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July 27, 2005 |
This is Ross Graham reporting the July 27, 2005 edition of Home Missions Today. God is using your prayers to develop the ministries of Orthodox Presbyterian mission works across North America.
PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON—Pastor Bill Renkema reports that he has just passed his first anniversary as organizing pastor of Redeeming Grace OPC in Port Angeles and is thankful to the Lord for the rich blessings upon the work. This past year, the congregation has grown into a loving, caring, and unified group of believers who are eager and hungry for the Word of God! The Adult Bible Class is studying the Westminster Confession and the pastor teaches the Shorter Catechism to six home-schooled students. Numerically, the congregation is not growing by leaps and bounds, however, a couple recently reaffirmed their faith, and were received as members. Another couple has moved into the area and now regularly attends worship services. The congregation also welcomed the arrival of two infants recently. Membership at Redeeming Grace is spread far and wide across the Olympic Peninsula. Most of the core group live about 10 miles away from church building, and one couple drives 100 miles to attend services! The church requests your prayers that the Lord will continue to use them to witness to those around them.
PRESBYTERIES OF THE MIDWEST & MICHIGAN AND ONTARIO—Regional Home Missionary Jim Bosgraf was able to be in contact during the month of June with a number of the churches in Michigan, where significant progress has resulted from the various ministries of the churches. The congregation in Roberts, Wisconsin, and their pastor, will be received by the Presbytery of the Midwest on August 26th in a service of Recognition and Installation. A church in Momence, Illinois, has voted to petition the OPC for membership and Jim continues to work with them. Jim asks us to pray for the church in Madison, Wisconsin, as their new pastor, Mark Jenkins, is now on the field; pray for the mission work in Jordan, Ontario, as they seek a pastor; pray for the Bible study that hopes to begin a mission work in the Bay City, Michigan, area in October; and pray for the mission works in Brainerd and St. Paul, Minnesota, as they follow up with recent visitors.
HOUSTON, TEXAS—Please remember in prayer Providence OPC and her organizing pastor Adam York, as they have completed their program of denominational financial assistance. This work was started when a group of about twenty began meeting together in September 1999. They held their first worship service on April 7, 2000, in Kingwood, a suburb of Houston. Pray that the Providence congregation will grow in grace and maturity.
BRADENTON, FLORIDA—We welcome the congregation of Providence Presbyterian Church and its organizing pastor, Licentiate David Smiley, who recently completed a year-long internship at Bethel OPC in Wheaton, Illinois. This new work, located just south of Tampa on Florida's Gulf Coast, started with a group of four families and thirteen children. Pray that God will bless this work with strength and energy in sharing the gospel and that he will bless their outreach with a great harvest.
Look for the next edition of Home Missions Today on Wednesday, August 10 or call 215/830-9424 ext. 46.
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Committee on Home Missions and Church Extension |