Prayer Partners,
Spring is around the corner for us in Boston and we couldn’t be more excited! As much as we love the snow, we will look forward to more time walking to local restaurants and spending time outside with our friends and church here!
SEE HOW GOD WORKED LAST MONTH!
1. Almost Licensed as Foster/Adoptive Parents!
Emily and I are excited to say that we are just a few weeks away from being done with our foster/adoptive licensure for the state of Massachusetts. In the Boston area alone, there are 6,000 children in the foster care system. And because each one is made in the image of God, they are all deserving of love and care. Through the foster care process, we have had the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus through why we want to foster/adopt with many social workers. God has given us a heart for adoption and foster care because we ourselves have been adopted into the family of God by faith in the perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus. We hope to continue this ministry to the little ones that come into our home and show them the unending love of Christ. Our first official placement should happen around the beginning of April!
2. Fruitful Time with our Hickory Grove Volunteer Team
The goal of a church plant is to share the good news of Jesus in a place where there are not many established churches and to see the good news of Jesus spread in that area. We would not be able to accomplish this goal without church partnerships in our ministry. Whether by providing funds, people, or general resources, a church plant in Boston will certainly be a team effort. Emily and I have been blessed with Hickory Grove as our “sending church” (where we previously were and now have been sent from). Recently a team from Hickory Grove had the opportunity to walk through the streets of Brighton, praying for its people, schools and organizations and praying that its people would be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus. The team also helped Emily and I grow our partnership within this community through a non-profit called Brighton Main Streets. Teams of people like this enable us to accomplish more ministry opportunities that we would otherwise be unable to fulfill. Needless to say, we are very thankful for faithful church partners and those willing to come and serve the city!
3. March Colborne Community Night
Each month Emily and I host a Colborne Community Night, a night to spend time with our neighbors in our apartment complex. Part of being in the family of God means extending that love and care to others and we have the privilege of doing that with our neighbors who we love and are so thankful to know. These nights are meant to be a time to grow our friendships with those immediately around us and to simply serve them by providing free food or just a night to relax and play games. This allows us to learn about their life stories, beliefs, and hopes for the future. We are continually praying for more opportunities to love and serve our neighbors at Colborne Place!
4. Many Opportunities to Preach
I am always thankful for any opportunity to preach the gospel in local church bodies. It was a great privilege to be asked by a few other planters to preach at their churches in the last month. Be praying for Indian Community Church as they reach the Indian population in Boston and specifically in Waltham, where the church is located, that they would be fruitful in seeing Indians come to know Christ and His sacrifice. Also, be praying for Renewal Church, which meets downtown. This church is a great example of “gaining by losing” as they multiply and send out another church plant to the Mission Hill area. Pray that their congregation would have perseverance and would show great faithfulness as they pursue making the good news of Jesus known throughout the city of Boston.
BE PRAYING FOR:
1. Aaron Preaching Sunday at City on a Hill
With Good Friday and Easter just around the corner, I will be preaching from Matthew 21 about the Triumphal Entry of Jesus on Palm Sunday. I’m looking forward to preaching this Sunday! Please pray that the gospel message of Jesus Christ will open the eyes of those who don’t yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Also pray that my message will be very clear on who Jesus is and His sacrifice for us.
2. April Colborne Community Night
April Colborne Community Night flyer
Flyers for our next Colborne Community Night will be going out this weekend! Along with these flyers will be some homemade cookies and a personal note to each of our neighbors inviting them to join us. We hope that this extra touch will serve as a simple encouragement in their busy lives and to let them know that we care about them. Our next Colborne Community Night will be on April 6. Be praying for our neighbors and all that they have going on in their lives! We hope that our next Colborne Community Night will be a time to simply relax and spend time with friends without any agenda but to love and serve those around us.
3. Parkwood Volunteer Team April 4-8
Emily and I have been blessed with great supporting churches! And each of these churches graciously send teams of people to catch the vision of seeing the love of Christ spread throughout Boston and to specifically serve and love this community. Parkwood will be sending a team from April 4-8. During their stay with us, we will prayer walk, further build partnerships with local businesses and non-profits, be a part of our Colborne Community Night, and serve City on a Hill with various projects. Parkwood has been a great ministry partner and allowed me to speak at their missions conference recently. More and more people are growing to love Boston and we are so thankful for this church’s efforts in gospel ministry!
We have a big event coming up next month called The God Question at Boston College. Be sure to check out our next prayer update to learn more about the event and how to pray specifically for it!