A Good Day...

I praise God for a great day yesterday! I wanted to make that praise public by giving God praise for...

• A great meeting with Mark, a friend we met several months ago. We haven't been able to get our schedules together until, finally, yesterday we were able to connect. Mark was a member of Northwest Chapel before he moved to the northeast side of town several months ago. God directed our paths together miraculously. Mark works many hours, including Sundays, but he's going to try and make our group and desires to help us get a church off the ground as his busy schedule allows. Please praise God for Mark and his heart to serve.
  
• Our end-of-season soccer party last evening. We played well in our last game and had a great time of celebrating the boys and their accomplishments and connecting with families. I created an award for each player based on skill or character and presented them during the party. This was a fun way to commend them. God allowed many good conversations with parents. I believe we had a positive testimony for Jesus. Praise God. Please pray that some type of spiritual fruit will come from this investment of time...even if it is 10 years down the road. Pray that these precious boys and families are drawn to Jesus.
  

Date Is Set...Invites Are Out!

Please pray with us! We're excited to ask you to pray with us on June 10, from 4-6p. as we host our first spiritual formation group at our home. Together, with several of our new friends, we've invited at least 12 different family units to attend. So far, we've gotten good feedback on desire to attend from about 7 of these invitations. Please pray that God would bring people out, bond our hearts together around Jesus and mission, and help us have fun! Pray that those that attend would see and feel the vision God has given us and desire to partner with us. This first meeting is important, the culmination of many God-stories, and a key next step in the development of a new church. Thanks for your prayers...please keep them coming!

Some Exciting Family Times!

Trish and I celebrated 10 years of marriage (5/18/1997) last weekend. We enjoyed a great overnight away at a beautiful state park lodge on Lake Erie. It was the first time in over a year we had been away together without the kids. We enjoyed being together, remembering all that God has done and brought us through in 10 years of marriage, God's creation, and some needed R&R. Praise God! I'm so thankful for the wife God has given me and the children and work He's blessed us to build together.


Last Sunday, we also had the special privilege of being interviewed in the service at the Woodville (Mansfield, OH) Grace Brethren Church. As, Trish's dad interviewed me, we were able to share about what God is doing in the church plant and encourage people to pray with us for God's continued work. We very much enjoyed spending the day with Trish's parents, connecting with Pastor Ron Smalls, and the sweet people of the Woodville GBC.

A special time yesterday- Seth came home from his last day of pre-school with his first report card! He did well and his teacher commended him for how well he did despite all the changes that have occurred in his life this year (he started at this school mid-year in February). We praise God for Seth and how well he has come through all the changes we have made! Great job, buddy! We celebrated with some great ice-cream at a Columbus favorite, Greaters!

Music To Our Ears!

Praise God! Tonight, we got home after spending some time with some old friends in Upper Arlington. There was a voice mail from one of our neighbors, Beth. The gist of her message was that she was sharing that she's excited about helping us invite people from our neighborhood to attend our initial spiritual formation group this summer. She's already talked with two people willing to participate and a teenager that will assist with childcare during the gathering!

Please thank God with us for Beth and her husband Luke. They have an effective ministry of loving people and living for Jesus in our neighborhood. People like and trust them and when they tell someone about what we're (the new people...with no track record here) doing...the message is credible because our neighbors respect Beth and Luke. They are truly "people of peace" (see Luke 9:4) and God is using them in great ways.

A Cool Way To Spend A Friday Night

Last Friday evening, I got home around 7p. from being gone all day. As I was getting out of my car, our neighbor, Jay, yelled over to me and invited our family to attend their son, Sebastian's, birthday party that evening. We quick got ready and headed over. Seth enjoys playing with Sebastian and talks about him frequently. This was the first time we've been invited into a neighbor's home in our neighborhood and were thrilled with the opportunity to get to know Jay's family, some of their friends and co-workers, and some of our neighbors better.

Please praise God with us for this opportunity to meet several new people. As I was sitting at their table...with kids yelling and playing all around us...surrounded by handfuls of people that don't know Jesus, my thought was, "God, thanks for opening up this door...this is what church planting/being a missionary is all about..." Please pray we would be a light for Jesus in our neighborhood and that these new relationships would lead our friends to a friendship with Jesus.

