March 30th

Ed Winegar is an elder at our sister church, Current, and one of our Trustees at C3, which means he has poured himself into a lot of the decisions that have we have made so far in this planting adventure. I just received word that Ed's father passed away last night- I hope you'll join me in praying for this family as they deal with the pain that comes from loss and separation.

Thank you so much,

Jeff

Hey there!

I know- it's been a LONG time! The gang at C3 have been keeping busy over the past few months with new stuff for Kids Crossing, our very first family camp, and 3 new small groups!

But elaborating on those things will have to wait for another post. My reason for writing today is to ask you to pray for the co-worker of one of our great volunteers, Judi. This is her request:

My colleague, Jack Parker, was rushed to the hospital this morning and was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. He is in very critical condition. Jack is one of those guys that you just can't help but love. He is near and dear to everyone at Legacy. Please pray for his recovery. The next 24-48 hours are critical. Also pray for all of us who have been in contact with him over the past week.

I will update when I get news. In the meantime, thank you for praying!

In Him,

Jeff

March 9th

Thank you all so much for praying for our friends who are adopting four beautiful children from Haiti. Rose, Wally, Steve and Lily are all at home in Findlay, OH with Mark and Kim now! Even more amazing, all the children who were waiting to be processed at the embassy have been cleared and are with their adoptive families. What an amazing praise!

On a different note, I hope you will join us in praying for some of our good friends from Grace Christian Church- Danny and Betty Reed. Danny's health has been deteriorating and Betty is his primary care giver. Please pray with us that strength and peace will continue to flood the Reed house.

And finally, we are rejoicing that as Easter Sunday approaches, C3 will be celebrating our first birthday since we held our "public launch"! We are all very excited about this milestone in our young church's history, and look forward to where our great God is taking us from here. We would be honored if you would join us in praising Him for bringing us this far, and pray with us that Convergence Christian Church will continue to follow in His steps.

Thank you so very much for partnering with us in prayer!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Feb. 1st

Hey there!

Just a quick note to update you on the progress of our friends, Mark and Kim Kintner.

I mentioned in our Jan. 20th post that for the last three years, they have been in the process of adopting four children from Haiti. Not long after the earthquake, Kim was able to get into the country to help at the orphanage where the children are. This was welcomed assistance, as many of the regular workers are Haitian, and left after the quake to search for their families.

In the midst of the multiple aftershocks, many of the buildings in the orphanage and at the Lashbrook mission were damaged beyond repair. They have been forced to demolish both the school and the church building, so continued prayer is needed as they seek to rebuild. The damage to dwellings also meant that the children were living outside under tarps.

At the time of the earthquake, there were 41 children who were in various stages of the adoption process at the orphanage. These children, along with the adoptive parents like Kim who were able to make the trip, traveled 150 miles by bus on Jan. 30th to the embassy in Haiti to have all their paperwork processed for the trip to the U.S. The trip was very long, but they arrived and were able to set up camp inside the embassy grounds, which is a much safer environment than the rest of Port Au Prince is currently experiencing.

At this point, I know that five of the children have been processed and released to be reunited with there adoptive parents in the states. Mark, who has been working tirelessly stateside filing papers and fighting for their release, traveled to Miami today to await what he is praying will be a timely reunion with Kim, Steve, Lily, Wally, and Rose.

Please join us in praying that the prime minister will be moved to expedience in signing the papers that will officially allow all 36 children who remain at the embassy permission to come home. And please join us in praying for the Lashbrook family, who remain in Haiti, ministering with the people there, and for the other children. The 41 kids who may be united with new families soon represent just a part of the group who live at the orphanage- they all need families.

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer- God is faithful, and can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine!

In Him we live,

Jeff

Jan. 20th

Prayer partners,

Thanks for stopping in! As we begin this week, Haiti is a central focus of prayer for everyone who believes that God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

I'd also like to ask you to join us in praying for the sale of Randy's house. It has been empty for a while, which has attracted the attention of some vandals. Thus far, all damage has been repairable, but he would really like to see it become a home again to someone.

