Things are good

It's been almost a week since my last post. Things are staying busy. Here's an update.

• Betty Yarbrough, daughter of TMD Director Jim Slocumb, purchased a building that was formerly a Church of Christ in Andrews, TX, to convert into a shelter for expecting mothers. She graciously donated the pews, communion table, pulpit, carpet and baptistry from that facility to Mission: Brownwood. Northcrest MBC of Andrews picked up the church pews and pulpit, and communion table and are now storing them for me until we get a facility in Brownwood. Rocky Springs MBC, my sponsor, graciously made a donation to her shelter.
• South Union MBC of Dangerfield, TX and Veal Switch MBC of Hughes Springs, TX, both sent us generous portions of VBS Good News Games curriculum for our VBS at the Brownwood Housing Authority in August.
• We have a number of volunteers who are signing up. We will have an average of 6 volunteers each saturday for VBS if no more sign up... we still need help. Contact me if you want to volunteer at 325-200-8531.
• I have located a church building that Mission: Brownwood would be able to rent for $550/month. The owner is holding back on renting it due to road construction. I am praying about going ahead and renting it, rennovating it (there are some things that NEED to be fixed), and getting it ready for launch. I would prefer to have my core group a little more solid before we move in, but we'll go through this door when God opens it.
• Core group building is tough. It's hard getting people to go to church in the pastor's living room, especially when you're new in town. We're keeping at it, though.
• I am amazed at how my sponsoring church, Rocky Springs MBC, is coming on board and really getting behind this work. They are a real blessing to me.

My sincerest desire is to have a mission that is functioning like a church by the time we get to the state meeting in November. However, due to the start-from-scratch nature of this mission work, I can't promise a full slate of weekly services and Sunday schools by November. We'll get there, though. My personal deadline for having a solid core group established is next June.

See you at the Southwest Association Mission Rally at Beacon Baptist Church in Odessa Saturday.