a ministry update from Mo Leverett, December 29, 2007 -
We had a lighter Christmas than usual. Were it not for the generosity of our children toward one another, the presents under the tree would have been conspicuously sparse.
My son Manning requested but three things: 1) baseball cards, 2) a remote control car and 3) boxing gloves. He got precisely what he asked for. His favorite however, by far, was the boxing gloves.
I’ve paid a heavy price for his new passion – punches in the stomach, the side and yes, the head and face. He doles out all of this punishment with smiles, grit and irrepressible joy - reminding me much of someone else I know. You see, Manning’s Dad, for better and worse, is a fighter too. I was renowned on the play ground, school bus and neighborhood for my fists – not as a bully, but I enjoyed fighting for what I believed to be a good cause, and I often did. Some things never change.
I remember one fight I was in with a boy in our neighborhood. It was short. Though he was two years older, he left having been humbled. However, I did not know that his defeat led to his increasing desire for revenge. He decided to drink a gallon of milk for greater strength and power. He came out of his kitchen with a renewed confidence and countenance that frankly was intimidating. I decided that I could not contend with his two years advantage and a GALLON of milk, so in fear, I retreated. Looking back, I think one body blow would have done him in!
I am still attempting to fight the good fight. I fight daily with the flesh, the enemy of my soul. Frankly, while some have believed that our ministry of 17 years in the Desire neighborhood took courage - the fight with the flesh requires more from the soul than any other foe or challenge I’ve faced in my 42 years of life. It is my flesh that grows weak, tired, discouraged and angry. It is my flesh that is pessimistic, bitter and biting. It is my flesh that is unforgiving, relentlessly rude or impatient. And while I have dissenters and bone fide enemies in this life, none is more effectual than the enemy within.
In this fight, as in all other spiritual enterprises, Christ is the protagonist. He is the one who will triumph and prevail. My efforts when they are limited to such, fall significantly short. But He will finish the work He began in me. I make no excuses in this, only apologies and acknowledgments that Christ is not finished with me yet. There are many more cavernous places in my heart and soul where His love and healing power have yet to heal and restore. Therefore, I wait on Him to add strength to my jabs, hooks and uppercuts.
However, as I’m waging this war within, I’m seeking through God’s strength to fight for His Kingdom by advancing the gospel of word and deed into the hearts of others. On this front we’ve made much progress but we have far to go. I’m not as fleet of foot as I used to be. Hopefully I will be able to press against the schemes of my opponent through wisdom and reliance where my own agility has given way to the aging body I posses. And where the punches I’ve absorbed along with my many falls to the mat have jostled my cerebrum, I pray the Lord will supply his strength to endure and to refresh.
When Manning presses against me with his new gloves, I laugh and long for that youthful exuberance that I once knew. I pray for the will to continue to fight, punching my way out of the corner of defeat and to strike a crushing blow against the enemy of my Savior. I look forward to looking over that enemy of Christ with the sweat and blood off our collective brows falling finally towards his slumbering body.
Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for the help you continue to provide for the fight! I have a rather big and talented corner, I know that very well!
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Christmas Blessings to All
Merry Christmas to everyone! I hope your holidays and hearts will be filled with much joy and prosperity in grace!
Briefly, here’s some exciting recent developments for us at Rebirth:
1. The Leverett family is the new owner of an empty lot in the Gentilly area in New Orleans! We will be meeting with our builders on tomorrow to discuss floor plans and such.
2. Gregory Jacobs, one of our local board members and partners, has just opened his second Subway Restaurant on Franklin Avenue and Claiborne Avenue! We’re awfully proud of him and happy for he and his wife Cajoya and four kids!
3. An interesting opportunity to acquire a flood-damaged facility in the Gentilly area of New Orleans may have opened for us. The facility would provide needed small assembly space for Weekend Workshops, Internships, Bible Studies and church. There is educational space for tutoring and small groups as well as kitchen facilities and administrative space. Please pray that God would lead, direct and provide.
