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
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Saturday, October 4, 2008
The Living among the Dead
On this day I started my prayer walk not really sure which direction I was going to head. As I was walking, I felt a call to go toward the cemetery to visit the grave of one of my former students who had died at 19 in an automobile accident. I felt like this was a little strange because the cemetery is on the edge of town, and I just didn't think about running into anyone on my way there.
However having learned over the last few weeks that God always has an appointment for me, I went. As I approached the cemetery all seemed quiet, and I proceeded to the area where Dale was buried. When I got there I noticed one car parked in the area, and I began to look around to see who it belonged to. There was a lady just a short distance from where I was going. I approached her to say hi because I did not want to startle her. I recognized her and learned she was tending to the grave of her son.
We began a conversation, and it became obvious to me very quickly that this was going to be one of my divine appointments today. I know that this lady was a woman of faith but on this day her faith was shaken. We spent some time together there in conversation and then prayed. As she left, it seemed like a huge weight had been lifted. While she realized that the problems of her life were not suddenly gone, she also realized that she did not have to carry them alone.
When she left, I went to the grave of the young man I had intended to visit. As I looked around I was struck by the number of graves in that portion of the cemetery of people who had died at a young age. I was reminded again of the importance of always being prepared to share the Gospel because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
The rest of the day felt like it was mostly about just being with people. I had lunch with an old friend and prayed with him for his wife who was having surgery the next day. I worked with the Alternative Education class on a community service project at Bay Shore. I had a great time there, and we shared some pizza at the end of the day.
I then spent some time working with the Rotary Club on their Moon Light Madness sale fundraiser. I don't have time to explain that, but it was great to again be delivering bean soup to the people of Sebewaing.
That evening we gathered together, four of us, to talk about the disciple making movement. The numbers were not as high as I had hoped because of the community event and some sporting events; but I was greatly encouraged. I shared a 20 minute segment of the Keystone project video, and we had a great discussion of what that might look like in Sebewaing. I encouraged the others there to be in prayer and that if God through the Holy Spirit gave them ideas, to be ready to share them. I finally got home around 10:30 that night feeling again like God had blessed me!
Praises:
God is continuing to give me opportunities to share
People are asking questions
The relationships I am building with the students and staff of the alternative ed program
The meeting and the sharing of the vision as it continues to be defined
Prayer concerns:
To continue to bring people in who will add to and help develop the vision for this disciple making movement
For discernment for me as to where to invest time.
God will bring forth workers for the harvest
For two meetings I am hoping to have next week with people I consider to be spiritual leaders
Your Servant in Christ,
Brian
However having learned over the last few weeks that God always has an appointment for me, I went. As I approached the cemetery all seemed quiet, and I proceeded to the area where Dale was buried. When I got there I noticed one car parked in the area, and I began to look around to see who it belonged to. There was a lady just a short distance from where I was going. I approached her to say hi because I did not want to startle her. I recognized her and learned she was tending to the grave of her son.
We began a conversation, and it became obvious to me very quickly that this was going to be one of my divine appointments today. I know that this lady was a woman of faith but on this day her faith was shaken. We spent some time together there in conversation and then prayed. As she left, it seemed like a huge weight had been lifted. While she realized that the problems of her life were not suddenly gone, she also realized that she did not have to carry them alone.
When she left, I went to the grave of the young man I had intended to visit. As I looked around I was struck by the number of graves in that portion of the cemetery of people who had died at a young age. I was reminded again of the importance of always being prepared to share the Gospel because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
The rest of the day felt like it was mostly about just being with people. I had lunch with an old friend and prayed with him for his wife who was having surgery the next day. I worked with the Alternative Education class on a community service project at Bay Shore. I had a great time there, and we shared some pizza at the end of the day.
I then spent some time working with the Rotary Club on their Moon Light Madness sale fundraiser. I don't have time to explain that, but it was great to again be delivering bean soup to the people of Sebewaing.
That evening we gathered together, four of us, to talk about the disciple making movement. The numbers were not as high as I had hoped because of the community event and some sporting events; but I was greatly encouraged. I shared a 20 minute segment of the Keystone project video, and we had a great discussion of what that might look like in Sebewaing. I encouraged the others there to be in prayer and that if God through the Holy Spirit gave them ideas, to be ready to share them. I finally got home around 10:30 that night feeling again like God had blessed me!
Praises:
God is continuing to give me opportunities to share
People are asking questions
The relationships I am building with the students and staff of the alternative ed program
The meeting and the sharing of the vision as it continues to be defined
Prayer concerns:
To continue to bring people in who will add to and help develop the vision for this disciple making movement
For discernment for me as to where to invest time.
God will bring forth workers for the harvest
For two meetings I am hoping to have next week with people I consider to be spiritual leaders
Your Servant in Christ,
Brian
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