Before I go into why, I feel there are some things I need to catch my readers up on (I am attempting to improve on my blogging frequency)! I can't believe I have not given an update since our move to Illinois! Part of the reason for the lack of writing has been that God has been doing SO MUCH in my life personally, that sometimes I have a hard time getting it all on "paper". So much of what He does is hard for me to put into words. That being said, here goes my attempt at a quick, super-condensed Kimbrell family update:
2009: We moved from Ferguson to Troy, MO. (my hometown) with no plans, other than to own a home in a town that felt more “country”. Within 2 weeks of moving, we found a church home!
2011: Kory became the Youth Pastor/Associate Pastor at that church. We poured our hearts into everything we did for and with the teens. We couldn’t imagine doing anything else!
2014: While still serving at the church in Troy, MO., God clearly spoke to Kory that we were to move to Collinsville, IL (his hometown) to start a "Missional Community" church.
March 15, 2015: We obeyed God and left our church in Troy, MO (our house had not yet sold and Kory was to soon be unemployed, but we trusted God’s leading) By the way, there is so much MORE to this story, but I’ll have to leave that to another time….
April 23, 2015: We simultaneously closed on our house in Troy and our new house in Collinsville, IL! (most stressful day of my life to date, I might add!)
May 31, 2015: Kory got a call to preach as an interim pastor at a church in State Park, IL (5 min from our new house).
June 15-19: We volunteered to help with the church's VBS. We had a BLAST with the kids and God quickly put an overwhelming passion in our hearts for the people of State Park, IL. (details on that passion to come at a later date)
July 19, 2015: After 8 weeks of preaching/serving at the church in State Park, God ended our time there, so that we could carry on with what He sent us to Collinsville to do - plant a new church.
Sept 2, 2015: We had our very first "Family Gathering" for Remedy Church (the name God gave us before coming to Illinois) in our home, and we've been meeting every Wednesday since!
Sept 9, 2015: After we had our very first "gathering" in our home with everyone, I quickly realized the children needed to have something to call their own as well! The very next week I began teaching the kids in our basement. Here is a picture of our first “Remedy Kids” group!
Each Wednesday, I get to spend my evening with some awesome kiddos!! We worship God with singing and dancing, we make a craft, have a snack, and play games. But after taking a vote from the kids, their favorite part of the night each week is the Bible Story! They love it because everyone gets to play a role in the story! I never expected to have so many fun actors/actresses! :-) We make each story “come to life” so that they leave having a practically understanding of how God worked in people’s lives long ago, and how He can work in their lives today as well. We have a BLAST!
For the first 5 weeks, our theme was "changed from the inside out". We talked about Paul and how God took him from being a persecutor of Christians, to someone who followed and obeyed God no matter how hard it was.
Now we are learning about Daniel, and how his everyday choices mattered, and so do ours!
Here are a few more pictures of our past weeks together.
And then there was this week (11/18/15). There were several kids missing from our group for various reasons, but I believe having this small group allowed us to talk and share together on a more personal level. Like every week we did our story/skit together, but this week, something interesting happened. After the story, the kids started sharing about all types of things they are dealing with at school, at home, etc. Then the topic of prayer came up. I always encourage the kids to be honest in their responses, and to not just give me the "right" answer, or the answer they think I want to hear. Last night every one of them opened up about how they truly feel about prayer. They shared their questions, their fears, their thoughts about God, etc. What these kids shared in front of each other, was mind blowing to me. They had some really heavy stories and questions. After we talked, I asked them all to come sit with me on the floor. I planned on praying for them as a group, but they quickly spoke up and said they wanted to go around the circle and pray individually! I was taken back, not only by their desire to pray, but by the sincerity of their prayers. They weren't rehearsed, they weren't memorized, they were on-the-spot, true & honest prayers. Several of the kids who come on Wed nights, do not have spiritual guidance at home, so to see what I saw this week, was very encouraging to me. They care so deeply for their parents and their friends and family, and want so badly for THEM to know God - and they prayed for that! After being in youth ministry (with teenagers) for several years, and then moving to Collinsville to plant a church, and meeting so many adults, it never even crossed my mind that I would be spending such valuable time with these young kids each week. God knew though. I believe He ordained each of these moments and oh how precious they are....
I look forward to each week, knowing that I get to share Jesus with these amazing kids! God is moving and working in the adults each week as well!
Friends, trust me when I say….if God is leading you to do something, DO IT! It is worth every struggle, every trial, every doubt….
It is in these PRECIOUS MOMENTS, that I see God’s faithfulness, and know that HE IS GOOD!
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