Thursday, March 31, 2011

March Update

Friends & Family: Forgive me for not being more consistent with these updates...please know how often I think of each of you who are financially and/or prayerfully supporting our work here in Albuquerque. I trust this update will find you rejoicing in His grace. Here's the latest news regarding High Desert Church (PCA): -In the past six weeks or so we have seen several new couples attending one of our two Bible study groups. In addition, folks are beginning to invite their friends who are looking for a church home...which means the group is expanding beyond just my 'contacts.' -A very simple website, highdesertpca.com, should be up and running in the next week or two. No one would every confuse me with a webmaster (!), but I've found an easy way to get our information up on the web. We'll revamp (likely, with professional help!) the website once we are ready to launch weekly Sunday morning services. -High Desert is having our first worship service on Thursday, April 21 at 7pm here in Albuquerque, at a meeting room at Sandia Labs Federal Credit Union (for you locals, 3707 Juan Tabo NE, at JT and Comanche). This is a Maundy Thursday worship service, not advertised, just for our core group and folks they want to invite. After eight months of gathering people, I think it will be fun for all of us to 'taste' worship together, and give a preview to our friends and family. If any of you are local and would like to come, we'd love to see you! So you can see, there is much to thank God for! Please remember us in your prayers in the following ways: 1. That our core group will continue to invite others to our bible study groups, and that we will increase in numbers. We have about 20 adults involved at this point...I'd like to see that number at 40 by the time we're ready to 'launch'. 2. That our Maundy Thursday service will be an encouragement to those who attend...and that those who come will sense the very presence of God in our midst. 3. That as folks in our group sense God calling them to our mission church, that they will begin to contribute financially to HDC. A friend of mine reminds me often that he loves his job: he says he is 'living the dream.' Blog readers, please know that I am truly 'living the dream' by seeing God at work here in Albuquerque...and your support is a huge part of that! Yours in Christ, Dan

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

February Update

Friends & family:
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and support of High Desert Church (PCA). Here is the latest news and ways you can pray for this project:
News:
-In January it was my intention to begin 'DNA' meetings with our current small group...but the timing was just not right. I was rushing things, and it was good to slow down and focus on the group we currently have, and continue networking, in order to grow our group. I hope to begin 'DNA' meetings sometime down the road this year.
-In January and February we are just meeting twice a month for bible study. We will relaunch our Sunday night group in March (we also have a Thursday night group).
-Tomorrow's study will be the first one held in someone else's home (not ours)! This is a praise. And there looks to be 'record turnout', if everyone who is planning on coming actually attends. This is great news, especially considering the home we're meeting in tomorrow night is on the West Side of Albuquerque (our plans as of now are to plant on the far North side of ABQ).
-High Desert has her own checking account, as of this week, which will allow core group members to give.
Prayer Requests:
-For energy and focus. I've been in ABQ six months and have hit the proverbial wall in terms of networking. Please pray for new avenues to open in terms of relationships here.
-For our core group, that we may develop meaningful relationships with one another, while looking around us in our workplaces, schools, etc. in terms of reaching others with the Gospel of Christ.
-For future planning...I am contemplating putting together a Maundy Thursday evening worship service (Thursday before Easter, celebrating The Last Supper), just to give a 'taste' of what High Desert worship might look like. This will entail finding a musician, as well as a place to worship (I'm thinking a hotel meeting room, to seat around 50). Please pray for wisdom, and if this idea is to go forward, for all the details to fall into place.
-For my family and my marriage. I love Carrie, Noah and Caleb, and would appreciate your prayers for each of them!

May God richly bless each one of you,

Dan

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas 2010 Update

Dear friends,
Thank you so much for your prayers and support of the Duke City Project. Here's a snapshot of what our ministry consists of so far...

-As of this month, the church plant has a name: High Desert Church (P.C.A.). I am currently working on obtaining our tax exempt status, which will allow us to open a bank account in January.

-We have six families committed to the church plant, with a number of other families showing varying degrees of interest. We need to double or even triple this number by August, when we want to 'launch' the church (beginning public worship services).

-While we have had two separate bible study groups in the fall, beginning in January we will have only one bible study (two Thursdays a month) while adding a new meeting, 'High Desert DNA', which will meet two Sundays a month. This DNA meeting will allow me to share my vision for the church, and give others opportunity to refine this vision and then own it for themselves.

-I just received word that a PCA church here in New Mexico has agreed to support us significantly over the next three years, an answer to prayer! I am glad to have a church on board, joining all the individuals who are supporting us financially.

