January 2023 Intro Letter

Earlier this month, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team celebrated winning its first National Championship. My 18-year-old son, Cole, and I were eyewitnesses. The game was great, but as my son and I talked about the entire experience, what stood out the most was the beginning-to-end spirit of celebration. We were celebrating that the Jackrabbits were in the chamionship game. We all celebrated that we even made it to the game after a week of being buried under two feet of South Dakota snow! We celebrated Texas brisket cooked "low and slow." We celebrated that, regardless of who won, all Dakotans could still go to Buc-ee's! We celebrated 60-degree Frisco, TX, weather. We celebrated that SDSU fans dominated the stadium! We celebrated playing our revered arch-rivals, the North Dakota State Bison. And abandoning our northern passivity while swinging hats, fists, poms, and several shirts in the wind, all Dakotans celebrated to songs pulsating throughout Toyota Stadium, such as "Cotton-Eyed Joe" and "Thank God I'm a Country Boy!" There were multiple sightings of celebratory snd Texas-influenced "Yee-haws!" Yes Texas, with a capital "T," which stood for Trouble...Trouble...Trouble...at least for the NDSU Bison!  Everywhere you turned, relatively sober and random Jackrabbits fans were giving you a passionate high five, some form of cheer, an "Ears Up" gesture for the SDSU Jackrabbits, and a "Horns Down" gesture against the NDSU Bison. Thousands upon thousands of South Dakotans descended on northern Texas like a unified and celebratory family. However, it was more than a celebratory spirit. It was a contagious culture of celebration. 

In Luke 15:10, Jesus gives us a view into Heaven's celebratory culture. Just as a person celebrates over the recovery of a lost and prized possession, Jesus said, "I tell you there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents." For Christ-followers, this is the eternal culture into which we are headed, so why not do our best to emphasize this celebratory culture now? In 2023, may we foster and experience a culture of celebration in our homes, churches, and district! May we not only celebrate when a person professes faith in Christ, but may we regularly and visibly celebrate the faithful efforts of our family members, church members, volunteers, staff, missionsries, and pastors daily working on the gridiron of gospel ministry to help people meet, know, and follow Jesus. As victorious overcomers in Christ, may gospel-centered celebration be an experienced mark of our lives and church culture. 

Faith is the victory!

Jim Capaldo
Regional President
Converge Heartland