Monday, November 12, 2012

Baptism, Prayer, and Prophetic Update


It's November and it's snowing here:  heavy wet snow that the girls are enjoying, and Gabe is shoveling!  This weather reminds me of my childhood in Missouri, so I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today.  That being said, I'm also full of faith for the future and for what God has in store for the church in Spokane.  Since it's Veteran's Day and the whole family has the day off from school I have a chance to update everyone.

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Prayer just before baptizing Michelle...
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...Just baptized!
If you've been following my blog (www.jonnydavids.blogspot.com), you'll know that we were preparing for our first baptism in October.  Well, we've now had two baptisms!  Two young ladies, Erika and Michelle, were baptized this past month.  The day Michelle was baptized, we had 30 people there for the celebration - lots of family, friends, and even a French professor from Whitworth University (she teaches French - I have no idea if she has any French heritage)!  Since our own home did not come equipped with a "baptismal" (of course), we were able to use another home up on Five Mile Prairie in Northwest Spokane.  This home has a great baptismal tank in the form of a hot tub.  After we all prayed for Michelle we went outside to the hot tub, where I prayed for her one more time and then her sister baptized her.  Very fun!  Hot tub baptisms, anyone?  I know you are jealous. 
   
Following the baptisms we enjoyed a great meal at another home on Five Mile Prairie, where we discussed the finer points of running, soccer, and other sports with two of Gabe's cross-country coaches.  One of his coaches, Tracy Walters, used to be a USA Olympic track and field coach so he's full of amazing stories!  I don't think Gabe really realizes yet just how privileged he is to have such high-caliber coaches training him.  These guys love Jesus and are also really good at what they do!

We are just finishing up taking our launch team through Terry Virgo's book, "Start," a book designed for new believers and an excellent first-step discipleship training tool.  We've been using the book as a way to cover some of the core values of who we are as a Newfrontiers church, while also equipping each member of our team to take others through the book.  As we wrap this up, the challenge is for each team member to personally take someone else through the book now!  This Friday night, we'll be sharing our own testimonies of how Jesus has changed our lives.  We'll also go through the basics of sharing the gospel with our friends, family, and co-workers.  Please pray for effective gospel communication within our relational networks here in Spokane!

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Friday night prayer in our living room
Two Fridays ago, our team spent most of the evening just praying for each other, prophesying into each other's lives, and praising Jesus together.  It was a really great night of prayer.  We know that as we develop a culture of prayer and worship that our roots will go deep while our effectiveness multiplies.  We have much work to do here in Spokane, and we look forward to continued partnership with all of you who are mutually invested with us through prayer, encouragement, and even finances.  Thank you!
  
As I bring this update to a close, I thought I'd share some prophetic encouragement:  On the morning of October 16, I felt God gave me a mental image of a rock dropping into a pond.  I was feeling a bit like I'd been dropped into Spokane kind of like that rock - under the surface - but knowing that the ripple effect was real and would be effective.  Then I saw myself re-emerging from the water, like I was extremely buoyant.  It was a forceful, fast explosion up and out from the water.  It's a good encouragement that our small beginnings are not insignificant and that the Grace Church Spokane team will have a strong launch from the "waters" of Spokane!  I hope you remember that too; no matter where you are, God is the one who makes you strong, makes you effective, and enables you to rise up!  As Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1-4, we are both hidden in Christ and raised with Him!  Let's fix our eyes on Jesus.

For The Kingdom,
Jon

FYI - Giving is now possible directly to Grace Church Spokane, PO Box 10312, Spokane, WA 99209.  Thanks for all your support!