4. We hosted a Christmas party at our home last night for folks who were involved in our former work and others who are involved in our new one. There was much sharing, reminiscing, dreaming praying about our future!
We believe that 2007 was a productive year in laying a foundation for a new life-changing work in our wounded city. We have assisted many other churches and ministries beyond New Orleans. For instance, just recently I received this e-mail:
Thanks to you, Bridge Ministry of Acadiana has now been in our neighborhood for 4 years… Five years ago we visited you in N.O… This began our journey.
Who knows how many new works will appear out of the seeds we sowed this year in Atlanta, Mobile, Augusta, Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas, Birmingham, Orlando, New Hampshire, Covington, Chicago, Valdosta, Gainesville, Slidell, Daytona, Memphis, Smyrna, Nashville and other places. I spoke before campus ministries from Harvard, Yale, Georgia College and State University, Brown, University of Florida, UConn, Valdosta College and many others. Through the Lords blessing, I believe that many new works will mushroom in pockets of poverty around our country and the world where the light of gospel shines the brightest!
Thank you for helping me to continue in this call. I appreciate and love you all!
Pray for us as the Lord leads you to do so. God is on the move. I hope only, by the Spirit’s enabling power and provision, to keep pace.
Briefly, here’s some exciting recent developments for us at Rebirth:
1. The Leverett family is the new owner of an empty lot in the Gentilly area in New Orleans! We will be meeting with our builders on tomorrow to discuss floor plans and such.
2. Gregory Jacobs, one of our local board members and partners, has just opened his second Subway Restaurant on Franklin Avenue and Claiborne Avenue! We’re awfully proud of him and happy for he and his wife Cajoya and four kids!
3. An interesting opportunity to acquire a flood-damaged facility in the Gentilly area of New Orleans may have opened for us. The facility would provide needed small assembly space for Weekend Workshops, Internships, Bible Studies and church. There is educational space for tutoring and small groups as well as kitchen facilities and administrative space. Please pray that God would lead, direct and provide.
4. We hosted a Christmas party at our home last night for folks who were involved in our former work and others who are involved in our new one. There was much sharing, reminiscing, dreaming praying about our future!
We believe that 2007 was a productive year in laying a foundation for a new life-changing work in our wounded city. We have assisted many other churches and ministries beyond New Orleans. For instance, just recently I received this e-mail:
Thanks to you, Bridge Ministry of Acadiana has now been in our neighborhood for 4 years… Five years ago we visited you in N.O… This began our journey.
Who knows how many new works will appear out of the seeds we sowed this year in Atlanta, Mobile, Augusta, Corpus Christi, Houston, Dallas, Birmingham, Orlando, New Hampshire, Covington, Chicago, Valdosta, Gainesville, Slidell, Daytona, Memphis, Smyrna, Nashville and other places. I spoke before campus ministries from Harvard, Yale, Georgia College and State University, Brown, University of Florida, UConn, Valdosta College and many others. Through the Lords blessing, I believe that many new works will mushroom in pockets of poverty around our country and the world where the light of gospel shines the brightest!
Thank you for helping me to continue in this call. I appreciate and love you all!
Pray for us as the Lord leads you to do so. God is on the move. I hope only, by the Spirit’s enabling power and provision, to keep pace.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Making our Father Proud
Dads are mystical figures. Whether they intend to or not, to our betterment or detriment, they yield incredible sway over our lives. Even when they are not there, their absence is impactful. When they are there, the impression is deep, even as we resist. When their numbered days expire and they pass, their shadow nevertheless clings, their memory lingers, their presence remains.
Ellen and I had taken our kids to the mountains. We took a short hike to a majestic waterfall which cascaded into a shallow pool of water my kids could safely swim and play in. Bored, I decided that I would climb the left side of the 100 foot waterfall until I had reached the top. After a rather arduous climb through brush and over slick rock, I reached the top overlooking the falls and waved to my kids from this high perch. I then came down after enjoying a moment of quiet solitude at the crest of the falls.
