Dear Family and Friends, Since early August, I have wanted to post a note to my Facebook page, but I felt I should wait until I had some certainty about how the story would end. Since my mid-thirties, when I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (if there is such a thing), I have struggled with significant daily body pain, exhaustion, and seasons of depression. In the last fifteen years, it has, at times, been almost unbearable. Every once in awhile, I would tell Elizabeth I feel like I’m dying and then there would be a reprieve...only to start the cycle all over again. I would use up enormous amounts of energy just to get through the day caring for the church family. It was clear stress aggravated the situation; but by this past spring, I had become much worse. God had always given me grace for every physical challenge I’d faced; and at my lowest point, He revealed what it was. It had always felt like it was a heart issue or just complications from my diabetes, but it turned our to be my thyroid. It was barely functioning and had enlarged (become a goiter) so much so that it had grown under my breastbone. It’s possible that my thyroid was behind a lot of the health challenges I had endured since my mid-thirties, but of course there’s no way of knowing whether that’s true or not. At the end of July, they removed my thyroid. It weighted 88 grams; not a record, but 10x the size it should have been. It had been pressing against blood vessels that caused pain on the left side of my chest and down my left arm. With the thyroid gone, all that pain stopped. Logically, with the immediate removal all pain, my expectation was a quick recovery and a return or surge of strength and energy. Neither occurred. The doctor said it would take six months to recover, so I planned on six weeks at the most. The doctor was right. He said it was like pressing a reset button for my body and that it would take six months for all of my systems to come back. The most difficult part of the journey has been finding the right level of medication. My surgeon started me on a high dose, but my thyroid doctor had me use 2/3 of the original dose. Slowly, I’m finding the sweet spot and for the last three weeks, I’ve been feeling great. Thanks to all of you who have prayed for me over the years and especially this past summer. If any of you have had similar surgery or know of someone who did, I’d love to hear your insights, counsel, or recommendations. I’ve been at Northland Baptist now for exactly one year. When I started, I wasn’t sure the church could make it through the year. We had two options: rebirth or close down an historic ministry. This past year was filled with re-structuring our ministry strategy around our end- product: authentic disciples. We have simplified our ministry down to only three activities: 1) the best Sunday morning worship service we can provide, 2) Life Groups (where studying God’s Word includes not just knowing, but owning God’s Word in relational community), and 3) Hospitality (opening our homes to visitors and each other.) Yes...no Sunday School or evening service and, for the time being, no youth ministry or children’s ministry outside of children’s church on Sunday morning. Sometime in 2014 though, we will add American Heritage Girls and Trial Life USA for the guys. This is a radical departure for our church, but it is what we would do if we were doing a church plant; and in essence, that’s what we’re doing - - rebirthing Northland. Many ministry options and busyness don’t necessarily equal real spiritual transformation; in some cases, it may actually hinder it. Many of our churches are just too busy doing church instead of being church. As individuals in our current church experience real change, we are trusting God for word of mouth and new birth growth. We are at a very fragile spot as a church and the next year will determine whether we will break out or close up. Your prayer intercession could make all the difference. I have Lisa Haan as my remarkable secretary (from my original youth group at Heritage Baptist in Kentwood) and Ben Phebus (a very gifted and godly young man) as our Worship & Life Groups Pastor. He is also pursuing his Master’s full-time. He is critical to our future. Kevin Cochrane, our part-time youth pastor will be leaving for Tokyo in November under SEND missions agency to work among the youth in Japan. I will greatly miss him. He has a very great heart for God. We are also blessed with a retired missionary, Larry Groat, who oversees outreach, visitation and many other assignments. He has one of the biggest hearts for the disadvantaged I have ever known. I still don’t use a cell phone or computer. While I do daily use an IPAD, my technical skills are nearly non-existent; and yet I do often review my Facebook page and have been so deeply blessed by the spiritual comments so many of you have made. To the following, thank you for your ministry to me and of course to many others. If you don’t see your name, forgive me; know that I do take your postings and put them in my prayer journal and ask God to imprint them upon your and my heart, and then bless you for sharing His grace with others. My prayer journals fill up quickly, so I checked several recent ones and may have missed someone. If that is so, forgive me. For those who may not know Lois Tverberg, she has an excellent ministry and website @ ourrabbijesus. I also want to say I’ve been deeply moved by Josh Langworthy’s pursuit of God’s Word as well as Susan McCurdy’s running spiritual commentary on the issues of the day. I know some of you have written me even a year or so ago and I apologize for the delayed reply. I am only now beginning to understand how to respond. Of course, you could just write me a note, send it by snail mail, and have a reply within a week or so. Just a thought. :-) Thank you to... Mishelle Shoen; Kait Zylstra; Natasha Manassy; David Faris; Jon & Nicole Faris; Mike McTavish; Denise & Mike Warner; Lisa Williams; Josh Langworthy; Jessica DeYoung; Debra Prutzman; Nathan Weber; Wendy, Jim & Megan Mushal; Cathy Young; Ben Kraker; Bonny Carrel; Craig Stumpf; Herb Hodde; David, Deb, & Faith Wood; Rebecca Gurk; Eleanor Thompson; Margie Kryger; Beth & Bill Pollock; Carole Beard; Debbie Porter; Colleen Di Maggio; Melanie Madeira; Tim Madeira; Tina Koert; Lisa & Kathy Haan; Erika Ruth; Scott Foreman; Sandy Scarbriel; Lois Tverberg; Kim Copeland-Berendsen; Pastor Billy Kryger; Dave Cochrance; Kevin Cochrane; Mary Hain; Ben & Chenoah Walsh; Pastor Larry Groat; Christina Baker; Dave Nichols; Pastor Jeremy Cobb; Katrina Beyer; Dave Eighmey; Jennifer Buitenhuis, Jorrey Stewart; Dave Simpson; Jeanne Swem; Susan McCurdy; Ken Spaulding; Michael Zepp; and Steve Walker Yes...I know this was a long posting; but if you break it down as one posting a week for the last year, it’s not that bad. I pray for all of you daily, especially Jim & Wendy Mushal, who have been walking through the valley of the shadow of death and have felt the Shepherd’s hand upon them several times. May God enfold you with His mighty grace and peace. Love, Mike Faris
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 02:23:14 +0000
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