Last Sunday I had the privilege to share at the Elkton Missionary Church about what the Thumb area LEAD Team is trying to do in Sebewaing. I felt like the Holy Spirit moved, and I was blessed. After the service I had several very positive conversations with people from the congregation. One of the things I tried to challenge them with was to think of people they might know in Sebewaing who did not attend any church. I then asked them if they might be willing to come to Sebewaing on a Thursday night and bring them to our gathering as together we seek God through relationships.
Yesterday as I was in McDonalds talking with a couple, one of the people who attends the Elkton Church and works at the McDonalds in Sebewaing, approached me and asked if she and her husband could attend our gathering that night. I assured her that would be great. We gathered together that night and continued our journey through the book of John, talking about the relationships that are encountered in this gospel. (In 3 weeks we still have not gotten through the 1st chapter despite 3 hours of conversation.)
After the study we spent some time in prayer, and I asked the group to begin to list people who they knew in the area who either had no relationship with Christ or who had wandered away. By the time we were done, we had 9 people on our list who people in the room have some kind of contact with. We prayed for them last night and have made the commitment to pray for them each week and start looking for ways to invite them into our fellowship.
I left our time together last night feeling very uplifted! I continue to be amazed at how at just the right instant, God does something to encourage us when things seem not to be moving. The Lord continues to march toward eternity and continues to call us to follow, and, at times, to hold on!
Praises:
Our prayer list of people
My time in Elkton
The continued support of each of the LEAD Team churches
For a Spirit of excitement that seems to be growing, as well as our numbers, within the group meeting in Sebewaing
Concerns:
One of the guys I have been meeting with is going through a difficult time - keep Joe in prayer.
Wisdom on how to approach the people God has laid on our hearts
Your Servant in Christ,
Brian
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Working in the Middle of Chaos August 19
I don't know about the rest of you, but for me summer this year seems to have been one chaotic blur. Between scheduled and unscheduled events, it seems like I have been constantly on the go. I shudder to say this, but I will almost be glad when summer is over so I can return to a routine. Yet even in the midst of all the chaos, God is at work. I want to take a minute to share just a couple of things from my life that occurred in the last week.
On Tuesday of last week I met with a former student of mine who has graduated from college this past spring and is in the process of starting a new job. Now that she is starting a new phase of her life, she is wrestling with how to do "church". As we sat talking and I heard the things she was dealing with, I made a suggestion to her. I said, "Why not start a church?"
The look on her face was one of pure amazement. She told me she had been thinking about just such an idea, but was worried that the established church and people like me might frown on the idea. I reassured her that as long as God was being honored and salvation through Jesus was being taught, I would have no problem theologically helping her get something started.
We talked about making sure there was an apostolic present in the group to help make sure that their theology did not waiver, and I assured her that if they wanted me to I would be that presence. I also gave her a book to read, Organic Church by Neal Cole and told her we would get together as soon as she had the first part read to talk about future direction. I walked away thinking "alright God I just want to be part."
The second event that showed me how God is at work even when I think only chaos is going on around occurred last Thursday during my visit to Sebewaing. One of the families who has been coming to our study on Thursday nights let me know they could not make it last Thursday. When I was thinking about how to proceed, a family came to my mind. The thought of this family was followed by a thought that one of the speakers at Brown City Camp had emphasized the week before. He said "people had more than enough Bible what they needed was to see the scripture lived out."
I trusted that God had brought those two thoughts together in my mind, and I called up John and Rhonda and asked them if it would be alright if rather than us meeting, we called this other family and offered to bring dinner to their house and to have a time of fellowship and sharing together. That is exactly what happened, and it was quite clear to me and the others that it was an appointment that pleased God.
What does all this mean? I am not sure but what it reinforced for me is that it is Jesus who builds the church. My job is to do what I am told to do through scripture and be willing to be obedient to the Holy Spirit.
This week I have one of those unscheduled events that will prevent me from getting to Sebewaing on Thursday. I will be traveling to Tampa, Florida to take part in a memorial service for my uncle who passed away. However I know God is still at work, and hopefully, I will again be able to join in as fall unfolds.
Praises:
God's faithfulness
New opportunities
Concerns:
Pray for Joe whom I have been meeting with in Sebewaing
This Sunday I will share in the Elkton Church
Pray for God's wisdom as I work with these young people about a possible church meeting in their home
Pray for me as I share at the memorial service for my uncle. There will be many in attendance who do not know Jesus as Lord and Saviour
On Tuesday of last week I met with a former student of mine who has graduated from college this past spring and is in the process of starting a new job. Now that she is starting a new phase of her life, she is wrestling with how to do "church". As we sat talking and I heard the things she was dealing with, I made a suggestion to her. I said, "Why not start a church?"
The look on her face was one of pure amazement. She told me she had been thinking about just such an idea, but was worried that the established church and people like me might frown on the idea. I reassured her that as long as God was being honored and salvation through Jesus was being taught, I would have no problem theologically helping her get something started.
We talked about making sure there was an apostolic present in the group to help make sure that their theology did not waiver, and I assured her that if they wanted me to I would be that presence. I also gave her a book to read, Organic Church by Neal Cole and told her we would get together as soon as she had the first part read to talk about future direction. I walked away thinking "alright God I just want to be part."
The second event that showed me how God is at work even when I think only chaos is going on around occurred last Thursday during my visit to Sebewaing. One of the families who has been coming to our study on Thursday nights let me know they could not make it last Thursday. When I was thinking about how to proceed, a family came to my mind. The thought of this family was followed by a thought that one of the speakers at Brown City Camp had emphasized the week before. He said "people had more than enough Bible what they needed was to see the scripture lived out."
I trusted that God had brought those two thoughts together in my mind, and I called up John and Rhonda and asked them if it would be alright if rather than us meeting, we called this other family and offered to bring dinner to their house and to have a time of fellowship and sharing together. That is exactly what happened, and it was quite clear to me and the others that it was an appointment that pleased God.
What does all this mean? I am not sure but what it reinforced for me is that it is Jesus who builds the church. My job is to do what I am told to do through scripture and be willing to be obedient to the Holy Spirit.
This week I have one of those unscheduled events that will prevent me from getting to Sebewaing on Thursday. I will be traveling to Tampa, Florida to take part in a memorial service for my uncle who passed away. However I know God is still at work, and hopefully, I will again be able to join in as fall unfolds.
Praises:
God's faithfulness
New opportunities
Concerns:
Pray for Joe whom I have been meeting with in Sebewaing
This Sunday I will share in the Elkton Church
Pray for God's wisdom as I work with these young people about a possible church meeting in their home
Pray for me as I share at the memorial service for my uncle. There will be many in attendance who do not know Jesus as Lord and Saviour
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