see the vision, pray with vigilance

Hi friends, would you pray for me this evening as I’m writing an update to my email prayer list? Pray that the vision of seeing Ukrainians grow in their knowledge of Jesus will excite me, pray with vigilance that I’ll write with focus and clarity, so that my writing encourages and builds you up in the grace of God.

If you haven’t seen my team’s video over on the video tab, or if its been a while since you last watched it, here’s the big picture of what my team’s up to in Kiev:

Exciting things continue to happen there: students have graduated from the seminary, a pastor has been ordained, and ordinary Ukrainian believers are growing in grace and becoming more like Jesus.

If your holiday schedule is anything like mine and my friends, you’d understand that I haven’t been trying to schedule Ukraine meetings this close to Christmas. Pray that I’ll work steadily on behind-the-scenes support raising stuff like praying, thank-you notes, Christmas cards, scheduling for January, and developing a few tools to use in the new year.

Pray with vigilance for me as I work, that God would establish the work of my hands and provide my support. The two major times my monthly pledged support moved forward were 17% to 34% in March/April and 36% to 56% in October/November, and the only thing I did differently in those months was specifically and consistently asking and reminding you to pray. So THANKS for your vigilance in prayer!

here’s the deal: give & pray today

Some of you have been following my story for a while, some are new readers.  I’m writing an email update tonight (sign up here if you’d like to join my email list), but wanted to give my blog readers a shout-out.

My support-raising deadline is technically the end of November, but I think I’ve got till the end of the year.  Either way, that’s not a lot of time, and I’ve only received 34% of my monthly support.  But 63 (or 48) new monthly supporters (and three church or very generous individuals) would meet 100% of my outstanding $2,470 monthly support need.  Here’s how:

• 1 church or person giving $300 per month
• 2 churches or people giving $150 per month
• 3 people giving $90 per month
• 10 people giving $60 per month
• 25 people giving $30 per month
• 25 people giving $10 per month (or 10 giving $25/month)

Which giver are you?

There’s lots of other ways the math could work, but the point is I need your pledge today if God plans to supply my support by the end of the year.  His provision for cross-cultural ministry will come through his people’s giving.

I’m going to help strengthen the church in Kiev using the gifts God’s given me in music ministry, evangelism, and discipleship.  Please pledge now if you haven’t, and pray now for the Lord to provide all my needs and to confirm his calling through the generous giving and praying of his people.

Will you help send me in a manner worthy of God?  3 John 5 – 8 says:

⁵Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, ⁶who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. ⁷For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

Thanks!