Bethlehem Lutheran Church

I am writing this just before the first Sunday gathering of Jacob's Well, and you are reading this after it has already happened.  If there was some way that I could know right now, what you know, my life would be a lot easier.  As it is, all of us building Jacob's Well have to do it by faith.  Faith that whatever happens this Sunday, who comes and how the service goes, is something that God can use.

Jacob's Well began as a dream that the relationship with God we treasure at Bethlehem could be shared well beyond those Bethlehem is able to reach.  Since then it has grown into a wave of momentum supported by several thousands of people, growing new roots in our neighborhood to attract and engage people who haven't given church a chance in the past.  We have found a home at Field Middle School for worship and children's ministry on Sundays.  We've found staff people for Children's Ministry (Heidi Esposito), Music (Nate Bergengren) and administration (Gina Kellogg-Gardner) who are willing to throw their lot in with this dream.  Dozens of others from Bethlehem and beyond are serving to get the many ministry areas up and running.  We've found an office at 48^th & Chicago.  We are letting the community know we are here by direct mail postcards; we've built a website http://www.jacobs-well.net/; we are present serving (in Jacob's Well t-shirts) at community events, some of our team have been handing out about 2000 breakfast bars with our postcard attached and a "Have a good day!" at the freeway entrance ramps to 35W during the morning rush hours. People are inviting their friends and neighbors to Jacob's Well, ‘the kind of church you're thirsty for.'

What will happen at our first gathering?  People will be welcomed warmly.  We'll help them find parking - always an issue in the city.  We'll offer them a cup of coffee and something to eat.  Show them the nursery and children's areas where they can meet the H₂O staff and see where their kids will be.  High quality music that will sound a lot more like Cities97 than KSJN will open our service and we will set the vision for the day using video and music that engages and establishes the theme. They will hear the message entitled "There's Got to Be More" to let them know about the good news Jesus has for us and just what it can mean for our lives.  There will be prayer, singing, an offering.  We will be inviting them back to a fun, social event in a few weeks, and to our next service on July 30 at Minnehaha Falls.  We hope that they will have such a great experience that they come again and bring their friends.  We have already had one person email us disappointed that we wouldn't be having weekly services until fall!

We have done and are doing a lot to make this happen.  But we remind each other daily that Jacob's Well is not a church of our doing, but of God's.  The reason we have this dream is because God showed us that there are 10's of 1000's of people in our neighborhood whom Jesus died for, but who haven't found a way to connect with that gift.  God is the one that is the busiest right now.  Preparing the hearts and minds of those for whom Jacob's Well is sent.  We trust that.  We don't know if that is 5, 50 or 500.  But whatever it is, it is where we will begin, and from there go, make disciples, bringing them into the community of God's people, and helping them grow in faith in Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your support of prayer, finances, encouragement and service.  Please continue to do so as we discover just how God is using Jacob's Well. It is a miracle partnering in ministry with you!

Pastor Greg Meyer