Ministry Update

Vision: Acts 2:42 if we look like this, we are on the right track!

Mission: Matthew 28:18-20 Getting people into relationship with God; with God's help.

There is great need in Scotland!

I have said before, this is a POST-Christian nation.
The majority of people do not attend any church except for christenings, weddings and funerals.

The strength of the largest church in Scotland is the breadth of its theology! Church of Scotland (Presbyterian) varies from parish to parish (from evangelical to heretical).

Brittish Parliament last night voted to approve cloning that would yield an embryo that could be brought to term to provide tissue and other parts in order to help a previously born child. they are calling them 'savior syblings'. Who will save the syblings, I wonder.

Parliament has also approved research into animal/human hybrid cloning.

They have also voted to remove the requirement for a father in consideration of candidates for invitro fertilization.

Scottish Parliament may soon vote to lower the age of consent to 14.
Don't ask why.
OK, why? So kids who experiment are not also criminalized.

Alchoholism, teenage pregnancy, venerial disease, murderous violence are all on the rise and threaten the society at its core.

And now we get to raise three boys here!!! :)
Praise God for His love and that He is able to keep us from stumbling, and to make us stand in the presence of His glory blameless, with great joy! Seriously!

Kids love to be engaged and related to, and even corrected in love.
We are teaching a generation that Jesus is real and loves them.
Their parents are watching and see fruit in their kids.

We have had some great connections with the Scripture Union of Scotland.
David has been teaching in High Schools and Primary Schools around the county.We even set up a website shamelessly called "Bible Answer Guy" for kids to ask questions and hear answers.

David took his first funeral for a dear departed saint in the Lord who knew EVERY person in this town! The church was packed and everyone heard the gospel (as she would have had it)!

We are taking two teams totaling 13 kids to Sports Day at Stirling University on Saturday 31 May to compete against church groups accross Scotland. Some of these kids are pretty good. Some are pretty bad. Some are pretty unchurched.

It reminds me of that pitcher in the 'Bad News Bears', or those three brothers from 'Slapshot' But we are not recruiting ringers, just getting kids interested in the church community who happen to be REALLY good at footbal (soccer).

The gospel is preached.
People gather and pray.
The church shows up for occasional pot lucks and other events.
People show up regularly, checking out the church.
Some stay.
We love each other.

But this is still pretty hard ground and we are grateful to God for His grace and mercy as He draws people to His Son.

~~~

Thats the good stuff.
Difficulties:

• We don't really have any pals here.
  (what a friend I have in Jesus...)
• We rent a house and it sometimes smells funny.
• We have a newborn baby.
  (nearby family are really helping out)
• The new pastor honeymoon period is over.
  We are begining to teach people how to address their concerns out in the open
  They don't always communicate like loving Christians.
  :)
  :¬
  ;p
  :~/
• Some folks have left the church without a word or reason,
  one person even changed their phone number.
• the Baptist Union of Scotland is not eager to accept David as a certified Minister. David is still accepted as the pastor, just not 'certified' as union label quality. (which may actually be a badge of honor, but it doesn't feel too good)
  They are just a conservative group watching to see if I am going to make it at this point.
• I need to be much more diciplined if I am going to manage the priorities of God/Family/Ministry without blowing a gasket
• Marriage sometimes feels on the verge of blowing a gasket.
  Standing strong and stressed by the past year of change.
  we are not going anywhere, but we feel the strain of ministry and ask for your prayer in this area.
• We are growing, but tired lately.

More Good News in the midst:
God is faithful and we receive encouragement regularly.
A local pastor who just retired has reached out with his wife to Liz and I
We hope to ask them about mentoring us during these difficult days.

• It is really hard folks, to be so far from you and making home over here.
• We dont feel like apostles, but that is what we are.
• sent perhaps? Definitely released from where we were; to pursue God's leading.
• (this bullet recently edited because I failed to give God glory for perfectly providing for our family. He is so faithful. Thank you to our faithful supporters whom He uses.)
• We trust that you have sought His guidance as you decide whether or not to support us.
• We know that LA is a very busy place and expect that many will not have been able to read this update through to the last word.
• Some days I wonder who actually bows their knees to pray for us.

Just a momentary lapse into a pity party there for you to see its not all rosey. We trusted God and got here and we will continue to trust God for the completion of the work.

But we all have to scroll up again and read the good news: that the Good News preached and write off the grief as the price of a righteous stand for Christ in this world.

The only reason we live is to know God more deeply and to make Christ known to more people, otherwise God could just take us to Heaven now.

Our sincere hope is that this adventure shared will inspire you to step out into adventure wherever God will lead you. Sell everything to invest in what God has planned for those who love Him and are called accordng to His purpose.