I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. Philippians 1:3 -6
There are times in church planting when the daily grind can get the best of you. While we haven’t been beaten, shipwrecked, or left for dead like Paul we can empathize with his inner turmoil in 2 Corinthians 11:28 that there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. We have started small and what we call ‘consistently inconsistent’ from week to week, but we genuinely love and labor for those God has given us in Marrero.
Through our trials and troubles God always proves Himself faithful to provide what we need at the perfect time. This weekend Terry Stephan from Airport Boulevard Baptist Church in Mobile joined us for the Crescent City Muslim church planting conference in Gretna, then joined Ren and Susie Smith from Pine Terrace Baptist Church in Milton, Florida at our home for dinner and Bible study on Sunday.
Not to be outdone, on Saturday an old friend and mentor, Bob Sims, called from Moulton Baptist Church to remind me that Jesus called John the Baptist the greatest of those born among women (Luke 7:28) not because of how successful he was, but because John was who God made him to be, where God wanted him, doing exactly what God wanted him to do.
We are grateful for our partner churches and friends that give financially to West Bank Baptist Church, who will join us starting in March with mission teams, and faithfully pray for our family and work in the city. Never, ever take for granted how a phone call, text, email, or handwritten card can make a tremendous difference in our day as we seek to advance the Kingdom of Christ in a difficult context.
Thank you Bob, Terry, Ren, and Susie for your sacrifice to come love our family in person! We pray that God will bless you tremendously in ways you could never imagine for your kindness toward us and our tiny church family.
Learn more about how you can get involved in helping plant West Bank Baptist Church through prayer, participating, and providing for us as we preach the gospel in greater New Orleans.
Melsons on the Move 