DIVE IN JOURNEY UPDATE FEBURARY ~ 2016
FOR OUR CHURCH FAMILY
Our Children & Family Ministries now have several midweek offerings and GROW events. Youth
Ministries meet before school on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, after school on Thursdays, and 27
adults are leading D Groups on Sunday evenings! We had a wonderful Fall Fest with hundreds of
people enjoying fellowship. Our worship numbers have continued to increase, with several
Sundays reaching over 600 in worship.
FOR OUR COMMUNITY
Our building committee interviewed multiple financial institutions who are all happy to work
with us. We interviewed 5 architectural & building companies. All 5 bids were within 1% of each
other. After extensive interviews and reviews, the committee selected The Aspen Group, a
design/build firm who works exclusively with churches to be our partner. Darrin Yount has met
with staff, given us demographic information of our surrounding areas, offered us congregationwide survey questions, and is working closely with us in a discovery phase that will help us focus
our needs in alignment with the needs of our community.
FOR OUR WORLD
Since our first quarterly statement, we have hosted Paula Salizar from the Omega Church in
Belize for 2 weeks, sent a medical & a building team to that church, sent thousands of Operation
Christmas Child boxes overseas, dozens of Project Angel Tree gifts to children of inmates, served
the homeless in Washtenaw Country at Alpha House, and served a meal to the homeless at Cass
Community in Detroit. May we continue to work for peace, justice, mercy, and help to a world in
need!
The congregation can take Godly pride in its commitment to the church through Dive In! Your generosity
and wise spending among our leadership has added to our ability to manage our property, work on
projects, and add to the total giving to our future building project. To date we have received
$1,674,993.00. We are well on our way to achieving our goal of $4.85 Million.
elcome to the second quarterly statement, and a second opporW
tunity to say THANK YOU for your generosity! So many of us are
DIVING IN to a deeper, growing life in Christ that we are able to reach out
even more: For the first time, we have multiple support groups: The
Forgiveness Series, the Sexual Abuse Support Group, Men Pursuing
Purity, Coping with Aging Parents, Divorce Care, Grief Share, and Financial
Peace University!
This is the second DIVE IN Quarterly Update, and there are 3 sections:

Pouring Out Generosity:

The Ripple Effect:

Diving In Deep:
God’s blessing in the life of a wonderful
woman in our church, who helps with Trustees, Gardening, Children’s Ministry, and the Belize Medical Mission!
An update of what’s happening as we DIVE IN for
our church family, our community, and our world. This also includes your
quarterly giving record. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Lim at
[email protected]
of faith & generosity.
When you are done reading this, unplug for a moment and breathe. Think about this:
The vast majority of churches in America never get to think about building onto their
ministries. We get to build a church that will be a part of reaching people with the mission of Jesus for generations to come! Into this God has given you a message to share,
and as a believer you are now God’s messenger. The world needs to hear and see—
and nothing speaks more loudly than our love and generosity. You can share your story
at www.diveindexter.org. Someone needs to hear it.
In Christ,
Matt
You can give and learn more at diveindexter.org
A devotional thought as we wade into deeper waters
“As soon as Simon
Peter heard him say,
“It is the Lord,” he
wrapped his outer
garment around him
(for he had taken it
off) and jumped into
the water.”
~John 21:7~
“David… served the purpose of God in his generation.” Acts 13:36. Rick Warren writes
how most of us struggle with basic issues in life: Identity, importance, and impact.

Who am I ? Do I even Matter?

Am I making a difference?

What will be the center of my life?
Me? God? My interests? Feelings? This is a question of worship. You can center your life around
your career, your family, a sport or hobby, money, having fun, or many other activities. These
are all good things, but they don’t belong at the center of your life. None is strong enough to
hold you together when life starts breaking apart.
King Asa told the people of Judah to “center their lives in God” 2 Chr. 14:4. Whatever is the
center of your life is your God. When we commit our lives to Christ, He moves to the center.
That’s when we worship. That’s when we have peace. Scripture says “A sense of God’s wholeness… will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry
at the center of your life.” Phil. 4:7. As you reflect on what the center of your life is, ask yourself
how you can live for God’s purposes for this generation, and ask for the energy to DIVE IN to
that, beginning in this moment!
We have a new vision of what it will look like when we live into our mission to
Love God, Love People, And Serve The World, For Jesus Christ. When we get
that right, we “Send out disciples, equipped with love and scripture.”
Living In God’s Blessing - 8 Days In Belize
Ever thought about going on a mission trip? It’s AMAZING! If you have done a mission trip you already know
what I mean. If not, you still have the opportunity to be God’s hands, feet, eyes and heart in a place where your
knowledge of normal life is challenged. A whole new world is open for you to experience!
On November 13th Pastor Tom Snyder, Pastor Steve Bringardner, Sharon Gauthier, Sarah Atwell, Carrie Dawson,
and myself set off on a Praying Pelican Medical Mission trip to Belize. Besides our personal luggage we had
packed 200 pounds of medical supplies including Bibles and devotional books. Here’s a THANK YOU church for all
the supplies donated to make this happen. In Belize we joined with the rest of our team, with Steve’s daughters,
Kristin and Jennifer, and Ron from PA who all felt God’s call to join us. A team of nine ready to do whatever God
called us to do. 40 degrees in Michigan and 80-90 degrees in Belize in the rainy season with 80% humidity.
Through Omega Church in San Ignacio, under the direction of Pastor Salizar and the Youth Pastor, Paula Salizar
we were ready to serve. During our four medical clinics in Belize and one day in Guatemala, we were privileged
to have served 540 people for medical care and almost 600 for glasses fitting. We shared God’s love with everyone we met, prayed with many, and came away knowing that we also were so blessed by this experience. There
were also those in Belize who were there to help and serve us. From Pastor Mark, Carlos the bus driver, Hilda,
Rosalie and many others who fed us daily, broke bread with us, and prayed with and for us. Once again, God’s
blessing.
Our motto was flexibility. Share His love, let Him lead, let Him direct, listen to those who come to us to be cared
for, trust in God’s direction, and be thankful for His presence in all that we did. People are people, no matter
where you go. Living their lives, raising families, and here most living in poverty. For many, this was the one time
a year that they received some type of medical care, screening for diabetes and hypertension, dental supplies,
vitamins, simple medications, and recommendations for healthier living. So many beautiful people, that are all
part of God’s family.
In life and on a mission trip- know that those who are with you are God’s blessing, as you share your time together and your adventure. He directed you to be there in His time and in your time.
We are all connected and He is the key that binds us all together through love. Blessed to have been there and in
His service!
Lynn
Lynn Lewis
Belize Medical Mission