difficult decisions. We've face obstacles, and we've seen God overcome them. We've shared a lot of laughs together, and even a few tears. We've had some extraordinary times of worship, both musical and otherwise...And when all is said and done, we've grown closer together and learned a little bit more about our extravagant, loving God. And I, for one, will cherish every moment spent together. And though we're not an everyday Sunday morning kind of thing anymore, I look forward to continuing to deepening my friendship with each one of you, and sharing in the triumphs in life, and encouraging each other in the not-so-triumphant parts. You all mean an incredible amount to me - To think that God has allowed me to be involved in your lives to the extent I have gotten to be is really humbling, and I know I'll never be the same.
I know that I'll be particularly grateful to those of you who made it your mission to be supportive in difficult times, who saw the good in any given situation, who showed me what it really means to trust in the goodness of God, and painted pictures of Jesus by your actions in loving both me and the Element community. You are truly valued - I know God has huge plans for you wherever you go. People who choose to put in the work when others won't, believe the best when others fear the worst, have each other's backs, and throw down in prayer for each other are a rare commodity in life, and I thank God that I've met more than my share of you in the journey of the past few years. I thank God as well for those people who gave up on me or the church when the going got tough - Through those times, I've learned to appreciate the loyalty and love of true friends more than ever, I've learned the power of forgiveness, and I've grown to recognize and love people whose default mode is mercy and grace. As a mess of a human being, I realize how ludicrous it is that God would use someone like me for any of his purposes, and I deeply thank each of you who have made me feel like God might not have made a mistake in using me the way he has ;)
I pray that your Christmas season has been full of love and hope...That you're excited about the possibilities of the new year ahead...And that you're eager to uncover more and more of the beauty of the risen Christ. Religion and church tradition can be powerful things, but a vibrant relationship with the living God Himself is where life takes on a meaning that our very best efforts can never attain...God bless you all, and I invite you to continue to build relationships with the community you've been a part of, founded on trust, mutual encouragement, and above all, love. I look forward to hearing from you...Keep an eye on this blog space and the Facebook page in the coming weeks for some further thoughts , both from myself and some of the other people that have been an integral part of the Element community!
With much love,
Brian Doell
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