So much has been happening here that I want to blog about….field trips to wind turbines and apple orchards, visitors from Texas, football games, back to school stuff, half marathon training, etc., but this event was so special that I’m skipping over lots of things for now to give you a peek into our church’s 10th Anniversary weekend.

I can hardly believe that 10 years has passed since we left Oklahoma and a thriving college ministry to follow this church planting call. Kory turned 4 years old on that trip north, Cooper was 2 – still sucking on a pacifier because we wanted a peaceful road trip, and Kayla wasn’t really even a figment! This strange land is now their home, and it is also where Robert and I have spent the majority of our married years.

And though this past year has been the most difficult one of all – emotionally, physically, spiritually; the celebration that recently took place reminded us of the Lord’s purposes in it all. We have been SO blessed to call Mercyhouse our church and family these last 10 years.

The weekend began with a coffee house in our “basement cafe” complete with live guitar music and coffee and pastry bar. We weren’t able to attend, but Laura and Ben always do such a great job creating a true “coffee house” feel!

On Saturday morning Michelle G. organized an alumni brunch. The decorations and food were amazing, but even better was the chance to catch up with current and “old” church members. Pictured above is Emily and new baby G! Emily graduated from Smith College and was a part of our church during her years there. She married Sean, a UMass grad, and they all traveled from Boston/Cambridge to be a part of the weekend. Sean used to play drums in the worship band with a big smile on his face, and for a whole year they served together in the church kitchen creating the most delicious and creative lunches for the weekly “after church lunch.”

Cindy, Kim, and I got to catch up over brunch as well. Cindy has been with us many years, and is our current worship leader extraordinaire. Kim was a UMass grad who received Christ through the influence of a few friends there. She was baptized shortly after with our church, and remains a special friend of mine. She was houseguest extraordinaire – helping me clean and prepare for lunch at our house after church. Kim is a physician’s assistant (PA) after surviving a few grueling years of PA school on Long Island, and serves as a surgery assistant in a Boston area hospital.

Tony and Jill were a part of the original small group of students that made up our church. I remember Tony juggling and doing magic tricks for a fall carnival we did for local families. He is now married to Heather and expecting baby #2 as well as working on his PhD at Brown University. Jill traveled from Seattle, WA to be a part of the weekend – only because the Lord caused a business trip to Guatemala to be postponed! She is working as an architect there. The weekend wouldn’t have been the same without her. (More on that later!) And finally…Lois! We have known and loved Lois since she was 17 years old and a youth in our Austin, TX church youth group. Lois has only been here one year less than us. Robert was quick to recruit her to join us in this church planting adventure because of her servant-hearted-ness, and ability to lead and love young women through many issues of faith and life.

Later in the evening there was a spectacular worship concert featuring 3 different bands – the two that rotate Sundays at Mercyhouse and one that plays for a recent church plant – Vita Nova. It was an amazing time of worship and celebration. A live recording was done, and everyone is “chomping at the bit” to get their hands on the coming CD! The musicians at our church never cease to amaze me with their talent and absolute humility before the Lord.

Sunday morning’s worship service topped it all off with a huge crowd because of the combined services, and several extra-special testimonies of how the Lord had used the church in their lives by some extra-special folks.

Jill (from Seattle) started us off by getting everyone to laugh and then cry. She surveyed the crowd for their respective campuses and life stages. Upon seeing the hands from the 5 different local colleges, she recalled being on each of those campuses 1o years ago – prayer walking with the 10-12 other church members as we were just beginning. Praying for the dorms and those who would fill them, the classrooms, and those who would study in them. She told of the family that Mercyhouse was to her upon the news of her parents being in a serious motorcycle accident in which both had legs amputated. She celebrated God’s faithfulness to answer prayer, and she encouraged everyone present to not miss the opportunity to grow in Christ and be part of a church family.

