Faith Foundry Update - May 2016

On March 13th I preached my last sermon as the pastor of First Baptist of Fort Lauderdale. March 14th I began serving as the Founder and Executive Director of Faith Foundry. These first two months with Faith Foundry have been extremely busy, fulfilling and rewarding.

Cynthia and I immediately traveled with friends to Israel and spent Holy Week visiting the sacred sites and remembering Jesus' sacrifice for us. We met a sister from Iraq at the Church of the Beatitudes. Her family members have become refugees or been killed by ISIS. Her sorrow is great but her faith is strong. It was a privilege to pray for her family. Faith Foundry's Global Advocacy efforts extend to international workers who bring peace into the most difficult places.

April took us to the Verge Conference in Atlanta where we were challenged with amazing teaching. Cynthia and I were refreshed and encouraged as we contemplated what the church will look like for us in the future. We left Atlanta with fresh eyes and a missional perspective for how God is molding our work with early career pastors.

May is taking us to Alabama, the Florida Panhandle and North Carolina where we are enjoying southern hospitality and sweet fellowship with friends. As summer approaches, we are focused on the core element of Faith Foundry, our Coaching Journey for early career pastors. This summer we are searching for those 5-6 pastors who will spend nine months being mentored, coached, encouraged and loved on by Faith Foundry. As we go through our selection process, we are prayerful that God will lead us to pastors that are ready and eager to share this new experience with us.

Many of you have asked how you can come alongside us and assist in our new ministry. Thank you for your willingness to stay close to us and to be our partners.Our greatest need this summer is prayer.Seriously, friends, we are asking you to pray earnestly for God to lead us to the 5-6 early career pastors that we are to pour our lives into for the next year. We are asking for open hearted, pure minded, eager and teachable younger pastors who want to be encouraged, prayed for, coached and strengthened by a relationship with us and the work of Faith Foundry. Are you willing to faithfully pray for those pastors to be connected with us? That is the greatest thing you can do for us this summer, so when we come to mind or you see our posts on social media, please stop and pray. Then let us know that you prayed for us. Nothing would bless us more.

Our prayer for you: May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Eph. 3.19