2023 Spring Update

    Thank you to all of you who are praying and supporting from beyond Cleveland. We are in an encouraging season here. As many as 45 people have attended the Thursday Bible study at one time, and we have seen as many as 75 join us in the parking lot next to our house where we play basketball. We are thankful for the adults from CityView who help facilitate this lively ministry. God has brought together young adults and families who are asking excellent questions about God, the gospel, and life. Last week, some of our kids invited other kids from the parking lot to come to our house for Bible study. The new kids came and asked, “Is it okay if we come even though we've never opened a Bible before?”

As a theme in Bible study, we pray this response to Psalm 1:2-3a:
    Teach us to love Your instruction,
    so that we meditate on it day and night.
    Make us like trees
    planted beside flowing streams

    that bear fruit in the right season.

    Sometimes we have gotten bogged down by the hurt and needs we face, but we look back on a unique and beautiful moment last Sunday. After the service, Bernice shared her newest music video with the church. We helped her make this video to go with the song she wrote about bringing her frustrations to God. Right after that video was shown, we went out into the fellowship area where the Indian students in our church had coordinated to provide a surprise Indian meal for everyone. Not only was it a unique experience, but it was an encouraging glimpse into how God is moving people to grow spiritually and edify others.

    As a church, we’re looking ahead to our Tuesday park outreach this summer. Please pray that we represent Jesus well. We’re planning to bring a real upright piano into the park as an interactive, musical element of our community engagement. Speaking of pianos, Caleb recently finished a project that brought our grand piano into the downtown space. That downtown space is really coming together both aesthetically and in terms of its reputation as a place where Jesus is worshipped and good is done in His name.

    Finally, our baby Jubilee was born just this month. We praise God for her and Julia’s good health! Destiny is off to college this fall. Pray for us as we navigate parenting our first baby.