We are planning a pancake brunch for Saturday, February 14th for the apartment complex. We will be sending out postcards next week to alert the residents. We need two things from you.
The first is prayer that we will have numerous people come through so we can meet them, get to know them, build relationships with them, invite them to Bible study, etc. Three of us have met the last two Tuesday nights and have made it a prayer time for guidance and progress. It has also been a great time for us to strengthen our relationship with Kendra, an instrumental part of Summerlake’s leadership team and future. Pray that we hear God’s voice in our time of prayer.
The second thing we need is finances. This brunch will only cost about $50, but Summerlake’s economy is as lacking as everyone else’s. If you could give $5-10 toward this outreach, that would be a tremendous help to us. Give online at our website or mail it to us.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Reality Check
We have it easy. I heard today from Dmitry Zborsky, a Russian church-planter that was given a one-way train ticket to the town in which he was to minister. No convention support. No sponsoring church. No job. No place to live. Just a mission. (read his story) We have it easy. We have nothing on any missionary sent to a foreign country (Hey Tim and Mary). We have nothing on _____________ (pick a person) from the Bible. We have it easy. Sometimes my emails and posts sound as if we are being dragged backwards through barbed-wire, but the reality is that we have it easy.
Don’t forget, in all my whining, to pray for those people that really have it hard. Thanks Dmitry.
Don’t forget, in all my whining, to pray for those people that really have it hard. Thanks Dmitry.
Prayers, praises, and a goof
Prayer requests:
Please pray today for our Tuesday night Bible study that starts at 6:30. We’ve had some interest shown in it and I pray it takes off. The time should be more palatable for an apartment community than Sunday morning, at least to start out.
Continue also to pray for Financial Peace. The goof is that I planned to start FPU on Super Bowl Sunday night. We all know that was a bad idea. Besides, I can work at Domino’s and make pretty good money. So we have moved the start date to Feb. 8th at 5PM. We have put out a little advertising for the bad start date, but not much.
Praises:
A very generous friend has funded 5 weeks of newspaper advertising for our FPU. This will put the ad in four papers reaching some 200,000 people. We are so thankful for the gift.
We have also been officially sponsored by a church. Pastor Larry Reinecke and First Baptist Church North Houston have agreed to be our sponsoring SBTC church. This is critical for the eventual funding by the state convention. It is also critical that we have a church that is fully behind us and willing to allow us to beg for ask for volunteers and logistical help. Along with Amite Baptist, First North Houston and Pastor Reinecke will keep us bathed in prayer and constantly on the minds and hearts of the members there.
Please pray today for our Tuesday night Bible study that starts at 6:30. We’ve had some interest shown in it and I pray it takes off. The time should be more palatable for an apartment community than Sunday morning, at least to start out.
Continue also to pray for Financial Peace. The goof is that I planned to start FPU on Super Bowl Sunday night. We all know that was a bad idea. Besides, I can work at Domino’s and make pretty good money. So we have moved the start date to Feb. 8th at 5PM. We have put out a little advertising for the bad start date, but not much.
Praises:
A very generous friend has funded 5 weeks of newspaper advertising for our FPU. This will put the ad in four papers reaching some 200,000 people. We are so thankful for the gift.
We have also been officially sponsored by a church. Pastor Larry Reinecke and First Baptist Church North Houston have agreed to be our sponsoring SBTC church. This is critical for the eventual funding by the state convention. It is also critical that we have a church that is fully behind us and willing to allow us to beg for ask for volunteers and logistical help. Along with Amite Baptist, First North Houston and Pastor Reinecke will keep us bathed in prayer and constantly on the minds and hearts of the members there.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Summerlake Update 1/4/09
We are doing a little restructuring. This morning was our 9th Sunday with no one but my family in attendance. Obviously, Sunday morning isn’t the ideal time for a Bible study at the apartment complex. Church plants don’t normally start on Sunday morning and I shouldn’t have tried to reinvent the wheel. So we are going to back up and punt.
As you already know, we are starting a Tuesday night study and Financial Peace on Sunday nights. Since we will have those two opportunities, we are stopping our Sunday morning study for a while. This will hopefully provide more accessible times for people to join us, and will also allow us to focus our time and resources.
The reality of our current situation is this: if our response to these two new meeting times is non-existent, we are going to have to seriously consider abandoning planting Summerlake. Our financial situation is untenable for more than a few more months. We are about to undergo a major reorganization of our personal finances in order to take some burden off the church, but that will only gain us a month or two. Etta and I are completely discouraged. I know we aren’t the first church plant to not make it—and we certainly won’t be the last—but I didn’t plan to be one of them at all. At this point, it looks as though we may become one of the negative statistics.
Pray that, if it is God’s will for us to continue, He will provide people, finances, and encouragement. Pray that, if it is not His will for us to continue, He will provide a graceful exit.
A side note:
If you gave financially to Summerlake prior to August 1st, you will receive a giving statement from Kingwood FBC. If you gave financially after August 1st, you will receive a giving statement from me in the next week or two.
Thank you for your prayers.
As you already know, we are starting a Tuesday night study and Financial Peace on Sunday nights. Since we will have those two opportunities, we are stopping our Sunday morning study for a while. This will hopefully provide more accessible times for people to join us, and will also allow us to focus our time and resources.
