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He is Risen!

I hope you had a great Easter week!  Coram Deo was busy with Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services at a venue downtown, as well as a wonderful Easter service and lunch afterwords on Sunday.  It was great to walk through the celebration, remembrance, mourning, rest, and joy of Holy Week as a church.

This picture was at our Good Friday service… our own intimate ‘upper room,’ just before we shared the Lord’s Supper.  We had over 70 people attend that night and the room had less than 40 chairs.  It was tight but it reminded us of the disciples huddled together after Jesus’ death; and though we did not fear arrest, it was a somber night of reflection and mourning the crucifixion of our Lord.

What we did not realize when we booked the room was that the lounge on the other side of the large doors on the wall was open for business and that there was live music that evening.  Oops!  Without a sound system of our own that night, it was a little hard to hear and a bit distracting.  I preached the homily and had to practice my ‘elevated voice’ preaching 🙂  You can listen to my homily (and the background music) HERE.

After the Easter service on Sunday, about half the church went to Pastor Kyle’s house for lunch.  He glazed and smoked several hams, and everyone else brought appetizers, sides, and desserts.  It was a great time of fellowship, laughter, and community.  I ate about half a dozen deviled eggs and so my heart was happy 🙂

Many thoughts ran through my mind this week, but one truth stands strong… Christ was willing to die for me; He was willing to die for you.  He did what we could not, and loved us enough to die in our place.  What a great Savior!  He conquered the grave so that we would never taste its bitter bite.

Easter is a poignant reminder of the hope that we celebrate every Sunday.  As Paul proclaimed in 1 Cor 15, “‘Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory?  O death, where is your sting?’  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”

He is Risen… He is Risen Indeed!

Many of you have asked questions about our church, Coram Deo – what is it like, where do you meet, is it growing, etc. So we thought we would try to answer a few of those questions here.

What does Coram Deo mean:

Coram Deo is Latin for “in the presence of God.” To live Coram Deo is to live in the grace of God, under the authority of God, and to the glory of God.

As a church we seek to have 4 characteristics:

• Convinced Minds
• Cleansed Hearts
• Committed Hands
• Captivated Souls

These 4 traits come out of Luke 10:27 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

Where do you meet?

We meet at Jefferson Elementary School in south Spokane.

How do you have church in an elementary school?!

We have trailer containing 7 large rolling boxes (and several small ones) that hold everything we need for a Sunday morning – poles and curtains for the sanctuary, nursery supplies and toys, an entire coffee brewing system (essential in Spokane), projector, screen, sound equipment, pulpit, etc.

Do you have Sunday School?

We do! The children are currently using the Gospel Project curriculum.  This semester Matt has been leading them through the book of Genesis.

The adults are studying Covenant Theology, taking a look at God’s plan of redemption for his people.

How many people attend Coram Deo?

Coram Deo made the switch from Sunday evenings to Sunday mornings in September 2015. Since then we have seen many visitors and new attenders. On a typical Sunday we have approximately 70 people.

Two weeks ago we received our first church members! Coram Deo is growing, and God is at work in Spokane!

What are the demographics of the church?

It is a good mix of people – young and old, single, married and everything in between. We have children (a few babies coming this spring and summer), college students, professionals and those who’ve retired. We are praying for more families with school-age children.

What is the style of the church?

Our worship services are about 1 hour and 30 minutes long, and they incorporate prayer, Bible readings, and singing throughout five stages of our liturgy movements:

• Reverence: We are called into the presence of God to worship.
• Reconciliation: God’s presence reveals our sin. We confess and repent our sin, and we are pardoned through Christ’s grace and assurance.
• Revelation: We learn through the preaching and teaching of God’s word.
• Response: We respond to God’s word with our confession of faith and our tithes and offerings.
• Renewal: We are rejuvenated after encountering God with the Lord’s Supper each week.

Do you have bible studies throughout the week?

Yes! We currently have three studies – men on Tuesday morning, college guys on Thursday evening and women on Thursday evening. The men in both studies are reading and discussing the New Man by Dan Doriani, talking about biblical manhood. The women are reading the Envy of Eve, talking about being content in a covetous world.

Let us know in the comments section if you have any other questions!

