New Wine Report - Nov 2015

New Wine Report - November 2015

Life at New Wine and the Kulchar’s has been less than routine of late.  Since we last communicated in this format, much has happened.  Since this time last year, I stopped working at the Market and put my full effort in ministry both at New Wine and helping Holy Trinity South Haven in their search process for a new priest.  

With New Wine we focused on small group and outreach efforts.  This took the form of reconnecting with Revive Flint Ministry, doing contact work and hosting a Bible Study outreach on Kettering Campus called “Project 52”.  We continued to look for social outings to meet and invite non-members  which included four of us participating in a “dancing club” for a couple of weeks this fall.  Starting last Spring I began a mentoring relationship with the local Inter Varsity staff member and helping him with some intentional faculty outreach.  This has been very rewarding though I can only give a few hours a week to this effort.  Most recently I hosted our first Christian Faculty Lunch at UM Flint which included 5 professors.  Though none have visited New Wine I see these relationships holding much potential.  

Sundays and Cell groups have gone well though Tim our music leader has left to explore joining the Catholic church.  He was such a blessing while with us and his absence is a great loss.  Though a smaller number now at our times of worship, sharing and the breaking of bread continue to be rich.  The cell groups at the Davison Senior apartments, a group that meets at the home of a family that is homebound, and our Monday evening cell which we have moved to Wednesday morning at a local coffee shop have continued to reach people beyond our core group and we are thankful.   We now have a regular Monday morning prayer group which focuses on intercessory prayer for our adult children who are in great need.  This support group has seen great progress in our work of prayer since we started.  The men’s group that meets on Thursday night has been a steady blessing though now being lead by a non-churchmen yet who regularly contributes to our support.  They are studying  Brother Lawrence’s book “Practicing the Presence” and the conversations have been challenging and deep.    So we can say thanks to the Lord for using us in various ways in the work of ministry.  

Two significant shifts have happened in the Kulchar’s life since we last wrote.  First,  in October I completed my work with South Haven and they now have a new rector;  Rick Turner (ordination picture above).  This represented about $900 a month reduction in our support.  Instead of taking on another part-time position I am now seriously considering other full-time ministry opportunities.  Deb and I would prefer to stay in the midwest near family and in the Anglican communion.  However, I am finding there are very few new opportunities that seem to meet our  financial needs and make a good ministry match.   The second event that arose this fall was that my name was placed in the process for consideration as Bishop of ADGL.  I was not selected for consideration  by the House of Bishops, but it was a great honor to be considered at all.  Now that this process is done I have returned to looking for other ministry opportunities which is very time consuming.  This past weekend I went down to Indianapolis  (picture left of downtown vet memorial) .   There is only one Anglican work in the city and it is under Nigeria and filled with Nigerian immigrants.  A group has organized called the Indy Anglican Network and I am considering entering into a short term coaching relationship which could develop into a full-time Network Leader and Church Planter position in the Indy area.  

Keep us in prayer both as we lead New Wine and search for where God may be calling us next.        

July 2015 - New Wine Report

New Wine Report - July 2015

In July 2005 our core team launched New Wine Anglican Mission. Our hopes and dreams were centered around a vision of building a church around authentic Christian community. Our motto has been “Love God and Love People”. We have said it so often it is almost humorous now, but it has been our foundational thought - “It is all about relationship”.

After 10 years of relationships, we can celebrate many lives being touched near and far. Our hope was to build relationships around “house church” gatherings we called “Cell Groups”. These small groups would be incubators where we could grow spiritually and numerically. In these groups, located in homes, coffee shops and senior apartment complexes, we have studied, prayed, served and tried to reach out to invited family, friends and neighbors. Some of our groups have multiplied but some have served their purpose and folded. Relationship building takes work and it takes time. Being Anglican also required that we gather at the Lord's table. At one point we were pushing 25-30 on a Sunday, but in recent times only about 12-15.

