January Newsletter Update

Thank you for taking this journey of faith with us.  The last three months have been fruitful.  By God’s grace, we have enjoyed many opportunities to share our vision and hope for church planting with churches in Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas.  As a result, we currently have 12 partnering churches, along with several individual partners.  We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of God’s people! 

We are still waiting for a buyer to purchase our house.  Until then, we remain in Tuscaloosa.  Emmanuel has graciously allowed us to remain on staff as we continue to raise support and wait for our house to sell.  As we wait, we are working on all the busy work associated with planting a new church like incorporating, establishing a constitution and by-laws, and setting up a future payroll.  This time has also proven beneficial for our core team.  We now have a core team comprised of four families making plans to plant their lives in Portland.  We meet each week to share a meal, fellowship, study the Bible, and pray together.  This is has become our favorite time of each week, and we look forward to this team growing in Portland!

We have been told the two primary reasons church plants fail are money and marriage.  We need people to pray for both, but especially for our marriages.  Please pray that our marriages will be healthy and distinctively Christian.  Please pray for our kids as we move to a place that does not share many of our Christian values.  Pray that they will grow to know, love, and follow Jesus regardless of the cost.  Please pray for our families that will be left behind.  Please pray that our team will have unity and give evidence that we are disciples of Jesus.  Please pray for favor with our neighbors and community.  Pray especially that people will repent of their sins and trust Jesus for their salvation and that a new church will be planted.  This is a journey of faith and we need God’s people to partner with us in prayer.   

Written by Justin

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You call me out upon the waters

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

From the song "Oceans, Where feet may fail" by Hillsong United

In Matthew 14:22-33 Jesus makes the disciples get into a boat and go on without him.  The text says that they were battered by the waves because the wind was against them.  Jesus walks up (on the water) and they are afraid he is a ghost.  He calls out to them so they will know it's him and not be afraid, and Peter throws out a fleece here:

Lord, if it's You, command me to come to You on the water.  

Jesus says "Come!"

And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid.  And beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord save me!"

When God laid planting a church in Portland on our hearts, it was a command to step out onto the waters, the great unknown.  Our boats looked like secure jobs, great schools, family close by, and familiarity.  A comfortable life.  We have found in this journey that He is sustaining our faith.  There are many, many great winds that have the potential to cause us to sink into doubt, but He is ours and we are His and He keeps us above the water.  Oh how we've experienced His grace poured upon us as we continue in this journey!  The needs are great and are much bigger than anything we could accomplish on our own; only by His hand will we not only plant a church, but even get to Portland!  From raising support to selling houses, finding jobs and homes to rent, etc., there are many potential crippling winds.  He will continue to make our faith stronger as He paves the way to Portland because this journey isn't about us, it's about Him.

We've had the great joy over the past couple of months of being in nine churches in North Carolina and Alabama sharing this vision and plan of planting a church in Portland, asking for people to partner with us through prayer, financial support, short term teams, and even joining our team.  We're so thankful for the many who have already stepped out with us and offered their support, and we've been encouraged with each opportunity as God truly uses His people to confirm over and over that He is leading this and it is beyond us. We'll be speaking at Dalraida Baptist in Montgomery and First Baptist Detroit (AL) in the coming weeks. In addition to speaking in churches, we are also meeting weekly as a team, and Justin and Ben are being trained to pastor the church plant. The Martins are hoping to sell their house this month, and the Dockerys are hoping to get court approval in India to adopt Sam this month. We are also praying with a young man and a young family who are considering joining the team. In all of this, we pray that God will make us worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified (1 Thes. 1:11).  

Back to our original passage. 

At the end of this event of Jesus calling Peter to step out of the boat, guess who gets the glory?  Not Peter.  It wasn't about Peter at all. It was about Jesus and His power over all things.  His desire for us to trust in Him.  Peter got to experience being rescued by the Savior in a situation where only Jesus could do the rescuing.  When God calls us out of the boat, it is an opportunity to experience Him in a way boat riders never will.  Boat riders aren't safe in the boat. Though it may feel safer, can it not sink??  Sitting in the boat may feel like playing it safe, but truly it is missing out on experiencing how God can strengthen your faith when you step out on the water in the midst of powerful winds and waves.  

Oh Lord, continue to command us to get out of the boats in our lives and trust in You.  

Posted by Chandra and Catherine