We love you all and are so thankful to have the opportunity to minister in Spokane!

Happy 2016! I can’t believe we are already halfway through January. Where does the time go? Matt and I hoped to have some time to catch up over the holidays while students were home, but the holidays came and went so quickly and now it’s already January 13th!

While our holidays weren’t exactly quiet, it was such a sweet time! My parents came from Texas to visit my brother’s family and us. We ate a lot of yummy food, watched football, played with our one-year-old niece and just enjoyed being together. Then, the day my parents left, Matt’s dad flew in to celebrate Matt’s grandma’s 95th birthday. What a time of fun celebrations with family it was!

Now that the holidays have quieted down, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the past year and share with you our prayers for 2016:

2015 – the Lord will provide

• In April, we flew out to Spokane for the first time. The trip was exhausting. We left with more questions than answers, and knew if we were going to move to Spokane God was going to have to work mightily.

• 

  In May, Matt graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. After three and a half years of hard work and the grace of God, he had his Masters in Divinity.

• In June, Matt was offered the assistant pastor job in Spokane. God was at work providing a position for Matt that we never could have dreamed up — to live in the same state as my brother, to have the opportunity to minister to college students, to learn from a seasoned pastor, to be a part of a church plant. This position didn’t look easy – we would have to raise our own support, but God was at work.
• In July, we began support raising. Matt and I had raised support before, so we were prepared for the feelings of defeat, the worries of wondering if God would provide, the fear of “what if….” Oh y’all, how the Lord provided! How he used YOU to work out his plan for us!
• In August, we moved out of our apartment and into a basement apartment that a church family provided. Again, the Lord knew exactly what we needed in his time.

• 

  In September, we left Charlotte and began our three-week trek across the US. The Lord used those three weeks to prepare me for Spokane. When we left Charlotte, I was not ready. I was not ready to leave our sweet, life-giving friends. I was not ready to settle into a new church, a new city with new people. And yet the Lord knew my heart, my fears, and so he used those three weeks to help me adjust. By the time we reached Jackson, WY, I was ready. I was still full of fear, but I was ready to get to Spokane.

• October 1st we arrived in Spokane with our suitcases and no place to live. Matt’s aunt and uncle took us in for nearly three weeks while we searched and searched and searched for a home. I felt like we were never going to find a place to live. Each time we sent in our application, there were two more people in front of us. In mid-October, God placed a beautiful home in our hands. It’s better than we could have dreamed. Oh how you would think I would learn to trust him and rest?! Unfortunately I’m too much like the Israelites in their wanderings.
• In November and December, we watched God work as he provided students for us to meet with, friends for us to share life with, and a sweet church in which to grow and serve.

In many ways, God has met all my fears with an abundance of blessing. Isn’t that how he works? He loves to give good gifts to his children — he meets me where I am and provides in ways I never could have imagined.

2016 – a prayerful year

• Coram Deo: We are thankful for how the Lord is bringing visitors to the church each Sunday. Our prayer for 2016 is that the Lord would raise up men to be elders and deacons, and for continued strength and encouragement for Kyle, the senior pastor, and Matt as they lead and make decisions.
• Matt’s Ordination: Matt has started studying for licensure and ordination. This coming spring he will take 5 written exams and two oral exams. We are hoping for him to be ordained at the May presbytery meeting. Please pray for time and diligence to study now even when it seems far off.
• Students: We currently have students from three college campuses and Fairchild Air Force base. We spent the last few months getting to know them. Our goal this semester is to deepen those relationships and be more present on the campuses. Pray that the students would see their need for Jesus and love him more.
• Support: As mentioned above, God has been so faithful in providing support for us to be in Spokane. Please pray for our remaining monthly support to come in and as we continue to support raise this spring and summer. We need about $500 more in monthly support. If you would like to support us monthly, please click here.

Seeing how the Lord provides and reflecting on his goodness to us is a balm to my fearful heart. We forget so easily, don’t we? How did the Lord provide for you in 2015? Share of his gifts in the comments!

Hello from the Inland Northwest!

I’m sorry it’s been a while since I last updated the blog. As I mentioned last time, we arrived in Spokane and hit the ground running… and it hasn’t stopped! I’m hopeful that as life becomes more stable, I will be able to update the blog more regularly. So keep checking it!

