Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.
Colossians 1:28
Good morning and happy March! I don’t know where you are in the world, but here in the southeast US we are getting southern snow or pollen. I encourage you to google it so you can get the full picture. Along with pollen comes allergies and sinus infection. The true battle is if you go outside and enjoy some great weather or stay inside and miss the great weather. As a parent usually you spend your time telling your kids to stop rubbing their hands and things across the car getting pollen all over themselves. I am sure this is the same in other places with other weather types (water, ice, snow, dirt,etc). I know my middle son Rory spent much time in the dirt when we lived in Kotido.
The verse from Colossians 1:28 has really spoken to me over the last month so much so that I have preached on it and now it seems as if everything I read centers around it. The Lord is kind in teaching us through his Scriptures. In this verse we see several things. 1. Proclaiming Christ, 2. Warning everyone of the coming wraith, and 3. teaching everyone. We do all of these things to present everyone fully mature in Christ. The word mature here means perfect (some translations use this word), complete, the idea of something having reached its end. This is very key to who we are as believers as many times, at least in some western churches, we evangelize and celebrate them coming into Christ; then we sorta stop. We assume because they are in Christ, that they are good to go and that is true, sort of. See both this verse and the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) have a second part where there is teaching that goes on. The teaching is not just a little or random, it is intentional and goes on until the person becomes fully mature in Christ. Discipleship! This is, I believe, the number one problem in most churches all over the planet. In the west it is because we are not intentional enough in the global south and the east its because of lack of training and resources. This is what is happening in Uganda with Reaching Africa’s Unreached and this is what we are going to help with.
Whats New?
The Lord has blessed us with many other people and groups that are coming alongside us to ensure the Gospel is taught in Uganda. Matlock Baptist Church, our sending church, did a big fundraiser for us last month and our youth group is planning another one in May. The Men’s ministry of First Baptist Church of Jackson allowed me to come share about our ministry in Uganda and voted to partner with us monthly. Edmund First Baptist Church gave me the supreme pleasure of preaching to their congregation. You can watch that here: Video Link. My preaching starts at the 37:15 mark. Our friends at Great American Steakburger in El Paso, Texas do a missions pie each month where the proceeds to to a mission group that is chosen. March was us and this is the second time they have done this for us. We have also had dinner with several couples who have told us they intend to support us monthly. God is supplying us with ministry partners and Glorifying Himself by allowing other members of the body to take part in reaching the unreached Aringa of Uganda.
In late March we are headed to ABWE headquarters for Departure Readiness Training. This training is designed to do three things: 1. help in transitions to the field, 2. help in adjusting to living in another culture, and 3. to help adapt to existing teams that are on the field. Pray for us as we face and process some of the upcoming realities of leaving home and going to Uganda full time.
Sara continues her Old Testament class and will be doing the New Testament next. Pray for her as she works full time, moms overtime and also does classes.
The kids are all doing well in school. Emma came home this week for a few days to spend with us, which is always a pleasure as the young ones miss her a lot.
Pray for me as my time as associate/youth pastor is coming to a close in June. I have found myself dreading that day as I am leaving a terrific group of teens behind. I have poured years into them and I love them dearly.
Prayer Request
- Pray that we would be at 100% committed support by the end of June in both our monthly and outbound.
- Pray for our families, specifically that God would prepare their hearts for what is coming.
- Pray for our kids.
- Pray for our teammates the Langworthys. Pray for their support levels and the new baby.
- Pray for RAU and what is happening in Uganda.
Sara and I would love to come and share with your church, small group, have dinner with you and tell you about what is happening now in Uganda and how we will come along side that work. Email us, facebook us, or call us.
Pryces of Africa 