Why YOU Should Go To My Church...hear me out on this one.

Well, I could give you a list of things that make my church better than others, but most of those reasons would be very subjective.

I first want to share a quote:
"All too often what passes for Christianity is not true Christianity at all. It is an impostor. And the sad thing is that most people don't know the difference."J. David Hoke

What comes to mind when you hear these words?
How do they make you feel?

Church,

Religion,
Christianity,
Born Again,
Saved,
Jesus,
God,
Baptist,
Catholic,
Sunday School,
Lutheran,
Prayer,
Ritual,
..... you get the picture.

My church takes you away from stereotypes.
Come as you are.
God meets you there.
If you're not sure about God, it's ok, no one will force you to do anything you don't feel comfortable doing.
If you have questions, we're here to guide you to your answer.
If you're seeking to fulfill an emptiness, you just might find it.
If you want to remain anonymous and just take it all in, that's ok too. Many of us have been in your shoes.
If you have baggage and don't think anyone could possibly understand...come, you just might be surprised.
Been to church before?
Had a bad experience? It's not like that here.
Like great music? Ours is great and always something new.
Like creativity, drama, art, dance? We do that.
Want to hear someone talk about a topic that's relevant to your life? You'll get that too.


It's REAL here,

REAL people,
facing REAL issues,
in a REAL way.

So this is my invitation to you....

Come as you are.... no dress code, no fake smiles, no pretenses.
Powhatan Community Church
meeting at Powhatan High School on Judes Ferry Rd.
Services at 9:30am and 11am

See you there?????

There's something that God has really pressed upon my heart this week. Something that until recently, never occurred to me.

For many years, I served in a number of capacities at my former church. I'm a self starter, I like to start new things, lead teams in places they have never gone before, or places they feared to go.

I was drawn to new ideas, new ministries that I thought God would LOVE to see in my former church. There was a need, there seemed to be interest.

I started a Parish Nurse Ministry... "God please bless this ministry"

Women's Bible Study... "God please bless this ministry"

Visual Arts Ministry... "God please bless this ministry"

Coffee House Ministry... "God please bless this ministry"

Mercy Ministry... "God please bless this ministry"

Blah, Blah, Blah................

So you may ask, "Were they successful?"
The answer would be, "Sometimes".
Yes, we did reach people, we held a successful Healthfair that reach the many refugees that lived in the neighborhood next to our church. The Women's bible study started with 15 women and last I heard there were 50 or more that come to it each week. Coffee House, Visual Arts, I'm not sure ..... BUT, did I feel fulfilled? like I was doing the work of God, was the Holy Spirit ALIVE in what I was doing? I'm not sure.

When I left there and came to Powhatan Community Church, I started to think of things that God would want... for 3 years I thought about it.

Then God spoke to me:

"Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can't believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I'm doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I've been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I'll do it. That's how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I'll do. (John 14:11-14 The Message)

DUHHHHH. When I started to pray like this:
"God, please show me where you want me to use the gifts that you gave me. Show me how I can glorify YOUR name. I'm wide open to anything. Here I am God, here I am..."
AMAZING things started to happen. God became ALIVE in me. He led me down a path that I continue to take each day. I don't always know where we are going, he often takes me to places that are somewhat uncomfortable. Doing things that I never thought I could do, places where I HAVE TO trust him, and that's not easy for a former control freak like me.

I just have to say, what an awesome ride it's been... I highly recommend it!

I challenge you to ask yourself these questions:

Is there something that I'm asking God to bless in my life?
Have I asked God to show me what He is already blessing?
Have I said, "Here I am, God, use me in what you are doing right now!"

Reaching Hearts of People Far Away

This summer, a group of youth along with adult leaders will be going to Macedonia on a mission trip. My daughter Jessi is one of the people going. For a very long time, Jessi had talked about helping other people, especially people that live in less fortunate environments who are far from Christ. As I have watched her grow into a young adult, it is evident to me where God has gifted her... the gift of mercy, kindness and encouragement. Her gifts along with the gifts that each member of the Macedonia Team has, will definitely impact this country. What a great package God is preparing for the Roma people!!

