Growing...

Having found the use of my own website as difficult at times, I have opted to go back to this blog to make updates.

It has been awhile since I have given an update. Summer I came to Covenant PCA and gave a slideshow presentation of the work here in Kennesaw/Acworth. Much has happened since then! This school year has seen a dramatic increase in the attendance at Sunday's youth group. Our record has been 28 students so far, but if we've done some figuring and if all of them came at one time we'd have around 35 students. That is a blessing!

This past Sunday we had students coming over early to practice praise music and plan a girls night. My house was a flurry of activity for quite awhile on Sunday, but it was a good kind of flurry. The Lord has seen fit to grow this group, using a broken vessel such as myself. I am thankful to Him and His work.

We are currently studying the book of Colossians. Each group must now take turns having their lesson. The middle school is taught the first hour while the high school hangs out and plays games. We all join together for praise and worship songs following that. Then the high school breaks out into girls and guys. Tennyson teaches the girls while I teach the guys.

Our greatest help has come from Brian and Mandy Stock who do a wonderful job assisting us in the youth ministry. However, their first child is due in February. So we will be missing them when February rolls around. You can be in prayer for some church members to come alongside us and help. The fields are white for harvest here, but as is the case in most youth ministry contexts, the laborers are few.

Continue to pray for our support to come in during these difficult economic times. Pray also for the advancing of the gospel here in Kennesaw through the labors of Christ Community Church. Thank you so much to those who support us financially and through prayers. We need all the prayer we can get.

Drop me a line at let me know how things are with you and your family . I'd love to hear from you Zack (at symbol) Christcommunitycobb (dot) org. [Sorry about the e-mail format, that's to keep spammers from mining my address]. If you are on Facebook then you can find me here http://www.facebook.com/zack.carden?ref=profile .

God Bless,

Zack

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This Blog is Changing!!!!

Communication is difficult if you have so many different streams going in a bunch of different places. That is why I am consolidating everything through my website www.gracetokids.org. I have started a new blog on my site called: The Journey in Georgia. So, if you are interested in keeping up with our family and the ministry at Christ Community Church that is where I will be updating.

Zack

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Getting My Head Above Water

Wow! It has been a whole year since I left Chattanooga. Since VBS ended last Friday, I finally feel as if I'm getting my head above water for the first time in a long time. I haven't blogged in awhile, and that isn't because there nothing going on, it is because there is a LOT going on. In fact, there is too much to list here. That's why I invite you to come here what has happened this past year.

On Sunday Evening July 12th, I will be giving a 15 minute update on what has been happening through your prayer and financial support. You will be encouraged to see some of the faces of the people your prayers and money have helped us to reach out to.

When: Sunday Evening, July 12th @ 6pm

Where: Covenant Presbyterian Church, Chattanooga, TN.

God Bless,

Zack

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God's Hand in the Middle of Harsh Realities

It is hard to believe that I've been down here for 10 months. Things are going well at the church. Attendance has been up and the church appears to be growing. Our youth group returned a few weeks ago from a retreat to Camp Vesperpoint which was attended by 27 people. That was definitely a blessing.

The retreat's focus was upon friendship, specifically friendship in Christ and the results have been good. It appears that a number of our students are beginning to form freindships with each other. I am very thankful for that, because those are the kind of relationships they will need as they grow in Christ and live in this world.

As of this past Sunday, I've preached about 5 Sunday mornings in the last 10 months. Something of a record for me, I believe. I am thankful for those opportunities that help stretch and grow me as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ. I was especially blessed this last time to lead in the partaking of the Lord's Supper.

We continue to pray for those who are struggling in these hard economic times. It has touched my family as my father-in-law and sister-in-law are both out of work. My parents have seen their retirement dwindle, as most Americans have, in the stock market. Within our church (and I'm sure within your church and family) there are a good number of people looking for employment.

When the Lord works in your life, through your circumstances, He often does so for multiple reasons. Recently, I've had a double confirmation of being here in the Atlanta areaq. First, as many of you know, my son Seth was born with kidney problems. We thought these problems had been corrected by surgeries when we first lived in Atlanta a number of years ago. However, recently we have found that the "good" kidney is no longer functioning within a normal level and that his "bad" kidney is actually the one now that is picking up the function and that it is enlarged. Tomorrow we go for a test to determine whether there is a blockage. Your prayers are appreciated. However, it is confirmation to me that before we knew anything was wrong with Seth, the Lord moved us back down here to the place where he can get the best care. We very much trust our pediatric urologist and nephrologist and are hoping for the best. Whatever the case, we know that this is one of the reasons the Lord sought to bring us here to Kennesaw.

Another confirmation came this afternoon as my father phoned me with some disturbing news. He called to let me know that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. It is believed to be in the earliest stages, so the prognosis we believe is good. Yet, Mom and Dad have a place to go while down here in Atlanta. That to me is another confirmation that God intended for us to be right where we are. I can't imagine what life would be like traveling back and forth from Chattanooga for all of these visits.

So even with the grim picture that I've just painted, I know that God is there. His hand is visible even in the midst of disappointing things. I feel a certain peace that He has placed us here in Georgia for a reason. Not only for the purpose of ministry, but for the sake of my own family.

We look at Scripture and we see how God provides for His people through harsh realities. I think of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. I think of how God used him to prepare the known world for the famine and to preserve His people during the seven years of want.

You always know when God's hand has moved, because it accomplishes multiple things at one time at just the right time. Now, I have but to learn how to trust Him in the midst of harsh realities. It starts as it would for any frighten child....reaching for His hand.

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