I want to update you on all  the Lord has done this past year in the Bradford family. Our summary cannot possibly take in all the great and small experiences of grace we have had, nor the challenges and uncertainties. But we can give an overview and declare that God has expressed his love and faithfulness to us in ways far beyond what we deserve!

 
I hope all is well with you and those you love! May the Lord pour out his presence in your life this Christmas season!

With Love,
Paul & Tammy
Aleyse, Laura, David, and Stephen

Last year I described 2008 as a year of "unexpected transitions". I completed a year sabbatical, during which I taught at King's Seminary in Southern California. We left Lakeshore Vineyard Church in Holland, MI, which we planted in 1988, in order to plant Great Oaks Church in Rochester Hills, a city in SE Michigan.
 
I would describe 2009 as an "eventful" year. We went from three people at Great Oaks Church (Tammy, Stephen, and me - sometimes we'd count our dog and cat!) to over 40 adults and children. It's a small, but wonderful group of committed believers. We also began meeting in smaller groups and on Sunday evenings.
 
In the fall our son David (20) moved back home (a joy for us) to save money by going to Oakland Community College. He's also playing drums on the Great Oaks worship band. On August 28, after over 2 years living in temporary situations, we moved into our own home! Stephen (17) began attending Stony Creek High School and is so glad to be back in regular school - Stephen is definitely a "people person", and home school isolation and Stephen didn't mix too well!
 
Also this fall, Abi, our daughter Aleyse' boyfriend, moved in with us so he could attend Oakland Community College as an international student (he is from the Dominican Republic). Our daughters Aleyse (24) and Laura (21) are still living in New York City - though they moved to another apartment. Aleyse continues dancing with Syren Modern Dance Company, and Laura is completing her final year at New York University.
 
So, a whole lot has happened this year, and we're thankful for all God has done! We're still in the early stages of this church plant. We won't begin weekly Sunday services for awhile; the Lord is still teaching us patience! But our future plans are so much clearer today than one year ago, and we've seen God move in amazing ways to gather the core team for Great Oaks.

The beginnings of Great Oaks has been very different than the beginnings of Lakeshore Vineyard, though both have been clearly a work of the Lord. Great Oaks is literally a "church of home churches". Our vision is to establish scores of home churches - which we call "Villages" - in Oakland and Macomb counties. These Villages will eventually meet together weekly on Sunday mornings. Village gatherings include around 10 families and are modeled after the house church in the New Testament. They often begin with a meal, and include worship, the Lord's Table, sharing what God is doing and saying, an interactive study of scripture, intercessory prayer, and prayer for one another. What's more, every Village works together to reach others in the community. These gatherings are awesome!
 
We believe God wants to build a congregation where we share life together deeply as we seek to fulfill the ministry of the Messiah to reach the lost, bind up the broken-hearted, and set the captives free. The goal is that we might "be called Oaks of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor" (see Isaiah 61:1-3).