When I returned, my son, who had been mightily impressed with his father’s conquest of the falls, was fixated on my right thigh. He said with as much grave concern as a 5 year old can muster, “Daddy, what happened to you?”
“What?” I said as my eyes followed his…until I saw 5 or so deep scratches into my thigh. I must have run unaware into a little briar bush. There was blood trickling from the wounds, but I was not aware of it until my son had pointed it out to me. Of course, this was an opportunity for a tall tale, the occasion for which I rarely miss with my boy. “Ohhhh….” I said. “You’re talking about the bear scratch….that’s nothing!”
Seeing my son’s eyes widen was priceless. I wish I had it on videotape. I continued….
“Manning,” I said, “there was a bear on top of that waterfall. He was staring down off of the mountain looking at you when I reached the top. I yelled at him, ‘Hey, what do you think you’re doing?’”
The bear incredulous, responded with a gruff voice, “I’m going to eat that little boy and I’ll eat you if you get in my way!”
Manning’s eyes widen further…
“Over my dead body!” I exclaimed. “No man or bear is going to hurt my son!”
I look hard into the eyes of Manning. I continued…”Then it’s hard to describe. It happened so fast. The bear on all fours began to run toward the path towards my family! I jumped out in front of him sliding down a rock and like a carved statue stood in front of the bear. He also stood up on his hind legs and took a swipe for me. I jumped back - (that must have been when the bear scratched my leg). I then countered with a left fist into the side of the bear. He buckled, surprised and a little hurt. I then followed with a hard right hand square into the nose of the bear. He stumbled backwards, regained his footing just in time to run away humbled and afraid deep into the woods.”
Manning quickly followed, “How big was the bear Dad?”
Oh he was big, son. Real big.
Then my wife decided she had heard enough. “Mo…stop!” she said.
Then my conscience struck. I shouldn’t be telling this tall-tale to my gullible child. So I said,
“Manning, I was just teasing.”
Manning responded. “OK, Dad…but how big was he? How big was the bear?”
No matter what I said, Manning had chosen to believe the story. It was branded upon his heart and he was not going to let it go! It was not until recently that he figured out that it was just a story.
My son looks up to me, still. My older children have matured enough to have a more sober view of their father. Even so, I know that my life is indelibly important to theirs. It’s funny…I’ve spent the first part of my life trying to impress my Dad. I’ve spent the second part trying to impress my children.
Some of you may know already where the name Manning came from. My first son, who is in heaven, received my name. Ellen picked out the name Manning out of a name book because she liked it’s meaning - Son of a Hero. I’m not sure that my wife has ever paid me a higher compliment.
The other day my son asked, “Dad, what do you do for a living now…besides type on the computer?”
I responded…Son, I’m trying to build a new ministry. One that will make my…I mean, our Father proud.
He said, “I love you Dad.”
I got a little lump in my throat and said, “I love you too, Manning…I really do.”
Ellen and I had taken our kids to the mountains. We took a short hike to a majestic waterfall which cascaded into a shallow pool of water my kids could safely swim and play in. Bored, I decided that I would climb the left side of the 100 foot waterfall until I had reached the top. After a rather arduous climb through brush and over slick rock, I reached the top overlooking the falls and waved to my kids from this high perch. I then came down after enjoying a moment of quiet solitude at the crest of the falls.
When I returned, my son, who had been mightily impressed with his father’s conquest of the falls, was fixated on my right thigh. He said with as much grave concern as a 5 year old can muster, “Daddy, what happened to you?”
“What?” I said as my eyes followed his…until I saw 5 or so deep scratches into my thigh. I must have run unaware into a little briar bush. There was blood trickling from the wounds, but I was not aware of it until my son had pointed it out to me. Of course, this was an opportunity for a tall tale, the occasion for which I rarely miss with my boy. “Ohhhh….” I said. “You’re talking about the bear scratch….that’s nothing!”
