1. Pray for continued courage for our team to continue reaching out by surveying and cultivating relationships with the unchurched.

2. Pray for additional funds to be raised. We need to add at least another $20k for 2006. Pray that God provides a part-time job for me and/or we raise the needed funds.

3. Pray for our family as we adjust to having Elyssa Joy around and Ian starting Preschool.

4. Pray for Armond and his family as they move to Waterloo on a step of faith.

5. Pray that we connect our curious friends into our small groups and meet their deepest needs.

6. Pray that our requests are granted at the Classis’ meeting on Sept. 13.

7. Pray for our Launch Team Gatherings to continue to grow and move us out in faith.

8. Pray that God will bless Elmer as he faces Leukemia and his family as they walk through this with him.

PRAY 4 US!
September 2005 Prayer Update

Dear friends & family,

Keep praying because you’re making a difference! Read on to see what God has been doing and to find out how you can pray for us.  If you are new to the prayer team you may want to read our previous prayer updates at www.bridgeofhopechurch.com/pray4us.html.

What is God doing?

God gives hope: God has been giving us hope through several different means. 1. God gives us hope through my messages of hope. Each Sunday God is opening up his Word and giving our team hope.

2. God gives us hope by providing a sound system for us to borrow each Sunday from a local youth leader for free!

3. God gives us hope by helping several leaders see how they can connect others to Christ and his church through “need-meeting” groups.  

4. God gives us hope by calling Armond and Rachel Floyd to take a step of faith and move to Waterloo this month.  They found temporary housing at the Cedar Falls Bible Conference Center, which has allowed them to put most of their belongings in storage and move sooner than expected.

5. God gives us hope by teaching us lessons.  Armond came to visit on August 14 and, because Stephanie had just returned from the hospital, I sent him out to dinner with several from our team. A few hours later, this clan came knocking on our door. Their joy could not be contained and they wanted to share it with Stephanie and me. You see, while they were chowing down at Bishops, Armond was giving them lessons on outreach. Lesson #1. Laugh: a few jokes and apparently people were rolling on the floor. Yah, Christians can have fun, and if you want to reach our culture you better know how to have fun. Lesson #2. Be Bold: In the midst of a discussion about the fear of approaching strangers, Armond got up and went over to a couple eating dinner. The woman was not very pleased with the interruption, but Armond graciously connected with them and returned. He made connecting look easy and gave our group hope.

6. God gives us hope through the miracle of new life. Most of you know we were blessed with a beautiful little girl on Aug. 12. Elyssa Joy Van Wyk entered the real world at 9lbs. and 19.5 inches. Mom and baby are doing well.

7. God gives us hope through the miracle of new life, AGAIN! No, we didn’t have another baby, but we did welcome two friends into the Body of Christ. Elmer and Norma are longtime friends of several on our team. When Elmer was diagnosed with Leukemia, fear began to set in. Because of the longtime friendships, they called me for help. I had the privilege of sharing the good news of Jesus death and resurrection with them that morning. They both accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Their daughter then joined our celebration, knowing we would all be together for God’s eternal party in heaven!

Rejoice with us in the work God is doing.
Thank you for praying and making a difference.