We hope that you are enjoying this Christmas season as much as we are! Mason and Sammy love this time of year, and we are excited for Rosalie to get to experience it more fully this year! Every night this month we read them a part of the story of how Jesus came to earth and celebrate together. The kids are excited for lots of decorating, food, presents, and cookies! We love celebrating Christmas and we are grateful to be able to do that in a new home and city!
Pastors serving in urban communities are some of the most gifted pastors and leaders we know. They are serving in hard places with people that have been broken down by the world. Issues of poverty, abuse, addiction, church divisions, violence, and broken families are never far away. Many pastors are full time in ministry, and working a full-time job, sometimes more than one. Those who are full time are doing the work of three or four people. They are under-resourced, underequipped, undertrained, and yet they are effectively ministering the gospel and seeing lives and communities transformed by the gospel.
They serve because of their passion and commitment to Christ and His people. I was having lunch with a pastor who planted a church out of his basement with 10 other people to start. They had no money, and no training but they had a calling. They went and found the addicted, homeless, formerly incarcerated, and brought them to the church. He said, “I didn’t want to steal sheep from another pastor so I went to the highways, byways, and the ditches to those that nobody else in the other churches wanted and that’s our church!”
What could they do with resources, training, encouragement, and support? We work alongside these pastors not to change their calling or ministry, but to find practical and effective ways to support, encourage, and equip them to fulfill their calling.
Two young church planters we are working with have a heart and passion to reach their city. They know their community and have a heart to serve it! Both have dealt drugs, one was incarcerated, and both experienced the transforming love of Christ in their lives and want others to experience the same thing. Our role is to encourage this calling, coach, encourage, and surround them with the resources they need to move forward.
Thank you for allowing us to serve and minister with these pastors as they reach their communities for Christ! Without your faithful financial support, prayers, and encouragement we would not be able to do what we do. If you aren't already, would you prayerfully consider partnering with us in ministry? Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we live out our calling in our city!
