February Prayer Letter

Thankyou for your faithfulness to pray for Refuge City Church. A lot of exciting things happened in January and more to come in February.

This past month Jeff and Lauren moved moved back to Dayton, they had been in Louisville for over six years. They are still settling in and would appreciate your prayers. Scot is trying to finish up some work in West Virginia. As soon as he finishes, which should be soon, he will begin the process of moving to Dayton. John Pope traveled twice this past month. John went to Cedarville University to inform students of the plant. Later in January, John went to a conference for church planters. I went to Raleigh to visit and arrived just as he was returning from the conference. John was so excited that night to share many things that he had learned at the conference.

This month will begin my move to Dayton. I will be preparing to put my house on the market. Thankfully there is not much to do to get the house ready. A little paint, cleaning, and moving the dog, since it is not a good idea to have a pet in the house when you are selling. My brother and his family has been gracious enough to offer to watch my dog during this time. I think they likes that my dog will wear their dog out.

John and I will be traveling to Dayton this month, however we will be there at different times. He is planning on meeting with pastors in the Dayton area. I will be going up the following weekend to take my dog up, vist some friends, have a few meetings, and walk the streets of downtown.

While there is still a lot of steam moving us forward, the load is starting to be felt. John travels several times a month for meetings and conferences. John is also working on the proposal that will serve as an outline for the first several years for Refuge City Church. The whole team has been reading a lot, working full-time, serving at various churches, preparing to move, and many other things. While this time is exciting we are still human and encounter fatigue. Please pray for safe travel and great rest.

For those in the Charlotte area, keep the night of May 14^th open on your calendar. More info next month about that, but trust me keep it open if you can.

Philemon 4-7

Such a blessing

I've been using amazon.com for several years now for most of my book purchases. My family realy likes that I have a wish list on amazon, because at Christmas they go to amazon.com and order a couple books off my list. I still hold the title for easiest person to shop for, because of amazon.

The team is reading through several books over this year. So far we have read: Radical Reformission by Mark Driscoll, Humility and Living the Corss Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney. Before Christmas there were a few book on my list that I needed for this reading the team is doing. I also had books on the list recommended to me by John Pope, Nick Swan (pastor at Crossway Community Church), and Grandpa Graham for me to read to have a better understanding of interpreting the Bible. I began praying for God to make a way in my budget for me to get all the books, but with over 20 on the list that totaled close to $400 I did not see how that would hapen.

For Christmas family members bought books and gave me gift certificates that allowed me to get half of the books I really wanted. Then after Christmas a friend of mine offered to buy the rest of the books. To me the amazing part is I only prayed that God would find a way for me to purchase these books. I never asked anyone to help me.

Thankyou for your prayers. I now have all the books that I really wanted to get in order to prepare for the church plant. Sure there's other books on my list but what reader doesn't have a long list of books they would like.

January Prayer Letter

I really appreciate your prayers for Refuge City Church. I hope Christmas was a joyful time for you.

I really enjoyed the time I spent in Dayton over Christmas. Every time I attend a Koinos service, I get excited about being in Dayton. They are a wonderful church and big encouragers for me.

The highlight of my time in Dayton was taking some of my family members around Dayton. As we drove the streets of a city they were familiar with, they were reminded of how much that city desperately needs Jesus and people living in the city sharing and being examples of God’s love. We were outside one of the buildings, that is a possible location for Refuge City to have services, and there was a moment that I praise God for. Mom and Dad laid their hands on the building and began praying for the ministry of Refuge City. As they turned to walk around I saw in my parents’ eyes excitement and joy for how God is moving in Dayton. This helped me knowing that they are more excited about what God is doing then they are about having me around.

This weekend, January 8^th, Jeff and Lauren Bays are moving to Dayton. Jeff has been spending a lot of time preparing for the move; painting, putting carpet in, and other such things. Jeff is still searching for a job in Dayton.

John Pope will be at Cedarville University part of next week. He will be at a booth for the North American Mission Board. John will be sharing about the NAMB and Refuge City Church. We are praying that some students will express interest in being a part of Refuge City. John will also be meeting with leaders from churches in the area. Once again our friend from Koinos will be flying John in for his time in Dayton. It is so much fun and a blessing to fly with him.

There are families in Dayton and various other cities, praying about being a part of Refuge City. Please pray for them as they consider joining and moving.

Many of my family members gave me books for Christmas. These books are going to be a great help in writing Bible study material for Refuge City. These books are not easy reads so your prayers for my retention and application would be greatly appreciated as I study more about Biblical Theology and ways for studying scripture.

The realization of moving is starting to take hold. Even though I am moving back home it is not easy. I have come to love Charlotte. I love the people I work with. I love the people at my church. I love the pastors that have and continue to serve me. I love my friends and the fellowship I have had with them. Even though I am moving back home it’s like I am leaving home too. Being in Charlotte has taught me so much about believers being part of one big family. So preparing to leave Charlotte is like leaving home all over again. I know this is where God is calling me, so in joy and confidence in His call I move forward.

Philippians 3:1-11

December Prayer Letter

Thank you for taking the time to pray for Refuge City Church. Sorry this one is a little later then usual, I’ve been fighting a cold for the last three weeks.

John preached at Koinos Christian Fellowship the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Everything went well and the team had a great time in Dayton. I was unable to join them because of a few things that were going on at the time.

