What a ride it's been for the last 18 months or so!
Change, change, change & more change....and more coming.
When we started the Bible Study group in March 2012 we were unsure of it's end result. We knew that God had called us, we knew that in His timing that everything would work. But what? when? how?
God has blown our minds with all that He's done since the humble beginnings in a hotel conference room to a full blown Home Missions Church in a region that is lacking an Apostolic presence. Here's a few highlights surrounding God's Hand in and on our infant work!
* We went from a hotel conference room to a remodeled store front with a seating capacity of 75 folks. (2 year lease, hope to be filled up before then!)
* Every door in the city limits has been knocked/door hung.
* We started with an average of 6 to an average of 31 in May 2013.
* 25 precious souls have been baptized in Jesus Name (10 of which has been from our jail ministry)
* 5 souls have been filled with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost (Several others refilled)
* 71% of our attenders were not attending any Church at all before coming to TurningPoint. This was our goal from the beginning as it was NOT to build a Church from already established saints; but rather to win new souls to the Kingdom. God has helped us do that.
* Our retention rate is approximately 55%.
* A Youth Group is in waiting and a Hypen group is being assembled from ground up.
* Our 1st staff position has been put in place, an outreach coordinator, Bro. & Sis. Dave Fyffe.
* Many other exciting things are in the works and will be coming to fruition soon!
The thing that is most impressive and gives credence to God's work is the Pastor hasn't even lived in the city. That will soon change! I am walking away from job security to answer the call of God and we're taking it to another level. After being at my current job for nearly 9 years with great pay and even greater benefits it came to a point that I had to either forsake the earthly calling of a job or forsake the divine calling. I chose to follow God's plan for my life.
I will be leaving my current job on July 1st and will be working and living in Maysville. I've never had a more difficult time with anything. It's been very emotional.
Our precious gift and promised of the Lord, Matthias Andrew "Andy", is now 2 weeks and one day old. He's been to 5 Church services, a hospital visit & a funeral. My job as a dad is to make sure He knows Jesus. I'm going to give it all I've got to be the dad that I never had. I love him and want to dedicate Him back to the One that gave him to us.
While change is hard, it becomes a little easier knowing that God is in the midst of it guiding your every step.
Until I blog again.....
Thanks,
Brian
