I just realized that we have not taken a lot of pictures as of late! I will remedy that before the next update. Life is very full at the moment and its all for the purpose of church planting in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Here's what we've been up to:
Gear 1 - Kids Schooling
The kids are full swing into their school year. Maria is doing a great job in educating them with rigor and fun. They are participating in Artios Academy which is allowing them to hone some dancing, singing, and acting skills. They're really enjoying the experience. In the spring of next year they will all be a part of Finding Nemo the Musical. They've already auditioned for it and have landed their parts.
Gear 2 - Worship Leading @ Gospel Hope
I'm continuing to serve on staff at Gospel Hope as a church planter resident. My duties mainly entail leading and developing the worship team. I'm meeting monthly with a group I've labeled the "Worship Liturgists!" I'm hoping to instill in them a greater understanding of liturgical formation while also developing them as leaders of the worship team in spiritual and practical ways. My main aim here is to work myself out of a job.
Gear 3 - Budgeting and Fundraising
The fund-raising journey continues and we are daily reminded of our great need to trust God with every step. We are still working on our goal to raise another $1500 dollars of monthly support. Please pray with us to reach this goal! We know God has called us to what we are doing and so we have no doubts he will provide in His time. In this understanding we are working hard to contact friends, ministries, and churches to invite them into the work that God is going to do in Aguadilla.
Gear 4 - Church Plant Cohorts
I'm participating in two church planting cohorts at the moment. The first is the SEND Network Training Cohort. We have met once for a couple days and will do so a couple more times this fall. This group is amazing and it's a huge testimony to how God's church is being built among the nations right in this country. In this cohort there are 5 languages represented. The pastors are from Haiti, Brazil, Myanmar, and Honduras. I'm the lone only-English-speaking church planter and I'm the one moving to Puerto Rico!!! God's ways are often beyond us.
The second cohort I'm a part of is the Summit Collaborative's Church Planting Cohort. This cohort is a full year and I'm traveling a good bit. I've already been to Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte. Our next gathering will be in Raleigh-Durham again and then Miami. I'm learning a ton from this group and the content has been truly what I've needed in preparing for church-planting. I'm so grateful for the all the ways the Lord is allowing Maria and I to be poured into by the wisdom and experience of others.
Gear 5 - Seminary Education
As if all that wasn't enough, I'm attempting to finish an M.A. in Church Planting before I move to Puerto Rico. We'll see if I can pull it off. This fall I'm garnering 18 hours of credits. One of the classes will take me to Dallas-Ft. Worth for the SEND Network Gathering and so there's some more travel to add to the docket.
In all of this movement and preparation, Maria and I have been prayer-walking a good bit so that we stay connected and united in the ministry God as called us to. Thank you for praying for us and thank you to all of you who are supporting us.
If you are interested in knowing how you can support us in this journey then shoot me an email (ben@gospelhopechurch.com) because I'd love to share the vision of the church we are looking to plant in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
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