“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin…”

Zechariah 4:10, NLT

Hi All!

Happy Spring to each one of you and here’s our latest:

Care Net: The pace at Care Net continues to be challenging, although rewarding. I now lead a six-person team (four full-time and two part-time), with two more full-time positions to hire before June 30^th. Here is a new two-minute trailer we just did targeting more literacy, compassionate conversations, and action among Millennials and Gen Z. Additionally, here is a great new brochure that explains clearly what the main ministry resource, Making Life Disciples 2.0, is. And here is a talk I just did at our Pro Abundant Life Men’s Conference at Tony Evan’s church in Dallas.

I appreciate your prayers as I have a heavy travel schedule over the next two months, speaking in several places including Kingstown, VA, Louisville, KY, and Fairbanks, AK.

Mantua Creek Church Plant: Our 17-member core group (14 of us are pictured above from Easter!) has some exciting things on the horizon. Along with the launch of our online abbreviated services, we have been meeting weekly live in one of our homes. Although we have been enjoying these small beginnings, we are at capacity. Recently a church in northern Gloucester County kindly reached out to us about using some of their space for a very reasonable cost. I met with the pastor and found the proposed space to be ideal for our needs. It would not only give us a lot of options to invite others and grow in healthy ways, it might also allow us to begin weekly live services sooner rather than later. Simultaneous with these negotiations, we’ve also secured a lawyer to help us get our corporate 501-c3 status so that we could also get a certificate of insurance which we will need to rent space.

Here are some specific prayer requests for us at this time:

• That we would identify and secure a place we can meet monthly for live services by the end of the year.
• That we would get our corporate non-profit status.
• That God would give us meaningful interactions with friends and neighbors.
• That God would draw individuals and families to himself through us.
• That our kids would be excited, connected, and ultimately grow from what we’re doing and that our marriages would be strong. 
• That God would add to and solidify our core group; that we would truly be a loving and welcoming community.
• That as families, we would retain a sensitivity to and a heart for singles and those with no children. 

BTW, here’s the latest on our fundraising goal for 2022: We now have $18,850 of 20K. My heartfelt thanks to all who’ve given to date and if you’d like to invest in what we’re doing, you can do so through our mother church, Ashland EPC, at this secure link. As a reminder, once we meet our goal, all additional funds will go toward a launch fund that won’t be accessed until we begin weekly services in a physical location (this was projected for the beginning of 2024 but now could be only a couple months away!).

Personal: What a joy to have my mom, Lois Hart, with us for a week just prior to Easter. It was the first time she got to see five of her great-grandchildren and the first time she has been back to NJ in three years. I praise God for his mercy in protecting her during the pandemic and helping her beat cancer a second-time last year. She is an example to us all, consistently choosing courage over comfort and being a steady yet honest and human spiritual presence in our lives.

Writing: I have three chapters left to finish in Irreplaceable: Recovering God’s Heart for Dads. I don’t know that I will make it by Father’s Day, but I am shooting to have the first draft for several folks to review soon.

As always, I would love to hear from you. And if you or someone you love is going through a dark season, a friend whose family is facing a lot right now recently shared this great quote:

“If you ask, ‘Why is this happening?,’ no light may come, but if you ask, ‘How am I to glorify God now?,’ there will always be an answer.”

J.I. Packer

Despite the mystery and, at times, God’s silence, in faith we know that He makes all things beautiful in His time. Flowers help remind us of that…

With love and prayers,

Greg