Major Update, Part 2: Ministry

We're posting our update in two parts, personal and ministry. To see part 1, click here.

Visibility
Last September we moved our little fellowship group outside our home and into a nearby church building. Our aim in this was to provide a third space for people, since not everyone feels comfortable going to someone's home. Since our move we have seen many new faces, usually one at a time, as people have come to check out what we're doing, but most of them have either been visiting Edmonton from another city with a Calvary Chapel or got a "referral" of sorts from someone who does.

Over the last several months we have become much more visible as a group in the following ways:

• creating a website for the church plant
• starting a Facebook page
• making a blog to post happenings
• placing an "ad" in our local community league's quarterly newsletter
• purchasing a small ad space in the local Shepherd's Guide for 2014

and last, but not least, we've become locally visible by

• getting two sidewalk/sandwich board signs to put outside the church building indicating our presence (these are out on Sundays from an hour before service until we pack up to leave)

We're particularly excited about the sidewalk signs because last week we met a couple who had found our website but weren't confident about our location until they saw our signs out Easter Sunday (which was the first Sunday we had them)!

Prayer Need 1: Our prayer is that God would use these media to assist people seeking a solid, Bible-teaching church and to lend some greater permanence to the work He has begun.

Outside the Box
We are blessed to have a stable small group of people who gather on Sundays and for the other fellowship opportunities we have in the month. However, we know that the church grows by the Lord adding to it those who are being saved. This happens as all believers are equipped by their leaders for the work of the ministry in their circles of influence, but as church planters, it happens by our doing the work of evangelists.

We don't hesitate to say that with one full-time worker  (Dejan) and one full-time at heart but part-time at best (Julie) this has been a matter for much thought and prayer over the months we've been here. We've tried many things, with the following observations:

• When the weather is cold, it's harder to get with people. They retreat and withdraw as the winter deepens and making primary contact has been more challenging. 
• When the weather is nicer in the balance of the year, it is much, much easier. Everyone seems hungry for getting outside and getting around people in a way other than the daily commute to work or doing their weekly shopping.

Prayer Need 2: Creativity in evangelism is acute in our situation. We believe the Lord has the best ideas, and we are seeking Him for what exactly to do* during the spring and summer months. Your prayers for these matters would be more than a blessing. 

*One avenue of contact is just meeting with and grilling out with some of our neighbors with whom we are more well-acquainted. Another is that we have a plot in our local community garden. We are also prayerfully considering running a recreational men's soccer night at our local park.

Consistency
Our little core group has changed over the months since last spring but remains pretty stable overall. One couple moved far away, another person drives quite a distance and needed something closer to home. Still another has new job constraints that preclude regular Sundays off. It is important for us to be patient, as all these situations happen regularly in congregations larger in size. It's just way more noticeable when the size is small.

We have firm trust that Jesus is building His church, so these things don't concern or worry us. What is bothersome is the trend that seems to exist of a low priority of fellowship. It seems that many people in general put a higher priority over other, less permanent activities or pursuits. It's kind of baffling, but we have heard that this is kind of an issue in this area from more than one source, so it's a matter we definitely need to bring to the Lord. Perhaps it stems from the general lack of substantial Bible teaching in the church at large, we don't know, but it's something we'd like to see change in the city.

Prayer Need 3: Our heart's desire for our fellowship is that it will reflect the statement about the church at Ephesus in Acts 19:20, "So the Word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." It's not about numbers, but we know that health often means growth in both depth and breadth.

Outreach
We are eagerly anticipating another team from our home church this summer! Last August we had an amazing time of fellowship, preaching and ministry with the group that came, and we are expecting God to do great things again. Now that we are meeting outside our home, we are excited to be able to direct people there (whereas last summer we were unable to give our home address to relative strangers).

That's just one week out of the whole summer, however, SO... we are longing for other individuals, couples or teams from ours or other churches to also come and invest some time and energy to the work here. Whether it's a weekend, a week, a few weeks, a month, we are in need of more beautiful feet to go out and share the gospel, more hearts and hands to labor together with us, to fellowship, pray and serve!

Prayer Need 4: "Pray to the Lord of the harvest, to send out workers into His harvest field." ~Jesus (Matt. 9:38)

We are so blessed to be here and witness the work that God is doing! Jesus is true to His word, and we are dependent on Him to fulfill His promise that He will build His church, not just in a general sense, but here in our midst as well. Thanks for taking the time to consider all that's going on here. May the Lord bless and guide you in your present work, calling and ministry in His name.

By His grace,
Dejan and Julie <><