As I was going around the house closing windows before going up to bed late one night last week I saw my first UFO. I would have grabbed the camera so that I could have been the next guy to have 50,000 views on youtube but I was so awestruck by what I saw that I couldn’t pull myself away from the sight. It was about 12:30; Cher, Erin, Aaron and I had just finished watching a movie that my ‘stache would be shamed by if I made public what that movie was. I stood captivated at the window by three brilliant lights in the corn field on the east side of the house. The lights moved back and forth, low, close enough to the ground to stir up the yet unplanted soil. “I knew it,” I said to myself, “Crop circles are real!” (though there weren’t any crops yet).

Then it hit me. “That can’t be a UFO making crop circles. There aren’t any crops in that field. In fact, it hasn’t even been planted yet.”

To be honest that whole story elapsed in less then two seconds. While I was caught off guard by the bright lights and the dust I quickly realized, even though it was 12:30 in the morning, that it was the farmer working hard, working long through the night and even into the morning to plant his field.

While my observation, investigation, and determination of the tractor only took a few seconds, the application, in my mind, of the farmer preparing and planting his field at 12:30 in the morning worked in me as I laid in bed, remained in my mind in the morning, and has stayed with me all week.

Immediately after realizing that the farmer was working hard and late I remembered Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2.

2 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

While this whole passage speaks to working hard I obviously focused in on the farmer and in Paul’s words was reminded that the farmer must labor hard before he receives any of the crop, for if there is no hard work there is no crop even to have.

And though it may seem strange, I can’t tell you how motivating seeing a trinity of bright lights moving back and forth across a corn field can be; how hard that makes me want to work.

Yet at the same time that I know I must work hard I know that I’m entering into the labor of another Trinity, The Trinity, and Their work that They are accomplishing in DeKalb (John 4.38). This is where the Gospel is at work in my life and in my ministry. For while it’s up to me to work hard in the city for the Gospel it is because of what Christ has accomplished in His death, burial, and resurrection that we’re even striving to plant a new church here. Too it’s the work that God the Father, Jesus God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are doing in DeKalb that honestly we’re just participating in. So, even though the fields here are just now being planted and won’t be harvested for about four more months there is already harvesting to be done as I know God is working in the hearts of many people here in DeKalb and that many are ready to hear and receive the Gospel.

Knowing this, that The Trinity is at work in the city of DeKalb, that God has prepared people to hear and to hear and receive the Good News of Jesus I’m moved to work even harder than I am by a trinity of lights planting a corn field at 12:30 in the morning.

I’ve also been encouraged this week by Aaron Oneal, our first staff/intern. I’m starting to see Aaron settle into a hard working schedule and seeing how he’s gaining perspective into his new role here with The church in DeKalb. Aaron has a tremendous amount of potential and I’m looking forward to watching him develop as a leader and a minister of the Gospel.

In less than two weeks Lynne Reasoner will also be joining us from “the strange and foreign land” of Texas (at least it was strange and foreign to me while Cherron and I were down there while in seminary). We’re looking forward to Lynne arriving and joining our team, helping us with our children’s ministry, some college ministry and lending a hand in the administration end of TcD.

We’re looking forward also to having our third Sunday morning worship gathering this Sunday June 7th, 10:00am at The House Cafe. So far The House has worked out as a great place for us to gather for worship. Not only have we been able, obviously, to come together in a safe place and worship God, celebrating our newness of life through the Gospel but having “church” at The House Cafe has given us the opportunity to preach the Gospel publicly and to have it heard again by people who we’re anxious to see discover the truth of Christ and the Gospel.

As always, there is a lot happening in DeKalb and with our new church plant in the city. Here are some ways that you can work with us this week as we work with Jesus.

Prayer:

Tomorrow is Cherron’s 35 Birthday…oh my! Praise God for an awesome wife who is a great partner in ministry, and who is a great mom to our kids. Cher likes to be very hands on in our ministry so pray that God would give her opportunity to grow some relationships with some of the ladies of TcD, and to begin new relationships with other ladies in the city. Pray that Cherron would have opportunity to see ladies come to Christ and grow in Christ under her ministry to them.

