Praise the Lord for You – All our Prayer & Support Partners!
God blessed us with a great July! In the midst of setbacks we’ve also witnessed tremendous growth. We covet your prayers on the mission field here in Illinois. Would you remember us, continuously lifting us up in prayer the remainder of this month and into the quickly-approaching fall? You could also take a moment and forward this letter on to a Christian who might commit to supporting us in prayer as we continue the Lord’s work here in Rockford and Belvidere.
JULY UPDATE
- We have had continued steady growth in membership of both churches and are working to develop a healthy mentoring program and spiritual relationships with the people. We have had to say goodbye to some and are amazed as God brings others into His ministry here, even if just for a brief time of spiritual growth and fellowship.
- July was VBS and preparation for county fair season in Illinois. This was a great time to meet the community in a relaxed environment and discover how we can continue the ministry of God to the people we are serving.
LIVING STONES – ROCKFORD
- We have seen increase of a few more “regulars” and lost a couple of seasoned members as God moves and changes the landscape of His church. More and more we are hearing from people who just desire to be “fed” spiritually and they are NOT getting that in their church. As they grow, many begin to find their identity linked with Living Stones. God is at work in the lives of the saints.
- Our men finished the “Every Man’s Battle” Bible study and we are preparing to start a journey with Eric Mason’s book Manhood Restored: How the Gospel Makes Men Whole. We expect 15 or more men to start this study.
- The Food Ministry in Rockford continues in helping the truly needy, and we added a little extra ‘surprise’ this month by taking cases of toilet paper out to the community. People can often get help finding food, but TP? God is glorified as we fulfill our role in the simple act of handing a fresh roll!
LIVING STONES – BELVIDERE
- The church in Belvidere continues to grow. We had a GREAT week of VacationBibleSchool (combined with Rockford Living Stones). More than 55 attended each day, with many from local neighborhoods. The majority were 8-12 year olds, a prime age to reach with the Gospel. We are focusing even more outreach with the Gospel and meeting physical needs to those families, along with growing Sunday School classes for all ages!
- The STUCK! Women’s Bible study is a hit! Tancy and one of her friends continue holding weekly meetings and God continues to work mightily in the lives of our women. It is nice to have them all on the same study even at the two different times and across multiple church locations.
PRAYER NEEDS
. Pray for the Lord to continue to provide basic funding for the ministry and our salary. God encouraged us by providing an additional $100 a month in support from an existing church and an additional $100 from a new supporting ministry. We are confident that God will provide all our needs!
. Pray for ‘Fair Week’ for Rockford (WinnebagoCounty) and Belvidere (BooneCounty). Together we have two weeks solid of fair and booth coverage time. In addition we hope to add a booth at local gun and outdoor shows in Rockford, Winnebago and MachesneyPark. God has given us faithful workers; remember to pray for them, too!
. Pray for Tancy and our family as we find it increasingly difficult to preserve critical family time. With the start of School and the addition of additional students for Tancy to tutor, life has added more layers of challenges and complications. God is in control, and we rest confident in His will in our lives.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Jeremiah Griffin & Family