Finishing Well
People frequently encourage us to finish well and to think of the legacy we are leaving the next generations. This year, a friend gave us a notebook to record some of the stories we want to pass along to our children and grandchildren.
So did we finish 2019 well? We want to think of the things we did, but also the things that God did. Here are just a few of the things we can celebrate:
- Pastor Joshua had asked God for two new church members to be added in 2019. God gave us 6! He gave us three times more than we asked!
- We want to pass the baton – transfer leadership responsibilities to to Pastor Joshua. We are excited to see the ways he is assuming more leadership and how he is becoming the people’s pastor. So God is answering that prayer!
- Lorne had hoped to lose a little bit of weight–it did not happen. So that hope gets dragged forward into 2020.
- We asked God for opportunities to talk with children and adults about faith in Christ. Each of the moments when that happened were exciting!
- We saw amazing answers to prayer as you joined us in praying. You are part of the story of our lives!
God is faithful and helped us to see some forward movement in 2019. Praise God!
Starting Well
As Christians we do not make resolutions, but rather in prayer ask God to help us set helpful, realistic, and faith-filled goals;
- Pastor Joshua challenged us to pray asking God to give us at least two families to be added to the church in 2020. Will you pray and trust with us? Wouldn’t it be spectacular if God gave us more than we ask? He is a Generous God.
- The church service schedule has been adjusted. Prayer meeting will be on the first Sunday of the month. Yesterday we had 70% of the adults who attend our church stay for prayer meeting! (Two were away because their child is in the hospital, and two were with family.) Praise God for a good start to the new year!
We are enjoying the special opportunity to smother our grandchildren with love. They are with us to celebrate Epiphany. We have many photos and even more cherished memories of the times we are spending together. (The photo is them looking at the puzzle they did to help us remember the true meaning of Christmas.)- We are anticipating many opportunities to talk with people about Jesus. It might be in the English classroom, the Sunday School Classroom, Winter Camp, or when we meet individuals in our everyday lives.
God does not change. We believe He will continue to be faithfully generous. Thank-you for trusting Him to do things in our lives, in our church, and in your own life! We join you in praying for these things.
Praise and Prayer
- Please pray for healing for some church members who have physical sickness and medical conditions.
- Please pray for wisdom for a church member who is seeking to be a peacemaker in the office where he works.
- Please pray for the preparations for the Elementary School Winter Camp. Pray for more registrations from the community.
- Pray for opportunities to talk about Jesus. We will have many opportunities to talk and laugh with people as they prepare for Chinese New Year (Jan 25 this year).
- For each of us to have a fresh encounter with God’s grace as we begin a new year.