Growing Like Weeds - Our kids after the January Youth Rally

New Year, New Start

As I mentioned in my last report, we got 2012 started with a new series for our Bible studies.  This time around, we are looking at the Book of Ecclesiastes with a study entitled, “Under the Sun.” I believe that this will be a good study.  As our society becomes increasingly focused on themselves, it is no wonder why so many are so miserable.  Many today can benefit from the wisdom of Ecclesiastes.

New Study, New Faces

With our new series, we felt like this would be a good time to make a push to get more people into our Bible studies.  Before Christmas, we all had a hand in inviting people to start the new year with this new study.  I’m happy to report that we’ve had successes in some respects, while I’m unhappy to report some failures too.

The success is that we have been able restart having a Bible study at the Henley’s on Thursdays.  We have some new faces, which is a blessing, and we have some old faces who have come back, which is still a blessing.  I thank the Lord for having the opportunity to teach these people.

On the other hand, we were not able to get new people to come to the Bible studies at my house (on Mondays) or the Lambright’s (on Wednesdays).  However, those who do come need the Bible, and the studies have been good.

New Year, Doing Something New

This mission work has been a string of new things for me such as preaching in my socks and having a DVD fill in for me.  And now, time for something else—having people join a Bible study over the internet.

The Kesling’s, who moved to Kentucky several years ago, have been joining in on our Bible study via Skype for the last several weeks.  (So, I guess you could say we’ve had new, old faces present!)  They had been interested in Ecclesiastes, so Shannon had the idea of including them.  I send them the lesson, and they video conference with us when it’s time to start.  With our new cordless microphone, things have been working out well.

Kids Coming

Our kids are growing up.  They are now getting old enough that many of them have been joining us for Bible Studies.  This has been a welcome addition!  I hope they will continue and even think to include their friends in the future.

SNID

Speaking of kids, we have continued to have our youth meetings with good results.  We got together on New Year’s Day (that night), and on the Sunday night of the Super Bowl.

I’ve really been impressed with our lessons during this.  We have been going through Daniel since school began.  The kids have really paid attention and participated well.  I believe they have learned a lot about the person of Daniel, and have found encouragement to stand for God in the midst of difficult circumstances.

In addition to their learning, their fellowship has been good.  For January’s meeting, they were out the whole time playing hide-n-go-seek in the dark.  (Of all things!)  For February’s meeting, they played touch football in the street, of course!

Health Update

One quick, brief note about my health, and hopefully this will be the last time I have to mention it.  I have been doing much, much better.  In fact, I canceled my last doctor’s appointment because I feel close to normal.

I don’t know what really caused my problems for sure, and I don’t really know if they will come back or not.  But, I do know that God is in control of everything.  I take peace in knowing that I’m in His capable hands!

Thanks Again!

I don’t know if you can ever say thanks enough, but once again thank you for your prayers and support.  Please pray that we will follow the Lord’s leadership for our direction in 2012!

Merry Christmas to all

I’ll begin this report by wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!  I hope that you have a good holiday season reflecting on the blessings that God has given us in Jesus.  Just think, God loved us enough that He sent Jesus to be “of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.”  (Philippians 2:7)  If nothing else, this time of year should make us appreciate this, the greatest gift of all!

A Big Blessing

Switching gears and thinking all the way back to Halloween—the day before Halloween, really—we got the privilege of baptizing one of our young men.  Destin Drake has been attending for over a year.  He had always wanted to join us, but he needed to have the Biblical qualifications first.  He was saved this past spring, and after learning about baptism he committed to it this fall.

We all made the trip to Maryland Heights for this.  Broookside MBC was kind enough to allow us to use their baptistery, as they had before.  All in all, it was a very good afternoon.

October Associations

October seems to be the month for associational meetings.  In October, the Central States Association met with El-Bethel MBC in the Kansas City area.  They took up an offering and divided it between the missionaries in the association.  Also in October, the Bethlehem association met with Datto MBC in Arkansas.  It was good to spend time with fellow pastors, see old friends and listen to good preaching.

I’m appreciative of Mark Henley who drove me to the Bethlehem Association.  Because of the medication I was on at that time, I would not have been able to go if it were not for him being my “chauffer.”

