Kimberly and I had a wonderful time taking our daughter, Jordyn, to college last weekend. I say it was wonderful as a way to pull me out of my inner “Eeyore.” Honestly, it was hard in so many ways from the smoky drive to the difficulties finding the items she needed for her apartment with the COVID logjam shortages we encountered. Added on to that was the fact that it was hot (you know I really am not a fan of the heat), and everything seemed inconvenient because of COVID restrictions, and it was a recipe for tension.

At the end of the second day, we found ourselves fried and needing some space from each other. In fact, I ended up crying as we were driving down the road as I realized that my expectations of making sweet memories, ending with a meaningful goodbye, was not going to be reality. Jordyn and Kim looked at me and said, “Are you crying?” Obviously, they were not feeling the same thing I was at the same time. Part of my angst had to do with the protective dad feeling I had as we were about to drop her off in what I call COVID central, at an apartment with three other girls, to do online school together. It’s too long of a story to share in this email about how it turned out this way. Suffice it to say that we were obligated by a lease before her university made the pivot to 100% online classes.

I hope you’ll watch the video Kimberly and I just shot because we tell how God moved in us through His still small voice, Laura Bauer’s reading of Nehemiah 8, and David Timms' message from Sunday to rise up out of our morose feelings. Let me stop and give a shout out to our Worship Arts Teams for the way our online experience has improved over the past five months. Way To Go! It’s great to have that as an option during our COVID restrictions on meeting together. We were encouraged by the service and a moment when I heard the “still small voice of God” to take our eyes off our circumstances and put our focus on His Word and His faithfulness to us over the years we’ve walked with Him. If you missed Sunday, please remember that you can always watch our services on demand at any time.

Friday is our next Drive-Thru Food Drive from 8:00 – 10:30am. Please consider how much those in our community who are food challenged need our help and bring your non-perishable food items to help stock the shelves of Interfaith Food Ministry.

Sunday at 6:30pm is our next Family Service provided by our Children’s Ministry Team called a BLOCK PARTY and BACK TO SCHOOL JAM. Families, this is a great opportunity for your kiddos to get a wonderful spiritual connection with other kids, and you’ll get to engage with them in their faith. Just go to our website and register if you plan to attend.

On Sunday we’ll continue our RISE UP series by looking at Nehemiah 9. Last week we walked through the moment of worship God’s people joined in together after the building of the wall that was based totally on a reading of God’s Word. This week we’ll see the impact of that worship time and how God’s Word provided the impetus for a time of confession and thanksgiving. I hope you’ll come ready to do some serious business with God as we consider how He wants us to be people who are humble enough to confess our brokenness and sin.

Even though we’re live in person onsite (indoors and outdoors), it may be weeks before we can all be together again at church, so please make sure to stay engaged online. Our services will continue to be streamed live at 9:00 and 11:00am, or you can watch them on demand any time you want right from our website or APP. If you haven’t downloaded the TCC APP, just go to the APP store and search for TCC GRASS VALLEY and download it today.

Our outdoor venue is for people who want to be able to sing and sit outside during the service. We have tents and fans outside. Each week we’ll continue to adapt and flex as we expand that opportunity at both 9:00am and 11:00am.

You’ll find the shaded area on the West end of our building where our children usually hang out (near the bears). Speaking of children, we’re inviting our young families to join both the indoor and outdoor services in this time when we can’t safely have our normal children’s programs, so please enjoy the children and the energy they bring. We’ll have chairs available, but if you want to bring your own comfy recliner type chairs that’s good too. Even though it’s outdoors, our Nevada County Health Department still requires social distancing and facial coverings, but we get to sing as loudly and enthusiastically as we want. 

During this season we are a church of people who gather together both online and onsite, indoors or outdoors to offer our worship to God.

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,