More Surprises from God!

We're learning from Jesus' example that a prime way to love and reach people is to look for practical ways to serve them. Here are two recent stories:

1. With the spring rain and sunshine comes high, green grass! One of my neighbors is going through a divorce and is a busy, single dad. I noticed that his grass needed mowed...so I mowed it. I love mowing anyway and figured it might be a building block in my relationship with Maurice. He and I have enjoyed good initial interactions, even discussing religion, Jesus, and the Bible. I left a note letting him know what I had done and that I'd love to have breakfast or lunch sometime.
   
   A week or so later, I found this note in my mailbox. In part, it read: Dear Andy, I cannot say how touched I was to return home from a grueling trip for work, to find such a neighborly and friendly gesture. As I'm sure you know, times of divorce or separation can be very difficult periods of transition...I look forward to getting to know you and the family better!.
   
   I was so thankful to God for the opportunity to serve in this way and Maurice's positive reaction to my effort to encourage him in a practical way. It was a bit risky (sometimes people don't want help), but God worked it out well. Maurice and I are having breakfast tomorrow. Please pray for Maurice. Please pray that our time together will honor Jesus. Thank God with us for His work in this new friendship.
   
   
2. A few weeks ago, we were saddened and concerned as one of our distant neighbors (a few houses down the street behind us) was violently assaulted in her home. By God's grace, this woman lives two houses down from some new friends of ours, Luke and Beth, who are faithful, godly members of another GBC. Luke and Beth quickly began looking for ways to minister to this woman.
   
   Beth networked a few of us together and sent the victim flowers at the hospital. Trish and I pitched in a little to help with the purchase and offered to help Luke and Beth minister to her in any way we could.
   
   Last night, we were pleasantly surprised when our doorbell rang. Guess who!? It was Mesirat, the woman who had been assaulted. She's doing much better, is healing emotionally, and was going around greeting and meeting those who had ministered to her through the flowers. She also had a friend with her. The four of us got to talking, and somehow our work came up. We mentioned that we are starting a new church. Mesirat told us that she attends a good local church and is also going to church with Beth and Luke this Sunday. Great! They asked where we would be meeting. We said, "Here." They said, "Let us know. We'll come!"
   
   I was really encouraged by this. I was impressed that Mesirat took the initiative to go around and thank people she didn't even know. Please pray that we can minister to these two ladies and work together for God's Kingdom.
   

Please praise God with us for His progressing work. It is exciting to see things working out that can only be God!

Family #3 Is On Board!

Please praise God with us! Sunday night, we met with a family that we connected with at the YMCA. Trish knew the wife/mom of the family from her high school days. Through a God-ordained encounter, we connected with her at the Y, renewed contact, and were at their home for dinner Sunday night. We enjoyed a great time of fellowship, and towards the end, they shared that they have been praying with us about becoming involved in our first spiritual formation group. They've sensed God leading them to help us in any way possible. We're excited!

We're working on finding the best date for all involved to come together for meeting #1. It looks like this will take place sometime in early June. The other couple teaming with us is getting married in early June...so they are understandably focused elsewhere (smile!). Pray God works out all the details of people's busy schedules so we can commence this important first time together.

We have confirmed dinner plans with another couple for this Saturday that are also praying about if they should become more involved with what we are doing. Pray for them to sense God's direction and that God would continue to lead us towards those people that will help to accomplish the work of beginning a new church.

God is working...

"If I believed in signs..."

Yesterday, I was working in Panera Bread. Not working for a wage as an employee... but using a table there as an office. With my two little angels at home...sometimes it is hard to get any administrative tasks accomplished there. So, I sometimes take my office on the road. Earlier that morning, I had asked the Lord to use me in conversation with someone at Panera that morning. By trial and error, I've found that a favorite table by the door gives me a vantage point to notice people as they enter and exit and the opportunity to offer a friendly smile and greeting to anyone who passes by.

