July 2013
Howdy to all prayer & support partners across the world!
We have had a wild June, and now more than ever we need your prayers on the Mission field here in the Greater Rockford area. As you prayed this last month, you could not imagine how God was already working. Please share this email/letter with others and ask them to uphold us in prayer. We are continually amazed at how God is providing for us in His ministry here.
JUNE UPDATE
- June was full of blessings and surprises! God was constantly at work in our lives and the lives of people that we serve. From families reunited to new church members that feel God’s direction in their lives to become an active part of the ministry, we have discovered a renewed excitement with what God is doing!
- We had a great time getting to know our interns Anthony and Haley during their three weeks, putting them to work in the ministries in both Rockford and Belvidere. After an adjustment time and the fun of getting to know each other, they jumped into ministry; God’s work witnessed some immediate results in both visitors and members.
LIVING STONES – ROCKFORD
- We returned to our comfort zone in our church service, and then kicked it up a notch with a new addition to our worship team! “Dancing Keith” joined as bass player in our praise band. Everyone enjoys the enthusiasm he brings to the worship in songs and hymns as we praise God together.
- Our men are in the final weeks of our Bible Study and we’ve found that a more mentor-like approach will work to best to drive our next study.
- Last week our Living Stones bus pulled into a neighborhood and the children came pouring out to greet us. We had fed them PB&J earlier in the month and they begged us to return . . . and soon! We are planning to reach out into this area with Bibles, stories and the Gospel for the children, along with our gifts of food. God is glorified!
LIVING STONES – BELVIDERE
- Forget a merger, East Park Baptist Church voted 100% to close their doors AND 100% to become a new church-plant called Living Stones Belvidere! Praise the Lord that the training and teaching of God’s Word has added not just numbers to the membership of the new church, but has produced a hunger to see the Gospel proclaimed!
- Our first Sunday as Living Stones Belvidere we had one member revisit after 5 years of “never darkening the door” of East Park. We saw another former member who had been driven off from EastPark return and ask for her membership to be restored. She then asked where she can best minister in the church! God is good!
- Tancy is starting a new women’s Bible study for 6 weeks on Tuesdays with two sessions, morning and evening. Nearly fifteen women have signed up, with more expressing intention to join!
PRAYER NEEDS
. Pray for the Lord to provide more funds for the ministry and salary. We are limiting our outside employment; God’s ministries here demand our time and energy to follow what God has led us to do. Pray that God will provide the needed one thousand dollars a months in mission support to offset this previous outside income.
. Pray for VBS for Rockford and Belvidere. We remain flexible and presently gathering people, advertisement and supplies for these events! Also, remember the team of helpers coming from the Missouri Baptists to assist us.
. Pray for Tancy and me as we find ourselves ministering more frequently as a counseling team. From marriage and wedding to family and individual counseling, God has given us a unique gift in the ministry of counseling.
In Christ Alone,
Pastor Jeremiah Griffin & Family