Health Update

The saga that is my health continues!  Since my last report, you can add “miscommunication” to the list of things that have happened.  At the first of November I thought that I had been diagnosed with Sjogrens Syndrome.  This is an autoimmune disease that can cause a wide range of problems, including joint-pain.  Now I have found out that I have only tested positive for it.  There is a chance that I’m in the beginning stages of it, that it will crop up later, or that the test was a fluke.  Right now, I’m in a wait-and-see period.  I’m supposed to go back to the doctor in February, and then we’ll go from there.

All of this has really impressed a couple of things on me.  First, I see how we truly are fearfully and wonderfully made.  As much as the doctors know, there is so much they do not because the human body is so complex.  But God does; He designed it!  Secondly, I see how much we really are in God’s hands.  I think that we would all be terrified to learn about the possible dangers that lurk beneath the surface of our skin.  Probably most of us are affected with something or another, but we don’t realize it until it afflicts us.  The same God who is taking care of me now is the same God who took care of me six months ago.  I just realize it more now.

I am feeling very well now … almost back to my old self.  Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray for me.

Something on the Horizon

Speaking of prayers, here is something else to pray about.  We will be starting a push to expand our home Bible studies.  Both the study at my house and the study at the Lambright’s are winding down, so we will start a new series at both.  This makes a good time to try to get new faces to come.  Plus, I would like to expand to another night.  Please pray that we will be led to invite people and they will feel led to respond.

Finally, Merry Christmas

As December rolls around, it is about time to put a close on 2011.  In addition to wishing everyone Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has supported this work over the years.  Thank you for standing with us!  May the Lord richly bless our endeavors!

In September we celebrated our 5th anniversary of meeting. The cake was good, but God is better!

Murphy’s Law Illness

I’m sure you have heard of Murphy’s Law—whatever can go wrong will go wrong.  I’ve often thought about how that just seems to be the way things go, and often it seems to apply to things.  Recently, I got the unfortunate opportunity to apply it to my health.

Since mid August, I’ve been misdiagnosed, had unnecessary tests run, and had a bad reaction to an antibiotic!  Since the story is too long to bore you with the details, I’ll cut to the chase to say that this has knocked me out of the saddle off and on since then.  And, the worst of it is that I’m still battling the reaction.  It has left the muscles in my shoulders very weak, and I still have a little bit of pain.  Please keep me in your prayers as I go see another doctor next week.

One thing that I have learned through all this is dependence on God.  He really is called the Great Physician for good reason!  Doctor’s can have their opinions and medicines to help us, but being in the hands of God is where we need to be.

Back to School

Thinking way back to August, we got the month started off with finishing something.  At the beginning of the summer, we did our Bible studies in the park with the kids.  With school starting, we finished up our lessons and had a big picnic to close things off.

I’m really proud of our kids this summer.  I believe that they really grew spiritually, and I believe that they will grow up to be godly young men and women.  But, we still have to keep working with them and teaching them the truth.

One way we are doing this is to continue our Bible studies with them.  Having the lessons in the park isn’t a good option anymore, so we have started SNID (Sunday Night In Doors).  Once a month, members volunteer to host it in their homes and provide some snacks.  The kids have a lesson and then play around until it is time to go.  So far, we have met once and so far it has gone well.

Men’s Breakfast Resumes

Something else that we have restarted at the end of August was having our Men’s Breakfasts.  This time around, we are doing some studies in Proverbs.  The intent is to search in Proverbs as to how we can learn God’s wisdom for everyday life, then come back and share how we applied it.  This hopefully we accomplish two things: it will encourage us to learn wisdom, and it will get us to open the Bible for answers.

So far, we have had good attendance, discussions, and have had a new face around the table.  Hopefully this will continue and others will come as well.

3rd Annual Day Retreat

On Labor Day weekend, we had our Day Retreat at a county park.  This is something that we have done for the last two years, and it has been very beneficial for us.

Our lessons this year were applying what we had been learning (Christian growth) to the Apostle Peter.  We looked at two events in his life, and how he grew spiritually to do what God wanted him to do.

Although my sickness really limited me, I thought we had a good time of learning and fellowship.  This year, we invited some of the churches who went to church camp with us to come.  It was good to see a small group from LaMonte, MO come.

Another Year in the Books

In September, we celebrated five years of when we first started having worship services in my living room with the Henley’s.  As in the past years we had a picnic after church, and spent a good afternoon together.

Looking back, many things have changed since that first meeting.  Our kids have grown and our congregation has grown.  But, one thing still stays the same—God’s love and provision for us.  We are thankful for what God has done for us and through us.  And, we are thankful for all the support we have received over the years.  Thank you!  And please keep praying for the work in St. Charles County, MO!