Seeing my son’s eyes widen was priceless. I wish I had it on videotape. I continued….
“Manning,” I said, “there was a bear on top of that waterfall. He was staring down off of the mountain looking at you when I reached the top. I yelled at him, ‘Hey, what do you think you’re doing?’”
The bear incredulous, responded with a gruff voice, “I’m going to eat that little boy and I’ll eat you if you get in my way!”
Manning’s eyes widen further…
“Over my dead body!” I exclaimed. “No man or bear is going to hurt my son!”
I look hard into the eyes of Manning. I continued…”Then it’s hard to describe. It happened so fast. The bear on all fours began to run toward the path towards my family! I jumped out in front of him sliding down a rock and like a carved statue stood in front of the bear. He also stood up on his hind legs and took a swipe for me. I jumped back - (that must have been when the bear scratched my leg). I then countered with a left fist into the side of the bear. He buckled, surprised and a little hurt. I then followed with a hard right hand square into the nose of the bear. He stumbled backwards, regained his footing just in time to run away humbled and afraid deep into the woods.”
Manning quickly followed, “How big was the bear Dad?”
Oh he was big, son. Real big.
Then my wife decided she had heard enough. “Mo…stop!” she said.
Then my conscience struck. I shouldn’t be telling this tall-tale to my gullible child. So I said,
“Manning, I was just teasing.”
Manning responded. “OK, Dad…but how big was he? How big was the bear?”
No matter what I said, Manning had chosen to believe the story. It was branded upon his heart and he was not going to let it go! It was not until recently that he figured out that it was just a story.
My son looks up to me, still. My older children have matured enough to have a more sober view of their father. Even so, I know that my life is indelibly important to theirs. It’s funny…I’ve spent the first part of my life trying to impress my Dad. I’ve spent the second part trying to impress my children.
Some of you may know already where the name Manning came from. My first son, who is in heaven, received my name. Ellen picked out the name Manning out of a name book because she liked it’s meaning - Son of a Hero. I’m not sure that my wife has ever paid me a higher compliment.
The other day my son asked, “Dad, what do you do for a living now…besides type on the computer?”
I responded…Son, I’m trying to build a new ministry. One that will make my…I mean, our Father proud.
He said, “I love you Dad.”
I got a little lump in my throat and said, “I love you too, Manning…I really do.”
Friday, December 7, 2007
Here’s what’s happenin’ at Rebirth!
Vision
By way of reminder - the purpose of Rebirth can be summarized with these three verbs: revive, resource and replicate.
revive - New Orleans has been our home and mission field since 1990. Our commitment to the city has not been dampened by the onslaught of flood waters. On the contrary, our strategy is refined, our vision widened. We are reviving ministry within the expanding community of troubled urban youth, planting a church and ministry facility in the center of town and
rebuilding our beleaguered city through community development enterprises.
resource - Rebirth International is pursuing resources to expand its mission to New Orleans, but is also in return providing urban ministry consultation to existing ministries and churches across the country. We are building lasting partnerships to enhance the church’s mission among the poor and to assist in building sustainable and transformative works in as many places as the Lord enables.
replicate - We believe that our Savior has given to the church a clarion call to continually replicate His ministry of word and deed among the poor. Our work in New Orleans serves as a model and a training ground for other men and women whom God has uniquely called to urban ministry leadership all over the world.
High School Ministry Development - Clark
As you may recall, in support of the aforementioned vision, we have a new ministry start at Clark High School, here in New Orleans. Richard Johnson and Sam Raushenberg are providing primary valued leadership to this effort and I have assisted by volunteer coaching at the school and providing a modicum of oversight and encouragement. There have been many conversions, in this first year and the work is off to a great start. Byron, Richard, Kenyon and the other coaches led the team to the playoffs in their first season. The team was only one of the few New Orleans public schools to do so. The young men on the team also make up the core leadership group for the Bible Study and there is much to praise God for in the first year of Rebirth’s effort there. A modest tutoring program has also been put into place. We hope to sponsor a camp for these boys this summer. Please pray for all these new developments.
