Here’s the "box score" for this past weekend at Granger Community Church.

Music: "Share the Well" by Caedmon’s Call; "God of Justice" by Tim Hughes

Message: "Touching the Heart of God: Reaching God by Reaching Out to Others" — Ron VanderGriend, Vice President of the Bible League (and a member of Granger), shared how we all can reach out to others by becoming aware of the situation, taking it personal, understanding the will of God and going where God is at work. Key takeaway for me: "God sometimes doesn’t want our skills. Sometimes all he wants is our presence."

Service Highlights: The highlight of the service for me was the introductory video to Ron’s message that summarized some of the key statistics from Granger’s partnership with the Bible League to plant churches in India. The numbers are staggering. Thousands of people are coming to Christ and being baptized. You would be amazed and encouraged by what God is up to in India. I’m trying to track down the numbers so I can share them with you.

Stats: 4,276 total attendance (3,339 adults + 937 kids); 5.9% decrease from the same weekend last year

Percentage of weekend attendance by service:

  1. Sun 10:15 am = 27%
  2. Sat 5:30 pm = 20%
  3. Sat 7:30 pm = 19%
  4. Sun 11:45 am = 18%
  5. Sun 8:45 am = 16%

Final Notes: Next weekend we launch a series called "Bridge the Gap." Over the next four weeks we will be exploring the gap that exists between us and God. We’ll be talking about the darkness, the light, the way and the party. It’s a series designed to help our weekend crowd search for the one bridge to close the gap–forever. It’s a big series for our church. I can’t wait to share the stories that will unfold.