Monday's Making a Difference

Today's "Making a Difference" isn't a person, it's group of people!

TC Church

Our Praise Team

I am constantly amazed by the compassion and acceptance Brielle gets from our friends at church. Finding a new church is one of the most difficult things to do when we move. When we moved to the Atlanta area over four years ago, the girls and I visited 13 churches before we settled on one we liked. When we first visited TC Church four years ago (the 11th church we visited), I knew it was home. This modest church of about 120 Sunday attendees were welcoming and nonchalant about Brielle and her "differences". What a huge difference from some of the other churches we visited!




Signing at Christmas

Within three months, we became "partners" (members) and I was part of the Praise Team doing the sign language (in Signed Exact English) for the music portion of the service.



My Baptism
August 2009

Although I had been "sprinkled" as a child, I decided to renew my commitment to my faith by being baptized.




Brielle with "R"
September 2009

Ashley and Brielle joined the teen youth group. Although most of what they talked about at youth group was over Brielle's head, the other teens welcomed Brielle and Brielle made a special friend with "R", the pastor's daughter.




Our Youth Group at BigStuf Camp
June 2010

The youth group had a blast when we traveled to Panama City, FL in June of 2009 and 2010 to go to "BigStuf" camp. A week of "hip" messages about faith, loud Christian rock music, and time at the beach bonded the group together.




Children's Christmas Service
December 2011

In January of 2011, we decided to move Brielle from the teen youth group to the younger aged group where discussions about God and faith would be more at her level. Each Sunday, the small group of kids include her as their own and she's even made a special friend.






VBS June 2012

This summer, she attended Vacation Bible School with about 50 other kids as well as her best friend, "V". It was a wonderful experience for them and Brielle still speaks of it often.




More than just the children's programs for Brielle, TC Church has the most amazing people. It's the pastor who ALWAYS comes over to give Brielle a hug and talk with each Sunday morning before services. It's the children's leader that always greets Brielle with a huge greeting. It's the man who often does the greeting who asks her about cheerleading. It's her friend from children's group who gives her "high fives" and helps her write what she needs to in their lesson pages.

These people may not know it, but their small acts of kindness make a big difference for Brielle as well as for me! Thank you TC Church for giving us a home!

Miss any of my previous "Monday Making a Difference" posts? Just check them out here!