Important Message for Palm Valley Church

Dear Church Family,

What an exciting time at Palm Valley Church; the building is just about finished, we’re getting ready to move, and we’ll have more room for more people to find the hope and love that are only found through Jesus! I’m excited about the coming days and I know you are too. I wanted to give you a quick update about this week at PVC and also ask for your help…

This weekend is an “open house” opportunity at Palm Valley. Sunday morning, May 30th the building will be open from 8:30 am – 1:00 pm. Please come, bring the family and tour the new building. You’ll get to show your kids their classes, see the new worship center and just have fun as we celebrate this incredible moment in our journey together!

However, we want you also to take some time and pray for the different areas of the building. Spend time as a family, or with your small group, and pray for the leadership of PVC, the volunteers, the people, and that the Lord will use this building to reach our community for Him. Bring your Bible and you will have the opportunity to read Scripture from the stage in any of the worship centers. This will be a chance for us to fill His house with His Word!

Lastly, I want to encourage you to come prepared to give financially. As we’ve talked about, we have used nearly all of our financial resources to complete this building. With the need to cancel services this weekend so we could move to the building, we also have the potential to lose a week’s offering. I’m asking every PVC’er to bring their offering to the open house this weekend so that we won’t skip a beat financially during this critical time.

So many of you already utilize “on-line giving”, and I want to thank you. By ensuring your consistent giving it helps us as a church to plan for regular (and unexpected) expenses of operating as a church. If you don’t currently utilize on-line giving, I encourage you to log on to www.palmvalley.org and set-up your planned giving. Lori and I do this and love that we never worry about forgetting our checkbook, being away for a weekend, or whatever; our giving is always on time.

Thanks again for taking this journey with us, God is truly about to do “Greater Things” through His Church. Remember, let’s not go to church, but be the Church!

I can’t wait to celebrate our first services with you in the new building next weekend. Our NEW service times are Saturday, June 5th @ 5:00 pm, and Sunday, June 6th @ 9:00 and 11:00 am. See you at Palm Valley Church!

Warmly,

Pastor Greg

Staff Change

This week our Worship Pastor, Derrick Logan, informed our team that he had accepted a similar position at CCV in north Phoenix. Derrick has been on our team for the past 3 1/2 years, and has been a great leader in our church as well as friend to many of us. This will be Derrick’s last weekend leading worship at Palm Valley, feel free to thank he and Kim for their ministry here.

It is always tough when God moves a leader away from our church, but we celebrate with Derrick. As he goes we bless him and the opportunity he has. We wish he and Kim the best. We also trust that God will provide for Palm Valley Church during this time. I’m thankful for the incredible team of musicians and singers that lead our worship each week, and we will be leaning on them a little harder through this transition.

We’re Almost Done

The building is moving along quickly.  Check out the Greater Things Blog to see some new pictures.

Next week the Audio / Video / Lighting team will be running cable and installing equipment. They could use help from any volunteers who are willing to put in some work. If you can serve next week please email Sean Smith our Creative Arts Pastor and he will get you set up.

Amazing Story – Celebrating 1 year

Last year an incredible gal in our church, Chrissy Calderwood, found out she had a brain tumor right behind her eyeball and needed immediate surgery to remove it.  As we prayed together at the hospital with her husband Rex and the rest of the family, I was amazed at Chrissy’s faith in the face of some distressing news.  Yesterday she celebrated her 1 year anniversary of the surgery, and posted some thoughts on her facebook page.  With her permission, here is her post…

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” Phil 4:4-7

This is the passage I clung to in the early months of 2009 as I was ill, and its the passage that brought me great comfort one year ago today as I went in for neurosurgery. I had been diagnosed two days earlier with a large brain mass (racquetball size) behind my right eye. The first hospital I was sent to diagnosed it as a glioblastoma (100% terminal). Due to a neurosurgical conference on the east coast, there were no surgeons available and they transported me to the Barrows where they had a few neurosurgeons that stayed behind from the conference. They began immediate testing. By 4 am the following morning, there was Hope. They wouldn’t know for sure until the biopsy was done, but their preliminary diagnosis was a meningioma tumor (non-benign). Real HOPE.

The following day was surgery. All went well and the mass was benign. What a blessing! Today, May 7, I am a year out and I have my health. The Lord has been good to me.

My friends, I faced death and the Lord delivered me. His perfect plan allowed me health and a renewed reliance on Him.

In my moment of terror (the phone call from my neurologist), the Lord brought so much good- my amazing family flew in from CA within a few hours and our amazing church family, Palm Valley (palmvalley.org) was by our side- immediately. The peace of God was all around us. I am so very grateful for my experience. To be chosen by God to walk the plank and gain perspective I wouldn’t have had otherwise. You know, aside from my kids’ salvation, nothing really mattered the night I was told I was going to die.

As Rex and I sat completely silent in the first ER room, I vividly remember the few words spoken over the hours of silence. “Promise me you’ll raise our kids in church,” I said. “I will,” he replied. “That’s all that matters, I can live with the thought of you raising them without me on earth, but I cannot live with the thought of not spending eternity with them” I responded. He said, “I will raise them in church, knowing the Lord, I promise.” And that was it. That’s all that mattered.

And in those moments of painful silence the Lord brought great comfort to us through our family, our church family and our friends. I’ve learned that you can trust God right now to supply all your needs for today. And if your needs are more for tomorrow, His supply will be greater also. The Lord gave me what I needed every second of every day from illness to diagnosis to surgery and now recovery.

“No eye has seen nor ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God prepared for those who love Him” I Cor 2:9

So that’s my story. The Lord has blessed me, Greatly, & today is my 1 year anniversary from my surgery blessing.

PS- I have attached pics from post-surgery. A few weeks ago, our Pastor said in service that everyone loves scars. He knows what he’s talking about. I love my scar and the story that goes with it!

What makes a Mother’s Day?

Moms, I need your help. Lori and I are teaching together this weekend on “What Makes A Mother’s Day”?

So, give me your input and tell me what makes your day? Email answers to pastorgreg@palmvalley.org and let me know.

Thanks!

This Weekend At Palm Valley