We are thankful for ways the Lord has provided for us and how He continues to affirm our call to Spokane.

• He provided a house! God gave us a great home in an awesome neighborhood. (To those sending out Christmas cards, please see our new address in the footer below!) The picture above was taken at Manito Park, two blocks from our house, and there is a cute coffee shop only three blocks away. I think I’m quickly becoming a “regular” there! Pray we will use our home well, that it would be a place of comfort, encouragement and grace to those in our life.
• He has provided an abundance of college students! Matt and I are so thankful for the opportunity to be meeting with so many university students. Matt typically has 2 to 5 meetings a day, and God has been kind to let me participate in discipling several college ladies. A few weeks ago, Matt started a guys’ Bible study in our home on Thursday nights. They are reading through “A New Man” by Dan Doriani on biblical manhood. We are thankful that in just a short month the students have been open and honest in their questions, battles with sin and desires to grow. Please pray that the Lord would give Matt and me wisdom, boldness and compassion to love them well, meet them where they are and challenge them to maturity in Christ.
• He has been very present in the transition to Spokane. Transitions are hard; moving is hard; figuring out this new community and the new normal is hard. We miss our Charlotte friends and the familiarity of the known, but as we’ve said over and over, “Hard is not bad, it’s just hard,” and in those hard times, God has been near to us and kind to surround us with sweet new friends at Coram Deo. Please pray for our continued transition. We are trying to figure out what this new normal looks like, how we can love each other well and be engaged in our new community.

Thank you for your continued prayers, encouraging text messages, and phone calls! It’s such a blessing to know that we do not go out each day alone, but that your prayers go before us. The Lord is building his church in Spokane, and I’m so thankful to you for supporting us to be a part of it! If you would like to support us monthly, please visit the Support Us page.

Callie and I recently returned from a month-long trip to Colorado and Texas to see family and raise support. Thank you so much for your prayers during our travels! It was so great to see so many friends and get an opportunity to share the ways that God is working in our lives.  We were able to share at several churches and have two fundraising dessert nights that were very encouraging.

God has blessed us through your generous financial partnering with our ministry!  We currently have raised just around 45% of our total funds to be able to move to Spokane and minister at Coram Deo!

Through the ups and downs of raising support, we are constantly reminded of God’s goodness and guidance in our lives.  We are learning to trust him more and to pray big prayers.  Our God loves to bless his children, but too often we forget to ask him for what we need.  We continue to pray in the bold words of Jesus in John 16: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”

We are back in Charlotte now and continuing to support raise. Please pray that God would bring our support in and be preparing us for our move to Spokane.  We still need around $3000 of monthly support to meet our ministry needs.  We hope to be fully supported and move to Washington in mid September.  If you would like to partner with us in this goal, you can set up a recurring monthly gift online here.

Thank you for your prayers and support!  We are blessed to know so many people with a heart for gospel ministry!

Blessings,

Matt

When Matt and I were newly married, he gave me The Daily Light on the Daily Path devotional. It’s this sweet devotional that combines various themes in scripture into one passage. It is helpful in seeing how one verse relates to another – how themes, like grace, prayer, guidance, dependence, faithfulness, go throughout all of the Bible.

This morning as I read the day’s passage, God in his perfect providence spoke to my nervous, wavering heart. You see, this morning is my last day at Accrinet, a job I’ve worked at since we’ve been in Charlotte. A job that feels less like work and more like home. A job that is full of coworkers who are really more like brothers and sisters. It’s comfortable; it’s known; it’s safe.

This is the day that I leave what “make sense” for something unknown. Leaving a good job to support raise and move across the country doesn’t make sense to most – in fact it often doesn’t make sense to me. But, God has called us to trust – to trust him in the unknown, in the scary, in the uncomfortable as he leads.

So, we go forth. Today is a bittersweet day. I’m sad to leave my family of coworkers, but I’m so excited for our next adventure, and I’m incredibly grateful to my Lord who speaks sweetly to my soul with these words from this morning’s Daily Light:

“The ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them.

My times are in your hand.—He chose our heritage for us.—Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness;… make your way straight before me.—Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.—In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.—Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.—As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.—“The Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.”—Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”