Dear friends and Family,
We are thrilled to let you all know what God has been doing as we prepare to hit the road again for yet another summer of ministry. Right here, near our home, is a church of a dear Pastor friend whom I have known since my high school days. Recently, God has blessed me with multiple opportunities to provide pulpit supply in his church youth group mostly but also to the adults on occasion. I often joke that as an evangelist, it takes me about 5 years to get another message ready to preach. But in all seriousness, it has been a blessing to be in a place where I am able to share new messages on a regular basis. The people there are very special to me for many reasons, and it is a joy to see how God is using that lighthouse for His glory. One of my prayers for my personal life has been that I would continue to grow in my understanding of God’s Word and God has definitely allowed the extra messages to be one means of helping to that end. I have also just thoroughly enjoyed a new Bible reading format I have been trying this year.
Additionally, there are three young men, two of whom are married and attend our home church and another young man from another church that God has placed a tremendous burden upon us for. It has been my wife’s goal to have ministry to these two young married ladies and my goal to encourage these three young men in their walks with God. Much of our ministry has been via text, although some of it has taken place as we have invited them into our home for a meal from time to time. Simultaneously, our Pastor has been preaching on church growth. We certainly cannot take any credit for what is happening as it is all God, but we have seen specific growth points in especially two of them. One couple recently joined our church although the young man attended all through His growing up years, and within the last two his wife. The other ones we have seen God working as well.
Looking ahead in our ministry, as we prepare to hit the road, next week we will take a trip down to Ambassador Baptist College where I was privileged to spend four years training in the Lord’s work. There will be many familiar faces but also many new people. But we look forward to a time of Spiritual refreshment as well as maybe a little more relaxation than our average pace of life. The rest is very much needed for all of us.
We ask for your prayers as we anticipate a week of revival meeting with our friends in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania the second week of April. This will now be our third year preaching there and we are blessed to see many familiar faces as well as ones the church has worked so hard to reach with the news of the Gospel.
Following that, we will be back home filling the Pulpit for about a month. Right after that time, we have plans to go out West and spend a few weeks trying to encourage different pastors. I have been in communication with a couple of Pastors, but we are searching for others who may just need an “Aaron” to come along and hold up the hands in one way or another.
As far as the bulk of our summer goes, we have a good amount of time available still to do Vacation Bible Schools. God has seen fit to open two doors definitely. We are more convinced than ever before that the Lord has given us a special opportunity among this age group, and while we LOVE doing whatever ministry comes our way, we are asking God to show us ways that our ministry can impact children in a greater way. Would you pray to that end? Time is short, and we must reach these young ones. This year our Bible School theme is a treasure theme. The children truly are a treasure! Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was made up of those who would be like little children. They are sponges and they believe so easily. While this world is seeking to soak that sponge with all the wrong things, it is MORE vital than EVER that we saturate our world with the gospel message.
One more final possible ministry opportunity you could help us to pray about is regarding a ministry at a deaf school in Pittsburgh. My wife has reached out to a teacher at the deaf school which is about an hour from us. The initial response is favorable. There are also, others we know all of whom are about an hour away who are well enough trained in sign language that they could help and are willing to be a part. None of this could transpire until the beginning of the next school year, but would you join us in praying that if this is an opportunity that is of God we could locate enough helpers to keep it going even if we are unable to do it consistently due to our itinerate ministry.
Would you join us on the battlefront and PRAY?!?! But also Let’s GO!!!