Please Pray For Silas

Unfortunately, I've written this title to a blog post before. But, we could really use your prayers again for Silas' health. He is again battling some mysterious virus that causes symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea. This started late Thursday and he really hasn't been keeping anything down since. He won't eat and we have to force him to drink anything. Obviously the concern is for his hydration. Please pray that God would help his stomach to settle soon and that he would be able to keep liquids down. We're earnestly asking God to protect him from dehydration. Please also pray that we could learn to trust God at deeper levels with our fear for him and frustration over yet another sickness.

To complicate matters, its an important ministry weekend and week for us. We're trying to canvass the 191 homes in our neighborhood to meet people and hand out invitations to our neighborhood Bible Club (July 9-13). We had a good spiritual formation group meeting tonight. And, tomorrow, I'm (Andy) to leave to go out of town until Thursday night to an important training time for church planters. Please pray for Trish as she man's the fort here with a sick little one and active 4-year old. Special thanks and PRAISE GOD! to friend (and blog reader! :) Anne Stansfield and my mom (coming out on Tuesday) who will be an enormous help to Trish while I'm gone.

Bottom line as parents- we're concerned about our little boy and we covet your prayers. Thanks!

If you pray for one thing...

...please pray that God helps us make many, many contacts this summer. This is our number one priority at this stage of beginning a missional church- learning how to focus on reaching people Jesus loves that do not yet know him. For fodder for your prayers for us...I'm giving you (wow- aren't you privileged as a blog reader! :) an inside picture of our journey. Below is a plan I've submitted to my coach (Tony Webb) for making contacts this summer. Would you pray God leads us and brings these desires to reality...for His glory? Thanks!

Contact-Making Strategy
Andy Wirt
June-August 2007

I envision meeting new people, building deeper relationships, and inviting receptive people to our spiritual formation group through the following fishing pools:

• Expanding neighborhood involvement. I would like to go door-to-door several times to invite people to a Neighborhood Bible Club we’re planning July 9-13. Also, I’d either like to sponsor a block party for our street or participate in facilitating the neighborhood-wide block party this summer.

• YMCA. I have a goal of meeting a new person every time I work out there. I want to look into classes or activities I/my family could join to be around new people.

• New Albany pool. We’ve joined the pool there with the desire of making contacts while enjoying good family time.

• “Renting” office space at Panera Bread or Starbucks. I frequently (2-4) times a week try to do administrative work or study outside of my home office at one of these places to meet people and start conversations where God opens doors.

• Volunteering for community service. I would like to find at least 1 large-scale, community-wide event to volunteer for (and get others from our group to help when possible) per month to be involved with. Possibilities:

• June: Cancer walk in New Albany on June 12. Blues/Jazz Festival in Gahanna on June 15.
  
• July: July 4th celebration in New Albany.
  
• September: Walking Race in New Albany.
  

• Facilitate ClearView Church joining New Albany and Gahanna Chamber of Commerce. I’d like to utilize contact making/networking, marketing, and event participation that chamber membership would offer. This would open the door to unlimited new contacts.

• I’m thinking about the viability of some door-to-door work individually, with my family, or with teams. I’d like to do soft demographic research (“What could a new church do that would benefit this community…”) and make new contacts… but not sure how effective this would be in our community. Might be a negative contact?

• Secure a soccer coaching position for this fall.

• Select service events (car washes, etc.) and request teams to come and help us serve and meet people in the community.

A BIG WIN!

The first meeting of a new church is history! Thanks so much for praying! We met June 10, from 4-6p. Since we count everything that breathes and moves...there were 13 people representing 5 family units. Being that this is 4 more family units than we have had in our previous meetings (our family :)...PRAISE GOD! We were excited as people came together, enjoyed meeting new people (everyone was new to each other), participated in lively discussion around Matthew 4:12-25 (great passage-check it out!), and interacted with a brief bit of vision on what God has called us to in northeastern Franklin County.

Please praise God with us for this first meeting and for those willing to take a risk and attend something new. When you consider that just a few short months ago, we knew none of these people, bringing five different family units together for an initial small group gathering is huge! There is an amazing God-story in how we met each of these people. Also, there are several more people who communicated interest in attending that could not make it yesterday. Please pray that they would be able to participate in the future. Each participant was encouraged to invite someone new to the next meeting. Please pray that we would have 10 adults and 6 family units represented when we meet again June 24. Finally, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, please pray that this group would be used to reach people Jesus loves with His truth and grace.

I can't thank you enough if you prayed for us this past weekend. We heard reports of entire churches, Sunday School classes, families, and many individuals from all over the U.S. praying for God to work in our first meeting. He did! Praise God!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Mercer!

We had a special weekend this past weekend. I was truly blessed to have the privilege of marrying Jamie and Bobby (whom I've written about in the past). Bobby committed his life to follow Jesus a few months ago and we've been meeting regularly for pre-marital counseling ever since. I've been ministered to by the opportunity to get to know this genuinely super young couple. Their wedding rehearsal and ceremony went well. Praise God!

One of the things that impacted me this weekend is the hundreds of contacts that each of us have for Jesus. Because of being invited to officiate this special day in Bobby and Jamie's lives, Trish and I had the opportunity to meet many people we never would have otherwise come into contact with. The grace and truth of Jesus was clearly evident in the ceremony and we were also able to talk and get to know several individuals and couples from the Columbus area.

Please thank God with us for Bobby and Jamie and the privilege of marrying them. Please pray for a lifetime of love and blessing for them. Please pray that we, and our new church, would be able to walk along side them as we work together to reach their friends and loved ones for Jesus.