Richard Johnson of course is a proud 9th Warder that I had the privilege of leading to Christ and with whom I’ve enjoyed an enduring friendship. He is a tremendous co-laborer. Sam Rauschenberg was the valedictorian of Georgia College and felt called of God to come to New Orleans as a teacher at Clark. He is receiving a serious baptism by fire and is contributing significantly to our effort. We’ve decided that he is in a better position to coach the special teams at Clark, and because he has been so diligent, I am now freed up to provide leadership to our movement on a macro level.
It is our hope to plant 3 more of these incarnational ministries in resurgent public high schools over the next 2 years. Pray for us as we continue to labor toward this end.
Church Plant
The goal is to plant a church in the center of these ministries that will enfold not only the new converts in these works but also many former members of Desire Street Fellowship. We’re a little ways from launch but hope to restart a Bible Study in the beginning of the new year. There’s been quite a bit of clamoring for this from the old posse.
Staff Development
As I recently reported, I’ve been very blessed with the addition of Kiva Barrow on my staff. She also is someone that came to Christ through our work in Desire. She has become in short order a dedicated side-kick, taking so much of the administrative burden off of me, even as she is part-time. I fully expect for her to be a long-timer with the ministry! She is a steady as she goes kind of girl and doesn’t mind doing what I despise to do. I hope you all will get to meet her soon! We’re renting out office space in the back of my house from my long suffering wife until we’re able to settle into a facility for administration and operations.
I also just finished a conversation with my dear friend Damon Greenberry over the phone who has committed to returning to New Orleans to help provide leadership in our fund-raising and development efforts. He also was a young man in our ministry when he first received Christ. I’ve told his story all over the country which has encouraged thousands of the transforming power of the gospel!
Board
We presently have a board of directors made up primarily of pastors and their wives. However, at the turn of the year, the plan is for those pastors to join some other clergymen to form our pastoral counsel. We will also form a board of trustees who are helping to develop the resources for the effort. Lastly we are gathering a group of local and indigenous leaders who will provide primary governance to the local movement. We’re excited about these new developments. This three tiered approach will provide for adequate and solid pastoral oversight, needed fund-development assistance and local control and ownership.
Community Development
Rebirth was able to help forge a partnership between Faith Bible Church of Slidell, LA and CURE - a local alliance of churches in the 9th ward. Their goal is to build 5 new homes in the upper 9th Ward community within the next 18 months. Pray for this fledgling effort that it might expand into many more initiatives throughout our city!
Music
My recent release, Of Orphans and Kings, is receiving rave reviews by all. It is a gut-wrenching reality check of post-Katrina Mo Leverett. If you don’t have it, I hope you’ll get it. I also have a new hymn project mostly done. Depending on available resources I should be able to finish it by the Spring of this year.
Travel Schedule
I will be driving to Houston tomorrow morning, speaking in a church and performing a concert. I hope to stay on in Houston for a day or so to meet with a few potential donors. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
I will be performing a concert for a group of RUF students in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi the following weekend.
I will be at Yale University, some other colleges and churches in the Connecticut area between January 24th through the 27th.
I leave there directly to fly to Orlando, FL to teach a class at Reformed Theological Seminary the following week, Jan. 28-Feb 1.
That adjoining weekend I will be performing in the 5 different services at Northland Community Church from Feb. 2-4. As it turns out the week that follows is also the week for Mardis Gras in New Orleans. We’ve been thinking about what we might do during that week there in Orlando - maybe a little vacation at Disney or something.
The next weekend I will be speaking and performing at the missions conference in Gulf Shores, AL at Grace Fellowship.
I finish up my travels in February with a speaking engagement at my alma mater, Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Pray for us during this time that God would raise up the necessary resources for Rebirth and gather a new stable full of donors. Pray that we would have strength to endure the initial phases of giving birth to this new work.