Jessi wrote a letter describing her passion for what God is doing through her, here it is:

Dear Friends and Family,

Just recently, and after much prayer, I have finally figured out where I want to go and what I want to do with my life. That is missionary work.  I want to reach the lonely, the heart broken, and the unwanted and tell them the unfailing love of Jesus Christ.

            This summer I have the opportunity to go on my first mission trip. I, along with other members from my church, will be heading to the Republic of Macedonia. While there we will be working with the Roma people.  The Roma live in poverty and many collect plastic and trash for their only source of income.  Women in Macedonia have no rights. Once engaged a Roma woman is at the mercy of her in-laws and she is basically made a slave. She is forced to do housework and other various things until her in-laws find it fit to let her go.  I have had the opportunity to see pictures of the beautiful Roma children. We will also be reaching out to them during our trip; playing with them and also teaching them simple Christian values.  During our time we will also spread the name of Jesus Christ.

            God has impressed this trip upon my heart. I want to go and spread the life of Christ because it is the good news of Jesus that has greatly changed my own life.  I want to tell the Roma women that they have worth in Christ, tell the Roma children that they are forgiven through Christ, and tell the Roma men that they have been created in the image of a loving Savior.

            I am in the process of raising money through various fundraising activities. I am also continuing to ask for donations. It really isn’t about the money; I believe truly that God will provide for me. Any support whether it is through prayer or donations is a true blessing.

                                    All For His Glory,

                                                       Jessi 

In the next 4 weeks, this team is avidly trying to raise money. If you find it in your heart to support this team, please contact me via email: angiedinardi@gmail.com 

Awaken My Heart

My heart is confident in you, O God;

my heart is confident.

No wonder I can sing your praises!Wake up, my heart!

Wake up, O lyre and harp!

I will wake the dawn with my song.I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.

I will sing your praises among the nations.

For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.

Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.

May your glory shine over all the earth.

Psalm 57: 7-11

It's been an awakening...I suddenly can see clearly. It's not about me. Never has been, never will be. If only everyone could experience that and live it out in their lives. Marriages would be better, friendships would be better, children's lives would be better, the world would be better. But, it's not that simple, it's not something that you just wake up and choose one day. Yes, everything is a choice we make. But this choice comes out of rock bottom. Finally dying to yourself.

Five years ago, my life was turned upside down. Choices I made and choices others made help put me there. Being the optimist, thinking the grass had to be greener. I've since realized that divorce is never a way out. It's never a solution to problems that each person brings into a marriage. That was the beginning of dying.

I found myself in Powhatan, Virginia. I started going to a church that met in a High School, Powhatan Community Church. I had been going to church since I was a child. Raised Baptist, very involved in a Presbyterian Church in the west end of Richmond before the divorce. Not sure of what God was doing in my life, he seemed so far away.

I loved the fact that I could just slip into my seat at this new church, no one bothered me, asked me to raise my hand, or forced me to speak to them. I slipped in each Sunday, something kept me coming back. I cried, I laughed, I started to put my guard down. After being there for a few months, I figured God needed me to serve there like I had at my other church.... women's ministry, art ministry, parish nurse ministry. I'm sure all of these needed to be started here, and I was certainly the one God sent to do it!! I had done those things in my last church. I met with the creative arts director, and tried to get involved, but for some overwhelming reason, I just couldn't do it. So, I sat in the seat each Sunday and cried, laughed and continue to let God move in me.

Three years later, I felt it was time. God was nudging me in all of my brokenness, pain and tiredness. I started serving on the Production Team, where I've somehow become in charge of the set for our Sunday morning services. And I'm leading a bible study for young girls called Rise Above the Reflection, teaching them to focus on their inward beauty. I'm occasionally singing again, and helping the youth raise money for their mission trip to Macedonia.

The thing is, I didn't have to figure out where God wanted me, all I had to do was say "here I am, Lord, send me.." And HE put me exactly where HE wanted me, using my gifts the way HE planned. That's the incredible thing about God, that's the incredible thing about Powhatan Community Church. It's so alive and breathing with the spirit of God. It's hard to not get sucked in.

At the PCC production meetings on Tuesday morning, people say that lives are changed by what we do.. and they are. I am one of those lives.... changed.

