beginnings

Remembering all the prayers for this church. Realizing the journeys that led these individuals to this moment. Reflecting over a month ago the uncertainty of when this service would happen. To find a place, to plan and organize, to meet and invite.

God is neat. I love how he intertwines stories and dreams, hopes and hearts. Connecting us to him and each other. His provision, his calling. Humbled he could use us, inviting us into his story for the world, desires us to be agents of his grace. Thankful for those who came, excited for them.

To be able to look back at how he has come before and to find comfort that he will remain throughout the unknown, celebrations, any bumps and fears. Praying he is glorified, nothing of our own strength, but testimony of his Spirit that unifies us.

the well

Over the last year, Logan and I have been trying to discern if God might be calling us to the city of Christchurch, New Zealand to assist in planting a church there.  We are delighted to let you know that we have committed to moving to Christchurch to be a part of the Plant Team for The Well!  We made our decision after a long period of prayer and after many long hours of discussion, and we are confident that God is going to use us and The Well to do something powerful in the city of Christchurch. 

If you want to know more about the church plant, the vision behind it, and the lead pastor Clint Ussher, you can find some of that information here. We will give of ourselves and our resources to awakening people to experience and express the depth of Christ’s love. To get a sense of what's happened in the city of Christchurch in the last year or so, and part of why we feel called to plant there, check out this video:

We're sure there are many other questions to answer, so please feel free to write or call us, we'd be happy to talk.  For now, we would greatly appreciate if you could pray for:

- Clint and Jamie Ussher (and their two girls, Evee and Iris), our lead pastoral couple, who are moving to Christchurch in January.  They will be on the ground preparing the way for the church plant as well as continuing to raise support.  Please pray for their transition, for their new home, and for the work they will do in Christchurch in the coming months.

- For the city.  As you can see in the video, Christchurch is a city that is still assessing the extent of the damage before beginning to rebuild.  Pray for the rebuilding process and how The Well might fit into that process.  Christchurch is also a largely unchurched city, so we ask that you pray for God to prepare hearts and minds before we even arrive, both those who will take a leadership role in the church and those we will seek to reach.

- Fundraising.  This church plant is a significant project that is going to require significant resources.  Fundraising has been underway for some time, but there is more yet to be done.  Please pray that God would provide to resources necessary to make this church plant a success.

Again, we are immensely thankful for those who have prayed and supported us during our discernment journey. We are very excited for this opportunity to serve God in New Zealand. Logan and I share a passion for seeing lives and communities transformed by the love and grace of God, and we desire God to use our talents in Christchurch to help see that transformation realized in others.

"The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love." Galatians 5:6b

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midwest freedom

The midwest is my home. I am a Hoosier, and I live in a community of people who know way too much about me, what my parents were like at my age, and naturally everyone is in each other's business.

I use to feel pretty constricted but now I'm growing up and doing that whole movie type thing or maybe catcher in the rye moment where you learn to love the places and people that made you in light of the good or struggling times.

I find freedom in the comforts of baking, domesticating myself, writing letters, and looking forward to years of gardening and canning. I'm just a mix of simple but wanting to be reflective, liking deep conversations around the dinner table or kitchen and mixed in with a little liberal arts mindset inspired by the idea of living a meaningful, thoughtful life in a way that God created imaginative beings like me and you.

Every time I begin to start a blog I get pretty ambitious and anxious, wanting to post ten thoughts, items, or inspirations each day, but hopefully this will be a little different something that will grow and remind me, push me to reflect, and also satisfy my constant findings of God, beauty, art, and the little things. No one has ever told you the midwest is so freeing.

(photo via annie janzen)