I haven't written a prayer update since our
December family newsletter. With no support staff yet, I find it hard to keep
up with the communication to our team, and thus I've not been as regular with
this prayer update. But I value you're prayers and write now because we have
several important prayer needs, both for our church launch and for our family.
Great Oaks
Prayer Needs
We have
felt the Lord's favor at Great Oaks and in our family, and have observed him at
work. Our launch team now includes 45 adults and kids. We have wonderful
people, and working with this team has been one of the greatest joys of my
life.
We need to double
this team before our public launch on September 26. Today we are sending out
275 first class envelopes to names submitted by our launch team. Each envelope
includes a professionally produced brochure introducing Great Oaks, our
Philosophy of Ministry, and a letter of invitation to consider joining us.
Then, over the next 4 to 6 weeks, we are sending out nearly 5000 envelopes to
addresses supplied to us by Kensington Church, who is helping with our launch. We
will be holding numerous interest meetings for those who want to learn more
about us. We are also launching an all new website. The first stage will be
completed today, and the website will be fully functional by the end of this
month. We are earnestly praying that God will increase our number through this
and other invitations.
We are also
beginning to meet weekly on Sunday mornings. We feel this is needed to help us
connect with people interested in joining our team. We continue to meet weekly
in two separate Home Churches. Our vision is to plant scores of home churches
in and around Rochester Hills. We hope to have at least 4 home churches meeting
by the end of the summer.
Bradford
Family Prayer Needs
All of our
children are doing well, but they also all need direction and open doors in
their lives. Our girls are still living in Manhattan. Laura will graduate from
New York University in just one month, and our entire family will be traveling
to New York City to be there with her for this huge milestone. She is hoping to
find a job in NYC upon graduation. Aleyse is taking a couple of months away
from NYC and coming home to Rochester Hills. She needs time to renew and to
decide the next step in her future. David is living in Holland and is finishing his sophomore year at Grand
Rapids Community College. He needs to decide where he will attend college next
year - in southeast Michigan near us, or in west Michigan. Stephen is finishing
his junior year in High School, and needs a larger circle of friends,
especially Christian friends.
Stay
Informed!
If you
desire to continue to intercede for our congregation, I would be very thankful.
I encourage you to subscribe to the Great
Oaks Update, which I send out by email about every other week, to get a
more frequent update on what's happening and how to pray. Just click on Update Profile/Email Addressat the bottom of this email to subscribe.
Love,
Paul & Tammy
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