Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Off The Clock: Canada church plant update

I like lunch time when I am teaching at the college.

Sure, I am always a big fan of lunch, but I love it when I am able to let my hair down, so to speak, and be off the clock to answer spiritual questions for my students.

I do not hide at all my reason for coming to Fort McMurray when I am instructing at Keyano College. However, my boss would not appreciate nor tolerate me sharing the plan of salvation in the workshops that I teach. But lunchtime is my time, and I always have someone to share my lunchtime with. Many students lag behind in the classroom and ask me to help them out with some spiritual concept or idea or simply want me to share some insight with them on life, discouragement, love, parenting, or marriage.

Dale, a big, hairy, grown man who drives the biggest truck in the world for a living is one of these guys that lagged behind last week during lunch. Dale was crying about his loveless marriage and his many years of drunkenness. I got to share God's plan with Dale and he said that he would truly think about what I said.

Please pray that Dale does more than think about Christ's love and forgiveness. Also please pray for more "off the clock" lunchtime conversations.

The Everyday, Every Tuesday, Every Other Saturday Routine

Routines can be bad, but they can also be very good. We think that our routine for daily prayer with another believer here in Fort Mac is good.

We think our weekly Bible Study on Tuesday is a good routine.

We also know that our bi-monthly get together to play games, eat, share/evangelize, and build relationships with the Kavanaugh, Williams, and Paquette families that is also a good routine.

I need you to please pray specifically for each of these routines. In regards to our everyday routine of praying with another believer here in Fort Mac, please pray that our prayer partners, Mike and Kristin Frazier, will continue to sense God's call to partner with us to see Fort Mac won for Christ.
As for our weekly Bible Study, please pray that Roland, Ernie, and Dorothy would come to faith in Christ. Also pray that more people would want to belong to our Tuesday night group.
Our every other Saturday routine of having people over to eat, play games, and talk about life, love, God, faith, parenting, and relationships needs to be covered in prayer so that the enemy will not win the souls of those sharing a meal and life with us.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Hays Community Church Update:


In January we encountered some tough waters. We had four families leave our church for various reasons. All of this happened after we launched the 2nd house church. However, God has brought more folks to our church. We are now 17 families (53 people). 2/3 go to one house church and 1/3 goes to the other. This photo is a pic of about 65% of our church at a recent picnic. We have had some miraculous things happen the past 3 weeks. One couple in their fifties trusted Christ. It looks like they will be baptized soon along with a couple others. That would make 15 baptisms since HCC started. Praise the Lord! Also, we saw God rescue another marriage. On Sunday, March 1st, the husband packed his bags and left, and by Thursday, March 5th, he was back at home. Again, praise the Lord!




Prayer Requests:
We went back and read the letter we sent out in March of 2008. At that time we had 5 families (24 people). We again just praise God for His faithfulness. As you pray for us, we again ask you to praise Him for His faithfulness on our behalf. Please pray for our Easter Outreach on April 11th and pray for our Easter Sunday time on April 12th. Pray the Lord would draw new folks to us so that they would praise His name (Psalm 67). We still have many folks who come who have not trusted Christ yet. Pray God’s kindness would draw them to repentance. Like we said, please pray for Caroline’s health, and we ask you to pray for our entire family (Psalm 91). Finally, we ask you to pray that we would stay connected to Jesus (John 15).

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

We feel like we always run out of words to show appreciation to you guys, but there are not enough words. There will never be enough words. Our hearts overflow with gratitude towards you. You truly are our partners in the advancement of His gospel.