Yea God!

We just found out Sunday night that we will have a 5th church joining our lead team.  This is a huge answer to prayer as it helps both financially but also giving us another pool of potential launch team members.  We are thrilled to have Hillside join us and we know that they are going to be a wonderful addition to the team (St. Mark, Wakarusa, College Park & Sturgis).  Hillside took a congregational vote last night and an overwhelming majority voted to move forward and join the lead team - fully recognizing that this will be a sacrifice and faith challenge and yet believing that the Kingdom is worth it!  Ann and I were incredibly moved and encouraged by their faith step!

In some other news, I had the opportunity to preach at Granger Missionary Church yesterday and we were well received.  We appreciated the leadership allowing us to come in and share our hearts with their people and were grateful for several that were interested in partnering with us.

Ann and I are continuing a fast pace season right now as we are continuing to meet with people who are interested in possibly becoming a part of the launch team as well as trying to keep up with several other significant relationships in our neighborhood and area.  We actually have a week off from preaching this week, so were planning to head up to Mars Hill Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan to pay another visit (we have found this church to be an incredible blessing to us).  The "Next Step" Meetings are for anyone who is leaning towards potentially joining the launch team and would like to get to know us better and ask any questions that they might have before making their final decision in whether or not to commit.  These are some very exciting and yet anxious days all at the same time.  Please pray for God to sustain us with His strength, wisdom and discernment.  Also, please pray that God will protect our marriage and family during these very busy times.  I want to be sure to be Christ to Ann and Caitlin in addition to other (not to the exclusion of my family - I want to be sure to keep and intentional healthy balance of both).

Please be praying with us as we seek to try and find a meeting location.  We have some initial options that could get us through the first 6 months but we're continuing to try and find something that will be more long term.  We know God will provide we just want to have discernment to hear from Him!

Below are some significant upcoming dates:

April:

6 - Informational Meeting

7 - Informational Meeting

9 - Next Step Meeting

11 - Next Step Meeting

12 - Sharing at Crossroads Missionary Church

13 - Next Step Meeting

14 - Next Step Meeting

15-16 - Lead Team Retreat

20-23 - Exponential Church Planting Conference (in Orlando)

May:

3 - Preaching at College Park Missionary Church

17 - Preaching at Crossroads Missionary Church

31 - Sharing at Chapel Hill Missionary Church

June:

4-7 - Speak at Wakarusa Missionary Church youth retreat

14 - Share and Preach at Morenci Church of the Nazarene