Berean Thanksgiving 2017

00:00:00.000 | (upbeat music)

00:00:02.580 | - I'm thankful for our new church building

00:00:07.480 | and the cafe that we have now where people can fellowship

00:00:10.440 | and hang out between services.

00:00:12.680 | - Something that I have recently been very thankful for

00:00:17.320 | about God is just that in his grace that he gave us Christ

00:00:22.320 | and that through Christ we have reconciliation with him

00:00:26.480 | and that peace with God enables us to have the peace of God

00:00:31.160 | that surpasses all understanding.

00:00:33.000 | And so that no matter what circumstances we go through

00:00:36.160 | in our lives or whatever trials we have,

00:00:39.120 | that even though we don't know why or what's gonna happen,

00:00:44.120 | we know that God is holding everything

00:00:47.720 | and sustaining everything together.

00:00:49.040 | So I think that has been something

00:00:50.480 | I'm thankful for this year.

00:00:52.880 | - I'm thankful to be back at Berean

00:00:56.200 | and my church community and friends

00:00:59.240 | and I'm thankful for my new job

00:01:01.600 | and my amazing trainer, Abby.

00:01:04.840 | - I'm thankful for our Bible study,

00:01:09.120 | a whole group that we started a few months back.

00:01:13.960 | It's been really good.

00:01:14.800 | - Thank you.

00:01:15.640 | - Really encouraging, spending time with other families

00:01:19.040 | and singles and studying the word together, it's been good.

00:01:22.040 | - Ta-da.

00:01:23.840 | (laughing)

00:01:26.080 | - Among the many things I would be thankful for,

00:01:29.520 | I'm most especially thankful for Berean Community Church.

00:01:33.200 | And just over these last 14, 15 years,

00:01:37.880 | I've been able to find a community and a group where I grew

00:01:42.880 | and I was really challenged by my faith.

00:01:46.600 | And just over the years I realized

00:01:50.520 | and I appreciate more like the little things

00:01:53.760 | that I've seen and gone through at this church

00:01:56.480 | and I'm especially grateful for our leaders,

00:01:58.960 | Elder Phillip, Elder Joe and Pastor Peter.

00:02:02.880 | I think with time now I realize

00:02:07.560 | just how much they really put in

00:02:08.760 | and the sacrifice they gave to us in the church.

00:02:11.440 | - So I think this season I realized how thankful I am,

00:02:16.280 | not only for my family, for my husband

00:02:18.600 | and my son and my family,

00:02:20.280 | but I think for the first time I've experienced

00:02:23.120 | what it's like to actually have a church family.

00:02:25.440 | And being so, being a new mom and being a wife and all,

00:02:29.320 | I think I've drawn so much encouragement

00:02:31.240 | from a lot of the moms who are here

00:02:33.120 | because not only do they share

00:02:34.680 | about how amazing it is to have children,

00:02:36.720 | they're very honest about some of the hard things

00:02:38.480 | that you have to go through.

00:02:39.600 | And I think for me as a young mom,

00:02:41.080 | it helped prep me for knowing what to see

00:02:44.440 | and what's coming ahead when it comes to raising my son.

00:02:46.520 | So that's something that I'm extremely,

00:02:49.200 | I love Berean, I tell all my friends to come

00:02:51.120 | even though there are really good churches.

00:02:53.200 | I say, "Well, if you ever wanna come,

00:02:54.520 | "just come check out Berean."

00:02:55.640 | And some of them have, so,

00:02:57.600 | just like the one behind the camera.

00:02:59.560 | But I'm very thankful this season for this church

00:03:02.800 | 'cause I've been very blessed by so many people.

00:03:05.200 | - I'm thankful for God and how he's been working

00:03:08.840 | through my life, through his word,

00:03:10.640 | and how it continues to ground me

00:03:12.360 | in the midst of all the craziness of life

00:03:15.400 | and work and Jen and anything else.

00:03:19.160 | - I'm thankful for this church, the community,

00:03:23.320 | and our small group.

00:03:24.680 | And just so many people involved in our life.

00:03:29.480 | Thankful for our marriage.

00:03:30.840 | And just the gospel of Jesus.

00:03:35.840 | I think that's good.

00:03:40.320 | - One thing I've been thankful for specifically this year,

00:03:45.200 | in addition to many other things,

00:03:46.640 | is our college ministry and just seeing their,

00:03:50.160 | just love for the Lord and their desire to grow

00:03:52.080 | and to serve our church and to really be committed

00:03:54.280 | and just really learn what the Bible says.

00:03:56.040 | So, I'm really thankful for them this year.

00:03:58.320 | - I'm thankful for small group

00:04:02.000 | and just the ability to have sisters in community

00:04:04.200 | that are able to encourage me and point me toward Christ.

00:04:07.040 | - I'm thankful for football and the opportunity

00:04:09.000 | to just meet with other women in the church

00:04:11.240 | and fellowship with them through the sport of the game.

00:04:14.880 | - I am thankful for,

00:04:16.640 | there are a lot of things I'm really thankful for,

00:04:20.120 | but I would say just this past year,

00:04:22.560 | something that's just been something I really appreciated

00:04:25.400 | has just been the church.

00:04:26.600 | I think just this past year,

00:04:29.680 | just being a part of the church

00:04:31.800 | and just meeting all the brothers and sisters here

00:04:34.560 | and just really getting to know everybody

00:04:37.160 | has been such a blessing for me.

00:04:38.640 | And yeah, I would say that's probably something

00:04:41.880 | that has really changed my life

00:04:43.760 | and I appreciate the most.

00:04:45.760 | - I'm very thankful that God brought me to US

00:04:50.800 | and

00:04:51.640 | lead me to a deeper knowledge and experience

00:04:58.000 | of his love and faithfulness.

00:05:00.320 | And I'm thankful that God is God

00:05:04.360 | in a time of chaos, weakness and confusion.

00:05:08.440 | And I'm very thankful for the brothers and sisters in Berlin

00:05:13.200 | that your hospitality means a lot to me as a surgeon.

00:05:18.200 | Yes.

00:05:20.160 | - I just want to say I'm thankful for Berlin.

00:05:22.400 | - I'm thankful for my mom.

00:05:25.240 | - Stop it.

00:05:28.480 | [BLANK_AUDIO]