If you have peeked at the back side of the house / office lately you have noticed some destruction taking place. Trees have been pruned or removed, debris hauled off, and the patio and deck was pressure washed. Bark mulch has been laid down and our new picnic tables have been set. And the other day Mike Broberg really made a mess when he removed all the rotten decking boards to get down to the broken joist underneath so they can be replaced. Once the deck has been repaired and sealed we will have a very nice picnic area on the back of our property. It could be used for LIFE group or Teen cookouts, Sunday afternoon picnics, ministry meetings, graduation or birthday parties, wedding or funeral receptions, VBS classes, some personal devotional time, even a surprise party.

What is this all about? What are we up to here? We have been blessed with a great piece of property as a congregation. It enables us to do a lot of good things, maybe not everything we want to do, but a lot of good things. But, like all property it needs to be maintained and repaired. If we are diligent about taking care of things, they will be easier to use and will get used more often. We want the property to be used, that is what it is for.

And we learn something in the process as well. It is encouraging to everyone when we see folks volunteering their time and labor. It gives all of us more of a sense of ownership and responsibility for the place. It moves from being “the church building” to being “our building.” We also learn to work together and to give and take. Things don’t always go the way we like and that is okay. And we learn to be thankful for the talents, skills and efforts of others. So thanks to Mike, Cassie and Carrie Broberg, Lydia and Tamara Busch, Emma Jones, Bob Anderson, Bill Winslow and Darren and the Williamson daughters. So swing around the back of the building and check it out,but watch your step! The place, well actually our place is looking great! Howard