Spring Showers

Probably the biggest part of empowering the urban poor is introducing each person to Jesus.  Without Jesus the training, education or encouragement that we give only takes them so far.  Many people do not know much about Jesus or the story of the Bible.  We have our work cut out for us.  Full transformation does not take place overnight, but as we continue to invest in the lives of people sharing the Story and Spirit we see real change – change we believe will effect generations and ripple throughout eternity. 

This spring it has been refreshing to watch the transformation in the people we minister to.  After three youth made a strong commitment to make Jesus their Lord, one of them said, “I feel like I just took a shower.”  A week later we got to pray with another young man who counted the cost and decided to follow Jesus.  That is just the beginning.

We have seen shy and timid people willing to be greeters and even find the boldness to go out and share their faith. A group organized an Easter outreach – something that took our church to a whole new level of empowerment and dependence on God.  New believers are inviting their friends and neighbors to come to church and to know Jesus – praying for them on the spot, sharing favorite Bible verses.  We have begun to see more sacrificial giving of both time and money.  People’s vocabulary is changing indicating how they see this church as theirs and not as “Pastor Chad’s” church.  Individuals are taking time to make phone calls to check in and ask how things are going or report and give updates with one another.  People are loving one another…and even loving those that previously were the ‘unlovables’.

Speaking of new life….thank you for rejoicing with us in the birth or our son, Beniah Benjamin.  What a joy he is – and what a month this has been learning to be a family of five.  Continue to lift our family (and our rest) in your prayers please.

Please also be in prayer for our Mother’s Day service and outreach this month. There are so many single-mothers and other women that need to know the love of their Father and be empowered through the grace and love of Jesus. 

Thankful for your prayers that lift up the unlovable and cause true transformation,

Chad, Fabiola, Rebecca, Justice and Beniah