Sacred Awareness

God is on the Move!
Yesterday, we sent out an “Urgent Financial Appeal” letter that I trust most of you read. First, I want to thank each of you for taking the time to read that important note and for being a special part of our Eastside Family. I also want to express my gratitude to those of you who have already communicated your commitment to increase your contribution and willingness to serve in any way!

Our God-given vision at Eastside is to grow life-changing relationships with God and neighbor! And our hearts have always been to fulfill this vision by being steadfast and active in loving everyone and serving anyone!

We are currently living this out in many ways and are excited about the many things happening at Eastside now! For instance:

  • We shifted Pastor Kathryn into the new role of Assistant Pastor where she will breathe new life, energy, and fruitfulness into our student ministries from cradle to college
  • We’re restructuring our worship through music under our new Music Director, Tim Lambert
  • We launched our brand new EastsideTalk!
  • We have relaunched our Grace Squads to love everyone and serve anyone beyond our walls, on the Eastside of Rochester and beyond
  • This Fall, we are rolling out the first installment of the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship series as part of the Discipleship Pathway
  • Tim and Kim Holt will be hosting a new Grow Group to watch and discuss the video series, “The Chosen.”
  • We have become a host site for AA so our neighbors have a safe place to gather and share
  • Our Creative Events Team is planning frequent events to create opportunities for more connection and community
  • We are forming a Nominating Committee to rebuild our Leadership Team back to six leaders
  • We are working toward transitioning Eastside from “Church Plant” status to a full “Society” within the Genesis Conference of the Free Methodist Church USA
  • We are also seeing new faces and new families! Just the other day, Brandon Holt said, “Hey, we have a new visitor every week!”

God is about a great work at Eastside! Can you see it?

Eastside T-shirts
Yup! You read that right! We are looking to order Eastside T-shirts! “Why would we do such a thing?” you might ask. Well, first of all, who doesn’t love wearing T-shirts? You can never have too many T-shirts, is my theory! Ask my family…I have tons of T-shirts! I mean TONS! But how cool would it be to wear an Eastside T-shirt as you are out and about and have someone say, “Hey, what’s Eastside Church? Is that where you go?” And then be able to share that, like Jesus, our hearts are to love everyone and serve anyone? The other reason why we want to order T-shirts is that our Grace Squads are planning several outreach events where we can serve our community. We would like to wear these T-shirts to those events. One of our next Grace Squad events is to serve at the Pittsford Fest on Saturday, September 10. We will be there to pick up trash, help vendors, meet new people, and just be available to serve in any way! We will have more information for you this coming Sunday but if you already know that you would like to buy an Eastside T-shirt please email your name and size at info@eastsideroc.com. It looks like they will be only $11.00 each! We are looking to place an order of at least (24) next week, so please let us know of your interest ASAP! Also, please let us know if you would like to be a part of serving with us at the Pittsford Fest!

Sacred Awareness
Crack. Crunch. Snap. With every step I took, something made a noise beneath the soles of my hiking boots and echoed through the dense forest. A stick. Leaves. Dried mud. I was all alone, walking cautiously between old Maple and Oak trees that grew long before I took my first breath and would continue growing even longer after I am gone. All alone. I could hear my heartbeat between the chirping of curious song birds and a breeze rustling through the tree branches. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the slightest movement to my right. I turned my gaze and saw the most majestic ten-point buck raise his antler-crowned head, watching to see if I was a threat or just another passerby. He was there the whole time, that crisp summer morning, lapping cool water for refreshment from a humble little pond. I was awestruck and after we studied one another for some time, we both went about our day.

As I reflect on that moment, I am reminded of God’s presence in our lives. He is always present. What is often absent is our awareness. There are so many times in our own lives when we feel alone or so distracted by other things that we forget or miss that God, the Lover, is right there. He is everywhere. The psalmist says that no matter where we go, he is there, watching–waiting (Psalm 139). No matter what we face and no matter what we are going through He is there. A whisper away. Within reach of holding His hand and listening for Him. Again, He is always present. What is often absent is our awareness. Are you aware? Have you paused today to look up and see Him? Have you said, “Hello,” yet? “Will you walk with me today?” You see, that daily awareness changes everything, doesn’t it? How we see. How we hear. How we live. Look up. Turn…and see Jesus. He waits for you in the silence and in the stillness. Ready. Waiting. Speaking.

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God” (Psalm 42:1).