“And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” Acts 14:23
This Sunday is very important. During the 11:00 service we will pray for, and send out with blessing, our brothers and sisters to officially begin a new church in Stafford – Redeemer Stafford! The beginning of every church is filled with both joy and struggle, hope and sadness. Joy at seeing the expanding work of the Gospel transforming people’s lives through the forgiveness of sins and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. A struggle in working to forge a new work where there was nothing before. Yet through common struggle the deepest friendships are formed. Hope by seeing the work of the Lord renew and expand further in our adjacent community. Sadness because we will see dear Christian friends even less than we do now. However, this is the missionary calling of Jesus Christ to us – go out and bear witness to Jesus’ resurrection!
I am deeply thankful for and proud of Pastor Justin and Molly. There has never been a more self-sacrificing, authentically godly, and courageous couple. Christian leaders in the church are to set an example for us to follow, and they set the bar high. They only see themselves as humble servants. I am thankful for Brandon and Brooke Whitis, Jenner and Nicole Yuhas, and Luke and Kimberly McIntyre coming alongside Justin and Molly as key leaders in this new church. They are each one people of great faith, courage, and sacrifice. Together with other dear brothers and sisters in Christ, they will reach many people in Stafford with the Gospel.
It is important that we continue to pray for and support these friends as they go out from us. They are our closest fellow church, and we will continue to cooperate with them on many ministry and missionary ventures. Please keep this article as a reminder to pray for our friends at Redeemer Stafford. Pray for:
- Pastor Justin as he works and serves as teaching elder
- Brandon, Jenner, and Luke as elder leadership to be wise, godly men, together with Justin, leading the church well
- Molly, Brooke, Nicole, and Kimberly as key women in the church, caring for their families and actively ministering
- Unity of purpose and clarity of direction
- Protection from temptation and division
- That North Stafford Baptist Church would join with them in this new church that there might be unity, a decisive place to meet, and the watching world could see churches cooperating together instead of dividing
- For all key supporting ministry positions to be filled by capable volunteers
- For local visitors to find their way into the church
- That those who have been out of church for a long time, or who are ashamed of Jesus, would once again come into the fellowship of the church
- That the lost would be saved through this expanding ministry
- For the Holy Spirit to inhabit every service bringing joy and hope
- For an evident sense that the Lord is blessing the work and that people’s lives are being changed
- That this church would be known for its authentic Christian love
- That many orphans would be cared for through this church
- That every financial need would be met
May this be the first of many new churches planted from an original work of the Lord. May the Lord get all the glory for the great things He has done and is doing!
–Pastor Vic