Status Report

I seem to be falling off my blogging lately, hopefully you'll understand that I am working to honor my commitments to the Lord, my brethren, my employers and my family.

For those who are wondering how things are going, here are some highlights and lowlights:

• Home Bible Studies are going horribly. Attendance is non-existant. My neighbors have been experiencing health problems which has been preventing their attendance, and we have been unable to draw anyone else in. We have moved the studies to the evenings to allow for people to get up in the morning. We are also trying to bribe them with dinner, but to no avail.
• The results of home Bible studies have flustered my Sunday morning plans. The idea was to assemble a few (2 or 3, including my own) families, then launch. However, since this has not materialized, I am forced to adjust my plans. Today, I will be meeting with the manager of an apartment complex to see about having Sunday services in their community room.
• I am meeting with a prospective helper/partner next week about helping us reach the people of Brownwood.
• Market Place services seem to be rebounding, with 17 in attendance last Wednesday, with a visiting minister. Something about me leaving draws numbers.... (that's an inside joke, those who know my history with Denson Springs will get it.)
• Work is going well, but the recent downturn in the economy and the presidential race has stifled any revenue growth I thought I would bring to the table so far. If things don't get better soon, my 4th quarter revenues may actually come in behind last year's, which will be a huge embarrassment for me. Other than that, things are going well. I am planning on partnering with the Cub Scouts for a food drive utilizing the radio's airwaves to drum up support.
• I will be seeking half salary at the state meeting in Henderson in November. I look forward to seeing you and fellowshipping with you there. If anyone has any questions about my work, I am available to discuss them with you between now and then. Just call me at 325-200-8531, or email gracepointembc@aol.com. Or, you can ask me on the floor of the meeting. It's just that the latter option makes me nervous.

Mission: Brownwood has added some supporting churches over the past couple of months. I would like to welcome Bassett Road MBC of Palestine, Memory Lane MBC of Palestine and Salmon MBC of Elkhart. I enjoy a friendship with the church at Bassett Road which dates back to my days as youth director at Vanderbilt Baptist Church in Tyler, a mission co-sponsored by Bassett Road. I have enjoyed a friendship with Memory Lane since preaching there one Sunday during my second year of seminary.

Salmon MBC of Elkhart, TX will always be special to me, as that church partnered with us for Vacation Bible School and nursing home ministries when I pastored at Denson Springs MBC. I have never seen two churches that were such close friends.

Mission: Brownwood to revamp Sunday mornings

This morning, it was just my family of five for our home-based services. This approach is clearly not working the way I think it should. Sure, mission work takes time... but it appears that no one, not even those we have become good friends with, are interested in attending services in someone's home on Sunday mornings.

Therefore, in the weeks ahead, we will take steps to secure a Sunday morning meeting place, and set up a full-slate of weekly services at some of the apartment complexes. Jessica and I are still carefully planning the ministries and praying over what we should do. We'll make the announcements as soon as the plans are finalized.

Saturday Evening Post

September has been a tough month for us in Brownwood. Though the Market Place ministry has picked up steam and done very well, we seem to have lost most of our momentum at the Brownwood Housing Authority, and have struggled to get our loosely-knit core group together in one place at one time.

One thing that amazes me is that wherever Jessica and I go in the ministry, Satan always seems to have his people there ready to oppose us. You can usually tell who these people are because they are the ones who vehemently oppose you straight out of the chute... even though they don't even know you. While I will decline to mention whom we are dealing with and in what area of the ministry we are facing opposition in, I will say that we are facing opposition on the field. (I know I have sparred with some of you on occasion on this and other blogs... I am not considering you opposition. Our opposition is coming from people who are here on the field.)

Present plans are to begin another apartment ministry on Sunday mornings, move the home Bible studies to Sunday evenings, and continue at Market Place on Wednesday evenings. We are also considering Tuesday night Discovery Clubs, but the where and how have not been decided yet.

Praises include the fact that Lee is home from the hospital and feeling well, Rachel and Joshua are growing spiritually, and that God has kept our needs met. Prayer request include God's opening of doors, our wisdom to enter those doors, and our housing situation.

BTW, I just got word from the city that a new manufactured housing community is going in behind our home, and that the main entrance to this new addition will run through my front yard. This has me rather uncomfortable due to the fact that our kids like to play in the front yard. Jessica and I are reviewing the best course of action that will protect the safety of our children, and work out for the best for us, our neighbors and landlord.

Thank you for your prayers and continued support.

Prayers for Lee

Lee, who has been involved with our home Bible studies on Sunday mornings, is in the hospital. He is on our hearts and in our prayers. Please keep him in your prayers as well.

My family of five is the only group who was in attendance this morning. Jessica taught the kids on Salvation.

Sunday update

Mission: Brownwood suffered another down Sunday as we only had 7 in our home services this morning. Stomach bugs are continuing to go around... this time my son Joshua and I were the victoms.

