New Wine Report - September 2013

Life at New Wine has been good over the summer. Our last Report was end of June. July and August seem like a blur. People away on trips and the slow passing of summer included two significant departures from New Wine Mission. First we said good-bye to the Robinson Family as they moved to North Carolina for Mike to take a new JR. ROTC position near New Bern. The plus is that they are already involved in an Anglican Church - All Saints, Morehead City. They have been part of a small group with some young Marines at Camp Lejeune and just a week ago had their first cell group in their new home. Our loss but the Kingdom's gain. We also said farewell to Cameron and Hannah as they start their 3 year seminary experience at Nashotah House in MN. We will see the MacMillans later this month when they return to Michigan for a family event. We hope periodic visits will be a regular occurrence over their seminary experience. We are supporting them both in prayer and financially as a church and individually.

We certainly feel the absence of these two dear New Wine families, but we have added to our numbers with several twenty something folks who have started regularly coming the past two months. This fall we are seeing Tim Goodrich step up as our new worship leader and he is doing a great job. Finding the balance of contemporary songs that speak our praise and love to God and yet remaining connected to the songs of the church in ages past is the goal. Over the summer we have seen a new Thursday Evening - Contemplative Cell group emerge. Meeting in downtown Flint at Tim's Shoe Shop they transform the space into a simple worship space for quiet evening prayer and reflection on the daily readings. Calm, quiet and sacred this hour long gathering is often completed with fellowship at a local pub. Laughter, conversation, tales true and imagined, mixed with a little theology is creating a great relational setting for a new way of doing church.

This fall we are continuing to look to do ministry around the table. Several of our cells will participate in the "My Hope America" event on November 7 hosted by the Billy Graham Association, but it is designed to be around a dinner in a home or other gathering places. We hope to host four "Matthew Parties" modeled after St. Matthew throwing a party so his friends could meet Jesus. We are also looking to go deeper with the Lord as we embark on a 7 week sermon series based on a book by Robert Foster called "Longing for God."

Finances have been tight starting early this summer. Once again we were surprised on two occasions when two families beyond our immediate church family tithed unexpected money to our work. Just when expenses exceeded income, the first check came, then just a few weeks ago the second one came again just in the time of greatest need. We can express what a blessing both these gifts have been at a time we did not know how our needs would be met. We can only receive these as a sign that we are to keep pursuing the vision of establishing a self supporting Anglican ministry which Loves People and Loves God, around the Communion Table and through authentic house church communities in Genesee County.

In the beginning of August we held another listening day. We sensed the Spirit saying keep focused on "More Word, More Love, More Service". Let me end with a verse the Lord directed me to during my quiet time that confirmed to me I was to stay the course here in Flint:

Judges 9:13 "But the vine said to them 'Shall I leave my new wine, which cheers God and men, and go to war over the trees?'" and the implied answer is "NO".

When God is at work, and I believe He is at New Wine, we are to stay the course though things are lean or our numbers thin. God is at work and He has not said pull up the stakes and move the tent. This gives me hope for the weeks and months ahead. May we see a great harvest in His vineyard.