We are grateful for your prayers and for the Lord’s answers to prayer this past month. Various new ministries have started up and we are being stretched but the Lord is helping us.
The French Bible study was launched on September 12 during the Sunday school hour. We are starting 15 minutes earlier than the other classes in order to give a full hour for our meeting. M, is from Québec and is in his third year at the Bible Institute. He is taking turns with me for leading the song services and is leading the Bible study about once a month. For some of those attending whose mother tongue is French, this has been the first time they have ever sung hymns or studied the Bible in French. We now have flyers to give out as invitations so we trust the Lord will use those to draw others in.
God is giving us many opportunities to use music in ministry, both in the church as well as in the Bible Institute. Pastor asked us to take over the leadership and accompaniment for the choir as they started back up after being out since Covid began. Well, we prepared the fall schedule and had our first practice with 17 eager singers on September 19. Then the government reinstated masks and choir was again suspended.
Besides the piano and voice students that we have from the Bible Institute, Cherith also has 5 other piano students. Last week, I was approached by one of the pastoral students who was interested in learning music so he could use it in ministry. He had observed how Pastor Eastwood has used music in his ministry and realized it could be a real asset to his own future ministry. I am delighted with his desire to learn and prepare for future service and started music/piano lessons with him last Friday.
The Bible Institute began September 6 with orientation classes, and regular classes beginning the following week. I have two classes currently, Missiology 1 and Ministry of Worship besides preaching in chapel every other week.
Cherith is teaching both Music and French in the Home school co-op which started up September 14 and meets Tuesday mornings. It is a first for us as well as everyone else and we have seen God’s blessings through it already.
The Lord is sustaining us though our hearts are heavy. One of the former pastors of our church here (Emmanuel Baptist) and his wife are in serious medical condition, both hospitalized in Saskatchewan (Tim and Verna Friesen). A dear family friend and retired missionary (Clarissa Barton) is not doing well and getting weaker back in Michigan. And this week we received news of the tragic death of my cousin Randy Teachout’s 15-year old son Kaleb. With hurting hearts we cry out to God for His mercy for these loved ones and for His comfort and consolation for Randy’s (our) family at this time of great loss.
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