drop the bomb

so here's a big one - first baptist church is carrying a large deficit. as a result they are unable to hire people for 3 positions in the new year - also they will have to cut funding for first@night after our contract expires in may. i was told this in person this morning - i kind of sensed it was coming but it was still hard to hear.

i was discouraged for about an hour and then i thought that this could also be another possibility for god to show his ability to provide. his supernatural ability to make a "river in the desert". i was actually quite encouraged by the afternoon wondering how god was going to keep us going after may.

i shared this with the home group tonight - they committed to pray and were also quite optimistic about the future. god has been at work in first@night - people have been ministered to, the lost have been found, the found have become more found.
i know god is with us.

caught up with my buddy layne today - he and his family are moving to a suburb of san francisco to take a position in a church there.

somebody commented on the last post that brennan manning is coming to victoria in may - if i don't find any funding for first@night by then i think i'll have to go so that brennan can remind me that i am still god's beloved. (i'm being sarcastic here). this book abba's child is actually very good. i think yancey quotes manning because i recognize some of the stories and examples that he uses.

thanks to all of you who have prayed/are praying for first baptist church and first@night. you don't know how much that means to me when someone e-mails me and tells me that they've prayed for me. honestly it touches me deeply.