The Thursday Update

APRIL 28, 2022

Lakeshore Friends—

Life is filled with problems.  Some of them we can avoid by living wisely, but others we can’t avoid because they are designed to help us live more wisely.  And the only way to see this is by getting God’s perspective on our problems.

These past few weeks, I’ve talked to a number of people who are really struggling with their problems, more frequently than I normally do.  And some of them are really hurting and sharing things that really break my heart.  The truth is, we all will be there at times in life.  The key question is this: How will we see them?

What differentiates people who thrive in their trials and those who struggle to survive?  It’s whether or not they get God’s perspective on what they’re going through.  Without it, life seems haphazard. Without it, our response to problems is haphazard too.

No matter what you’re going through, remember three things:

1) Look at life from God’s perspective, not just your own (Romans 8:28-29).

2) God wants to help you, but you have to turn to Him (James 1:5).

3) The church is God’s support system for persevering through problems.  That’s one of the many reasons Lakeshore (and other churches) exist.

So never forget this truth: you’re not alone when problems plague you.  Avail yourself of all that God provides for you, and your problems won’t be as much of a struggle.

Warmly,
Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

This past weekend was a busy and crazy one for our church.  Between Good Friday service and our Easter services, we had 1,131 people which is up about 27 percent from last year (but still down from our pre-COVID numbers).  The staff did all we could to make the services meaningful and hopefully you found them to be just that.

I invited lots of people and while most did not attend, a surprise family I invited did.

In the midst of Holy Weekend, we had a birthday… ours!  So as not to distract from the Lord and Easter, we didn’t say anything during services, but on Saturday, April 16 we turned 27 years old!

It was April 16, 1995 and such an amazing day in our history!  

The weather was nice but chilly.  After three practice services the previous three Sundays, and after 14,464 direct mailers were sent out to all homeowners 54 years old and younger (I was only 33 years old back then), Lakeshore held its first public service... in a bar... at the Marriott hotel... that held 75 adults comfortably... The rest had to sit in a booth and watch the service... sideways (you paid a price for being late back then). On that day, 112 people showed up and three people became Christians in the somewhat beer-scented bar.  It was an exciting day for our family and many others.  Lakeshore Church was born! 

God has done amazing things since then:

• 749 people have been baptized
• About 1,200 people have professed a first-time faith in Christ
• Just over half of our attenders are involved in serving somewhere in the church
• We’ve given away well over $1.1 million dollars to world missions to impact our world for Jesus

Though time has passed, we are still passionate about reaching people in Rochester!  In truth, that’s not the norm because most churches gradually turn inward and focus on their needs.  I choose to believe that our best days are still ahead of us.  I hope you do too.

Thank you for your part and for being passionate about the unique mission that God has given us.  Sue and I thank God for you!  After God, you’re the reason why we’re still impacting people and helping them discover and develop a growing relationship with Jesus.  People still matter to God, and I know they still matter to so many of you.  That’s why we honor God when we invest in and invite others.

Happy birthday to you, to us!

Warmly,
Vince

Lakeshore Friends—

There is not a lot to hope for in our world today.  COVID, war, inflation, crime, violence and so much more have taken a quantum leap up and that has in turn threatened to take our hopefulness down… down in a big way. 

But the Good News is that Jesus Christ can give us hope in any and every situation because of His resurrection!  Facing the most hopeless situation of all time, death, Jesus rose from death into a new resurrected life; a first in human history.  And 1 Peter 1:3 tells us that His resurrection can also give us a new life that fills us with a living hope, that is, a hope that is enduring despite everything happening around us today. 

On Easter weekend, we’ll learn how to find and experience this Easter hope through the resurrection power of Jesus Christ!  The services on Saturday night and Sunday morning are identical and will infuse you with hope like nothing else can.

I hope you’ll be here and that you’ll invite others to meet you here.  They will be encouraged as well! 

Please pray for the services to be used by God to help you and everyone who attends.

Warmly,

Vince