“What are you dreaming about?” Do you get asked that question very often? If you are like me, when someone asks about my dreams, I pause. I want to be authentic and be brave about who God is challenging me to be and what He is calling me to do.

It feels like sharing your dreams with a stranger would be inappropriate, that sharing dreams is an intimate thing that requires vulnerability and some deeper knowledge of the person, so there is understanding and context for what is shared.

“Vision” is something that dreamers have. It is seeing things before they exist. It is having a divine imagination that is empowered by faith that God can and will provide for the dreams that he inspires. True vision also requires believing that impossible things can happen before there is money in the bank, training that has been completed and essential relationships in partnership.

These days, those of us who work at Neighborhood Church have been learning how to put into words the dreams that God is laying on our hearts and find ways to clarify vision - what we can see and imagine the future of this church body to look like and grow into. As different areas of ministry and mission get clearer, it’s easier for others to partner, fund and serve.

As we are coming to the end of another year, there are some dreams that are emerging for us that need the provision of funds to move forward. Over and above our modest budget at the church, we believe that God wants us to spruce a few things up, but without the provision of money, those things will need to wait.

Things like...

Insulating the Fellowship Hall as we anticipate upgrading the HVAC in there
New carpet for our small chapel in the Dome because it is used as a place where we kneel in prayer and it is common to see people sitting or lying on the floor.
Completing the landscaping on the east dome berm and widening the walkway to the island
Sprucing up the entryway along Notre Dame Blvd.
Patio furniture with market umbrellas for building relationship on our patio before and after worship services and events
Sound proofing in our Fieldhouse so Children’s ministry can effectively use the space on Sundays without echoes, echoes, echoes...
Upgrading the sound system and adding sound proofing in our Fellowship Hall so that events and future church services in that space will have better sound.
Refreshing our restrooms in the fellowship hall building is far overdue as they are showing signs of age and upgrading lighting, installing fans and upgrading partitions will make it a much more comfortable space.
Replacing wireless microphones that we had to giveaway to overseas ministries because the FCC sold the old wireless frequencies to cell phone companies, making it illegal to operate them. This will benefit future drama we have been dreaming about adding and children’s ministry teams.
Scholarships for students to go to Winter Camps
Donations to offset short term missions trips in this coming year
Scholarships for Street Pastor training scholarships as we train new recruits in the new year

If any of these things grab your heart and you would like to give a special year end gift to help us see these things happen, you can mail it to 2801 Notre Dame Blvd, Chico, CA 95928, postmarked on or before 12/31/14.

If this is not something you can give to, please join us in praying that the Lord will provide the funds in HIS timing to provide for the things on HIS heart for HIS church.

Looking forward to seeing you for service on Sunday; we have a back up plan in case power is out. Praying you and yours weather this storm well.