While in Dayton, John met with some of the pastors at Morning Star Baptist Church. John is still trying to work through what a partnership with them would look like. One thing I found out is Morning Star is a plant of Far Hills, I grew up attending Far Hills. Morning Star planted long before I was born.

Some of the time while in Charlotte I have doubted how God was growing me, it has been humbling to serve Refuge City with gifts that have developed since being in Charlotte. Some of you may now one of my passions is seeing people with a love for God’s Word. I really enjoy helping people to understand and apply scripture. John has taken that passion and put a vision to it. John Pope has asked me to consider editing and writing some material to take people through the different literary styles of the Bible and then through the Bible. So over the next several months I will be learning some more about Biblical Theology and interpreting scripture. Then editing some old material I wrote years ago and writing some additional material.

During my time in Dayton this month I hope to visit Morning Star and Koinos for a worship service. In addition to the Christmas activities, I will be taking some of my family downtown to show them areas Refuge City is considering. There are a few leaders from my past that I will be trying to meet with during this time as well.

Please continue to pray for other churches to consider partnering with Refuge City. Koinos is a great church with a wonderful pastor. Morning Star has some amazing leaders and we are starting to get to know the church. We continue to meet with people in the surrounding areas, and all are excited about the ministry of Refuge City.

A few members of the team are hoping to move to Dayton sometime next month. Scot, Jeff, and Lauren could use your prayers. They are searching for jobs and housing at this time. Jeff and Lauren have found a place and are working through the details.

John 1:12-13

November Prayer Letter

Thank you for taking the time to pray for Refuge City Church. Hopefully these letters encourage you.

Last weekend the team was in Dayton. One of the members of Koinos flew John, Luke, and I on his four-seater plane. The flight made the trip so much easier on us.

Most of the team stayed with me at my parents’ house. Mom blessed us by cooking breakfast. The weekend was filled with meetings and familiarizing the team with Dayton and the areas we will be focusing on in the beginning. We were able to be witness the first baptism for one of the churches that started just recently.

The city of Dayton is trying to renew the city by building programs, artsy décor, bike paths, and other such things. Refuge City believes that for city renewal to happen, Gospel renewal is necessary. These efforts of the city will be temporary, however Jesus Christ is not temporary. It is our prayer to renew the city with sharing the saving message of Jesus Christ and a regenerate relationship with Him.

Your time at Koinos was amazing. A couple people came up to me commenting on how they were sad to see John and I leave back in 2004. But when they heard John and I were coming back to plant a church in Dayton, they were excited and eager to find out how they could help. Others welcomed me with a hug and encouraged me, not only in regards to the church plant, but also telling me about the ministry John and I helped them start back in 2003 and how it has changed over the years. I thoroughly enjoyed being around Jonathan Newman, the pastor at Koinos, his humbleness and love for people is a joy to be around.

John Pope is preaching at Koinos November 22, and it looks like he will be flying with his wife. This last trip, because of Jack flying us on his plane, we were able to stay longer and could focus on the task at hand, instead of the eight and a half hour drive.

The team is reading some books together over this next year. The reading is about one book a month. I am also reading through some books and revisiting some old material I wrote a couple years ago. Through this personal reading and rewriting material, John and I hope to have discipleship material to take people through parts of the Bible and then to reading the Bible in a year. While John Pope and I worked on the syllabus for the teams’ reading I began to understand why I have been teaching these past five years. I’ll share more on that next month.

Ephesians 3:7-8

October Prayer Letter

It’s so true that months go by fast, when you’re busy. I get the feeling that it was just a week ago I was sending my first prayer letter to you.

For the last three weeks I have been serving alongside my friend John Johnson at Parkwood Baptist Church. John J. serves as youth minister and has been a friend of mine for six years now. On Sunday nights I am leading a class for some of the youth called “Key Doctrines 1” so far we have covered the seven different world views, what is truth, and why is it important to know what you believe. This past week we talked for awhile about the perception of science being able to prove everything. Some of the youth saw some of the inadequacies of science before we really got going. This time with John J. is so exciting.

A couple weeks ago the leaders for the plant were able to get together in Raleigh. While there we were able to meet, settle on a church name, and get some pictures taken. We had some pictures taken so we could get prayer cards made. You see ones for overseas missionaries. A church plant is missions so we thought it would be a great idea to have some made for the plant. I’ll send you a copy when they are finished. Every time I hear John Pope share how this church plant has come to be reminds me of how God is always at work. John and I helped start a children’s ministry at Koinos Christian Fellowship in Troy during his last year of college. I never thought that God would bring me back to that church. I am looking forward to having them as our sister church.

The name for the church will be…Refuge City Church. You will begin to see Nahum 1:7 in these letters, because it is our verse for the church. “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”

This month I will be going to Ohio twice. My first trip is this weekend, a vacation with the Hauser family (mom’s side). Maybe the trees will be changing when I go. Then at the end of the month John Pope, Luke Neff, and I will be going to Dayton to visit Koinos. It has been six years since I have seen any of them. It will also be a joy to hear their pastor Jonathan Newman preach. Don’t get confused on all the John’s here, we are at three if you’re counting, a youth pastor, my friend, and the pastor at Koinos.

Check out this video on youtube “The Greater Downtown Dayton Plan”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVBTUeRmfqE&feature=related

This will help those of you who are not familiar with Dayton to know what is going on there, keep in mind evangelical churchs are a rare find in the city of Dayton. Most evangelical churches are in the suburbs.

-Dave Graham