Merging is an Ongoing Journey - The Prep I Never Thought I'd Do

The really awesome thing about being part of a large church, with more than 1 person who Lay Servant training, is that there are a whole bunch of us who can do things, lead things, and plan things at any given time.

Laity Sunday is next week.  If you are a follower of my blog, you know I had quite the experience last year.  If you don't and this is your first time, let me sum it up quickly.  After years (and years and years) of planning and doing almost everything on Laity Sunday, I said I was just going to sit back and watch at my new church.  Lesson learned - do not say that in front of your small group leader who also happens to be planning Laity Sunday's service.  Because sit back I did not.

Luckily that experience will be part of the testimony I share on Laity Sunday.

But, here's the prep I never thought I'd do.

I worked with our Laity Team to plan the service.  It was about a month out when I figured we needed to start thinking about the service and, well, the planning began.  Yesterday I did the last of the planning, when I reviewed the various music that will be part of the service.

Taking up Sparkle's space on my bed with music prep

There have been so many different stages in my merging journey.  And celebrating as I passed the "it's been a year since..." anniversaries.  A year since the last worship service.  A year since our merger service.  And now coming up on a year since I did something in church that started a whole other journey I thought would never happen.  At least not as soon as it did.

Laity Sunday 2020 marked a special point in my life, both in church and at a personal level.  I've written about them before and they are part of what I will be sharing on Sunday.  So, maybe it was only appropriate that I did more for Laity Sunday 2021 than I thought I ever would.  I have had such growth and sometimes it has scared me and other times it has amazed me.  But through it all, I know that God has been the one guiding me, leading me, and supporting me.  

(Even when someone flusters me before I have to do something at church!)