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What a Weekend!

Jun 16, 2008 Uncategorized

Where do I start?

This last week was one of the longest I can remember having in quite some time. It started with launching the new series at Riverview on Saturday and Sunday. It was our last service in the old auditorium.

Early the next morning, I hopped a plane for Virginia Beach where I hung out with some of Riv’s college students (and some others from U of M) for a couple days at College LT. Then, at 4am on Wednesday, I was back on the road to head home.

Wednesday through Friday were like a month of time, jammed into a few days. Late nights, early mornings, the stress of getting our occupancy permit at the last possible minute and we were finally ready in the new auditorium. I went in early Saturday but really had nothing left to do. It was odd…but I couldn’t stay away.

Finally, Saturday night the time came and people started to trickle in. Again and again, people were first amazed with the acid-washed concrete on the lobby floor (I have to agree). It was so fun to watch people wander around, taking in their new church home. As one person put it in an email to me:

We love the new place that holds the church.

Then, we got to worship in our new auditorium. Amazing…it’s been such a long time coming, and it was surreal to actually be in the space. On one hand, it almost felt like we were at a conference somewhere. But at the same time, it felt so “Riv.” Again and again and again I got to experience this same thing as we went through our three services.

As Michael put it:

Riverview’s first services took place in the new building to day, and they where profoundly the same And I mean that in the best way possible.

Thank you to all who have been involved in this process. Many people have sacrificed their time; from volunteering to move 1200 chairs out of a semi, to cleaning and sorting and moving tons of stuff, to cooking food and keeping the armies fed. It has truly been a team effort.

And I am still amazed that this young church of ours has pledged more than $2.5 million to give over 3 years and is tracking to give even more. It is humbling to be involved with such an amazing group of people.

Thank you to everyone…I can’t say it enough. I wanted to post pictures from the weekend, but I didn’t take any. Stay tuned to Brett’s blog, though, because he had a camera on him.