Ashes, Celebration and Ministry

At New Wine we do not put new wine in old wineskins. We value the ancient truths and traditions of the church that keep us connected to the Gospel once delivered, but sometime it looks a little different. One of our new wineskins is that we do not meet in a church building. Our venues are often mobile. Thus, when Ash Wednesday comes around each year, we practice this time of gathering in various locations. One year we met in our house churches and as priest I administered the rite at different times on a "circuit ride". This year we hosted a service at Taecken's Terrace Senior Apartments. Twenty four of us gathered in the second floor library. Half were residents and half were members of our Sunday fellowship. We marked a good start to a season of seeking the Lord. We asked Him to purify our hearts from persistent sin and to make us more like Jesus. We participated in an ancient Litany of Penitence which the church has prayed for centuries. It is deeply moving as we corporately confess things done and left undone. O that the church and the world would seriously engage in heart felt repentance! Prayer and repentance is always the first step towards revival.

Today, the first Sunday of Lent, was a celebration for New Wine. Celebration is not the norm in a season of penitence, but today we marked our 6 year anniversary since our first Sunday celebration as a church. We had 30 in attendance, a few visitors who have been part of the work in the past, but we had a number of new visitors, which was a great encouragement. Our guests heard about how God has been faithful to us through the years as we recounted our first 6 years in pictures. We ended the day with a reception which included several goodies, but more importantly good conversation. Remember, it is all about "relationships".

Finally last week we saw several ministry events. Our Monday Cell group prepared lunch for a clean up crew at the Flushing Christian Outreach Center. The crew of special needs adults comes twice a month when the Center is closed and cleans the floors, equipment and bathroom while hosting churches take turns returning the blessing by fixing them lunch. A hearty tomato soup and grilled cheese meal was served and a great time of fellowship and sharing over the meal was had by all. This ministry center is a blessing as a clothing closet and food pantry serving over 200 people a month in the Flushing area. Those of us who serve there are blessed in so many ways as well. FCOC is really an example of Kingdom ecumenical ministry at its best.

Also last week the planning team for "The White House Student Cafe" met again as we prepare to kick off a 6 week coffee house project near the U of M Flint campus. We are working with Riverside Church and Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship to host a live music coffee shop on Friday nights in March and April. We are trying to create a safe space for community building and gathering. Donations for coffee will go to support various ministry projects. Our first project is to help a Colombian young man pay for eye surgery. We are excited about this project. We need old coffee mugs. Contact Kate Robinson if you want to make a donation.