Whenever people ask how my family is doing, I always reply that in a family as large and diverse as ours, it’s “the best of times and the worst of times… all the time!” No matter when you ask, someone is floundering while others are flourishing, but in both cases, God is at work to lead us to new life.

That’s also true in a church as large and diverse as ours, this year in particular. We’ve experienced both unprecedented challenges and unprecedented triumphs… and I’ve seen God working through both to lead our church and our church members to new life.

Like a lot of other communities in the world, we’ve experienced financial insecurity, and many families and individuals have been honest about crises in their marriages or with their mental health. We aren’t unusual in that regard.

What IS unusual is how our community, centered around Christ, has dealt with them. We’ve engaged more deeply in prayer, and have established rhythms of worship nights. Our Daily Devos and sermons have kept us in God’s word. We’ve had honest conversations about sin and God’s amazing grace. Instead of closing ranks under stress, we’ve grown in ethnic and economic diversity more than we could have dreamed of in the past.

Meanwhile, many of our ministries have exploded in both participation and spiritual depth. For example, the youth ministry! Actually… maybe I should start with the Japanese ministry. Or Theology Lab. But I also want you to hear about how we’re including people with disabilities, and the beauty of Highrock Beyond Bars, and more. Wow—there are too many inspiring examples for me to pick just one!

I’m eager to share these stories with you because whenever I get discouraged, all I need to do is walk through Kidsrock, Christmas concert Choir practice, Momsrock, or the middle school youth group, or read emails about your transformational encounters with Jesus in the moments you needed it most, and I’m reminded again that God is creating abundant new life all over our church!

Below are just a few of the highlights of what the Holy Spirit is doing among us these days. As you read it, I hope you are as encouraged as I always feel when I get to see Him in action. Our God is changing lives by bringing new honesty, healing, and hope—and by your praying, volunteering, and financial giving you are playing an essential role in all these stories. So thank God, and thank you for your partnership in this ministry. I count it a great privilege to pastor this beautiful community.

Blessings,
Pastor Dave Swaim