Holiday CLub (VBS)

We had such a rich time at this year's Holiday Club.
Rockstar was a 5-day series of Character studies in the Bible.
We discussed Mary, Zacheus, Martha, Peter and Thomas.

God calls on all different kinds of people in different ways.
Mary was willing to be used.
Zacheus was a little guy that nobody liked.
Martha was woried and troubled about many things when only one thing is necessary.
Peter boldly professed his committment but denied Jesus in public.
Thomas was not willing to believe until he was convinced on his own terms.

Jesus, the Rock of our Salvation, used all these different people.
They were stars in his plan.

Six young people made firm committments to follow Jesus Christ.
Several others are asking important questions.
Please pray for the follow-up!

Praise and Prayer

We saw six kids, about 9-12 years of age, make firm decisions to follow Jesus this week as a result of our Holiday Club (VBS)
Lots of parents came to the Sunday Service to watch their kids in a holiday club concert and they all heard the gospel clearly.
Please pray for the follow-up.

We have moved forward with removing 12 rows of pews and replaced them with some softer, more sermon-friendly chairs.
Visitors will be less distracted without the hard benches, but more importantly, this gives us more flexibility with the space for the kids club on Friday nights.

Please pray for two Christian Viewpoint articles in the local paper this August & November.

We will start up a Christian Club in Alva Academy the local High School this year Join us in prayer that our Father will draw seekers and spare us the mockers and scoffers.
I will meet with two other local ministers and the head teacher of the school on August 15 about beginning a Chaplaincy programme .

As school starts up I plan on sitting out on the main street with a Jesus Booth and a sign that reads “Information About Jesus, Serving the Community for Over 2000 Years!”
Pray for favour with the local council and the merchants in front of whom I plan to park. (AND lots of loving patience and good humour about the truth and the lies)

Lastly, I am planning to open the school year with a through-the-bible-in-a-day class on a Saturday from 9-5; followed by a through-the-bible Sunday evening study.
We may begin recording and podcasting at this point.
I hope that this will help people tap in who lack the attention span to sit in the church.

The personal pronoun “I” concerns me.
Can we pray together that God would confirm His hand in all these plans.

My family is squirming amidst all this activity. We are raising a newborn (Aaron 2 months) and two boys (Daniel 5, Josiah 4) My wife is depressed with this small town with not a lot of 20-something church-going women. A home office is a horrible temptation to do more home than ministry work; not exactly sure how much the two must be separated.

Our church labours to overcome religious performance issues and to find the Love of God in our hearts for challenging personalities that overshadow the fellowship.
God can handle it. I can’t. But I still try to, WAY TOO OFTEN.

I DO FEEL ALONE OUT HERE.
I will meet with another minister in a neighbouring Baptist church Wednesday and CC Edinburgh pastor on Saturday.
But the accountability relationships are strained by distance. Please continue to pray for a like-minded buddy-in-Christ!

Most frequent words on this blog (this year)

The name "Jesus" is surprisingly small!
I mean, Name above all names
and look at the size of my name in comparison.
Of course, just saying his name is not as important as
showing His love, IN His name
Its interesting to learn by statistics what our priorities are.

4th aaron alva baby born boys called christ church comments community david dont faithful family feel firstlove fraser friends god going jesus kids lead life liz love minister ministry news night pastor people plan please posted pray prayer pretty really reason school scotland teach thank trust visits weeks work year

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Summer in Alva

DEATH
On the 4th of July we received news that Linda Dickson had passed away. This 91-year-old woman born in the midst of the first world war was friends with the mothers of women who currently attend the church. She experienced a great deal of anxiety about her salvation, but was encouraged by her daughter-in-law years ago to make a firm decision. She spent her last days comfortably in a nursing home that she used to visit and sing at years ago when she was in the Alva Baptist Church choir .

This marks the third funeral this year. David had not served at a funeral before coming here. It is sad to be burrying the stalwart members of this church who refused to let the doors close.

LIFE:
At the same time, we are seeing people come and hear the gospel; and some stay! Two more couples have begun to join us regularly here in Alva. We just keep praying that the Father will find us faithful to lift up the Name of Jesus and welcome the Holy Spirit into the life of the church, so that the Father will be glorified in us.

COMMUNITY
This weekend marks the 151st Alva Games. After the highland games this weekend, we will have the RockStar Holiday Club 14-18 July. We expect as many as 50+ kids! (God willing)

FAMILY
Aaron Fraser is now 2 months old!
(9 weeks sounds younger doesn't it?)
Liz and Dave are exhausted and the boys are emotionally in flux as everything changes. Lots more needy whining, temper tantrums, scary dreams in the night, a little bed-wetting
(but dave should be ok in no time :)


Thank you to everyone who has called or sent email over the last few weeks it means alot. Rockin' Barbera Barnes sent some 4th of July T-shirts; that the boys sported proudly at uncle Alistair's birthday party on the very same day. How cool to be born on the 4th of July!

VACATION
Many of you will be happy to learn that we will slip away in August for a couple of weeks to the town where we were married up north. Thank you for the admonitions to seek rest and a bit of dedicated family time. Two retired ministers have stepped up to fill the pulpit while we are away.

ACCOUNTABILITY
Please keep praying for us to make friends and find some pals to confide in and share our lives with. Its a lonely place when everyone puffs up for the pastor and his lovely wife. We do have wonderful friends and enjoy the fellowship at the church. Its just that my accountability partners right now are two guys in their 60s & 70s. (They tell much better stories than I do ;)

Please pray for our marriage. We are without any young married couples around us and it wears thin when Liz need me to be her best 'girlfriend' (cause i stink at listening and keep trying to fix things!)

That; and the search for a house, and the care of a newborn, and our boys' first real summer holiday from school, and the pressures of ministry working out of a home office; all these things wear us out and encroach on the peace and safety of family time in the home.

We love our friends and family back in LA and pray for you guys as often as we think of you here in our new home in Scotland.

Congratulations on the Metro move.

And get involved. Dont let 15-20 people run the whole church machine. You're getting ripped off by the devil if you do! There is a richness and maturing force at work in the life poured out in service. You need to express the life of Christ in you; and 'Church', the body of Christ, is where it shines for all to see. Get in the game!

All Israel had a piece of the tabernacle to carry. Its time for more of you to step up! Dont get ripped off by what passes for busy-ness. Dont just do it for Steve, as inspiring and hard working as he is, know that God has allowed you to draw near and serve Him. AND there is tremendous blessing in service of the KING! Pray now about how you will serve this week. (free sermon right there)

PLEASE KEEP IN CONTACT!
We need to be prayed for and to hear that you are praying for us and how God is leading you to pray for us! So call and write and text and holla. Please. Please. Please.

Love, David, Elizabeth, Daniel, Josiah and Aaron