The Mission Church of the Nazarene

     Since I was sick my first several days here (I'm almost completely healed), I feel like I'm playing catch up on everything. There are still a bunch of boxes that have just been placed places. Partly because we have to paint every wall in the parsonage and partly because it's overwhelming to get unpacked and settled in a new place.
    We got new appliances, so we are now able to cook and eat at home. Eating out is fun for only about 2 days, and being sick for those days made drive thru runs even less enjoyable. We are also able to do laundry, which is a bonus when you have neighbors to meet. We'll post before and after pictures soon. Our plan is to do one big post with the before and afters of all the rooms in the house, and as I said, we have to paint EVERYTHING, so that may take a while.
    In other news, we are an official incorporated church! On file with the secretary of state in Indiana! I'm still working on non-profit status, which is a much longer process, but shouldn't take more than a couple weeks if all goes well. We also have a bank account! This means that we are actually able to deposit all of your donations into our church account now. It seems small in a lot of ways, but is such a big step for us. That means, the money we get from City Connexx mission trips, we'll actually be able to access and use for projects. We are able to start trash service at the church, and we are able to access our alabaster funds for the parsonage more readily. Plus, it's just really cool to go to the bank with checks that say "The Mission Church of the Nazarene". It's like a dream realized.
     The official e-mail from the church of the Nazarene came saying we are a recognized organic church type mission, which was equally exciting. We are really here, things are really moving on the official end of things.
      This has all seemed a bit crazy and hectic, but the reality is, this is all the easy part. Filling out paper work, sending in notices that we are here, does not a church make. The church isn't filing with the secretary of state, or having a bank account, in fact we could be the church without any of that (though it's helpful in a lot of ways).
    Now the hard work begins. Now we have to meet people, walk places, interact with people, and part of me still thinks "How in the world do I do that?!" I'm a people person, and the interactions I've already made at the bank, restaurants, etc. have been great, but how do you really illustrate your love for a community and the people in it? I'm pretty sure it isn't just going up to strangers and hugging them, that is more apt to give me a restraining order than a church.
    So for now, I pray a lot. I pray when I drive Mac to the train station, by the high school and the city hall. I pray for the students that walk by on the sidewalks, and the homeless guys I see walking by the park. I pray for the kids playing soccer. I pray for the people at the train station. I pray everywhere I go, that I would have open eyes and ears to care for all of those around me. I pray for my neighbors. I pray for the crossing guards, and for the police officers I see around the city. I pray a lot, because I don't know how to start a church, not really, but I do know how to pray. That's got to be a good place to start.
      And so I pray "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, in Hammond as it is in Heaven."