We have been in Katy now since January and have loved every minute of it. The weather hasn't been as bad as everyone made it out to be, of course we haven't been here during August or September, which everyone says are the worst months. Here's to hoping though, right?
God has been amazing in making the transition and move seem relatively smooth. The boys adapted to a new school, mid year, fairly quickly. After some searching God lead us to the perfect house for us! We started with a new small group on our first Sunday here and made some great relationships with friends who have kids our boys age and more than anything have really enjoyed living life with them.
One thing I didn't anticipate is the amount of behind the scenes work needed to launch a new campus. It is like having all the work of planting a church along with learning and carrying over the DNA of another. So I have been a student of Grace Fellowship as well as a student of what it takes to start a new church all at the same time! Fortunately Grace Fellowship is the kind of church i would want to be a student and member of even if I were not working here. I have already learned so much sitting under the leadership here and God has expanded my capacity to soak it all in in a short amount of time. It has been fun!
As many of you know, we had determined to launch in a retail space and had located a great spot but that fell through while I was overseas meeting and working with the field workers among the UPG's we have adopted.
So much of the last few weeks has been spent trying to determine where God would have us launch. Last week some of our leadership core of volunteers for the North Campus met together and went and toured various schools and unanimously decided on one where we will begin holding services in January. The same day Bette (you can find out more about her in a previous post titled "Sorry" on April 16th) and I met with the executive director of the YMCA and found out that they wanted to partner with us in our endeavors to minister to the community in North Katy. In short they are going to pour resources and materials as well as launch a new program and they will start with the school we launch our services in!
God is good! and we will be able to make a major impact among the families of north Katy and the school we are meeting in for several months before we ever ask them to attend one of our events. This is how it should be!
Please pray that God will help our contract with Katy ISD go through quickly and without a hitch! Pray for the meeting we have set up between YMCA, Grace Fellowship North and The Elementary school staff as we begin this partnership. Pray that families lives would be touched with the love of Christ and we would earn the right and respect to be able to share about Christs ultimate act of love and that they would come to receive the gospel! Pray that as we begin to maximize the facilities and purchase "church in a box" that we can get all we need to do worship services with excellence yet that can be portable!
Thanks!
Jeff, Kim, Max, Joshua, Tate
So great to hear the update. Prayed for you and your team this morning.
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