One of my favorite passages of Scripture over the last years has been 2 Corinthians 2.12-3.6. It is a passage that gives me great courage and great relief, especially when I suck at what I do.

I need to be honest, and I think I can be without causing too much grief because I believe in sin, heck, I believe in total depravity! Too I believe that, to borrow from the title of a book that I’ve been recently reading, that I need to “Lead with a Limp.”

I need to confess, that much like Paul in 2 Corinthians 2.12-13 I have been torn between being in this city, in which God has opened a door to plant and preach the Gospel and trying to “mirco-shepherd” our small flock at TcD by trying to “patch” holes and “plug” leaks. Basically I’ve been trying to be “sufficient for all of these things” and not relying on the sufficiency of Christ for and in everything.

More than that, I’ve been lazy the last few weeks and I have really slacked off of reaching my goals of meeting new people in the city.

Yet I know, with great confidence, that I can make known recent failings and through the Gospel be motivated, encouraged, and moved to repent, rely on Christ, work hard and continue to watch our church plant grow in it’s influence in the lives of our people and our city.

God is truly blessing The church in DeKalb despite my own recent failings and we continue to see new people getting involved in our Community Group, and new people asking to be discipled. Too, our leaders are being stretched and are growing and together we are realizing just how much we need to work harder at the spiritual disciplines in our own lives and realizing too how much we must depend on Christ for everything.

One of the greatest accomplishments over the last few weeks, especially since Cherron, the kids, and I moved to DeKalb, is that our people are beginning to move past community for communities sake and are starting to see that they, even as individuals, have a vital role in the Church. Their language is beginning to change from “I go to church” to “I’m a part of a church.” It’s not just that we get to spend a lot of time together and know each others names, but we’re starting to see how we are all, collectively, a part of a unique family. Our identity is changing, to say it in a corny sort of way, from “me” to “we.”

Yet there is much to do, and much that lies ahead of us. Here are some ways which you can partner with The church in DeKalb as we move forward.

Prayer:

Pray for me. Pray that I repent well and, too, that the depth of my own idolatry and sin is continually matched by the goodness and righteousness of Christ and the grace of God so that in realizing the depths of God’s mercies I’m motivated and moved to work hard for Jesus in our city.

Pray that God continues to use His Word in the lives of His people here that He is drawing into TcD. And pray that His Word transforms them both in new life (people coming to Christ), and sanctification (being made holy and set apart for godly work).

Pray that God would open many doors this summer with the “townies” here in DeKalb. “Townies” are the residents who actually live in DeKalb, (compared to the students). We need to build our church around the Townies as our desire is to be a church for the whole city, not just another college ministry. Pray that God would draw a good number of “Townies” into TcD this summer and help us build a solid foundation of people.

Pray for spiritual growth in the people who are already involved in TcD. That God would mature them spiritually over the next weeks and months, that He would give them a deep desire to know Him and an unquenchable hunger for His Word. Pray too that as these believers grow in grace and knowledge that we would be actively adding new believers that will go through the same process of discipleship.

Give:

As I mentioned last week, we’ve already reached our goal of $5000 this month but that was only because of two very generous churches, and because of that we wanted to raise an additional $2000 this month.

So far we’ve seen $674.50 come in towards that goal. In the next 11 days we would love to see this new goal meet by raising just over $1300.00 more.

If you can give we’re praying and hoping that you will. Even if every member of our Facebook group gave about $6 each we would make our goal this month. Only $6!

Giving can be done through the website at www.reachingdekalb.net or by mailing checks to Redeemer Fellowship (our sending church) at 1125 Oak Street St. Charles, IL 60174

Thank you for continuing to support us through prayer and through giving. More than that, thank you for your partnership in the Gospel.

Grace and Peace,
Jamie

TcD Weekly Update for 05102009:

So have you ever wondered what Jonah looked like arriving in Nineveh after spending three days in the stomach of a great fish? Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not a fish Gastroenterologist but if Jonah spent any part of those three days and nights in the pyloric caeca, which, as we all know, is the part of the fish’s stomach that secretes the digestive enzymes to absorb the nutrients from digested food, he most certainly left that fish at least having a bad hair day.

