8/10/2008

It’s been a busy month at the Power House in Baltimore, Maryland.



It started out on Sunday, July 13, with a very full day. During Morning Worship Lee brought in a few people he’d met on his way to church that morning. He told them, “There’s a church over here where the people will be really nice to you,” and they followed him in.



Both Mykell and Courtney were baptized during Kids’ Church. Patty Ballinger from the Dundalk Congregation came to participate in their confirmations. She had been their pastor at camp. Some other kids from junior camp came by just to see her.



As soon as everyone had left, a man stopped by the church. He’d found himself in some dire circumstances and was beginning to have thoughts of suicide. We went through procedures to keep that from happening.



Within minutes of his leaving Richard James (our President of Seventy who is from Wales), Lackings Banda (a Seventy from Malawi), and Dave Anderson (our Mission Center President) arrived. Richard and Lackings had been the guest ministers at reunion and were coming up to visit Pigtown and participate in Evening Worship. As this was Lackings’ first visit to Pigtown we took a quick walking tour of the area around the church, visiting a few people and pointing out some of our past projects along the way. Afterward we rested and visited for a few minutes before Evening Worship.



Carlo and Fred came in to Evening Worship ready for baptism. Just before the service started, Carol’s little brother Chris decided to get baptized, too. Tamara shared in a short message prior to the baptisms. Afterward, both Richard and Lackings shared stories from their homelands.



We had a good crowd at that service. Some people from Towson came down for the evening. A few people from other congregations who had met Fred and Carlo at camp came to share in their baptisms. We also had both parents of both boys there to participate, which was the first time I’d experienced that here.



As we were concluding the service we learned that Brian was scheduled to begin Job Corps training on Monday in Kentucky. He asked for a blessing before he went so we had him come to the front and we prayed a blessing upon him.



We had a potluck scheduled after the service. Some of the people from out of town and the boys’ families didn’t know that we were planning on eating so we ordered a stack of pizzas to add to the things others had brought to eat. Nearly everyone stayed and ate and visited together for quite some time.



Very early the next morning Danny took me and my family out to the airport so we could begin our vacation. We were out of town for the next three weeks.



While we were gone things generally ran smoothly with only a few surprise curves and bumps in the road. Dave Anderson, Ron Gillilan, and Earl Jamison provided the messages on the Sunday mornings I was gone. Danny, Gloria, Tamara, and Jenn lead the other activities throughout the weeks.



During one of the weeks I was gone Tamara helped lead our area’s delegation to Spectacular at Graceland University. Both Scott and Damon from our congregation were a part of that delegation. In visiting with them they each seemed to have quite an amazing experience there.



Also while out, the new www.pigtownchurch.org was launched. I would encourage you to look at the link and see what’s new there. It’s clearer, more current, and more easily updated. Further, it has several links to city services and programs to benefit Pigtown residents.



When we got home I had a message from Sally. She’s from the Washington, DC, Congregation and had a bunch of school supplies to contribute to our drive. We’re a bit behind in our school supplies this year. We could use all the basics (pencils, pens, crayons, paper, folders, glue, colored pencils, markers, etc.) but are especially in markers, crayons, and loose leaf paper. If you are able to help with this please contact me.



This Thursday and Friday were the annual Willow Creek Leadership Summit. I was able to participate through a satellite downlink at a local church in Timonium. Each year that I go to this event (this is the 8th year I’ve gone) I think that it cannot get any better. Each year I go away amazed at how SIGNIFICANTLY better it was than the year before. This year’s program was amazing.



Friday night brought Pizza Church. I had to skip out on the last session of the Summit in order to make it on time (and even that cut it closer than I like). Jenn was out of town and Tamara was sick so it was just me and Robert with the kids. We had several new kids and some who hadn’t been to church all summer there for church.



Much of Saturday was spent trying to catch up on office work that had piled up while I was gone. I’m through most of the email and most of the bills but am still quite a ways behind on some things and need to now focus more energy on Bible School.



Saturday night brought our monthly Solid Rock Café. It was very well attended and a very loud group.



Looking ahead to next week we have a full schedule of activities. Along with our regular services on Sunday we’ll have a priesthood meeting after Evening Worship. On Monday we’ll distribute Bible School fliers throughout the neighborhood and finalize our preparations for it. We’ll have Bible School from 10 a.m. – Noon on Tuesday through Friday. Tuesday evening is the monthly Citizens of Pigtown meeting. We’re also hoping to finish out our prize fulfillment for a few kids who didn’t get them in July.



Along with the individuals and activities mentioned, please keep the following families in the forefront of your prayers:



The Latham Family

The King Family

The Burrs Family

The Purnell Family

The Moore Family

The Quick Family

The Stallings Family

The Yankee Family



Thank you for your continued prayer support.



Jeff and everyone at

The Power House

“Building the Kingdom of God Here and Now”

PowerHouseMD@Juno.com

www.pigtownchurch.org