Next, Ryan, who was a college student in our ministry in Oklahoma, shared about his family’s recent arrival here, and opportunity to plant a church out of Mercyhouse. The name of this new church plant is Valley Church and will be located in a neighboring college town. The Lord has already used he and his wife Christie to reach out to so many. In less than 6 months or so, they had such a large mid-week home group, that they had to split. Now with 3 groups, they have a strong and eager core of folks ready to launch their first public service this coming Easter.

Justin and Rebecca traveled from Brooklyn, NY to be with us. Justin is a high school math teacher also working on his PhD, and Rebecca, who is expecting their first child, has worked for a non-profit in NYC for several years. They gave a tag-team testimony of how they each came to faith through our church. Rebecca had grown up in a Unitarian church which upheld and patched together many faiths, excluding Christianity, for the most part. Justin had grown up in a church, but had, as a teenager, declared himself an agnostic. They beautifully wove together their story, in which Justin always likes to recall the Bible study he attended “in the pastor’s bedroom.” (Hey, we just ran out of rooms for groups! Not a bad problem to have.) They are now part of a church plant in the NYC area called Mosaic. We miss them dearly, but know they are considered priceless in their new church home.

Lastly, Sarah C. shared about arriving at UMass as a “brand new believer with a devil-worshiping roommate.” She immediately met another student, John D., who was helping with our plant and quickly became an integral part of the church. She was close to Jessica Sachs, whom our church lost to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, and recounted Jessica’s passion for Christ and for Mercyhouse. She also described a season of praying with a friend from church and UMass for the friend’s prodigal boyfriend. In pure God-like fashion, that prodigal boyfriend returned to the Lord, and to our church, and Sarah married him! Now, she and Nate are the pastor and wife of the first church plant out of Mercyhouse called Vita Nova. They have now been meeting for a year, and growing like crazy. They also have two adorable children – which makes me feel especially old since Sarah was present at Kayla’s birth as a young college single lady!

Robert’s choice to preach through the book of Joshua fit quite well with our anniversary celebration. The week prior, he taught through the passage in which the instructions are given for crossing the Jordan. The Israelites were also commanded to take stones from the river and build an altar. They were also told to take stones with them – as a remembrance and as cause for curiosity amongst the children. When children asked what the stones were for, the adults were to recount the miracle God performed in parting the waters at the Jordan just as He had done at the Red Sea.

Ready with stones purchased from our local farmer’s supply store, Robert stacked them up one by one, and recounted the “stones” and “milestones” upon which our church has been built. They are:

After the sermon, there was a special time of prayer by some Mercyhouse “oldies” and one “newbie.” Jill, Steve, and Abbie (and Dan, too – who I somehow chopped our of this pic) are all almost original and founding members of the church. They each prayed, thanking God for His incredible faithfulness, and asking for His continuous presence and provision. Brett, the newbie, was kind in his prayer of thanks for the Krumrey family and request to continue God’s protection and provision for us.

Tracy and Sarah – our wonderful announcement and follow-up ladies – surprised Robert with a birthday cake to close the service. I think he got all the candles blown out in one try, and then Tracy urged everyone to stop by for a “to-go box/cup” and fork for the ride home.
🙂

Of course, there is so much more to tell and so MANY of you that we missed last weekend!

And I have to say that (second to Jesus, of course) my husband is my hero in all of this. Were it not for his humble submission to the Lord, I don’t believe our church would be what it is. He is truly the most incredible, wise, passionate, caring, humble AND handsome 🙂 pastor I know. His undying and sincere desire to share the gospel and see it transform lives amazes me on a daily basis. And in the midst of the heavy responsibility the church often is, he prioritizes me and the kids above it all. I am blessed. Our church is blessed.

It was an incredible weekend of celebrating the faithfulness and grace of Christ, and I thank Him for the privilege and blessing of being a part of it all.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20

One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him,
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
And He said to him, “
YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’
“This is the great and foremost commandment.”
“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”