Well, after spending half a week enduring our own process of moving to our new city I sympathize with Jonah and I’m thankful that we were able to move in a Uhaul and not a fish.

Of course Jonah’s move to his mission field was more dramatic than our move, but after a few days of moving, cleaning, painting, unpacking, cutting lawns, setting up furniture, etc, etc, I’m tired, as bald as Jonah probably was when  was vomited out of that fish, and I only smell better because we have soap and showers.

Okay so I’m exaggerating! All this just to say that I’m glad that Cherron, the kids and I are finally moved in to our new city! And not only are we here but the Oneals have arrived too!

While the first months of planting The church in DeKalb have been wonderful and God has blessed us amazingly I feel that everything before now was, in a way, just sort of “pre-flight check-off list” things. “Fuel?” “Check.” “Tire pressure?” “Check.” “Engine oil?” “Check.” “Wings?” “Yeah, those are important…Check.”

Now that we’ve actually arrived, and now that Aaron and Erin are here I feel like we’re really getting ready to take this new church to the runway and actually begin to fly.

Last Sunday we had our second ever service. We met again at The House Cafe and had another smooth and worshipful service.

Since realizing God’s call to church planting I always day-dreamed about what I would preach at our first service. Since our first service happened to be on Easter I didn’t get to fulfill my fantasy, and instead chose an Easter passage. But this past Sunday I was able to preach from Mark 1.14-15.

I had always wanted to start my ministry the same way that Jesus began His, declaring that the Kingdom of God is here and therefore, to see it, to see something so beautiful and important, we must repent and believe in the Gospel.

So over these last few weeks I guess we have two things in common with Jonah. First, like Jonah, we’ve finally arrived in our new city after a good deal of craziness. Second, like Jonah, I spent the first week living in our new city preaching repentance.

Yet, unlike Jonah we now live in our new city and will continue to preach repentance, as Jonah did, but repentance coupled with the strong urging to “believe in the Gospel.” As well with a compassion for the people of our new city, which Jonah seemed not to have (Jonah 4.10-11).

Our prayer is that our compassion and love for DeKalb will never fade. That we will continually enjoy and be stretched to see what is beautiful here, that we are moved with urgency for what is broken here and see how the Gospel redeems, restores, and renews the brokenness of DeKalb.

Our move to DeKalb gets us here on schedule with the timeline that we laid out last fall in our strategic plan. We look forward now to the summer here in DeKalb in which we will begin our first members classes, solidify our missional core group, develop our leaders, and continue to prepare to move from monthly Sunday morning worship gatherings to weekly services.

As we move towards a new season with our planting of the Gospel here in DeKalb here are some ways that you can continue to partner with and support us.

Prayer:

Pray that now that we actually live in DeKalb we can use our new home to further deepen the relationships that we’ve begun here by being able to spend even more time with people here. Pray too that we can use our home to develop relationships with new people that we meet as we’re able to invite them over for meals and such.

Pray that now that we actually live in DeKalb, too, that I wouldn’t be lazy. I need to be in the city as often as I can be and I feel a sort of laziness to just work from my desk. Now that we’re actually here I am able to spend more time in DeKalb, pray that I continue to do that.

Praise God that He has been, and is providing everything we need to plant this church. From people and leaders to finances and facilities. We continue to have every need met!

Prat that God would continue to open doors for us to meet new people, develop new relationships, and to encourage people here with the Gospel. Pray too that we see many of the people here that we already know will turn over their kingdoms to The King, that people here would hear the Gospel and believe.

Give:

Wow! We’ve already reached our $5000 goal for May. Honestly though it was met, completely, by the huge generosity of just two churches.

I would really like to still be able to raise another $2000 this month. So, if you are able please consider giving. We need more bibles, we need toner for our printer, we need Starbucks gift cards for meetings with new people we’ve met, we need money for health insurance, and now that we live in DeKalb and don’t have such generous landlords as our friends the Winters we need to make sure we get the rent paid on time.

Financial gifts can be made through the website at www.reachingdekalb.net or by mailing a check to Redeemer Fellowship at 1125 Oak Street St. Charles, IL 60174.

I look forward to updating you all early next week with more of what Jesus is doing here in Dekalb.

As always, thank you for your continued partnership in the Gospel!

Grace and Peace,
Jamie