“Why We are Thankful”
by The Haymarket Church Leadership Team
The Haymarket Church Leadership Team started our December meeting by pausing to list the things about our church for which we are thankful. It’s something we do each December – it’s a way to look back on the year and pause to celebrate how God has been at work among us. We thought we’d share that list with you. So, here, in no particular order, are some of the things for which we thank God about Haymarket Church:
- Our church’s commitment to serving our community
- Our various community partnership (from Haymarket Elementary School to the Sweet Julia Grace Foundation, Boxes of Basics, the Haymarket Regional Food Pantry, and more)
- Our church’s commitment to welcoming and inclusivity – our passion for welcoming everybody and creating an atmosphere of love in which everyone has an opportunity for connection
- The new people we’ve gotten to meet this year, including the new people who have been connecting with us recently in worship
- “How much I love it”
- “Haymarket Church feels like home”
- Youth Group – it’s a safe space for young people and a place where youth (and the adults who lead them) get to grow in faith
- Our Youth Ministry Director (Kim) and our Kids’ Ministry Director (Karen) who do such a great job leading ministry for young people and their families
- Our recent Parents Night Out event – the chance to see all the kids and care for their families by giving parents a night off
- Our worship band – and especially the growth we have seen in them over the last few years. New people are getting involved in the band and we are seeing the whole band grow musically and in their leadership of worship. We are thankful especially for our Worship Leader, Josh, and how hard he’s worked to lead that growth over the last few months.
- “I’m grateful to be part of a church I can brag about. I’m open about my church and proud to tell people who we are and what we’re about – that’s new for me and I love it.”
- “I’m grateful for our Kids’ Ministry – our family gets to witness it through our kids being involved. I love that they aren’t just a nameless kid here, Karen and their teachers really know them and care about them.”
- “It’s good to know we have a partner to raise our kids.”
- “I’m grateful for our growth we’ve seen recently, the fresh faces I’ve seen in worship, and the new people I’ve gotten to know. Meeting new people and worshiping God with them is such a blessing.”
- Our church’s strength getting through the pandemic and coming out on this side of it stronger – committed to God, each other, and our community through it all.
- Amazing leadership from many awesome leaders
- Great Preaching and the lessons we get to take home on Sundays from worship
- Our church is a safe space for everybody (and works hard to be that). Lots of churches say that, but it’s not always true. I’m proud to be part of a church where that’s true.
- “I’m thankful for all the volunteers on Sunday who come together to make everything happen.”
- “It takes a lot of people to make worship happen – and it’s a real joy to be together and do that work together each week. It’s hard, but the community makes it fun!”
- Our church says that the lives of our neighbors should be better because our church exists, and we work to put that belief into action. I love how hard we work to bless our community and put love into action.
- Most of all, we are thankful for God’s presence in our lives and in our church. We are thankful that we get to be the Body of Christ together in this thing called church. God has been faithful to us, and we are excited to see where the Holy Spirit will lead us next.
Thank you so much for being the part of this church with us – part of what it means to follow Jesus is that we get to grow in faith and experience God’s love together, and we are thankful that we get to do that together with you!
Looking for previous entries?
Find our ’22 Advent devotional archive online. haymarketchurch.org/advent