When you think of us, please pray for the following...
1. That we will grow our core group over the next few months (12 families by Easter is a good goal!).
2. That God will make clear who our worship leader should be...there are a few options available but no one has definitively stepped up as of yet.
3. That our current families will grow in their excitement about High Desert as August gets nearer, and as I'm able to communicate our purpose and vision for Albuquerque.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2011 to you all!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

October Update

Cool weather has finally come to Albuquerque! And I'm overdue in giving you an update on our efforts to start a new PCA church in the Far NE Heights of the Duke City.
News to be thankful for...
1. Our bible studies, meeting twice a month at this point, were well attended in September and October...just shy of 20 people in October, just above 20 in September. Interestingly enough, a number of folks that came in October were new to the group!
2. We have two different men who are experienced guitar players, and each has led a bible study in worship. I'm grateful for these guys and am praying they will want to continue with us down the road.
3. I continue to network and meet new people who are interested in our church plant.
Things to pray for...
1. Two PCA churches have indicated they will likely support us in their 2011 budgets. This will likely mean that our fundraising will be finished! Please pray that these churches will come through, especially in these hard economic times.
2. By the end of the year I would like to see us with a church name, and a bank account. The name, by far, is the hardest of those two items to finalize. Pray that the Holy Spirit will lead our group to the right name, and that it will be a name people can be excited about!
3. Pray for planning for 2011. Especially as 2010 winds down (can you believe it?!), our church plant meetings will intensify and ramp up in the New Year. Pray for me to plan wisely.
4. Pray for those individuals and families who are interested in joining up with us, or at least willing to 'check us out'. Many of these folks have had negative church experiences in the past, either with church plants, pastors, or churches. Pray that I can be a good friend and pastor to these hurting people, and that any issues of forgiveness will be dealt with in a God honoring fashion, according to the Gospel of grace.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

October Update

Dear friends: My family has been in Albuquerque about two months now, and we really love being back in the Southwest!
God has blessed us with old friends and new, and has really encouraged us on our first few steps towards seeing a church plant grow here in the Far NE Heights of Albuquerque.
We praise God for...
-Successful networking with churches, pastors, and interested families. My sense is that the word is getting out about our new church starting...all by word of mouth, without a cent spent on advertising as of yet.
-Our family getting settled here quickly. Our sons are already busy with school, soccer, and piano lessons. We have a temporary home church in Crossroads Fellowship (PCA), where we feel welcome and nurtured.
Please pray for us...
-As our bible studies start in October. Two groups will meet, one on Tuesday nights, the other on Sunday evenings, both groups meeting twice a month. We'll be studying the book of Acts, with an emphasis on developing some of our church's core values along the way. We have a number of families interested in attending...the key is moving them from interested to coming to committed! And that takes time, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
-We will be looking to name ourselves, a significant step in the church planting process. Please pray for a name that will reflect the grace of God and the ministry we hope to have in our city.
-I am already on the lookout for a capable musician or musicians who could be our music leader as we look to launch in the fall of 2011. Pray that God will lead that man and his family to us...that is, if we haven't met him yet!
As always, thank you for your support! May God richly bless you.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

September Update

Just a quick update on how things are progressing for us in Albuquerque, and how you can be in prayer for us...

1. Moving & settling in has gone very smoothly. Our sons like their new school, soccer season has started for both of them, and we have a new puppy that we all chase after!

2. Networking has been good so far. I've had the opportunity to speak one on one with a number of folks about the church plant; we hosted an 'open house' at our new home, and had 46 adults and kids come through, many of them 'old friends' that we enjoyed reconnecting with. I also had the chance to preach at Crossroads PCA in Albuquerque, planted just a few years ago, and hope to establish a great relationship with the church and her pastor.

3. Fundraising continues to go well. I've received a number of new pledges over the past six weeks, and look forward to opportunities to speak to church leaders in New Mexico and El Paso in the near future, with hopes they will come on board and support this new work.

Please pray for the following...

1. Our first Bible study meeting is Sunday, September 12. This is the first 'real' meeting of those who are at least interested in the new church. Pray for a sweet time of fellowship and unity of purpose.

2. A good sense of routine for our family, and for me in particular. Sometimes I seem swamped with 'stuff to do', other times I am less than busy. Both Carrie and I would like to have more even schedules (this also has something to do with the puppy!). No doubt this is normal when moving to a new place, but we'd like some more normalcy...pray for this (and patience, no doubt!).

3. Opportunities to share about the church plant: this month's Presbytery meeting in Santa Fe (Sept. 24); I'm preaching in El Paso on Sept. 26; an upcoming trip to Alamogordo, NM in the fall. Please pray that more churches will come on board in support of this work, and that I'll be fully funded by Thanksgiving, in order to give full energy and focus on the ministry at hand.

Thanks so much for your interest, prayers and support!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Landed in Albuquerque!

Dear friends:
The Roses have arrived in Albuquerque! Carrie and I made it to the Duke City a week ago Wednesday, moved into our house Friday, and my wonderful parents in law brought Noah and Caleb to join us on Sunday. So far it's been chaotic in the new house, but in a really neat way: our stuff fits nicely in the new place, we've met a few of our neighbors, and we are absolutely thrilled to be back in ABQ!
We've also been really encouraged by a wave of giving that has pushed us very close to the $100K mark, as well as meeting up with some families interested in learning more about the church plant. We are praising God for these signs of His Grace!
Please continue to pray for us: for Noah and Caleb as they adjust to a new home, school, and for them to find friends; for Carrie and I in our new routines as wife/mother/author and husband/father/church planter; for churches to come alongside us in prayer and financial support.
We are so grateful for all your prayers and support!