Friends! I feel like we're moving in whirlwind fashion. Spring has come and there hasn't really been a dull moment yet! There are two changes to my schedule coming that I hope allow me to meet more people and build some quality relationships. This week I start volunteering at the Lighthouse Youth Center. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to serve the kids who are a part of this ongoing ministry. I'll volunteer twice a month for now, while I see how my schedule shakes out. I'm looking forward to building relationships and I'm praying for opportunities for discipleship among the guys who are there!
I've also accepted an offer to become a part time chaplain at one of the larger employers in the Oxford area. One of the factories has about 7 part-time chaplains and I've just been hired to join that team. This is a God-given opportunity that fits right in my wheelhouse as it related to gifting! I cannot wait to see how God uses this opportunity to build trust and build relationships. I'm already praying for the people who work there that they might be open to hearing the gospel. I wasn't looking for this opportunity, but a friend of my asked me about it. There's still training to be done before I'm in the factory, but I'm pretty excited.
We're also about ready for our first outreach event! The May First Friday is the first time we'll represent the church publicly. We're setting up a booth. We're grateful for a family at Wrightsdale Baptist who has volunteered to watch our kids and for a family who has volunteered to help us with our booth!
On a positive note, last week someone shared with us that they want to join our first missional community. We're praying a couple of more families will join us on the journey and we can start meeting in late May or June. our aim for missional communities is to study the Scripture together once a week, share a meal together once a week, serve Oxford once a month and do something fun once a month. We believe using these relational opportunities we'll be able to make disciples who make disciples and we'll be able to restore every area of life and culture in Oxford for God's glory and others' good!
We're so grateful for those of you who keep up with us and pray for us! Here are some ways you can pray:
- Pray that I keep everything as balanced as possible in my schedule.
- Pray for students as the Lighthouse and be open to conversation.
- Pray the same thing for employees of the factory.
- Pray for no rain for First Friday. The forecast isn't looking promising at all!
- Pray for other people to say yes to joining a missional community.
- We're praying that God might add a few partners to this work for 2018. We had some one time gifts that we're praying God is able to replace through additional partnerships. If you or your church might be interested in partnering with us, reach out to me!
