Fourth anniversary.... fourth home ....

Our local church, el Centro Cristiano de Alhaurín, always has a special week of prayer in mid-February, just a couple of weeks before we celebrate our anniversary. During last year's week of prayer, in February 2011, we were praying for provision of new premises to meet in for our Sunday services. We had used a number of different houses and homes over the previous three years, and we had a sense that God wanted to give us a new meeting place that would be more central and more "visible" in the town. Well, it took quite a number of months, and there were several ups and downs along the way, but we're encouraged that our fourth anniversary, which we celebrate this weekend, will be held in our new building - former shop premises, just next to one of the supermarkets in the centre of Alhaurín. (As shops are closed on Sundays in Spain, all the shopping centre parking is available for us when we meet on Sunday evenings.) We've been able to sign a rental contract for the next five years, and are in the process of renovating the premises to give us a kitchen, an office, and some Sunday School rooms, as well as a large meeting area.
Tomorrow, to celebrate four years of God's faithfulness to us as a congregation, we'll start at 3pm (Spanish lunch time!) with a fellowship meal together, before having our usual worship service at 6pm. During the service, we'll also be having a special offering to help with the ongoing costs of the renovations, and we're trusting that God will provide (through ourselves) all that is needed for the work that still needs to be done.