A City to Love

Our 2010 included…

BBQs.

Parties.

A car show.

A Kid’s Carnival.

Weekly giveaways.

500 backpacks stuffed with school supplies—given to local children.

Frozen turkeys and Thanksgiving groceries—enough to feed 1,100 people in our community.

Hundreds of Christmas gifts for kids in foster care.

Over 5,000 hot meals given to the hungry.

Why?

Because we have a city to love.

It’s not “us -vs- them.” We live here and we are them.

God has us here for a reason—and that reason does not include hating on the city or its people.

Consider these instructions from God to his people:

“Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you… Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29.5-7 NLT)

I believe these instructions are fitting for us today…

Work for the peace and prosperity of the city.

Pray for the city—its welfare will determine your welfare.

It’s clear that we have a job to do.

We have a city to love—our future and well-being depends on it.

The list of things we did in 2010 isn’t the end. It’s just the beginning.

In 2011 we will care more, love more, give more and serve more.

Our greatest days are before us, not behind us—because we have a city to love!