New Wine Report - May 2013

I wish you all could have joined us the last few weeks in our Sunday worship times. We have had Tim, Carolann, Tyler and Hannah all join Deb and Anne to form a new music ministry team. The addition of vocals, rhythm and guitars has been a blessing. But as one parishioner said to me the other day "It was more than the music". We seem to be drawing closer or dare I say "deeper" in our times of adoration and praise. People have been sharing Scriptures, testimonies and even visions that seem to be Spirit inspired. One person shared how she had been singing all last week before the service the children's praise chorus "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands". Then in church on Sunday the image that appeared in the middle of the power point was hands holding a globe!. (Sermon Title was "Serve Locally Think Globally".)  http://www.newwinemission.com/Audio_Sermons/    A coincidence or a God-incidence?

 

We had several opportunities last month to serve locally. We joined over 800 Christian volunteers for a City Clean Up day called "Be the Church". We helped clean up over 150 abandoned houses one cold Saturday in April. Our 10 member team joined with a group of young college guys and cleaned up 11 yards. Then just two weeks later 4 of us were able to help clean up a park in our Central Park neighborhood where we meet on Sundays. We pray that helping hands will open doors for significant relationships with those around us.

We have also completed the process of discernment with two of our members who are seeking ordination in the Anglican Church. One is Cameron MacMillan, who has been provisionally accepted to Nashotah House, a residential seminary in Wisconsin. Jim Sartor has applied to be a Permanent Deacon and will be doing preparation locally at New Wine. We are not a large fellowship but God has given us the privilage of impacting the church far beyond our local context with potential leaders like these two men.

With mixed emotions we have learned that the Robinson family will be leaving us in June. Mike, one of our trustees, has taken a new Jr. ROTC instructor position near New Bern, NC. Anne is our worship team leader and keyboardist, and Kate has facilitated our White House Cafe (Young Adult outreach) the last two years. Cindy is a prayer warrior and exercised her extraordinary gifts of hospitality on numerous occasions over the 5 years they have been with us. We cannot help but already grieve their absence but with great joy send them off knowing we have helped equip them for new ministries in NC. They already have met some people from a new work Doc Loomis, our former Bishop, is involved with in New Bern. It almost feels like this is a "God Thing" :)

 

Several of us also attended our first annual diocesan gathering in Akron, Ohio. We were encouraged to hear how God is working around the midwest. Rob Robertson, Congregation President, said the high point was not the great worship and teaching, but came when seated in a local pub with a group of young guys all involved with leadership in our diocese. They all were deeply passionate about the Lord and reaching this generation for Christ. Rob said he was moved to tears, who, like Simeon, got a glimpse of the Lords' work and the future of the church.

We covert your prayers as we approach a season of transition. We look to the Lord to keep growing us both spiritually and numerically. Deb continues to look for part-time work that fits. I ask your prayers as I look to be more intentional in spending time doing contact work. Finally, as most of you know our eldest daughter Jenny has been very ill with a staph infection. She is doing much better, even as I write, but still unable to work. Pray for her complete and full recovery.