Positive Connections

In the past two days, God has opened doors for meetings with 5 key leaders in our district in reference to the possibility of partnering with two area churches. Praise God! We've made verbal and written requests to these churches, asking them to consider partnership (defined broadly to include any of the following: mission teams, equipment, financial support, prayer support, networking, etc.) with ClearView. Obviously, this would be a huge boost to our work if God continued to open these doors. Please pray that God would make His paths clear for finding teammates and financial provision.

Guests...

Praise God... we've enjoyed welcoming several guests to our gatherings over the last month or so. Please pray that God moves in Cheralyn's, Eric's, and Kathryn's hearts to feel a sense of community with our group and join our efforts.

ClearView's First Newspaper Feature!

A big shout out to God today. Will you say "Praise God" with me!? ClearView was featured in today's issue of the New Albany News. See article here.

Several weeks before Christmas, a reporter called me because she had seen an announcement in New Albany Chamber of Commerce's December newsletter that listed ClearView as a new chamber member. I am so excited about the way God has orchestrated these events. To use MasterCard's line... free publicity...is priceless! I'm also thankful that, for the most part, the article represents well what we feel God has called us to do and be in our community.

Please pray that this article leads us to fruitful contacts, team members, much traffic on our website and some inquiries about our gatherings. This is a huge boost to us as we begin a year that will be absolutely critical to the launch of a healthy, new, Bible-teaching church.

Thanks for praying with us. God is working!

GBNAM Is No More

Grace Brethren North American Missions (the Grace Brethren organization that facilitated church planting in the United States and Canada) has closed its doors, effective 12/31/07. Read the full report here.

I wanted to communicate on this for three reasons:

1. We owe great thanksgiving to GBNAM. The organization, its resources, and missionaries (namely Jim Snavely and Ron Boehm) were instrumental in the process God led us through as He called us to church planting. Along with Northwest Chapel, NCO District and several individuals, GBNAM was a key financial sponsor in 2007. Resources given to ClearView Church by GBNAM helped us move through our first year without having to make additional support appeals. We thank God for using this organization in the FGBC and our lives for many years.
2. I want to ask you to pray for our Fellowship of churches and its next steps in the arena of church planting. Pray for a new church planting organization that will seek to reach the millions of unchurched people in North America through beginning new, Bible-teaching churches. For more details, click here.
3. I want to ask you to continue to pray that God will meet our resource needs. Now that the news of GBNAM's future has been made public, I can explain that one reason our support needs are greater than we anticipated is because GBNAM grants that were available previously are no longer an opportunity. Obviously, this puts greater responsibility on sending churches and church planters to find other means of funding their ministries. Even though I didn't, I know that God foresaw these events and has other options He will make available in His perfect time.

Thank God for GBNAM. Pray with me that God would continue to plant churches around the world and in North America through the churches of the FGBC. And, thanks for praying for God's provision for ClearView. I can't wait to see how He works around this new obstacle.

Happy New Year!

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas and New Year season. We enjoyed a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family. Highlights were seeing most of my family, sharing about our ministry with the New Beginnings Grace Brethren Church (Myerstown, PA), and driving the remaining 50 miles to Columbus (on our return trip) with the passenger's side window down. Long story...but the short version is that it broke and we couldn't get it back up! I don't think any of us have been that cold in a while. But, praise God it wasn't raining or snowing and could have been much colder.

Needless to say...with that part of our adventure and a tiring week of travel...Silas is sick AGAIN and struggling with a terrible cough and cold. Please pray for healing. He feels miserable and the medicine/breathing treatments he's on make all of us miserable!

Now, 2008 is moving forward. What a year it will be. Our hearts are full of anticipation of what God has planned. I've never been more excited at the beginning of a new year... our family is growing, we're trusting God for a new church to be born, and countless answers to prayer await. The challenges will be great...but nothing in comparison to God's provision. Thanks for praying with us! Hebrews 11:1.