Global Missions

We have an all-church prayer meeting planned for Sunday evening (January 27, 6pm, ACI synagogue). Sometimes knowing how God is working can really empower your prayers. Want to be motivated to pray? There is an amazing article by Tony Carnes, co-director of the Research Institute for New Americans, that documents the ways NYC has changed since the 1970’s & 80’s. Carnes traces this to what he calls “the civilizing effect of Christ on New York City.” Through the planting of new churches and the proclamation of the gospel, our city has truly been transformed. Check out his article at ... http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/december/15.32.html

I received a statistical report from one of our ESL volunteers this morning containing data from that program for 2007. It was great to see how God has used this ministry.

For 40 weeks this last year, ESL volunteers from our church ran free English classes for foreign-born residents of our neighborhood. They taught our neighbors the words, grammar and pronunciation of the (complicated) English language, and spent many hours with them forming meaningful friendships. The seating capacity of our office suite was often completely filled with students eager to learn...

I’ve never been much of a fisherman, but I do know enough about the sport to realize that there is more than one way to catch a fish. You can dangle your line off the side of a dock. You stand on the beach and cast into the surf. You can take your rod to a flowing stream and entice the fish to bite. All of these sound like fun (if, unlike me, you can actually catch a fish.)