Connected

Steve Nicholson

This weekend I'm attending the 2011 Area Vineyard Conference at my church. The conference is called "Connected:  Keeping the Work of the Holy Spirit Active in Your Life & Community."

At tonight's session, we heard from Steve Nicholson, senior pastor of Evanston Vineyard. He shared a really moving story about starting a church in Humboldt Park, Chicago. The church wasn't gaining any traction, and he was very disappointed. Nicholson was about ready to close down the church and even had a meeting scheduled with his staff to inform them of the church closing. But God worked in His amazing fashion, and brought a prominent neighborhood person to Christ -- the day before Nicholson was going to have the meeting with his staff.

The church stayed open -- and flourished. What Nicholson learned from that experience, he said, is that "God needs to do something to us before He can do something through us."