Prayer partners,
Emily and I are celebrating as we move in our last two families that are a part of our church planting launch team to their new Boston homes! We couldn’t be happier to have all of the team members finally together again as we work alongside one another for the mission that God has given us.
See What God Has Done!
1. Parkwood Volunteer Team
Last month, one of our partner churches sent up a group of volunteers that helped with a variety of service projects including prop design for our Kids’ Summer Adventure, a movie night in the park for Brookline, prayer walking, and serving our local high school. This team was instrumental in establishing an active partnership with a local school, Brighton High. Brighton High is a target area of need that we desire to serve tangibly and prayerfully. Our relationship with Brighton High School will continue this month as we help with their Back to School Blast.
2. Community Day at Faneuil Gardens
On July 14, our church, City on a Hill in Brighton, hosted a table at a local housing development’s Community Day for the tenants of the complex. This type of community event is especially important because it gives us an opportunity to meet more of our Brighton neighbors and to tangibly serve local complexes largely made up of families. These events allow us to actively live out our faith by having conversations with those in our community, giving freely with no expectation of anything in return, and building relationships with those in leadership positions so that we can help again in the future. Pray for continued open doors for us to share the good news of Jesus at Faneuil Gardens and in other housing developments in the area. Also pray that we would continue to build a healthy partnership with this complex to meet its tangible needs.
3. Camp Paradise Speaker for Hickory Grove
Hickory Grove has been very good to me! Not only is it one of our main partner churches, but Hickory Grove is also our sending church and home church. We love the people of Hickory Grove and any opportunity spent with them. In fact, last month I was given the chance to be the Camp Speaker for Hickory Grove’s middle and high school student camp. What an honor! The week at camp focused on the theme of being transformed by the good news of Jesus and His call on our lives. Pray for Hickory Grove’s students to seek gospel change in their daily lives and for the Holy Spirit to work mightily in them as He draws them nearer and nearer to Himself.
4. The Daniels and The Jacobs
Our church planting launch team is now complete! The last two families from our North Carolina team are officially in Boston. It is a surreal feeling to know that the plans we have made for the past couple of years are finally coming to fruition! Please pray for these families as they settle into life in Boston. These couples have left their families, friends, home church, and jobs back in North Carolina to see the good news of Jesus shared in Boston. We are very thankful for their faithfulness to God’s call on their lives and would ask that you pray over their time in this city, especially for a smooth transition and for Boston to feel like home.
What You Can Pray For This Month:
1. Adoption Paperwork for Baby K
Emily and I found out on July 26 that we get to be baby K’s forever family! We are beyond thrilled. The adoption will not be finalized until we are able to complete all the paperwork and get through a few more trial pieces for her case, but we are very hopeful that things will move forward so that we can call her our very own daughter by early next year. Emily and I can’t wait to introduce her to you as a permanent part of our family. Please pray for us as we continue taking on the joy and responsibility of raising our daughter in love, patience, and in the truth of the good news of Jesus. Also pray for paperwork and any remaining trial pieces to go seamlessly for her adoption.
2. Guest Preaching for Local Churches
Preaching at Redemption City Church
The Boston brotherhood of church planters is unlike anything I have ever seen. Each church planter desires to see the kingdom of God grown through the multiplication of more gospel-centered churches. Because of the brotherhood and friendship between planters, I have been asked to preach at several churches in the past year. This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to preach at Redemption City Church in the South End and later this month I will be preaching at City on a Hill in Brookline. Pray for each of these gospel-centered churches to flourish in their communities and pray for clarity of speech and insight from the Word of God as I preach in a few weeks.
3. The Big Move
Last year's group of volunteers for The Big Move
Every year in Boston there is an almost 30% turnover in people. Apartment leases, which make up the majority amount of housing here in the city, generally end/begin on September 1 each year. Because of that, there is a mass influx of people moving in throughout Boston and its surrounding areas and this gives us a great opportunity to meet and serve those directly around us. Partner church, Parkwood, will be sending a volunteer team to help us as we endeavor to meet more of our direct neighbors and serve them by moving in their belongings for no cost. The Big Move is an opportunity to build friendships with those around us. Last year we had graduate students attend our community group and City on a Hill church because we helped them during The Big Move (and they are still a regular part of our community group!). Pray for strength and endurance for the teams that will be helping during that very busy weekend, for gospel opportunities with our neighbors, and for opportunities to live life with friends that live in our immediate community.
Thank you for praying alongside of us through this journey. Look for our top ten highlights of our first year in Boston in another post soon!