Letter from the Pastor

From: Mel Dahlgren
Date: Sunday, February 2, 2002
Subject: Response To The President

Dear Family,

I have just returned from Denver this evening from an exciting 5-day conference on Christian Responsibility. While there, I heard, as I'm sure most of you did as well, from our President.

In his State of the Union Address, our President encouraged us to volunteer time and effort to serve the government in one of many different ways. In his address, President Bush said:

I join the call of our President to mobilize and help whenever and wherever we can to “improve lives and strengthen the civic fabric that holds our communities together.” Volunteering is our unique and individual way to give back to the community. Whether it is to mentor a young person, take police reports, or to organize or join a neighborhood watch program, our Christian sensibilities teach us that it is always worthwhile to invest time in doing good works towards a greater purpose.

To respond immediately to our President's request, my heart's desire would be for us all to commit or recommit ourselves to being a bright "lighthouse of prayer" on our own street, in our own neighborhood. What could we do for our neighborhood that would be any more valuable than to lift up our neighbors in daily or weekly prayer to God, the giver of everything, as you walk or drive by and at opportune times, visit and share with those who have been so blessed as to be closest neighbors to a true Christian son or daughter of God! What a wonderful way to respond to our President's call and what a neighborhood service this would be! And then God will lead us from there!!!

The apostle Paul encourages us, “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Gal. 6:10). When you volunteer some of your time, you are becoming an active and responsible citizen in the community. You get to know and appreciate your fellow neighbors.

If you are interested to know more about the President’s new initiative, please visit the website at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or call 1-877-USA-CORPS for more information.

Paul also told Timothy, “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Tim. 6:18-19).

God has been giving us a major spiritual enfusion and rejuvenation, beyond our wildest expectations in the last few years. I hope you feel His grace flowing in your veins as I do in mine. Let's respond to our President and most of all to God's GRACE with our very best in return. For when we volunteer to serve others, we volunteer to serve God. Matt 25:40 So let's give Him our first and our best - the firstfruits of our most valuable and irreplacable possession, our TIME - and God will see to it that the rest of our time has His richest blessing!

Your brother and faithful servant in Christ,

Mel

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