What A Small World!

It is amazing to me how God works and can tie people together through common associations almost too bizarre to be true.

Several weeks ago, I was "renting" office space at Panera Bread (I bye a drink and work there for a few hours to get out and be around people...looking for contact making opportunities). While there, I drink a lot of their excellent sweet Green Tea. On my 43rd trip to the men's room, I walked by a man reading biblical Hebrew. On my way back by this gentlemen, I stopped and asked him about what he was reading. I admitted my poor Hebrew (I hope Drs. Abegg and Davis aren't reading this!)...but nonetheless, we had a fascinating conversation.

As we talked, I discovered that Daniel is Jewish and attends a local synagogue. We were surprised to discover that we shared a common association with someone who used to be on staff with Grace Brethren International Missions. Daniel had not seen this person in 20 years (a childhood friend of his), so I promised to track down this person and asked Daniel if it would be OK if I got them in touch. Through sharing this information, Daniel and I e-mailed back and forth a few times and I asked him to lunch.

Today we were finally able to get together again. I was truly challenged and inspired by our conversation. I don't know about you, but I'm not sure I've ever truly sat down across the table from a Jewish person and really tried to understand what they believe, what they don't believe, and why they don't believe Jesus was/is the Messiah. I learned a lot from Daniel...none-the-least being how much more I need to understand to be able to articulate why I believe what I believe about Jesus to a Jewish person.

Amazingly, as we talked...we had more common associations. Daniel had been to several Grace Brethren Churches- one being Bowling Green while Ron Boehm (from our former church in Macedonia, OH) was pastor. He also knows a cousin of mine here in the Columbus area. So interesting.

We also shared a connection around life goals. Daniel is an attorney turned financial advisor who owns his own business. He truly desires to help his clients find genuine meaning and fulfillment in life. I asked him to help me understand the mindset of a rich person in our area (this is one of the most affluent communities in OH). What I learned from this man who advises many wealthy people in this area is the confirmation that money doesn't bring fulfillment. Daniel shared a story about two doctors (married) who make over $600,000 per year and can't pay their bills. His summary statement to me (a blessing!) was, "You will do well here...people need what you are offering."

Would you pray with me on two fronts:

• Pray for Daniel. He is truly a kind, good-hearted man. I don't know exactly where He is at with Jesus. We obviously believe different when it comes to John 14:6 and Colossians 1:15-23. Pray that Jehovah would meet him in his passion for the OT and show him truth about the authenticity of Jesus as Lord in the NT. Pray our relationship would continue and grow.
  
• Pray that God would show us how to communicate the hope of Jesus to those with much material wealth. The work will not be easy...Scripture makes that clear. But, with God, all things are possible.
  

Would You Pray For Our First Meeting?

Our first group meeting on June 10, from 4-6p. is a strategic time for us. In some ways it's the culmination of months of solo work in trying to meet as many people as we could and find initial contacts that would be willing to meet with us for spiritual formation and cooperative ministry. In many other ways, it's just the beginning...the beginning, Lord willing, of a movement of people that will touch thousands of lives for Jesus and form a healthy, disciple-making, reproducing church.

Please pray that in this first (and subsequent) meetings, God would:

• Give us wisdom as we plan each meeting
  
• Lead the people we've invited (and others they invite!) to come
  
• Give our new group a spirit of unity and excitement over what God is doing and could do...
  
• Assist Trish and I in ministering to this new group
  
• Assist Trish and I in clearly sharing our vision and calling for a new church and inviting the group to join us
  
• Help us to have fun!
  
• Help us to incorporate children and any other dynamics in a way that is healthy and flexible
  
• Help us create an environment that is accepting and open to seekers AND inspiring to believers
  

The following is a list of people we've invited to come. Please pray with us that God would join our hearts together in co-mission.

• Victor
  
• Ryan and Rachel
  
• Dan and Erin
  
• Luke and Beth
  
• Michael and Marlissa
  
• Miserat
  
• Melissa
  
• Jay and Sylvia
  
• Cathy and Greg
  
• Mark
  
• Bobby and Jamie (who I'm marrying on June 9. I told them they better NOT be there on June 10! :)
  
• 2 other neighbors
  
• Andy and Trish (I'm pretty sure they'll be there)...
  

Thanks for praying with us! Your prayers have never been so critical as they are this week.

Praise God For A Great Vacation!

We're thankful for the time we had together with my (Andy) family in Myrtle Beach, SC last week. We all enjoyed the ocean, pools, and time with family we don't get to see often.

Seth and Silas enjoyed the sand and water...and had a super time with their five cousins from Georgia. Fun times included building projects on the beach (Seth would build and Silas would wreck!), Seth's first miniature golfing adventure, tag with cousins and grandma on the beach at night, etc.

Whenever I have the opportunity to enjoy the ocean, my spirit is enriched by contemplating Psalm 93. I love being tossed around by the waves on a boogie-board and being actively reminded of God's power. My heart is stilled as I look out over the ocean from a balcony and am comforted by God's sovereignty. There is something peaceful, inspiring, and challenging about observing the ocean's beauty and power and realizing that God is "mightier than the breakers on the shore" (vs.4). His power over this natural phenomenon is illustrative of the fact that "the world is firmly established (and) cannot be shaken" (vs.2) and that His "throne...has been established from time immemorial" (vs.3).

So...why do I worry and fret? Why does planting a church seem impossible? God has it all under control...it's no stretch for Him..."the Lord above is mightier than these!" (vs.4b).