I often have prayer requests shared with me that are of a more private nature. This week, I have two such requests, and I hope you will join me in praying for God's will to be done in the lives of these people. One of the amazing and wonderful aspects of prayer is that we don't need to have details in order to bring something to our Creator- He knows already!

Finally, please join us in praying for Mark and Kim. They are good friends from Ohio who have been in the process of adopting 4 beautiful children from Haiti for the past three years. In the aftermath of the recent earthquake, governments have made some decisions that may very well allow Mark and Kim to finally bring their kids home. Kim works with a university campus house in Ohio that is sending herself and a team to Haiti to bring supplies and support to the mission/orphanage while Mark continues to fight state-side to secure all the appropriate approvals to bring the children into the U.S. Please pray for safety and for open doors!

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer!

In Him we live,

Jeff

Jan. 12th

Hey there!

Thanks for stopping by! Things at C3 have been pretty busy for the past month or so, and I would like to catch you up on some of the "love, live, serve" news:

Memorial Parkway Jr. High has turned out to be a fantastic place to meet- the school district has been extremely gracious hosts and having a space like their "mini" auditorium has allowed us room to grow while still being able to maintain a more cozy atmosphere than a typical school "cafetorium" setup allows. I am always hesitant to throw out numbers, because they don't give the whole story, but I will say that Convergence has experienced what I think would be considered healthy numerical growth since our move into the school. Our Christmas Eve gathering was the most folks we've so far assembled together for corporate worship, and it was a wonderful time! I hope you'll join us in praising God for this blessing, because it's all about what He's done!

But growth happens in more ways than numbers, and one of the most exciting things we've gotten to see this Fall has been the beginning of Taste of Community groups for both our adults and our high schoolers. The goal is to provide more opportunities for people to get to know each other, grow and live in community. Our format is a twist on the traditional idea of home groups, and frankly I wasn't sure how folks would respond to this "experiment," but so far the response has been very positive. Currently we have about 60% of our adults participating in a T.O.C. group, and hope to introduce new options by Spring.

The most consistently unexpected and amazing part of C3 has been our children's ministry, Kids Crossing. Keeping up with the needs of this group on Sunday mornings has been a challenge, because we consistently have almost as many kiddos as adults! But what a reason to praise God! He has taken care of us and has provided some great organizational leadership in Kerri, and a crew of amazing servant-volunteers.

I hope you will join us in praising God for what He's already done, and praying with us that we will be attentive and open to His leading for Convergence Christian Church in 2010.

Thank you, thank you, for partnering in prayer with us!

In Him we live,

Jeff

December 1st

Halloooo! Glad you stopped by!

First, many thanks for your prayers for me as I preached at Memorial C.C. a few weeks ago- we had a great time together unpacking God's Word!

This past week, C3 had our first "Family Sunday," and it was a blast! Our kiddos stayed with us the whole time as we sang, read a great story (thanks Kerri!) partnered up for a group activity and looked at why Isaiah called Jesus "Wonderful Counselor." It was a treat to see what can happen when we are together all morning as a multi-generational community. Our next Family Sunday will be the on December 27th- Please join us in praying about it!

One of our other big praises this past month was the completion of another fence project. This one was for a single mom who has two younger children. Her home backs up to a "greenbelt," which is essentially a long, open strip of undeveloped land that often facilitates utilities or drainage for a neighborhood. Although the majority of her far back fence was missing, there were new posts already set. This made it possible for us to finish the entire fencing repair in a just a couple of hours.

Jobs like this aren't complicated, but they are labor-intensive and can seem overwhelming if you are facing them by yourself. There are many people in our communities that feel like they don't have anyone to turn to for help. As His people, we all have amazing opportunities to show the love of Christ in practical ways. I hope you will pray with us for new openings to serve the world!

Finally, please pray for our friend, Kim P. She is in the hospital as the doctors try to deal with excessive fluid around her heart. These terrific doctors need the wisdom of the Great Physician.

In Him we live,

Jeff

From Brenda - please pray:

1. is our HS Choir director, was in the hospital for sever chest pains...we have a major concert on Friday...Mr. D.

