This post comes from Hannah’s Closet in Grangeville, Idaho.
Nancy and I came up to civilization for the morning so I could do emails and blog. Fortunately or unfortunately we don’t have internet access at our house in the valley.
Week one of our prayer/study/planning time in the wilderness has gotten off to a great start. It is good to wait on the Lord in the quiet of northwest. Thank you for your prayers that we will hear His voice and be refreshed.
I took great delight in accessing my email and Facebook accounts to see so many great pictures and comments from our capital campaign conclusion last Sunday. It was a great day in the history of a church that belongs to a great God!
I mentioned at the end of our time together on Sunday night how much Nancy and I love the folks of OGC. These last few days of reflection on the events of the weekend and this season of our church’s history caused me to make a list of eleven things I love about our church.
- We willingly take calculated risks by faith believing God takes delight in the same (Heb. 11:6).
- We respond well to God’s appointed leaders being easily led without acting like mindless automatons (Heb. 13:17).
- We show increasingly greater understanding about the absolute necessity of prayer in a faith venture given the fact that we can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5).
- We show increasingly greater understanding about the absolute necessity of being a church on mission, building bridges into the community with the gospel (Matt. 5:16).
- We esteem the Word of God as inerrant and authoritative down to the very words standing out of respect when it is read (Neh. 8:5).
- We value hearing expository preaching of God’s word striving to be doers of the word and not hearers only (James 1:22).
- We seek to inflame the passion of our joy in God by taking seriously calls like consider your ways, listening to the Holy Spirit to do as He requires (Hag. 1:5 & 7).
- We engage in biblical fellowship eating and drinking before the Lord as we celebrate His goodness to us (1 Chron. 29:22).
- We give a standing ovation to God for His work in our lives that stirs us to give generously and sacrificially to His work (1 Chron. 29:9).
- We count a culture of peace a priority in our fellowship determining to navigate even potentially divisive things like a building program with fierce love for one another (Rom. 12:18).
- We cooperate together in making killer video welcome clips for our website (couldn’t think of a verse to go with this)!
Someone has said that loving Christ and not loving the church is like telling a friend that you love him, but you couldn’t care less abut his wife.
Not a chance of that from this pastor. Thanks, OGC. You make me want to be a better pastor
curtheffelfinger.com 
Thanks for taking the time from your rest to encourage us! Good words! Now…stop working and get back to resting! 🙂
We love you and Nancy, and are praying for a good time of refreshment. See you in few weeks.
12. We have a gung-ho, no-holds barred preacher proclaiming the Word loud and clear, and always laboring hard in prayer (Acts 6:4).
(This comment may not go past the censure of higher ecclesiastical powers to be, but I refuse to deny my heart the relish of pouring encouragement where it is due!) “There. You have it!”
Thank you for leading OGC with such love, compassion and passion to see us walk closer to the Savior. May He restore and refresh you every day. You and Nancy are deeply loved and appreciated!
Thanks for the encouragement, dear ones!
I’m glad your time is off to a good start. May G-d bless your remaining weeks with a greater love for Him, devotion to the Gospel, humility in service, compassion for the lost and a LOT of freshly butchered meat to grill/smoke over CHARCOAL for the glory of G-d (1 Cor 10:31). If you need any help with any of that, I’m here for you brother.
Good to know you’ve got my grilling needs covered, brother!