Perspectives

Here is a little update on how Perspectives class is coming. I’m so thankful to have your prayers and support as we get closer and closer to the first night of class. Let me assure you that your prayers are being answered. Our team has met with very little resistance as we gathered our “Big 6” and call our instructors.

Please pray for our team as we prepare these last few months:

Chad Fiechter:
Chad is in the middle of harvest and is solidifying our last few instructors.
Kristi and Doug Gerber:
Kristi in charge of the budget and will be helping with our street fair booth.
Joe Leman:
Joe is also working the street fair booth.
Amber Steffen:
Amber is leaving for Haiti for two weeks for LSM.
Allen and Susan Stoller:
They are looking for graders for the class and promoting the class everywhere they go.

Street Fair Booth
Please pray for our booth at the Bluffton Street Fair. We are hoping to build awareness for the class and get a chance to visit with a lot of Christians in our community. Please pray that everything works well with the booth setup and that we have enough staff to man the booth. Also pray for all those who will attend or are thinking about attending the class this spring. God is moving and working in our community and he wants to involve us in this work.

Inward Groanings

Consider this passage with me:

Romans 8:18-27 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

This passage indicates that the creation is groaning because of the current age of corruption. It longs to be the habitation of beauty and worship instead of a theater of violence and sorrow. I can just imagine earthquakes and storms as terrible groans that the elements express in an anxious protest against the depravity of these times.

This personification takes on a new dimension when Paul compares our redeemed souls with the creation. We who are saved join the creation in groaning for the resurrection. I effect we are interceding for the world because we are tied to it and its sorrow. The earth was cursed when man fell and it will be renewed when the “children of God” are revealed.

Ask yourself this: Do I groan for the nations? Do I want Christ’s Kingdom to come so bad that it is like labor pains inside me? This age of twilight is causing our hearts to hope for light and to groan because of the grey. Maybe you’ve been groaning but you don’t know why? May you find hope in the promise of the coming of our Lord, and may we be filled with longing Jesus like a bride longs for her groom.

Intercession

I just watched an impacting video on the power of intercession. May this spur our hearts to a greater passion for prayer as we’re reminded of the One who intercedes for us. Lets raise our hearts and voices to the Father on behalf of the nations and our community with a renewed zeal today.

Perspectives Update

Preparation for our Perspectives class this spring is well under way. Our loop is complete!

Sunday Night - Berne (Berne Missionary)

Monday Night - Bluffton (Life Community)

Tuesday Night - Columbia City

Please pray for these classes and for the students that God will give us. Also pray for God's hand to be on our instructors. We are contacting possible instructor now and we desire that God would prepare a beautiful message through the filling of these positions.

Also pray for our 3 Class Coordinators and their teams.

Luke Johnson - Berne

Chad Fiechter - Bluffton

Heather Ward - Columbia City

God bless you for all that you do as a support team.

Come on! Let's change the world!

Hi-ho everyone! I read a really neat article on 24-7's prayer room blog. Maybe you'll enjoy it too!

In Jesus,
Grace

Link: http://24-7prayer.com/features/1275

Perspective Big 6

Hey team! I just wanted to post an update on the progress of our Perspectives class. Thank you so much for being willing to pray for this effort. Thursday, June 24 (tomorrow) our coordination team is meeting to begin working on what is called "The Big 6". These are the six main things that we need to have completed before they let us have a class. All six are due before mid September. Please pray for us as we meet and please pray for these six things:

Coordination Team - We have a solid start on this but are still in need of some volunteers.

Budget - This is a difficult one. Kristie Gerber will be doing a lot of work in this area. She is a vital member of our team. Please pray for her.

Course Plan - A weekly plan that includes worship, prayer, announcements, review, activities, and the instructor.

Prayer Strategy - We always need prayer! You guys are awesome!

Recruitment & Promotion Strategy - Please continue to pray that God would fill our class.

Syllabus - Pray that God would send us the right instructors and that our class would build the body of Christ. May we all become "World Christians"

Churches of Bluffton IN

I Timothy 2:1-8

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles. I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.

I've been thinking about this scripture since I listened to Jim Cymbala's message on prayer. What would happen in Bluffton Indiana if our churches were enflamed with prayer. We know that God is preparing laborers and we know that his eye is on our community. Let us together pray that the Christian's in our community would be united in prayer for God's glory. May our churches both individually and collectively driven to prayer.

Here's a helpful link to get a list of the churches in Bluffton:

http://yellowpages.superpages.com