Wednesday, November 25, 2015

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.