Monday, June 9, 2014

Interns Arrive Today!

I'm incredibly excited that our interns are flying in today!  We have 6 college interns serving with our church this summer, the most we have ever had.  I'm in awe of God, as usual, as he takes something small and grows it to be something powerfully effective for his kingdom and glory.

This year we were able to bring in 6 interns thanks to a unique partnership between the North American Mission Board, Fielder Church in Arlington, TX and Oklahoma Baptist University.  In all I think they are deploying around 25 interns to the Seattle area.  It's been so encouraging to see groups of people coming together to help saturate our region with the gospel.

Please be praying for our interns.  Our overall objective for them this summer is to help them learn how to be more effective missionaries when they return home.  We want them to learn how to be compassionate, bold, humble servants of Jesus who love God, love others and speak the gospel with grace and love.  They will be living in a local apartment complex in a pretty rough area.  It will be a stretch for them to learn to live incarnationally on a daily basis.  They will be volunteering at the local boys and girls club, hosting community block parties, loving their neighbors in tangible ways and joining some of our existing Intentional Communities.

This is not designed to be an easy summer for the interns.  It's not designed to be a summer filled with menial behind the scenes tasks.  This internship was created with disciple-making in mind.  It's challenging, exhausting and at times can be lonely.  But it is also exhilarating, stretching, life-changing and our prayer is that it is fruitful.  We're praying that our interns have the opportunity lead many people to Jesus.  We're praying that they have the change to connect new believers to the body of Christ.  We're asking God to give them the chance to sharpen and use their spiritual gifts for the glory of God and courageously depend on the Holy Spirit to empower them to engage the gospel in ways they never thought possible.

Some specific prayers: *As you are able, please pray for our interns by name.  Consider choosing one or two to pray for daily...
Paige Worthington, Gage Johnson, Zack Danyla, Miriam Ingham, Michael Baker, Leena Vappula

1) Please pray for safe and timely arrival.  At least 2 of our interns will be a day late because of bad weather and delayed flights.

2) Pray for quick assimilation into Tacoma life.

3) Pray for a supernatural open doors with their neighbors.  Pray for gospel conversations and gospel opportunities beginning week 1.

4) Please pray against the attack of Satan.  We've learned a lot and experienced a lot in our four plus years in Tacoma.  One of the most difficult and sobering lessons we've learned is the reality of spiritual warfare.  However, we've also learned in new and fresh ways the victory found in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Please pray against discouragement and pray for faith to overcome all obstacles of the evil one.

5) Pray for life change.  Our number one priority is kingdom growth.  Not just in Tacoma but all over this world.  We believe if our interns experience true life change and begin to live more passionately and more missionally when they return home, the kingdom will grow and the internship will have been a success!

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