Paula Odom, Director of the MidCities Pregnancy Center, sent us this update:
The Mid Cities Pregnancy Center has seen a steady increase in numbers of clients over the last six months. Many agencies, schools, and past clients are now referring women to the center. While we see God doing exciting things at MCPC, we are concerned about the women in Irving. Irving is a city where the housing statistics indicate that 44% of the residents are single. It has a population of over 193,000 people, with 7 middle schools, 4 high schools, 4 colleges. They also have an abortion providing organization in close and convenient proximity. What they don’t have is a life affirming, Christ centered pregnancy center!
With the help of the Miracle, we will soon be helping women like Jennifer (name changed for confidentiality), who came to the center wanting abortion information, pressured by family members who wanted her to abort. She decided to carry her child, at the cost of having to leave her family’s home. We ministered to her and referred her to a local adoption agency where she placed her child in a loving, Christian home. She gave her beautiful little girl the gift of life, and a family a child to love. We ask that you join with us in prayer that the Irving Center will soon be opened to help girls like Jennifer.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Church Plants - Austin
Josh Proctor, Pastor of Austin area church plant, sent us this update:
These last few weeks have been very challenging. On October 31st we had a Halloween outreach at our house and we had 70 to 80 people come. We started the group in our house on November 11th, and we have had one family come three weeks in a row. It has been hard only having had one family come thus far but this family who is coming is unchurched and does not know Jesus. It is exciting for us to share the truth of Jesus with this family. At our outreach event in November we had a different couple attend. This was also hard but the couple that came is unchurched and does not know Jesus either. Kelly is doing outreach for the ladies of the neighborhood on December 9th, and the wife of this couple has indicated that she is going to come. We are excited about what God is doing. We wanted to share some insights the Lord has given us. Josh had a professor in seminary who described being a Christian leader like this:
“You must do what you cannot do with what you do not have, but God will do what He can do with what you do have through you.” – Bill Lawrence
This pretty much describes how we feel right now. We cannot do this task to whcih God has called us- but we know that He can do it through us. We know that God promised the Israelites that they would inherit the Promised Land and that they would go in and drive out the nations who were in the land. In Deuteronomy 7:21-22, Moses says this to the Israelites about those nations they will drive out:
“Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once.”
We believe God is telling us that He will launch this church in Kyle through us and that He will do it little by little. The pastor of Hope in the City has told us that he believes we are doing a great job and are ahead of where he thought we would be at this point. Like Galatians 6 tells us, we do not want to grow weary in doing good, and we believe that the harvest will come in the proper time, His time.
These last few weeks have been very challenging. On October 31st we had a Halloween outreach at our house and we had 70 to 80 people come. We started the group in our house on November 11th, and we have had one family come three weeks in a row. It has been hard only having had one family come thus far but this family who is coming is unchurched and does not know Jesus. It is exciting for us to share the truth of Jesus with this family. At our outreach event in November we had a different couple attend. This was also hard but the couple that came is unchurched and does not know Jesus either. Kelly is doing outreach for the ladies of the neighborhood on December 9th, and the wife of this couple has indicated that she is going to come. We are excited about what God is doing. We wanted to share some insights the Lord has given us. Josh had a professor in seminary who described being a Christian leader like this:
“You must do what you cannot do with what you do not have, but God will do what He can do with what you do have through you.” – Bill Lawrence
This pretty much describes how we feel right now. We cannot do this task to whcih God has called us- but we know that He can do it through us. We know that God promised the Israelites that they would inherit the Promised Land and that they would go in and drive out the nations who were in the land. In Deuteronomy 7:21-22, Moses says this to the Israelites about those nations they will drive out:
“Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once.”
We believe God is telling us that He will launch this church in Kyle through us and that He will do it little by little. The pastor of Hope in the City has told us that he believes we are doing a great job and are ahead of where he thought we would be at this point. Like Galatians 6 tells us, we do not want to grow weary in doing good, and we believe that the harvest will come in the proper time, His time.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Church Plants - New York
JR Vassar, pastor of Apostles' Church in New York, sent this update in September:
Growth
We continue to see a steady stream of people come as the summer winds down. We have almost 15 people signed up this month for Prologue, a coffee and dessert night that is an introduction to Apostles Church. Many of the folks that attend Prologue sign up for our next membership class. God is bringing some really sharp couples to our church that have great potential to influence the culture here. We baptized three more people in August.
Giving
Our people are still ahead on their giving. We are on pace to give nearly $300,000 in general offerings this year, putting us on pace with our self-sustainability plan.
Growth
We continue to see a steady stream of people come as the summer winds down. We have almost 15 people signed up this month for Prologue, a coffee and dessert night that is an introduction to Apostles Church. Many of the folks that attend Prologue sign up for our next membership class. God is bringing some really sharp couples to our church that have great potential to influence the culture here. We baptized three more people in August.
Giving
Our people are still ahead on their giving. We are on pace to give nearly $300,000 in general offerings this year, putting us on pace with our self-sustainability plan.
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