Greetings to all our prayer partners far and wide!
News:
April was an extremely busy month. We had a time of relaxation where for the first time in 8 years I didn’t take a cell phone! It was a great time – a gift from my parents to take our entire family on a Cruise ship and we had a blast. After that the North American Mission Board and local Illinois State Baptist Association registered us at Exponential church planter’s conference in Orlando. We were blessed to be taught by Francis Chan and other up-and-coming “leaders” in the Church today. We returned home to speak to the Illinois Women’s Missionary Union where we were blessed with almost 100 lbs of Peanut Butter and jelly. God is gracious.
Living Stones – Rockford:
We moved our meeting time and location in partnership with the YMCA to get downtown, closer to the people we are serving. This resulted in losing a few folk(we have no doubt they will be back) but we are reaching two other families who are now able to attend. With the new location came many visitors as well; we will see what God brings us in the coming months. We started a men’s Bible Study and are having a great time bonding, and at the same time dealing with some major issues in our lives. We look forward to see God raise up another leader to help us in the ministry.
East Park – Belvidere:
Well, for those of you in the know, our Church ‘planting’ Living Stones North turned into a Church ‘rescue’ operation to re-establish East Park Baptist Church in Belvidere. This is the first step in replanting a Church in Poplar Grove or the surrounding area. We have witnessed both God blessing and Satan attacking. We know we are doing what God wants us to do. In the last months we have had to expand this ministry as well, adding a youth Sunday School.
Special Prayer Requests:
• PRAY for ‘On Mission Celebration’ outreach in both Rockford and Belvidere this June
• PRAY for three different weeks of VBS this summer (in different locations around town)
• PRAY for a special training event this month, with plans to take our church bus and several people along!
• PRAY for the outreach with the Gospel, partnering with the Rescue Mission to provide meals/food for the needy
• PRAY for financial needs for our family as we “step out in faith” to devote full-time to the expanding ministries
• PRAY for wisdom for Tancy and me, as we have about $4000 in dental work between us that must get done. (Or at least the cost of a pair of pliers!)
