Independance Day

I hope you had a great day celebrating the 4th of July. We had an awesome time today with our home team. We brought out the super-sized slip n' slide, the kiddie pool, some great food, and, of course, Sandi's new snow cone maker. It was just a great time to relax and enjoy the company of the people we're developing deep friendships with. Not to sound like a public service message, but...if you're not already part of a home team, you are really missing out on an opportunity to develop deep, meaningful relationships.
I was just thinking about how we celebrated the 4th of July last year. We had a cookout at our house and there were a ton of people. When I compare that event to today the most obvious difference is the level of comfort and acceptance in the atmosphere. Today, everyone...the men, the children and yes, even ALL the ladies were in their bathing suits diving down the slip n' slide. WOW... that was so awesome to see everyone indulging themselves in a great time, not holding back. That's exactly what home teams are designed to do...bring us into a small group that allows everyone to feel comfortable and safe and be themselves as we grow in Christ together. Thank you to everyone in our home team for an awesome day!
Happy 4th!