Just this morning I read an article listing the 10 most "miserable" cities in America. Flint was third based on unemployment, crime and housing statistics. Here is the link:
The thing about Flint is that other cities seem to move up and down this list but we have been persistently at the top for many years. So why would anyone want to plant a church here where there is so little hope? Why plant when people do not want to build much of anything? Instead, people are trying to leave the area rather than stay here. The reason is easy. This is exactly where people need the Word of Hope to be proclaimed in word and deed. That is why I believe He keeps us here!
Last month the desperation that leads to crime in Flint manifested itself in a real way when our son Kyle's college apartment was broken into three times. The first time they stole his new Apple laptop. Our home-owners insurance covered about half of the replacement cost, but more disturbing is to see the effect this has had on Kyle as he struggles with living in the fallen world. He is temporarily at home again, looking to find a new place to stay. I struggle with feelings of anger, disappointment and a deep sense of sorrow for the despair which is so rampant in our city. Just at the the time this was happening, I found myself preaching out of the book of Jonah. Nineveh was a desperately wicked city of 120,000 people. My heart was moved when I found out that Flint's population in 2010 was 124,000. If a pagan city like Nineveh can experience a moral turn around, a spiritual awakening, Flint can too. Please pray with us that the Spirit might move the hearts of the people to repent and turn to the Lord.
I am happy to report that New Wine finished the year 2011 well by meeting all its obligations. The trustees have by faith increased our support by 10% for the first time since we began and are making a budgetary commitment to a regular contribution to a retirement fund. Presently, I am able to stay on full-time, but Deb still needs to find work and has been searching since last summer. Two weeks ago she got her first face to face interview. She is hoping to hear from the company this week. Once again we have seen the Lord faithfully providing through people like you what we need just when we need it.
Last month I was able to attend the AMIA annual conference in Houston, Texas. In spite of leadership and organizational challenges facing the AMIA right now, I came home greatly encouraged. I continue to believe we are on the right track trying to reach people through relational evangelism in small groups. This month I am excited to report we hope to launch two new cell groups. The first will be a grief support group hosted by one of our members in her apartment complex north of Flint. The other group is a neighborhood gathering hosted by one of our couples where they will be working through material on personal finances by Larry Burkett. Both these need-centered groups have the potential of becoming regular cell groups where discipleship, fellowship, worship, ministry and mission takes place.
Though several of our members have headed south for "snowbird" travels, we feel they go forth as missionaries to the people and places down south. Nick Daddario also made another trip to Columbia, South America, helping out with"Open Arms", a ministry to street-kids. We also have Joy who is working on her two year mission to China representing us and the Lord a long way away. Our congregation continues to support in prayer and resources our daughter Kate who is in the Middle East. Before she returns home in May she has an opportunity to spend her final month abroad in Cambodia helping a ministry to women who want to come out of the sex trade. For a small fellowship we are blessed to have such an international impact.
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