We're going to expand our evangelistic efforts this week in the hopes of reaching more people. In the meantime, we are praying for a public worship facility. I feel that once we can secure one, we'll have an easier time drawing people in.

Weekly update

We had 6 in our home services this morning. Illness claimed most of our people. We studied John 1:1-14.

Over the next few months, our teaching will line up with ABA Sunday School literature, as I believe the book of John is a great study for new Christians and those who are not in church.

Just in case you wondered...

We had 13 in my home for Sunday services this past week (8-24-08). Most were visitors who were helping us with VBS, but the young lady who accepted Christ at VBS is still attending faithfully.

The most exciting news, though, is the salvation of my oldest son, Joshua, who broke into tears at the beginning of Sunday school, telling my wife that he had broken God's law, and wanted God's forgiveness. It's great knowing the older two of my children are saved, but I know we have got some work to do with JJ teaching him about the Lord. Please pray for him. He's only three, but he's what James Dobson would call a "strong-willed child."

Grace Pointe has 10!

We had 10 in attendance at our morning worship services in our home Sunday. We were expecting 11, but one fell ill. I am excited as those who are visiting with us are returning.

We also had a singing with 24 people at the retirement apartments where my wife works Sunday afternoon. Things there are also looking promising.

We are still hoping to be able to position ourselves to continue the momentum we are enjoying with the VBS at the Brownwood Housing Authority. I'll report the news as it happens.

More Praise

We had 8 in our home-based services this morning, including our neighbors and the girl from the apartment complex who accepted Christ yesterday. PRAISE GOD! Things are beginning to move in Brownwood.

Weekly update

I have been able to keep up with my committment to talk to at least three people about God every day. Friday night, I felt a lot of unrest in my soul, so I went to Wal Mart. While there, I not only found my grandfather's favorite movies (which he has been needing to find on DVD- Patton & The Longest Day) but I noticed a man wandering around. I asked him if he needed help, and he said he was looking for a DVD adapter. I helped him find it, then shared my faith with him.

He told me he just got out of state jail for DUI convictions, and had received Christ while in jail (he was taking a correspondence course). I know his name and where he lives... I'll follow up if the Lord permits.

I was also able to minister to some people I have met in town... but none are coming to my Bible studies. I preached the Gospel from Acts 2:36-38 to my kids today, and they enjoyed it. Really!

I am also continuing to meet with prospective core-group/launch team/charter members. I hope to have a small group of three families assembled by July... if God so blesses. I feel like once we have three families (myself included), we can begin taking steps to organize the church.

I still need VBS volunteers. I have had two people say they might be interested... but no one has responded to my blog announcements, ABA News announcements, state-wide mass mail-out (btw, when you turn in your letter to the state association this year, make sure your mailing address is updated. Outdated mailing info is eating my lunch), and some have even turned down my direct invitations. Look, if you come out, I'll put you up in my home if I have to. We'll eat BBQ after VBS is over, you can stay over for Sunday morning or go home, it's up to you. I'll do whatever, just help me out here! So far my only volunteers are my wife, me, my grandparents, and that's about it.

VBS will take place 10-2 on every Saturday in August at the Brownwood Housing Authority community center, a nice sized, well-equipped and cold air conditioned facility.

Thank you for your prayers, support and interest in Mission: Brownwood. Aside from my anxiety over VBS, I feel like my work here is well-supported and prayed for, and I do thank you for that.

Praise report

We had some of our neighbors over for Barbecue Saturday night. I think we have begun what will turn out to be a long friendship with these neighbors. I have also met everyone else on the block, all of whom have spiritual and prayer needs that I pray the Lord will fulfill. We're off to a good start.

Bible studies this morning (Sunday) went well with seven in attendance. I was hoping for more, but God has been known to refine our faith by offering tests early on. I am teaching a series called "God's Vision" from the Gospel of John. We all have our visions for how we want our work to go, but what is God's vision?

Today's study came from John 1:10-13. God's Vision is for people to receive Christ, be adopted into His family, and that vision is made possible by the Gospel (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins according to the scriptures.)

I'll be preaching at Beacon Baptist Church of San Angelo for Father's day, then the series continues June 22 with God's Vision for Reaching People from John 1. (Andrew reaches Peter, Philip reaches Nathanael). This is based on a sermon by Daniel Davis.

I am planning on attending services at Wyndrock MBC of Abilene tonight, will likely rest a little tomorrow before meeting more neighbors. Please continue to pray for me.

Home Bible Studies begin Sunday

Sunday at 10:30 a.m., I will be having a Bible study in my home. The purpose of these Bible studies is to recruit and train core-group members who will be able to organize into a church and be a part of a public launch to take place at a later time. We will train them to be evangelists, making them partners in the work.