Blessings prayer partners,

What a blessing the past couple of weeks have been. Many of our folks were able to attend the True Church Conference in Alabama and meet in person with so many who pray for us and for whom we pray. Then I was able to spend the weekend with our brothers and sisters in Lake Butler Florida along with a few more of the missionaries we support. Often, ministry is hard, but there are those blessed moments when the Spirit of God allows us to glimpse the glory of the kingdom in such a way that we are overwhelmed by the love and mercy of Christ. There were multiple moments like that the past couple of weeks. I thank God for each of you and pray the love of Christ would so fill you that you abound more and more in the joy of your salvation.

Praises / Prayer:

• Please continue to pray for those in our Membership Information class. Pray for Rodney, Christy, Tony, Jessica, Diane, and Robert that they will seek to continue growing in their faith through committed fellowship to through membership. The class was paused for a couple weeks and is resuming next week.

• Praise God for His encouragement to us. We have been praying for more young families, more children, and more men who could possibly be developed to lead. We get regular visitors, but in recent weeks we have had a significant increase in visitors in each of these categories who appear to be seriously considering making us their church home. Please pray the Lord will give each of them wisdom in finding a church home and thank Him for the encouragement they are to us and our work here.

• Please continue to pray for several health issues in our congregation. We have a handful of shut-in members who are unable to attend in person. We have had many people in the last two weeks come down with flu-type illnesses. We also have several dealing with longer-term more serious issues such as cancer, pancreatitis, and dementia.

• Please continue to pray for Bobby as he begins to progress through the internship program.

• Please pray for me as I preach through the Gospel of Matthew. Please pray the Lord will bless that series and use it to His glory in the life of our people.

• Please praise God for each of the speakers and missionaries/church planters who spoke at the conferences in Alabama and Florida. We were greatly blessed, challenged, and encouraged. 

• Please pray for us as we continue to prayerfully explore how to expand our ministry to special needs children and their families.

• Please give praise to God for the several ladies who serve in our children's ministry. Their dedication and love are a picture of Jesus Christ to our people and we are thankful for each of them.

• Please pray for us as we begin our planning for the VBS and Block Party outreach events later this year.

• Please pray for pastor Craig and his wife Sandy. Craig is recovering from hand surgery and both of them have flu-like symptoms.

• As always, please pray that we do all things in God's power and His timing. That we would have unshakeable confidence in His promise that His word is sufficient and that we would be patient and obedient so that He will receive all the glory, which He alone deserves.

Other Updates:

• Please pray as we continue to work through the 501c3 process with the IRS.

"Finally, brothers [and sisters], pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you..." (2 Thessalonians 3:1 ESV)

In Christ,

Pastor Kevin