Pray for our block party, August 18!

We're anticipating a fun time with neighbors on August 18. This has been another great opportunity to get out and meet people and invite them to something fun. The reception to our invitations and conversations thus far has been very positive. Please pray that people come, make connections with us and each other, and that this will be a step forward in the trust level in our relationships with those in our neighborhood. We feel that if we can build trust...perhaps people will be more open to our invitations to dinner or our spiritual formation group.

Knowing that you are praying with us for movement in our relationships is a huge blessing to us! Thanks!

Preaching at Community of Hope

I'd appreciate your prayers this weekend (July 29) as I preach at Community of Hope GBC in Columbia City, IN. My good friend and mentor, Dan Gregory, provided this opportunity. Its been a long time since I've preached...so I'm shaking the rust off and really enjoying the prep. this week. I was unusually discouraged this past weekend and really sought God on some things. Through this time, and considering the theme Dan asked me to preach on (power/passion of prayer), God led me to Acts 4:23-32. It has been great to develop the theme of this passage- a prayer for boldness for mission. EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW... along with a solid dose of prayer with our team and trust in God's sovereignty and PERFECT timing.

So, please pray for preparation, for effective communication, and that I would apply what God is teaching me FIRST and then be able to encourage and challenge others from the Word.

Trish and I are looking forward to briefly attending the FGBC's Equip conference this weekend and early next week in Winona Lake, IN. We'll travel out Saturday and come back Tuesday a.m. Hopefully we'll be able to connect with some friends and make some good ministry contacts.

Thanks for praying with us!

What a GREAT week!

We are so thankful for all that God did during the Neighborhood Bible Club we hosted last week (July 9-13). God truly answered many prayers, like the following:

• We had great weather. It wasn't too hot and several storms that came through during the week finished before we were due to start each evening.
  
• Our team worked together well. This is very exciting for us to see God providing help for missional work through those who have been meeting with us on Sunday evenings. Special thanks to Beth and Luke Fields for helping with crafts and games and to Erin Whinnery for leading songs and teaching the lesson each evening.
  
• We were able to deepen connections with many neighbors we had met before and meet several families we had never met before.
  
• Numbers were great (especially when you consider we've only lived here 5 months). Totals included (at different times throughout the week) 33 kids, 63 people (including kids and workers), 7 families we had never met before, and ministry to 13 unchurched families!
  
• The kids had fun! Highlights of the week included games, snow-cones, cotton candy, popcorn, huge (killer/injury machine) "earth-ball", and water slide.
  
• Most important: kids and parents were loved with Jesus' love and the Gospel was clearly communicated to each child present on Friday evening.
  

Thanks for partnering with us in prayer. We're excited about God's movement in northeast Franklin County!

Pray for Neighborhood Bible Club

With help from Beth and Katelyn Fields (our friends and neighbors), our family passed out almost 100 invitations to the Neighborhood Bible Club we'll be hosting next week (July 9-13, from 7-8:30p.). We're so thankful for the help of our spiritual formation group and the Powell Grace Brethren Church (providing curriculum and supplies) for helping us pull this off. Many in our small group are taking key roles (teaching, snacks, games, crafts, etc.), so this will be our first project together and a fun team effort. Please pray:

• That God would bring many children out.
  
• That we would have good interaction loving children and connecting with parents.
  
• That God would lead some to attend our spiritual formation group as a result of attending the Club.
  
• That children (and parents) would hear and be open to the Gospel.
  
• That our team would enjoy working together and catch a vision for doing mission together.
  

Thanks!

Thanks, Lord!

Some things I've praised God for this week:

• Silas ate more than I've ever seen him eat the other evening. Usually we have to force food down him and dinner is a concert of crying and fussing. At this particular meal, Silas ate well and even fed himself most of the time.
  
• We spent Monday evening passing out invitations in our neighborhood for Bible Club next week. In an effort to meet as many people as possible in person, we knocked on doors (instead of just placing a flier on the door). After a while, Seth insisted on going to the door by himself to greet whoever answered and give them the invitation. What a joy to a parent's heart to see a 4 year old fully engaged in ministry!
  
  
• Yesterday (the 4th of July) we went to New Albany's parade and fireworks (2 separate events/different times of day). At each event, we saw and talked to 3 different people that we knew (most unchurched that we've met through soccer or neighborhood). While seemingly small, this was a huge milestone to us. We can see progress in meeting and making contacts with people when we're at an event of thousands of people (none of whom we knew 5 months ago) and run into people we have met and talked with before. Now... may God use us in their lives for His work and glory! Pray with us to that end...
  

Its a joy to give God praise- for big or SMALL things. What's He doing in your life? Feel free to share it here if you'd like to leave a comment. We'll praise God...publicly... with you!

Group Meetings Are Going Well!

Most of you know that we've started forming our church through an initial small group where we're gathering together those God has brought us in contact with for fun, new friendships, discussion around Bible passages about Jesus, and simple prayer. We've had consistent attendance, seen new people visit at each of our three meetings, and had great discussions. One truly exciting note has been meeting Bill (right), pictured with Daniel (left). Daniel and his wife, Erin, are a super couple and have been participating in our group faithfully. Dan has been working with Bill and faithfully and gently being like Jesus in front of him and sparking spiritual conversations with him. The long and the short of it is that Bill attended our meeting 2 Sundays ago and shared that he had made a commitment to Jesus as leader and forgiver of His life a few days before! Praise God! We had a WONDERFUL meeting hearing more of his story and what God has been doing in his heart.

Obviously, we're elated at the way God is working in Bill, using Daniel in Bill's life, and that Bill's story brings genuine discussions of life transformation to our group. It is so good to see God changing a life right in front of our eyes. May that be the continual flavor of our group(s) as we move forward and gather those God brings.

Please pray with us for Bill- for growth and encouragement in this new journey with Jesus. Please pray with us that God would continue to bring us close to people Jesus loves that do not yet know Him. That's our highest aim.

Silas AND Seth are improving...

What a week last week! I was away most of the week (in PA for a church planting training) and Trish was home with sick kids. Thankfully, Trish's parents and my mom were able to come and help at different times. Silas vomited and had diarrhea through Wednesday evening (about 6 days total). We were very concerned, again, about dehydration from what we're sure is Rota Virus (again!). God was merciful to us and allowed us to get enough fluids in Silas to keep him hydrated. Some blood tests done on Monday (testing for immunity problems- trying to find out why Silas keeps getting sick) came back normal. Praise God!

To top off the week, Seth began throwing up on Friday. We took them both to the doctor that morning to find out that Seth was in the beginning stages of pneumonia. He began keeping food down on Saturday night and with an antibiotic and some rest was doing better on Sunday.

So, we're thanking God for healing and feeling like life is returning to some sort of normalcy. We spent all day Saturday and most of Sunday cleaning every single surface (including every Lego and Matchbox car and GeoTrax piece...) with clorox to try and prevent more sickness. We know God is teaching us patience and trust through illness. So, we're trying to learn His lessons and thank Him that we're not dealing with anything more serious.

Thanks for praying with us for our kids!