Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Back Home in NC
We wanted to let you all know that we arrived safely in Charlotte, NC Thursday July 13th. James and Elizabeth absolutely loved taking turns riding with Dad in the big truck! We've placed everything in storage and are looking forward to spending some time visiting with family and friends over the next few weeks.
Thank you to you all for your love and support as we continue to follow God's leading in this ever more amazing journey of faith. Thank you to all of you for your prayers, to those that helped us pack and load the truck, and to those that support us financially. God has been with us every step of the way and we know that He has ordered the steps ahead of us.
Please pray for us over the next six weeks that we will be faithful to the testimony of what God has done and continues to do in our lives. As I have opportunities to preach and teach I ask that God will speak through me, that God will prepare the hearts of those to whom I speak, and that I will have the courage to follow the Spirit's lead to speak with boldness.
Please also pray for our discernment in finding a place to live. We are wide open as to where that will be. Pray that we will wait in faith and trust God. We need only remember that he faithfully and wonderfully provided an amazing home for us in Kansas City. As Hebrews 11 says about Abraham, even though we may not know where we are going, God does, and that is what counts! We need only walk in faith.
Finally, we ask for prayer with regards to our partnership with Plowpoint Ministries. Over the next few weeks we will be sitting down and developing my job description and repsonsibilities for this model of prayer ministry. Plowpoint sends out minstry teams to churches to provide healing through conflict resolution and strategic visioning and planning. My role will be to go ahead of those ministry teams and pray in the church sanctuaries for a period of weeks to prepare the spiritual atmosphere. One model for this ministry was a man named Father Daniel Nash. Here is a link to read more about what this type of ministry might look like:
http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/daniel-nash/daniel-nash-princeofprayer.html
I truly believe there is powerful benefit for the church to be found in this ministry of intercession. Plowpoints mission is to break new ground for the seed of the gospel. My role will be to "soak" the soil in prayer in preparation for the plowing and seeding.
My hearts desire is to serve God in this ministry of intercession to prepare the church to fulfill its calling to make disciples.
Blessings upon you all. We would love to hear from you!
Mark, Jennifer, Elizabeth and James
Thank you to you all for your love and support as we continue to follow God's leading in this ever more amazing journey of faith. Thank you to all of you for your prayers, to those that helped us pack and load the truck, and to those that support us financially. God has been with us every step of the way and we know that He has ordered the steps ahead of us.
Please pray for us over the next six weeks that we will be faithful to the testimony of what God has done and continues to do in our lives. As I have opportunities to preach and teach I ask that God will speak through me, that God will prepare the hearts of those to whom I speak, and that I will have the courage to follow the Spirit's lead to speak with boldness.
Please also pray for our discernment in finding a place to live. We are wide open as to where that will be. Pray that we will wait in faith and trust God. We need only remember that he faithfully and wonderfully provided an amazing home for us in Kansas City. As Hebrews 11 says about Abraham, even though we may not know where we are going, God does, and that is what counts! We need only walk in faith.
Finally, we ask for prayer with regards to our partnership with Plowpoint Ministries. Over the next few weeks we will be sitting down and developing my job description and repsonsibilities for this model of prayer ministry. Plowpoint sends out minstry teams to churches to provide healing through conflict resolution and strategic visioning and planning. My role will be to go ahead of those ministry teams and pray in the church sanctuaries for a period of weeks to prepare the spiritual atmosphere. One model for this ministry was a man named Father Daniel Nash. Here is a link to read more about what this type of ministry might look like:
http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/daniel-nash/daniel-nash-princeofprayer.html
I truly believe there is powerful benefit for the church to be found in this ministry of intercession. Plowpoints mission is to break new ground for the seed of the gospel. My role will be to "soak" the soil in prayer in preparation for the plowing and seeding.
My hearts desire is to serve God in this ministry of intercession to prepare the church to fulfill its calling to make disciples.
Blessings upon you all. We would love to hear from you!
Mark, Jennifer, Elizabeth and James
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Heading Home
Dear Friends,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!
As many of you know, our family has spent the last six months in Kansas City pursuing a new calling as missionary intercessors through the International House of Prayer [ www.ihop.org ]. God has very much blessed us in this new venture in ministry in so many ways. And He has used many of you to bless us along the way.
