Monday, March 31, 2014

Tilling The Ground!


     Yesterday, instead of worshiping as a church in the traditional way, Grace Fellowship (both campuses) shut the doors and went and served in the community! AT North Campus we had around an 80% participation from our members and regular attenders. We did a lot of work at two elementary school campuses, two carnivals for lower income neighborhoods or apartment complexes and some of our people went to a laundry-mat and paid for and helped do laundry for the community!    

     I have to say, there is very little that will build community like serving together and I can't really tell who was more blessed, those we were serving or us! It was fun, working for others and worshiping our God by being His hands and feet in the community!

     At the laundry-mat two people were so moved by those helping them that they opened up and prayed to receive Christ while many others received prayer from one of our members that was loving on them. It is amazing how when we help people clean their physical laundry and pay for it they feel the need to open the flood gates and let us help with their spiritual laundry!

    At the carnivals we loved on kids and had multiple opportunities to speak with their parents. I can't wait to hear all the stories from conversations that took place between our people and these families. What I do know is that dozens of people said they wanted to come to church as they were touched that we would love on them and their children just because the love of Christ compelled us too! Countless people responded greatly to the fact that the church had gotten out of it's four walls and rather than asking for money gave it away freely!

    At the schools we tore out overgrown weed infested beds and basically spruced up the campuses of two elementary schools that Katy ISD tends to overlook because they are title 1 schools and the parents are either to busy trying to make ends meet or have not been in the country long enough to know that they can complain that the ISD is neglecting the upkeep of these properties like they would never do south of I-10. Ripping out the old and replacing it with new!

     Yesterday was great! AS you pray for us, pray that "He who began a good work would be faithful and bring it to completion." Pray that we would see the ripping out of old and newness of life begin in the lives of those that were touched! Pray for revival for us and spiritual awakening for north Katy! Pray that Easter would be a time that these people would come and hear the Gospel and respond! Pray we can get the word out effectively! Pray that our children's ministry re-launch would be a success and that we could reach the next generation growing up in Katy North! Pray for Rene, our children's minister, as she plans and preps for this day!

     Thank you for praying and covering us! let these stories bless you as you are a part of the work here as you move mountains in the spiritual realms with your prayers that make all this possible!

We love you all!

Jeff, Kim, Max, Joshua and Tate

Monday, March 24, 2014

Revival?

I know it has been a while since I posted and I do apologize! We so covet your prayers of covering for us!

We are eleven weeks in since our first service and things are going really well. The past two weeks I have preached a mini series called "Why We Do the Things We Do." the first sermon in the series was on the authority of scripture and why we preach exposition of the word at Grace and yesterdays was on the 7 Hebrew words of praise and why we worship the way we do at Grace. At the end of our second service I told the congregation the could linger if the needed to and no one moved for about 30 minutes as they just kept praising our Lord.

We are actively seeking and praying for revival at Grace fellowship this year as we have felt the Lord prompting us to do so this year. I can't help but wonder what was happening in the hearts of those who refused to leave yesterday? Could God be beginning revival  at North? I hope and pray so! Would pray for that with us?

Also pray for us as we begin our first official North Campus Staff meeting today? Pray for the many more to come! That God would lead us in all we do!

Finally pray for our "community" groups that they would continue to grow and that God would make community be the back bone of our growth rather than programming!

Thank you all!

Jeff, Kim, Max, Joshua and Tate