Thursday, September 20, 2012

New Wine Report - Sept 2012

Here we are nearly at the end of September and Fall is upon us as fast as the frosty nights. Deb and I had a wonderful two week vacation in mid-August. Most of our time was spent with friends and family and proved to be a much needed time of decompression. We do really need to heed the Lord's admonition to build in times of rest. He knows what He is talking about. Have you "rested" from your labors lately?
New Wine Anglican Mission has been released from the affiliation oversight of the Anglican Mission in America. AMIA itself has undergone organizational changes and is now officially a mission society. Along with other AMIA churches in Michigan we have decided to come under the new Anglican province called the "Anglican Church of North America" or ACNA. We have applied for reception under Bishop Roger Ames and the Anglican Diocese of the Great Lakes. This has been affirmed informally and we are awaiting official notification.

Practically this means we will be joining a diocese which will grow from 20 to 40 some congregations primarily in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Kentucky. We will still maintain a mission spirit reaching out to our communities via a ministry that carries a sacramental, evangelical and charismatic balance. Last month several of our clergy leaders in Michigan spent the day with Bishop Roger. It was a great time of sharing our stories and getting to know each other, but most memorable for me was a time when the Bishop prayed for each of us asking for a continued blessing and guidance in each of our lives. This gathering took place in our home which under our new cell model of doing ministry continues to be a haven of rest and a great instrument out of which to do ministry. And for this we are both grateful and blessed.
In this past month we also witnessed the ordination of three men whom the Lord allowed us to help raise up. The first was Micah Chisholm who finished seminary and is serving as an assistant priest in Springfield, MO. in an ACNA parish. As I have gotten to know Micah over the years, I know we have raised up a teacher and preacher who has a heart for the lost and a living faith in the One who calls him. The other two happened on short notice. Samuel Makuach was ordained a transitional deacon as he has been called to serve a small Sudanese congregation in Lansing. Mike Cupp was quickly ordained priest as he and his family begin a new work in Grand Rapids. Both these men I have come to know and see the Lord's mighty hand on them. They love Jesus and are making great sacrifices in order to heed the call. As I have tried to pour my support and time into these three men and as New Wine has sponsored two of them in their discernment process, we feel great joy in witnessing these ordinations!


September 6,7 & 8, Fawn Glassford and I joined some 70 "missionaries" in an inter-denominational outreach called "Engage Flint". For three days we went door to door praying over the city and praying for the people we met. On several occasions teams of two or three were able to share the good news of Christ and give away New Testaments. We prayed for many people for healing, to overcome discouragement and asked the Lord to help turn our city around. This often allowed us to introduce neighbors to each other, like two pastor's wives who did not know about the other young mom feeling alone who lived one street over. We followed up already with two women who are very interested in regular Bible study. I am meeting with a third gentleman for coffee next week. This reminded me how much people are looking for the real thing when it comes to Jesus. We just need to make ourselves more available to be used to listen and to pray with them.

Our first grandson is due in the next few weeks and will mark another life transition for the Kulchar family. Pray for Sarah, Asa & Josh. Join with us also in praying for "spiritual and numerical growth" at New Wine this fall.