Over the last few weeks, we have been feeling in our hearts as though we should move back to NC. In fact we had already begun packing in faith not yet knowing the what where or how! Then last week, we received a call from our friends Kelly and Beth Crissman with PlowPoint Ministries. [ www.plowpoint.org ] Through that conversation, God confirmed we were indeed to return to NC and begin working as missionary intercessors in partnership with PlowPoint. And within four days God raised the provision we needed to make the move home! Nothing is impossible for God!
So, the six week visit to NC we had planned for July and August has become a permanent move back home! We are very excited about this opportunity. I will be driving the moving truck and Jennifer will be in the Explorer with the kids! Much prayer is needed for both of us. Our plan is to leave Kansas City the morning of July 12th and arrive in Charlotte on July 13th, which also happens to be Jennifer's birthday!
Over the next six weeks I am scheduled to preach twice and have opportunities to teach prayer workshops and share our testimony on four other occasions. We are very grateful for these opportunities and ask that God would speak through me to the hearts of those who come.
We ask your prayers for the following:
*Safe travel home to NC! Isn't moving fun...
*God's continued guidance as to the next right step for our family.
*A place to live. We will be living with grandparents and friends as scheduled through the middle of August. We are trusting that God already has a place for us; we simply need to walk forward in obedience. If you know of a place we could rent we would be very interested to hear from you.
*New partners in ministry. We will continue to raise support as missionaries as we live out this calling. Please pray that God would continue to raise up churches and people to prayerfully and financially support us.
Hebrews 11.8-16 tells us that Abraham set out for a land that was promised, but did not know where he was going. The passage goes on to say that for a while he lived in tents, as in a foreign land. And yet, there was a vision set before him given to him from God. The passage ends by saying God was not ashamed to be called his God and that God had indeed prepared a place for them.
We began this journey six months ago, in faith, trusting that the God who called us would lead us and guide us. We have become even more certain that the One who has called us is faithful and true. This experience has led us to grow in love for God, for one another, and for the church.
We have been blessed by your love and support. We could not have done this without you. We look forward to what lies ahead.
Blessings,
Mark, Jennifer, Elizabeth & James
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord!
As many of you know, our family has spent the last six months in Kansas City pursuing a new calling as missionary intercessors through the International House of Prayer [ www.ihop.org ]. God has very much blessed us in this new venture in ministry in so many ways. And He has used many of you to bless us along the way.
Over the last few weeks, we have been feeling in our hearts as though we should move back to NC. In fact we had already begun packing in faith not yet knowing the what where or how! Then last week, we received a call from our friends Kelly and Beth Crissman with PlowPoint Ministries. [ www.plowpoint.org ] Through that conversation, God confirmed we were indeed to return to NC and begin working as missionary intercessors in partnership with PlowPoint. And within four days God raised the provision we needed to make the move home! Nothing is impossible for God!
So, the six week visit to NC we had planned for July and August has become a permanent move back home! We are very excited about this opportunity. I will be driving the moving truck and Jennifer will be in the Explorer with the kids! Much prayer is needed for both of us. Our plan is to leave Kansas City the morning of July 12th and arrive in Charlotte on July 13th, which also happens to be Jennifer's birthday!
Over the next six weeks I am scheduled to preach twice and have opportunities to teach prayer workshops and share our testimony on four other occasions. We are very grateful for these opportunities and ask that God would speak through me to the hearts of those who come.
We ask your prayers for the following:
*Safe travel home to NC! Isn't moving fun...
*God's continued guidance as to the next right step for our family.
*A place to live. We will be living with grandparents and friends as scheduled through the middle of August. We are trusting that God already has a place for us; we simply need to walk forward in obedience. If you know of a place we could rent we would be very interested to hear from you.
*New partners in ministry. We will continue to raise support as missionaries as we live out this calling. Please pray that God would continue to raise up churches and people to prayerfully and financially support us.
Hebrews 11.8-16 tells us that Abraham set out for a land that was promised, but did not know where he was going. The passage goes on to say that for a while he lived in tents, as in a foreign land. And yet, there was a vision set before him given to him from God. The passage ends by saying God was not ashamed to be called his God and that God had indeed prepared a place for them.
We began this journey six months ago, in faith, trusting that the God who called us would lead us and guide us. We have become even more certain that the One who has called us is faithful and true. This experience has led us to grow in love for God, for one another, and for the church.
We have been blessed by your love and support. We could not have done this without you. We look forward to what lies ahead.
Blessings,
Mark, Jennifer, Elizabeth & James
