Went on interviews this week.  Also meeting school principals to let them know of my interest in working for them.  Please keep my job hunt in your prayers.  Thanks!

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Three new Bible studies just started, and possibly a fourth will begin this week. I am hopeful the individuals requesting these Bible studies will soon gather their family members and/or friends to read and spiritually journey with them.

Two of Meredith’s co-workers in their mid-twenties, who have teased Meredith for being a “Christian,” requested a Bible study with Meredith. So last night they came over for dinner and we read and discussed a biblical story that sparked a lot of discussion about what God is like vs what their impressions of “churches” have been like.  They told us stories of how they felt judged by their appearances (lip piercings, tattoos, all black clothing, etc) when they went to churches in the past.  They said they are looking for people who are really living out their faith and experiencing a transformed life, not just going to church all the time.  They have been burned by religious people, but they are very open to exploring a relationship with God.  One of the girls wants to bring her boyfriend to the study next time.  They also talked about bringing another co-worker with them. 

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I usually email a weekly update on our ministry to people who have offered to pray for us and want more personal and up-to-date info than what we can provide on the blog. 

Today I discovered my email distribution list was wiped out.  Until we get that fixed, I’d like to post a modified version of the update I tried to email to folks today.  Enjoy!

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A prayer update from your missionaries in East Hollywood (E-Ho), Los Angeles, CA:

Dear Prayer Team,

Wow, the weeks flew by!  My apologies for no updates… I’ve been very busy with job hunting.  As you know, this July we go from full-time salary to half-time salary as a missionary family (and then to zero salary by January 2010).  Please keep us in your prayers as I look for a “regular” job and my family makes this transition from being funded missionaries to self-supporting missionaries in LA.  Also please pray for our relationships with supporting churches, as we continue partnering with them in other (non-financial) ways! 

How we’re doing:

Meredith and I praise God we celebrated 13 years of marriage last month!  We left the kids with Ed and Katie and stayed at a nice bed and breakfast on the coast.  Praise God that Ed and Katie are about to celebrate 9 years in July!  Now it’s our turn to watch Ed and Katie’s kids while they go celebrate!  Pray for Meredith and me - this summer we will decide if we’re going to keep our kids in public school or home school them next school year.  Pray for our team to trust God as we all go through lots of life transitions and face uncertainty with our finances/jobs.  Especially pray for our children, neighbors and co-workers as they watch us go through times of uncertainty - these become great discipling moments.  

How the ministry is doing:

• Bad news: We returned from Asia to find nearly every family with whom we had studied God’s Word is no longer interested in journeying spiritually with us.  This is due in large part to a group that has stepped up its presence in the neighborhood.  There is heartache involved in gospel planting; it hurts to see people come and go. 
• Good news: Yet there also is joy in watching others find hope and deliverance in Christ.  Despite this setback we can see God is using us to show people what he is like and to attract people to his Son.  For example, a grandma and her grown daughter continue to study God’s Word with Meredith.  A school mom who adamantly said she doesn’t like religion can’t get enough time hanging out with the women in our group.  She has begun to pray and study God’s Word with them.  We continue to find people really want to spend more time with us.  They know something is different about us.  They just don’t know (yet) that it’s Jesus who is making the difference.  You’ll recall Wendy’s gangster friend Talia (not her real name) was arrested.  While Talia was in jail, Wendy helped take care of her little son.  Talia is out of jail now and her heart unfortunately is hardened to God right now.  Yet other neighbors noticed.  Wendy’s home has become a safe haven for their kids, too.  During the school year Wendy had a homework club in her apartment.  Now that school is out of session, we will find different ways to engage these homework club kids and their families.  
  
• Interns: We are excited about a newly married couple who will be joining our team as interns for the next nine months.  More about this wonderful couple in future updates.
  
• Pray for our Summer Outreach: We will be adding different kinds of outreach activities to our repertoire in addition to what we have been doing, to meet people in different ways and see what other responses people will make to the message of Christ we are living out and telling. 

Thank you for lifting up the people of E-Ho in prayer!

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I urge you to read Jonathon Dodson’s blog post “Confessions of a Failing Disciple.”  I don’t know this guy.  Somehow I came across his blog a year ago.  Yesterday’s post really struck me to the heart.  6 short paragraphs, so powerful.  He shares his struggles with impressing God and others, and his realizations that being and making disciples of Christ requires letting our failures show.  I think our little way of life village can relate!

You can read it here.

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I recently got obsessed in an endless discussion about missionary approaches and methods.   With some gentle nudges from some of you, I’m snapping out of it.  : )  Enough talking about this way of life; it’s time to go back to living it!

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One thing that has been helpful for me as we seek to lay the foundation for an obedience-based faith movement (a.k.a. Church Planting Movement) is acknowledging the myth of “rapid” reproduction.

My mind is blown by the exponential growth of church planting movements around the globe.  David Watson reminds onlookers that it took 2 to 4 years in India, for example, to get to the point where existing social units surrendered to Christ and began multiplying disciples, leaders, groups and churches.  I think it will take longer in the U.S. given other obstacles we face here.  (David Watson has written a brief article on the myth of rapid reproduction on his blog.  To read it, click here.)

The church planting movements around the world give the appearance of rapid growth because of the exponential growth, not the reproduction.  Laying a foundation for such a movement means years of investment in the training of leaders.  Reproduction therefore is slow.  With the exception of divine accelerations, it is always slow.

Categories: gospel planting - HOW
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Missed the Church Planting Movements training last week in Dallas?  Next week (May 25-29) there will be another training in San Jose, CA.

To see if there still is room to attend in person, see instructions for registration here.

Or you can watch it LIVE online.  If you do this, there is a way to interact and ask your own questions during the training.

Please tell interested Spanish speaking leaders you know about this!  For the first time (that I know of), CityTeam Ministries be broadcasting this training in BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

For more details, go to: http://www.davidlwatson.org/2009/05/18/san-jose-training-event-may-25-29/.

Blessings,

Phil

Categories: gospel planting - HOW, gospel planting - WHY
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