Unseen Footprints
After we moved to our new location, we started hosting picnics every Sunday after the weekly gathering for our church to come together, and to build community over a meal.
We stepped into our second year as a new church this September! The Holy Spirit spoke to me through Psalm 77:19 to remind me how God has been in our midst, leading us every step of the way by His “unseen footprints” into the unknown waters of church planting. It is only by His guidance that we are here, and so we praise Him for the specific ways He revealed Himself to us. Let me share some stats and stories with you!
I was reminded that two years ago in the middle of a global pandemic, we began inviting Christians to start a new church family. With so many unknowns, we did not know what to expect in the weeks ahead and yet here we are two years later! As of today there are 40 adults and 17 kids, who call Anthem Church their home. And there are also 14 people, who are currently interested in being a part of the new work God is doing in our church. Praise Jesus!
I was reminded that only a year ago God started our church by launching us into new outreach activities. We started Adult ESL classes, Alpha and a youth ministry, which amazingly enough will all begin again this fall. Since the start of this summer, I also heard of our church body praying for 98 neighbors, and 27 stories of church members loving their neighbors. For some this meant they brought their neighborhood together with a game or a meal. For others it was as simple as walking next door and introducing themselves. What I love is to hear how people felt led by the Holy Spirit to overflow with their love of God and one another to their neighbor. Praise God!
As we enter our second year, I’m reminded how God is doing an incredible work through the people of our church to reveal His presence in our world. I think of Judy, who shared her faith at the Ukrainian festival and Sam, who preached on Psalm 63 at our weekly gathering. God led Anne to help me cultivate a culture of prayer, Gardner to build community through a summer campout, and Grace to bring students into our ESL ministry. We celebrated Joy’s baptism, as well as, 4 other people, who trusted in Jesus for the first time this year. We commissioned Topher to serve the Church in Hawaii, Grey to serve with Heart to Heart Ministries in Honduras and the Neubauer family to start Thunder Basin Community Church with the Newcomers in Wyoming. Praise God!
All of these stories remind us of God’s work in our new church. And while my focus is on the good God has provided, there has been loss and heartache on this journey too. Yet as God taught me through previous difficulty that I wrote about here in 2021, we will face the pain, but focus on His grace. Therefore, our hope is in God’s work this coming year as we seek to grow deeper in our love of Him, our church and neighbor. Continue to pray for us that God leads us forward, that we follow Him fully, and that we do not grow weary in doing His good work this coming year. We love you, and praise God for those, who are praying and supporting us. You all remind us of God’s faithfulness and we praise Him for you.