When Graham entered, he commented on my computer from the vantage point of a fellow Mac fan. On his way out, we started talking. He's a friendly, brilliant man of Australian descent and a business man who lives in northeast Columbus part of the year. We discussed his work. He travels all over the world. He asked what I do. I told thim that I'm a pastor working to begin a new church in this area. He mentioned that he is a "spiritual person and is not interested in religion" that adheres to a form of Buddhist beliefs. I asked him how he defines "religion" and "spiritual". We had a riveting discussion on the differences between Jesus and how the Church (sometimes) postures itself. I shared that our church adheres to a literal interpretation of the Bible, what it says about Jesus (I shared John 14:6), AND the love and compassion and respect Jesus had for individuals (even if they did not follow His teaching).

I learned a lot from our conversation. I learned that some of the current writing on how the world is open to Jesus and even His teaching but views the Church with contempt is true, at least for Graham. I was also struck by something else that Graham said. As he was leaving he shared how he had recently returned from a business trip to Ecuador. Sitting next to him for four hours was an ancient language scholar from a South American University. From the way Graham described this man, he is a believer that discussed spiritual things with Graham on the plane. Graham said, "I don't believe in signs...but if I did..." I didn't even respond...because I think it was obvious to both of us that God is working in his life...drawing him to Himself.

I'm amazed at the way God works and uses His servants as links in the chain of His work in the lives of those who are not yet part of His family. My conversation with Graham was just one step in the journey God has him on. By God's grace, our conversation will move him forward towards biblical Truth and a personal relationship with Jesus. Who will be the next step?

I left this encounter with thanksgiving for God answering my prayer to be used in a spiritual encounter with a seeker. I left the encounter amazed at the scope of God's plan as He uses people all over the world to reach out to those that need Him. I left desiring to be used further in the lives of others.

Would you pray for Graham? Please also pray that God will continue to use us in people's lives for Kingdom purposes. Where is the next person that God would have us serve as a link in His redemptive chain in their lives? Whose life does He want to use you in?

Please Pray With Us For Team Members

God has led us to some extraordinary connections within a few short months. We've met a lot of great people and had several encounters that only God could orchestrate. Praise be to God- He did choose to answer our (and YOURS- THANKS!) prayer request to provide one family to begin a spiritual formation group with by the end of April! Much to our excitement, Bobby and Jamie (picture right; the young man I led to Christ a few weeks ago) have agreed to begin meeting with us soon. In addition, there are at least 4 families right now, that we know of, that are praying about if God would lead them to team with us to begin a new church. We've invited these people to our new group and are praying they will join us. Obviously, if God chooses to bring one or more of these families on board...our potential for impact and service to our community grows exponentially. The exciting part about this phase is that one or two families double our efforts and add significantly (relationally, spiritually, service-wise) to our baby church.

Please give praise to God for His work...and keep praying for His guidance, provision, and step-by-step wisdom. WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Pray for Impact Through Coaching

One of the activities I have enjoyed most since we've been here is building relationships in the community through coaching soccer. I have the privilege of direct contact with 10 boys and their parents and indirect contact with other coaches, officials, league leaders, etc. It allows me to naturally plug into a place and activity where hundreds of local people gather several times per week. PLUS, I love the game and enjoy being around the boys and serving families.

Please pray with me that I have a positive testimony for Jesus. Pray that relationships can be established and built. Pray that serving people in this manner will open up doors for sharing about Jesus and our work of beginning a new church. Pray that our team wins one game (I'm sort of kidding...but you really could pray for that...we need all the help we can get!) THANKS!

Simple Things Can Be HUGE Praises!

Last week, the battery on my Mac (given to our new church by a donor!) laptop died. I was concerned about this due to the fact that there isn't much ($0) in our family's "technology fund." I was looking online at new batteries and was ready to buy one. I felt a prompting in my spirit to find a local Mac store and have the computer looked at. After having it checked out, I found out the battery is indeed dead. However, I also found out that the computer IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY FOR 16 DAYS and they replaced the battery at no cost. I had never even considered this possibility. God saved me from buying a battery online and wasting $130.

I'm so thankful for blessings like this that we didn't even know to ask for. God is good!

Happy Birthday, Trish!

We enjoyed this past weekend as a time to celebrate Trish and her 34th birthday! We're so thankful for our wife, mommy, church-plant partner... etc, etc.! Please pray that this new year will be one of rich closeness with God, blessing, and fruit for Trish.