Cory wrote this piece about our trip to San Antonio for our church newsletter. He's a much better writer than me and did such an excellent job telling about our trip, I figured I'd use his words. I'll stick to the photography this time....
Three families from Bridge Church spent several days outside of San Antonio at the Uno Mas Ranch in Bandera, Texas. The purpose of the trip was two-fold: explore an opportunity to partner with a like-minded church plant in San Antonio and have a family enrichment retreat. The structure was loose, the fellowship was encouraging, and the experience was incredible!
||Partnership
Our team worked with The Well in San Antonio (www.thewellsa.org). There, we met the lead pastor/planter, Jonathan “Griff” Griffin. His heart to make disciples and meet needs was apparent within the first several minutes of talking with him! He, along with an assistant Pastor, Al, are working diligently to reach a multi-racial, multi-generational transitioning community in west downtown San Antonio.
Our team worked with The Well in San Antonio (www.thewellsa.org). There, we met the lead pastor/planter, Jonathan “Griff” Griffin. His heart to make disciples and meet needs was apparent within the first several minutes of talking with him! He, along with an assistant Pastor, Al, are working diligently to reach a multi-racial, multi-generational transitioning community in west downtown San Antonio.
Not knowing what to expect upon arriving, six adults and eight children set out to assist a young business owner named Colt, who is opening a garage and motorcycle shop. Griff already had a connection with Colt through the community and also through Colt visiting services at The Well. We were able to help Colt hang a mural on his shop wall, remove a downed tree from his property, and clean and organize his main shop floor. Perhaps the greatest service provided was simply a group willing to help without asking for anything in return.
Part of the beauty of the trip was seeing moms, dads, and children serve together. The conditions were very hot and uncomfortable, but everyone worked hard, took opportunities to talk with Colt and his friend, PJ, and had a good time in doing so. It’s also worth mentioning that not one person made even one complaint the entire time!
||Retreat
Families were also strengthened on this trip. Cool morning hikes, afternoon fishing (notice I didn’t say ‘catching’), and evening meals provided great times for families to connect individually and corporately. We spent hours in the enormous Texas-shaped swimming pool doing cannon balls and having water gun fights. Lane also introduced the younger kids to the ‘can opener!’ The children spent hours creating works of art from the natural resources available to them (they made ‘paint’ out of rocks!). We took a late night ride across the ranch in the bed of a truck to explore the diverse wildlife that calls Uno Mas home. Unfortunately, we didn’t find a single chupacabra!
Families were also strengthened on this trip. Cool morning hikes, afternoon fishing (notice I didn’t say ‘catching’), and evening meals provided great times for families to connect individually and corporately. We spent hours in the enormous Texas-shaped swimming pool doing cannon balls and having water gun fights. Lane also introduced the younger kids to the ‘can opener!’ The children spent hours creating works of art from the natural resources available to them (they made ‘paint’ out of rocks!). We took a late night ride across the ranch in the bed of a truck to explore the diverse wildlife that calls Uno Mas home. Unfortunately, we didn’t find a single chupacabra!
There is something novel about being outside of normal surroundings that seems to open people up and help them relate. I am certain that through this uninterrupted time, I know the Johnson’s and Corley’s better than I had before. Again, the value of families getting away is priceless!
||Why Do This?
Why do this? Why focus on a regional partner for ministry and missions? Is this worth the effort and the money involved?
Why do this? Why focus on a regional partner for ministry and missions? Is this worth the effort and the money involved?
We go for several reasons….
- Jesus said to. Outside of non-moral imperatives given to us in the Word, the one thing Jesus said to his Church (before they were even the ‘Church’) as far as a ‘marching order’ was to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). Among many things that are debatable in scripture, this one simply isn’t…..Jesus gave us a direct imperative to go!
- Jesus is drawing all peoples. Right now, God is drawing people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, and cultures for his worship (Rev. 7:9)! And if he is drawing people from all different backgrounds, there needs to be an impact in all the world, locally, regionally, and internationally (Acts 1:8).
- We have NO IDEA about the ripple of our words and works. As a rock thrown into a pond creates ripples that reach far across the surface of the water, we cannot underestimate what God can do through things that seem very simple to us. Cleaning a lawn, building a ramp, stuffing greeting bags for a new business – all these things have the potential to be life-changing! Most importantly, we season these acts of service with words of love, encouragement, and hope – the gospel! Paul talked about the importance of the verbal communication of the gospel (Romans 10:14).
This trip was exploratory in many ways. Our group dialogued about the prospect of establishing a long-term partnership with The Well and the overwhelming response was YES! It will be exciting to see how God works through Bridge and The Well going forward.
After this amazing weekend, this is how we all felt....
What a wonderful time we got to spend together making precious memories!