God has continuously put me in uncomfortable places, areas where I felt I just couldn't do the things that He asked me to do. As I have focused on Him, he has given me the power to do what HE wants me to do for him. This is the first time in my walk with God that he feels so alive.

C.S. Lewis once said that we can not fully experience a relationship with God until we totally die to ourselves. For the first time in my life, I have done this. How incredible is that?? It is at the very bottom of brokenness that God is using me to do incredible things for His kingdom!!! It is only thorough him that I am strong.

During my quiet time last week, I read this verse, and then, God brought it back to me when I opened my iGoogle page, the same verse was right there in front of me. I am living this verse everyday!!

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinth. 12:8-10

Snow, Spring and Mice

So, we have 16 inches of snow one day. No electricity, trees down everywhere, four wheel drive needed to get in and out of my driveway. AND THEN, five days later, it's 85 degrees outside!! I have to say, the snow was pretty, but I prefer the 85 degrees. And I can see the signs of spring around my house and yard. My trees are budding, and my tulips are coming up. Beautiful things we associate with spring.

But, there are also some not-so-beautiful things I associate with spring. There was a bug crawling across my kitchen floor this morning, I can't identify the species, I call it a Powhatan Bug (we didn't have those kind of bugs when I lived in Midlothian). Another sign of spring I noticed in my car. I saw what looked like chocolate sprinkles on my seat. I typically blame my husband for things like this, he sneaks off to Chubby's (the convenient store/ gas station/restaurant down the street) to get his fix of fast food and ice cream on a daily basis. Well, when I took a closer look, the chocolate sprinkles looked more like they came from a mouse, if you know what I mean...yeah, mouse poop... in my car!! OK, so where is the mouse now?? I envision my self driving down the street with a mouse running around my car, as I swat at it and scream and most likely wreck! But I was late to where I needed to go, so I decided to leave, and pray.

Then I started thinking about the fact that God created mice, AND bugs. Why? Do they somehow support the food chain and more valuable species couldn't survive without eating them? Or is it something about our character that God wants to develop by putting creepy bugs and disgusting rodents in our lives? Will there be mice and bugs in heaven? Maybe they will get new bodies too and be CLEAN (I'm a germ-phobic nurse). Maybe, it's just my percetption, some people like mice and bugs. Or maybe I over analyze things? And it's soooo much deeper than what we can ever understand.

How great is God—beyond our understanding! (Job 36:26)

God is incomprehensible to us, we can never fully understand His ways.

Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Yeah, I'll just leave it at that.

A Beating Heart

At 5 weeks of life, an embryos heart begins to beat! At this point, the embryo is only 1/17th of an inch long.....that's the size of the tip of a pencil. It's hard to fathom that something that size is a living human being. God knows this tiny little embryo of life, with it's tiny little beating heart, and it's brain and other organs that are beginning to develop. Wow! God saw our bones being formed in our mother's body. He made us in an amazing and wonderful way. He has planned all of our days and written them in His book before we were born.

When I am at my job, every time I see a baby enter this world, I feel the presence of God. Whether that baby was long awaited by his parents, or maybe he wasn't planned, I still feel God in that room. Whether those parents know who He is or not,....He is there in that room when His child takes its first breath.

More TIme, More TIme,More Time......

I find it increasingly more difficult to find the time to do the things I like to do, need to do, want to do, HAVE to do. How has the world gotten so busy? Why is there never enough time in the day? It's overwhelming.

My struggles:

I have to wait until I get my life organized to really start living.

I have become so busy with the day to day that I no longer have any friends. I don't have time. 

I am so busy taking care of everyone and everything else, that I don't have time to take care of myself.

I hate the house I live in.

I miss my art studio and garage!

I have 50 things on my to-do list today, and I have to work 12 hours tomorrow, how will I ever get it done?

When will men start being men again? Leaders, taking responsibility for themselves and their families? What has happened to Godly men?

Women, when will we stop worrying about the way we look and what people think of us? When will we EVER put our guards down??

Is this what it means to live in a fallen world? Where the roaring lion is prowling around looking to devour us at any moment? I think he already has. I think he already has.

When I get to this point, I often look up, I hear the voice of God, I hear Jesus, he's talking to me........

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matt 11:28-30-The Message)

Freely and lightly, freely and lightly, freely and lightly..........COME TO ME.