Family
Our family is strong. We will be closing on property in a week and a half. We have a final meeting with our builder this next week. We have our current property on the market - but of course, there are many properties for sale in New Orleans at the moment. Again…pray.
Lindsay and Lacey have joined a little school called Life Without School. I know it sounds funny, but it’s been a Godsend. They are both registered as home-schoolers but the program has two professors from the University of New Orleans running it. Frankly, I wish that I could join the school - it’s just that cool.
Maggie and Manning are doing well at their school and we are all happy with life. We have much to celebrate this Christmas and have decided that instead of loading up on things that we would invest in creating memories through events like, Christmas in the Oaks, a day in the French Quarter, caroling, and other fun stuff.
Support
We are thankful to have had a productive first year of service. We are definitely feeling strong about the upcoming year. We have much work left to do though in laying a solid foundation. Were it not for the income from CD’s and concerts and such, I’d likely be working at the local Wal Mart. But I’m thankful to still be laboring in the harvest fields.
Please consider a year end gift to our work if you have not already planned to do so. It would mean so much to all of us here to be in the black and on solid footing for the next year as we continue to rebuild.
I hope you are all well. Please stay in touch!
By way of reminder - the purpose of Rebirth can be summarized with these three verbs: revive, resource and replicate.
revive - New Orleans has been our home and mission field since 1990. Our commitment to the city has not been dampened by the onslaught of flood waters. On the contrary, our strategy is refined, our vision widened. We are reviving ministry within the expanding community of troubled urban youth, planting a church and ministry facility in the center of town and
rebuilding our beleaguered city through community development enterprises.
resource - Rebirth International is pursuing resources to expand its mission to New Orleans, but is also in return providing urban ministry consultation to existing ministries and churches across the country. We are building lasting partnerships to enhance the church’s mission among the poor and to assist in building sustainable and transformative works in as many places as the Lord enables.
replicate - We believe that our Savior has given to the church a clarion call to continually replicate His ministry of word and deed among the poor. Our work in New Orleans serves as a model and a training ground for other men and women whom God has uniquely called to urban ministry leadership all over the world.
High School Ministry Development - Clark
As you may recall, in support of the aforementioned vision, we have a new ministry start at Clark High School, here in New Orleans. Richard Johnson and Sam Raushenberg are providing primary valued leadership to this effort and I have assisted by volunteer coaching at the school and providing a modicum of oversight and encouragement. There have been many conversions, in this first year and the work is off to a great start. Byron, Richard, Kenyon and the other coaches led the team to the playoffs in their first season. The team was only one of the few New Orleans public schools to do so. The young men on the team also make up the core leadership group for the Bible Study and there is much to praise God for in the first year of Rebirth’s effort there. A modest tutoring program has also been put into place. We hope to sponsor a camp for these boys this summer. Please pray for all these new developments.
Richard Johnson of course is a proud 9th Warder that I had the privilege of leading to Christ and with whom I’ve enjoyed an enduring friendship. He is a tremendous co-laborer. Sam Rauschenberg was the valedictorian of Georgia College and felt called of God to come to New Orleans as a teacher at Clark. He is receiving a serious baptism by fire and is contributing significantly to our effort. We’ve decided that he is in a better position to coach the special teams at Clark, and because he has been so diligent, I am now freed up to provide leadership to our movement on a macro level.
It is our hope to plant 3 more of these incarnational ministries in resurgent public high schools over the next 2 years. Pray for us as we continue to labor toward this end.
Church Plant
The goal is to plant a church in the center of these ministries that will enfold not only the new converts in these works but also many former members of Desire Street Fellowship. We’re a little ways from launch but hope to restart a Bible Study in the beginning of the new year. There’s been quite a bit of clamoring for this from the old posse.