2. A board member/choir dad, Joe S. fell down a flight of stairs in Austin, he had to have surgery to releave pressure on his brain...could be perminant damage.

3. My co-worker Maira...went in for a follow up appt for possible breast cancer.

October 27

Hey gang

This week I've been preaching a revival in the evenings at Memorial Christian Church here in Houston. Tomorrow is the final night of the revival and I have a favor to ask of you: will you join me in praying for tomorrow night's gathering? I really want to get out of the way and let God speak. Please pray for everyone who will be there, that they will have ears to hear what He has to say to them.

I'm so grateful for your partnership in prayer!

In Him we live,

Jeff

October 20

Things are scooting right along at C3, and I'm grateful you've stopped in to pray with us!

First, I want to follow up the last post with an update on our children's ministry, Kids Crossing: As I mentioned last time, we've had to expand things to handle the influx of kiddos over the last few months (this is a great problem to have!) and I asked you to pray about our volunteer situation. I'm happy to report that our ministry director, Kerri, just finished a new schedule that successfully places volunteers in all the most needed positions! Prayer is still needed for a few more volunteers to get us to the ideal number of workers each week, but we no longer have "holes" in the area of lead teachers each week.

I'm also excited to let you know that two new families, the Queen's and the Potter's, have recently joined C3. It's awesome to have them on this journey, and I suppose the greatest praise for me is that they felt so welcome. I hope you'll join us in praying that Convergence continues to be a group that feels like family and a place that feels like home to people that are searching.

Another one of our friends who recently came to C3 is Randy. He has asked us to pray for a single mom named Sherry, as well as for her kids. God is big enough to know what they need without any details here- please join us in praying for them.

Finally, I always appreciate your prayers for myself and the other leaders at Convergence as we strive to make decisions and live in a way that consistently honors Christ. On a personal note, I will be preaching four nights across town next week at Memorial Christian Church starting on Sunday evening the 25th through Wednesday evening the 28th, and I would be grateful if you would pray for those gatherings!

Thank you for partnering with us in prayer!

In Him we live,

Jeff

September 28

Hey there!

September has been a great month for Convergence!

In my last update, I mentioned that we opened up an area for little ones and had a "test drive." Since that time, we've had to expand Kids Crossing to include an area for younger kiddos each week. Right now we would be delighted if you would pray about volunteers- it's a great problem when you have as many kids as adults, but we still need to make sure we have enough workers!

Overall, C3 has seen steady growth for the months of August and September, which is a terrific praise. I am always hesitant to publish numbers, but I will say that we now have on average about 15 more people coming each Sunday than we had from March-July. If you want a more specific update, please feel free to email me: jeffh@loveliveserve.org

The combination of this growth has also required us to purchase additional equipment, which means that we finally needed a trailer! The fact that we were able to get along so well without one for this long is a testimony to the dedication of our core team, who faithfully stored and transported stuff each week for months- those guys are awesome!

Finally, Prayer Partners: Thank you for your faithful partnership with C3! Nothing that has happened in the life of Convergence Christian Church has happened without prayer. Your support has been amazing, and beyond value!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

Aug. 16th

Thanks for praying for Convergence!

In my last update, I asked everyone to pray for our event called "Flight Night," and it was an amazing evening! We actually had over 40 people show up to throw Frisbees (and an Aerobie that went a LONG way!), footballs, boomerangs and several gliders while others launched air-powered rockets and took turns flying kites and an r.c. helicopter. We had a picnic together, and then had the Diet Coke/ Mentos extravaganza, which was probably the all-around favorite part of the event. The weather was gorgeous, and people hung out until dark. Much fun!

I also wanted to let everyone know that Chris Woods' uncle Ed lost his battle a few weeks ago. Please keep on praying for the whole family as they grieve their loss. Your prayers matter!

Finally, I wanted to share a little about our August 9th worship gathering. It was a pretty exciting day for us because we needed to open an area for toddlers. The kiddos were visiting from a bit of a distance (don't worry- they didn't come by themselves), so we knew it would only be last week, but it gave us a great opportunity to "test drive" what that ministry will look like when we need to offer it on a regular basis- good stuff.

