Old Friends, New Needs

As I traveled to Sebewaing today, it was one of those fall days that you dream about. The sun was shining, the temperatures were very pleasant, and the evidence of God was all around. Fall colors and fields full of crops ready to be harvested were proof of the blessing of God.

I started the day by visiting some old friends. I was glad to be able to sit and visit with them and kind of update them on what I am doing in Sebewaing. I was also glad to hear how God is working in their church and several of the new ministries that have started in their church. Part of what God has been teaching me is to celebrate His work where ever it is happening.

Later that day as I was doing my prayer walk, God again allowed me to come in contact with people. My first encounter that day was with a former student of mine. She introduced me to her boy friend, and we spent some time talking about what each of us was doing now days. I asked her if she was going to church, and she admitted that she was not. I told her that I would love to have her and her boy friend join a group. While I got no firm commitment from her, the door was left open. During my conversation with her and some others that I bumped into that day, there is a fair size group of young people in the Sebewaing area whom I know have a relationship with Christ, but who are presently not involved in any ministry of any kind on regular basis.

One of my other encounters that day was with a young man who in many ways was one of my favorite students I ever had in youth ministry. He even joked that he was the greatest student I ever had in youth group. He presently lives in the Vegas area so I considered it a blessing to have the opportunity to visit as he was only home for a short while. It was good to catch up with him and hear about what was going on in his life. As I listened to him I was proud of his accomplishments, but I also knew that I had failed him in some ways. It was clear to me that he was a follower of Christ but probably not a disciple. I was convicted that I need to make discipleship a much higher priority in my relationships with people.

Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to take part in the District Pastor's retreat. The three days were focused on times of prayer and also the process of disciple making. There were several great ideas that were talked about and some of them I felt like were God helping to confirm for me the process that we are trying to use in Sebewaing. Over the next few weeks I will be working to discern how God might want me to put some of these things into practice.

Over the next couple of weeks I will only be getting to Sebewaing briefly as I will be taking some vacation. As a result I will not be posting for a couple of weeks. Thanks for taking the time to praise God for the following blessings and to raise up in prayer the concerns. Talk to you again in a couple of weeks.

Praises:
Old friends
The successful ministries going on in Sebewaing
The fields being ready to harvest (both in the real and spiritual realm)
The emphasis on disciple making that is taking place in the District
The time that I will get to spend with my dad up north hunting

Concerns:
Reaching the many who just appear to be unplugged from church
That God will give a vision of the process that He wants to use in this ministry
For God to raise up a couple of people to help with leadership
For the Life Transformation Group I will be starting over the next couple of weeks
For the Sebewaing area with all the economic problems

Your Servant in Christ,

Brian