CrossPoint Community News 08/11/2023

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

     I’ve returned from three weeks away! Now, while helping out with VBS, I am working to get back into the swing of things, before I head out again next week to visit my family in Iowa. (I still plan to be around on the weekends!)
     You may not have noticed that I was gone. Or you might have been wondering where I was and what I was doing. Either way, I’d like to briefly share what God has been teaching me through the past three weeks. During my first week away, I was visiting Angie’s side of the family and recuperating. I had been feeling tired and empty and, at points, somewhat helpless. But God used the week with family to refresh and encourage me.
     On July 21, I flew back to Boston so that I could catch an international flight to Croatia. For the past two weeks, I had the privilege of traveling with the Ockenga Fellows 2.0. The Ockenga Fellows are a group of pastors in New England, who come together to talk about the church in the public square. There have been 4 rounds of fellows, and this is the fifth and final round. This Fellows 2.0 program has already discussed globalization and secularization. We’ll be talking about Race Relations in November. Our discussion on Secularization brought us to Croatia, Bosnia, and Czechia (The Czech Republic).
     While in Croatia and Bosnia, we travelled around to learn about how war has affected Christians and how the church has responded during war and since the war ended. Through meeting various pastors and hearing different stories, I was encouraged to be reminded that God cares for and protects His people. God will provide as He guides us to walk in His path. We simply need to follow His leading! If you want specific examples and stories, just ask. (BTW, Split, Croatia is a cheaper vacation spot than Italy and boasts many similar and picturesque places, so more and more tourists in Europe are heading there to visit the Adriatic coast).
     While in Prague, Chechia, we learned a lot about the history of the region, and how the reformation began there earlier than that better known Protestant reformation started by Martin Luther. If you’re curious, search up John Hus. Through conversations with ministry leaders, I was reminded of God’s strange and fantastic providence. God knows how to bring people to himself, even through the most unlikely circumstances. We can continue to serve our Lord because He is still bringing people to himself.
     What has God been teaching you this summer?

Also, please continue to pray for the nation of Ukraine. Pray that they would cease bringing the war to Russia – because there are no winners in a war. Here is a suggested list of prayers if you are at a loss for words in how to pray: https://send.org/story/hh_pray_for_ukraine. Thank you for kneeling on behalf of the people of Ukraine and Russia, and taking a stand (or a knee in prayer) against the forces of darkness in this present age.