What are those new cards for again???

For the last few weeks, we've been telling you about the new "Elder Visitation cards," and now would be a good time to better explain them.

The idea came out of the Elder retreat in January. We've been talking about how the Elders can lead the effort for us to become more "missional" and how they can deepen their relationships with the people of our church family. These cards are a way to accomplish both goals at the same time.

The purpose of the card is simple. If there is someone you know (a friend, a relative, a neighbor) who would benefit from having an Elder meet with them, simply note their name on a card and hand it to an elder. Then an Elder and his wife or two Elders together will find a time to meet with this person and see how they can minister to them.

For example, perhaps you know someone who is ill or sad and needs someone to come and pray with them. Perhaps you know someone who has questions about the Christian faith. Or perhaps you know someone who needs to hear the Gospel.

The offer also extends to you. If you would like an Elder or two to minister to you, you can use the same card for that purpose.

The Elders don't have all the answers, but they are willing for the Lord to make them more missional and to step out in ministry to personal acquaintances of our church family. I'm very excited about the kinds of things God can do through this. All we need to do is to be willing put ourselves in situations where God can really use us, and He will do amazing things.

Ideally, the Elders would love to have you come along on one of these visits. That would make your friend more comfortable, and God could also then be using you as He ministers to your friend. The Elders look forward to being able to share this ministry with you and to help you grow in ministry, too.

The potential is enormous, if we would just unleash it! This is how Jesus did so much of His ministry - not by teaching the crowds, but by ministering directly to individuals. All it takes is for you to submit the names of those you know who can benefit from our Elders.

I don't know of many churches where the Elders are so willing to do this. To me, this would be more important than anything else the Elders presently do. I also believe that this can build the kind of church growth we all want - not by reshuffling who attends which church, but seeing those who don't presently attend church regularly be affected directly by the Gospel and by the love of Christ.

Please let your friend or relative know that the Elders are interested in serving in ministry, not waltzing in as authority figures. They don't come as judges and disciplinarians - they come with a towel wrapped around their wastes ready to serve in the name of Christ.

There is a stack of these cards on the back table.

The Blessing of Prayer

Lynne and I had a fantastic trip to California this past weekend, primarily for the privilege of baptizing and praying for one of our godchildren. But while we were there, we naturally spent time reconnecting with old friends and finding out what God has been doing in their lives. We were overwhelmed by the love and concern that people still have for us, even though we haven't seen many of them for over 5 years.

The greatest blessing, though, was an all-too-brief time of prayer with our hosts and dear friends, Aaron and Amanda. It is our tradition to pray together for one another whenever we get together (and even sometimes over Skype). I must confess that Aaron and Amanda do a better job of making sure we have that time of prayer than I do. That kind of prayer is something that we had as couples almost every week.

As we prayed Sunday night, the sense of God's love, His protection, His sovereignty, His mercy and grace, and His presence was very, very strong. My love and gratitude for Him was rich and almost primal. It was another very special moment with our close friends.

I encourage you to get over that little awkwardness of asking the question and make sure when you spend quality time with your closest of friends that you say, "Let's not leave until we've prayed for each other." Find out the most pressing prayer needs, share your own most pressing needs, and have a relaxed time of prayer that lasts as long as there are prayers to be uttered.

Don't just pray for God to do things to benefit us. Praise, thanksgiving, affirmation of trust, and even confession should be a part of this intimate, shared prayer time.

Meaningful prayers that we share in Small Group or in church settings are necessary and greatly beneficial. But there's another level of shared prayer with your closest Christian friends that goes beyond the norm. If you don't have that, go get it!

It may even be a little awkward at first. But know this - it's not awkward for God.

I believe you'll be amazed at what happens within your spirit when you allow yourself to be abandoned in prayer with other believers you are very close to.

Latest from Kenya

Justin and Sarah Bothwell gave us a great report of their recent trip to Kenya this past Sunday in church. It was fantastic to see pictures of the orphans (now 167 strong!), the progress on the buildings that we've been praying for and contributing to, the tractor, the running water - we're thankful for what the Lord is doing! Despite the ethnic violence and severe inflation, we are still seeing amazing things.

Some quick notes of what else is going on in Kenya:

• Friends of Christ has opened a second orphanage in Wachara. Right now, it's just in the beginning stages - not even quite to the level that Sarah experienced in Ahero during her trip in 2004. There are now just a handful of children.
  
• Inflation in Kenya has been devastating because of the conflicts. The costs for the daily operations of the orphanage and the construction have risen dramatically - some prices have doubled, others have even quadrupled!
  
• A couple of students from AEST (the seminary Ben Byxbe and I have taught at) planted a church in Wachara, and after meeting under a tree for months, they are now meeting in a temporary building.
• Pastor Benard reports that many of the students will not be able to return to AEST because of the costs. Please consider contributing to AEST to help them return (make a check out to DBC, and put "AEST" on the memo line).
  
• We have learned that our visits to Ahero not only do a lot of good for the children, students, and teachers, but can also unexpectedly bring some dangers to our hosts. These dangers are new since the ethic violence that erupted earlier this year. Therefore, we need to adjust our strategies for any future trips.
• Hungry 4 Him, the organization that oversees our ministry in Kenya, has been operating under Dublin Bible Church sinced its inception. However, we are coming closer to establishing H4H as a separate, not-for-profit organization. We will, of course, continue to work closely with DBC.
• I will be in Kenya Sept 14-26. I will primarily be teaching at the seminary, but I'm sure I'll be asked to conduct a conference and preach a couple of times. I will be teaching the students the Gospel of John and the doctrine of angels.
• After I return, we will begin to explore the possibility of putting together another team to go to Kenya within the next couple of years. Because of the dangers, the size of the Ahero orphanage, and the new oppportunities in the South Nyanza region, if we take another team, they will have a different assignment than the 9-person team we took in 2006. Details will be forthcoming.
• A book about Pastor Benard and his ministry is very close to publication. H4H will be helping to distribute the books. When the books are available, we will let you know so you can buy some. We will also be looking for volunteers to give us a couple of hours per month to help get ordered books sent through the post office.
  

Please remember to be praying for the ministries in Kenya (Friends of Christ orphanage in Ahero, Friends of Christ orphanage in Wachara, AEST, and the churches). And please pray for me starting now, continuing through my return on the 26th.