March 2020 Prayer Team Update
Where We've Been
Over the last four years of our explicit church planting journey there are various monuments that God has built up in order for us to remember his faithfulness and explicit call on our lives. For example our initial call into church planting took place just over four years ago. While spending time with Ally and a friend I experienced what can only be described as an encounter with the Living God. In this encounter of peace, joy, and overwhelming love he spoke these words to me, “Michael, you are going to plant a church in Colorado.” What was confounding to me was not that he spoke to me out of a place of love, joy, and peace, but rather that he was calling ME to plant a church. This was the beginning of an amazing journey that we are calling our call to church planting.
Another monument was put in place one year ago. Ally and I were visiting Denver over Spring Break to explore answers to two particular questions: Where in Colorado should we plant a church? Who in Denver will we partner with in this process? To keep this email short, we got answers to both of those questions through this particular trip to Denver. God revealed to us that we were called not only to the city of Denver, but more specifically to the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Denver. We knew nothing of Denver, the neighborhood or the baggage that comes with it, but we were overjoyed at the peace that came through this place.
We also were put in contact with Derick at The Oaks Church through our time in the city. These are two pieces of the journey that we were so desperate to know, had been pleading with God to find answers to, and now we rejoice in the peace of knowing God’s place for us and one of our greatest partners and advocates in this journey.
Where We Are
In light of where God has taken us in the past we are currently looking forward to our next trip over Spring Break. We will be visiting what we believe is our future home, Capitol Hill, to pray, walk, explore, and dive into what life looks like in this particular part of this particular city. We also will be meeting with other church planters, pastors, and followers of Jesus in the city to begin relationships that will hopefully last our lifetime. This will center heavily on our relationship with pastors that are a part of the Southern Baptist Convention and particularly the Send Network.
One of the things that God is calling us to do is to deepen our network of co-laborers in the Kingdom and in Colorado. Through our desired partnership with the Send Network we are hoping to build friendships, partners in ministry, and be encouragers to those who are working for the Kingdom of God. Last month I had an opportunity to dive into this by attending a regional Send Conference in Phoenix, Arizona with my guy Derick. The focus of this conference was to mobilize churches, church planters, and individuals to be a people intent on planting churches to expand the Kingdom. To say the least I walked away inspired, encouraged, and even more connected to Derick. I also know that I have more brothers and sisters to walk with in Denver and the West Coast region.
Where We are Headed
What we are hoping to see happen over the coming months is our network of supporters, partners, and co-laborers deepen. We are just getting started in this process of planting in Denver, and we are praying that we would be given more monuments to look back on with fondness, tears, and joy unspeakable at the kindness and nearness of God.
One of those monuments we know is coming is our upcoming Church Planting Assessment with the Send Network/North American Mission Board. Ally and I have been in process with them for a few months now, but we are quickly approaching the time where we put it all on the line. In this process we are hoping to see unhealthy behaviors exposed and strengths highlighted so that we can move forward to plant the healthiest church that we as a team possibly can. We want the rocks exhumed from the field to make way for even greater fruit from the gospel in our lives. We are anxious to be tested, and look forward to all that our assessment brings this May.
We are also, with great sorrow and joy, approaching the end of our time as staff of Redeemer Church in Cedar Falls. We are in the beginning of transitioning leadership of our student ministry to new leadership, and look forward to where God takes these students and leaders. One of the greatest hopes we have for our near future is that we finish well at Redeemer in every way possible.
Here are some lovely pictures of two of our lovely kids. Yes that train is stuck in Aksel’s hair. Yes we had to cut it out with a scissors.
Prayer Needs
We are desperately asking that our family would become even more cohesive as a unit that loves and cares for one another as we get closer to our departure into the unknown and the new.
Emotional and spiritual health for Ally and I as we continue to prepare for this adventure. Now is a time where we are chasing the vision of rest and health before the new work of church planting.
Health during pregnancy. (We find out the gender in two weeks!)
We are praying that God would send at least ten churches to partner with us both in prayer and in financial support as we begin our residency this coming September.
We are also praying for individuals to partner with us in financial support to meet our Phase One Financial Goal for our year of Residency.
A team of missionaries to go with us into Capitol Hill to reach out to the lost.