Pray we have another successful worship gathering on Sunday. Pray for good turn out. Pray that our worship and presentation of the Gospel both in song and sermon would communicate well to those who gather with us. Pray that as we continue to worship publicly, and move closer to meeting weekly, that our influence in the city would continue to grow.

Pray that we would be able to develop some relationships and reach the “townies” (those who aren’t just students but actually live in DeKalb) over the summer. We really want and need to meet some new families.

Give:

We’re setting a fundraising goal of $5000 for the month of June. Because we’ve been pretty successful at raising funds for The church in DeKalb we’re beginning to look at some exciting options for our own multi use space which we would use for Sunday worship gatherings, possibly a used book store, and various other ministries that would benefit and bless our city. The startup cost of that would be at least $10,000 and we’d have to be raising about $7000 a month between support, offering, (and book sales if we were able to host a business). But the impact this space would have in our city would be amazingly significant. On top of having our own space for worship on the main strip in town and potentially running a business that would help pay for the space we could also host concerts, art shows, public dialogues, a food pantry…you name it!

You can help make our vision a reality by helping us continue to reach our fund raising goals each month.

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

Jesus is busy at work in DeKalb and we’re humbled and excited to be at work with Him here. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel which allows that to happen!

Grace and Peace,
Jamie

Well, here we go! This Sunday The church in DeKalb will be gathered for Sunday morning worship at 10:00am at The House Café for our first ever worship service!

Obviously we’re pretty amped for this and really the whole week leading up to our first service. As well as the service we have a lot going on this week, officially, in our Community Group, and our Food Drive on Saturday, as well as all of the preparation for Sunday morning like printing programs, finding offering plates, checking the sound and setup at The House Café, practicing worship songs and scripture readings, and writing a sermon.

I hope you’re praying for us and for our events this week as well as the “spring board” effect of our Easter service as we’ll be launching a second Community Group and other fellowship and service events following Sunday’s service.

More good news:

Cherron I found a house! We’ve gone from a farmhouse to a house on a farm. The blue farmhouse that we liked very much sold about two weeks ago but we kept our eyes open and actually found a house on a farm on the outskirts of DeKalb. The rent seems very inexpensive for what we’re getting: a three bedroom house with a basement on over three acres with a play set and swings for the kids, a basketball court and a baseball field! God has given us more than we asked for! It’s going to be a great house for TcD events and gatherings…a great house for building great community.

Cher, the kids and I will be moving in on May 1^st. Thanks to the Winters for their friendship, their support, and allowing us to rent their Batavia house for the last three years.

Praise God that giving has been good so far this month. We have a goal to raise $4000 for April’s TcD budget needs. So far we’ve raised $1265.00. Our support usually comes in at the beginning and end of the month so we’re hoping that you can help us in the middle.

*Break*

I just had another great conversation with a local high school Spanish teacher as I was writing our weekly update. She was very impressed with our desire to be a church for the whole city and very helpful in recommending some ideas to reach the Hispanic part of town on the East side of the railroad tracks here. Got to talk about her church background a bit and it was awesome to be able to invite her and her family to worship this Sunday morning!!

*I’m back…*

We’ve picked up one or two more $40 per month supporters but still need over 20 more. Please consider giving online at www.reachingdekalb.net or by mailing a check to Redeemer Fellowship at 1125 Oak Street St. Charles, IL 60174.

If you haven’t checked out the website it’s new and updated and looks amazing! Thanks to Brian Malcolm for his help! Check it out www.reachingdekalb.net

Also, if you aren’t familiar with Twitter you should check it out (www.twitter.com). I use Twitter throughout the day and I have found that it is a great way to follow, almost live, what I’m doing in DeKalb. It’s a great way to stay up to date, know what’s always happening, and helpful if you’re one of our prayer partners to know specific ways to pray for TcD and me. Once signed up with Twitter you can add me, my user name is pastorjamie. I’ve also created a TcD specific account where you can follow official TcD happenings. Sign up and also add TchurchD.

*Break, again*

Just found out that NPR will be airing our Food Drive ad for FREE!! Sweet!!

*I’m back, again…*

Alright, lots to do this week in preparation for Sunday! Thanks for continuing to support us, and thank you for your partnership in the Gospel!

Grace and Peace,

Jamie