HEAVEN & HOME

One of the challenges of being a part of the church is that we can miss seeing the full breadth of what God is doing in this place. We see what's happening in our neighborhood inside the church, but we miss some miracles happening down the hall (or with a ministry that meets at a time when we're not in the building).

So I want to tell you about Heaven, and I want to talk with you about Home.

Heaven is a freshman at IU. In a recent "Jubilee" newsletter she shared part of her story.

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She writes:

"Starting college I was very nervous... I had previously lost my way in my Christian faith, and I did not want that to happen to me again. 'But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength.' 2 Timothy 4:17

"Starting on this journey I wanted to find somewhere that I would feel accepted and at home, where I could grow in my Christian faith, and be the best disciple I could be. I was blessed with very supportive friends who wanted the same things I did.

"We started by trying a campus group, and we really liked it, but felt like something was missing, so we added Jubilee to the mix. We decided that Jubilee was going to be the best decision for us. After meeting Sarah, Travis and Ashlee, who recommended us to Alex Lamb as Sunday school teachers for Kindergarten kids, we knew that FUMCB was going to be good for us. We started to get even more involved in the church, teaching Sunday school every other month, going to Jubilee on Wednesdays, small group on Thursdays, and getting involved in The Open Door. The more involved I become in this community the more I feel I can give back to it with my gifts. Jubilee is doing wonderful things in the lives of college aged kids, and I am blessed to have found my place in this community."

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That is just a part of Heaven's story, but I thought you would want to know the kinds of life stories that are happening here at FUMCB/The Open Door.

And Home? Briann Meyers, also a Jubilee student, says that she was "pretty much lost" at the beginning of the school year. She wondered if she was going to find a place of worship that would fit her soul and life. They tried worship here and she says, "We thought it was pretty awesome and decided to come back again the next week."

"If I would have been asked the question, 'What is Jubilee?' I would have answered 'It's my home away from home.' In the Jubilee community, I know that I am welcome, I know that I fit just the way I am, and I know that I am safe. In small group, I feel a connection with each person, even though I never thought that I would.

"I am coming to realize that Jubilee is not a home away from home. If I were asked the question, 'What is Jubilee?' now, I would answer, 'It is home.' It is a place where you can be yourself no matter what. It is a place where you know you are safe. Jubilee is a place where you know you are loved. Jubilee and small group are home. I have never been more content than I am now with my new home."

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I wanted you to hear about Heaven and Home because you have helped, with your giving and prayers and commitment to being a welcoming place for all ages, to make these miracles happen!

See you Sunday as we hear Paul beg the men and women at Philippi to "Look Both Directions."

Grace and peace in Christ,

Mark