Staff Development
As I recently reported, I’ve been very blessed with the addition of Kiva Barrow on my staff. She also is someone that came to Christ through our work in Desire. She has become in short order a dedicated side-kick, taking so much of the administrative burden off of me, even as she is part-time. I fully expect for her to be a long-timer with the ministry! She is a steady as she goes kind of girl and doesn’t mind doing what I despise to do. I hope you all will get to meet her soon! We’re renting out office space in the back of my house from my long suffering wife until we’re able to settle into a facility for administration and operations.
I also just finished a conversation with my dear friend Damon Greenberry over the phone who has committed to returning to New Orleans to help provide leadership in our fund-raising and development efforts. He also was a young man in our ministry when he first received Christ. I’ve told his story all over the country which has encouraged thousands of the transforming power of the gospel!
Board
We presently have a board of directors made up primarily of pastors and their wives. However, at the turn of the year, the plan is for those pastors to join some other clergymen to form our pastoral counsel. We will also form a board of trustees who are helping to develop the resources for the effort. Lastly we are gathering a group of local and indigenous leaders who will provide primary governance to the local movement. We’re excited about these new developments. This three tiered approach will provide for adequate and solid pastoral oversight, needed fund-development assistance and local control and ownership.
Community Development
Rebirth was able to help forge a partnership between Faith Bible Church of Slidell, LA and CURE - a local alliance of churches in the 9th ward. Their goal is to build 5 new homes in the upper 9th Ward community within the next 18 months. Pray for this fledgling effort that it might expand into many more initiatives throughout our city!
Music
My recent release, Of Orphans and Kings, is receiving rave reviews by all. It is a gut-wrenching reality check of post-Katrina Mo Leverett. If you don’t have it, I hope you’ll get it. I also have a new hymn project mostly done. Depending on available resources I should be able to finish it by the Spring of this year.
Travel Schedule
I will be driving to Houston tomorrow morning, speaking in a church and performing a concert. I hope to stay on in Houston for a day or so to meet with a few potential donors. Let me know if you have any suggestions.
I will be performing a concert for a group of RUF students in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi the following weekend.
I will be at Yale University, some other colleges and churches in the Connecticut area between January 24th through the 27th.
I leave there directly to fly to Orlando, FL to teach a class at Reformed Theological Seminary the following week, Jan. 28-Feb 1.
That adjoining weekend I will be performing in the 5 different services at Northland Community Church from Feb. 2-4. As it turns out the week that follows is also the week for Mardis Gras in New Orleans. We’ve been thinking about what we might do during that week there in Orlando - maybe a little vacation at Disney or something.
The next weekend I will be speaking and performing at the missions conference in Gulf Shores, AL at Grace Fellowship.
I finish up my travels in February with a speaking engagement at my alma mater, Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Pray for us during this time that God would raise up the necessary resources for Rebirth and gather a new stable full of donors. Pray that we would have strength to endure the initial phases of giving birth to this new work.
Family
Our family is strong. We will be closing on property in a week and a half. We have a final meeting with our builder this next week. We have our current property on the market - but of course, there are many properties for sale in New Orleans at the moment. Again…pray.
Lindsay and Lacey have joined a little school called Life Without School. I know it sounds funny, but it’s been a Godsend. They are both registered as home-schoolers but the program has two professors from the University of New Orleans running it. Frankly, I wish that I could join the school - it’s just that cool.
Maggie and Manning are doing well at their school and we are all happy with life. We have much to celebrate this Christmas and have decided that instead of loading up on things that we would invest in creating memories through events like, Christmas in the Oaks, a day in the French Quarter, caroling, and other fun stuff.
Support
We are thankful to have had a productive first year of service. We are definitely feeling strong about the upcoming year. We have much work left to do though in laying a solid foundation. Were it not for the income from CD’s and concerts and such, I’d likely be working at the local Wal Mart. But I’m thankful to still be laboring in the harvest fields.
Please consider a year end gift to our work if you have not already planned to do so. It would mean so much to all of us here to be in the black and on solid footing for the next year as we continue to rebuild.
I hope you are all well. Please stay in touch!
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