In all, we had 13 first time visitors on the 9th, which was also a great adventure! Pleas keep on lifting us up to the Father- He is doing some really great things at C3 and I'm stoked to be a part of it!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

July 17th

Hi there!

I hope your week has gone well! We've been keeping busy and getting ready for our first annual "Flight Night" coming up this Sunday, July 19th. Everyone is invited to join us in the open field located at the corner of Lariat Canyon and Fry Rd. in Katy, starting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Bring a picnic supper, some friends, and anything that flies. We'll hang out together, play a bit, and celebrate our "launch" as a new church! I really hope you'll join us!

While we are looking forward to sharing a fun night together, the C3 family also continues to pray for Chris Woods' uncle Ed and his family. He is coming to the end of a long fight with cancer and is currently home with hospice care. Please join us in praying for God's love, peace and Truth to saturate their lives, and for Jason and Chris as they reach out as His hands and feet.

I'd also ask that you join us in praying for peace and comfort for our good friend J.D. Cox and his family as they mourn the passing of his father. We love you guys.

Thanks so much for partnering with us in prayer. Life is hard, but God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

In Him,

Jeff

July 8th

Hallooo Prayer Partners!

It's been almost three months since C3 held our "official launch," and every week is still an adventure! There have definitely been challenges. But there have also been amazing moments that reveal lives changing. I have to confess: I'm more than a little biased toward the really great moments, and have seen a few challenges that I'd like to forget. But I won't forget them- and I shouldn't.

Because God is working in both.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28

We aren't promised that every moment spent after we become Christ followers will be happy and painless. But we are promised that in every one of those moments, our amazing Creator and Redeemer God is working, with our ultimate good in mind.

Like I said, every week is an adventure!

This week, I'd like to ask you to join us in praying for a community-building event that we call "Flight Night." Everyone is invited to join us in the field down the street from the Graham's home (email me at jeffh@loveliveserve.org for directions) on Sunday night, July 19th- time will be arranged this week. Bring a picnic for you and any guests that will be joining you, and bring anything that flies! Kites, balls, Frisbees, boomerangs, R.C. planes and helicopters- you name it! We're gathering just to hang out and spend time together. Oh, and we're going to do some very cool flight-related things with Diet Coke and Mentos, too.

Please also join us in praying for our overpass ministry. I got to meet a new gentlemen this last week, and am hoping for the opportunity to build a relationship with him- I would really appreciate you focusing some prayer time on this!

Finally, one of our close friends and C3 family member and trustee, Charlie Patchett, lost his father this week. While we are celebrating that he went home to be with his Savior, we are mourning the loss and separation that Charlie, Connie, and the whole family face. Please join us in praying for peace and comfort for the Patchett family.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

June 30th

Greetings!

I'm sorry for such a gap in updates. I made some changes to my weekly schedule a little over a month ago that have overall been very positive, but the process has left me needing to resolve a few areas- one of which is a regular time for posting on this blog. Thank you for hanging in there with us!

Several great things have happened in the last month, so I'd like to take this opportunity to catch you up:

• Organization of our refreshment ministry has recently been assumed by Teeya Huf. This is a bigger step for us than it might seem on the surface, because the refreshment ministry was the last of our initial launch ministries still being cared for by interim leadership.
• Kids Crossing continues to be the surprise story of C3. To respond to the growing challenges of having 1/3 or higher of our attendance made up of kids each week, the leadership has brought Kerri Graham on part time as the director of our Children's ministry. She brings over a decade of teaching experience and will develop curriculum, train volunteers, and just love on the kids! We were excited to be able to send nine of our kiddos along with Kerri and her husband Joe to camp a few weeks ago, and they all had a blast!
• Our website is VERY close to being complete, pending some text I am currently working on and some animation refinements that Dorothea is finishing. I will let you know as soon as the site is up and running!