I have shared with the congregation and now with those who have supported New Wine, for Deb and I specifically, our financial needs have grown as we try to prepare for retirement. The current level of support has been a blessing up to this point meeting our day to day expenses, but it has not allowed us to save for the senior years. This year we are seeing the church constantly falling short of our current budget demands. This has resulted in our bi-monthly support having to be reduced at the time of payment. For us, but not necessarily for New Wine, this represents a closing of a door. I worked bi-vocationally beginning last summer at the market selling cheese 2 days a week. I tried to work part-time as a Hospice chaplain in January, but it was not a good fit for me. Both did, however, remind me that my calling is to pastor a church and to reach out to the lost and hurting world.

Hence, as of the beginning of July, I have begun to search for new ministry positions that meet our financial need and will allow me to serve full-time. It could take a year or longer to find a new placement or it could be by the end of the summer. We ask for your prayers as we seek the Lord in these matters. If you know of opportunities first in the Anglican world, but even in other churches, I am open to these opportunities. We would prefer to stay in the midwest, even in Flint if the door opened, but if we dreamt of a perfect location at this moment in relationship to family members, Indianapolis area would be ideal. I would like to be rector, but am open and capable of being in a staff roll in a larger church focusing on discipleship, leadership development, outreach and evangelism.

Currently we are pressing on at New Wine. The kingdom work is never done. I have re-connected with the Revive Flint ministry which prays over the city and does contact evangelism 2 times a month. I am meeting Christian faculty for Inter Varsity at U of M in Flint in order to support the wider work of this campus wide ministry. We are still meeting in House Church groups looking for ways to connect with and invite new people to share in our life. I have also been blessed to be part of a food distribution chapel where I preach once a month to over 200 people. My partnership with Holy Trinity Anglican will soon come to an end with the calling of a new rector, hopefully before the end of the year.

As you can see life has been very much in flux as of late. The church, Deb and I, and the wider church need your prayer support.

Listening Day Summary - April 2015

Listening Day 

April 18, 2015

Summary Statement: 

 “A Call to action and perseverance resting in our identity as sons and daughters of the King.  Pray boldly, Act with mercy, and Trust Him always.”

Key passage:  Jude 1:17-25  (Note: Judy, Rob and others were directed by Spirit to this passage)

17 But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 18 They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” 19 These are the people who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.  20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.   22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.  24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

WE ARE IN TIMES OF TESTING   

(The Daily Readings:    Dan 3:19-30 “Furnace Test”  Luke 4:1-13 “Jesus Testing by Satan”)

We are in trying times at New Wine and testing times in our world.

We live among the pagans & scoffers -  (Like Daniels friends) 

1 Peter 2:12  Live among the Pagans so “they may see your good deeds and glorify God.”

The church and individuals sense a time of spiritual warfare and testing.

WE ARE TO KEEP OURSELVES IN GOD’S LOVE

Isaiah 61:3b  We will be the planting of the Lord, oaks of righteousness, for His display

Jude 1:20  “Build yourselves up”  How?  In love by caring for each other.  But also 

        reminding each other of God’s goodness in times of testing (like Daniels friends)

WE ARE TO PRAY BOLDY

Jude 1:20  We are to pray “in” the Spirit, informed by the mind of Christ, taught by Word

            As Children of the King we can speak with authority against spiritual warfare. 

Isaiah 61:1-2  In the Spirit we can bind up and proclaim release in the spiritual.

WE ARE TO ACT MERCIFULLY

Isaiah 58:6  “True fast” do justice, aid the oppressed, clothe the naked, feed the hungry

James1:22   Do not just be hearers of the Word but doers of the Word.

                   example:  Follow the Riverside brother who spent his life “sharing the Word”

Jude 1:23  “Snatching them (the lost) from the fire”

Isaiah 61:1f  Bind up the broken hearted, proclaim freedom,  release captives, comfort 

those who mourn, proclaim the good news 

(Note June & Judy P were lead to James1:22 once again)

   “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”

WE ARE TO PERSERVE

Jude 1:24  We are not to ‘stumble” but to persevere   

A word spoken:  “Do not falter when we do not see fruit from what we plan, but seek 

God’s plan and pursue after it!”

