They're starting to talk funny, though!
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Three Months
We are seeing the Lord bless the teaching of His word at Alva Baptist Church!
Since beginning to serve in June and agreeing with the elders of this church about the calling to pastor in July and then the official induction in August we are seeing signs of life!
We have seen the Lord bless a weekly prayer meeting (with about 30% of the membership attending AND praying), a discipleship course called Christianity Explored, a youth club and a growing community on Sunday morning and evenings. Other churches are reaching out to us to help and plan for reaching the communities in little ways.
Somebody asked if we record sermons! Like anyone would ever want to hear me twice! :) Seriously, it exposed the false humility of presuming that I could somehow limit how God may choose to use the preaching of His word in Alva. I sort of cringe at the realization that it was I who cared too much about my preaching (good or bad; performance, as opposed to faithfulness), rather than being willing to share with people who cannot attend on any given Sunday.
~~~
Alva Baptist Church will celebrate it's 125th Anniversary on September 23rd! God has contributed a man trained by serving at Metro Calvary Chapel, to an uninterrupted continuum of preaching the word in Alva that might have stopped. That is pretty cool.
We are so blessed to have folks with the collected wisdom of the better part of the last century as a part of our congregation. One might mistakenly think that the older generation would be somehow outdated in their outlook, but I find treasure! They represent the sort of life that is passing away from this world, if we continue to fail to pass on faith to the succeeding generations. Mind you, its not without its challenges, but God is faithful and we are blessed.
Our yout group has two or three people over 50 helping out who are totally cool and have 40-year-old stories about youth groups! Its amazing! And they are not uptight and they don't fail to reach out to kids. And we play sports and games and share a sermon on some memory verse every Friday.
We see about 20 kids coming each week. Its a kids club really 9-14. The older kids aren't so interested, though the range gets older and older. We have just opened the doors and minister to whomever comes, rather than turn kids away hoping for teens. The hardest kids have become softened and now more hard kids are coming around. We just keep praying and more and kids of drunks, fighters and Jehova's Witness are coming around; its challenging but its God's work and we shepherd sheep and watch God transform wolves. They all want metal camouflage bibles!!! We have lacked women helpers, but several women have expressed interest when we announced it on Sunday.
There is stress and challenge and trials, but it is the price worth paying to lead people to Christ and baptize new believers in waterfalls (BALTIC, ARCTIC WATER!)
Thats right we are seeing folks come to faith and ask to be baptized! Hallelujah!!!
I recommend stepping out into whatever crazy plan that God would seed your mind with. Its how He builds faith and assures of His leading. And then after you has seen God PROVE faithful we are able to depend on Him as entirely as His work requires.
Its not like we have arrived. (not by a long shot!) Please don't stop praying for us!
War in the heavenlies!
Light and Life!!!
Love, David Elizabeth, Daniel & Josiah
We would love to hear from you. (even if you just comment on this blog below)
Since beginning to serve in June and agreeing with the elders of this church about the calling to pastor in July and then the official induction in August we are seeing signs of life!
We have seen the Lord bless a weekly prayer meeting (with about 30% of the membership attending AND praying), a discipleship course called Christianity Explored, a youth club and a growing community on Sunday morning and evenings. Other churches are reaching out to us to help and plan for reaching the communities in little ways.
Somebody asked if we record sermons! Like anyone would ever want to hear me twice! :) Seriously, it exposed the false humility of presuming that I could somehow limit how God may choose to use the preaching of His word in Alva. I sort of cringe at the realization that it was I who cared too much about my preaching (good or bad; performance, as opposed to faithfulness), rather than being willing to share with people who cannot attend on any given Sunday.
~~~
Alva Baptist Church will celebrate it's 125th Anniversary on September 23rd! God has contributed a man trained by serving at Metro Calvary Chapel, to an uninterrupted continuum of preaching the word in Alva that might have stopped. That is pretty cool.
We are so blessed to have folks with the collected wisdom of the better part of the last century as a part of our congregation. One might mistakenly think that the older generation would be somehow outdated in their outlook, but I find treasure! They represent the sort of life that is passing away from this world, if we continue to fail to pass on faith to the succeeding generations. Mind you, its not without its challenges, but God is faithful and we are blessed.
Our yout group has two or three people over 50 helping out who are totally cool and have 40-year-old stories about youth groups! Its amazing! And they are not uptight and they don't fail to reach out to kids. And we play sports and games and share a sermon on some memory verse every Friday.
We see about 20 kids coming each week. Its a kids club really 9-14. The older kids aren't so interested, though the range gets older and older. We have just opened the doors and minister to whomever comes, rather than turn kids away hoping for teens. The hardest kids have become softened and now more hard kids are coming around. We just keep praying and more and kids of drunks, fighters and Jehova's Witness are coming around; its challenging but its God's work and we shepherd sheep and watch God transform wolves. They all want metal camouflage bibles!!! We have lacked women helpers, but several women have expressed interest when we announced it on Sunday.
There is stress and challenge and trials, but it is the price worth paying to lead people to Christ and baptize new believers in waterfalls (BALTIC, ARCTIC WATER!)
Thats right we are seeing folks come to faith and ask to be baptized! Hallelujah!!!
I recommend stepping out into whatever crazy plan that God would seed your mind with. Its how He builds faith and assures of His leading. And then after you has seen God PROVE faithful we are able to depend on Him as entirely as His work requires.
Its not like we have arrived. (not by a long shot!) Please don't stop praying for us!
War in the heavenlies!
Light and Life!!!
Love, David Elizabeth, Daniel & Josiah
We would love to hear from you. (even if you just comment on this blog below)
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