This week, please join us in praying for opportunities to build real relationships with the folks that are coming to visit us each week, and for the chance to help them connect to our incredible God! Also, please pray with us for some resolution to the issue of climate control in the school we are renting. The school district is working diligently to get the right zones cooled off for us on Sunday's, but with a big building and changing weather, this has become an ongoing challenge.

Thank you so much for partnering with C3 in prayer! We are grateful for you!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

May 18th

Hi there!

Friend and C3-er Susie just called me to ask us all to pray for her mother-in-law, who will be going into the hospital on Tuesday morning (5/19) for exploratory surgery. 

Please pray that God will guide the doctors to find the answers they are seeking, for her healing, and for peace and comfort for Rick and Susie and the whole family.

Thank you so much.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

April 30th

Prayer Partners,

I just received an email from Chris, who is a part of the C3 family. Her uncle Ed has been battling cancer for quite some time, and she just informed me that his one kidney has failed, requiring dialysis. 

Please join me in praying for comfort, peace and healing for Ed (as well as comfort an peace for Chris and the rest of his family). We must never be afraid to "approach the throne of Grace with confidence," like Hebrews 4 tells us. 

Thank you for praying!

Jeff

April 28th

Susie is a part of the C3 fam here in Houston. Her nephew lives several states away, and is really facing some hard stuff. 

Would you please join me in praying that our amazing God would bring healing and comfort to this young man in a tangible way? 

I hope you will also pray for C3 this week- for each visitor that has joined us, and for each person who plays a part in the church's leadership. 

Thank you so very much!

In Him We Live,

Jeff

April 21st

It's Tuesday morning as I sit down to write this little update. We've have had our first "post-launch" worship gathering, it's 66 degrees outside and my yard is finally mowed again. 

But before I fill you in on what has been happening recently, I want to say thank you. Thank you for continuing to partner with us in prayer over the last ten months (or longer for some) as we have planned and prepared as best we could for this amazing adventure. God hears the prayers of His people, and I am confident that those prayers have deeply impacted every area of this new church start. 

Now that things are settling back into more of a "normal routine" (if there really is such a thing) I hope you will continue on with us. So often, church plants put so much into the launch that it makes that event seem like the climax of the adventure. But in reality, it is only the beginning; we need your partnership in prayer now as much as we ever have. You are an invaluable part of this church!

--------------------------------------------

Now, on to the update:

This past Sunday was just amazing! I knew that at least one of our key volunteers would be out of town, and I had no idea if any of our first time visitors might return. But as odd as this might sound, I just wasn't concerned about it. Don't misunderstand me- I truly want people to feel welcomed at C3, and I hope that we become home to many folks who are still just exploring who Jesus is, as well as people who feel like they've "fallen through the cracks" in other churches. But I refuse to be consumed by the pursuit of some random attendance number. Just think about how much courage it takes each time someone walks into a building where a church meets for the first time (or the second). It is a privilege for us when anyone does this, and those people should be welcomed into a place that focuses on and celebrates the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. We only have one "number" we need to focus on: One more. 

With that freedom in mind, I can honestly say that it was such a blessing to see several first time visitors return, and to again have close to 40 folks come together for worship. I hope you will pray this week for each of those visitors (several of which are kiddos), that they will continue to experience the love of Christ in a tangible way through C3, and will continue their journey toward a close, abiding connection with Him as Savior. 

I would also like to ask that you pray for a friend of ours from Grace Christian Church. Kathy Vogel is preparing for back surgery, which can be a really scary thing. Please pray for wisdom and guidance for the doctors, and for healing and comfort for Kathy. 

Don't forget- if you would like us to pray for you, you can send us a note in the comment section of this blog, or send me an email at: jeffh@loveliveserve.org.

In Him We Live,

Jeff

p.s.- My fellow blogger and pastor Jason had a similiar experience this last week, and what he wrote about it is just awesome. If you'd like to check it out, click here. 

Prayer partners,

Please join us in praying for a young lady named Jessica. She has just been diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, in stage II.  Jessica loves horses, and her greatest hope is to be able to continue to ride during her chemo. 

Thank you so much for praying with us for her!

In Him We Live,

Jeff