Sunday is a very big day in the life of Springs of Grace.
5 BIG EVENTS
1) This Sunday we will have the privilege of sending out Lane and Sarah Frantz and their family in the new work they are beginning out in Kellyville. Several weeks ago, Lane shared with Pastor Joe and then the men of our advisory team about this opportunity they felt the Lord was calling them to. At Springs of Grace we love our church family but we are anxious to send people out to follow the Lord’s leading for furthering His kingdom. Here are some prayer requests to be lifting up to the Lord for this new ministry.
Some specific prayer requests include the following
The Lord’s guidance as we develop vision- and statement of faith-type guiding documents
Humility in our leadership team as we move forward
That the Lord will bring those individuals and families that he intends to be involved with us, and (in His timing) those He intends us to minister to
For an appropriate space for the fellowship to meet – it appears that very quickly we will outgrow the ability to meet in any of our houses or ‘barns’.
Ongoing prayer for spiritual guidance and proper understanding and teaching of God’s Word
Pray for the Lord to raise up the right kind of support from Springs of Grace and show us the best ways to support this new work.
2) This Sunday we will be taking our Summer Ministry Offering in hopes of the Lord providing $30,000 in giving and pledges for the summer intern program and outreach. First, Sunday, April 1st, we will take a special offering that will go towards our summer ministry. We don’t do this often. We hope people will give willingly and joyfully and secretly as each one is led by the Lord. Ours is a day when much of the church seems to sell the gospel and others market the church in a way that targets financially profitable groups. We feel the biblical exhortations to give in secret and to trust the Lord to supply the needs of His body ought to be our emphasis. We are thankful for the generous way the Lord has supplied our needs as a church body through the faithful giving of the saints – without us needing to make any emotional appeals.
We believe deeply in the value of training urban missionaries and modeling for these interns what a God-centered church that goes after the head AND the heart for the glory of the Lord looks like. We believe the giftings of the interns add greatly to our ability as a church to carry out the mission God has given us for this city. Each year the Lord has provided amazingly for this ministry and we look to Him to do so again through His people.
The Lord continues to give us wonderful opportunities for increased ministry. The number of young men and women expressing an interest in serving as interns this summer is staggering. We want to walk faithfully in the ministries the Lord has opened the door to. We are asking you to pray with us for $30,000 to support the summer ministry. Frankly, that is a staggering amount for such a small group of saints, but we believe the Lord has placed these ministries before us and it seems right to pursue Him to supply the means to carry them out. Last week I was reminded of a way the Lord challenged me back in the summer of 2010 when our church was going through a very challenging financial time. Let me quote you what I wrote that night. “An 8 year old boy came to VBS this morning and ran up to me and said, “I have an offering.” We never take a formal offering in our church much less in Vacation Bible School. I answered – “That’s great. Why?” The young boy answered – “I thought this morning, (with a huge smile) I love this church – I ought to bring an offering.” I took him to the little box on the wall and he stuck in his fifty cents. I was convinced that it was a sweet smelling aroma to the Lord!” I love this church and the work the Lord has called us to and I am asking the Lord to let my family give towards it. Ask the Lord what you should give and who you should share this need with. It may well be that the Lord would not have you give to this special offering or share the need with others at all. He may have you express your love for Him and this church in other ways. That’s fine. We just want you to pray with us and give if and as the Lord enables you to give.
Read the rest here for more information: http://springsofgracebiblechurch.org/2012/03/14/summer-ministry-please-read/
3) Sunday, April 1st will also be a time we renew a commitment to pray for laborers for this ministry. over the next 9 months we are asking each family of our church to join us in a prayer for laborers to join the ministry at Springs of Grace Bible Church. We are very grateful to the Lord for the people and gifts He is using to build His church here and we trust His wise leadership. However, if the Lord has these ministries for us and if they are to expand in effectiveness, then we need a larger base of laborers. Would you commit or renew your commitment to ask the Lord to enable you to reach at least one family or individual over the next 9 months who would come and join in the ministry here? One part of this would be making it a matter of regular prayer to ask the Lord to send more laborers to this ministry….It is my desire for you to prayerfully make a commitment before the Lord to pray for laborers. This is no small thing. Perhaps you have made this commitment in the past and it has slipped from your mind. This would be a great time to renew this commitment. On Sunday, April 1st you’ll be given the opportunity to make or renew this commitment. Read the rest here for more information: http://springsofgracebiblechurch.org/2012/03/14/summer-ministry-please-read/
4) Sunday, April 1st from 5:00-7:00 pm we will be having a block party for our neighborhood and ministry at the Rose Bowl on 11th street just south of the church. Come and participate with our families in this relationship building, gospel spreading opportunity.
5) Sunday, April 1st you will have the opportunity to sign up to pray for specific ministries of our church. If you sign up you will get specific prayer requests sent to you by email and/or text on a regular basis as well as monthly updates. These will include the ministry at the Day Center and to the homeless; One Hope Academy; getAhead; Vanessa Fry’s ministry in Korea; Ministry to the disabled at Fimiam Church in the Ukraine; Medical mission outreach; Matt Shackelford’s ministry in California; Hope918 and the ministry to those in the sex trafficking industry; our youth ministry; Faces of Hope in Tanzania; Jim McCarty’s medical missions ministry in Southern Mexico among the Mexi Indian people; and perhaps others.