how are you...good...how are you?

A lot of that goes on in Church (especially in the South)..."how are you doing? oh I am fine how bout you?" Yep...did a lot of that this weekend and a lot of "wow, she sure has grown" and then I would say..."well we are little people we won't get much bigger..." :-)

Seriously, it was really good to be back at our "home" Church of FBC Richland. I preached in the evening service and everything went very well. We had many opportunities to speak with friends and family about West Bay Community Church. We had many offers of support and we will surely need the prayers, volunteers and financial support.

We are keeping up with the Gulf Coast Baptist Association on our strategy and the progress so far as we get the word out. We have actually had a person call recently wanting to know more about our "family" approach to discipling. God is already working in the community and we will continue to meet our neighbors in the area as I look for a job.

If you have any questions please contact me or Karen, we would love for you to partner with us and see how God grows a new Church in the West Bay...blessings!

Brian

WOW, a must read from Russell Moore...

Dr Russell Moore is Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, he also serves as executive director of the Henry Institute....

You must read the entire commentary but I will capture the essence here:

A Kingdom warfare worldview--articulated in our pulpits, our Sunday school rooms, our dining room tables--would mean that Southern Baptists should walk away from a belligerent "culture warrior" tone when addressing the outside culture. If we remember--even in debates over the family--that "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness" (Eph 6:12), then we are less likely to see those on the other side of "family values" debates as enemies to be vaporized.

We will see that the enemy is not Hillary Clinton or Hugh Hefner, but a much less easily tracked foe. We will not mock with derision--even just among ourselves--the transvestites marching in the parade on Main Street of our community, nor will we sit silently as our sons don lingerie. We will be able, as the apostle instructs us, to be "kind to everyone" in order that "God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will" (2 Tim 2:22, 24-26).

This compassion does not mean that we back down one iota from declaring the whole counsel of God on the family--or anything else. To the contrary, it means that we do so with vigor, but with tears in our eyes as we see our fellow image-bearers in the clutches of this era's dragon-king. It does mean, though, that our public discourse will lack the "You kids get off my lawn" type of ethos that it far too often carries.

AMEN Dr Moore...

Link: http://www.henryinstitute.org/commentary_read.php?cid=470

NEWS FLASH...

It's official, we are going to plant a Church in the west bay areas of Waveland/Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

I have made the initial application request to the MS Baptist Convention and made contact with the local Association (please pray for this process). Whether we get any support through or from these gracious entities our plans are firm on moving to this community and starting a new Church as soon as possible. We will be spending the next few months looking for a home, job, meeting with the local association and a "rebuilding" ministry and some strategic Churches to unify our plans.

Thanks for your prayers and friendship. We are very excited about some potential places to meet (already) and the huge need for ministry in this area.

Keep up with our plans and needs here. Pray for us or even come along side us in taking the Gospel to this community.

Blessings to you!
Brian, Karen, Holly, and Joni