Welcome all to the birth of Branches! It has been a long time coming, but the Lord has finally released me to begin. This month (May 2010), I am working on setting everything up: lesson plans, reference scripture, web site, cards and such. Everything is now almost ready. We will begin having meetings the first Tuesday in June!

I am so excited about what God is going to do in this group! And I'm thankful that He only gives me what I need to know at the time. I can be impatient with wanting to know it all, now... but God is patient with me, and just says to me, "Daughter, you are on a need to know basis, and right now, you don't need to know that." Thank you Lord for your grace. I won't pretend to know it all, or even exactly where this ministry is going. But what I DO know is that we can walk it together, and God will direct our steps. That's enough for me.

We are going to eat, have fun, make art, play, ask deep questions, look at new scientific discoveries, look at scripture in new ways, talk and more. Skipping and field trips may be involved... Say you're not creative? Hooey! We are made in the image of THE Creator, we ARE ALL creative beings... come! This group is about finding your creativity. Say you don't like to get dirty? Dirt and paint wash off... just put your play clothes on and try it... it can be really fun, and it can unlock things you never dreamed of. The Bible speaks of sharing a meal in fellowship with one another, and I get this. Think about your family... gatherings are usually centered around a meal. Christ's family is no different, and a meal just brings people together in ways that meal-less meetings cannot. For the first few gatherings, I will provide all the necessary food for creative & fun meals (if you have any food alergies, please inform me ahead of time), but then once things start rolling, we will do some pot-luck meals as well. I believe in active participation in groups, and hope to foster an atmosphere of safety, where we can speak freely and find our way together. We are all the body of Christ.

This is a voluntary group. I never want participants to feel pressured to be here. Come if you want, but do not feel obligated to something you do not want to do. There is a difference between obligation of committment though. If you are feeling led by God to this group and want to commit to it because of that, then you will also undoubtedly encounter some resistance from the enemy or from your own flesh from time to time. I don't judge there either. I fight it myself sometimes, but do fight... where-ever it is that God leads you.

Again, I welcome you and can't wait to see you in June!
If you have any questions or need directions, please call me: 727-366-3897
We will be meeting on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month. Starting at 6:30, we will have a dinner meal & fellowship until about 7:30, and then we will get started on that session's topic. Meetings will need to be over by 9:00 pm so people can get home and get some sleep, but if you need to leave a little earlier, that is understandable, and we won't hold it against you. Toward the end we will have open discussions so that no vital lesson piece is missed by those who opt to leave early. Peace be with you, and I'll see you in June... It's going to be great!

Blessings,
Tammy