The reality of our current situation is this: if our response to these two new meeting times is non-existent, we are going to have to seriously consider abandoning planting Summerlake. Our financial situation is untenable for more than a few more months. We are about to undergo a major reorganization of our personal finances in order to take some burden off the church, but that will only gain us a month or two. Etta and I are completely discouraged. I know we aren’t the first church plant to not make it—and we certainly won’t be the last—but I didn’t plan to be one of them at all. At this point, it looks as though we may become one of the negative statistics.
Pray that, if it is God’s will for us to continue, He will provide people, finances, and encouragement. Pray that, if it is not His will for us to continue, He will provide a graceful exit.
A side note:
If you gave financially to Summerlake prior to August 1st, you will receive a giving statement from Kingwood FBC. If you gave financially after August 1st, you will receive a giving statement from me in the next week or two.
Thank you for your prayers.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Summerlake Update 12/16/08
Hey folks-
I know it’s been a while since my last update, but as we all know: the most wonderful time of the year is also the most busiest (pardon the grammar).
All churches experience a bit of an attendance drop during the holidays and we are no different. But we look forward to the New Year, a new commitment, and new opportunities for people to worship with us. This brings me to our prayer needs.
The first new opportunity, though it will actually start second, is that we are going to be hosting a study of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. We just completed it ourselves, can attest to the change that it can bring, and can attest to the great need for this kind of thing among thirty-something (or whatever age) suburbanites. This is one of the main areas of ministry that God called us to when He called us to plant a suburban church. We pray this will open the doors to further ministry. This will start on Sunday, February 1st in the evenings.
The second new opportunity, the one that will start first, is a Tuesday night Bible study. We have couple of reasons to start this. First, it will be a little different from our Sunday morning Bible study in that it will be more topic-based, rather than book of the Bible based. It will also allow us to reach those that may work on Sunday mornings or, for whatever reason, have trouble making it at 10 AM. This will begin on January 6th at 6:30.
These two new events, along with our usual Sunday morning time, will put three different hooks in the water for us. We pray that we catch a lot of fish. But the new opportunities bring new financial needs that aren’t in our budget. And right at the end of the year is a great time for folks to fill-out their charitable giving budget.
For Financial Peace, we need the leader’s kit. The kit costs $300. We need someone to give for that purchase. We also need a DVD player (a TV has been graciously donated). If you would like to give for that, please consider a gift of $50.
The last financial need is an outreach tool as well. One of our community papers lists church advertisements. The community papers here in the area are very well read. We have the ability to have our church name and info in front of thousands of people. This paper is delivered to all addresses—it isn’t subscription based. The cost of this advertisement is $25 a week. We need someone to fund it for 6 months, for a total of $600. This could be given in lump sum or monthly. If you feel led to give any of these items, you can mail a check or give online.
Thank you so much for your prayers. Most days, the road seems very, very long and very, very steep. It’s only the confidence of our call, the confidence in our Caller, and the push of your prayers that keep us going. But it gets really hard. Please, do not forget to pray for us.
I know it’s been a while since my last update, but as we all know: the most wonderful time of the year is also the most busiest (pardon the grammar).
All churches experience a bit of an attendance drop during the holidays and we are no different. But we look forward to the New Year, a new commitment, and new opportunities for people to worship with us. This brings me to our prayer needs.
The first new opportunity, though it will actually start second, is that we are going to be hosting a study of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University. We just completed it ourselves, can attest to the change that it can bring, and can attest to the great need for this kind of thing among thirty-something (or whatever age) suburbanites. This is one of the main areas of ministry that God called us to when He called us to plant a suburban church. We pray this will open the doors to further ministry. This will start on Sunday, February 1st in the evenings.
The second new opportunity, the one that will start first, is a Tuesday night Bible study. We have couple of reasons to start this. First, it will be a little different from our Sunday morning Bible study in that it will be more topic-based, rather than book of the Bible based. It will also allow us to reach those that may work on Sunday mornings or, for whatever reason, have trouble making it at 10 AM. This will begin on January 6th at 6:30.
These two new events, along with our usual Sunday morning time, will put three different hooks in the water for us. We pray that we catch a lot of fish. But the new opportunities bring new financial needs that aren’t in our budget. And right at the end of the year is a great time for folks to fill-out their charitable giving budget.
For Financial Peace, we need the leader’s kit. The kit costs $300. We need someone to give for that purchase. We also need a DVD player (a TV has been graciously donated). If you would like to give for that, please consider a gift of $50.
The last financial need is an outreach tool as well. One of our community papers lists church advertisements. The community papers here in the area are very well read. We have the ability to have our church name and info in front of thousands of people. This paper is delivered to all addresses—it isn’t subscription based. The cost of this advertisement is $25 a week. We need someone to fund it for 6 months, for a total of $600. This could be given in lump sum or monthly. If you feel led to give any of these items, you can mail a check or give online.
Thank you so much for your prayers. Most days, the road seems very, very long and very, very steep. It’s only the confidence of our call, the confidence in our Caller, and the push of your prayers that keep us going. But it gets really hard. Please, do not forget to pray for us.
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