Matt 5:48  Be “perfect” in loving the hard to love.  

“Keep loving, O people my people, keep loving!”

1Peter 5:6-7  Humble yourself and He will lift you up in His time. Worry not He cares for you!

WE WILL HAVE THE VICTORY IN CHRIST

Luke 4:1f  Like Christ we are tested, but our victory is found in TRUSTING the Lord.

              Prophetic Word:    “I will BE There”   Again I say  “I will BE There”

Psalm 20 our appointed psalm is a “Psalm of Victory” & reminds us in the end the Lord wins!

Jude 1:24   In the end He will present us “perfect” without fault and with great joy.

Despite the times of testing and hardship the victory is assured!  PTL

Follow Up Questions:  

What will we, New Wine Mission, do in the weeks and months ahead in response to this day?

How will we work at going deeper and resting in the Love of God?  

How will our times of meeting with God change?

How will your language of prayer change as you battle the enemies of God?

How is God calling you to action?  What new level of doing will you commit to?

 How will we encourage each other & remind each other of His promise to “be there”?

New Wine Report - Feb 2015

Several of our fellowship have gone to more warmer climates this time of year. Florida and Arizona seem to be the favored locations. Some may see this as a flight from the snow and cold, but we prefer to see them as missionaries to the South.

Seriously, it does a pastor's heart good to hear reports of ministry happening from those who travel afar. We do feel their absence. Unfortunately our average Sunday attendance of 2015 is only around 16. But we are also encouraged to hear reports of how our traveling folks are constantly encountering “God-moments” on their journeys. One person is involved in leading a Bible study while others find witnessing opportunities while staying with friends and family on the way. One of our folks even helped in a project to create a “baptismal font” for a new Anglican church.

For those left to hold down the fort amid the cold and snow we still find many ministry opportunities here in Genesee County. One of our cell groups has changed its location this winter to accommodate a couple who due to aging issues cannot get out much in the winter. They have now brought a “house church” to them and all are blessed. Another group has gained a new person who after being very active in their church had recently been rather isolated and uninvolved. They now have joined the group and report a freshness to their spiritual life. Yet another our cell groups which has been lead by our church members is being lead by non-members while they are away for the winter. We will hold our Ash Wednesday Service with this group in which over a dozen participants who are not from New Wine will be joining us as we mark the beginning of Lent.

It has been a difficult season for the work and me personally. Last year I returned to bi-vocational work by working 2 days at the Flint Farmers market selling cheese. Time away from direct ministry is hard for me when I know so much more can be done for the Kingdom. (“The harvest is plentiful...”) We have also seen several folks leave the fellowship for various reasons which is sad and their absence is deeply felt. At the beginning of the year I quit the cheese shop and a unique opportunity presented itself in the form of a Hospice Chaplain position. I applied and was accepted, but soon into the training it was apparent that the demands of the work were just not going to allow me to do Hospice, New Wine and my work with South Haven. After much soul searching and prayer, I have chosen to focus only on New Wine and Holy Trinity. The combined income from these two churches will allow us to meet our living expenses. We are grateful and I have found a renewed passion and energy towards focusing only on parish ministry!

Just last week a parishioner shared a sense of seeing some long awaited fruit about to spring forth. A young couple has recently started attending and a few other relationships are showing promise. The work with South Haven is entering a new busy phase as they are accepting applications for their new rector. I have already started the vetting process while coaching them through the early interview stage. This is an exciting time.

Please keep New Wine and Holy Trinity in your prayers. We need discernment concerning what will be ahead once our ministry with South Haven is completed. Pray for a season of growth and renewed health and wisdom to the right things at the right time.