Ten years ago. I was in my mid-30s. A marathon runner. Had a kid who just started Kindergarten. Another one was on the way. We were new to Omaha.
I remember a certain day well. It was a Sunday morning. We were at Russell Middle School and one of those Nebraska downpours erupted from the grey sky. A couple dozen of us gathered in a circle and prayed. About two hundred people worshiped with us that morning at our first ever attempt at a worship service. The next week less than half returned. That is how The Water’s Edge started.
WE have come a long way since then. WE moved to a bigger school. Added worship services. Thousands have experienced forgiveness, hope, and salvation. The four or five small groups have multiplied and now we have ten times that many. I can’t be anything but grateful for the hundreds of friendships that have been created. As a parent, I couldn’t imagine a better place for our two boys to grow up. Our age-level ministries have grown from a couple dozen children and students to hundreds of them from a couple dozen different schools.
Getting ready to take the church to the community
WE have done so much for Omaha and the world. I remember one day I told the director at Release Ministries WE would buy them a van. I got off the phone and wondered why I did what I did. A week later I drove a check to his office and they bought a new van. WE have collected over 125,000 pounds of food for hungry people in Omaha. WE have given tens of thousands of dollars to The Hope Center for Kids. WE have served thousands of people with our yearly medical missions in Belize and Uganda. Christmas presents for kids in Millard. Handing out tens of thousands of bottles of cold water at parades. I could go on forever…but I only get 450 words.
WE own an office condo now. WE also own 23.3 acres of land. Late next winter or early next spring we will break ground on our first building and nine or ten months later WE will worship in our sixth and final location. These three projects cost over seven million dollars.
When people ask me how something like this has happened I always give the same response: the people. The people who have invited their friends. The people who have taken risks. The people who have served so faithfully. The people who have given so generously. The people who have sacrificed so much and discovered God along the way.
I can’t wait to write this column ten years from now and tell all the stories about your faithful response to our amazing God!
The best is yet to come…
Craig
Worship at the property
