With our first preview service a couple weeks ago, this month
was very busy for Refuge and its leaders.
Our next preview is scheduled for August 19. This next month is bringing another set of
tasks, pray that we continue to rely of God for strength, patience, and
guidance.
Refuge is doubling its number of
“Fight Clubs” this month, actually tonight.
John has asked that I start a Fight Club with two other guys that have
joined the church in the last couple months.
Fight Clubs are the deepest level of descipleship and accountability
that Refuge conducts. Fight Clubs are
specifically designed for men to understand who want to understand what it
means to be Gospel-centered, God-glorifying men. We strive to equip men with
the right tools with which to fight their struggles. I love the guys that will be with me, but
that does not mean this will be easy.
Nothing this harsh against sin ever goes without opposition. Pray that we grow in our application and
realization of our need for the Gospel.
So far I haven’t found a full-time
job. I decided to go outside of
education, can’t really explain breifly why, but it is the direction I believe
God is equipping me to go towards. Somedays
it’s hard to find joy in applying over and over for jobs.
Sometimes I think I am going
crosseyed doing financials. I have been
working on your 501c3 and developing a method for submitting monthly financial
reports to John. That tax stuff is a
whole new level of rediculious. Even though I can figure out these things, it
takes time, and I struggle to see how it glorifies God. I know it does, but I often struggle to
believe that.
In a period of two days this month
nine people passed out over 2,000 door hangers.
While I was passing out the door hangers I had to constantly remind
myself that reaching out to a community does not always happen in ways you
enjoy. I questioned whether it was the
best method of letting the community know about Refuge. God used door hangers though to bring some of
those people to our first preview service.
One lady that came, as a result of
receive a door hanger, was praying in her livingroom that God would help her
find a community of believers. She is
young in her faith, but knew she needed to be with other belivers. Moments after she finished praying she went
out to check the mail and found the door hanger.
John is projecting that our next
service will have more, because we passed out the door hangers less than 48
hours before the service. There was 78
people at our first preview. I am glad we
had volunteers from Koinos Christian Fellowship and Two Rivers Community
Church.
The Neffs are under contract on a
house located near the University of Dayton.
Closing is scheduled for the end of this month. The newly wed Randolphs have settled into their
apartment and are still searching for a house.
The Davis’ are moving from Raleigh to Dayton this Saturday. The Popes are still searching for a house,
seen some they like, but nothing that catches their eye yet.
This past month had several things
to thank God for. To name a few of these
blessings: Refuge has been in Dayton for
one year now, we had our first preview service, and a friend of John and Amy’s
started his relationship with Christ!
Psalm 28:7 “The Lord is my strength and my sheild; in him my
heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks
to him.”
